Chef Tom wakes up early. His kitchen smells like warm bread. The sun peeks in the window. Chef Tom smiles. “Today is a cooking day,” he says. His big white hat sits on his head, soft and fluffy like a cloud.
Chef Tom opens the cupboard. He sees flour, shiny apples, and round, green olives. “What shall we cook today?” Chef Tom asks. He pats his tummy. “Let's make something yummy!”
He puts on his apron. It is blue and has tiny yellow lemons all over it. Chef Tom giggles. “I look like a big, happy chef!” he says.
First, Chef Tom washes his hands. He rubs them under warm water. He uses lots of bubbles. “Clean hands are happy hands!” he sings. He smells the soap. “Mmm, lemony clean,” he laughs.
Chef Tom takes a big bowl. He pours in flour. White puffs dance in the air. “Swish, swish, flour like snow!” sings Chef Tom. He adds water. He stirs with a wooden spoon. Splash, splash, mix and mash! The dough feels soft and squishy. He touches it. “So soft,” whispers Chef Tom. “Like a pillow.”
Chef Tom loves to make dough. He presses, he pats, he rolls. The dough is round and smooth. “I am the dough king!” laughs Chef Tom.
Now, time to add something yummy—olives! Chef Tom smiles. He loves olives. They are small and green. He picks up one olive. “Oh! There is a little stone inside,” says Chef Tom.
He puts the olive on the table. He holds it steady with his fingers. “Time to take out the stone,” he says gently. With a small spoon, Chef Tom presses the olive softly. The stone pops out! It rolls on the table. “Hello, little stone,” says Chef Tom. He laughs and picks it up. “We don't eat stones, just the tasty olive.” He puts the olive in the bowl. “Plop!”
Chef Tom does it again. Olive, stone out, plop! Olive, stone out, plop! He sings a little song as he works. “Olive, olive, green and round, take the stone out, don't make a sound. Olive, olive, tasty treat, soon you'll be ready for us to eat!”
Soon, the bowl is full of olives. Chef Tom sniffs. “Mmm, smells salty and fresh.” He puts the olives into the dough. He mixes them in. The dough feels bumpy now. “Look at that, bumpy dough!” says Chef Tom.
He rolls the dough into a big, happy snake. He twists it into a circle. “Here is a bread ring!” says Chef Tom. He lays it on a tray, soft and round.
Chef Tom puts the tray into the oven. “Time to bake,” he says. He waits. He sits on his stool. His feet swing. He smells warm bread, soft olives, and a little bit of sunshine. The kitchen smells cozy.
While he waits, Chef Tom hums. He looks out the window. The stars are coming out. The kitchen is warm and bright. “Cooking is fun,” Chef Tom says. “Cooking is kind. Cooking makes happy tummies and happy minds!”
Ding! The bread is ready. Chef Tom puts on his oven mitts. They are big and red. He takes out the bread. It is golden and smells so good. “Mmm, warm bread, olive bread,” says Chef Tom.
He waits for it to cool. He touches it gently. It is soft and warm, like a cuddly blanket. He cuts a piece. He tastes it. “Delicious!” Chef Tom says. He feels proud and happy.
Outside, the sky is dark and sparkly. Chef Tom puts his bread in a basket. He covers it with a cloth. He smiles. He feels sleepy.
Chef Tom looks around his kitchen. There are bowls to wash and spoons to dry. He does it slowly, humming his olive song. Soon, everything is clean and shiny.
He lays his hat on the counter. He folds his apron. “Goodnight, kitchen,” whispers Chef Tom. He yawns. “Tomorrow is another cooking day.”
Chef Tom goes to bed. He dreams of soft bread, green olives, and happy songs. He dreams of morning sunshine.
When the sun peeks in the window, Chef Tom wakes up. It is a new day. He feels happy and ready to cook again. All is well.
Good morning, Chef Tom. Good morning, world.
