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“No Chiron, you cannot have a treat right now, it is 7 in the morning. Right now we’re taking a walk.” Harris could hear his boyfriend say in the foyer to a whimpering mass of dark brown fur. He watched attentively, his lips curving higher and higher, as he watched the tall, muscular man at his front door, with hair a similar dark brown as his dog, wrestle to get a collar onto Chiron. If you had told Harris a year ago that Troy Barret, All-Star forward of the NHL and long-time celebrity crush, would be his boyfriend and struggling to put a collar onto the dog they parent together, in a house they own together, he would wonder what fantasy romance book you pulled that from. But here he was, Harris Drover, sipping a coffee and contently watching his boyfriend saunter over.
“I think Chiron is ready for his walk. Are you good to come?” Troy smiled.
“Yea, let me just rinse out this mug.” Harris replied, drinking the last of his morning brew before turning around to the sink. As he turned on the faucet and reached for a sponge, Harris could feel a presence creep up behind him. The impending figure wrapped its large biceps around his waist as he washed the used mug. Harris’ heart fluttered at the sudden warmth and weight he felt on his back.
Harris placed the newly cleaned mug onto the nearby drying rack and attempted to turn around to see the face of his captor. But he was stuck, forced to stay in his position by the strength of the arms that seemed to squeeze tighter. Not that Harris minded the physical affection, especially as the man behind him kissed the top of his head and took a slow breath in.
“I still can’t get over the fact you use apple scented shampoo” Troy finally said, “It’s so you.”
Harris couldn’t handle it, he needed to kiss his boyfriend. Through a herculean push, Harris loosened Troy’s grip just enough to turn around and plant his lips onto Troy’s, their pillowy texture making Harris feel safe and warm. When they finally separated for a breath, Harris spoke, “You keep talking like that you’ll get yourself a treat.”
“Promise?” Troy smirked in return.
Suddenly, Harris could feel pawing at his calves and looked down to see Chiron impatiently waiting for his walk. Harris and Troy chuckled together as Troy released his hold and made his way to the front door. Chiron happily followed, his tail wagging furiously as he bolted through the front door. Harris followed behind, grabbing his coat and gloves off the nearby rack and closing the door behind him. He quickly caught up to Troy, matching his pace as the two men watched Chiron eagerly running ahead of them, bounding about the snow banks.
After Harris had adopted Chiron and officially announced him the spokesdog of the Ottawa Centaurs on their instagram page, Harris had been looking into farmland homes so Chiron could have the proper space to roam about. Despite being a year old, Chiron had grown enormous; and being part mountain dog and part labrador meant endless energy. Harris expected as much, even when Chiron was just a puppy. What he didn't expect was to have gotten into a relationship with Troy Barret, let alone live with him in a farmhouse Troy found. Still, he couldn't be more happy with the location: It was just 30 minutes outside of Ottawa and 20 minutes from the Drover family farm, close enough for Harris and Troy to get to work daily and visit his parents on Sundays. Troy had a small apartment right by the arena too for those nights he would be too tired to make the drive home after a game or if there was an early morning flight. Harris had been inside it a few times, but had decided that Troy deserves a space of his own to do as he pleased.
Chiron jumped into another snow bank, causing the white powder to burst over Troy and Harris. Harris laughed as Chiron continued to run toward another, “Well if the coffee didn't help me wake up, that sure did. And now look at us, covered in snow. It's all in your hair!” Troy laughed along as Harris reached up to sweep the snow out of his hair. Troy pulled his own hand up as he leaned over Harris and shook the snow off his head and covered Harris further. “Hey!” Harris squealed, jumping away from Troy’s antic. At the same time, Chiron walked over to Harris and shook the snow off his own fur, covering Harris even further. “So this was the plan along,” Harris wiped the snow off his coat as his eyes bounced between Troy and Chrion, “you boys just wanted to cover me in snow!” Chiron barked excitedly as he ran off to play more.
Troy walked over to Harris, embracing the shorter man and still laughing, “Well I do tend to make a mess.”
Harris laughed as he leaned in, accepting the embrace, “I know you go all the time, but I'll still miss you while you're on the road.”
“I'll be back just in time for our anniversary though. There's no way I want to miss that.” Troy tightened the hug, “Besides, you'll still kind of see me.”
“Looking at you through a screen and making gifs of your adorable fist pumps after a goal is not the same as getting to hold you.” Harris retorted.
“It sure isn't.” Troy kissed the top of Harris’ head before he let go of his body, sliding an arm down to the middle of his boyfriend's back and continuing their walk.
Chiron pushed his way through the front door and immediately went to the kitchen to lap up water from his bowl. Troy and Harris removed their coats after shaking off the rest of the snow and hung them up. Troy sat on their entry bench, speaking as he looked down to undo his boots, “I know I’ll be back from the road trip in time for our anniversary, yet a part of me is sad that we won’t be together in this week leading up to it. It’s our one year, I want to make it special.” Troy placed his boots on the adjacent shoe rack and stood.
Harris knew this road trip was coming up so he didn’t want to make their anniversary celebration a big deal, but Troy seemed to be pretty set on celebrating on the exact day they became officially boyfriends. Not that he had minded; in fact, he found it sweet that Troy was so sentimental. Despite being such a stoic and quiet man, Troy has always shown Harris his softer side. That said, they hadn’t really discussed a plan for the celebration. All that was sure was that the Centaurs’ plane would arrive late the night before their anniversary day and they would have a team meeting that morning. Would Troy surprise him with an impromptu trip like the time he took Harris to a luxury spa retreat? Or would they have a quiet night in. Having just finished his own boot removal, Harris began walking toward the bedroom, Troy following behind, “I know, but it’s not as if we won’t be able to talk or anything. I like our calls on the road where you tell me about the cities you play in and sometimes bring me gifts.”
“So you like me for my gifts.” Troy joked.
“It’s a bonus.” Harris chuckled as he pulled his favorite Centaurs toque from the closet. Singling out the New York Pride apple pin Troy gifted him before they even started dating, he turned to Troy and held it up slightly, “This one is still my favorite though.”
Troy looked at the pin, remembering the intense desire he had for Harris when they had first met and smiled, “Mine too.”
Troy speared his eggs as he watched Harris fill Chiron’s feed bowl with breakfast kibble. Somehow Harris even made domestic acts look sexy. As Harris sat beside Troy, eating his own breakfast bowl, Troy couldn’t help but think about what brought them to this ideal situation. He stared at the pins on Harris’ flannel, remembering the first time he saw them and how brave he thought Harris was for being so unabashedly himself. He could have never imagined that that confident and cute social media manager would be his boyfriend, or that their one year anniversary was coming up. Suddenly, Troy felt a nudge to his side. He blinked back to reality to see that Harris had asked him a question. “Sorry, I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life.” Troy apologized.
Harris blushed hard at the admittance, “I-I was just asking what the plan was for our anniversary.” The bearded man turned back to his food, fidgeting with his fork, “I wouldn’t mind a trip like last year but I gotta make sure I request the time off. Being the Senior Director of Communications weirdly has both more and less freedom when it comes to my time. But I’m sure if I talk to the other directors I can get a few days.”
