After getting thoroughly scolded by Wendy, I took out the ingredients I’d bought and started cooking.
Just because I’ve lived alone for a long time doesn’t mean I’m some kind of expert in the kitchen.
I can manage simple stir-fries, but something like red wine stew—I only know it vaguely from bits of knowledge. That’s probably pretty normal.
Anyway, for the bouillon… yeah, no time to make that from scratch.
Guess I’ll have to use the flavored instant powder I picked up.
First, I seared the meat and added salt and pepper for seasoning, then gave it a quick stir-fry with some onioru.
Next, I added red wine, tomato, and onioru—ugh, I mean, tomatoes and onions—then started simmering the beef.
Tossed in some honey too, and mixed in the flavor powder dissolved in water. A rich aroma began to rise from the pot.
Tasting it, it didn’t seem bad.
Still, the meat probably won’t get that fall-apart tender texture…
I wonder if I can make a pressure cooker using alchemy.
Might be dangerous though…
But then again, this world has magic stones…
Hmm… there’s just not enough simmering time.
What to do. Well, the smell’s good enough…
Guess I’ll just simmer it as long as I can today.
Next, I pulled out the Moi slices I’d soaked in saltwater and patted them dry.
I poured a generous amount of Olibul oil into a deep frying pan and lowered the mesh strainer into it ahead of time.
「Ah, you’re using Olibul oil for frying?」
「Was that a bad idea?」
「No, it’s just that… it’s expensive. I was worried you were using a lot all at once.」
「Hmm. Well, I was thinking—maybe if I use alchemy to remove the impurities, I can reuse it.」
「I see. In that case, it might be possible. Still, it’s quite a luxury.」
「If it’s a high-grade oil I can reuse, that’d be perfect.」
Once the oil was hot enough, bubbles rose when I dipped in a pair of chopsticks.
Looks about right.
I adjusted the heat to keep the temperature steady, then started dropping in the sliced Moi.
If I added too many at once, the oil temperature would drop, so I put in a moderate amount.
They only needed about two minutes to fry, so it was quick and easy.
Ahh…
Just a sprinkle of salt and they’re done. This is perfect.
I popped one fresh from the oil into my mouth.
Crispy Moi and a touch of salt—absolutely amazing.
If only I had a cold beer to go with it… but no such luck in this world.
Alright, I’ll take the rest of the Moi and cut them up for fries.
And while I’m at it, I’ll make some peperoncino using dried noodles.
「Wendy, can you grill some meat for me? You can season it however you like.」
「Understood.」
I can’t really make anything too elaborate today.
Still, I’ve already bought the ingredients, and in this world, there’s plenty of time to cook fancy dishes.
There are tons of spices, seasonings, and ingredients to work with.
Now then—pizza.
Let’s whip it up quickly.
First, I mix yeast and lukewarm water with a bit of sugar for the initial fermentation.
Then I add flour, the fermented yeast, salt, and a few drops of Olibul oil, dust the surface with flour, and knead the dough.
Once it comes together, I cut it in half, stretch it out, and make the sauce using tomatoes and instant seasoning.
I top it with ingredients and sprinkle on chunks of melting cheese.
Next, I combine the hearth with the Invisible Prison to make a pizza oven, toss in burning charcoal to heat it up, and it should be ready in no time.
All that’s left is to lightly fry some meat.
With flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, it’s easy enough to prepare.
One after another, dishes that Wendy and I made fill the table.
Once I start cooking, it’s hard to stop.
We’ve got at least one big eater in the house, and even though she’s small, there’s another who eats a lot too—no matter how much I make, it never feels like enough.
And even though they’re women, having three adventurers in the house means this much food could vanish pretty fast.
「Master, the meat is done cooking.」
「Alright, let’s switch places. I’ll take over and grill the beef tongue.」
「…ano, are you really going to eat it?」
「Of course.」
「Can’t you reconsider?」
「Absolutely not!」
This is beef tongue, you know, beef tongue!
And thick-sliced, the kind that would go for 2,000 yen a plate at a restaurant!
Ahh, even slicing it thin and tossing it with pasta would taste amazing.
I’ll slice some Remonia fruit to go with it too.
I’m using a frying pan today, but next time it’s definitely going on a grill. I should make a proper mesh rack for it.
As for a shichirin… yeah, I’m pretty sure I can make one if I try.
「Lord, I’m hungry. Not yet?」
「Not yet. We’ll eat when Renge gets back.」
「What if she doesn’t come back?」
「Please don’t say scary things like thatssu…」
Perfect timing—she just came back.
「Ughhh… I’m completely worn outssu… The lord was in bad health, so she was grumpy and kept nagging messu…」
「Hah hah hah. Still, it all went well in the end, didn’t it?」
「I mean, sure it did, but I’m exhaustedssu…」
「Well, well. Yasis, you’re joining us for dinner too?」
「Yes. I shall partake today.」
Nice.
