WEBVTT
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Get more Nothing Much Happens with bonus episodes, extra long stories,
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and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love.
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Subscribe now. I've been thinking a lot about attention lately
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and how easy it is to give it away without
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realizing you're doing that. That's something I appreciated in Cal
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Newport's class on Masterclass. He talks about reclaiming your focus,
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and being more intentional about where your time goes, which
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for me is really about being more present for my
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actual life. Masterclass has more than 200 classes across 13 categories,
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taught by some of the best in their fields, and
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you can learn on your own schedule, including in audio mode.
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Masterclass keeps adding new classes, so there's never been a
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better time to get in. Right now, as a listener
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of this show, you get at least 15% off any
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annual membership at masterclass.com slash nothingmuch. That's masterclass.com slash nothingmuch
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for at least 15% off any annual membership. Welcome. to
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bedtime stories for everyone, in which nothing much happens. You
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feel good, and then you fall asleep. I'm Catherine Nicolai.
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I write and read all the stories you hear on
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Nothing Much Happens. Audio engineering is by Bob Wittersheim. We
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are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this
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story originally aired at some point in the past. It
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could have been recorded with different equipment in a different location.
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And since I'm a person and not a computer, I
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sometimes sound just slightly different. But the stories are always
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soothing and family-friendly, and our wishes for you are always
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deep rest and sweet dreams. Busy minds need a place
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to rest, and that is what I have for you.
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A soft place to nestle into, where your mind will
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be occupied just enough to let you slip into an
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excellent night's sleep. I'll tell the story twice, and I'll
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go a little slower the second time through. If you
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wake again in the night, don't hesitate to turn a
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story right back on, or just to think through whatever
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you can remember of it, even any pleasant memory. This
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will guide you right back to sleep. Our story tonight
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is called Something Borrowed. And it's the next installment in
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our series leading up to a special day here in
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the village of Nothing Much. It's a story about early
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morning at the inn. It's also about pretty plates brought
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out of the pantry cupboards, cardamom and cinnamon, and remembering
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that you don't have to do everything on your own.
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Water is one of those things you really don't want
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to have to overthink. You want to turn on the tap,
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fill your glass, and feel confident about what you're drinking.
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And that's why I like AquaTrue. Their countertop purifiers use
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a four-stage reverse osmosis system that's tested and certified to
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remove 84 contaminants, including chlorine, lead, forever chemicals, and microplastics.
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And there's no plumbing or installation required. It goes much
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further than a standard pitcher or refrigerator filter. And AquaTrue
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was even named best countertop water filter by Good Housekeeping.
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If having cleaner, great tasting water at home is something
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you've been meaning to tackle, this makes it very easy.
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I have one at my house and I bought a
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second one for our cottage because I like it so much.
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Go to Aquatru.com now for 20% off your purifier using
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promo code NOTHINGMUCH. Aquatru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting
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water guarantee. That's Aquatru.com, A-Q-U-A-T-R-U.com, promo code N-O-T-H-I-N-G-M-U-C-H. Now, snuggle down.
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Turn off the light. And pull your comforter up over
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your shoulder. Let your whole body drop heavy into your bed. Soften. Unclench.
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Let go. Maybe you've been sort of on all day. Okay,
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but that's over now. You can let go and rest.
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I'll watch over till you wake. Take a deep breath
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in through your nose. Let it out your mouth. Nice.
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One more. Breathe in. And out. Good. Something borrowed. Sunrise
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at the inn is a special time of day. I
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often stand at the end of the dock and watch
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the sky brightening. Bugs skate over the water and mist
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hides the far side of the lake. I'll take a
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few slow breaths, watch the treetops sway along the shore
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and last night's stars fade, then turn and head back
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toward the inn, stopping at the herb and vegetable gardens
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along the way to harvest a bit before I step
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down into the kitchen. As the resident chef, I'm always
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up early, and taking these quiet moments feels important. I
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love the bustle of a busy kitchen as well. If
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I didn't, I guess I'd have found a different profession.
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But that bit of morning quiet... It's like a crisp,
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freshly ironed tablecloth to set a colorful spread of food onto.
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One needs the other. This morning, I took a basket
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from a stack by the garden shed and filled it
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with late summer raspberries, fresh mint, tiny tart tomatoes, and
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a few small cantaloupes that I'd been babying for weeks.
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We were near the end of the season, so the garden,
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like one or two of the corridors up on the
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third floor, was nearly empty. I didn't mind the small
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reprieve even though I usually wanted the summer season to
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go on longer than it did, because we were three
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days away from something big, something we'd been planning for months,
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something that, while we were all looking forward to it,
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was a big responsibility and a good deal of work.