“Right, well I wasn’t planning anything to that scale. I was just thinking we’d have an intimate evening, maybe have your folks look after Chiron for a night so we only have to think about each other.” Troy said with a happy lift in his voice as he looked down, “I know we live together so maybe it’s not so special, but I want it to be just us.” Troy had thought about reserving a stay at a resort or traveling somewhere across the globe but when it came down to it, he knew the perfect anniversary would be simple and heartfelt.
“Sure, I’ll ask my parents to look after Chiron.” Harris smiled, his face less red now. The man rose with a now empty bowl and leaned over, placing a kiss on the larger man’s cheek, “Of course it will be special, it’s our anniversary.” Troy’s face warmed up as Harris pulled away, taking the empty bowl in front of him along to the sink.
Harris climbed into his truck as Troy placed his suitcase into the back seat. Harris watched as his well dressed man lifted himself into the passenger side and pulled a seatbelt over his crisp suit. He knew the guys didn’t really like the suit policy when it came to plane rides but if he could get to see his boyfriend in a well fitting, tailored suit, Harris liked it. Troy had gone suit shopping several months ago as Troy’s were getting a bit old: they were the same ones he bought while with Toronto and thought it was time for a change. Of course Harris wanted to come along and watch. It wasn’t just Troy though, that trip to the tailors included Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, the power couple of the NHL. Harris had gotten to know Ilya ever since he signed onto Ottawa and really liked his witticisms and charm. And while it was a shock to learn Ilya was dating his archrival Shane Hollander, Harris could see the love they had for each other. When Shane signed onto Ottawa and officially became team mates with Ilya, the world went wild. They certainly made Harris’ job entertaining.
The tailor shop was a rousing success with all three men getting a few new suits for their trips. Harris enjoyed watching Troy be comfortable enough with Ilya and Shane to joke around; even weirder to see Shane out-serious Troy. Ilya’s statement that the four of them were on a double date, proceeded by Ilya attempting to buy Harris a suit as well, was especially endearing. Since that day, Harris felt a lot more comfortable with Ilya and Shane, and sensed that Troy was too.
Harris flashed his identification badge to the airport guard as the truck pulled up to the checkpoint. Moving through, he could see Wyatt Hayes leaning into a car, presumably to kiss his wife goodbye. Harris parked the truck beside them as Hayes stood up to see who was coming. He smiled as Troy stepped out of the vehicle. “Hey guys, good to see you!” Wyatt exclaimed, moving in to give Troy a bro-hug.
“Hazy!” Troy accepted the gesture, giving Wyatt an emphatic pat to the back. “Hi Lisa.” Troy smiled, raising an acknowledging hand to Wyatt’s wife.
“Hi Troy. Hi Harris. Good seeing you.” Lisa waved back, as she prepared to drive away, “Be safe out there, okay?”
“We’ll try.” Troy stated, turning to grab his suitcase as Lisa drove away.
A valet approached the hockey players, offering to take Troy’s and Wyatt’s luggage. Harris stepped out of the truck and walked around to the two men as the valet walked toward the plane with their suitcases. Harris immediately wrapped his arms around Troy’s torso, leaning up for a kiss. He always hated this part, despite doing it so often. Though it had been over a year since the plane failure event and he had been able to process the fear in himself, Harris couldn’t help but worry about Troy, hoping for his safety every time he had to fly for games.
Troy wrapped his own arms around Harris and met the shorter man’s lips with his own. “I’ll be home soon.” Troy assured as he let go.
“We’ll make sure of it, Harris.” A voice called out. The three men turned to see Shane and Ilya approach the trio, wearing two of the suits they had gotten with Troy. Shane continued, “The planes are checked and secured before every flight.”
“We’ll have him home for your anniversary.” Ilya added.
“How did you know our anniversary is coming up?” Troy asked, confused by the statement.
“I am perceptive.” Ilya smirked, continuing his walk toward the plane with Shane.
Baffled by the drive-by reassurance, Harris couldn’t even think of a response. He felt Troy place a kiss atop his head as he began to follow his fellow Centaurs toward the plane. Harris waved once more before climbing back into his truck and driving to the arena.
Troy climbed the stairs leading up to the plane, feeling his knees shake slightly. While he tried to stay strong in front of Harris, knowing that the plane incident placed an irrevocable fear in both men, Troy knew Harris worried about him more. He couldn’t quite get over the anxiety, but focusing on being with his team helped. As Troy sat down, placing a book into the compartment pouch below his seat, he was reminded about the horrible ways the Toronto Guardians made fun of Ryan Price’s fear of flying and how he had contributed to it. The Centaurs were different though, they were a family that cared about each other. Had Ryan joined the Centaurs, no one would have made fun of his flying anxiety, they probably would have sat with him and eased his fears.
“So what are you and Harris doing for your anniversary?” Wyatt asked, taking the seat beside Troy.
“You should get him another dog.” Ilya chimed in, sitting across them.
“That’s what you want, Ilya.” Shane responded flatly as he settled into the seat next to his husband.
“Because I have good taste.” Ilya beamed.
Troy had grown to really like Ilya and Shane, especially after they had agreed to go suit shopping with him last November. Ever since Troy got traded to the Centaurs, Ilya Rozanov had been nothing but encouraging, patient, and kind to him; nothing like how he was as an opponent. Shane Hollander on the other hand was exactly as Troy expected: focused, fierce, and determined; it showed in the way he played on the ice both as an adversary and as an ally. Troy remembered having a crush on Shane before he had started dating Harris; now, he couldn’t see Shane as anything more than a close and loyal friend (and a strangely perfect compliment to their charmingly supercilious captain). Troy looked over at Wyatt, Ilya, and Shane, their faces clear they were waiting for Troy’s response. He pulled his book from the bottom compartment to show a confectionary guide, “I was thinking of making him sweets. Harris has been teaching me how to bake but I’ve only ever done it with his help. I thought I could take what he taught me and make him something as a surprise.”
“That’s actually so romantic.” Wyatt stated.
“He will definitely like that. Harris is soft that way.” Ilya added.
“Will you have time to do so? We get back pretty late that evening and the team meet is the next morning.” Shane said with concern.
“Moya lyubimiy, let Troy be romantic. No need for logic.” Ilya teased, dramatically falling backwards onto Shane.
Troy and Wyatt chuckled at Ilya’s display as the plane began its ascent. The rest of the team was as they always were: rowdy and fun. Troy and the other men quickly joined in on the different conversations occurring, letting the topic of Troy and Harris’ anniversary naturally wane. By the time they had landed in Anaheim, Troy had almost forgotten about Shane’s comment. Almost.
Harris unlocked his office and stepped into the wide space. Ever since his promotion, Harris had been working behind a huge desk where he had endless meetings and paperwork. Not that it was bad, he got to make the decisions on things he couldn’t before like brand partnerships, ad campaigns, and social media projects; the substantial pay raise was nice too. But some days he missed his dinky, dark office where he’d spent hours splicing videos and making hockey gifs. While he waited for his computer to load, Harris looked through the file on his desk filled with the pictures Gen took for an upcoming Valentines Day campaign. He stopped at a shirtless photo of Troy wearing nothing but his hockey pants, hockey gloves, and cupid wings on his back. Harris stared at the seductive pose and felt his body’s primal reaction to the alluring image.
