Clara Vance
Listen to The Warm Kitchen by Clara Vance as a bilingual audiobook with synchronized read-along text in English and Punjabi.
Elena adjusted the green cotton tablecloth on her round wooden table. She smoothed out the tiny wrinkles with her hands. Tonight, she was hosting a dinner party for her closest friends. She had not organized a party like this in over two years. Because of this, a heavy feeling of anxiety sat in her chest. She worried that the food would taste boring. She feared that her apartment was too small for five people. Most of all, she worried that her guests would feel bored. Elena took a slow, deep breath to calm her mind. She walked into the bright kitchen to check on the food. A large pot of tomato and basil soup was simmering on the stove. The rich scent of garlic and fresh herbs filled the small room. In the oven, sweet squash slices were roasting with rosemary. She had spent the whole afternoon cutting fresh vegetables. She had also baked two loaves of seed bread from scratch. Her little cat, Oliver, jumped onto the wooden kitchen counter. He rubbed his face against her hand and purred softly. Elena smiled and stroked his soft gray fur gently. She told the cat that everything would be fine. Oliver blinked his green eyes as if he agreed with her.