"You two must be the new Frost Class students from Zhejiang, right? I saw you at the opening ceremony. Momo is looking forward to tasting your desserts."
"Teacher Dylan, please have a seat."
Seeing the two already seated, Kubo Momo exchanged a few quiet words. At that moment, someone next to her brought over a chair, which she thoughtfully placed beside Dylan.
"No need to be polite."
Faced with Kubo Momo's kind gesture, Dylan didn't refuse and sat down directly.
The young girl then took another chair offered from behind and sat down right beside him. A wooden table appeared in front of her, and her sitting posture was proper, like a porcelain doll.
"So, what kind of conflict did you have with that Onogishima woman? Why the sudden Shokugeki?"
With nothing else to do, Dylan asked out of curiosity.
Since most of the club members were second and third-year students, his reputation here wasn't high, so no one had paid him any attention until now.
This journey had utterly bored him, and he hadn't had a chance to voice his curiosity.
Now that Kubo Momo was sitting beside him, it was the perfect opportunity to ask about the whole affair.
A team Shokugeki between two Ten Elite members was no small matter at Tootsuki, yet he hadn't heard a single whisper about it. These people sure kept their mouths shut!
"Because that Onogishima woman became the Third Seat in this year's Ten Elite Council battles, her reputation attracted many new members to the Ramen Research Society, transforming it from a medium-sized club into a huge one.
This led to the Ramen Research Society's space becoming too small to accommodate all its members.
So they set their sights on Momo's place, planning to seize it through a Shokugeki. Don't you think they're awful, when this place clearly belongs to Momo?"
As she explained the reason for this team Shokugeki, Kubo Momo pouted in displeasure, her hands hanging by her legs unconsciously clenching.
"I see."
Dylan nodded, not responding to her words.
Survival of the fittest was Tootsuki Academy's motto. Dylan didn't believe that if such an opportunity presented itself to the other party, she wouldn't try to seize it.
It just so happened that Momo was on the challenged side this time.
The Third Seat of the Ten Elite Council versus the Fourth Seat—don't let the small difference in ranking fool you, the gap between them isn't small, so this battle certainly had suspense.
It was understandable that the members of the Dessert Research Society would be worried, resorting to desperate measures in the end.
"They've started. Wonder what kind of dessert they'll make…"
Just as Dylan and Kubo Momo were chatting, a murmur of conversation suddenly broke out in the crowd, drawing both their gazes.
The first to begin cooking was Li Wanwan.
"Hello, could you help me get a few copper molds?"
Li Wanwan glanced at the cooking station in front of her, checked her ingredients, and then spoke to Chun Cai, who was watching from the side.
"Oh, alright."
Chun Cai nodded and, without hesitation, quickly ran back to her station and handed her the copper molds she was using.
Receiving the molds, Li Wanwan thanked her softly, then refocused her attention and began cooking.
The six-cavity mold was for a French dessert. The first step required two vanilla pods, 280 grams of milk, and 30 grams of butter.
She scraped out the vanilla seeds from the pods, added them along with the pods to the milk, then added the butter, and heated it on the stove until it was at a slight simmer for ten seconds.
The difference between having a master teach you and not having one lay precisely here. Without special guidance, and lacking sufficient talent, one wouldn't notice such details.
Watching the gently simmering vanilla milk, Li Wanwan elegantly turned off the heat and set it aside to cool.
56 grams of whole eggs, 22 grams of egg yolks, added to 138 grams of sugar. After stirring clockwise until well blended, she added 56 grams of cake flour.
Next, she added the slightly warmed vanilla milk, stirring clockwise to incorporate them, then added rum and the vanilla pod, and set it aside to rest.
The molds were placed in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees for 4 minutes.
During this process, she took out a small iron pot and added 40 grams of beeswax and 70 grams of butter to it.
After stirring and melting with a spoon, she poured it into the preheated molds straight from the oven, swirled it around once, then poured it out, let it drip dry, and set it aside for about ten minutes.
