How to Bake a New Beginning

by Lucy Knott

  Louisa took a breath and another bite of the focaccia she suddenly had an appetite for, before continuing, ‘Then I looked up. This smile greeted me, these warm eyes. I swear he could be Giulio Berruti’s twin, but that’s beside the point. He was lovely. Yes, gorgeous too, but just lovely. We spent an hour talking. I had three espressos – three. The sweet lady just kept bringing them over and Luca, that’s his name, he listened to me, like really listened. And his eyes are as blue as the ocean. He wants to cook for me, Brina, cook for me. Do you think that’s a date?’

  Louisa devoured the bread in front of her, nervously anticipating her sister’s response. Would it be bad? She couldn’t go on a date with a stranger. Would it be good? That’s how people met though, wasn’t it? That’s how Nanna and Grandpa met, she thought, chewing at a rapid pace.

  ‘Firstly, let’s limit espressos to maybe one a day and secondly, let’s chew our food before we choke,’ her big sister said, taking Louisa’s hands in hers. Louisa swallowed the focaccia and smiled, as Sabrina continued.

  ‘Thirdly, yes, baby sister, I’d say you have a date and fourthly, he sounds like an absolute dream. I can’t wait to meet him.’

  Louisa felt her cheeks flush for the millionth time today as Sabrina’s eyes sparkled, clearly very happy for her.

  ‘Ooh and fifthly, is that even a word? Hmm well, number five. If Giulio Berruti does happen to be his twin brother, you come to me first and not Amanda,’ she added with a laugh and a playful wink. ‘Ahh, that’s Grandpa’s doing that is – making sure you find a good Italian man. Yep, you’re right, Lou, he is still with us.’ Louisa noticed Sabrina’s mood was suddenly a lot brighter and felt happy that she had played a part in that.

  Smiling at Sabrina, Louisa got up to see to the rest of the flowers, carefully placing them in the vase that she had found. She looked up to the sky. ‘Grazie,’ she whispered, for the second time that day, hoping Grandpa could hear her.

  Chapter 8

  Grandpa’s Cream Caramels

  Ingredients:

  For the cream caramels:

  2 pints of milk

  4 tbsps of sugar

  6 eggs

  2 tsps vanilla

  For the sugar:

  8 tbsps of sugar

  1–2 tbsps of water

  What to do:

  For the caramelized sugar:

  Put the sugar and water into a small pan. Leave it on a medium/high heat and let it bubble. Don’t stir it. The sugar will start to melt.

  Once it’s melted completely take it off the heat. Be careful not to let it burn. Trust your instincts – well, Grandpa’s. (Learn to trust yours.)

  For the cream caramels:

  Pre-heat the fan oven to 150 degrees.

  In a large pan on a medium heat, stir the sugar into the milk.

  In a separate bowl, whisk the 6 eggs with the vanilla.

  Once the milk and sugar mixture has come to a boil. Remove from the heat.

  Take the caramelized sugar and pour a little bit into 12 pots – enough to cover the bottom.

  While the sugar is setting, mix the milk mixture with the eggs.

  Using a ladle, spoon the mixture into the pots – about ¾ full.

  Place all 12 pots into a shallow dish and add cold water to the bottom.

  Put on the bottom of the oven for 1 hour, covering with foil, so they don’t burn.

  The kitchen island was lined with plates of Zia Sofia’s famous torte. There were five of them and now Amanda had her head buried in a kitchen cupboard in search of ingredients to make Grandpa’s cream caramels. Once she found what she needed, she threw a light cardigan over the top of her apron. With night-time descending around her the house had started to get chilly.

  She scrunched up her face in pure concentration. She had seen Grandpa do this a million times but had yet to get it just right on her own. The heat from the stove was creating tiny beads of sweat on her forehead, which she carefully wiped away with a damp cloth without taking her eyes off the steaming pan in front of her. The scent of vanilla made her taste buds tingle. She thought about how excited Grandpa used to get when cooking and how he never looked flustered.

  She rolled her shoulders gently, encouraging her mind and body to relax. He would always tell her: ‘It’s easy when you know how.’ And she knew how, she just had to believe in herself. As the mixture started to bubble gently she removed it from the flames, not wanting it to boil. She carried it from the stovetop and over to the worktop.

