Alexandra busted out two knives and was making beef Wellington. She cut up the mushrooms for her mushroom duxelle and it looked like it was paste. But they were all cut uniformly and perfectly, unlike food processors that will turn it into mush and lose texture.
Her mushroom duxelle still had texture, it just couldn't be seen from farther than a couple of feet away by normal eyes.
She then put abalones in the duxelle, mixing it together. Planning a surf and turf beef Wellington. The crepe that will wrap it up was combined with the guts of the abalone that were cleaned up.
Cooking it with perfect spacing, she put the essence of the abalone in just the right places so every bite will have an even taste. Having a balance with the mushroom duxelle with abalones so it can compete with the intense flavor of the beef.
Taking out small, but long needles. She put her hand on the tenderloin and calculated the muscle fibers. She started stabbing it thousands of times in a few seconds and made the already soft tenderloin even softer.
She seared it nicely at all sides and dusted it with some dried mushroom powder that was combined with a small amount of dried small sardines. Giving it a hint of the sea, but an intense flavor.
Complete with her flavor profile, she brushed it with Dijon mustard and rolled the treat, brushing the puff pastry with egg wash as she made a symbol of iron blood on it.
She threw it into the oven and started with her appetizer and dessert.
Ramiel started with his dessert first so they could cool down while he cooks his appetizer and main course. A stunning tarte tatin.
Using brown sugar that has a more complex flavor to it with less sweetness. He started making the caramel base. Putting the sugar in a cast iron pan, and covering it up with salted french butter that has a creamier and more robust taste.
Adding in cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, juniper berry jam, vanilla, and lemon zest for a fresh fragrance.
He opted with nice, slightly underripe peaches so it will have acidity and be more firm. While the caramel will give it a stunning glaze and sweetness.
While it was caramelizing, he made the short crust for it and let it rest. He eyed it carefully and when the caramelization was perfect, he took it out of the heat and put the short crust on it like a pie. Letting it cook in the oven.
Samus did the entrees first, risotto alla Milanese. Saffron risotto, she elevated it to the maximum with demi glace infused beef stock and some beef bone marrow.
For dessert, a nice gorgonzola pizza with caramelized peaches, honey, and drizzled with aged balsamic vinaigrette.
Appetizer is a trofie al pesto. Thicker and shorter pasta that are twisted a bit to catch the sauces better. She pressed mint onto the pasta to be a match with the basil pesto.
Tifa started with appetizer, carciofi Alla Romana. Braised romanesca artichokes. She quickly took off the leaves and thorns with a spiral movement.
Stuffing the cavity of the heart with a mixture of parsley, garlic, and mint. She started braising them with olive oil and white wine.
Her entree is carne pizzaiola, using beef tenderloin. She braised it with tomato passata after searing it. Adding white wine and let it tenderize.
Dessert is a jiggly vanilla Panna Cotta with strawberry sauce, cooked with blood oranges for citrusy goodness.
Zack prepared agedashi dofu for appetizers. Deep fried tofu served with a savory broth. Preparing the broth with dried kelp, sardines, and bonito. Adding an explosive deep flavor. He made some concentrated sauce called tare which are usually used for ramen broth. Adding grated daikon radish with a ponzu sauce on it for acidity.
The main meal is grilled eel cooked kabayaki style. Cooked over charcoal while dipping it in concentrated soy based sauce that is sweeter. Putting it in a bed of rice that sucked up the juices of the eel and the sauce.
Finishing it off with oshiruko, sweet red bean soup. With dangos instead of standard mochi balls.
Lulu went with kinpira, sauteed root vegetables, opting for greater burdock, carrots, and lotus roots. It was then simmered in light soy sauce, mirin, and kelp. Giving it a savory and sweet taste that goes well with root vegetables as her appetizer.
Her main went with a rich meal, tempura. She battled Zack head on with conger eel tempura. Having a saltier and more full bodied taste. Serving it with some rice in a bowl and seasoned wasabi sea salt.