This effectively prevented sticking.
She took out the rested vanilla milk, filtered it, poured it into the molds, and placed them into the preheated oven. This would take approximately one hour.
After putting the molds filled with vanilla milk into the oven, Li Wanwan let out a long sigh of relief. Regardless, the main part was done.
What she didn't notice was that nearby, Dylan's brow furrowed slightly. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.
Kubo Momo, on the other hand, remained calm, silently watching Li Wanwan cook until she pushed the molds into the oven, only then did she withdraw her gaze.
On the other side.
Huang Mei had been deep in thought for a long time.
Finally, she began to move.
Her very first step instantly shocked everyone.
"So thin! It looks even thinner than paper, right?! What kind of dessert is this? I don't think any dessert requires dough this thin..."
Noticing the dough Huang Mei was working with—or more accurately, the dough 'paper'—a wave of astonishment immediately swept through the crowd.
This dough 'paper', which appeared to be less than 0.1 millimeters thick, kept stretching longer and wider under the effect of the rolling pin, as if it had no limits.
"What kind of dessert is she making?"
People around whispered to each other, none of them knowing what Huang Mei was making. Only Dylan understood, knowing full well that this was something he had taught her.
At that time, to train her Super Touch ability, he had put her through a certain level of special training, such as rolling dough to its absolute limit, or kneading flour by hand, finally making the flour weight accurate to a single gram.
And the dessert Huang Mei was making now, if he wasn't mistaken, should be Baklava, the famous Turkish dessert—the 'ceiling' of the dessert world.
As for why it was called the 'ceiling,' it was because it was truly, incredibly sweet.
Extremely thin layers of dough were covered with creamy cheese, sprinkled with crushed pistachios, layered twenty times, and could be shaped into any form.
Although she hadn't made this dish many times, Huang Mei had long memorized its process, or rather, it was deeply imprinted in her mind.
For no other reason than that Dylan had used the White Luo Snake Turning Chain to make this dessert. That great snake soaring through the sky had left an incredibly profound impression on her; she would likely never forget it in this lifetime.
After placing the prepared Baklava raw pastry into a baking pan and then into the preheated oven, Huang Mei let out a long breath.
"This person is making a Turkish dessert, right? I had it once many years ago, but the name is a bit..."
Her head tilted slightly, as if recalling something.
"Baklava."
"She's now on the final step, mainly using white granulated sugar and lemon.
It requires the combined action of temperature, acidity, water, and time to achieve a perfect balance in the syrup. The lemon's role is to prevent it from solidifying."
Dylan stated the dish's name, while concisely introducing the purpose of Huang Mei's current steps, emphasizing the control of heat.
For others, this wasn't a small difficulty, but for Huang Mei, a genius with Super Touch, it was utterly simple.
She effortlessly adjusted the syrup to a perfect state, watching it thicken on the ladle yet flow smoothly.
And once the syrup was perfectly simmered, the dish reached its final step.
Using oven mitts, she took the Baklava out of the oven, then generously poured the scalding hot syrup over it.
As the syrup and Baklava met, a sizzling sound immediately arose, like heavenly music clearing their minds. Everyone's face lit up with enjoyment.
As chefs, this was undoubtedly the most beautiful sound they could hear in a kitchen.
However, upon the dish's completion, Huang Mei didn't immediately present it. Instead, she skillfully operated a coffee machine, brewing several cups of fresh coffee and carrying them to Dylan.
"Teacher Dylan, please taste."
Her eyes wide with anticipation, the girl's posture was delicate and eager, her face filled with hopeful expectation.
Dylan nodded, reaching out to pick up a piece of Baklava. On top were layers upon layers of flaky pastry, beneath them a creamy cheese and crushed pistachios.
He brought it to his nose and took a sniff.
It was an indescribably sweet aroma.
It possessed both the fresh tang of lemon and the rich, caramelized flavor produced by simmering sugar. The two intertwined, creating an absolutely exquisite flavor profile that was both rich in layers and harmoniously balanced.
