The kitchen gradually filled with the rich aroma of Worcestershire sauce.
The ingredients were still simmering, but the complex blend of aromatic vegetables, fruits, and spices—familiar to me, yet entirely new to everyone else—had already taken on that distinct scent.
「It smells sweet and spicy at the same time… It’s such a strange scent. I can’t even imagine what it will taste like. Right, Mint?」
「Want do it… when? Soon…?」
Peering into the pot, Karen and Mint exchanged excited words.
Standing beside them, I glanced over and said,
「We can probably strain it soon. After that, we’ll put the strained sauce back on the heat until it thickens slightly, and then it’ll be done.」
「Hmm, got it. Mint, grab a bowl and a strainer.」
「Uuuuー!」
I decided to leave the task to them. Karen had gotten pretty good at this sort of thing, so I wasn’t too worried.
「Alright, now as for Mother and Grandma…」
I headed over to check on the adults.
「Looks good, the meat is properly minced.」
「Ah, Sui-kun. How is it? We followed your instructions exactly.」
「The machine should be working fine too. Can you take a look?」
Relief was evident on their faces as they awaited my approval.
「Thanks, great job. You handled the mincer carefully too, so there’s nothing to complain about.」
Hearing that, they exchanged proud smiles, looking visibly pleased. They had only minced meat, yet they seemed so accomplished. Then again, when I first started cooking, even managing to dice vegetables properly had made me happy.
It looked like we were ready to move on to the next step.
Looking around at everyone, I clapped my hands together, then cast a glance at the task I had been working on earlier—the pile of boiled round yams and finely chopped onions.
「Alright, everyone, good work so far. Go ahead and wash your hands.」
Rolling up my sleeves, I stepped in front of the yams and onions.
「Take a little break if you want. I’m going to start making the filling now.」
※※※
「Waaah… Chocola, soaking wet! Kittens too!」
「Bark! Bark bark!」
When Mint slid open the glass door, Chocola and the kittens rushed over.
「Ah— stop, okay! Mint middle cooking! We play later!」
「Kuuun…」
Standing on the porch, Mint spread her arms wide, stopping them in their tracks. She knew it wouldn’t be good to get dirty in the middle of cooking, and she seemed determined to follow the rule. But—deep down, she probably wanted nothing more than to play. Her body swayed slightly from side to side, unable to contain her excitement.
「When done cooking, we play tag together, okay? Chocola, better ready!」
「Bark!」
Chocola, understanding the situation, didn’t pounce on Mint. Instead, he stopped just short and sat down obediently. Or perhaps… was he just trying to act like a responsible big brother in front of the kittens?
Watching this scene from the corner of my eye, I continued preparing the croquette filling.
I sautéed the chopped onions until they turned a rich brown, then added butter and ground meat to the pan.
As I mixed everything thoroughly, I seasoned it with salt, sugar, and a generous amount of black pepper. Once the butter had melted and the meat changed color, I turned off the heat and moved on to mashing the round yams.
This time, I prepared two different textures: one mashed roughly, leaving some chunks, and another mashed until completely smooth. Since we were frying a large batch, having a variety in texture would make things more interesting.
Finally, I combined the sautéed meat and onions with the mashed yams—technically, not potatoes, but close enough—then divided the mixture into separate bowls for each type.
「All set. Everyone, come over here.」
On the kitchen counter, I arranged the bowls of croquette filling. Beside them, I laid out trays of flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs—everything ready for the final step before frying.
With my family gathered in front of the counter, I made an announcement.
「Shape the filling into patties, coat them in the breading, and once they’re fried, they’ll be done. And… from here on, everyone is going to help make the croquette filling!」
Karen was the first to catch on, a playful grin spreading across her face.
「Filling… you mean the inside of the croquettes?」
「Exactly.」
「So me, Mint, Viole-sama, and Grandma are the ones rolling them?」
「That’s right.」
「Wait… even Mother and Grandma?」
「Yep.」
「I see. Now I understand what you meant earlier, Sui.」
「Hmm.」
Mother and Grandma widened their eyes in surprise, but soon, those eyes sparkled with amusement.
Then, as if on cue, the three of them turned to look at Mint, who still seemed confused.
「Uuー?」
「Mint, do you remember what I said before we started cooking?」
With their gazes on her, I stepped forward, holding a bowl of filling and tilting it slightly so she could see inside. Smiling, I continued.
「I said we would make dinner together. Mint, you’re not just making the sauce. Right now, we’re going to shape these croquettes together. And when you roll your own, I’ll fry them. That way, you’ll have croquettes that you made yourself.」
「……, ……fu,」
Mint, who had been staring blankly, slowly processed my words.
The tasks she usually did as “helping out” weren’t always visible once the meal was complete. Mixing dressing, grinding sesame seeds, watching over the pot—important jobs, no doubt, but when it came time to eat, there was no clear proof of her contribution.
The Worcestershire sauce from earlier was the same. Even though she and Karen had made it together, it still felt like she was just “helping.” After all, Karen had to handle most of the critical tasks, like chopping ingredients and operating the stove.
But this—this was different.
Shaping the croquette filling with her own hands meant that Mint’s croquettes would truly be hers.
The food she made.
「F—Fwooooooaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!」
Realizing this, Mint let out an ecstatic cry.
「The ones Mint rolls… will turn into croquettes!? The ones Mint rolls… everyone will eat them!?」
「That’s right.」
「Mother, Grandma, Karen, and Sui… will eat the croquettes that Mint makes!?」
「That’s right.」
「Fwoooooooaaahhh! Amazing! Amazing!! Sui, I love you!」
「Whoa—」
Overcome with excitement, she charged at me, pressing her head into my waist. I quickly placed the bowl onto the kitchen counter and patted her head.
「And it’s not just for us. We’ll also make a separate batch of mashed potatoes for Chocola—without the ingredients that dogs can’t eat. Mint, you’ll help mix that too. And this time, Pochi’s salad will be your job as well.」
「Uuuu—!!」
Mother, Karen, and Grandma all smiled warmly at the sight.
「Fufu. Of course, Mint, you’ll get to eat the croquettes we make too.」
「Hmm. Everyone will eat the croquettes that everyone made.」
「I wonder if I can shape them well. Mint, let’s do our best together.」
「Do it! All us, together! Mint do best!!」
The storm outside still raged, but inside, the room felt as bright as a clear blue sky.
Holding Mint’s eager hands, I encouraged her.
「Alright, let’s get started. Wash your hands again, and let’s get back to cooking.」
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