What's Andrew eating Volume 1 episode 8

Labor of Love

“Malcolm.” (pause) “Malcolm.” (pause)  “MALCOLM!”

Malcolm opened his eyes slowly, the light was unnaturally bright, everything was overexposed, and so cold that he felt stiff.  Standing up unsteadily he had to reach out for support as if his legs had never been used before.

 “What is going on?”  He called out with a strained voice, but there was no answer.  Something outside the light moving around in front of him but he couldn’t tell who or what they were.  Laughter and crying at the same time echoed down the corridor.  He stood waiting for something to happen, someone to help him but the lights faded and everything was black.

Malcolm opened his eyes as a warm breeze was blowing the curtains through the open window. It felt good.  He was alone in an empty hallway, a wheelchair sitting beside his bed.  He could see a vending machine at the end of the hall that had an aquarium face.  Hundreds of florescent fish glowing in the black light tank hovered in front of the words Coca Cola.  The lights down the hallway began to flicker and one by one they began to go out starting over the Pop machine and raced towards where Malcolm was laying.  He called out again but there was no answer so he sat up and jumped off the bed.  Pain erupted flooding his body with pain as he crashed hard onto the floor.  Something broke but the pain subsided and he was left with only the warmth that made him think he was sitting in a bath.  He reached down and felt the pool of warm liquid and knew instinctively what it would be.  He lifted his hand up and a reddish liquid was dripping from his fingers, “ah crap!” Wondering what course of action to take he sat quietly and closed his eyes.  A familiar smell filled the hall, not an unpleasant smell, more sweet and food like.  Malcolm opened his eyes slowly and looked at the landscape of tins, partially frozen fruit juice containers all over the floor, some open some closed.  He pulled himself onto the wheelchair and caught his breath.  Pushing his way through the sea of containers, orange, cherry and grape bullets of ice exploded in all directions, a rainbow mosaic left on the floor behind him as a reminder. 

Wheeling around the corner a large set of double doors blocked any further advance.  They were the kind with spring hinges to allow people to pass through without using their hands.  A sink just outside the room normally used for scrubbing up before an operation was full of dirty dishes.  William the Border collie was standing up at the sink holding a dish rag and smoking a cigarette.  He looked around at Malcolm and nodded towards the door who then stood up from the chair and walked through the doors.

The room was full of people sitting at candlelit tables chatting about who did this and I did falling silent when Malcolm entered.  There was a crowd of Doctors standing in a circle in the center of the room, a circle of lights overhead.  Two of the Doctors turned and motioned for him to come closer.  “Ah Malcolm, your just in time.” They said in unison and stepped to either side.  Inside the circle was an operating table where Sarah was laying dressed in a hospital gown with her knees up and legs wide open.   Pregnant and ready to give birth at any second she was faced and sweating but beautiful.  She also smelled vaguely of ahi pepper.

“Are you ready Sarah, here it comes!” announce the doctor with the pencil thin moustache.  He was dressed in a tuxedo with oven mitts on his hands. “It’s a fish! Then right after, Braised Lamb, dish after dish was whisked from under Sarah’s gown and they were handing them to Malcolm.  He wasn’t sure at first what to do at first but the crowd began to clap and he realized he had to deliver to the waiting people at the candlelit tables.

Sautéed Queen Charlotte Halibut with Aji pepper and linguini with Hedgehog mushrooms in a Vermouth cream sauce

 

Sumac rubbed pork chops with roasted red peppers stuffed with      grape tomatoes, garlic and anchovies

Delicious is pan seared porcini and New Mexico

Fennel brined duck breast on celeriac and potato purée with Garnacha reduction

 

Braised moose with sautéed shredded truffled Brussel's Sprouts and Dijon and crème fraiche roasted potatoes accompanied with oven roasted grape tomatoes

   Wild BC Spot Prawns!

 Third course consists of porcini dusted Qualicum Bay scallops with Himalayan sea salt, fennel pollen and chile threads on top of pappardelle with a lemon cream sauce

On and on it went, everyone was applauding and whistling, it carried on for so long a ringing sound began to sing in Malcolm’s ears.  It started slowly and built into a single long note. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.  The lights went out and there was no sound.

The Doctor with the pencil thin moustache closed his eyes, “That’s all we can do, call it 11:07.