|
They let everything simmer for an extra minute before plating it.
 "It always tastes grainy," she said.
"It didn't last time," he said.
"Last time was lamb. This is beef."
He chewed a small forkful, focusing on the texture. "Either way, beef—cow?—is usually—beef?—I can't think." He swallowed and made a face. "It's like tofu. It usually tastes like tofu, the texture." He stared at the wall in front of him. The table jutted out from the corner, pushed up flush against the wall.
"They call it lamb when it's lamb, but beef when it's cow," he said. "It's a cow's liver, not a beef's liver. But they call it beef liver." He turned his head and neck slightly to look at her.
"Yes, and last time it was lamb liver," she said, poking her food with her fork.
"Which did you like more?"
"We just sat down."
He looked down again at the brownish-red mush on his bright black plate. Liver and onions in tomato paste; salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika. He scooped some onto a slice of bread, slathered with ghee. He shoved it into his mouth.
"I don't know if it's the bread," he said through the pockets of air between the food, "but it tastes less grainy with the bread." He chomped in a satisfied manner and groaned. He swallowed his mouthful.
"What?" she said.
He watched her hesitate, then eat a small forkful.
"I don't think it's too grainy," she said, making a face. "I just don't like it."
"I'm sorry," he said.
"No, I mean, it's fine, we can still make it. I'll just get used to it."
"We don't have to." He paused. "We can find new recipes. We can look online."
She ate another forkful.
"It's so healthy—"
"I know," she stopped him. "I said we could keep eating it."
They ate for a few minutes in silence.
"This actually isn't bad," she said. "I kind of like it now. I like it more than the last couple times we've had it, and I like it better than the heart." She smiled.
"Yeah, it's not bad. The tomato paste helps."
"And soaking it in the milk beforehand."
"We can find more things online..." he trailed off.
"I wonder what else would help, if different spices would help."
"We could look online," he said again.
"The texture's actually not that bad," she said. "I like this more than last time."
He paused. "I liked it better last time," he said. "The lamb was more solid. More like meat."
"It definitely tasted more like liver," she said. "I think soaking it in milk and using the tomato paste helps." She chewed. "I like it though."
Outside, some children squealed. The sun had started setting so it was now at eye level through the window.
"We could soak it even longer in the milk," he said. "I wonder how long we could soak it."
|