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In just a few days, there would be a wedding
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here at the inn. Our first in ages. And our
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small staff might have had more nerves about it than
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the happy couple did. Or maybe it was just me.
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The innkeeper seemed calm and ready. She had neat punch
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lists and timelines. drawn up. She regularly assured me that
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we'd have enough champagne, that the flowers had been confirmed,
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and that she had it on good authority. It wouldn't rain.
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Weddings were special. Even when the couple weren't friends, as
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they were in this case. I always felt the weight
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of the day. The dreams that I wanted with the
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food I made to help come true. I thought of
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my to-do lists. as I carried the basket of berries
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and melons down into my kitchen. I didn't usually wear
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my chef's coat at the inn's kitchens. That was just
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a bit formal for how I cooked here. So I
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tied on my apron and fumbled in the pocket for
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a marker. Any good chef has at least two Sharpies
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on them at any moment, and I found one in
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the apron pocket and two more with their clips threaded
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onto the collar of my shirt. Even though I was
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fresh from the shower, I checked behind my ears, as
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I frequently found them there as well. we had an
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old scrubbed kitchen table for staff meals in a corner.
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And I sat down with my notebook and marker and
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looked at the lists I had for each day until
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the big one. I heard footsteps coming down the long
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hall overhead and pausing in the butler's pantry upstairs. That
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was the innkeeper. She started the coffee each morning, and
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I imagined her filling the pots and portioning out the
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fresh grounds. I heard the footsteps moving out onto our
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dining porch where guests ate breakfast. I knew she was
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tidying up the tables, pushing the chairs into even rows,
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and setting out sugar bowls and creamers and small bouquets
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in bud vases that our gardener prepared. A minute or
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two later, the footsteps sounded from the kitchen steps, and
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she turned the corner, with a full cup of coffee
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in her hands. She set it in front of me,
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took in my pages of lists and general anxious air,
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and rested a hand on my shoulder. With her other hand,
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she flipped my notebook, to today's tasks, blocking out those
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for tomorrow and the day after, saying, first this, then that,
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my friend. I nodded and let out a sigh and
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sipped at my coffee. And I've got good news, she added,
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pointing to the item on my list, that was written
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in all caps and underlined three times. The one that said,
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Wedding Cake. I've called in reinforcements. I lifted an eyebrow,
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and just then we heard the front door opening, the
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pleasant creak of the old wood floors in the entryway.
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and the innkeeper motioned me to follow her up. Bring
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your coffee, she said over her shoulder. In the front office,
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where our guests checked in, her apron already on, and
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a giant crate of supplies in her hands, we found
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the woman who ran the excellent bakery downtown. She had
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a giant smile on her face and even this early
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in the morning was bubbling over with the excitement of
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baking and creating something very special. As soon as I
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saw her, my shoulders dropped down from around my ears.
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I let out a huge sigh of relief. Thank goodness
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you're here, I said. Oh, you couldn't have kept me away,
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she laughed. I gave a grateful look to the innkeeper.
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I wasn't always the best at asking for help. It
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was something I was working on. And I took a
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tiny moment to feel the flood of solace in my body.
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And let that be a physiological sticky note reminder that
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I didn't have to do everything on my own. that
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having help actually felt good. I took the crate of
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supplies and noticed that on top of the extra whisks
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and beaters were several bakery boxes tied up with string.
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There was still warmth rising up off of them. I
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brought cardamom buns, enough for your guests' breakfast and ours,
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she said as we made our way back down the
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long hall. That way you can skip doing breakfast service
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and we can get right to the good stuff, the
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baker said. I could kiss you, I said. as I
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turned the corner and led the way to the kitchen.
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One wedding at a time, please, the innkeeper called from
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the pantry. In the kitchen, we laid out the buns
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and chafing dishes, where they could stay warm as our
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guests rose and made their way to the porch. They
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smelled so delicately of cardamom and were sprinkled with pistachios
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and crushed rose petals. We carried them up and found
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some pretty china dessert plates in the pantry to serve
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them on. The sun was an inch above the horizon.
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and the porch smelled of a mix of fresh coffee
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and dewy grass. We filled our cups, took a bun each,
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and went back to the table to plan everything out.
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As we sipped and ate, I sketched out the design
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I had in mind. she made a few suggestions. How
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best to stabilize the tears. Timing for when each layer
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would be crumb-coated and left to set up in the freezer. Well,
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she said, rolling the last sip of coffee around in
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the bottom of her cup. I understand the plan, but
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you haven't told me yet. What kind of cake is this?