“Looks like you found the Troy one.” a voice from the doorway stated, making Harris jump in his chair. Gen walked in, laughing at her successful surprise, “Don’t worry, that one’s not for the campaign. I just figured you’d like a nice photo of your boyfriend.”
Harris blushed at the admittance, “I would say I hate you, but we both know that’s not true.” He placed the photo upside down so as not to get distracted, “There aren’t any more surprise photos in here are there?”
“Not unless you want me to start taking more.” Gen snarkily replied, her playful response easing Harris.
“I cannot professionally make that request.” Harris stated, trying his best to be serious while he smiled at her.
“There aren’t any more like that one, no.” Gen took a seat, “But while we’re on the topic of you and Troy, what are you lovers doing for your anniversary? I tried asking Troy and he just said, “Not much””
Harris shifted in his chair, “Yea, I didn’t want to pressure him into doing anything too big. With their road trip this week, I wanted to be sure he could focus on his games. Then he said that he wanted us to have an intimate evening, just the two of us. It sounds nice but I feel like I want to do something for him so that it feels more special.” Harris lifted the folder of campaign photos and began flipping through the rest.
“Why not make him something? That’s, like, your specialty.” Gen stated casually, tilting the folder down toward her and pointing out the proofs she liked most for Harris.
“I’m good at cooking, but I do that pretty often. I make food and desserts for my family dinners and I made a german chocolate cake when we went to visit Troy’s mom in September. Troy knows my cooking, it doesn’t feel as special.” Harris said, putting the folder down and turning to his computer to pull up the campaign details.
“Yea, but those don’t sound specific to him. What does Troy like?”
“I make him food sometimes, mostly high protein breakfasts before work. I’ve made some dinners too when he’s too tired to cook together.”
“What about something sweet? You’re especially good at baking; those cookies you brought for Christmas were really good.”
“Troy doesn’t eat many sweets, he’ll have a slice of pie or cake every now and then but he just doesn’t go crazy for them like me or the others.”
“Then what counts as a ‘treat’ for Mr. Troy Barret?” Gen slumped back, raising an eyebrow to Harris.
Harris lifted his hands and sat back as well, turning to meet Gen’s inquisitive expression, “He does say that salmon is a treat for him; that it’s one of the fattier proteins so he doesn’t like to eat it often.”
“Sounds like something Shane would say.”
“It’s uncanny. I sometimes wonder if Ilya befriended Troy because he’s so similar to Shane.” The two laughed at the comparison.
“Have you made him a salmon dish before? That could be a good idea.”
“I don’t think I have! I could make it really romantic too.” Harris leaned forward, excited by the idea, “I don’t cook with fish that often though, so I don’t know where I would start with that. Do you have any suggestions?”
“Do you remember Hassan, Alan’s friend? He was at my birthday party.”
“The one with the panther tattoo?”
“Yea. He’s a sous-chef at the Persian restaurant downtown, Bavel. I can ask him to teach you a dish.” Gen pushed back her chair and stood, “Let me know, he’d be willing to do so any time.” She left the room, waving behind her as the door swung shut.
Harris sat back again in disbelief that such a perfect plan came to him. Even more, Harris felt warmed by the efforts his friend was willing to give. As his heart rate finally came down from the excitement, Harris turned back to his computer to resume work but instead began looking up salmon dishes that he thought Troy would like, even looking at images of what they offered at Bavel. He was determined, Harris would make sure that their anniversary was special.
Troy skated past his opponent, dodging an obvious attempt at a check. Looking to his sides, he could see Shane lined up for a shot on his left and Zane Boodram coming right behind on his right. The Seattle goalie was eyeing Troy, watching this critical decision, but he could tell that this goaltender wasn’t quite experienced enough for his team. Troy turned his head toward Bood, curving his body slightly to set up a pass as soon as Bood caught up. The goalie shifted his weight and moved in response. Troy suddenly switched his stick position and sent the puck to Shane with a quick look, trusting his and his teammate’s skills. In a fraction of a second, Troy watched the Seattle goalie attempt to reshift for a block but falling too short, the puck flying past before he could even extend his arm. Troy skated around the net to return to his team as horns blared indicating a goal. Ilya met Troy and they skated back together to the center ice.
“Great assist Barret!” Shane said, giving Troy a strong side hug.
“I knew you’d get it.” Troy responded with pride.
The Centaurs won 2-1 and the excitement was high in the changing room. Ever since Shane Hollander joined their team, the technical maneuvers had felt so natural for the team. Shane had helped Troy a few times during practice and it had made a huge difference in his stick play. It was no wonder that Shane was so well regarded for his stick maneuvering: Troy remembered watching Shane pull off Ilya’s infamous switch shot in the last play-offs and being so impressed that he was able to pull off such a technical skill. Now the Centaurs had become a regularly winning team, with this trip being no exception. With Anaheim and San Francisco defeated, and Seattle freshly thrashed, Troy couldn’t hide his high energy either.
Troy finished pulling on his suit and began zipping up his duffle, turning to see that Bood, his benchmate, had already finished and left. He slung the duffle onto his shoulder and started his way toward the exit too when he heard Ilya call out to him, “Barret, join us at the lobby in a half hour. We are going to go out.” Troy waved affirmingly and continued on.
Troy stepped off the elevator and into the lobby, wearing casual clothing (a clean pair of jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers) just as Ilya texted him to. Ilya, Shane, Bood, Hayes, and Luca arrived not too long after, wearing similar casual attire, yet somehow Ilya’s seemed more elevated. Ilya slapped a hand down onto Troy’s shoulder, “So we know our dear friend here has his anniversary coming up and he does not know what to do.”
“I know what I want to do, I just–” Troy started.
“And because it is with our dearer friend Harris, we want to help.” Ilya shook Troy’s shoulder before letting go and turning toward the exit.
“He means we booked a baking class for all of us to do together.” Shane said as he walked by.
“Is it really a good idea to have Rozanov near hot stoves and melting chocolate?” Bood called out, moving alongside Luca.
Troy trailed behind his fellow Centaurs as he watched them move out the door and climb into a couple cabs. He could feel his heart warm thinking about how his teammates, his friends, had decided to help him with his anniversary gift to Harris. As he stepped into the cab with Ilya and Shane, Troy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a text from Harris, a photo of him and Chiron snuggled up together by their fireplace. A second later, Harris sent a text message reading, “We’ll be here waiting for your safe return” followed by several heart and dog emojis. Troy blushed at the sudden display of affection, feeling his heart beat faster; again finding himself wondering how he ever got to be so lucky.
Harris took a breath as he pulled into the parking lot of Bavel. The lights were already off and the bare parking lot felt a little bleak for him. Just as he turned his truck off, the side door of the building opened, its light shining past a slim male figure. Harris stepped out and walked over to the building, greeting Hassan with a handshake and a smile. He couldn’t help but feel nervous about the encounter, but knew it would be good. Hassan gestured for Harris to follow as they entered the building.
“Now you simply stir every other minute as the sauce emulsifies.” Hassan said, stirring his own pot. Harris watched the light brown color slowly darken as he stirred, the smell of the baharat and garlic lightly fading with each turn. Harris looked beside him, peaking at Hassan’s pot and comparing the products. “Now we’ll turn down the heat and let it sit to simmer while we start working the other ingredients.” Hassan said, cranking his convection stove so the flame lessened, “And there’s no need to compare right now, Harris. I’m sure yours will come out just as beautifully.” Harris turned away, quickly turning the knob on his stove in embarrassment. And moving to the steaming pot on the side burner, clicking off the flame like Hassan.
