Each quarter at the witch academy, Brie takes two classes introducing her to a new type of magic, most of them in the Earth element track. But since she had to repeat her winter classes in the spring, she has to take the third set of Earth magic classes during summer school in order to catch up. That’s Cooking I, which includes a lecture and hands-on “lab time” aka actual cooking in the kitchen, also called Kitchen Witchcraft.
And her teacher has a fun way to wake up her students and introduce them to the idea of making magic with food.
Morning Coffee
More students trickled in, but the seats still didn’t fill up all the way. Ms. Murphy checked a list on her clipboard and shrugged.
“I guess this is everyone we’re getting,” she said. With a flourish, she stepped back and revealed the board. “Welcome to Cooking I, otherwise known was Kitchen Witchery. We’ll start every morning with our lectures, then move into the kitchen space in the afternoon for our hands-on practicum. Try not to eat a big lunch during the break because we’ll be tasting our work as we go!”
A few students perked up at the sound of food, but most of them nodded like zombies. We’d only been on break for a week and it was like they’d already slipped into summer vacation mode.
I shared a look of annoyance with Erin. Cooking magic wasn’t the most interesting subject to me, but I still wanted to do well in my class, so I always paid close attention. I hoped the other students’ lack of effort wouldn’t get in my way.
Ms. Murphy didn’t seem to mind, though, because she just smiled. “I know it’s hard coming back without much of a break, so I have a treat for you this morning. Instead of a long-winded explanation about cooking magic, I’m going to show you with a simple spell. Come on up and grab a cup.”
Opening her desk drawer, she pulled out a sleeve of disposable insulated cups and set them on her desk by the carafes, then added a box of coffee stirrers and a tray of assorted teas. Finally, she pulled out a smaller pitcher and another bowl of creamers and sweeteners. Students lined up and grabbed cups.
“One carafe has coffee, the other one is hot water if you’d like to make some tea,” Ms. Murphy explained. “Be careful, they’re both hot. Now, it’s important that we do everything with proper focus and intention, so don’t get started until I tell you.”
She stepped in front of the desk to demonstrate. “First, we pour our liquid and visualize the tea or coffee giving you energy. When you add the sugar, picture sweetness. Finally, your milk helps with productivity. Or, if you prefer to try a flavored creamer, you can consult the chart on the board.”
She pointed to the chalkboard which had a list of flavors and what each one was good for. It was full of attributes like “Hazelnut: communication, clairvoyance, intuition, and protection. Peppermint: money, awareness, luck, purification, and stimulation.” More notes explained the types of teas.
“Make sure you mix your drink at the end,” Ms. Murphy added. “Remember, we always stir clockwise or deosil to invoke or increase the energy. Counter-clockwise, also called widdershins, is for diminishing or banishing.”
My head spun with all the choices. I normally drank my coffee black with a splash of almond milk, but I didn’t see plain almond milk here. But since I was close to the back of the line, I had time to think about all the options before I got to the front and had to make a decision.