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What flavor are we making? I smiled down at the
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table and propped my chin in my hand. You know,
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I thought about that for a long time. They said
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from the beginning that they trusted me to choose. And
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I have this recipe. Kind of careful about it. I
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don't give it out, you know. She raised her eyebrows
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from across the table. Your coffee cake recipe? It's famous.
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People even ask me for it, thinking I might know,
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but I've never been able to recreate it. That swirl
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of cinnamon crunch through the center and the crumb on it,
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it's fantastic. She spoke with reverence and a question in
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her voice, knowing what it meant to share something that special. Well,
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they'll need something borrowed, won't they? I said shrugging my
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shoulders as if it were casual. It wasn't. Just this once,
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I'll share it. She raised her cup in salute, then
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swallowed the last of her coffee. Your secret is safe
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with me, Chef. I knew it was. We pushed away
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from the table and went to wash our hands. A
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day full of baking lay ahead of us. All my
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nerves were forgotten now that I had someone to share
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the work and my secret recipe with. it would be
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a wonderful day. Something Borrowed Sunrise at the inn is
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a special time of day. I often stand at the
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end of the dock and watch the sky brightening. Bugs
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skate over the water, and mist hides the far side
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of the lake. I'll take a few slow breaths, watch
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the treetops sway along the shore, and last night's stars fade,
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then turn, and head back toward the inn, stopping at
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the herb and vegetable gardens along the way to harvest
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a bit before I step down into the kitchen. As
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the resident chef, I'm always up early, And taking these
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quiet moments feels important. I love the bustle of a
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busy kitchen as well. If I didn't, I guess I'd
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have found a different profession. But that bit of morning
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quiet It's like a crisp, freshly ironed tablecloth to set
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a colorful spread of food onto. One needs the other.
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This morning, I took a basket from a stack by
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the garden shed. and filled it with late summer raspberries,
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fresh mint, tiny tart tomatoes, and a few small cantaloupes
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that I'd been babying for weeks. We were near the
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end of the season, So the garden, like one or
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two of the corridors up on the third floor, was
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nearly empty. I didn't mind the small reprieve, even though
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I usually wanted the summer season to go on longer
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than it did. Because we were three days away from
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something big. Something we'd been planning for months. Something that,
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while we were all looking forward to it, was a
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big responsibility and a good deal of work. In just
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a few days, there would be a wedding here at
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the inn. Our first in ages. And our small staff
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might have had more nerves about it than the happy
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couple did. Or maybe it was just me. the innkeeper
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seemed calm and ready. She had neat punch lists and
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timelines drawn up. She regularly assured me that we'd have
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enough champagne, that the flowers had been confirmed. and that
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she had it on good authority, it wouldn't rain. Weddings
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were special. Even when the couple weren't friends, as they
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were in this case, I always felt the weight of
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the day. The dreams that I wanted with the food
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I made to help come true. I thought of my
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to-do lists as I carried the basket of berries and
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melons down into my kitchen. I didn't usually wear my
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chef's coat in the inn's kitchens. That was just a
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bit formal for how I cooked here. So I tied
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on my apron and fumbled in the pocket for a marker.
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Any good chef has at least two sharpies on them
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at any moment. And I found one in the apron
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pocket and two more with their clips threaded onto the
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collar of my shirt. Even though I was fresh from
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the shower, I checked behind my ears as I frequently
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found them there as well. We had an old, scrubbed
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kitchen table for staff meals in a corner. And I
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sat down with my notebook and marker and looked at
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the lists I had for each day until the big one.
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I heard footsteps coming down the long hall overhead. and pausing,
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in the butler's pantry upstairs. That was the innkeeper. She
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started the coffee each morning, and I imagined her filling
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the pots and portioning out the fresh grounds. I heard
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the footsteps moving out onto our dining porch, where guests
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ate breakfast. I knew she was tidying up the tables,
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pushing the chairs into even rows, and setting out sugar
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bowls and creamers. and small bouquets in bud vases that
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our gardener prepared. A minute or two later, the footsteps
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sounded from the kitchen steps, and she turned the corner
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with a full cup of coffee in her hands. She
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said it in front of me, took in my pages
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of lists and general anxious air and rested a hand
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on my shoulder. With her other hand, she flipped my
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notebook to today's tasks, blocking out those for tomorrow and
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the day after, saying, First this, then that, my friend.