“So you work with the Centaurs with Gen, right? The hockey team?” Hassan looked at Harris inquisitively.
“Um, yea. I do.” Harris looked down to his couscous mix, folding the freshly shredded carrots and cut mint into it, unsure where this conversation was going.
“I was never really a big hockey person until I moved to Ottawa a couple years ago. What about you?”
“Oh, I’ve always been into hockey, even when I was a little boy. Had Centaurs merch on walls and everything. I grew up here though so that probably helped with that interest.”
“That’s cool. I’m sure you were happy when you got to start working with them.” Hassan shifted his attention to the caramelizing onions, “Don’t forget to check and stir your onions frequently. If you let them sit, it will burn.”
“Right.” Harris said, moving to his pan. “I’m very happy working for the Centaurs.”
“That’s great.” Hassan responded. The room fell silent as the two men intermittently folded couscous and stirred onions. Harris wasn’t sure if Hassan was trying to make good conversation or was probing for something specific. He knew Gen said that Hassan was willing to teach Harris a dish but he had even rejected Harris’ offer to pay. As the night continued on, Hassan instructed Harris and gave tips for cooking it again.
Harris plated the dish as Hassan instructed: a layer of couscous mix, the pan seared salmon, a spoonful of tamarind onions on top the filet, then garnished with fresh cut parsley. Harris took a step back to look at his creation, surprised that it had come together so well. He was excited to make this for Troy, mentalling noting all of Hassan’s tips throughout the evening. Looking over to Hassan’s dish, Harris felt proud to see how similar it was.
“You did such a great job!” Hassan said, “Do you feel more comfortable cooking with fish now?”
“Salmon at least.” Harris laughed.
Hassan laughed along with him as he moved to a closet to pull out a picnic basket like box, “This is for you. It has high quality dishware and diningware, the recipe, and instructions as we did them today.” Hassan placed the box onto a table in front of Harris, looking at him with a smile.
“Hassan this is really generous, I can’t thank you enough for this.” Harris smiled as he pulled the box closer to him to find it was a real picnic basket, “I don’t know if I can just accept this though. I didn’t pay you for your service or this box or anything. I doubt you owe Gen or Alan anything, so why are you going through all the trouble of helping me?” Harris’ guilt bubbled as he watched Hassan’s expression drop slightly into a melancholic state.
“To be honest, I really liked you Harris. At least when we first met.”
“You mean at Alan’s birthday party?”
“No. It was a surprise to find out you and Gen were close work friends, but we had met before.” Hassan shifted his stance, his shoulders lightly slumped, “When I had first moved to Ottawa I didn’t have any friends or family; I was a lonely, gay Iranian man in a foreign city. One night, I decided to try to meet people; make friends. I went to one of those mixers the LGBT Center hosted and was scared out of my wit. Then I met you.” Hassan shifted his gaze up to Harris. “You were so kind and expressive, you made me feel so welcomed into the space that I had forgotten why I was so scared to begin with; you made me feel loved and I fell for you. I wasn’t able to get your contact that night but I still think a lot about how much you changed my life.”
“Hassan, I’m sorry that I don’t remember that and for what it’s worth, I am very happy that you were able to feel like yourself. But you should know I am in a serious relationship.” Harris said, shifting his own body to brace for whatever reaction may come.
“Oh, I know.”
“You do?”
“Troy Barret, right? He made a huge announcement and has been posting pictures of you and him together. As have you. I would be dumb to think you two had eyes for anyone but each other.” Hassan laughed, his body realigning and his expression lightening.
“So why are you telling me this?”
“That attraction is in the past, but what you did for me still lives with me now. When I re-met you at Alan’s birthday party, I knew I had to repay you in some way.” Hassan pushed the basket forward on the table, “Please accept my gift and make your boyfriend a delicious salmon dinner.”
Tears welled in Harris’ eyes, unready for the emotional story Hassan told. The bearded man strode around the table and went directly into Hassan, giving the slimmer man a hug. “Thank you, Hassan. For sharing your talents with me and giving me this wonderful gift.”
“Thank you, Harris. For giving me the courage to live my life.” Hassan hugged Harris back and they embraced for several minutes, the tears from both men wetting each others’ shoulders. As the two men released, they wiped their eyes. “For the record, I also have a boyfriend. It was Troy’s post that encouraged him to ask me out so I feel I owe Troy a gift too.”
Hassan and Harris laughed together, sharing stories of each others’ boyfriends. As Harris loaded the basket into his truck and started the vehicle, he waved out to Hassan as he stood outside the restaurant entrance. Feeling lighter and happier, Harris was ready to give Troy a special anniversary.
The six men filled the kitchen classroom of a Seattle building, their individual statures practically taking up the space of two. Aside from the men, there were a few women in the class waiting patiently for the instructor to begin. Troy could see out of his peripheral vision that two of the women were giggling to each other as they looked at each of the hockey players. He shifted his glance to Ilya and Shane, who unsurprisingly partnered together, and could see Shane’s face poorly attempting a scowl. While Troy hadn’t heard what Ilya said, he could imagine it based off of Shane’s expression.
“Let us begin!” the instructor stated, her French accent creating a tone that was commanding yet comforting. “We will be making a classic American treat today: the cake pop.”
Troy’s eyes widened slightly as he turned to Luca, his baking partner. Luca looked back and patted Troy’s arm, giving a knowing and assured smile. “We will start by making the cake portion. Please pull out your mixing bowls and measure the ingredients in front of you following the portions on the board.”
Troy began by measuring the flour and sifting it into the bowl while Luca took the measuring cups and spoons and began pre-portioning them. As Troy dumped the contents of the filled measuring tools into the bowl, Luca grabbed the eggs, hesitating as he was unsure how to crack them. The instructor approached their bench, talking Luca through how to crack the eggs without getting shells in and pantomiming the action for him as he attempted the maneuver. Luca finally got the move down and filled his bowl with the egg contents, turning to Troy with a triumphant grin. Troy smiled back at him as he readied the mixing paddle.
Troy loaded his now filled baking pan into the oven, careful not to bump into the woman beside him. “Wow, you and your friends are so big. Do you play sports or something?” The woman asked.
“Um yea, we’re all hockey players.” Troy hesitated.
“Oh wow, hockey players. You guys are all very muscular, it makes sense. Where do you guys play?”
“We all play for Ottawa. Um, Canada.”
“Oh wow, you guys are all far from home. Are you here on vacation?”
Troy paused again, unsure if he should be honest. He had gotten so used to Harris jumping into these types of conversations that he didn’t really need to participate unless he wanted to. “We’re actually in Seattle for a game. We just thought it'd be fun to spend the evening doing this.”
“Oh, well isn’t that sweet. I’m sure your girlfriends are happy you're all learning to bake.” The woman laughed as she walked back to her station.