Opening his mouth, he took a generous bite.
The paper-thin pastry, like cicada wings, dissolved effortlessly on the tip of his tongue with barely any chewing, releasing a subtle crispness and ultimate delicacy.
Then, the rich and sweet cream cheese slowly bloomed in Dylan's mouth. Its dense texture formed a stark contrast with the light pastry.
The carefully crafted syrup not only added a tempting glaze and color to the entire dessert but also left a profound impression on the palate.
"Seriously, every layer of pastry is unbelievably thin; it just melts in your mouth with a light bite! That crisp sensation is simply intoxicating!"
And the rich sweetness of the cream cheese, perfectly blended with the aromatic crunch of the crushed pistachios, brought a flavor that was both rich and refreshing.
Misaka Mayumi closed her eyes with a look of pure enjoyment. At that moment, she seemed to be submerged in honey, surrounded by overflowing sweetness.
"This needs to be eaten with coffee, otherwise, you'll get tired of it after two pieces."
Kubo Momo said, licking the remnants of Baklava from her fingers, then picked up the coffee in front of her and took a sip with a look of utter bliss.
The slight bitterness and sweetness harmonized, bringing a rich, mellow taste. Compared to just tasting the Baklava, the experience with a cup of coffee was clearly much better.
"This one isn't cute at all, but the taste is alright. I guess you passed."
Seeing the tray of Baklava already emptied by the people around her, Kubo Momo grumbled with a tsundere pout, then lifted her gaze to Huang Mei.
This dish had already reached the verge of a First-Grade Head Chef. It truly showed that anyone Teacher Dylan brought along was this powerful.
To think that even she herself only became a First-Grade Head Chef when she was a first-year going into her second year.
Yet, this person in front of her was probably just starting her first year of high school now. She'd likely reach the First-Grade Head Chef level by winter break. Her future was limitless.
"Teacher Dylan, how does it feel?"
Compared to the evaluations of others around, Huang Mei cared most about Dylan's assessment. She stood before the young man, her face earnest as she asked.
"The pastry can be even thinner, and the filling distribution a bit more even. You can add a tiny pinch of salt inside. And then there's the heat control: increase the oven temperature by 20 degrees, and shorten the baking time by 5 minutes. Overall, it's fine, but..."
Addressing the taste of the dessert in his mouth, Dylan provided the most precise feedback. If adjusted according to his methods, this dish should be able to reach Special Grade.
Super Touch might not be capable of everything else, but for dish simulation, it's absolutely number one.
As long as you tell her the precise fixed quantities and cooking times, she can easily make a Special Grade dish. This is what's called talent.
Hearing Dylan's critique after a long time, Huang Mei nodded seriously, mentally noting everything down. Then she lifted her small head...
"If you factor in the type of coffee brewed afterwards, the proportion of sugar, the proportion of flour, and the proportion of filling when you make Baklava—these ratios all require extra attention."
Taking a sip of the coffee on the table, Dylan continued: "Only by allowing the proportions between the two to reach perfect harmony and mutual coordination can you achieve an effect of one plus one being greater than ten. The way you did it, at most, it's one plus one equals two."
It's not that this method is bad, but when there's room for continuous improvement, you must strive for perfection.
Because Huang Mei possessed such an amazing talent as Super Touch, it would be a waste not to develop it properly. Dylan planned to have her reach Special Grade within two years.
If she was fast, it could even be one year.
This was the astonishing potential of top-tier talent.
"But if you have to coordinate so many things, won't it really lead to losing sight of the big picture and ultimately make the dish taste worse?"
Before Huang Mei could even respond, Kubo Momo, unable to hold back, spoke up. She had a premonition that what Dylan was about to say would be very important to her.
"Of course. That's why you can't be overly ambitious. Do what matches your skill level.
If you can't master complex dishes all at once, then start with simple ones. Learn how to coordinate flavors, how flavors interact with..."
Dylan rattled off a string of words. These were all fundamental principles; mastering them would allow one to create any dish under the sun.