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I nodded and let out a sigh and sipped at
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my coffee. And I've got good news, she added, pointing
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to the item on my list. that was in all
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caps and underlined three times. The one that said, Wedding Cake.
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I've called in reinforcements. I lifted an eyebrow, and just
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then we heard the front door opening. the pleasant creak
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of the old wood floors in the entryway. And the
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innkeeper motioned me to follow her up. Bring your coffee,
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she said over her shoulder. In the front office, where
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our guests checked in, her apron already on, on a
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giant crate of supplies in her hands. We found the
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woman who ran the excellent bakery downtown. She had a
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giant smile on her face. And even this early in
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the morning, was bubbling over with the excitement of baking
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and creating something very special. As soon as I saw her,
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my shoulders dropped down from my ears. I let out
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a huge sigh of relief. Thank goodness you're here, I said. Oh,
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you couldn't have kept me away, she laughed. I gave
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a grateful look to the innkeeper. I wasn't always the
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best at asking for help. It was something I was
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working on, and I took a tiny moment to feel
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the flood of solace in my body. And let that
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be a physiological sticky note reminder that I didn't have
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to do everything on my own. That having help actually
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felt good. I took the crate of supplies and noticed
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that on top of the extra whisks and beaters were
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several bakery boxes tied up with string. There was still
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warmth rising up off of them. I brought cardamom buns.
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Enough for your guests' breakfast and ours, she said as
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we made our way back down the long hall. That
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way you can skip doing breakfast service and we can
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get right to the good stuff, the baker said. I
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00:36:00.610 --> 00:36:05.539
could kiss you, I said, as I turned the corner
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and led the way to the kitchen. One wedding at
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a time, please, the innkeeper called from the pantry. In
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the kitchen, we laid out the buns and chafing dishes
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where they could stay warm. as our guests rose and
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made their way to the porch. They smelled so delicately
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of cardamom and were sprinkled with pistachios and crushed rose petals.
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We carried them up and found some pretty china dessert
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plates in the pantry. to serve them on. The sun
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00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:10.510
was an inch above the horizon now. The porch smelled
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of a mix of fresh coffee and dewy grass. We
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filled our cups, took a bun each, and went back
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to the table. to plan everything out. As we sipped
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and ate, I sketched out the design I had in mind.
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She made a few suggestions how best to stabilize the tears,
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timing for when each layer would be crumb-coated and left
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to set up in the freezer. Well, she said, rolling
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the last sip of coffee around in the bottom of
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her cup. I understand the plan. But you haven't told
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me yet. What kind of cake is this? What flavor
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are we making? I smiled down at the table and
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propped my chin in my hand. You know, I thought
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about that for a long time. They said from the
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beginning that they trusted me to choose. And I have
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this recipe I'm kind of careful about it. I don't
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give it out, you know. She raised her eyebrows from
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across the table. Your coffee cake recipe? It's famous. People
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even ask me for it, thinking I might know. but
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I've never been able to recreate it. That swirl of
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cinnamon crunch through the center. And the crumb on it.
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It's fantastic. She spoke with reverence, and a question in
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her voice. knowing what it meant to share something that special. Well,
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they'll need something borrowed, won't they? I said, shrugging my shoulders,
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as if it were casual. It wasn't. Just this once,
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I'll share it. She raised her cup in salute, then
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swallowed the last of the coffee. Your secret is safe
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with me, chef. I knew it was. We pushed away
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from the table. and went to wash our hands. A
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day full of baking lay ahead of us. All my
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nerves were forgotten now that I had someone to share
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the work and my secret recipe with. It would be
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a wonderful day. Sweet dreams.
1
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Get more Nothing Much Happens with bonus episodes, extra long stories,
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and ad-free listening, all while supporting the show you love.
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Subscribe now. I've been thinking a lot about attention lately
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and how easy it is to give it away without
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realizing you're doing that. That's something I appreciated in Cal
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Newport's class on Masterclass. He talks about reclaiming your focus,
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and being more intentional about where your time goes, which
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for me is really about being more present for my
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actual life. Masterclass has more than 200 classes across 13 categories,
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taught by some of the best in their fields, and
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you can learn on your own schedule, including in audio mode.
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Masterclass keeps adding new classes, so there's never been a
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better time to get in. Right now, as a listener
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of this show, you get at least 15% off any
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annual membership at masterclass.com slash nothingmuch. That's masterclass.com slash nothingmuch
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for at least 15% off any annual membership. Welcome. to
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00:01:29.390 --> 00:01:37.319
bedtime stories for everyone, in which nothing much happens. You
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00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:44.079
feel good, and then you fall asleep. I'm Catherine Nicolai.