Troy looked over to Shane and Ilya, watching the two look at each other with such deep adoration as Ilya messily added multiple color dyes to their frosting. Troy looked to the station in front of him and chuckled at the way Wyatt intimately wiped frosting off Bood’s cheek, noting the irony that these two were the ones married to women. As he rejoined Luca, he watched the smaller man mixing the frosting with the same focus he had when drawing and decided to keep his hunches to himself.
“It’s kind of nice not getting recognized by hockey fans.” Troy whispered down to Luca.
“I don’t think our experiences with fans are the same, Barret.” Luca quipped.
“You’ll know what I mean some day.”
“I know you’re trying to be nice, but saying that makes you sound kind of old.”
Troy’s expression dropped into a faux irritation, “You’ve been spending too much time with Ilya.” Troy whipped his head over to Ilya and Shane’s station, “Hey Rozanov, leave the boy alone. He’s starting to sound like you.”
“I can’t help if I am his idol, Barret.” Ilya looked back, showing his signature smirk.
“You’re such an asshole.” Troy chirped back.
“Gentlemen, no vulgar language in my kitchen.” The instructor stated, her tone firm.
“Yes ma’am.” The two men quickly quieted and turned back to their frostings.
While the cake pops sat on the cooling rack, the instructor talked through basic design ideas and how to apply the frostings. Troy noted the chocolate was a similar dark brown to Chiron’s fur. He raised his hand once the instructor was finished, ending her speech with, “But ultimately be creative with it and have fun.” turning quickly to see Shane’s expression of what Troy believed was horror. “Yes?” the instructor asked, now in front of Troy.
“I was wondering how complicated it would be to make them look like a dog. The chocolate reminds me of the color of my dog’s fur and I wanted to see if I could design it to look like him.” Troy asked, reaching into his pocket to pull his phone for a reference photo.
“That is a cute idea. Is your partner okay with it?” She asked.
“I would think so, he’s his dog too.” Troy stated, pulling up a picture he took of Chiron at the rink and directing it to her.
“What an adorable dog you two have.” She said, glancing at Luca. “But I think doing the fur texture may be a bit too advanced for you two to do right now. Why don’t you try just his color pattern, the white split on the face will still give the illusion of your dog.”
“Oh um, he’s not my–” Troy attempted to correct her, swiping frantically to the photo Harris sent him in the cab, but she had immediately rushed to Shane and Ilya’s station as a bowl clattered out of Ilya’s hands.
Luca laughed, patting Troy’s bicep again, “Looks like I get to be Harris tonight!”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pull you into this.” Troy looked to the smaller man.
“Don’t be, Harris is awesome. I’d be lucky to be him.”
“Right. Um, let’s do this then… partner.” Troy began dipping the cake pops into the dark chocolate as Luca readied a thin spatula of the white chocolate.
As Troy bagged the last of the surprisingly decent looking Chiron cake pops, he saw the woman who he spoke to earlier whispering at her friend and pointing at him. He tried to ignore it as Bood, Hayes, and Rozanov came over with their own bags of cake pops. Bood and Wyatt’s was a safe drizzle design while Ilya’s looked like abstract art, the splatters of chocolate and color making Troy realize how Ilya made a mess.
“Excuse me, are you Troy Barret?” Troy heard the familiar female voice ask.
Troy turned to see the woman he met at the ovens now looking up at him with excitement, her friend behind her holding up her phone, “Yes, I am.”
“I’m so sorry to bother, but I just realized who you are. See, I’m not into hockey but my son is and he’s actually a big fan of yours. When he showed me that picture of you with your boyfriend last year, I was in tears with excitement. I am so glad that men like you exist so my Thomas doesn’t have to feel so alone on the ice. May I hug you?” The woman wrapped her arms around Troy, squeezing his abdomen tightly like his mom would when they got together.
Troy smiled and hugged her back, the familiar loving feeling and sincerity warming him. As Troy let go, he looked back down to her, still smiling, “I am glad that your son has such a wonderful woman loving him.”
“Oh and he’s a charmer. Thomas will be so jealous, Susanne.” She stated, turning back to her friend, “Oh, this my friend Susanne and I’m Roxanne. What a pair, I know!” Roxanne snorted.
“Well, thank you Roxanne. Your son may know my teammates, why don’t I get everyone in for the photo.” Troy looked over to Shane, seeing him speak with the instructor. “Hey Hollander, get over for a fan photo. It’s a special one.”
“Je suis encore vraiment désolé” Shane said to the instructor before joining the group for the photo.
Roxanne and Susanne left laughing and waving good bye to the Centaurs. The rest of the class had cleared as the instructor cleaned up the classroom. Shane and Wyatt were already helping with cleaning up as the rest of the men joined in.
“Tu n'as pas à aider” the instructor stated to Shane.
“C'est le moins qu'on puisse faire” Shane spoke back.
The exhaustion of a game and cooking overtook the men’s joy as the Centaurs entered the lobby. Everyone piled into the elevator, leaning onto one another for balance. They each went to their respective rooms, Bood and Hayes opening each of their own quietly so as to not wake their roommate. Troy and Luca were luckily bunked together and unsurprisingly, Ilya and Shane got their own as well. Troy wondered how that arrangement got agreed upon, but was too tired to care. Troy placed the cake pops into the minifridge before plopping onto the bed and falling asleep.
Harris pushed back in his chair, looking down to check on Chiron who was under his leg. Chiron yawned as he turned a bit for comfort. A knock came at the office door before opening to see Gen again. She immediately took a seat, ready to pet Chiron as he got up to greet her, “So Hassan told me that your lesson went well.” Gen started fluffing Chiron’s sideburns before smoothing them again.
“Yea, he taught me a great recipe that I’m sure Troy will love.” Harris said, turning back to his computer.
“Do you have everything you need for tomorrow night?” Gen asked, now petting Chiron lightly as she looked up to talk.
“Just need the ingredients. Are you still okay to go with me?” Harris asked.
“Of course, you’re the one giving me a ride home anyway.”
“Right, well I’m just finishing up here.” Harris turned off the computer and grabbed his bag with Chiron’s leash. Harris gestured for Chiron to come to him. Chiron obeyed, lifting his head off Gen’s lap and trotting toward Harris. Harris clipped the leash on and started guiding Chiron to the door, “Let’s go.”
Gen pushed the shopping cart down the spice aisle as Harris looked at the rack of glass shakers. Putting in a few spice shakers and a packet of tamarind paste, he continued on searching for the next ingredient.
“Are you still going to the Spring Gala in April?” Harris asked as he put a bag of lemons into the cart, turning and almost running into another shopper holding strawberries, “Oops, sorry.”
“That’s alright, just be careful. Have a good evening.” The man said, walking away and waving goodbye.
“I don’t think I will. Alan won’t be in town that week and I don’t want to go alone. Those strawberries looked good, I might get some.” Gen said as she put some parsley Harris pointed to into the cart.
“It’s not like you’ll really be alone. The guys really like you and the food is pretty good.”
“I just don’t want to be surrounded by couples all evening.”
“You act like we’re making our relationships the focal points of the evening. We can all mingle without our partners nearby or talk only about them. Though it will be a lot of hockey talk.” Harris placed onions into the basket and began leading Gen to the seafood section.
“Harris, we are literally shopping for the dinner you are making for your boyfriend.”
