"Dylan Sensei, where are we heading next?" Dragging her luggage, with the streetlights having already dimmed, Kikuchi Sonoka looked at Dylan
"Dylan Sensei, where are we heading next?"
Dragging her luggage, with the streetlights having already dimmed, Kikuchi Sonoka looked at Dylan walking ahead and asked curiously, blinking her eyes.
"Let's find a hotel nearby. There seems to be one over there. Since it's on this commercial street, we might be able to gather some information."
Pointing to a hotel not far away, a thoughtful expression appeared on Dylan's face.
"Let's go with that one. But with your skill, Dylan Sensei, shouldn't winning be easy? Is there really a need to specifically gather information?"
Kikuchi Sonoka asked with a puzzled expression. Although Joichiro Yukihira's strength was not weak, with Dylan's level of skill, defeating him should be quite easy, right?
After all, the gap between a Five-Star Special Grade Chef and a Seven-Star Special Grade Chef was like a chasm!
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles."
Dylan said faintly.
"A chef's rank doesn't represent anything. Those are just unimportant, empty titles. You can't disregard an opponent just because their chef rank is lower than yours. If you hold such an idea, you'll suffer a great loss sooner or later."
Taking the luggage from Kikuchi Sonoka's hand and looking up to see her nonchalant face, Dylan frowned and spoke. He suddenly realized that these people from Tōtsuki took this chef ranking system too seriously, liking to judge based on seniority. This was not a good thing.
"After you graduate, don't rush to take more ranking exams. Calm down and let your skills settle for a few years. If there's anything about cooking you don't understand, you can come and ask me."
Carrying the two suitcases up the hotel stairs, the two had already arrived at the check-in area as they spoke. The person in charge of registration was a young man wearing glasses. Seeing them walk over, his face immediately broke into a wide smile.
"Welcome! Would you two like to book a room by the hour or a couple's suite? Our couple's suites have quite a variety of features, like waterbeds, atmospheric lighting..."
"Just one room with a king-sized bed will do."
Dylan interrupted the man's introduction and spoke. And behind him, Kikuchi Sonoka's face turned red after hearing his words.
The thought of him saying on the train, "When the time comes, I'll let you know how formidable I am!" surfaced in her mind.
Gulp.
"Is it going to happen sooner than planned?"
Swallowing hard, Kikuchi Sonoka thought to herself. At this moment, her heart was beating slightly faster, while Dylan, after paying and registering, got the room key and headed straight for the second floor.
"Wait for me."
Kikuchi Sonoka came to her senses, called out in a low voice, and then followed him with big strides, soon arriving at the room on the second floor with him.
"Dylan, I've prepared myself. Please, be gentle with me!"
Just before entering the room, Kikuchi Sonoka suddenly grabbed his sleeve. She no longer called him 'Sensei' but used his name. Her voice contained shyness but was full of determination.
"What are you thinking? It's not time yet. I only got one room because I wanted to use you as a soft pillow. After all, you feel really nice to hug."
Placing the luggage in the corner of the room and looking at the young woman's shyness, Dylan helplessly tapped her on the head and said these words. Although they couldn't take the final step, sleeping while hugging was still acceptable. After all, they were a couple; these were very normal things.
"You said those things on the train, got my feelings all stirred up, and now you're being irresponsible. Dylan Sensei, you're such a bad man!"
Hearing Dylan's words, the courage Kikuchi Sonoka had just mustered dissipated. She playfully punched his chest and said with some shy annoyance.
"Then should I help you take care of it manually?"
Dylan's voice was tinged with teasing.
"No need! I will hold onto this anticipation and keep waiting!"
Hearing Dylan's earnest suggestion, Kikuchi Sonoka's face flushed 'swoosh,' the blush even spreading to her ears and neck, and a layer of mist formed in her eyes.
"I see, so Sonoka is the type who endures until the end and releases everything at once. My apologies, my apologies. In that case, please feel free to endure for now."
He swept Kikuchi Sonoka up into his arms, then tossed her onto the bed. Leaning over, he personally helped her take off the shoes she had worn all day. Then, he slowly peeled off the black stockings that bound her thighs, accentuating their perfect shape.