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I write and read all the stories you hear on
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00:01:49.569 --> 00:01:56.810
Nothing Much Happens. Audio engineering is by Bob Wittersheim. We
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00:01:56.870 --> 00:02:01.799
are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this
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00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:07.040
story originally aired at some point in the past. It
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00:02:07.099 --> 00:02:11.169
could have been recorded with different equipment in a different location.
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00:02:12.169 --> 00:02:15.789
And since I'm a person and not a computer, I
25
00:02:16.889 --> 00:02:23.050
sometimes sound just slightly different. But the stories are always
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00:02:23.129 --> 00:02:28.530
soothing and family-friendly, and our wishes for you are always
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deep rest and sweet dreams. Busy minds need a place
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to rest, and that is what I have for you.
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A soft place to nestle into, where your mind will
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be occupied just enough to let you slip into an
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excellent night's sleep. I'll tell the story twice, and I'll
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go a little slower the second time through. If you
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wake again in the night, don't hesitate to turn a
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00:03:02.539 --> 00:03:07.770
story right back on, or just to think through whatever
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you can remember of it, even any pleasant memory. This
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will guide you right back to sleep. Our story tonight
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00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:25.509
is called Something Borrowed. And it's the next installment in
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our series leading up to a special day here in
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the village of Nothing Much. It's a story about early
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morning at the inn. It's also about pretty plates brought
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out of the pantry cupboards, cardamom and cinnamon, and remembering
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that you don't have to do everything on your own.
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Water is one of those things you really don't want
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00:03:57.210 --> 00:04:00.550
to have to overthink. You want to turn on the tap,
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00:04:00.810 --> 00:04:04.069
fill your glass, and feel confident about what you're drinking.
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And that's why I like AquaTrue. Their countertop purifiers use
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a four-stage reverse osmosis system that's tested and certified to
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remove 84 contaminants, including chlorine, lead, forever chemicals, and microplastics.
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And there's no plumbing or installation required. It goes much
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further than a standard pitcher or refrigerator filter. And AquaTrue
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was even named best countertop water filter by Good Housekeeping.
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you've been meaning to tackle, this makes it very easy.
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I have one at my house and I bought a
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second one for our cottage because I like it so much.
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Go to Aquatru.com now for 20% off your purifier using
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promo code NOTHINGMUCH. Aquatru even comes with a 30-day best-tasting
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water guarantee. That's Aquatru.com, A-Q-U-A-T-R-U.com, promo code N-O-T-H-I-N-G-M-U-C-H. Now, snuggle down.
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Turn off the light. And pull your comforter up over
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your shoulder. Let your whole body drop heavy into your bed. Soften. Unclench.
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Let go. Maybe you've been sort of on all day. Okay,
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but that's over now. You can let go and rest.
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I'll watch over till you wake. Take a deep breath
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in through your nose. Let it out your mouth. Nice.
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One more. Breathe in. And out. Good. Something borrowed. Sunrise
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at the inn is a special time of day. I
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often stand at the end of the dock and watch
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the sky brightening. Bugs skate over the water and mist
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hides the far side of the lake. I'll take a
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few slow breaths, watch the treetops sway along the shore
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and last night's stars fade, then turn and head back
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toward the inn, stopping at the herb and vegetable gardens
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along the way to harvest a bit before I step
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down into the kitchen. As the resident chef, I'm always
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up early, and taking these quiet moments feels important. I
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love the bustle of a busy kitchen as well. If
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I didn't, I guess I'd have found a different profession.
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But that bit of morning quiet... It's like a crisp,
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freshly ironed tablecloth to set a colorful spread of food onto.
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One needs the other. This morning, I took a basket
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from a stack by the garden shed and filled it
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with late summer raspberries, fresh mint, tiny tart tomatoes, and
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a few small cantaloupes that I'd been babying for weeks.
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We were near the end of the season, so the garden,
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like one or two of the corridors up on the
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third floor, was nearly empty. I didn't mind the small
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reprieve even though I usually wanted the summer season to
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go on longer than it did, because we were three
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days away from something big, something we'd been planning for months,
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something that, while we were all looking forward to it,
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was a big responsibility and a good deal of work.
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In just a few days, there would be a wedding
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here at the inn. Our first in ages. And our
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small staff might have had more nerves about it than
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the happy couple did. Or maybe it was just me.
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The innkeeper seemed calm and ready. She had neat punch
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lists and timelines. drawn up. She regularly assured me that
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we'd have enough champagne, that the flowers had been confirmed,
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and that she had it on good authority. It wouldn't rain.