“And you agreed to help me. You could’ve stayed in the truck and kept Chiron company.” Harris held up two cuts of salmon, unsure about the difference.
“You and Troy are fine, it’s Ilya and Shane I worry about. Mostly Ilya. Do the Pacific filet, Hassan says that’s the better piece.”
Harris placed the choice into the cart, “That’s fair, Ilya really loves to talk about Shane and those two are inseparable. I think that’s it, unless you need anything for yourself.”
“It’s adorable from afar, is all I’ll say as I go get some juice. I’ll meet you at the register.”
Gen scurried away to the beverages aisle while Harris pushed the cart to the registers. He quickly loaded the items and watched as the clerk scanned and bagged everything. By the time Gen got back, Harris finished paying.
Chiron slept peacefully in the backseat of the truck, not moving or being remotely bothered by Harris and Gen moving the groceries in and starting the vehicle. By the time he awoke, Gen was dropped off and the Drover family farmhouse was cresting the horizon. Chiron lazily poked his head over the seat backs, his tail beginning to wag as he realized where he was. The click of the door opening was the final motivation for Chiron, his excitement bursting as he leaped out of the truck and ran to greet the family.
“Now you be a good boy okay? We’ll come get you in a couple days.” Harris said, kneeled down to hold Chiron’s face.
Chiron licked Harris’ face before bumping his forehead onto Harris’.
“He’ll be wonderful like always.” Marlene Drover stated, “And before I forget, your sisters dropped off a batch of cider for you. They said it’s a special batch they made for your anniversary. It’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks Mom.” Harris warmly smiled, rising and moving to the kitchen.
Chiron looked between Marlene and Harris, waiting patiently for Harris to come back. When Harris didn’t come back, Chiron gruffed slightly, getting up from his hind legs and moving to see where Harris went.
Harris suddenly rounded the corner and reached down to pat Chiron on the head, “I’ll see you soon bud. I love you.” And with that, Harris walked out the door and to his truck.
Chiron turned back to the other dogs, watching them prepare for bed and decided it was time for his own bed time too.
Troy wiped the exhaustion in his eyes as he climbed into the car service vehicle. With the plane trip over, Troy leaned into the padded seats and had a desire to sleep. Instead, he pulled out his phone and texted Harris that he landed with no issues and was heading back to his inner-city apartment. Troy always made sure to text Harris that he landed safely, as much as it helped ease Harris’ anxiety, it also helped Troy’s.
Troy thanked the driver as he stepped out and walked up to the pin pad of the tall building. The elevator up reminded him of the night in Seattle, exhausted and ready to plop into bed. But this night, he was determined to finish what he set out to do: make Harris treats. Troy stepped into the hallway and walked into his apartment to find bags of groceries waiting in the kitchen. The flight coming in at 11:21 PM meant all the stores would be closed so he was happy that before the road trip Troy was able to find a personal shopper that could get the items he wanted and deliver them into his apartment. The shopper was even nice enough to get the additional items he asked for at the last minute.
Troy changed out of his suit and into comfortable clothing he could bake in, unloading the bags and preparing his kitchen for his lone, unguided attempts at baking. Troy opened his confectionary book to the chocolate covered strawberries recipe and placed the written recipe for the cake pops from the class in Seattle beside it. Finally, he grabbed an apron from his pantry and put it on.
Troy watched his chocolate, tempering it the way they did in class as he watched the time clock on his oven. The smell of baking cake filled the apartment, its sweet aroma mixed with Troy’s exhaustion made his head light. Troy turned off the flame and removed the chocolate from the broiler, stepping to the side to physically shake away the sleep. The oven dinged just in time for Troy to focus on the next step.
The chocolatey treats entered the fridge around 3 AM, enough time for Troy to get some sleep before having to head to the arena. Troy looked to the mess in the kitchen, the patches of flour and drips of chocolate covering random yet obvious surfaces. “I will clean that tomorrow.” Troy thought to himself, positioning his arms to undo his apron. He paused for a moment, looking again at the sink of dirty pans and decided that he could not wait, no matter how exhausted.
“Wow, you look like truck hit you” Ilya stated, sitting beside Troy.
“Did you stay up all night baking? When did you go to bed?” Wyatt asked, reaching from the row behind and shaking Troy’s shoulders.
“Mmmmm 4, maybe?” Troy groaned, sitting up and pushing back at Wyatt’s provocation, “I had to let everything cool before I could let it formally set. And I needed to clean the kitchen.”
“And you still had to show up early. Like always.” Wyatt patted the larger man’s back.
Coach Wiebe entered the room, the men quieting down to listen to the road trip recap and play notes. Troy attempted to keep his head up and listen through the conversations. At some point, Ilya nudged Troy, jerking the man back into an upright position. After an hour and a half of strategy talk, Coach Wiebe finally closed his folder and thanked everyone for 4 consecutive wins on the road.
Troy finally stood up to leave, readying himself to walk back to his apartment and take a quick nap. Coach Wiebe walked up to Troy before he could move, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Hey, before you go. Enjoy your anniversary, alright. You and Harris deserve it.” Coach Wiebe lifted his hand and re-positioned it to give a side pat to his bicep. Everyone else joined in on the comment, a cacophony of “Congratulations” and “Happy for you”s. Troy stepped out into the brisk cold morning, readying himself for the walk to his apartment.
“Hey Troy, mind if I walk with you?” Troy looked beside him to see Luca bundled in his winter coat, “My apartment is just a bit further down from yours in the same direction.”
“Sure, it makes sense.” Troy started, his pace slightly slowed for the smaller man.
After 10 minutes of walking beside each other, Luca sighed, “Troy, how did you know you were in love with Harris?”
Troy stopped, the sudden pause almost causing Troy to slip, “Oh, um, I don’t think I am energized enough to give you a thorough answer.”
“Right, sorry. I didn’t mean to spring that on you so suddenly.”
“No, it’s okay. Um, I found myself being able to be myself around him. Nothing to hide and nothing to worry about.” Troy continued walking, “When I am with Harris, I can be happy and sad.”
“Happy and sad? I don’t think I get it.” Luca looked at Troy quizzically.
“I can feel whatever I want with him because I know he will be there with me to feel it too.” Troy stopped again, this time to turn into his apartment. “I hope that answers your question.”
“I think it did.” Luca stated, stepping forward and turning to face Troy, “I really appreciate it.”
“Any reason you’re asking?” Troy looked to the smaller man, watching him get uncomfortable.
“No particular reason. I’m just surrounded by a bunch of people in great relationships and my relationship –” Luca stopped for a second, the thoughts clearly processing across his face, “history is so bare. I just wanted to know.”
“Right.” Troy continued, pretending not to notice the stammer, “You’re still young, you’ll meet someone great too.”
“You keep saying things that make me want to call you old, Troy.”
“I told you to stop hanging out with Rozanov.” Troy faked a stern concern, even pointing his gloved fingers at Luca.
The two laughed lightly as Luca turned away, “Happy anniversary to you and Harris.” He waved a goodbye as he continued to his own apartment.