After finishing this, Dylan slipped into the bed from the foot of the bed, and like hugging a large bolster pillow, he buried his head.
"Mmm..."
Feeling the pressure on her body, Kikuchi Sonoka gently hugged Dylan's head with a tender expression.
In the early morning, sunlight streamed into the room.
Kikuchi Sonoka drowsily opened her eyes, then lazily stretched. The blanket on her body slipped off with her movement, revealing large patches of snow-white skin.
"Nn~ Mmm~ Ah~ It's been so long since I've slept this comfortably!"
Feeling the comfort spreading throughout her body, Kikuchi Sonoka let out some indistinct hums, then said with a sigh. Perhaps it was the softness of the bed, or perhaps it was the warmth of the man; she had slept incredibly soundly this night.
"One month? I'm really looking forward to it!"
Her fingers touching her chest, feeling the warmth within, a blush appeared on Kikuchi Sonoka's face. She then threw off the blanket, got up, picked up the scattered clothes around her, and began to get herself ready.
After applying a little bit of a "no-makeup" makeup look, Kikuchi Sonoka looked at herself in the mirror, coquettishly tousled her hair to make it look messy, feigning a just-woke-up appearance. Once finished, she slipped on the hotel's slippers, opened the door, and just as she was about to go out, an extremely rich aroma wafted up from downstairs.
"What's that smell?"
Kikuchi Sonoka was a bit puzzled. She closed her eyes to sense the source of the aroma and finally determined it was coming from downstairs. She tiptoed downstairs and soon arrived at the place where the rich aroma was emanating from.
The hotel kitchen.
"You're finally up. It seems you have a telepathic connection with this dish. I just finished making it, and you arrived. Go wash up and get ready to eat."
Looking at Kikuchi Sonoka, who had appeared at the doorway at some unknown time, Dylan couldn't help but tease, then pointed to a washstand not far away.
"This is... the smell of bread, and also chicken and sesame."
Closing her eyes and taking two deep breaths, Kikuchi Sonoka carefully sniffed the aroma in the air and then stated the secret ingredients of Dylan's dish.
"That's right, you have a pretty good nose. Today's breakfast is this Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet, fried with these three ingredients."
"Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet?"
Swallowing, Kikuchi Sonoka saw the bamboo basket in front of Dylan, piled high with one piece after another of golden-brown chicken cutlets.
"The characteristic of popular cuisine is to quickly create delicious dishes with simple ingredients. The method is simple and easy to replicate. In other words, the core of this competition is to produce a large quantity of delicious food in the shortest amount of time. Alright, go wash up quickly, then come over and taste the dish."
"Got it."
Hearing Dylan's urging, Kikuchi Sonoka nodded in agreement, then quickly went to the washstand, a conflicted expression on her face.
"The third pink cup on the washstand has a new toothbrush and toothpaste, and also the pink towel above it. I bought these when I was buying ingredients. You can use them."
Dylan's voice came over. Kikuchi Sonoka nodded in pleasant surprise, then took the cup and towel and skillfully washed up. After finishing, she quickly came to Dylan's side, looking expectantly at the Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet on the plate, which was golden in color and emitting a flowing light from its surface.
The combination of bread, chicken cutlet, and sesame usually only appeared in burgers and was rarely seen in other dishes. This cooking method of Dylan's was undoubtedly an innovation. She just didn't know what the final taste would be like. Would it be even more delicious than a burger?
Observing the dish before her, Kikuchi Sonoka's mind conjured up its preparation method.
Slices of bread with the four crusts cut off, leaving only the pure white part inside. A chicken paste, whipped until firm, is spread on top, and then it's fully coated with sesame seeds. This created a triple-layered texture of crispy, tender, and crunchy. Kikuchi Sonoka didn't hesitate to open her mouth and take a bite.
"Eight words to describe it: crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, savory, fragrant, and crunchy!"
While savoring the deliciousness, a happy expression appeared on the young woman's face. As the food went down, waves of pleasure washed over her body, making her feel exceptionally refreshed.
But compared to the impactful force she felt when tasting his dishes in the past, the current waves were much calmer, giving a sense of a long, gentle flow.