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Weddings were special. Even when the couple weren't friends, as
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they were in this case. I always felt the weight
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of the day. The dreams that I wanted with the
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food I made to help come true. I thought of
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my to-do lists. as I carried the basket of berries
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and melons down into my kitchen. I didn't usually wear
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my chef's coat at the inn's kitchens. That was just
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a bit formal for how I cooked here. So I
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tied on my apron and fumbled in the pocket for
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a marker. Any good chef has at least two Sharpies
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on them at any moment, and I found one in
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the apron pocket and two more with their clips threaded
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onto the collar of my shirt. Even though I was
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fresh from the shower, I checked behind my ears, as
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I frequently found them there as well. we had an
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old scrubbed kitchen table for staff meals in a corner.
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And I sat down with my notebook and marker and
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looked at the lists I had for each day until
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the big one. I heard footsteps coming down the long
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hall overhead and pausing in the butler's pantry upstairs. That
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was the innkeeper. She started the coffee each morning, and
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I imagined her filling the pots and portioning out the
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fresh grounds. I heard the footsteps moving out onto our
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dining porch where guests ate breakfast. I knew she was
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tidying up the tables, pushing the chairs into even rows,
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and setting out sugar bowls and creamers and small bouquets
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in bud vases that our gardener prepared. A minute or
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two later, the footsteps sounded from the kitchen steps, and
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she turned the corner, with a full cup of coffee
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in her hands. She set it in front of me,
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took in my pages of lists and general anxious air,
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and rested a hand on my shoulder. With her other hand,
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she flipped my notebook, to today's tasks, blocking out those
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for tomorrow and the day after, saying, first this, then that,
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my friend. I nodded and let out a sigh and
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sipped at my coffee. And I've got good news, she added,
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pointing to the item on my list, that was written
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in all caps and underlined three times. The one that said,
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Wedding Cake. I've called in reinforcements. I lifted an eyebrow,
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and just then we heard the front door opening, the
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pleasant creak of the old wood floors in the entryway.
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and the innkeeper motioned me to follow her up. Bring
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your coffee, she said over her shoulder. In the front office,
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where our guests checked in, her apron already on, and
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a giant crate of supplies in her hands, we found
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the woman who ran the excellent bakery downtown. She had
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a giant smile on her face and even this early
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in the morning was bubbling over with the excitement of
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baking and creating something very special. As soon as I
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saw her, my shoulders dropped down from around my ears.
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I let out a huge sigh of relief. Thank goodness
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you're here, I said. Oh, you couldn't have kept me away,
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she laughed. I gave a grateful look to the innkeeper.
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I wasn't always the best at asking for help. It
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was something I was working on. And I took a
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tiny moment to feel the flood of solace in my body.
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And let that be a physiological sticky note reminder that
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I didn't have to do everything on my own. that
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having help actually felt good. I took the crate of
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supplies and noticed that on top of the extra whisks
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and beaters were several bakery boxes tied up with string.
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There was still warmth rising up off of them. I
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brought cardamom buns, enough for your guests' breakfast and ours,
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she said as we made our way back down the
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long hall. That way you can skip doing breakfast service
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and we can get right to the good stuff, the
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baker said. I could kiss you, I said. as I
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turned the corner and led the way to the kitchen.
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One wedding at a time, please, the innkeeper called from
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the pantry. In the kitchen, we laid out the buns
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and chafing dishes, where they could stay warm as our
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guests rose and made their way to the porch. They
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smelled so delicately of cardamom and were sprinkled with pistachios
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and crushed rose petals. We carried them up and found
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some pretty china dessert plates in the pantry to serve
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them on. The sun was an inch above the horizon.
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and the porch smelled of a mix of fresh coffee
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and dewy grass. We filled our cups, took a bun each,
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and went back to the table to plan everything out.
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As we sipped and ate, I sketched out the design
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I had in mind. she made a few suggestions. How
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best to stabilize the tears. Timing for when each layer
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would be crumb-coated and left to set up in the freezer. Well,
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she said, rolling the last sip of coffee around in
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the bottom of her cup. I understand the plan, but
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you haven't told me yet. What kind of cake is this?
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What flavor are we making? I smiled down at the
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table and propped my chin in my hand. You know,
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I thought about that for a long time. They said
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from the beginning that they trusted me to choose. And
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I have this recipe. Kind of careful about it. I
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don't give it out, you know. She raised her eyebrows
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from across the table. Your coffee cake recipe? It's famous.