“I’m about 10 minutes away” Harris’ phone pinged, the message from Troy displayed easily for Harris to read. He quickly finished the table set, placing the salad bowl and lighting the candles. The dimly lit room gave Harris a sense of pride, his hard work to make the Tamarind Salmon and a romantic set up was about to pay off. Harris removed the apron and hung it in the pantry, moving to their bedroom to grab the final piece of the evening. The lights of Troy’s car shined against the closed curtains. Harris moved to the front door, fussing with his dress shirt to stay straight. He managed to slip on the suit jacket and get it neatly aligned to his body just as Troy stepped through the door. Harris was speechless by the display of his boyfriend. Despite seeing him in suits often, this was different. Troy walked up to Harris in a matching suit to his own: the same style of cut and material, the same charcoal grey coloring, the same golden ornaments on the cuffs; the only difference was their ties, Harris’ was a deep red with gold lining while Troy’s was a dark green with a similar lining.
Troy smiled as he closed the door behind him, turning again for the light of the candles to glimmer in his eyes. Troy held up a decorative box, “I made this for you.”
Harris paused for a moment, processing everything that was happening, “You made this?” his voice cracking from happiness. He moved his hands to lift the lid and before he could even fully open the box, Harris stepped back stifling a scream, “You are the sweetest man I have ever known.”
“I thought I’d make some treats for you that would remind you of the time we’ve spent together.”
Harris nodded violently, his excitement clearly overtaking him, “Yea… I got that…”
Troy chuckled and smiled warmly at his boyfriend’s response. “This was definitely worth it." Troy said under his breath.
Harris straightened up, deepening his breathing so he could look at Troy again, “Before I have an actual heart attack from happiness and excitement, I made something for you too. I’ll put these in the fridge for now. You sit and I’ll be right back.”
Troy’s eyes slowly shifted over to the dining room, the candles and dim lights suddenly coming to his attention. Handing over the box, Troy made his way to the table and began to take in the ambience. Their quaint home felt intimate with the candles and nice plating, the flowers and shrubbery were neatly placed to give the space a woodsy yet romantic feeling. Troy sat in one of the two seats set beside each other and wondered how much time Harris spent preparing this evening. He eyed the flower petals on the floor, imagining they led to the bedroom. Suddenly, the image of Harris waiting for him in the bedroom naked and surrounded by flower petals broached his mind. Troy shook the thought away and took a sip of chilled apple cider to cool himself.
Harris placed the decorative box into the fridge, overwhelmed with joy. He smiled widely thinking about Troy in a kitchen, baking and melting chocolates. Suddenly, his imagination formed an image of Troy wearing nothing but an apron licking chocolate flirtatiously off his finger. Harris blushed at the thought and quickly closed the door, turning to grab the plates of carefully crafted salmon.
Placing the dish in front of Troy, Harris watched as Troy’s eyes grew wide along with his smile, “I guess we had the same idea. I made you a treat as well.” Harris placed the other dish at his own place-set and took the seat beside Troy. Harris turned to Troy, meeting his excited gaze.
“I love you so much.” Troy said, leaning in for a kiss.
Harris enthusiastically leaned in, reciprocating the gesture. Their lips softly meeting and the warmth of each man melding together with each kiss. As they pulled apart, Harris placed a hand onto Troy’s cheek, “I love you too.”
The two ate Harris’ Tamarind Salmon, Troy savoring each bite of the well cooked fish. Harris enjoyed the meal too, realizing this was his first time actually eating the meal. The chew the salmon giving Harris an unfamiliar yet satisfying sensation; its juicy and savory flavor mixing perfectly with the tangy sweet tamarind and caramelized onion. Harris suddenly understood why Troy enjoyed the fish so much.
Harris began telling Troy about Hassan and his adventure in cooking salmon, telling Troy about the nice memory Hassan gave (and the gratitude Hassan has for Troy now). Troy teared at the story, just as Harris did. They moved on to the dessert, Troy putting away the dishes and pulling the box from the fridge. As Harris inhaled the chocolate covered strawberries and Chiron shaped cake-pops, Troy recalled his own cooking adventures. He told Harris about the cooking class, Ilya’s antics, and the women who approached him about her son. The evening was filled with stories of recollections, thinking about when they had first met and how Harris thought Troy was being homophobic. Troy talked about their first time together in the Florida hotel and how badly Troy wanted Harris to stay with him. They reminisced on the chalet date, eating chocolate covered strawberries by a fire. The two glanced at their own fireplace and the chocolate covered strawberries Troy made, swiftly moving their positions to recreate the memory.
Troy moved the set up while Harris started the fire. Once the fire grew, Harris stood back up to meet Troy who was waiting for him. Troy suddenly placed a hand on Harris’ chest, feeling his heartbeat, “You know, I think we were also wearing robes when we did this.” His hand began to slide under the jacket breast, pushing it up slowly off Harris’ shoulder.
“I think you’re right. If we want to recreate that night, we gotta do it right.” Harris did not flinch at Troy’s touch, the shorter man undoing the other’s buttons.
Troy and Harris undressed each other slowly and sensually, their shadows danced on their living room walls. Each layer carefully shed as the two stared into each other’s eyes. With their shirts removed, bare chests warmed by the flames and each other’s hands, Troy leaned in again, this time to hug Harris. Troy breathed slowly, taking in the scent of Harris’ cologne. Harris hugged back, feeling his heart sync with Troy’s.
“Sometimes, I still can’t believe you’re real.” Troy started, “I never thought I would get to be with someone I love, be so open and free about who I am. I am so happy to have you in my life Harris. You have made me a better person.” Troy’s tears dripped onto Harris’ back, “I love you, Harris.”
Harris held tighter, the soft drops of tears on his back tickling him with a joy he never knew, “I can’t believe you're real! Never did I think that I could meet somebody so quietly thoughtful; someone who could make my insecurities feel beautiful. Every day I wonder how I got so lucky to be with a man so kind.” Harris started tearing up himself, “I love you, Troy.”
The two released their embrace to follow directly into a kiss. They fervently leaned into one another, eventually breaking to smile, their foreheads connecting them as if to share each other’s thoughts. Troy leaned in to whisper into Harris’ ear, “Happy anniversary, sweetheart.”
“Okay, you can have a treat.” Troy gave in, reaching into a jar for a bone shaped biscuit. He waved the beef flavored confection over Chiron’s eager face before bringing it down to face level. Chiron chomped onto the bone shaped snack immediately as it came into range, the crumbs sticking to Troy’s Chiron saliva covered hand. Chiron continued to lick Troy’s hand, desperate to get more of the treat. Harris watched attentively, his lips curving higher and higher, as he watched the tall, muscular man at his front door, with hair a similar dark brown as his dog, clean off saliva and biscuit from his hand. If you had told Harris a year ago that Troy Barret, All-Star forward of the NHL and long-time celebrity crush, would be his boyfriend and washing off the saliva of the dog they parent together, in a house they own together, he would be certain that was true. Because here he was, Harris Drover, sipping a coffee and contently watching his boyfriend of a year saunter over.
“I think Chiron is ready for his walk. Are you good to come?” Troy smiled.
Harris’ Tamarind Salmon
Serves: 2 Cook Time: 30-45 minutes
Tamarind Sauce:
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 knob ginger (thinly sliced) or ½ tsp ginger powder
1 tsp baharat
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 ounces shredded carrots
½ cup couscous
2 wild Pacific skinless salmon fillets (about 5 ounces each)
1 organic yellow onion
4 or 5 sprigs fresh mint
4 or 5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp canola oil
Salt and Pepper for taste
Make the Tamarind Sauce
Making tamarind water:
Remove 2 tbsp of Tamarind paste from the tamarind brick.