If it’s Yasis, there’s a chance he might eat the beef tongue.
He seems like the type who enjoys learning about the unknown or trying new things.
「Alright, let’s wrap things up, Wendy」
「Yes, I made a salad to finish. Ah, I’ll bring the serving plates」
Ta-da!
All done!
「Impressive. Are there dishes from your homeland here too?」
「Hmm, the way I made them is the same as in my old world, but I think some of these might exist here too」
「That makes sense. This beef stew, for example, feels familiar. But this one, with flatbread topped with ingredients and cheese, I’ve never seen before」
「You mean the pizza? That one really seems like it should exist」
「When baking bread, it’s usually plain. We do sometimes add ham or vegetables after cutting it, though」
「Well, black bread is the standard, so if you don’t eat it with something or dip it in soup, it’s barely edible」
Huh.
Ah, I forgot the soup—wait, looks like Wendy made some after all.
「Anyway, let’s eat before it gets cold」
「Itada…」「「「「「「We give thanks to Reidianna-sama, goddess of bounty and compassion」」」」」」
…Huh?
What was that? No one’s ever done that before…
Now everyone’s staring at me instead.
「Master, what was that just now?」
「Oh, that? Just a common pre-meal ritual from the world I came from」
「Like thissu?」
Renge mimics me, putting her hands together.
「What does it meanssu?」
「Well, since we’re taking in food, which is life, it’s a way to show gratitude」
「I see. Then I’ll do it toossu」
「No, really, you can stick with your own customs」
If I remember right, the goddess was called Reidianna, the goddess of bounty and compassion.
Reidianna…
That’s not the name of a god from my world, is it?
I feel like I’ve heard it before…
「You all don’t usually say that out loud either, right?」
「For regular meals, we pray silently. But for a feast like this, it’s customary to recite a holy verse before eating」
「Huh. Makes sense」
I guess it’s like saying something like “Our Father who art in Heaven” back in my world.
「Alright, let’s eat before it gets cold」
「Yes, it’d be a shame to waste such a nice meal」
Wendy agrees, and everyone looks at me.
What?
「Ehto… the head of the house takes the first bite, and then everyone else begins」
「I see. Then I’ll go ahead and take the first bite」
As Yasis instructed, I took a bite of the beef tongue.
Ooooooh.
Delicious!
It had a firm texture, but it wasn’t tough at all.
Even though I’d only seasoned it with salt and pepper, it was unbelievably good.
I squeezed some lemonia over it and tried another bite—this was even better than the beef tongue I had at that fancy yakiniku place my boss took me to for the first time!
There’s no way beef tongue isn’t eaten in this world.
Could it be that it’s super cheap here and you can eat as much as you want?
「M-Master？」
「Hm? You want some too, Wendy? It’s insanely good」
「No, that’s not it…」
「Oh? What exactly is it that customer-sama eating? It seems to be a kind of meat only you have」
「It’s cow tongue」
「「「Eh…」」」
Hey. The adventurer trio stopped eating mid-bite.
Come to think of it, that pasta had garlic. Is that okay for beastkin?
「I see. Cow tongue, is it? If it’s tasty, I’m curious to try it」
「Then dig in! It’s best while it’s hot!」
「Then, I shall try it right away」
Yasis picked up a slice, and everyone’s eyes followed his every move.
They all watched as he chewed and swallowed.
「This is… a delicacy. The texture is pleasant, and the meat’s flavor is rich and concentrated. It is very delicious」
「Right!?」
「Is this something commonly eaten in your world?」
「Yeah. I’ve hardly ever met anyone who doesn’t like it」
I took another bite.
Ah… so good.
It’d be nice grilled with spicy miso too, though… I wonder if I can find any miso here.
Miso… I want miso.
I’m craving miso soup and white rice.
「Lord, Shiro too. Shiro wants to eat it too」
「Alright, come on. Say ahh」
「Hmm, ahh」
I figured Shiro would want some after hearing it was tasty. Just as expected.
She chewed with sparkling eyes, looking completely taken by it.
Yup, she’s hooked.
「Delicious! One more bite!」
「Go ahead, there’s plenty more where that came from if I keep grilling. Here, say ahh」
「Ahh. Yum!」
Wendy and the adventurers looked like they were watching something unbelievable.
But tasty is tasty. There’s no denying that.
「Uh, I’ll try some too…」
「Don’t do it, Renge! No matter how good it is, that’s a cow’s tongue!」
「Wait, you guys eat bugs, and you’re grossed out by cow tongue?」
Those disgusting things… Oh, I guess it’s the same kind of feeling.
Then I can’t really force them.
Even if it tasted amazing, I wouldn’t want to eat bugs either.
「Well, whatever. No need to force yourselves」
Besides, there’s still plenty more.
The pizza came out perfectly.
The cheese is all melty and gooey.