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People even ask me for it, thinking I might know,
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but I've never been able to recreate it. That swirl
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of cinnamon crunch through the center and the crumb on it,
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it's fantastic. She spoke with reverence and a question in
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her voice, knowing what it meant to share something that special. Well,
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they'll need something borrowed, won't they? I said shrugging my
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shoulders as if it were casual. It wasn't. Just this once,
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I'll share it. She raised her cup in salute, then
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swallowed the last of her coffee. Your secret is safe
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with me, Chef. I knew it was. We pushed away
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from the table and went to wash our hands. A
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day full of baking lay ahead of us. All my
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nerves were forgotten now that I had someone to share
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the work and my secret recipe with. it would be
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a wonderful day. Something Borrowed Sunrise at the inn is
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a special time of day. I often stand at the
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end of the dock and watch the sky brightening. Bugs
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skate over the water, and mist hides the far side
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of the lake. I'll take a few slow breaths, watch
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the treetops sway along the shore, and last night's stars fade,
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then turn, and head back toward the inn, stopping at
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the herb and vegetable gardens along the way to harvest
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a bit before I step down into the kitchen. As
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the resident chef, I'm always up early, And taking these
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quiet moments feels important. I love the bustle of a
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busy kitchen as well. If I didn't, I guess I'd
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have found a different profession. But that bit of morning
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quiet It's like a crisp, freshly ironed tablecloth to set
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a colorful spread of food onto. One needs the other.
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This morning, I took a basket from a stack by
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the garden shed. and filled it with late summer raspberries,
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fresh mint, tiny tart tomatoes, and a few small cantaloupes
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that I'd been babying for weeks. We were near the
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end of the season, So the garden, like one or
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two of the corridors up on the third floor, was
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nearly empty. I didn't mind the small reprieve, even though
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I usually wanted the summer season to go on longer
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than it did. Because we were three days away from
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something big. Something we'd been planning for months. Something that,
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while we were all looking forward to it, was a
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big responsibility and a good deal of work. In just
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a few days, there would be a wedding here at
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the inn. Our first in ages. And our small staff
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might have had more nerves about it than the happy
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couple did. Or maybe it was just me. the innkeeper
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seemed calm and ready. She had neat punch lists and
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timelines drawn up. She regularly assured me that we'd have
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enough champagne, that the flowers had been confirmed. and that
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she had it on good authority, it wouldn't rain. Weddings
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were special. Even when the couple weren't friends, as they
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were in this case, I always felt the weight of
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the day. The dreams that I wanted with the food
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I made to help come true. I thought of my
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to-do lists as I carried the basket of berries and
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melons down into my kitchen. I didn't usually wear my
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chef's coat in the inn's kitchens. That was just a
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bit formal for how I cooked here. So I tied
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on my apron and fumbled in the pocket for a marker.
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Any good chef has at least two sharpies on them
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at any moment. And I found one in the apron
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pocket and two more with their clips threaded onto the
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collar of my shirt. Even though I was fresh from
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the shower, I checked behind my ears as I frequently
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found them there as well. We had an old, scrubbed
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kitchen table for staff meals in a corner. And I
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sat down with my notebook and marker and looked at
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the lists I had for each day until the big one.
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I heard footsteps coming down the long hall overhead. and pausing,
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in the butler's pantry upstairs. That was the innkeeper. She
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started the coffee each morning, and I imagined her filling
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the pots and portioning out the fresh grounds. I heard
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the footsteps moving out onto our dining porch, where guests
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ate breakfast. I knew she was tidying up the tables,
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pushing the chairs into even rows, and setting out sugar
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bowls and creamers. and small bouquets in bud vases that
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our gardener prepared. A minute or two later, the footsteps
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sounded from the kitchen steps, and she turned the corner
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with a full cup of coffee in her hands. She
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said it in front of me, took in my pages
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of lists and general anxious air and rested a hand
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on my shoulder. With her other hand, she flipped my
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notebook to today's tasks, blocking out those for tomorrow and
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the day after, saying, First this, then that, my friend.
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I nodded and let out a sigh and sipped at
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my coffee. And I've got good news, she added, pointing
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to the item on my list. that was in all
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caps and underlined three times. The one that said, Wedding Cake.
