At the tavern, Zane continued his work, occasionally receiving help from Sonoka. With the end of the Midnight Chefs incident, the culinary street was once again bustling with activity. Restaurants and eateries were reopening one after another, regaining their former glory.
However, the Shunkatei restaurant next door remained closed.
As time passed, another familiar customer arrived at the tavern.
...
The woman who walked in was strikingly beautiful and had a certain cute elegance. Her most distinctive feature was the white ribbon tied in her hair. She wore a simple white blouse paired with a red skirt, giving her a fresh and charming appearance.
"Anne, it's been a while!" Zane said as he quickly regained his composure. He feigned a cough and greeted Anne, who was now standing close by.
"Yes, Mr. Zane. I just happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd stop in..." Anne replied with a smile on her face.
"Feel free to sit wherever you like," Zane said, nodding. He could easily see through her little ruse. Then, he turned to the wall, where he took a bottle from the shelf and placed it in front of Anne.
...
Anne casually chose a seat and took out a thick food magazine from her bag, engrossing herself in its content. From her outward appearance, no one would have guessed that she was the assistant who always accompanied Mana.
"Would you like something to eat?" Zane asked, smiling.
"Coffee," Anne replied without hesitation, her eyes still on the magazine.
"Coffee?" Zane was a bit taken aback. "Instant coffee, is that okay?"
"Instant coffee?" Anne was also surprised. Then she remembered that this was a tavern, not a café, so it made sense that they didn't serve freshly brewed coffee. Reluctantly, she closed her magazine and said, "Sure, instant coffee will do."
"Alright, give me a moment," Zane replied, turning to prepare it.
...
A short while later, Zane returned with a small bowl. Under Anne's watchful gaze, he tore open a packet of cheap instant coffee he'd bought from the supermarket, poured it into the bowl, and added hot water. He stirred it gently with a small spoon.
And just like that, the instant coffee was ready.
For a moment, Anne stared at the bowl in disbelief. Her delicate face reflected her surprise.
"Sigh, if I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have asked for coffee. It seems like I put you in a bit of a bind!" Anne sighed as she regained her composure. She picked up the spoon and took a small sip of the instant coffee.
...
There isn't much difference between instant coffee and freshly brewed coffee. Both contain similar compounds like fats, caffeine, and alkaloids such as theobromine. Of course, there are also proteins, vitamins, and polyphenols.
"Huh? This instant coffee isn't bad at all!" Anne thought, a little surprised. Despite being cheap, the coffee left a strong sweet aftertaste in her throat after she swallowed.
Eventually, she finished the coffee. While the taste was good, it couldn't compare to the coffee from her favorite café. Afterward, she looked up at Zane, who was busy polishing his kitchen knives. She blushed slightly and blinked before asking, "Mr. Zane, the **THE BLUE** Cooking Championship is starting next month. Are you interested in participating? With your skills and talent..."
"THE BLUE?" Zane shook his head without hesitation. "I'm not interested."
...
Even before the WGO Culinary Organization was established, there were so-called "culinary competitions." However, none of these competitions allowed for live demonstrations, so the public couldn't witness the creation of top-tier cuisine.
With this in mind, and in her search for a dish that could break the curse of the God's Tongue, Mana came up with the idea of hosting a professional cooking competition during the exhibition: "Using the resources of the WGO Culinary Organization, we will create a cooking stage, inviting young chefs from around the world to showcase their culinary skills in front of professional judges and the general public."
And so, the first **THE BLUE** Cooking Championship was successfully held.
The first tournament attracted talented young chefs from 20 different countries. After the huge success of this world-class cooking competition, it was continued by the WGO Culinary Organization.
Every year, 24 top chefs from around the world gather in Japan to compete. To ensure a high level of competition, the organizing committee established strict rules. In the first few tournaments, a selection process was conducted a year and a half before the finals to determine the 24 participating countries.
Once the participating countries were confirmed, each country established a special committee responsible for selecting and training the competitors, ensuring that they represented the highest level of their country's culinary skills.
Later, the competition rules were adjusted to include a selection process across 62 countries on four continents, held a year in advance.
This year, Mana loosened the qualifications for participation. Nationality, age, and even culinary skill level were no longer as strict as in previous years. However, the standards for this year's **THE BLUE** Cooking Championship were higher!
Each participant is required to prepare a dish and a large, intricately plated tray using specified ingredients based on a set theme within 5 hours and 35 minutes.
Each team competes in their own kitchen, and all processes must be conducted publicly.
The judging is handled by two panels:
- **The Culinary Jury**
- **The Kitchen Jury**
The Culinary Jury evaluates the presentation, taste, sauces, originality, and adherence to the theme of the dish. The Kitchen Jury assesses the chefs' methods, techniques, cleanliness, and efficient use of ingredients.
...
Indeed, **THE BLUE** Cooking Championship's biggest highlight is the gathering of talented chefs from around the world in one place to compete.
This event could easily be described as the "Olympics of the culinary world," and it is the dream of top chefs worldwide to participate. Competing in such an event is considered the highest honor.
