Chapter 66: Mushroom Cuisine
On the way back, I took a leap on Mofrun's back.
The mountains were a bit far from the expansive farmlands.
The farmlands were filled with rice and wheat, so if there's time, I could do some harvesting.
Arriving home.
Fast, incredibly fast.
As I dismounted from Mofrun, Swi came over.
"You're back already? That was quick."
"Mofrun was running at an astonishing speed. It was almost scary."
"In terms of speed, even among monsters, I'm top tier," she said, transforming into a beautiful girl.
Once she becomes a cute girl, it's probably impossible for her to run as fast after transforming.
By the way, I asked Swi about the situation.
"Did anything unusual happen while I was gone, like suspicious individuals?"
"No. Nothing happened. It's been quiet."
"Good. While I was away, I harvested and collected mushrooms from the mountains. Look!"
I showed the gathered mushrooms and more.
"Well, that's a lot. I assume the mushrooms are edible, but I've never tried them. While magic dragons eat meat, they don't eat mushrooms or vegetables."
"How about Mofrun?"
"Mofrun eats them. Being closer to a wolf in nature, it's an omnivore. It eats rice and mushrooms. I'm a bit excited to see what you'll cook, my lord."
Unlike Swi, it seems Mofrun is an omnivore.
Indeed, dogs are omnivores too, eating rice and such.
If it will eat them, I'll cook with them for today's meal.
I prepared rice in the kitchen.
Cooked in a frying pan.
Stir-fried the rice with water.
It's somewhat like paella.
Let's add plenty of mushrooms too.
Then, I went to the mountain and obtained ingredients, but even more importantly, I brought back various grasses that seemed suitable as spices.
The dishes from yesterday were delicious, but the flavors were subtle.
That's because we don't have seasonings like salt, soy sauce, or sauce, as is common in Japan.
I had a small amount of salt purchased in the city, so I used that.
Once it's used up, the flavors will become milder, and it might feel lacking.
Saltiness is important for cooking.
However, since we don't have access to the sea to make salt, I'm using what I found in the mountains as a substitute.
Swi and Mofrun are waiting at the table as I carry the frying pan.
There's a slightly unusual fruit, which I picked and finely chopped, revealing a pleasant aroma.
Perhaps this aroma is similar to pepper.
To confirm, I tasted it.
"Yeah, this is quite similar to pepper!"
The fruit I picked was indeed pepper.
Coincidentally, the fruit I gathered was pepper, and it seems I can use it right away.