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I've called in reinforcements. I lifted an eyebrow, and just
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then we heard the front door opening. the pleasant creak
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of the old wood floors in the entryway. And the
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innkeeper motioned me to follow her up. Bring your coffee,
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she said over her shoulder. In the front office, where
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our guests checked in, her apron already on, on a
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giant crate of supplies in her hands. We found the
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woman who ran the excellent bakery downtown. She had a
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giant smile on her face. And even this early in
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the morning, was bubbling over with the excitement of baking
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and creating something very special. As soon as I saw her,
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my shoulders dropped down from my ears. I let out
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a huge sigh of relief. Thank goodness you're here, I said. Oh,
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you couldn't have kept me away, she laughed. I gave
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a grateful look to the innkeeper. I wasn't always the
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best at asking for help. It was something I was
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working on, and I took a tiny moment to feel
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the flood of solace in my body. And let that
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be a physiological sticky note reminder that I didn't have
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to do everything on my own. That having help actually
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00:34:58.210 --> 00:35:06.769
felt good. I took the crate of supplies and noticed
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that on top of the extra whisks and beaters were
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several bakery boxes tied up with string. There was still
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00:35:23.039 --> 00:35:32.840
warmth rising up off of them. I brought cardamom buns.
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Enough for your guests' breakfast and ours, she said as
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we made our way back down the long hall. That
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00:35:49.389 --> 00:35:55.150
way you can skip doing breakfast service and we can
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get right to the good stuff, the baker said. I
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00:36:00.610 --> 00:36:05.539
could kiss you, I said, as I turned the corner
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and led the way to the kitchen. One wedding at
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a time, please, the innkeeper called from the pantry. In
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the kitchen, we laid out the buns and chafing dishes
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where they could stay warm. as our guests rose and
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made their way to the porch. They smelled so delicately
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00:36:40.079 --> 00:36:48.500
of cardamom and were sprinkled with pistachios and crushed rose petals.
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We carried them up and found some pretty china dessert
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00:36:56.389 --> 00:37:03.760
plates in the pantry. to serve them on. The sun
317
00:37:03.880 --> 00:37:10.510
was an inch above the horizon now. The porch smelled
318
00:37:10.590 --> 00:37:17.369
of a mix of fresh coffee and dewy grass. We
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00:37:17.409 --> 00:37:23.610
filled our cups, took a bun each, and went back
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to the table. to plan everything out. As we sipped
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and ate, I sketched out the design I had in mind.
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00:37:44.809 --> 00:37:50.250
She made a few suggestions how best to stabilize the tears,
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00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:58.960
timing for when each layer would be crumb-coated and left
324
00:37:59.500 --> 00:38:07.500
to set up in the freezer. Well, she said, rolling
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00:38:07.599 --> 00:38:10.800
the last sip of coffee around in the bottom of
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00:38:10.840 --> 00:38:18.050
her cup. I understand the plan. But you haven't told
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00:38:18.090 --> 00:38:24.489
me yet. What kind of cake is this? What flavor
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are we making? I smiled down at the table and
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00:38:33.400 --> 00:38:40.320
propped my chin in my hand. You know, I thought
330
00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:47.909
about that for a long time. They said from the
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00:38:47.969 --> 00:38:55.949
beginning that they trusted me to choose. And I have
332
00:38:55.989 --> 00:39:02.139
this recipe I'm kind of careful about it. I don't
333
00:39:02.260 --> 00:39:10.510
give it out, you know. She raised her eyebrows from
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00:39:10.570 --> 00:39:20.789
across the table. Your coffee cake recipe? It's famous. People
335
00:39:21.050 --> 00:39:26.760
even ask me for it, thinking I might know. but
336
00:39:26.840 --> 00:39:32.269
I've never been able to recreate it. That swirl of
337
00:39:32.389 --> 00:39:37.570
cinnamon crunch through the center. And the crumb on it.
338
00:39:39.289 --> 00:39:47.730
It's fantastic. She spoke with reverence, and a question in
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00:39:47.789 --> 00:40:01.170
her voice. knowing what it meant to share something that special. Well,
340
00:40:02.590 --> 00:40:10.739
they'll need something borrowed, won't they? I said, shrugging my shoulders,
341
00:40:12.579 --> 00:40:19.820
as if it were casual. It wasn't. Just this once,
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I'll share it. She raised her cup in salute, then
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swallowed the last of the coffee. Your secret is safe
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with me, chef. I knew it was. We pushed away
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from the table. and went to wash our hands. A
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00:40:56.119 --> 00:41:03.179
day full of baking lay ahead of us. All my
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00:41:03.260 --> 00:41:10.239
nerves were forgotten now that I had someone to share
348
00:41:10.300 --> 00:41:18.110
the work and my secret recipe with. It would be
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a wonderful day. Sweet dreams.