Dessert was a kakigori, japanese shaved ice. Flavored with macha syrup, topped with azuki beans and miniature balls of dango.
Ramiel and Alexandra went head to head, looking at each other before working on their other dishes.
His appetizer is potatoes dauphinoise. He sliced the potatoes really thin and layered them on a cast iron like ratatouille. Caramelizing its underneath first with brown butter, he made sure it was crispy. Heating up some cream with butter, he poured a bit on it and cooked it in the oven, with some thyme and rosemary.
He repeatedly took it out of the oven in several instances and kept giving it more of the cream and butter. After it was thoroughly cooked and soft, it was topped with french cheese and went to the broiler. Finished with chopped chives and some lime zest.
The main dish is a duck confit, with a side of honey roasted carrots. On a bed of luscious cauliflower puree that pairs well with the salty and tender duck that's full of flavor as it bathed in its own fat.
Alexandra's appetizer is a quiche Lorraine. The crust is made out of hash browns that have been spiced perfectly. Giving it a nice kick with a crispy crust that added a lot of texture.
The filling was made with an assortment of meaty ingredients, iberico ham, matsutake mushrooms, and thick cut bacon that was smoked with hickory and apple wood.
Gruyere and swiss cheese was added to the custard and it mellowed out the salty meats, giving it a creamy, but meaty taste.
Her dessert is a coffee eclair. The pastry was infused with coffee flavor. And its top, glazed with an amazing coffee custard.
The audience was speechless, it was quiet in the stadium. Only their cooking made noises. "My, oh my. Where did you find these students father in law?" Leonora squinted her eyes.
She saw only pros that we're cooking aggressively. Like they were cooking for a regular service. Preparing temperamental dishes that will fail with just a misstep.
"A-amazing. Their techniques, like that Alexandra. Can it even be copied by humans?" Erina gaped. Seeing her do something with the tenderloin for her beef Wellington.
Yuna made a Napoleon mille feuille. Flaky and buttery puff pastry like croissant. Stacked on top of each other with layers of custard cream.
Flavored with caramel, vanilla beans, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Aerith made red wine infused macarons stuffed with a velvety and smooth salted chocolate mousse.
The first group that served their dishes is Alexandra's. The judges ate the three course meals and were drooling for the main course after the fact.
Starting with Alex's quiche Lorraine. They put it in their mouth and almost creamed from its mellow but bold taste.
"This! The crunchy and flavorful crust isn't simple! It gives the soft and meaty filling such texture. The iberico ham's nutty flavor, along with the meaty and earthy matsutake mushroom pair well with the smoky and salty flavor of the bacon.
"The cream and cheese balances it out and rounds the flavors, blending it into an irresistible appetizer that excites one's taste buds for the next dish." Leonora started speaking straight japanese.
Dish after dish, they even had to take a break due to their body getting numb. Foodgasms galore happened and they needed a short time to recover, ending it with Aerith's macarons.
After the break, they got served by Ramiel's potatoes dauphinoise. A beautiful layering of crisp potatoes that have been infused with cream, butter, and cheese.
"Ahhh! It has a nice and fluffy center, while the edges are crispy. Such a creamy taste from cheese and the cream. With a nice little bite from the chives." Erina's cheeks twitched from the savory goodness.
Leonora ate the main meal next and the duck fell apart in her mouth as she bit into it. She imagined swimming in duck fat as the birds quacked beside her.
"Hngh~! Such a rich and bold flavor. Savory and jam packed with umami. It's melting in my mouth with a few chews! The sweet and creamy puree then blankets it all around. Coupled with the glazed carrots, it simply a carpet bombing of strong flavors~" Leonora panted.
"I'm glad you like it madame. I'd like it even more if we enjoyed it with a candle lit dinner." He kissed her hand.
"Ahhh, such a naughty man. My husband has already departed, but I am already an old lady with a daughter." Leonora blushed and batted her eyelashes.