  Beating in the eggs, milk and sugar, a trace of a smile formed at her lips as she thought about how much Dan would love Grandpa’s cream caramels. He loved food, nearly as much as she did. Once she had poured the smooth creamy liquid into the dishes and put them in the oven, she set about organizing her ingredients to whip up another batch.

  Amanda lifted her head to reach for the eggs when she caught sight of Sabrina entering the kitchen. ‘Look what the cat dragged in,’ she mused. ‘Oh wow, I think the cat may have shaken you a bit first, roughed you up and then dragged you in.’ Amanda’s eyes grew wide as she looked her sister up and down, getting distracted from her task for a minute. ‘What on earth are you wearing? I’m certain that’s not the latest from the Chiara Ferragni collection.’

  ‘Ha-ha, you really should be a stand-up comic or something,’ Sabrina said, sounding mock offended. Amanda knew that her sister was used to her sarcastic ways by now, so much so that it rarely bothered her, but she still had fun teasing her on occasion. She watched as Sabrina pulled up her very worn-in oversized travel leggings and wrapped what could only be one of their auntie’s knitted Christmas jumpers tighter round herself. ‘I failed to pack enough warm clothes. I live in LA remember,’ she said to Amanda.

  ‘Well I mean, it could catch on. I can see it now … “confused fashion”.’ Amanda gave a small wink in her sister’s direction and then set about placing another bunch of cream caramel pots into a shallow dish. ‘You didn’t realize you were coming home in December and would need warm clothes? I think all that California sunshine is getting to your head,’ she said, pouring the caramelized sugar into each pot.

  ‘I had many a movie and pizza night in mind while curled up in the luxury of your fine and warm establishment.’ Sabrina paused, before reluctantly adding, ‘And things were crazy. I just threw whatever I could get my hands on into the suitcase.’

  A small snort escaped Amanda’s lips, but before she had time to ask what had been so crazy in LA for Sabrina to not have time to pack, when she was without a shadow of a doubt the world’s most OCD packer, Louisa entered the kitchen. ‘Lou, help me please? Go and push her off the balcony for me, will you?’ Sabrina said slightly irked, though a smile threatened to light up her face as she took in Louisa galloping in.

  ‘What’s she said now?’ Louisa asked, looking at Amanda and shaking her head, before walking to the kitchen doors and peering out.

  ‘She’s having a go at my attire,’ Sabrina answered, picking at the edge of one of the tortes on the kitchen island and putting the crumbs in her mouth. She was trying to be discreet, but Amanda was aware of what she was doing. She could never withhold cake from anyone though and quickly retrieved a plate and a knife from the cupboard and placed it in front of Sabrina. Sabrina smiled gratefully.

  ‘Ignore her, Brina. She doesn’t know fashion,’ Louisa said.

  Amanda was not biting and continued with her cream caramels, her head down.

  ‘Even in winter, it’s beautiful isn’t it?’ Louisa continued when Amanda didn’t talk back. She peered out through the glass kitchen door onto the balcony that overlooked the positively stunning Amalfi Coast. With the night sky well and truly pitch black and one or two streetlights present on the mountainside, you could make out speckles of lights as far as the eye could see. With the lights flickering diagonally, from the water up to the sky, the Amalfi Coast looked like one giant Christmas tree.

  ‘Sure is,’ Amanda replied, without looking up, concentration fully etched back onto
her face as she hovered over the stove once more. The views of the Amalfi Coast were firmly embedded in her mind. Night-time was possibly her favourite time in Italy. The twinkles of light bouncing off the mountains made it feel like a magical faraway land. Every time she looked across the coast she imagined that’s how Harry felt seeing Hogwarts for the first time, all lit up in the night sky, endless possibilities and that feeling of home.

  ‘This smells amazing by the way,’ Sabrina said through a yawn, as she carefully cut a slice of chocolate torte and carried her plate from the kitchen island and sat down at the square table in the centre of the room, tucking her knees to her chest and pulling her jumper over them, before digging in. ‘I forgot how chilly it gets in here.’

  Their aunties’ house was tucked high into the hillside. It was a humble home with wooden doorframes that lent themselves to draughts. It could do with renovating but lugging bricks and mortar up hundreds of stairs wasn’t quite at the top of anyone’s ‘want to’ list.

