Chapter 38: Hot StartersIn spite of the snow and cold, the Atwater market was crowded, full of holiday cheer. People were shopping for last minute gourmet gifts or circling the last pine trees left for sale in the lot, probably hoping they could pull a Charlie Brown Christmas Special on one of those pathetic little things.
In the last days, I’d been so busy with work, cooped up in the kitchen, that I’d almost forgotten it was Christmas in three days. Without Olivier and Tom to help, it would be a challenge getting those plates out on time on Christmas Eve. I’d have to run a tight ship that night.
“Hey, if isn’t Nicolai Lund himself,” a woman said in a booming voice, somewhere behind me. “How have you been, Chef?”
I turned to see Loretta waving me over. She stood behind her usual cheese