"Ramiel! That's my mother! You damned philanderer!" Alice screamed from the audience's seat, he had the wrong target after all.
"Hmm? So what? You can just let your daughter join in later." He stated calmly and everybody was speechless.
"S-she looks like me, so it's pretty good right?" Alexandra thought it was all good.
"M-my mother is still married... But what is this feeling? I feel like she is in danger!" Erina had a foreboding feeling in her chest. That they will be swept up by a disaster that is Ramiel.
The judging then started and they looked like they were constipated. "Erina, Leonora... Do you have a dish that you preferred over the other? I am stumped here." Senzaimon asked for their opinion.
"I would've already told you about it if there was, father... Sadly, I cannot pick anything. It is simply an experience that will never be topped forever in my life." Leonora sighed.
"M-my tongue is numb, it's still tingling. I don't know grandfather... All of them are just perfect, I cannot grade them!" Erina sweated, trying to pick a winner.
"Then... The results of this match! Is a draw! The divine monarchs and great devil kings are completely equal! This might change in the future. I hope you enjoyed the highest caliber of cooking, students of Totsuki." Senzaimon announced and the crowd went wild.
"Hah, I guess it's a draw. Maybe if we use a little secret technique it would change? But that's unfair, you have the most control over magic." Alexandra sighed and accepted the verdict.
"Heh, you'll surely lose when that time comes. So improve your skills more." Ramiel gave a smug smile and they started eating their cuisines.
Alice went up to them and puffed her cheeks. "Muuuuu! You're supposed to seduce me! Not my mother!" She kept hitting him on the back and Leonora chuckled.
"Ara, didn't you hear Alice-chan? You'll just have to join in later." She teased her daughter and Alice went red with embarrassment. "Mama! Not you too!"
"Please take care of my daughter and granddaughter. They might be troublesome, but they're good people." Senzaimon bowed and Ramiel patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry Senzaimon, I'll definitely take care of them. My riches is the same as America's GDP, I can take care of them, no problem." Ramiel laughed and Erina pouted at him.
"Oh? It seems like someone is green in envy." Alice smirked at Erina and she huffed. "Shut up! Like you are good enough for him!"
"Girls, girls. I have a really big heart, no need to fight~" He tried calming them down. "Then who is better!? Me or her!" Alice gave him a difficult question and he raised a brow.
Ramiel snorted and shook his head. "Obviously, your mom." He gave a smug smile and Leonora chuckled.
They then returned home, satisfied with their little bonding time through cooking.
Meanwhile, Ikumi who helped Soma back at the shopping district due to diminishing customers missed the grand reveal of Alexandra's group.
And the accompanying shokugeki that followed. "I... I missed a shokugeki that Ramiel participated in." She did an orz and was regretting her life choices.
"S-sorry Nikumi... I called you to help at the shopping district, but we missed a lot because of it..." Soma was genuinely sorry, because he really wanted to see them in action personally too.
And watching the replay of their shokugeki just won't live up to the live battle full of tension and pressure.
So she waited for the selection in the autumn for Totsuki's students. But when it was revealed, she did not see their names there at all.
"Yo, Nikumi. You're a part of the autumn selection. Congratulations." Ramiel saw her name on the board in front of the school.
"O-ohh, yeah. Thanks, I'm gonna do my best." She was surprised and she fidgeted a bit. "Hey, can you um. Like cook the things you made in your shokugeki earlier and let me have a taste?" She crossed her fingers and hoped he would accept.
"Sure, I hope you get some inspiration for it. The main course was a meat dish. I'll make it for you, just drop by at my house." He smiled and she glowed with excitement.
"So you're seducing high schoolers too huh? As expected, but it's pretty fine so far. They have high pedigrees and our bloodline will not be wasted on them." Alexandra nodded in satisfaction at his choices.
"I thought she'd be more jealous than I thought. But your sister is more open to this..." Samus was shocked. Especially how they met earlier.
"Well, they're normal people. She'll test those who are more capable like you harsher. Because normal humans won't even make it with her preferred methods." Ramiel shrugged.
