Empathy

After eating and drinking their fill, Leonora and Alice still felt like they wanted more.

Maybe it was because they ate too fast, or maybe it was because the fire dumplings were extremely hot due to the open flame cooking method.

As a result, Leonora was sweating profusely after eating, with beads of sweat trickling down her face, as if the fire dumplings had injected some spirit into her.

Seeing this, Zane kindly offered her a clean handkerchief.

"Thank you."

Leonora, slightly taken aback, took the handkerchief from his hand and wiped her sweat.

She then looked deeply at Zane and smiled, saying, "Zane, these fire dumplings are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Alice and I absolutely loved them!"

Handing back the handkerchief after wiping off the sweat, she added, "I'm very pleased you enjoyed them."

Zane took back the handkerchief with a light smile.

...

"Alice, did you understand something from these fire dumplings?"

"Any dish has two important attributes: taste and texture."

"Most people are very familiar with taste, but texture often gets overlooked."

"In reality, texture is just as important as taste."

"Imagine a fried chicken leg with a soggy crust, shredded pork that feels like wood chips, or ribs that are impossible to chew..."

"No matter how good the flavor is, it's hard to make up for poor texture."

"If you pay close attention, you'll notice Zane's cooking techniques are diverse yet refined."

"Even with ordinary ingredients, he uses surprising methods to create dishes that unify taste and texture."

"In short, there's a lot you can learn from him!"

Leonora, calming down a bit, looked at her daughter and spoke earnestly.

Since coming to Totsuki Academy, she noticed changes in Alice. She was no longer as confident or vain.

As a former genius in the field of molecular gastronomy in Northern Europe, Alice had always valued these modern culinary techniques and was very confident in her abilities.

But now, these molecular gastronomy dishes seemed less significant to her.

When traditional cooking was required, she still lost.

...

"Unifying texture and taste?"

"Can any cooking technique bring out the best in ingredients?"

Alice's eyes sparkled as she listened.

She glanced at Zane out of the corner of her eye.

Knowing Erina was working part-time at the tavern, she felt a mix of surprise, envy, and jealousy.

Even just watching him cook and listening to him every day would be a happy experience.

Only his cooking could surpass molecular gastronomy.

Yes.

For example:

These fire dumplings.

Using a culinary torch to instantly dry all excess moisture made the dumpling skins even crispier.

Such a surprising method was something Alice could never have imagined.

...

As another Nakiri family member, Alice lacked the "main character aura."

In the residential training camp, she performed well, but after the Fall Selection, she fell to the level of a second-rate chef.

Due to her lack of knowledge about common ingredients, she deviated from the cooking challenge and lost to Soma.

She also lost to the new Elite Ten, almost getting expelled.

Clearly, her experiences at Totsuki made her a rather tragic figure.

From Zane's perspective, Alice and Erina had similar issues.

Both were trapped by their own experiences.

They had great potential and talent, but their early success limited their growth.

Erina was brainwashed by Mana, filled with ideas about the superiority of noble cuisine over common food, believing that food should be classified and ranked.

This rigid thinking made her stubborn and arrogant.

She constantly criticized anything that didn't meet her "God Tongue" standards.

She only began to open up after meeting Zane.

Alice, on the other hand, was too focused on the power of modern technology, believing all cooking could be perfected with new techniques.

This caused her understanding to stagnate and lose direction.

...

Late at night, the city shed its gentle facade.

Elite businesspeople began their socializing, while office workers, freed from a day of stress, sought to indulge and release their pressures.

A few men could decide their evening's destination with just a glance, typically choosing between three places:

Nightclubs.

Hostess bars.

Taverns.

Though similar in some ways, these places offered distinctly different experiences, much like Japan's culture of after-work drinks.

Tonight, with the second renovation complete, the tavern's business hours extended from midnight to 2 AM.

As familiar faces like Annie, Momo, Leonora, and Alice left, the tavern finally closed.

"Ding!"

"Host, you have successfully checked in."

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, host, you have obtained special recipes: Silkie Chicken Wrapped Rice and Shadow Beef, and ingredients: 10 Silkie Chickens."

Shadow Beef is a delicacy from Dazhou, Sichuan.

The name "Shadow" refers to the thinness of the beef slices, which are so thin that they can be seen through under light, like the screen in shadow puppetry.

It's said that this dish was created by Ming Dynasty writer Jia Zhongming. He noticed the tenderness of local beef and devised a special method to prepare it.