"Especially that chicken paste, the texture is exceptionally fine, giving a gentle and smooth feeling, completely different from the taste of eating a regular chicken cutlet. The texture has been elevated by several levels. Why is that?"
Lifting her eyes, Kikuchi Sonoka asked curiously. She had also made many chicken cutlet dishes, some using thigh meat and some using breast meat, but she had never made a chicken cutlet with such a fine texture.
If it was simply ground into a chicken paste, it shouldn't be able to achieve this level. There must be a secret she didn't know! Thinking of this, a glint appeared in Kikuchi Sonoka's eyes.
"Do you know the dish Hibiscus Chicken Slices?"
Dylan didn't answer immediately but asked her this question instead.
"I know. Hibiscus Chicken Slices is a famous dish in Chinese Shandong cuisine, usually made with ingredients like chicken breast and eggs. After being cooked, it's named for the chicken slices' pure white color, soft and smooth texture, and shape resembling a hibiscus flower."
Kikuchi Sonoka nodded, clearly having heard of this dish long ago, and could even recount the method to Dylan.
"That's right. My Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet uses the cooking method from Hibiscus Chicken Slices to process the chicken part. I manually minced the chicken breast into a paste, then added ginger-scallion water and whipped it until firm. And the reason it's so fine is mainly because of this."
As he spoke, Dylan pointed to the chicken paste in another bowl. At a glance, it looked no different from ordinary chicken paste, but upon closer inspection, one could see that the pale yellow chicken meat was filled with faint white specks.
"Is that fascia?"
"Correct. Even after prior processing, a lot of fascia remains on the chicken meat, so the chef needs to remove the fascia from the chicken paste. And this process is an extreme test of the chef's eyesight. If even a tiny bit of fascia is missed, it might end up in the dish and become an imperfect flaw!"
Taking a bite of the Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet and savoring the taste, a satisfied expression appeared on Dylan's face.
"Is this the dish you're preparing to compete with? It's truly ingenious! If the competition is based on the number of portions sold, then it's almost impossible for us to lose!"
Looking at the not-so-large chicken cutlets in the basket, Kikuchi Sonoka couldn't help but praise. With this portion size, a normal man would need at least seven or eight pieces to feel full. If victory was determined by the number of portions sold, then Dylan absolutely couldn't lose!
"No, this is only a part of it. There's an unwritten rule in this kind of cooking competition, which is that the dish sold must be enough to fill an adult man."
Dylan shook his head, stating one of the unwritten rules of this kind of street competition: the dish sold must be enough for one person. 'One person' here referred to a normal adult man with a regular appetite.
The purpose of this was naturally for regulation; otherwise, if one could sell a single culinary element as one portion, wouldn't it be chaotic?
"I see, that makes sense, to prevent people from finding loopholes. So what are you planning to make next?"
Hearing Dylan's explanation, a thoughtful expression appeared on Kikuchi Sonoka's face. She then picked up another piece of Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet to eat, while curiously asking Dylan.
"A Treasure Trove of Small Eats."
Dylan said faintly.
"A Treasure Trove of Small Eats? Does that mean you're going to make many different types of dishes? Is it necessary to be so troublesome..."
Kikuchi Sonoka was a bit puzzled.
"People's tastes are very strange. Some like sweet, some like salty, some can't live without spice, and some treat vinegar like water. To satisfy the needs of so many people, it's difficult to do so with just one type of dish."
Hearing the young woman's confusion, Dylan began to explain.
"You might think that a great chef can make someone who hates spicy food go all out to eat spicy food, and make someone who hates sour flavors lose control. But, since I have the ability to satisfy their preferences, why should I deliberately go against them? As the saying goes, go with the flow."
Watching Kikuchi Sonoka's constantly changing expressions, Dylan continued to explain. Since there was no limited theme for the cooking, he naturally had to do his best in every aspect. Catering to the customers' tastes was also an important part of the competition.
"I see. So are you going to prepare shrimp next?"
Kikuchi Sonoka nodded as if she understood, then looked at the other ingredients on the cutting board and was surprised to find shrimp there.
"That's right. I'm making four dishes in total. The Sesame Fragrant Chicken Cutlet will be the main course. Next, I'll make a shrimp dish, a beef dish, and a dessert."
"No soup?"