"Hmph, I'm in it too as expected." Alice huffed. "Ahh, I got selected too." Ryo deadpanned and Alice puffed her cheeks.
"Of course! I will be ashamed if I had a confidant that isn't selected. You can't lose in the preliminary matches." Alice put her hand on her hip haughtily.
"I'll be fine ojou, even if I'm against you. I'll go for the win." Ryo replied without any energy. She puffed her cheeks and kept slapping him on the shoulder.
"You're really annoying! You don't respect me at all." She was being annoying, but he didn't react. "I really respect you, you know?"
"Then respect me more! Just like Erina's attendant." She huffed and Alexandra raised a brow at her antics.
"Hmmm, maybe you should let that one grow up first? Or just take her off your targets entirely." Alexandra concluded that she was too annoying.
Alice heard it and her ears twitched. She then stared right at her after coughing. "Ahem, Ramiel. It's a shame you aren't in the competition."
"That's why her mother is better, right? And yeah, congratulations Alice. It is a shame, but we have to give others a chance." He shrugged and Alice pouted at him.
"A-are you really gunning for my mother?" She squinted her eyes. "Well, your mom is a leading international researcher. She's smart, pretty, and rich. It's a no brainer."
"Muuu! You want an oyakodon? Are you going to go for aunt Mana as well!?" She huffed and Ramiel didn't know who that was.
"Who is that? Erina's mom? Well, it depends. I don't go for everyone you know? Or I would've already impregnated at least half the female population of the school." He showed her his phone.
Alice raised a brow at the Ramiel fan club. "So, there are 60 participants? And they'll fight at their own bracket before going to the final comp." Samus looked at the A and B brackets.
"Why isn't Nakiri a part of it?" Soma was curious. "Ahh, the elite 10 are the organizers of the event. Ramiel and his group... I don't know, maybe it's just too much. That's why they aren't a part of it." Alice explained.
"Then how about another party in our house? Let's have a barbecue." Ramiel wanted to have some good old Texas barbecue with a nice and juicy fat brisket.
"Really? Can we really come?" Yuki got excited and she started drooling. "Yeah, we'll have so much fun." Aerith nodded at them.
"Alice, invite Erina okay? You guys need to get along, you're cousins." Tifa advised her and Alice nodded begrudgingly.
"Nikumi, can you deliver some nice cuts for barbecue later?" Ramiel asked of her and she nodded with a smile.
They went to his home after school. "Hoh~ they have an estate? Ikumi, you slept here at our party earlier right? Did you get eaten up?" Yuki asked the tanned blonde with a smirk.
"W-what the hell are you talking about? They just let me sleep and even gave me some hangover soup. Ahhh, that kimchi jjigae with braised pork was awesome."
Ikumi remembered the good times and drooled. "Ohhh! I can already smell the super delicious smoke!" Soma shouted out as he took a sniff.
"Ah, welcome you guys. Let's have a nice hearty meal." Tifa welcomed them. They saw Alexandra already munching on burnt ends and some corn bread.
"Ohhh, you arrived? Better start eating or we'll be finishing this all." Alexandra pointed at Yuna and Aerith who were stuffing their faces.
"Slow down Yuna, it won't run away." Lulu wiped some barbecue sauce on her face. Meanwhile, Tifa was also doing the same to Aerith with a wry smile.
Everyone started fighting for a plate and Ramiel's burnt ends quickly disappeared. "They're having so much fun..." Erina smiled, but she remembered her father and mother.
"No... I must be at the top." She frowned. A hand then suddenly patted her on the head and she was spooked. "R-Ramiel!?" She looked behind and saw him smiling at her.
"Why are you over here? We're here to celebrate an occasion. You have to balance your work and fun you know? Or you'll burn out and be left as a lifeless husk. Regretting your life as you reminisce about the chances you could have taken to enjoy life." He pinched her cheeks.
