In Chinese food culture, three invasive animals have gradually become beloved by food enthusiasts:
Crocodiles.
Crabs.
Frogs.
Crocodile meat, in particular, has rapidly emerged in the culinary world.
At this moment, laid out before Rindo were various crocodile dishes such as teppanyaki crocodile belly, clear stewed crocodile soup, braised crocodile paws, stone pot crocodile meat, and stir-fried crocodile tail with chives and black beans… it was practically a full crocodile feast!
The teppanyaki crocodile belly, wrapped in black pepper, looked very sophisticated, adding a touch of Western cuisine to its deliciousness and creating a sense of ceremony.
Of course, one cannot miss the crocodile paws when eating crocodile meat. The rich gelatin makes every bite tender and good for the skin.
Then, the braised method brings out the best flavor of crocodile paws. At the tavern, traditional braising ingredients like garlic and pork belly are used, giving off an enticing aroma that is both familiar and unique.
Especially after slow frying the crocodile paws at low temperature, the skin turns into a soft, fragrant, and slightly crispy texture. With the sauce made from fish broth, it's irresistibly delicious.
In short, regardless of which crocodile dish or part of the crocodile, Zane followed every step meticulously, without cutting corners.
The tender crocodile belly, the smooth crocodile tail, the refreshing crocodile paws…
Each part offered a different taste and texture.
As a result, for the first time, Rindo was able to sample various parts of the crocodile and thoroughly enjoyed it.
...
"Mmm~"
"So satisfying!"
Finishing the meal, Rindo felt incredibly happy.
Without a doubt, whether it was the bear paw last time or the crocodile meat this time, these rare ingredients turned into delightful dishes in Zane's hands, making her finish every bite!
Meanwhile, the sound of hurried footsteps announced the arrival of a young girl with short, light red hair. Seeing Erina handling beef at the cooking station, she was stunned but quickly delighted and ran forward.
"Miss."
"You… you're really here?"
"Whew, that's such a relief. I thought you were missing. Your phone was always off, and I was so worried."
Before Erina could react, Hisako hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you in advance. Since last night, I've been working part-time at the tavern and… and staying here temporarily."
Seeing how worried Hisako was, Erina felt a bit guilty, her nose tingling and her eyes slightly red.
Really, it wasn't her fault.
She couldn't control her emotions.
Although she and Hisako weren't related by blood, they were inseparable, and Hisako took care of her daily life.
This bond, deeply rooted in their lives, had bound them together forever.
"No, Miss, I could never blame you."
"Just please let me know next time if you suddenly leave my side."
Hisako looked up with a sad expression.
Seeing her pitiful eyes, Erina felt guilty and helpless.
Finally, she turned to Zane with a pleading look.
"Go and comfort her. I'll handle the rest of the work," Zane said gently.
...
The tavern is a place for sharing feelings.
Hisako, sitting down to calm herself, recalled seeing Erina cutting beef at the cooking station when she arrived. She couldn't help but ask, "Miss, are you really working part-time at the tavern?"
"Yes, I am."
"And I won't be returning to Totsuki for a while. I'll be staying here."
Erina glanced at Zane, who was busy, and nodded.
"Oh, if people knew that the Totsuki Academy's former overseer was willingly working part-time at a small tavern, it would cause quite a stir in the culinary world."
Hearing this, Hisako covered her mouth and laughed lightly.
"So what? My mother, the special executive of the WGO, also likes Zane's cooking."
Erina blushed slightly, feeling a bit shy.
"Indeed, even Aunt Mana couldn't resist Zane's cooking, let alone you."
"So, are you and Zane living together now?"
Hisako's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Kind of."
"But I have my own room here, so it doesn't affect my life too much."
Erina blushed again.
"It was raining heavily and thundering last night, and your phone was off."
"You know I worry about you most when it's thundering because you can't sleep without me there. So I was really worried."
"But now that I know you're staying at the tavern with Zane taking care of you, I feel much better."
"By the way, did you sleep alone last night?"
Hisako asked, sounding concerned.
"Well, um…"
"Of course, I slept alone. I just covered my head with the blanket and wore earplugs to block out the thunder."
Erina blushed deeply, feeling guilty.
"Oh?"
"Seems like you've grown up a lot, Miss."
Hisako was surprised, then smiled, fully believing Erina's words.
"Ahem, Hisako."
Trying to hide her embarrassment, Erina pretended to cough.
Then she stood up and said, "By the way, it's been a while since you tasted my cooking. Tonight, you'll be a guest at the tavern, and I'll make a few dishes for you."
"Really?"
"I… I can taste your cooking?"
Hisako was excited, almost jumping up like a rabbit.
"Of course."
Erina patted her shoulder.
Then she put on her white chef's uniform and returned to the cooking station.
...
In a city built of steel and concrete, there seems to be only surface-level prosperity.
Everyone is busy with their lives, neglecting others, and human warmth is fading.
But some say a certain tavern in Japan still holds a sense of warmth, especially reflected in its diverse dishes.
Taking a frying pan, place the chicken leg skin-side down, no oil needed.