  ‘Oh my God, this tastes incredible.’

  ‘Ooh I want some and those cream caramels smell delicious too,’ Louisa noted, steering her eyes away from the enchanting view and wandering over to see what Amanda was making.

  ‘Now, that’s more like it,’ Amanda said, lifting her head from her mixture and noticing Louisa’s outfit for the first time. Laughter barrelled out of her. Her little sister was wearing what seemed to be a Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer onesie.

  ‘What?’ Louisa asked, her voice light and airy. She was acting oblivious to how ridiculous she looked as she helped herself to a plate from the cupboard and began cutting her own slice of cake.

  ‘I think you need to get Brina one of them,’ Amanda replied, removing the mixture away from the flames once more and whisking in the eggs.

  ‘It looks cosy and she looks cute,’ Sabrina said, stifling yet another yawn.

  Amanda made a mental note to have a word with her sister, to check in on her and life in LA, as she picked up an oven glove and took the first batch of cream caramels out of the oven and replaced them with the new batch. Her chest rose with pride as she took in the light golden colour of the caramels, how they jiggled just right. She might have just done it. All those years watching Grandpa and finally she had done it.

  ‘Wow, something smells good in here, girls,’ came Mum’s soft voice as she appeared in the doorway.

  ‘Amanda’s made cake and now she’s making cream caramels,’ Louisa said, nibbling on her rather chunky slice of torte.

  ‘Grandpa’s favourite,’ Mum said, smiling as she walked over to Sabrina at the table and gave her a kiss on the forehead, before sitting down next to her. ‘Thank you, girls, for being here.’ All three girls looked over at their mum, whose eyes had begun to water.

  Wiping her hands on her apron, Amanda stopped what she was doing, carefully placing the boiling pan on the counter so as to not let it burn. She walked over to her mum and enveloped her in a giant hug. Her tears wet Amanda’s cheek. ‘Of course we would be here, Mum. We wouldn’t miss it and leave you to go through this all by yourself.’

  ‘I know, I know, but you all have busy lives and I didn’t want you to have to stop all the important stuff to have to come all the way here. Sabrina, you must be shattered with all the travel.’

  ‘Mamma, don’t you worry about that at all. I’m fine and I wanted to be here. Work will be there when I get back. It’s family time now,’ Sabrina said, putting her arms around her mum and resting her head on her shoulder.

  ‘We love you, Mum. We wouldn’t be anywhere else right now.’ Louisa paused from reading Amanda’s recipe book that lay open on the counter, wiped her cake-covered hands, and walked over to wrap her arms around her mum’s neck, completing the bear hug their mum was now squished in the middle of. ‘Grandpa taught us that nothing is more important than family. He deserves the best send-off and we wanted to see that he got home. He’s the best grandpa there ever was. I miss him so much,’ she added, her voice catching at the end.

  ‘Me too. Thank you, girls.’ Mum squeezed them all tight, not wanting to let her girls go.

  ‘Well, now I feel left out,’ Dad announced. He was leaning against the doorframe, smiling at all four of his girls. ‘Any room for me?’

  ‘Always, Daddy,’ Louisa replied, running over, antlers bouncing up and down, to give their dad a cuddle.

  ‘Do you need some help in here, Amanda, sweetheart?’ Mum asked, releasing Amanda from her grip and looking over to the pots and pans.

  ‘I mean, if you would all like to help, sure,’ Amanda replied, getting reacquainted with the milk mixture and giving it a stir to see if it was still good, having cooled down.

  ‘Ooh yes please, I’d like to help,’ Louisa said, excitement in her voice. She ate the last of her slice of torte and picked up a spoon.

  ‘Someone has a pep in their step this evening,’ Amanda said, pleased to see that Italy was having a positive effect on her baby sister. She knew Louisa was hurting. She and Grandpa had been as thick as thieves. Louisa being the baby and all, they’d had a special bond. Amanda had worried that she was going to find this harder than most.

  Before they arrived in Italy, her baby sister had quit her job via email and not left their nanna’s side. Louisa had been moody and quiet and though the girls were used to Louisa’s odd snappy remark regarding their love lives and such, it hadn’t been pleasant under the circumstances. But, both Amanda and Sabrina allowed their sister room to grieve. They knew the pain was causing much of the anger and that Louisa simply needed to vent.