"Ramiel~ There's no more food!" Alice complained and he went back to the grill to make some more. "Yes, yes. You guys are stuffing yourselves eh?"
Erina watched Alice cling to him. Ikumi helped him on the grill with a wide smile on her face. Hisako and Ryo were taking notes while eating.
"I-it's alright... Just a bit is fine, right?" She joined the festivities and Zack started handing out cold ones.
After they returned to their homes and dorm. The school handed the participants their theme and it was curry.
"C-can we make like curry rice or something?" Soma was brain storming with his dorm mates. "I don't think it's that simple Yukihira-kun." Ryoko smiled wryly.
"Spices are a big part of curry, you guys should focus on that. But don't forget about the other ingredients." Satoshi advised them.
"Spices huh?" Soma was stumped, Japanese cuisine don't use spices much. Or at all even. He then remembered Joichiro's words.
There was a teacher that was his underclassman in Totsuki. And if he needed some advice, he should go to her because she was reliable.
"Tadokoro! Let's go and find some help!" He pulled in Megumi and they tracked her down. And when they saw the research society she was in. The building looked dilapitated. Covered by rusty roof sheets for some diy repairs.
"Ahhh, is this really the place?" Megumi was concerned. "Let's go in and look, let's see. Shiomi Jun, Shiomi Jun." They saw a room with her name on it and busted inside.
"Hello~ anyone here?" They looked around and it was a mess. At the corner, the two of them was surprised. Seeing a short stack who looked like she is in junior high.
"Ahhh, guests!? Sorry for the mess, I'm very sorry. We don't get guests here often! Should I prepare some tea for you?" The small woman kept apologizing.
"No! It's our fault for suddenly barging in, forgive us." Megumi went back and forth with her.
After calming down, Soma finally talked about what they came for. "Ahem, are you perhaps Shiomi Jun? My old man, Saiba Joichiro said to come here for advic-" He was suddenly slugged by Jun, knocking him out.
"Yukihira-kun!" Megumi was shocked, seeing the smol Jun throw hands. "Saiba Joichiro's son? Nobody who is related to him is welcome here."
She remembered her time in the polar star dorm. Joichiro used her as a guinea pig for his horrendously bad dishes.
"I've suffered excessive mental and emotional trauma from those days. That's why you should take him out of here!" Jun shouted at Megumi.
"B-but he's knocked out cold." Megumi panicked. "Jun, what's with the ruckus?" A silver haired tanned teen went to check.
"Hayama! I already told you to call me professor Shiomi! You're my assistant!" She huffed at him.
"Well, you're useless without me. Who ignored guests last month? Keeps forgetting to water the plants? Hmmm?" He shot her down and she couldn't retort.
"Sorry about the rudeness, we rarely get guests here. I'm a freshman, Hayama Akira." He smiled and they introduced themselves.
They told them their particular problem and Hayama just flexed his knowledge about spices. Not really learning a lot. Because Jun kept on drawing on her white board while talking about theories.
Meanwhile, Scarlet raised a brow as she checked the reports. Someone was trying to spread rumors about their restaurants in Tokyo.
And they were attacking Alexandra's building which haven't been reviewed by food critics much yet so they are still not as famous as Ramiel's tower.
She made a call immediately. "Ramiel, there's someone here trying to do something." She sent the specifics to him and they reviewed it together.
After piling up the records and putting a name on the master mind. They came up with the 9th seat of the elite council.
"Hoh? He's got a gang huh? And he is trying to get a piece of the pie in our territory?" Ramiel grinned and he already memorized everything about him.
"Eizan Etsuya, he's a 2nd year in the school you're playing in." Scarlet sighed and thought that being too ambitious is really a poison in someone's head.
"How about we pay him a little visit eh? Where is he now?" He asked Scarlet as she hacked all the cameras in Totsuki.
"Here's the map, he's in this place." She gave him a detailed map and he walked slowly. "Tifa, let's go talk to this kid." They went to Totsuki and got a little bag.