Even he, to this day, had only just barely entered the threshold, merely scratching the surface.
It could be said that without a Super Sensory talent, or decades of culinary accumulation, one shouldn't even consider what he was saying.
"If you want to pursue the path of desserts, and your natural talent isn't exceptional, you can try the most 'stupid' method: go and learn excellent desserts from around the world. Follow their recipes to make them once, then use methods that defy their recipes to continue—"
"Why would you use methods that defy the recipe?"
Dylan's words confused Kubo Momo. She could understand researching excellent desserts from around the world, but why defy their recipes...?
"Because failure is more easily imprinted than success."
Kubo Momo's confusion deepened. She then blinked her big eyes, trying to look cute. Her comprehension was a bit slow; she truly didn't understand what he meant.
"It means that when you fail, you'll know why you failed. Once you understand the principle, next time you make a similar type of dish, even if it's not written in the recipe, you'll subconsciously avoid methods that could lead to failure, because the failure left a deep impression—"
Before Dylan could speak, Huang Mei, unable to listen anymore, started explaining instead. "This little girl is so cute, how can she be so dense?"
"In short, you need to have a spirit of getting to the bottom of things. Thoroughly understanding one dish is more valuable than learning a hundred.
As the saying goes, 'It's better to have no books than to believe everything in them.'"
He raised a hand and lightly tapped Kubo Momo's head, as if to enlighten the girl.
"I understand now, thank you, Teacher Dylan."
Kubo Momo said sincerely.
She had heard a long time ago that a new teacher had arrived at Tootsuki, and that his teaching abilities were formidable.
She hadn't believed it at first. After all, the teacher looked hardly older than she was.
But because the rumors spread so quickly, even if she didn't believe it, she didn't dare openly question him. Coupled with his status as a teacher, she had given him due respect.
However, that had only been superficial respect.
But at this very moment, even though Dylan hadn't displayed his culinary skills, her attitude towards him had shifted from superficial respect to genuine, heartfelt respect.
This person truly knew their stuff.
"My dish is also finished, but it seems there's a slight problem."
Just as Kubo Momo was about to ask something else, Li Wanwan's voice suddenly rang out, tinged with a hint of guilt and helplessness.
Without even turning around, Dylan directly stated Li Wanwan's problem, startling her.
"No... that's right."
Li Wanwan shrank, her head lowered like a deflated balloon. She dared not meet Dylan's eyes, fearing a furious scolding.
"Don't worry, this isn't the Dark Cooking Society. I'm too lazy to scold you guys. Do you know where the problem is?"
Seeing Li Wanwan's expression, how could Dylan not know what she was thinking? He was a little speechless.
"I don't know. Please enlighten us, Leader."
This time, Li Wanwan's words came out very quickly, as if she feared that if she hesitated, she wouldn't dare say it. At the same time, she subtly glanced at Dylan from the corner of her eye.
"The problem lies with the vanilla milk."
"Because it was constantly whisked, there were too many air bubbles inside. Naturally, it would expand and rise after being put into the oven. When you learned this dessert, your master should have told you that it needed to rest in the refrigerator for a day or two, right?"
"Resting for a day or two, is the purpose to eliminate air bubbles? So that it won't rise too much?"
"Exactly. Besides that, using different flours, or different oven temperatures, will also cause changes. That's something you need to experiment with yourself to find out.
If I'm not mistaken, the French dessert you made should be the one known as 'Angel's Bell,' the Canelé, right?"
Dylan accurately stated the name of the dessert Li Wanwan had made.
Although he had never made this dessert himself, he had read about it in books, and its method was long clear in his mind. So, the moment the other party put the molds directly into the oven without resting the batter, he already knew the outcome.
The reason he hadn't said anything was simply to let Li Wanwan experience failure firsthand. The memory left by such an experience would be far more profound and useful than him lecturing hundreds of times!
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Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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I'm counting on your support <3 the director was very sad and scared by what happened...
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