Cook until the oil renders and the skin turns golden, then flip and cover for 1 minute.
Add sauce, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes, turning occasionally for even coloring.
Once the sauce thickens and bubbles, remove from heat.
Blanch broccoli and carrots in boiling water, fill a bowl with some rice, slice the chicken leg, and place it in the bowl with the vegetables.
Next, make a teriyaki sauce with 1 spoon of honey, 2 spoons of soy sauce, a bit of cooking wine, and 2 spoons of water. Mix and pour over the dish.
In the past, Erina would have scoffed at making such a simple teriyaki chicken rice bowl.
But after meeting Zane, her culinary philosophy was quietly changing. She was possibly exploring a new culinary path.
The chicken, marinated and slowly roasted, had a slightly crispy skin. Each bite combined the tender meat with the sweet and savory teriyaki sauce, leaving Hisako craving more.
The sweet and rich sauce mingled with the chicken's juices, making every bite harmonious and delightful.
Especially with the rich teriyaki sauce, a mouthful released a sense of "love."
Every bite felt like a carefully prepared gift.
Hisako, while enjoying the delicious food, felt the chef's dedication and sincerity.
"Huh?"
"This feeling…"
The strong flavors, like the brightest red of spring, made Hisako completely fall in love.
She closed her eyes and savored, "The rich flavor of the teriyaki sauce adds a mysterious Japanese charm to this dish."
"The unique blend of sweet and salty enhances the chicken's flavor, with the sauce's aftertaste slowly releasing in the mouth, making you want more."
"The plump rice, absorbing the essence of the chicken and teriyaki sauce, each grain is full of deep flavors, creating a harmonious and wonderful texture with the chicken, like a symphony on the taste buds."
Visually, Erina's teriyaki chicken rice bowl didn't seem extraordinary: rice, chicken, pickled egg, vegetables—standard components.
But somehow, every bite made Hisako keep using her chopsticks, shoveling rice into her mouth and chewing constantly.
"Oh my!"
"As expected of Miss Erina."
"Your cooking is as captivating as always!"
In the end, Hisako, feeling satisfied, exclaimed.
"Hisako, do you think my cooking now is deliberately imitating Zane?"
Seeing her reaction, Erina remained calm.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "I've come to understand that ingredients are just ingredients; they have no inherent high or low quality. They grow naturally, are harvested, and made into food for people to enjoy."
"People make food, and people eat food, that's all there is to it!"
"This…"
Hisako was stunned.
She didn't expect that in just two months, Erina, who had always despised common dishes, would understand this philosophy.
...
Meanwhile, at Totsuki Academy.
In a cooking lab, Alice was making a transparent pumpkin pie.
The essence of this molecular dish lies in "distillation," extracting the pumpkin flavor using water vapor, requiring a sophisticated device:
A rotary evaporator!
First, the distillation flask.
Here, high temperatures heat the pumpkin puree, distilling the pumpkin-flavored steam.
The steam cools through a condenser, turning into liquid in the collection container.
Thus, a clear liquid with pumpkin flavor is obtained, used to make the essence of the pumpkin pie, the transparent jelly.
Next, bake the pie crust according to the recipe. To make the transparent pumpkin pie's colors more refined and harmonious, the crust was kept a delicate cream color, not golden.
Finally, add gelatin to the
distilled liquid to solidify it into the filling.
Top with a bit of whipped cream, and it's done!
This dish is a reverse of the dragon chant strawberry—clear and seemingly flavorless, but tasting just like real pumpkin.
At this moment, looking at the transparent pumpkin pie, because the whole process used "distillation" technology and re-solidified into a "pumpkin pie" shape, even Leonora was slightly tempted.
"Mom, how does it taste?"
Watching her mother taste her molecular dish without hesitation, Alice's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she asked.
"Well?"
"It's definitely an improvement compared to your previous work at Totsuki."
"But your cooking still focuses too much on novelty and creativity. While the transparent pumpkin pie's making process is impressive, it doesn't taste exceptionally delicious."
Swallowing, Leonora couldn't help but analyze.
...
"Sigh!"
"Zane said the same thing."
Alice was puzzled.
She had worked harder than anyone during this time, so why wasn't she making significant progress?
Could it be that molecular gastronomy, based on advanced equipment and scientific principles, hit a ceiling after reaching a certain point?
"No matter how unique, thoughtful, or innovative the cooking method is, it's important."
"But I believe the most crucial part of any dish is the chef's personal skill. Your lack of significant progress might be due to rigid thinking, hitting a bottleneck."
Leonora saw Alice's hard work clearly.
But honestly, Alice's skills were still insufficient to survive at Totsuki Academy, full of talented individuals. Without change, her future looked grim.
"Alice, think it over again."
"Can you enhance the taste of this transparent pumpkin pie a bit more?"
Finally, Leonora sighed, looking down slightly, and asked Alice.
"Mom, I… I'll try again."
Alice, seeing her mother's cautious and serious expression, knew her molecular dish was unsatisfactory.
Thus, her eyes flashed with determination as she replied.
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