「This bread is delicious. The cheese and the tometo sauce go perfectly together」
「That’s called pizza. But it’s pretty high in calories, so it’s easy to gain weight from it」
Right after I said that, Wendy’s hand froze mid-air.
She quietly returned the fresh slice of pizza she was holding back to the plate and looked at me with teary eyes.
「D-Do you think I’m fat too, Master?」
「No, not at all. Even if you were a little more plump, it wouldn’t be a problem」
「R-Really?!」
Immediately, Wendy reached back for the pizza she had just put down.
「Heading straight for pigdom. Oink oink」
「I exercise!」
「Don’t be mean, Shiro. Come on, you try it too」
「Already did. It’s tasty, so I warned Wendy not to eat it all」
「I won’t eat it all!」
Not sure if they get along or not.
「How about you guys? The noodles aren’t too strong-smelling, are they?」
「The gario and redtonga give it a nice kick. It’s tasty」
「Yeah. The gario’s a bit strong, but not bad」
「Adventurers eat anything that tastes goodssu! No picky eaters here ssu!」
「Still, the cow tongue… I’m not quite ready for that yet」
「Like I said earlier, you don’t have to force yourself. I wouldn’t eat bugs no matter how good they are」
「You keep saying bugs. Are you talking about caterpillars? Those are tastier than black moam, you know」
「Same deal as the cow tongue. My brain won’t let me. It’s just the mental image」
「I see…」
「Well, eat however you like」
「Yeah, I’ll do that. Hey, Renge! That piece is mine!」
「First come, first servedssu!」
「In that case, I’ll have this one」
「Hey! Sorte, you still have some of your own!」
What a lively table.
「How about you, Yasis? Does the food suit your taste?」
「Yes, it’s a bit heavy, but very delicious. The cow tongue earlier was especially delightful」
「Glad to hear it. You can look forward to the next dish too」
「There’s more?」
「Yeah. It’s another way to prepare beef tongue. Personally, I like this one better」
With that, I headed to the kitchen.
What I pulled out was a certain vegetable.
Shaped like a stick, with what looked like two footmarks, its top was green and the body white—a thick vegetable.
Yes, a leek. Its proper name here is negin.
I lightly seared it, then peeled off the outer layer, grilled the beef tongue with salt, and placed the chopped negin on top.
「This is negi-tongue shio」
It’s one of the classic ways to eat beef tongue—negi-tongue shio.
Some people struggle flipping the tongue on the grill with the chopped negin already on top, but unless you’re at a restaurant, it’s easier to just grill the negin separately and mince it beforehand.
「Ho. These are finely chopped negin, aren’t they?」
「Yep. If you scoop it up like this and eat it all together, it’s really good」
I gave a little demonstration.
Ah, so good. This negin is sweet.
Its mild spiciness and strong sweetness go perfectly with beef tongue.
Even without a salt-based sauce, the flavor from the beef tongue itself makes it delicious.
「Ho. This is tasty. I actually prefer this—it’s lighter and easier to eat」
「There’s a drink that pairs really well with this, but I’m not sure if it exists in this world」
「Hmm. What kind of drink is it?」
「Uh, it’s an alcohol made from barley. It’s fizzy with carbonation」
「Would that be the Empire’s lager, perhaps?」
「Wait, they have that!?」
「Yes. It seems to be a common drink in the Empire. In the Kingdom, wine is more prevalent, but the Empire favors fruit wines and lagers」
「Wow… so it does exist」
Now that I know it’s available, I really want it.
Hmm… maybe I can ask Meira to get some.
「By the way, is that lager served cold?」
「No, it’s usually drunk at room temperature」
「I see…」
In that case, I’ll need a cooling device.
A fridge… maybe I could make one using water magic stones.
This just gave me something else to look forward to.
「If I can get my hands on some lager, let’s drink it with this」
「Oh, thank you for the invitation. I’d love to join you when that time comes」
I wonder if Yasis has ever tried it before.
Without a doubt, the drink that goes best with this is cold beer.
And now I want rice…
I’m Japanese after all, I need my rice.
But I’m sure rice exists here.
The food culture is more developed than I expected, so I believe I’ll find it if I search.
「Lord, seconds!」
Before I realized it, Shiro had started eating the negi-tongue shio and was already asking for more.
I went to grill another batch.
Looking over at the table, most of the food had disappeared while I wasn’t paying attention.
Might as well grill some extra meat too.
When I came back, sure enough, the table was almost empty.
The four others—excluding Yasis and Wendy—were sitting there eagerly waiting for more meat.
The moment I placed it on the table, the meat vanished at incredible speed.
Yasis calmly sipped his wine.
Wendy served me a portion.
Not bad at all.
Somehow, I felt satisfied.
A meal shared with everyone tastes even better, and as the one who made it, nothing could make me happier.
Ah, the fat on the pork belly is delicious.
Man, now I want more meat.
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