"The soup will be an extra bonus. I'll just use seaweed and eggs to cook a large pot of Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup. Those who want it can serve themselves."
Hearing Kikuchi Sonoka's question, Dylan spoke. Because the ingredients couldn't be prepared in advance, some complicated soups were directly abandoned by Dylan, who chose the simplest Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup.
"So, what shrimp dish are you planning to make? Is there anything I can help with?"
"Jade Hairpin Prawn Balls. You just watch quietly from the side."
"First step, remove the heads and shells from the prawns, but the tail must remain completely on the prawn's body, without any damage. Make an incision down the middle to remove the shrimp's digestive tract, and at the same time, remove the prawn's surface membrane."
Looking at the lively prawns in the water, Dylan slapped the cooking station. The prawns in the water all flew into the sky and were shelled by the Seven-Star Knives. The shrimp heads piled up into a small mountain, the shrimp bodies landed next to the heads, and the perfectly processed tail-on shrimp fell into a plate, caught by Dylan's hand.
Then, with a slide of his knife, he removed the digestive tract along with the surface membrane.
"Prawn balls processed this way are whiter and cleaner, and their texture will be more tender than unpeeled shrimp. Rubbing them with salt and rinsing with water will change the nature of the shrimp meat due to osmosis and the salty taste, thereby achieving a crispier texture."
Seeing Kikuchi Sonoka's eager eyes, Dylan explained.
"In Guangzhou, they need to marinate shrimp in alkaline water, but that takes too long and is not suitable for cooking popular cuisine that needs to be completed quickly. So I used the processing method from Shandong cuisine."
"Cornstarch and water, wash the shrimp meat again. This can effectively wash out the pigment sunk deep inside the shrimp, making it whiter and more beautiful. After this, rinse with running water, then prepare the side ingredients for the Jade Hairpin Prawn Balls."
Dylan said as he looked at the basket on the side, which contained green bamboo shoots, carrots, bamboo shoots, ginger, and small green onions. He neatly arranged them on the cutting board, and with a flash of his knife, a "da-da-da" sound was heard, and these ingredients became fine threads the size of matchsticks.
After processing, they were blanched in boiling water one by one to remove any off-smells from the raw materials. Moreover, they would be threaded into the prawns later, so this would help them cook synchronously.
After blanching, he took them out. Dylan picked up the prawns on the side and dried them with a paper towel.
Then he added salt, a small amount of MSG, pepper, and yellow wine to give the ingredients a base flavor, rubbing them to allow the seasoning to penetrate, then added an appropriate amount of cornstarch to create a slurry.
"Sonoka. I ask you, what is the difference between a batter and a slurry?"
Seeing Kikuchi Sonoka watching with great interest from the side, Dylan asked. The sudden question sent a chill down the young woman's back.
"Batter is suitable for frying, slurry is suitable for stir-frying. The purpose of both is to lock in the moisture of the ingredients."
Fortunately, Kikuchi Sonoka knew the answer. After thinking for a moment, she replied, her eyes filled with a desire for approval.
"Bingo. It seems you still remember what I taught you before. Next, thread the three vegetable threads into the prawn, pierce the prawn meat with its tail, and thread the three threads through the resulting gap."
Dylan nodded, then threaded the three vegetable threads into the shaped prawn and placed it on a plate to set aside. After all of them were threaded, he placed them in cool water.
"Don't move them around at this time, or the slurry will easily come off, and all the flavor inside will escape. Also, don't use high heat, as that will make the shrimp meat tough at once. Use warm water to poach the shrimp until cooked. The water should be at a gentle simmer when it's ready to be taken out."
Dylan explained as he lifted the pot. At this moment, the water in the pot was at a gentle simmer, and the prawn balls were at the borderline between tender and tough.
"Prepare the seasoning before stir-frying. Salt, a little sugar, pepper, yellow wine, and starch slurry, then add a little water, and that's enough."
Looking at Kikuchi Sonoka beside him, Dylan taught her step-by-step. Because this dish was more about tasting the original flavor of the ingredients, not much seasoning was needed.
Dylan prepared the same sauce as he used for marinating the shrimp, so that the flavors of both could be unified, and at the same time, because they were added at different times, it created a certain degree of layering.
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