DAY 11 of FLASH AUGUST FICTION: 30-in-30 days: I’m in quite a blank moment as I sit down to write this evening. I generally either write something somewhat absurd or fairly innocuous when this happens. I’m going to be having a light dinner during this. Maybe it will be about food. I’ve done that before. That might be the thing. Sure, why not?
Since I’m doing that, I guess I’ll recommend my favorite food-related Substack.
has a newsletter called Letters from Tuscany. Sometimes I don’t even read it; I just look at the pictures and drool. I get great ideas for my attempts at cooking from her posts. I have had a couple of nice interactions with her and other readers. You will understand, if you did not, that good food is an art form when you check out her pages.Now, as I start some random Flash Fiction about food and enjoy a simple chili with some fresh Thai Basil, pine nuts, garlic, and lime on top, I wonder what I’ll write about. Let’s find out, shall we? I’m Herschel Sterling, and I’m here to help.
Cooking Show Improv Jello Cake
Snatching Success From Disaster
1042 WORDS IN JUST UNDER AN HOUR
"OK," Gary says as he looks into the camera. "Now what we want to do is let this sit in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, checking it through the window every once in a while." In the meantime, we can put together the icing. "This is a special icing because we'll be adding a special ingredient. "We'll find out what that is when we get back."
Gary slams his hands down on the table. "Why isn't there a finished cake made?" I know, with certainty, that I told you we want to have the cake prepared ahead of time because this thing is going to be too hot to ice, and we'll be waiting for it to cool, especially since it's a white cake."
Rudy, his assistant and cameraman, is perplexed. "I heard you tell us to make it, but I am never involved in that stuff." It's usually Sarah, and she's not here. "I wonder if she made it and it's in the fridge?"
"First, where is Sarah?" And second, please check the fridge. Duh."
Rudy checks the fridge. There is no cake in there. He also checks the freezer. "No cakes." He says. "Sarah had some kind of appointment today. She told us about it the other day, and I can't remember what it's about."
Gary is shaking his head. "Can we start another show while the cake is cooling?" He asks Rudy.
"I don't think so. I don't think we can because there is only one on the docket, and we need mussels, and there are no mussels from our source until Monday."
"That means we have to either sit around and wait for it to cool, or we just record up to the point of icing, refrigerate it, and pick this up tomorrow." Gary says.
"Why don't we just make it a jello cake instead?" Rudy says. "You said it would have a special ingredient." Let's make it a jello cake; that can be the special ingredient. We have jello."
Gary responds. "I've never made that."
"I can make it." Rudy says. "Do you want me to talk you through it? It's super easy and pretty festive, and you should do it while the cake is warm out of the oven. It's easy. It's perfect because it's a white cake, and usually it's a sheet cake, but this rectangle will be fine. The only thing is that it will have to sit in the fridge to cool. before it's iced, just like the situation we are in now, but it's iced with whipped cream, not regular icing."
Gary says. "You know what? This is a screwed-up day; let's screw it up all the way. I'll take the camera, and you finish the show. I am enticed by this jello cake; let's do it."
Gary checks the oven. "Get yourself ready. You've got ten minutes." I'll get the jello ready for you, and then I'll take the camera. Here's my apron. Break a leg."
Rudy prepares the workspace, and the camera is adjusted for his height. Gary operates the cameras and checks the sound for Rudy's tone. They are ready to go, and they begin.
"Hey, umm.. I'm Rudy, Gary's assistant. I'm going to finish the recipe for Gary. He's working the camera, we are switching places for the rest of this episode." I'm putting together a fun, summer cake that is festive and kind of odd. You may have heard of it, it's called a jello cake. Thanks, Gary, for letting me be the scapegoat for today's disaster."
Rudy describes the process as he makes up some cherry jello. "Now, let's get that fluffy, from-scratch white cake out of the oven. You're not going to believe how easy this is. Kids really love to help with this, by the way."
Rudy pulls out the cake, and he asks Gary if he can grab him a fluted shot glass. "I need one of those long shot glasses, Gary. Can you get me one?" Gary runs over to the cabinet where those glasses are and says, "Catch!" As he tosses it to Rudy.
"Now, what we want to do is roughly space out the cake and use the shot glasses to make holes in the cake. I have a toothpick here so I can get the little pieces of cake out of the glasses."
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Rudy made the holes in the cake, about two inches apart, all over the cake. "It kind of looks like Swiss cheese, doesn't it? Not really, just kidding. And on this separate plate, I have all of my little leftover cake holes."
"I dissolved the jello, and now I'm going to add the hot water, and while the cake is still warm, watch this. Just take the jello and start filling the holes. Pour the jello into one hole at a time. Don't do too much at a time. You want to be sure that you are getting jello into each hole. The jello is going to seep into the cake, and it's going to fill the bottom of the pan."
"That is ridiculous and fantastic," Gary says as he operates the remote overhead camera.
Rudy continues: "This is going to make a really neat texture at the bottom of the cake. This is eaten cold. We have to totally let this cake get cold and then ice it, but guess what?" Rudy says as he places the cake in the freezer, so it cools more quickly.
"We don't use cake icing, we use whipped cream, just plain whipped cream. But that has to happen just before you serve it. Immediately before you serve this, you will ice it with an inch of whipped cream. You will fill the holes with the whipped cream, then you can dip the leftover cake hole pieces in a mixture of lemon zest and a very small amount of red kool-aid and place them on the top of the cake evenly, so that each piece has one."
The duo cleans up the kitchen area while the cake cools down and the jello gets very firm. Later, they went back and finished the episode, as described above, which was a great success and a fan favorite forever.
The End
I figured I’d do some kind of recipe story at some point, and what do you know, jello cake never fails to save the day. Also, there are zero incorrect jello cake recipes. Take it easy. Smell the Inside of Your Nose. Do it Right Now. C’mon. Don’t knock my way until you try it. Bigger openings for jello work great and create extra opportunities for fun. I hope you might get a paid subscription, or buy me a coffee, or donate some bitcoin. I wish you the best. I’m Commercial Herschel, and I’m here to help.
Cooking Show Improv Jello Cake