Grilling Time

"Mmhmmmm!!!"

Dave grinned from over by the grill looking at the girls. "Does that mean she likes it?"

They all look at the face Daphne is making and grin. "Yeah it does!"

Dave chuckled. "Good." He knew how good the food from the Potter stuff usually was... and it really was usually pretty good. But it was still was usually a lot of British foods. Ms Greengrass had looked none to impressed by the unsophisticated American fare at the start but it certainly sounded like she was enjoing herself now! Her traditional magical family probably didn't eat a lot of American fare. She was a young witch so she probably only thought of burgers as fastfood if at all. He was glad she was enjoying it!

"Thank you Lady Fingers," he said as she handed him a beer. "Oh one moment! Would you like a hamburger or hotdog?" She quickly held up a finger and he quickly fixed up a burger for her and placed it in a napkin. He handed it to her. "I'll try to make sure we keep a variety of hand and finger foods in store for you my dear. Enjoy!"

"Shouldn't I be taking notes and studying your techniques?" Melfina asked. "The foods delicious but I feel a bit bad having you cook it all..."

Dave grinned. "Next time. We'll definitely do this again! Besides you Shouldn't feel bad about anything! You made everything else, Mel!" He shrugged, "but if a few of the left over burgers made it into tomorrow's lunches..."

Melfina giggled. "Yes! Consider it done!"

Hilda was enjoying it as well. "What a quaint idea! I quite enjoyed the sandwiches the other day and now these are something similar but also different! Remarkable!"

Harley chuckled. "Yeah putting stuff between slices of bread or other edible containers is a big thing these days. You're setting is kinda fantasy medieval sorta? Foods have changed a lot since those days but some are still the same. You got lots of fun things to look forward to eating!"

Hilda smiled. "Is that so? I'm quite looking forward to trying new things."

"Yeah," Harley said bitting into a hotdog. "It'sh da besht!"

Hilda however covered her mouth and giggled. "Oh Harley! You know you don't have to eat like an ill mannered swine just to make me laugh though I appreciate the effort!"

Harley blinked while chewing. "I wot?"

Daphne laughed. "You're right! Hahahah! She eats like Crabbe and Goyle! Oh ho! Too funny!"

Tink just rolled her eyes. "Nah she's always like that. She knows manners. She just forgets they exist sometimes, is all. Pay her no mind."

"Huh?" Harley swallowed. "I don't get it." She belched and Hilda laughed uproariously still thinking it was part of her "act". Dave chuckled trying to remember which king it was who granted his fool a huge tracts of land for his impressive belching... or was flatulence?

"Your table manners are quite atrocious and the way you eat is totally unrefined, Harley," Dorothy stated for her.

"Awwww," Harley said. "Thank you, Dorothy!"

Dorothy blinked. "You're very welcome."

Daphne laughed some more and Hilda actually was laughing so hard she was on the verge of lossing her composure entirely. Now Tink was laughing at Hilda and even Dave was chuckling and grinning. It was good just seeing them all having such a good time together.

"Hey there's an idea!" Dave said. "When the others are all here let's go through different types of foods that Hilda, Midna and Kaska can try that they likely haven't ever eaten. We got hamburgers, hotdogs and sandwiches... how about Tacos? Pepper can you create a list?"

(("Certainly, Dave! Creating a list now."))

"Who said that?" Daphne asked looking around.

Harley laughed."Oh Good one Daphne! Hahaha! Pizza!" Harley said excitedly. "Modern Pizza is so good!"

"That was Pepper that we told you about, Daphne. She's an A.I.," Dorothy introduced her to Pepper and started explaining AI to her.

"I quite liked the Chinese food we had that time," Melfina said. "If they've never have, they should get to experience that."

"Good suggestion, Mel!" Tink said nodding. "That place was excellent! I say ice-cream, sherberts, sorbets and other frozen treats especially since it's been hot! They likely haven't tried exotic fruits and vegetables either."

Hilda still recovering from her fit wiped her eyes with a napkin, "Hooo... excuse me! The foods you've made have been wonderful too! That pasta dish of Harley's was quite good even if it had "side effects"." She joined Dorothy in trying to explain AI to Daphne having only really started to grasp the ideas of more modern technologies herself and figuring a magical perspective might help. She also took out her phone so Pepper could "appear" to Daphne which caused Daphne to exclaim, "Muggle magic!"

Daphne paused the introduction/discussion to add. "If they're from a time before the introduction of certain spices or ingredients some of the foods they're familiar with my taste surprisingly different to them as well. Even simple foods or snacks like chocolates or biscuits will probably taste sweeter or things like popcorn or crips might be unknown to them."

Harley blinked. "Huh? Sweet biscuits? And what the heck are crisps?"

Tink smiled. "She means cookies and potato chips, Harls. Remember? A lot of what we think of as "cookies" and "biscuits" are known by other names."

Harley touched her chin and nodded. "Oh yeah... and they call french fries "chips" over there too."

Dave smiled. Daphne had made a good point and even better she had contributed. Helpfully too. He hadn't expected that. Granted it wasn't much... but it was a start. "Excellent point, Daphne! Things might be spicier, sweeter or have extra saltiness than palates are expecting. How has it been with you, Hilda?"

Hilda nodded. "Yes that's been my experience. Some things do taste a bit sweeter or saltier and everything has been flavorful... though some of it tastes... off? Or maybe just odd? Also the biggest surprise is how delicious the bread is here!"

Dave nodded as he caught on. "Of course! Foods with chemical preservatives would certainly taste strange to you! And likely it's the refined flour and starches in things like the bread and noodles that would make them more appetizing in certain things... modern techniques, practices and tools make a difference too like the precision of modern ovens for cooking things or simple tools like this meat thermometer here." He smiled. "We try to eat less chemically stuff in general. Tink doesn't like them."

She stuck her tongue out. "Some of that junk is so nasty. It doesn't agree with me. Yeck!"

Harley shrugged. "Likely because of you being a fairy and your size difference."

"Then I'll do my best to try to make sure I only cook with things you all like then," Melfina said.

"Thanks Mel!" Tink said and fluttered up to give a kiss on the cheek.

Hilda smiled and touched her hand. "Yes. Thank you Melfina for always being so kind and considerate."

Melfina blushed and Dave smiled. "You're wonderful Melfina... you all are!" It really was good to see everyone getting along. "I think I'll add barbecue to the list. I'm dying to try out that smoker and I bet Kaska would demolish a plate of ribs like Harley and I do."

"Oh, man don't talk about food anymore," Harley said rubbing her stomach adter finishing off another plate full of food. "I'm stuffed... I couldn't possibly eat anymore! I can't even move..."

Tink shakes her head. "I love you, girl but it's so not fair how you eat like eat and never gain a single once. I get fat just watching you eat! You ain't even modded for that!"

Harley belches picking at her teeth causing Hilda to titter again. "What kin ah say? Jes' clean livin', Tinky!" She winks

"Oh no," Melfina said. "I'm sorry Harley I should have warned you to save room and that there was watermelon for dessert in the kit-"

"I'll get it!" Harley said jumping to her feet and taking off running. "Bee are beeeeee!"

"-chen..." Melfina said blinking. They all laughed.

[David Stark Pepper Tinker Bell Harley Quinn Melfina VSD02C Princess Hilda R. Dorothy Wayneright Lady Fingers and Daphne Greengrass

Will Return In

Heating Up

Coming Soon]