Mondays are double duty days. I before I start my work at the store I go shopping for the coming week's groceries. Every week I get a long list from Mr. Hubbard of items to buy. This list is specifically designed to teach me about the ingredients I buy and will form the materials for a set of dishes that is supposed to teach me the haut cuisine. Still not sure why I have to know all this, but so far it has been interesting and most of the time the result is much better than the supper I used to have at Miss. Miggs's tavern.

Today I am learning about meat cuts. With the list came a diagram that shows what meat comes from what part of the animal. I have instructions to ask Chanderloin the butcher for specifics. Chanderloin has a regular shop next to us but he sets up a stall at the market on Mondays. You see fresh produce, fish and meat comes in on Mondays from all over the country and beyond. With all the restaurants fresh out of high quality products the best day for purveying finest delicacies is the start of the week. Since I go very early before anybody shows up but after all the supplies have been delivered I have first choice of the finest. Having Mr. Hubbard's reputation for fine cuisine in my pocket helps as well.

Sebastian and Olivia are up early as well this morning. Olivia just got herself a rabbit pet and was carrying the poor animal around in a basket. "Now Olive ya can't bring an animal to market, someone might think you're selling", said Sebastian to Olivia. "Nonsense, don't be silly who would buy a pet rabbit in a basket?", argued Olivia. Sebastian clearly did not see this as a valid argument but decided not to risk a verbal beating. "Oy Jemmy, what you doing this early?", shouted Sebastian in my direction. "Good morning you two, Hubbard has me on another shopping haunt", I said when I managed to get closer so I wouldn't have to shout myself. "More meat nonsense this time." "Jemmy we're getting a bit worried about you, you going queer on us or sumtin?", asked Sebastian. "Oh I like it Jemmy", said Olivia, "you could someday cook for the queen and the princes and princesses." "She's daft that one", said Sebastian to me, "I tell ya ever since she got that rabbit she's been acting like one of them miladies." At this Olivia shot Sebastian a dirty look and tried to kick his shins.

I left the two of them to argue, which they would probably do for some time. Meanwhile the list called for various vegetables, bread and meat. The bread could be bought at Fineley's and no matter what day or time of day you went you would always get the same quality. Sometimes Hubbard would make his own bread but for the regular supplies he bought from his neighbor. Getting the vegetables was done quickly since there were no complications involved there, a red cabbage is just a red cabbage. I must have been talking to too many of the sellers because the market was filling up quite rapidly.

It took some maneuvering to end up at Chanderloin's stall. Chanderloin himself was talking to an elderly lady who was asking questions about the freshness of his products. "My dear Miss Waverly please do me the favor of placing your ear close to this prime example of steak". said the butcher. Miss Waverly stared at the piece of meat not sure if this was serious. "Please, this will forever dismiss any doubts you may have about my wares", said Chanderloin, still with a pleasant countenance. The old lady must have been so confused that following the suggestion seemed the only viable option. Slowly she moved her left ear towards the large piece of steak the butcher held out in front of her. Only when she was very close did the butcher go: "moooooooooooh." "See that's how fresh it is, you can still hear the animal", said Chanderloin with a big grin on his face. Miss Waverly turned round, raised her head and disappeared in the crowd shouting: "I will not be treated this way, you will hear from me!".

Chanderloin was wiping the tears from his eyes as he tried to talk to me. "I have been wanting to do that forever. She buys next to nothing and takes up too much of my time. I won't miss her business. Now what can I do for you Jeremy?" "Hubbard sent me with a quest for information. I am supposed to learn about cuts of meat. No idea what he meant by that.", I asked, hoping that the butcher would immediately understand what Hubbard wanted. "Well, did he want anything specifically?", asked Chanderloin. "All he told me was to get enough meat for two days of Boeuf Bourguignon and one meal of Steak Tartare", I said. "Any idea at all?". "Both are fancy dishes, your Mr. Hubbard wants to make you a cook now does he?"

As I was discussing the finer points of choosing and preparing meat, I was kicked from behind against the shins. Assuming it was Olivia I turned around and started to say: "I'm not Sebastian!", when I realized I was kicked repeatedly by a small girl who was now staring at me with a slightly arrogant smile on her face. This was no street urchin but clearly the progeny of a different class. She was holding the skirts of what had to be her nanny, who at this moment was inspecting various fish. The little girl said nothing and was gazing at me with a set of eyes that said: "I wonder what you will do, the more you do, the more fun I will have." It took me a while to consider the situation but under the circumstances there was not much I could do. Not only would it look bad if I told the nanny but she would not want to reprimand the child in public. What if it got back to her mistress. Not that she would believe the story, since the little girl was most likely considered a little angle that would not do such things. As I was thinking about my options the nanny moved her pinching activities further on and with it the little girl. I'm not sure who was more disappointed, the girl because she could not freely torment someone or me because I had missed the opportunity to say something. 

Still slightly confused I made my way through the crowded stalls to return home with cooking materials and mental groceries. However, I did not get too far when I heard the loud scream of a young girl somewhere in the crowd. To my right I saw Olivia and Sebastian shoot off and run like hell. Wondering what these two had done now I followed them and caught up with them at the entrance of our little square where they had been headed. "What did you two do?", I asked. "What makes you think we did something?", replied Sebastian. Olivia was petting her rabbit and was only half paying attention. "Just tell me I know you did something", I said trying to make it sound persuasive. "Don't complain now, so we did something", said Sebastian. "We only did it to help you you know", added Olivia, "that nasty girl needed a lesson". "What did you do?" This time I did not need to emphasize. "See we saw that girl kicking you and we just had to do something", said Sebastian. "We saw her drag that nanny to the raisin stand and well couldn't resist", added Olivia. Sebastian continued the storm of words: "They have this raisin stand where you pick out a bag of raisins then tell the guy how you want them. He can roast them, put them through honey or chocolate, or just plain". Olivia nodded heavily and said: "We saw the little girl point at a a bag of chocolate covered raisins and we had to move quickly. Sebastian distracted the lot by starting to shout at the nanny, something about being an orphan and she was his mother or something. That got everybody looking the other way for a bit. I then took out some of me rabbit's droppings and put them through the chocolate. Put them in a bag I did and replaced it with the one the little girl was pointing at". Olivia's cheeks were bright red and she was nearly puffing from excitement. "Told you the rabbit would be useful!"