At Totsuki, Eizan was micro managing his business consults. Because the one in Kanto failed. Soma and Ikumi foiling the karaage chain that he was giving services to.
"Damn it, what a stupid woman. I told her to report, but she let her greed get to her head." The owner of the store didn't contact him anymore and ghosted him.
"Yeah, just like you." He heard a voice from behind and a cloth bag was suddenly put on his head. Tifa then whacked him with a chair, knocking him out.
"Where will we throw him?" Tifa was thinking of good places to dispose of him. "We'll just give him a warning for now. But let's opt for Tokyo bay."
He squinted his eyes. Rumors and ruining the customer base is a valid option that he would go with as well. But they're the big guns, nobody should even dare to try crap with them.
They carried him to Tokyo bay and strapped him on a chair. There was a little island nearby the rainbow bridge at the place and they took off the bag on his head while placing themselves behind him.
"Whack him again." Ramiel ordered and Tifa smacked his body with a pipe. Making the unconscious Eizan groan while waking up.
"Hmmm, Eizan Etsuya. You've been having huge success with your little consults eh?" Ramiel put his foot on the back of the chair and gave him a little nudge.
"W-who are you!? I can pay you a lot of money!" He tried negotiating but they laughed. "This isn't about the money. You tried some crap at my sister's restaurant. And do you know what we do to those?" He gave a kick to the chair and he almost fell to the water.
"We make them sleep with the fishes. I'd advise you to not do anything stupid any more. Stay in your own lane, don't be too greedy." Ramiel taped a large water container to his chest.
"W-what are you gonna do?" Eizan trembled in fear for his life. "Well, I'm gonna give you a little example of what will happen next time." He kicked him into the waters and he'll have to float using the water container on his chest with great difficulty.
"Don't drown now, that's pretty good exercise." They left the vicinity and went back home. "Hah, stupid kids. They're always so impulsive, give them a little ambition and they start messing with shit." Ramiel sighed, massaging his temples.
"Well, this is a peaceful world. No monsters, no threats, I think it would only be natural that things like this happen." Lulu sat beside him and gave him some tea.
"Thanks Lulu. I guess there's downsides everywhere. But what do you prefer? Spira or here?" He asked and was curious.
"I do miss Spira... The culture, the quietness, but this place is wonderful too. A place where it's mostly peaceful everywhere. It's not perfect, but this is a place that I would like Yuna to live in. Where she can experience life without being burdened by duty." Lulu smiled.
"Hmm, you dodged the question. How about you? Do you enjoy your time here? You're not Lulu the guardian anymore, just Lulu. Remember?" He smirked and Lulu chuckled.
"Yeah, that is how I introduced myself to that asshole Shinomiya. I... I do, it's so much fun. So many things to do. So much joy and things that are interesting." She looked at him and was thankful that they brought them there.
"Then I'm glad." He sipped some tea and they enjoyed the silence. "Let's laze around then, if you work, you lose." He took out some dishes and they started eating while watching some TV.
Lulu stared at his side profile. 'So many new experiences because of him. We defeated Sin too with his help. And he's just here, watching tv and lazing around.' She chuckled.
"Hmm? What's so funny huh? Is there something on my face? Did one of you guys draw on my forehead?" He raised a brow.
"Yeah, there's a penis on your forehead." She teased him and he took out a mirror. "Tch, you tricked me. I'll have to give you a nice punishment."
He started tickling her with added electricity and she laughed boisterously. "Enough! Please! I'm gonna... I'm losing my breath!" Lulu pleaded and she tried wrestling him to make him stop.
She found herself on top of him while her arms are on his neck. Her chest, on his as the tv gave out white noise. The two of them concentrating on their breaths and heartbeats.
"You know, you still owe me a favor Lulu." He put his hands on her waist. "Hmmm, what do you want me to do then?" She hissed and was craving his touch.
"How about I show you?" He kissed her lightly and hugged her waist. "Not enough. I'll repay my debts to you very well."
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Thank you for reading everyone, ciao.