  However, the sparkle in Louisa’s eyes told Amanda she was finding her way and Italy had its own special healing powers. ‘I’ll have whatever she’s having,’ she added, smiling at Louisa and passing her the whisk, for her to finish up combining the rest of the ingredients.

  ‘You don’t know the half of it,’ Sabrina piped up, with a laugh. Amanda sent a quizzical look her way.

  ‘Are you two not telling me something?’ Amanda asked pointing a spoon at both her sisters, who had matching mischievous looks on their faces. Louisa hadn’t taken her eyes off the bowl in front of her and beneath her reindeer hood, her ears were glowing red.

  ‘Now is not the time for gossip, dear sister: you are supposed to be teaching us how to bake this fine dish,’ Sabrina teased.

  Shaking off her sister’s toothy grin and focusing on Mum and Dad waiting for instructions in front of her, Amanda got to work, teaching them all how to make the best cream caramels they had ever tasted. Grandpa’s recipe, of course.

  Chapter 9

  Grandpa’s Chocolate Pastry Filling

  Ingredients (Check measurements with Grandpa):

  Eggs (Both yolk and white?)

  Flour

  Milk

  Vanilla essence

  Perugina dark chocolate

  What to do:

  Make a roux, like how Nanna makes her custard, with eggs and flour first.

  Pour milk and vanilla over roux. Allow to simmer first, then break up the chocolate pieces and leave to melt, stirring constantly and keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

  Usually takes a good thirty minutes till thick and cooked.

  The evening had been a huge success. San Francisco Beat’s first album had officially released to the world with a triumphant bang. Thanks to the undeniable charm of all four band members, Levi’s ability to woo everyone he came in contact with and Dan’s knack of leaving everyone in his presence in awe, all in attendance at the party, and all those who had tuned in via social media, were well and truly under the band’s spell.

  Sabrina gave herself a pat on the back for hosting and putting together such a winner of a launch party. She looked around and noticed everyone was smiling. Dylan was chatting away to a small group of music executives, with a huge grin on his face. James was entertaining a handful of women on the dance floor. Dan was sat in a far corner of the room holed up with his phone, a megawatt smile lighting his face. That smile could
only mean one thing – he was talking to Amanda.

  Sabrina scanned the room, unable to spot the charming drummer, and wondered if he had got lucky with one of the groupies already. The thought made her reach for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Lydia had said her goodbyes earlier, so she felt it was safe and well deserved for her to help herself to a glass or two. The cool bubbles fizzed on her tongue. She let her shoulders roll back as two hands reached around her waist, making her simultaneously jump and tingle from head to toe.

  ‘You are amazing,’ Levi whispered into her ear. She spun around to face him, pulling away ever so slightly. His touch felt incredible, but she couldn’t help but glance around the room to see who was still there. She didn’t want to come across as unprofessional.

  ‘Thank you,’ she stammered. ‘You’re not half bad yourself,’ she added, watching Levi’s reaction as his face creased into that boyish smile. He was staring at her with a look that she had only experienced once before, the day they met, six months ago. For fear of being mistaken as a groupie, she gently pushed his hands away from her hips and turned so she was standing with her side to him.

  He watched her for a moment, then did the same. They both stood facing the dance floor, their elbows skimming each other’s. Sabrina threw back the rest of her champagne and instantly scolded herself for being so stupid as the bubbles reached her brain and her cheeks burned.

  ‘So, are you looking forward to the tour?’ she asked, feeling the need to break the silence, but not looking at him.

  ‘Yeah, of course. It’s a dream come true,’ Levi responded with a casual shrug, watching her closely.

  ‘Good, good, I’m glad,’ she said, braving a sidelong glance his way. That was a mistake. Levi always looked good in his signature blue jeans and assortment of designer tops. But tonight he practically looked edible in his tailored suit. He was tall and lean, but the suit showed off his muscles in all the right places.

  A moment passed before Sabrina realized that Levi was looking at her. She had, once again, been caught ogling him. She looked up catching his eye and gave him an apologetic, shy smile. A waiter wandered by with the last few glasses of champagne. Levi took two from the tray and handed one to her. She took it with a polite nod, before scanning the room. It was near empty now.