Since it was a special occasion, I decided to prepare a wide variety of dishes from different countries—Earth’s countries, that is.
On the bookshelf in the study, I had several cookbooks filled with recipes I rarely made. I’d occasionally flip through them when I ran out of meal ideas, but this time, I planned to fully dive into their contents.
Some dishes were familiar, while others were new to me. A few could be replicated in this world, while others were impossible without the right ingredients.
But accuracy wasn’t my goal here. As long as the dishes turned out delicious and had that ‘authentic’ feel, that was good enough for me.
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To start with something simple, I made American-style fried chicken. Unlike the usual karaage, this version had a thick, crunchy coating and used whole chicken thighs for a more robust bite.
I seasoned it with a curry flavor.
I’d been experimenting with spices similar to cumin for a while, tweaking my own blend. While I hadn’t perfected a full curry dish yet, I figured the spice mix would work well as a seasoning for fried chicken. And it did—it came out pretty close.
Next up, I tackled a pork dish: Mexican carnitas.
It’s a famous ingredient for tacos.
Using wild boar belly, I cut the meat into chunks and seasoned it with a blend of spices I bought from the market in Sidera. After browning the meat, I sautéed onions and garlic in the rendered fat, then added orange juice to create a sauce. I returned the meat to the pot, added more orange juice and sparkling wine, and let it simmer in a pressure cooker until tender. Once it was done, I shredded the meat by hand, leaving it fall-apart tender.
I planned to serve this with various sauces and vegetables, all tucked into warm bread.
For seafood, I made a bouillabaisse.
I had gone to the Dragon’s Village earlier this morning and procured fresh seafood. I started by sautéing shrimp and small fish with salt, pepper, and garlic. Once they were nicely browned, I removed them from the pot and sautéed onions in the flavorful oil. Then I added clams and white wine, covering the pot to let the clams steam open. After that, I returned the shrimp and fish to the pot and added crushed tomatoes, bouillon, and herbs, letting everything simmer slowly until the flavors melded together.
Of course, I didn’t just make meat dishes—I prepared plenty of sides too.
There was a tofu and leafy greens salad, vegetable sticks, turnip soup, butter-sautéed mushrooms and pumpkin, and a batch of sauerkraut I had prepared in advance.
For the salad, I made soy sauce dressing, sesame dressing, and mayo as options. It’s kind of a trope in isekai stories for mayonnaise to be a game-changing ingredient, but unfortunately, this world already had it. I would’ve loved to pull off that ‘mayonnaise genius’ move myself…
The meal also needed carbs.
Aside from our usual rice, I baked bread to go with the carnitas.
I had been getting live yeast and wheat flour from Tomoe-san at the Skylark Pavilion for a while now, and the bread turned out wonderfully soft and fluffy. Yeast is one of those things I wouldn’t have been able to make on my own, so her help has been invaluable.
For dessert, I tried something new—rice pudding, or in simpler terms, sweet milk porridge. Normally it’s made with uncooked rice, but I used leftover rice, simmering it in milk until it turned sweet and soft. I topped it with cinnamon and dried fruits, and while it wasn’t exactly traditional, it came out pretty well. It had a gentle flavor, perfect for Mint to enjoy.
With all these dishes prepared, the family gathered around the table, and the feast began.
Of course, just because the milk porridge is sweet doesn’t mean we’re skipping dessert.
First, there’s sesame tofu with honey syrup.
Then, a rare cheesecake with blueberries and a topping of mini tomato jelly.
I’ve also prepared a fruit platter with offerings from Tir na Nog and for the bananas and peaches, I mashed them into a soy milk shake. And with that, all the dishes are ready.
I might have skipped out on the usual Japanese-style dishes, but I’ll save those for tomorrow, for New Year’s.
After surveying the countless dishes laid out on the living room table, I gave a satisfied nod and called out to everyone waiting in the guest room.
「Dinner’s ready!」
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Winter days are short, even in another world.
As the sun began to set, casting the sky in the colors of twilight—around five o’clock by Japanese standards—our family dinner started, lively and full of cheer.
「Honestly, Sui, you’re amazing… making all of this on your own.」
「Mou, I offered to help, and so did Viole-sama!」
「Yes, but Sui-kun seemed really eager to handle it all.」
「Sorry, I just wanted everyone to take it easy today.」
「Uuuu smells good! Mint eating meat tonight!」
「Bark!」
「Kyururuu!」
Since it’s a family gathering, we couldn’t leave Pochi out. Like always, we opened the sliding door and had him stick his body through so he could join us for the salad.
Of course, if we left it like that, the cold air would seep in and chill both the room and the food, but thanks to mother’s magic, she blocked the transfer of heat. So, the room stayed nice and warm.
「You prefer the cold, don’t you?」
「Bark!」
Chocola quietly slipped outside and settled down next to Pochi. So, I brought over a plate piled high with unsalted boiled meat for them to enjoy.
「Alright, before Chocola drools all over the terrace…」
Mother and grandma had wine, while Karen and I had juice with a splash of spirits, and Mint got plain juice. Pochi and Chocola, who had been waiting eagerly, got a glance from me to hold on just a little longer.
「Cheers!」
And so, the Hatano family’s New Year’s Eve celebration began.
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