Chef Diaries - Kitchen Adventures

Entry #3: Sussex Pond Pudding

Before the sun rises, I was always up to start my morning. The coffee machine would start brewing as I would put two pieces of bread in the toaster. Newspapers were no longer being produced so I relied on my newspad for real-time updates around the world.

The city of Brighton was still covered in fog as the trees around my house were dewy despite the gloomy weather. It played a role as to what I was feeling today – foreboding. However, despite the chilly climate, I have to be at work today. I got ready after finishing my toast and a cuppa coffee. The drive was only a few blocks away from the restaurant I owned around this neighborhood. I was always the first one to arrive and the last to leave after it closes. The little time I had alone would give me the chance to check if everything was in order. It was important for me to keep up a reputable establishment.

The recipes used from my menu were passed on from my family's generation to generation. My great grandfather was quite the cook back in his days. One of his best-selling recipes was the Sussex pond pudding. The suet pastry encased a whole lemon inside and was sweetened with butter and sugar. It sure was an archaic dessert dish that could still be enjoyed through this day.

As I unlocked the door, there was this grim presence that blanketed across the room.

"Huh, odd," I muttered to myself.

Reaching for the light switch, I was momentarily blinded by the bright fluorescent light, finally able to see the whole place. It was Friday which meant people who worked from the building across the street were going to pour in by lunchtime. An extended lunch should have been expected since they were ready to leave for work to start the weekend.

I walked into the kitchen to do some mise en place for the stock and the vegetable dishes that we were serving today. After wearing my apron and tying a bandana on my head, I reached out to the wall magnetic holder to get a knife, only to find it empty. My head turned to see all the knives were gone from the wall.

I explicitly had remembered everything was in place before I left last night. There was no other way that a person could break into this restaurant. I ran to the cash register to check if there were any money missing. It was untouched and no sign of forcible entry. My eyes darted around the room to see if anything was out of place. There wasn't a single clue as to how the knives went missing. I also have an hour left before everyone arrives for their shift.

If this was a sick joke to scare me then, it could work. Of all the things that could be missing, they targeted my knives. I walked around the restaurant and checked all the dark corners to see if someone was hiding or left any evidence. My hand was already buried deep inside my pocket as I gripped the small switchblade that I kept in case of any life-threatening emergency.

"Come out now!" I yelled in annoyance, trying to intimidate whoever was playing this awful prank.

I was only returned with silence.

"This isn't funny anymore. People here need to work," I chided.

There was a quick movement from my peripheral vision and when I abruptly turned my head, it disappeared. I took a deep breath and trudged to the kitchen pantry where I thought I saw something. The switchblade that I was holding was now out of my pocket. With silent footsteps, I carefully went inside. The light was still off so I wasn't able to see if there was anyone hiding behind the shelves. As soon as the light flooded the room, I saw a foot quickly hid away behind the canned goods rack. I raised my hand with the switchblade in case he or she decided to attack.

I had been a retired military veteran before I became a chef. This type of situation wasn't as worse from what I experienced back in Iraq. If this was just a foolish attempt to rob my restaurant, then he was going to regret his decision to cross me. I glanced behind the rack to see a woman slumped on the ground, bloodied and shaking with fear. She looked up when she noticed I was already in front of her.