Molecular cuisine is about bringing surprises to the public and provoking some thought.
From Erina's perspective, as long as the moment the dish is unveiled brings shock and awe to the diner, it's enough!
Indeed, in terms of aptitude, she is not as good as Erina in every aspect.
However, she still uses her own way to showcase the unique charm of molecular cuisine to everyone.
Soon, more and more visitors gathered around her stall. By the end of the event, she finally sold 200 portions of breakfast.
"It was thrilling but not dangerous."
"Luckily, I passed. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."
Alice felt completely exhausted.
But when she saw that all her poached eggs and milkshakes were sold out, she couldn't help but smile with a touch of joy!
...
"Interesting, at the beginning, Erina stole all the visitors, causing her to sell none."
"Normally, anyone else would have been overwhelmed, but she didn't get discouraged and quickly identified the problem and addressed it!"
"She managed to turn a hopeless situation around without losing her composure."
"Such courage and boldness are indeed remarkable!"
At this moment, watching Alice Nakiri, who was the last to complete the breakfast assessment, Dojima Gin couldn't help but show a hint of admiration.
Ah, another Nakiri.
It seems the future of the headmaster's two granddaughters is indeed bright!
...
At night, what can make an entire city excited?
Aside from the hot pot in the cold winter, it's a glass of ice-cold soda with droplets of water on it.
The homemade ginger soda, mixed with some lemon juice and sugar, lacked the sharp spiciness and wasn't as sweet as ordinary carbonated drinks!
"Ah... Refreshing."
"This ginger soda experience is no less than that of sake."
"Just one sip and you feel surrounded by a cool and icy sensation, with many little bubbles dancing on your tongue."
At this moment, Rindo Kobayashi was lost in her thoughts, calm as water.
As the tavern's business improved, Zane made several changes, such as:
He added many non-alcoholic beverages, like the ginger soda Rindo was drinking, as well as cola and orange juice.
Thus, even diners who didn't want alcohol could drink to their heart's content here!
"Owner, why aren't you open tonight?"
"When I saw the 'Closed for the day' sign hanging outside, I almost felt heartbroken."
"Luckily, you saw me on the second-floor balcony and let me in. Otherwise, I would have wasted a trip!"
After saying that, Rindo took another sip of soda, her eyes gleaming as she looked at Zane.
"I run the tavern freely."
"I open when I want and close when I want. Why should I work myself to death like a corporate slave?"
Hearing this, Zane, who was wiping his kitchen knives, rolled his eyes at Rindo.
"With such good business, how much do you lose by closing for a day?"
"Besides, I love your cooking. Not eating your food for a day makes me feel terrible."
While speaking, Rindo propped her chin on her hands, her eyes fixed on Zane with a teasing smile on her face.
"Alright, the tavern is closed tonight, but I'll make an exception for you."
"Tell me, what do you want to eat?"
Sighing, Zane put away his knife and softly asked the distracted Rindo.
"Hey, I came to the tavern tonight to ask for your help with this."
With that, Rindo took out a heavy bear paw from a sack and slammed it on the table.
Zane: ???
...
Unlike China, where wildlife is protected, Japan issues hunting licenses.
Hunters are allowed to hunt black bears and brown bears to prevent these animals from damaging farmland or harming people, and bear meat is allowed to be eaten.
From Zane's perspective, he was somewhat opposed to eating wild game, especially shark fin.
Since he started running the tavern, although there was a rule that "diners could order any dish," he never used wild game excessively to attract attention or please diners.
So, he didn't mind these wild game dishes disappearing from the table.
After all, mastering chicken, duck, and goose dishes was already a great achievement.
However, if the disappearance of wild game dishes led to the loss of traditional cooking techniques, that would be a pity.
"Where did you get this?" Zane asked, glancing back.
"Bought it at the wild game market. Can your cooking skills handle this bear paw?" Rindo smiled, her eyes full of anticipation.
At Totsuki Academy, she was a master of rare wild ingredients.
And as a foodie, she could eat anything from insects, centipedes, ants, fish, and crabs to all kinds of birds.
Even when faced with bear paw, she had no problem.
"This is your specialty, why don't you do it yourself?"
Zane was puzzled and asked again.
"Me?"
"I can cook bear paw myself, no problem."
"But I want to see how your handling of the bear paw compares to mine."
Rindo looked at him with dreamy eyes, pleading.
Zane saw her expression and hesitated, seeing that she truly wanted to taste his cooking.
Seeing Zane's hesitation, Rindo continued, "Didn't you say any available ingredients can be used to make dishes?"
"I prepared the ingredients for you, can't you cook it?"
"Alright, I'll help you this time."
"But you should know that cooking bear paw is not easy and takes time, so…"
"No matter how long, I will wait patiently."
"Alright, your words are enough."
Finally, Zane nodded and began preparing to cook the bear paw under her watchful eyes.
...
In China, bear paw has been eaten since ancient times.
Bear paw seems to be the most delicious meat, though it is rather tough.
