「Sui-kun, should we grind all the meat here?」
「Yeah. Just follow the instructions on the paper I stuck there.」
Mother and Grandma were huddled together in front of the mincer.
Neither of them was particularly skilled in the kitchen. Mother (and it feels a little odd to say this about my own Mother) wasn’t exactly gifted in cooking, and Grandma, having been born and raised as a noble, had probably never held a knife before.
So, while I was boiling the potatoes, I kept a discreet eye on them.
「Let’s see, the beef and pork here need to go through the machine twice.」
「The other block only needs to go through once. I wonder what the difference is.」
「Who knows… But Sui-kun’s instructions are never wrong. We just need to follow them.」
「Fufu, you’re right. There’s no point in amateurs overthinking things.」
The meat had already been cut into blocks to make grinding easier, and it was even weighed and portioned out in grams to avoid any mistakes.
Half of the meat would be ground twice, and the other half only once. I wasn’t just making croquettes—I was also planning to make minced cutlets. Well, minced cutlets are technically still in the croquette category…
「Alright, I’ll feed the meat in, and you turn the handle. Slowly and carefully, okay?」
「I know. …I’ve already turned off my body enhancement.」
「If it gets stuck, don’t force it. Ask Sui for help.」
「I know! It’s not like I don’t have any credibility… I know…」
Watching Mother and Grandma bicker so amiably made me smile.
A niece born into unfortunate circumstances and an aunt who hadn’t realized it for a long time. They had once lived together, but their relationship had soured and they drifted apart. After many twists and turns, they finally reconciled, and through us children, they became proper family again. That’s why both Mother and Grandma cared deeply for each other and wanted to cherish their bond. Even if it was just a simple task, doing something together like this was undoubtedly a happy time for them.
But since they seemed to be handling the mincer just fine, I turned my attention to Karen and Mint.
「Look, Mint, there are so many ingredients lined up. We’re going to use all of them. It’s amazing.」
「Onions! Celery, carrots, tomatoes… and even apples!」
Mint excitedly pointed at each ingredient lined up in the kitchen, while Karen gently placed a hand on her back.
「Hey, Sui, did you get the apples from Four Seasons-san’s place?」
「Yeah. They’re not in season at the market right now.」
Karen nodded while glancing at the recipe in her hands.
「Let’s see… Onions, celery, carrots, and apples need to be diced. Tomatoes need to be crushed, and ginger and garlic need to be minced. There’s also fish sauce, vinegar, and a lot of spices. Hmm… I can’t even imagine what it’ll taste like.」
「What gonna taste like? Excited!」
「Hmm, me too. Let’s get started. I’ll chop the ingredients, and you can put them in the pot, okay?」
「Uuuu!」
The two of them cheerfully began making the sauce.
Worcestershire sauce is made by simmering aromatic vegetables, spices, and fruits, then straining and reducing the mixture. As long as the recipe proportions are followed correctly, there shouldn’t be any mistakes.
By the way, I had once considered whether we could popularize Worcestershire sauce in Sidera. But as I mentioned earlier to Karen, since fruits aren’t available year-round, it’s difficult to produce the same flavor consistently. If we had canning technology, we might be able to preserve them in syrup, but that’s a bit too ambitious for now—so the plan is on hold.
「Well, I’ve already shared the idea, so I’m sure Sidera will come up with something eventually.」
After all, Worcestershire sauce was originally created as a way to preserve leftover vegetables and fruits. The story goes that people stored them in jars with vinegar and spices to prevent spoilage, and that’s how the sauce was born. So even if we can’t produce it as a commercial product, households might be able to reuse vegetable scraps and fruit peels as a seasoning.
Honestly, I’m not trying to invent new products. I just want to help improve people’s lives—and using Earth’s knowledge as if it were my own idea still feels a little awkward.
「……Bark! Bark, bark!……」
As I was lost in thought, I heard Chocola barking in the yard.
The playful meows of the kittens soon followed.
Peeking out through the sliding glass door, I saw them energetically chasing each other around in the rain.
「Doesn’t seem like trouble… They sure look like they’re having fun.」
Although the storm was directly overhead, the barrier had weakened the wind and rain. Within the confines of our home, it was more of a steady drizzle rather than a downpour. It wasn’t enough to hinder their running around—if anything, the rain might have felt refreshing.
「Well, getting some exercise now and working up an appetite isn’t a bad idea.」
The kittens, who had once nursed from their mother when we first met, had grown enough to sink their teeth into meat. Even so, their growth was still much slower than that of Earth’s predators. They must belong to a species with a long lifespan.
Now that I think about it, Chocola was a puppy for a long time too.
Even though he’s older than us, he was still small when we first arrived in Japan. That’s probably why I misunderstood his age.
Of course, the smilodon mother and her cubs were wild animals, not our pets. One day, they might leave and find a new home elsewhere. Or perhaps something unfortunate might happen, and we’d never see them again.
But at the very least—
The Hatano family isn’t moving anywhere. As long as they remain in the area, I hope those three kittens continue to grow strong. And if possible, I’d like for us to live alongside them—close enough to watch over them, but without getting in their way.
「Well, anyway, it’s time for our lunch.」
The round yams should be just about done boiling. Mother and Grandma were probably getting tired of turning the mincer by now.
I turned my gaze away from Chocola and the kittens playing in the yard. With my back to the sliding glass door, I headed to the stove. Once I took the soft yams out of the pressure cooker and mashed them up, it would be time for everyone to shape them together.
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