Mana once said, "THE BLUE Cooking Championship is not just a competition for the world's top chefs; it's also a stage for the fusion and innovation of global culinary cultures."
"Whether it's Western cuisine, Japanese cuisine, or Chinese cuisine, they all play a vital role in the world of gastronomy."
"We hope to see many chefs representing their countries and their culinary traditions, achieving outstanding results in this competition."
...
"Alright, I know you're not too interested. I'll just wait until Ms. Mana comes by the tavern next time and have her invite you personally!" Anne shrugged and then turned to Zane. "Mr. Zane, I'm feeling a bit hungry. How about a bowl of curry meatball spaghetti?"
"Sure, give me a moment," Zane replied as he resumed his work.
Cooking pasta doesn't involve much technique. Boil a large pot of water, add a few spoonfuls of salt and a bit of oil, and then start cooking!
He held the top of the pasta while the bottom half dipped into the boiling water. As the pasta softened, he gradually released it into the pot.
According to Western culinary traditions, pasta is typically boiled uncovered for about 10 minutes. At this point, the pasta may still have a slight firmness in the center, which is considered perfectly cooked—chewy and not sticky.
However, Zane cooked it a bit longer than that.
Normally, if pasta can be easily pinched apart with chopsticks, many people find that an acceptable level of doneness. Of course, it shouldn't be overcooked, as that would make it too soft and mushy, losing the texture that makes pasta enjoyable.
"Strange, why did he cook the pasta for 3 minutes longer?" Anne thought, puzzled.
She couldn't understand why Zane's curry meatball spaghetti dish was so different from what she had imagined.
For starters, he was incorporating Chinese culinary techniques into Italian cuisine, and then there was the extended cooking time... These differences and adjustments left Anne completely baffled.
She even began to suspect that Zane's curry meatball spaghetti wasn't the same dish she had in mind at all.
"Why bother thinking about it?" she mused. "His cooking always surprises me, doesn't it?"
...
Finally, Zane plated the pasta, added a generous spoonful of Bolognese sauce, sprinkled some grated Parmesan cheese, and added the special curry along with his homemade sauce-infused vegetable meatballs.
With that, Zane's curry meatball spaghetti was complete.
It felt quick. The entire process took less than 30 minutes to complete—more precisely, 28 minutes and 36 seconds.
As the curry meatball spaghetti was presented, Anne eagerly picked up a fork, mixed the dish slightly, and took her first bite.
Each mouthful delivered a strong, sweet-and-sour punch from the special meat sauce. The rich flavor of beef and the butter's fat enveloped her senses.
Beyond the dominant flavors, there was the sweetness of onions, the light touch of carrots and celery, and the distinctive aroma of cheese and black pepper. The combination of ingredients created a complex yet balanced flavor profile on the pasta.
From the first bite, Anne was hooked.
Her mind was filled with thoughts of Zane's curry meatball spaghetti.
This... This was simply too delicious!
...
Thinking back, Zane's approach was actually very close to an authentic curry meatball spaghetti dish.
However, there was a significant difference because of the meatballs. Instead of using European sausage or ground pork, he used bacon.
Additionally, instead of using fresh Parmesan cheese powder, he used grated Parmesan cheese.
"I see, the grated Parmesan cheese really does have a better texture than the powdered kind!" Anne realized, closing
her eyes in thought.
In the end, she was thoroughly impressed.
But she knew that the real soul of this curry meatball spaghetti lay in the meatballs themselves.
Honestly, it was her first time encountering these Chinese-style sauce-infused vegetable meatballs.
Curious, she picked up a small meatball and took a careful bite.
The first bite revealed how tender it was, easily sliding into her mouth.
As she chewed, she could feel the slight crunch of celery and mushrooms, along with the smoothness of the bacon, creating a harmonious blend of textures.
The flavors of the meat, mushrooms, and celery were distinct yet complementary, offering a rich and warm sensation.
The meatballs were tender, juicy, and flavorful, with a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior. When eaten with the pasta, the combination was simply... perfect!
...
Meatballs—who invented them?
The answer to this question is lost to history.
But one thing is certain: the word "ball" originally had nothing to do with meatballs; it simply referred to small spheres.
So, when did meatballs first come into existence?
Some say that the "Four Joy Meatballs" were invented by Zhang Jiuling during the Tang Dynasty to celebrate winning the imperial examination, similar to the stories of Emperor Qianlong giving names to various snacks.
It's not far-fetched to think that meatballs have been around for over a thousand years, evolving alongside cultures worldwide.
Although both the East and the West developed meatballs, their purposes might have been entirely different.
In the West, meatballs were likely created to avoid wasting small scraps of meat, fish, and organs—chopping them up and rolling them into a ball made them both tasty and presentable.
In China, however, meatballs were probably invented to offer a novel texture, as Chinese cuisine often includes stir-frying. Why waste chopped meat when it could be stir-fried with pickled vegetables?
"Mm~"
At that moment, after finishing a meatball, Anne's delicate face flushed slightly.
Finally, her eyes rolled back as she nearly lost consciousness.
"I can't... handle this!" she exclaimed as she felt herself losing control.