It's said that black bears, during hibernation, often use one paw to cover their behind and the other to cover their mouth, sucking on it when hungry.
One year they use the left paw, and the next year the right paw, never getting it wrong.
Therefore, when cooking bear paw, the two paws must be cooked separately.
The one they suck on will be fat and tender, while the other will have a strange taste no matter how it is seasoned.
"I wonder which paw Rindo brought."
Muttering to himself, Zane put the bear paw in a pot to simmer.
Until it was 70-80% cooked, he removed the skin and fur.
During this process, the fur on the bear's fingertips was hard to remove and required careful handling to be completely clean.
Then he prepared chicken, duck, scallions, and ginger to cook with the bear paw, extracting the rich broth through slow simmering.
Once the auxiliary ingredients had released their flavors, they were removed, leaving only the well-cooked, flavorful bear paw.
Finally, Zane used a special knife to debone the bear paw.
He sliced it thinly and cooked it again with bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients to enhance the flavor.
Next, he heated a wok, added oil, and sautéed scallions and ginger.
He added the bear paw broth, seasoned it with salt, thickened it, and poured it over a bed of tender greens.
Thus, a glistening plate of orchid bear paw was placed before Rindo.
...
This dish is a classic northeastern Chinese dish.
In the first national cooking competition in 1983, this dish, called Orchid Bear Paw, went through rigorous tests and won the championship among 380 dishes.
It stood out due to its exquisite cooking techniques and meticulous selection of ingredients.
Even the chef's skills required years of training to master this dish.
At first glance, the orchid bear paw looked like a French puff pastry soup.
The golden, crispy exterior was aromatic, but that wasn't the main point!
"Oh? So... soft!"
Rindo, with her sharp eyes, gently poked it with chopsticks.
The glistening, tender bear paw instantly released a rich broth.
The incredible elasticity, which seemed to bounce back, left Rindo astonished.
Bear paw, being precious, is usually cooked with many ingredients to maximize its value, but this often overwhelms its flavor.
Meanwhile, Zane prepared a bowl of hot water with a towel, saying, "The gelatin in the bear paw is abundant. If you don't eat it quickly, it will become stickier!"
"Got it."
Nodding, Rindo used a spoon to scoop a bite.
Blowing on it and observing, as Zane said, the freshly cooked bear paw had a dark brown, gelatinous appearance.
The broth
looked rich in collagen, very thick.
Taking a deep breath, she felt just one word:
Delicious!
...
The pure meat aroma, mixed with various spices.
She couldn't pinpoint the exact spices, but she guessed there was saffron.
Psychologically convinced, Rindo felt Zane's orchid bear paw was full of wild flavor, perhaps because it was bear paw?
Finally, Rindo stopped thinking and began to taste it.
Upon entry, the rich flavor instantly filled her entire tongue.
The numerous spices did not overshadow the bear paw's taste.
Instead, it became more fragrant with each bite, especially the perfect slow-cooking method that preserved the bear paw's original flavor.
That taste, only those who have eaten it would understand, unique to bear paw, unlike pig's feet or beef tendons, nor like the thickest fish lips.
Chewing more, the small muscle strips inside were particularly tender and delicious.
Due to the abundant gelatin, her mouth felt sticky after swallowing.
Seeing this, Zane thoughtfully handed her a towel soaked in hot water, indicating she should wipe her mouth.
Rindo accepted the hot towel and wiped her mouth.
"Using slow simmering and a thick-walled pot."
"Then the bear paw is pre-cooked with all the ingredients."
"Simmered on low heat for a long time to extract all the gelatin and flavor."
"Amazing, truly amazing!"
"Relying on time, perfect heat control, and ingredient combinations, you made the bear paw so delicious. I, Rindo, am convinced!"
...
Many people make delicious bear paw, but relying on ingredients and sauces, losing the bear paw's original flavor.
The tough and thick bear meat, treated this way, naturally transformed. Even Rindo would inadvertently ruin its original appearance and taste.
But in this orchid bear paw, each piece of meat was soaked in thick broth.
So, chewing was effortless, with a texture like tender veal, very enjoyable.
For a meat lover like Rindo, this bear paw dish was truly a delicacy.
And of course, the essence was in the broth!
Just a sip brought immense happiness.
With a bite of pickled lingonberries, the sour-sweet taste made her feel blissful.
Rindo entered a wonderful fantasy state.
In a deep mountain forest, as an adventurer, she wandered alone. The surrounding darkness and silence made her uneasy!
She walked along a winding path, alert to everything around her.
Suddenly, a rustling sound forced her to stop and listen.
A massive black bear emerged, its fur black and shiny, with a white patch on its neck, staring at Rindo.
She tried to stay calm, though fearful.
Knowing any slight movement might provoke the bear, she tightly gripped her walking stick, trying to stay composed.
"Roar, roar, roar~"
The bear roared and raised its huge paws, striking at Rindo.
"Hmm? This is... Ah... I can't take it anymore!"
Suddenly waking up, Rindo tilted her head back and rolled her eyes!
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