"Son of a gun, that's my favorite!" Emeline chuckled, grinning. It was a little awkward to have her husband doing the serving, but he had offered and she wasn't about to turn that down! Besides, she'd had a rough day, and recognized it, even though his day had to have been just as stressful.
"Please, Angie, have a seat." She gestured to the smaller kitchen table, not nearly the size of the polished oak table in the formal dining room. But this smaller, more intimate table was used far more often than the big one. "We'll see how good Barnabas' dishing skills are!" Then she glanced at Pythias. "His name was Clem, that's enough, thank you, Pythias." Certainly no need to mention the 'Human Cockroach', as far as she was concerned, the man had paid his penance already.
"I've never been served in chaps and spurs before," Angie said as she took the offered chair. "Thank you, Emeline. You don't mind that I call you Emeline, I hope.
"Well, actually this here stew is the product of our Cook, Nate Armstrong, an' his assistant, Danny Baker, they been in n' out this whole time. Good men, an' the feed real good." Barnabas said as he set the steaming bowls before the women.
"Got it, an' we'll try an make it before dark so's the animals don't 'im, maybe use lanterns," Pythias replied. That wouldn't take long, and he already had men ready to ride out there and get the digging started. Wheezer had already headed out for the spot.
"Take lanterns, want him underground quick as can be!" Branabas added, then he turned to the Doctor, "Good ta have ya on that staff they want to put together not a lot of need just yet, but with mines poppin' up ta add to the ones here, the ranches, 'n farms, an' the login' why you'll be plumb busy before you know it!"
"I believe it will be a good staff. What we really need are nurses and orderlies, but they'll come soon enough; at least we've put out advertisements for them."
"
"Thank you, Pythias," Emeline said to the cowboy, then she looked at Angie. "I've heard word of some locals being interested in some of the jobs, and with the building nearing completion, things will happen fast."
She took a bite of the stew and smiled. "I just might have to recruit Cookie for the Lickskillet! Steal him away from you! It's a good thing Clara is such a good cook." Then she shrugged. "But I suppose we do need a good cook around here to keep the men happy. I've heard it's the best way to keep a good crew."
Pythias laughed. "Steal Nate? You might try Ma'am, but you'd have yerself a ree'bellion on yer hands if ya did." He said, "I'm out ta git this here marker up, an' thet man buried under it. Nice ta have met ya Doc. You enjoy yer meal now, ya hear?" And with that, he and the slab were out the door,
"And a pleasure to have met you, Pythias," She called after him as the screen door slammed shut behind him. "And he came up with the herd that you have? If he is representative of the rest, you got yourselves some good people!" And then she took in a mouthful of the stew, and her eyes widened, a smile appeared as she chewed and swallowed.
"Goodness! That is great! I don't suppose I could get the recipe?" She asked.
"You'll have to talk to Cookie about that," Emeline explained, "and I'm not sure how he feels about sharing recipes." She chuckled. "He may not even have one...specific, at least. I know that a lot of the cooking I do is just tossing in this and that...sometimes I end up with something that is really good and can't remember what, exactly, I put in it!"
That was a cook trait...if it sounded good at the time, toss it in! Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
"We can go take a look at the bunkhouse and talk to him when we're done here, if you like?" While the bunkhouse wasn't open to just anyone, and even Emeline tried to respect the men's place, it probably wouldn't hurt for the doctor to know the layout, in case she ever needed to treat anyone in the building.
"You'll have to talk to Cookie about that," Emeline explained, "and I'm not sure how he feels about sharing recipes." She chuckled. "He may not even have one...specific, at least. I know that a lot of the cooking I do is just tossing in this and that...sometimes I end up with something that is really good and can't remember what, exactly, I put in it!"
"Oh, I understand that. I am well aware of that trait among the women of Chicago. Some recipes are guarded as if they were gold. So yes, we'll have to speak with Mister Nate Ambrose. I will be disappointed if he won't divulge his recipe, but I will understand."
"We can go take a look at the bunkhouse and talk to him when we're done here, if you like?" While the bunkhouse wasn't open to just anyone, and even Emeline tried to respect the men's place, it probably wouldn't hurt for the doctor to know the layout, in case she ever needed to treat anyone in the building.
"Like? Oh my goodness, yes. Isn't that what we were talking about?: She asked, knowing that it was a foregone conclusion, the conversation about the stew could go no other way,
"I just don't want Nate shootin' up the place over this." Barnbas said, a sly grin appearing on his face.
"Oh, there's no chance of that," Emeline declared, "we'll just bat our eyes and flatter them!" She laughed. "They might be grizzled cowhands, but they all have soft hearts." Most of the men would do about anything for a lady, gentlemen that they were.
"As for sharing recipes, at least I don't think Cookie is the sort to sabotage you by giving you some false ingredients. He's a proud sort, but cares about keeping the men well-fed."
"Grizzled? You can't be talkin' 'bout the man of the house!" Barnabas said, walking back in through the kitchen door. with the man that the women had been discussing right behind him, as the door started to slam behind them.
"Dang blasted thing! I told ya the springs too dern short, Pronto." He said turning to stare at the metal spring and then back toward the women. "Sharin' recipes? Well now, was I able ta write I 'spose I could, as it is I'd have to rely on young Danny who kin do both."
"You would? I'd be eternally grateful for this 'whatever you call it' stew, well, so long as you wouldn't mind the hospital using it for their patients once in a while. It has a whole lot of really good things in it, which patients usually need while they are getting well." She explained.
"Cain't say no ta thet!" Nate stated, "Me and Danny'll git right on it. Maybe we could come in an' help out now an' again. 'course we got three meals a day to fix fer them 'ombres out there."
"I'm sure you could if you could find the time, we would never know how many patients we' have at any given time, but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem."
"I can cook for the crew now and then," Emeline said, shrugging. Truth was, there were times that she missed cooking for a group of people. "I can even cook for the hospital, too, sometimes." Maybe this was something she could discuss with Leah...instead of hiring just one main cook, they could have several that rotated through.
"Oh, and this is Dr. Laurant. Angelique, this is Nate Ambrose...Cookie."
"Well, there's no rush, Nate, but I would admire to be able to have it for the hospital. Great score of vitamins and minerals for anyone who eats it." Angie said. "And as for you, you would be most welcomed, I'm sure I am aware of the old statement about too many cooks spoil the broth, but not when you need a few to staff a kitchen."
I suppose they might retain a cook, but then again, maybe not. One might be difficult to hire and retain. I'll bet that hasn't crossed anyone's mind yet, I know they have talked to Doctor Dandforth's housekeeper, Misses Armentrout on the matter. If you don't mind, I could let them know you have some interest. Three meals a day for an unknown number of patients from day to day can be quite challenging.