The beef is cut into thin slices, dried, then roasted over an open flame, creating a shadow-like effect.

Today, Shadow Beef is made through a more complex process, involving slicing beef shank, marinating, drying, roasting, steaming, frying, and stir-frying.

The result is beef as thin as paper, chewy, spicy, and a deep red color, appealing to the senses.

This dish requires precise control of heat, knife skills, and cooking techniques, achievable only by experienced chefs.

...

Next is the special recipe for Silkie Chicken Wrapped Rice.

Silkie chickens, from Indonesia, have black feathers, bones, and organs due to a genetic mutation, though their blood remains red.

Their feathers can appear emerald green under certain lights, earning them the nickname "Lamborghini of chickens."

Silkie Chicken Wrapped Rice focuses on the word "wrapped."

This unique dish is essentially white rice.

In "The Legend of Chinese Cuisine," it's described as: "A solemn and magnificent sweetness, like a surging wave, vibrant and colorful, as if you can hear the blood rushing through your veins!"

The process involves stuffing the rice into the Silkie chicken.

Various spices and herbs are used to stew the chicken, and the dish is eaten by scooping the rice from the chicken's belly.

"Silkie chickens?"

"In the original story, weren't they considered unlucky chickens?"

Receiving the recipes and ten Silkie chickens, Zane was delighted but couldn't help recalling the fear and rejection of Silkie chickens in "The Legend of Chinese Cuisine."

...

"Amazing."

"Extending business hours by two hours brought in 500 customers!"

Meanwhile, Sonoka, busy tallying the day's receipts, was stunned.

Wow!

In a five-star hotel, serving 500 people a day is nothing unusual.

But Zane's tavern is small and has only been open for a couple of months.

Though WGO executives like Annie and top executives like Mana are devoted to Zane's cooking, according to WGO rules, Zane's personal details and the tavern's information haven't been updated in "The Book" and haven't received a star rating.

So, the tavern's fame isn't yet widespread in the culinary world.

Sonoka couldn't help but gaze at Zane in awe.

She thought if he ever chose to cook high-end dishes or run a five-star hotel, his achievements would be astonishing.

...

To reward Erina and Sonoka, Zane decided to make a special dish after cleaning up the tavern.

He prepared Cauliflower Fried Rice.

Using cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, coconut oil, and more, with no actual rice.

First, he washed the cauliflower.

Then, with a sharp knife, he quickly chopped it into small pieces.

Clack!

Clack!

Clack!

The knife's rhythmic collision with the cutting board sounded like beautiful music.

Sonoka, just finished with her tasks, watched in awe as Zane quickly chopped the cauliflower.

A chef's progress typically comes from accumulation, but Zane defied this rule.

He was a mystery; you never knew when he would suddenly excel!

Next, he chopped carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms, heating coconut oil in a pan to stir-fry the vegetables, adding more coconut oil, then the cauliflower, seasoning with mushroom water for extra flavor.

Finally, he seasoned with black pepper and salt, adding onions and eggs, then stir-fried everything together.

...

"Erina, Sonoka."

"This is my last dish for tonight, Cauliflower Fried Rice. Come and eat; it's a reward for sticking with me until 2 AM."

Soon, three bowls of golden cauliflower fried rice were placed before them.

Though no actual rice was used, the aroma was unique and enticing.

Erina glanced at it and was amazed.

"Hmm?"

"Using cauliflower instead of rice?"

She realized something and observed closely.

The tiny cauliflower pieces resembled rice, and their aroma was just like regular rice!

It's known that common foods like fried dough have high calorie counts, but fried rice is relatively low in calories.

Compared to the calorie content of various foods, fried rice is among the lower ones.

Using cauliflower, with its lower calorie content, is a healthier choice, mimicking the look and feel of rice.

...

"No creativity here?"

"Compared to the fire dumplings, this seems plain."

"But at 2 AM, a low-calorie snack like this is suitable."

Erina scooped a small bite of cauliflower fried rice to taste.

The ingredients were mainly vegetables like long beans, carrots, and cauliflower.

But the nutritional value was high, with vibrant colors enhancing the appetite.

"Mm~"

"The cauliflower pieces feel like rice."

"Each bite brings an indescribable

 happiness, filling my taste buds."

"The taste clears my mind, even calming my restless God Tongue."

"No!"

"This tempting cauliflower aroma…"

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