Place the tamarind in a small bowl with 1 cup of hot to warm water till the pulp has softened.
Strain the tamarind liquid through a sieve, making sure to press out all the water.
Note: you may need to massage the pulp with your hands to break the strings apart.
Discard the contents in the sieve and keep the tamarind water
Making tamarind sauce:
Pour the tamarind water into a small saucepan, followed by the lemon juice, palm sugar, ginger, garlic, and baharat. Cook over medium heat to medium-high heat till thick and syrupy, stirring occasionally (approx. 15-20 minutes).
Note: add more sugar and water if the sauce is too thin.
Once emulsified, take off heat and allow to cool.
Cook the couscous
In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, warm 2 tsp of oil.
Stir in the carrots and cook until just softened.
Add ½ cup lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
Stir in the couscous and remove from the heat.
Cover and let stand until the couscous is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes. Fluff with a fork and cover to keep warm.
While the couscous is cooking, prepare the seafood.
Prep and cook the salmon
Pat the fish dry with a paper towel; season lightly with salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tbsp of oil.
Add the fish and cook until lightly browned (approx. 4-5 minutes).
Turn and cook until the flesh is opaque and flaky (approx. 2 to 4 minutes).
Once cooked, remove fish from the pan, keeping the oils.
While the fish is cooking, prepare the onion.
Prep and caramelize the onion
Peel and thinly slice enough onion to measure 1 cup.
In the same pan used for the seafood warm over medium heat.
Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until caramelized, (approx. 10-12 minutes).
Meanwhile, prepare the herbs and finish the couscous.
Prep the herbs and finish the couscous
Strip the mint leaves from the stems; coarsely chop the leaves.
To the pot with the couscous, stir in the mint.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strip the parsley leaves from the stems; coarsely chop the leaves for garnish.
Finish the salmon
To the pan with the onion, stir in the tamarind blend, and ½ cup water and bring to a boil.
Nestle in the salmon.
Reduce to a simmer and cook until the seafood is heated through (approx. 1-2 minutes).
Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Plate the dish
Transfer the couscous to individual plates.
Top with the salmon and onion, garnish with the parsley, and serve.
Troy’s Chocolate Covered Treats
Makes: ~20 cake pops ~ 15 strawberries Bake Time: 3 hours
Chiron Cake Pops
Cake
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
7/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
OR 0.5 box vanilla or white cake mix that makes one 8 inch/20cm cake
0,13 cup canola oil (omit if using box mix)
Frosting
1/4 cup (56.5 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (60 g) icing sugar (also known as confectioners/powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp milk
Chocolate
1.75 cup dark chocolate/candy melt
1 cup white chocolate/candy melt
20 pieces (approx. 0.5 oz) semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Non-food
20 cake pop sticks
Small, thin rubber spatula, for designing
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
5 ounce (285 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pound fresh strawberries, stems included
Cake Pops
Bake the cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Grease with oil and flour a 9-inch square cake pan.
Beat sugar and butter together in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until lighter in color and fluffy (approx. 3-4 minutes).
Add egg, beating briefly (approx. 30 seconds).
Mix in vanilla, about 15 seconds.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.
Mix just until combined, stopping to scrape down sides if needed (approx. 2 minutes).
Spread cake batter into the prepared pan.
Bake cake in the preheated oven (approx. 25-30 minutes).
OR follow baking instructions as directed on box mix.
Once baked, allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before running a thin knife around the edge of your tin to release the cake from the cake tin, and turn it out into a big bowl.
Once it's cooled enough to be able to touch it, break the cake apart with your hands and crumble it up until it resembles fine crumbs.
Allow to cool completely.
Make the frosting
In a medium sized bowl add in the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk.
Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a medium speed for 4 minutes until it's light and fluffy. If using a stand mixer then do this with the paddle attachment.
Form the cake pop
Once the cake is cooled, add 3/4s of the frosting into the crumbled cake, and using a hand or stand mixer, mix until just combined.
At this stage, if you feel the cake is moist enough to roll into balls then don't add anymore frosting in. Otherwise, add in the remaining frosting and mix.
Roll tablespoons full of the cake mixture into round balls and place on a lined tray.
Place the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes, or fridge for 30 minutes, and then do a second roll.
Once rolled for the second time, place the cake balls back into the freezer for a further 30 minutes, or into the fridge for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate
Place a saucepan on the stove and add 1-2 inches of water to the pan.
Place a dry, shallow, heat-safe mixing bowl over the saucepan.
Add dark chocolate to the mixing bowl.
Turn on the stove to medium heat. As the water begins to simmer and release steam, the steam will heat the chocolate and the chocolate will begin to melt. As the chocolate melts, keep stirring with a heat-safe rubber spatula until all of the chocolate has melted.
OR Place chocolate into a microwave safe mug/bowl and melt in the microwave for 20 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted.
Pour chocolate into a deep wide-mouth cup, filling only half way.
Repeat for white chocolate.
Assembly
Dip the tip of a cake pop stick into the melted chocolate and then poke into a cake ball about half way through the cake ball. Repeat with the remaining cake pop sticks.
Grab a cake ball (by the stick), and place it into the melted dark chocolate.
Swirl it around so it's completely covered, and then tap it on the edge of the cup to remove excess chocolate.
Once done, twirl the cake pop to wrap the remaining dripping chocolate around the cake ball, let harden lightly before applying white chocolate.
Dip the small rubber spatula into white chocolate so a thin layer runs off. With the stick up, from the stick, place the spatula flat against the cake ball and quickly drag down the center to the other tip of the ball, lifting and turning the spatula to make the line thinner.
Place a semi-sweet chocolate in the center of the white chocolate strip.
Place the cake pop upright (stick down) to allow it to completely set.
Note: a cup with some rice in it, a cardboard box with little holes poked into it, or styrofoam works great
Repeat the same steps with the remaining cake pops. While making them, keep an eye on the chocolate (it should still be thin). If you feel it's thickening up, simply reheat it. Also keep an eye on the temperature of the cake balls. If they're getting too soft, pop them back into the freezer for an additional 10 minutes or so (or into the fridge for another 30 minutes).
Let cool completely before serving (approx. 15 minutes).
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Prepare the strawberries
Wash the strawberries and then dry them VERY well
Note: If the strawberries are the least bit wet the chocolate will not stick
Melt the chocolate
Place a saucepan on the stove and add 1-2 inches of water to the pan.
Place a dry, shallow, heat-safe mixing bowl over the saucepan.
Add chocolate to the mixing bowl.
Turn on the stove to medium heat. As the water begins to simmer and release steam, the steam will heat the chocolate and the chocolate will begin to melt. As the chocolate melts, keep stirring with a heat-safe rubber spatula until all of the chocolate has melted.
OR Place chocolate into a microwave safe mug/bowl and melt in the microwave for 20 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until fully melted.
Assemble
Holding a strawberry by the stem, dip into melted chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting the excess chocolate fall back into the bowl.
Place on a lined tray.
Chill the strawberries until the chocolate sets (approx. 15 minutes).