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"Sizzle"
Xia Yu scooped up the water-drained vegetables from the ice bowl and tossed them straight into the scorching hot wok.
The spatula stirred the ingredients, and most of the stove was enveloped by the thick white mist that rose up.
The fresh aroma unique to the vegetables became even more intense. Hozoi Midori was taken aback, and as her stomach rumbled in protest, she was suddenly overcome with hunger.
"How could this be... the vegetables shouldn't taste like this. What technique did he use to bring out such a flavor?"
Hozoi Midori's heart was filled with disbelief.
Unlike other Neon people who preferred light flavors, she was a Chinese cuisine chef, and her taste leaned towards the heavier side. Logically, she shouldn't be craving for a dish of vegetarian fried rice like this.
"I'm done!"
A calm voice snapped her back to reality, and Hozoi Midori watched Xia Yu plate the dish.
From heating oil in the wok to plating, the cooking time for this fried rice was less than ten minutes!
The fried rice, with a jade-like color, was presented before Hozoi Midori.
Each grain of rice was wrapped in finely chopped spinach stems, turning a lush green.
Then there were the spinach leaves and Qingjiang vegetables, vivid and dripping green. After blanching and stir-frying, the vegetables' color didn't turn dull yellow; instead, they became a glossy green, even more fresh and enticing than when they were first picked.
"It's just a mixed vegetable fried rice, why does it taste like this?" Hozoi Midori turned off the gas valve, stopped cooking, rested her hands on the kitchen counter, and hung her head in thought.
This time she voiced her inner thoughts.
"Want to know? Then taste it!"
Xia Yu handed her a white plate with the fried rice and then placed a clean porcelain spoon into Hozoi Midori's hand.
Struggling.
Hozoi Midori gazed intently at the fried rice dish right before her. Her purple pupils seemed to reflect a lush rural field.
That sense of being surrounded by nature softened Hozoi Midori's gaze, and the strong aura around her weakened. With trembling hands, she scooped a small spoonful of fried rice and brought it to her lips.
"Mmm..."
Instantly, Hozoi Midori let out an inexplicable nasal sound.
The rural field scenery before her seemed even more real.
As the sunlight shone down, the bare Midori felt warm all over, and that light, floating sensation that felt like flying into the universe made her want to run barefoot along the ridges, by the streams, with her smooth feet stepping into the muddy ground, the earthy fragrance filling her nostrils.
She lay down among the thriving vegetable fields, surrounded by clusters of spinach and Qingjiang vegetables. The green in her vision was so refreshing and delightful.
Hozoi Midori was utterly relaxed, returning to nature.
Suddenly, she saw a hermit returning on a plowing ox. She stepped closer, and when the hermit turned, it was Xia Yu's gentle face, smiling serenely at her.
Midori froze in place.
In reality, as she slowly swallowed the food in her mouth, her eyes cleared slightly. She looked up at the young chef standing before her, then stared dazedly at the plate of mixed vegetable fried rice and asked in a trembling voice, "This is a very well-executed dish, definitely not an impromptu creation... could you tell me the name of this dish?"
"Name? It's called Comet Fried Rice," Xia Yu spread his hands and said, "In fact, this is not yet the ultimate form of Comet Fried Rice. It's still a ways from perfection."
Comet... Fried Rice?
A hint of puzzlement appeared in Hozoi Midori's eyes.
The entirely green plate of mixed vegetable fried rice, what does it have to do with a comet?
Xia Yu observed her confusion, shrugged, and didn't intend to explain further. He couldn't exactly tell others that this dish actually glows, and when it does, the whole dish emits a faint green light, as bright as a comet streaking across the sky.
Without seeing it with her own eyes, Xia Yu thought even he wouldn't believe it with just a verbal explanation.
Hozoi Midori resumed eating. She temporarily set aside her own cooking tasks, fully immersed in tasting the delicious dish.
Glancing into her frying pan, Xia Yu nodded silently.
In fact, Hozoi Midori's Pineapple Curry Fried Rice was almost done; it only needed the final touch of sprinkling seasoning and a brief stir-fry. However, leaving the fried rice in the hot pan like this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The heat could make the rice even more fragrant and crisp, but everything had its limits. Xia Yu thought that Hozoi Midori should be able to control the heat properly.
"Pineapple Curry Fried Rice..."
Xia Yu then mused.
According to the original storyline of Food War Spirit, this dish was Hozoi Midori's signature masterpiece, presented at the Far Moon's autumn selection, scoring 87 points from a panel of picky judges, and surpassing Yoshino Yuji. Although she was ultimately eliminated by Tanaka Hikari by just one point, her culinary skills were by no means inferior to the geniuses from Polar Star Dormitory.
"However, this Pineapple Curry Fried Rice is quite far from the one she presented in the autumn selection," Xia Yu thought to himself.
The autumn selection was held from April to September or October at Far Moon, a six-month gap from when Hozoi Midori transitioned from middle school to high school. During this half-year, her cooking skills should have improved. Presently, she barely qualified as a One-star Chef at IGO, which was too weak.
Hozoi Midori finished a small plate of fried rice, then stared at a cooking pot filled with rice, swallowed, and was about to ask for another serving when Mu Xiaoyue rushed into the kitchen, picked up the pot, and ran.
"This portion is left for us by Yu, don't let your thoughts wander!" Mu Xiaoyue shouted in Mandarin. Having grown up in a Chinese cuisine restaurant and been in contact with many Chinese customers and chefs, Hozoi Midori understood and couldn't help but blush slightly.
Without getting to eat more food, the warm breath of spring in her chest quickly dissipated.
Hozoi Midori felt a sense of emptiness in her heart. She held back this contrast and discomfort and asked, "This dish only used green onions, spinach, and Qingjiang vegetables?"
"Yes."
"The minced shrimp and mushrooms can be added to taste," Xia Yu laughed. "Minced shrimp pairs exceptionally well with fresh vegetables, enhancing their tender and flavorful texture. Actually, there aren't many details to this dish. The ingredients are quite simple. Once you practice enough, you will master it, and the flavor won't be bad."
"No!"
Frowning deeply, Hozoi Midori recalled Xia Yu's earlier cooking steps and slowly said, "I don't think simple dishes are easy to make. On the contrary, the simpler the dish, the harder it is to create an unbelievable taste!"
"There's very little room for the chef to improvise!"
"Just three main ingredients, rice, spinach, and Qingjiang vegetables, while green onions, minced shrimp, and mushrooms are just seasonings..." Hozoi Midori grabbed a tuft of her purple hair at the eye corner and murmured, "The key is in the seasonings! It's better to have one less than to add unnecessary elements, so the dish's natural and refreshing flavor won't be complicated."
"The essence of this dish is to return to simplicity. If the flavor is complex, it equates to failure!"
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