The General's Mansion.
This place represents the center of Totsuki's power, and it is also the residence of the supreme ruler.
Gin Dojima, as an honored guest, couldn't help but show excitement in his eyes after taking a sip of champagne.
Sweet.
Slightly bitter.
A fresh aroma emanated from the mature wine.
The delicate bubbles, fresh fruit aroma, and lingering aftertaste instantly captivated him.
Although the taste of champagne itself is very special, encompassing sour, sweet, bitter, and salty notes, it is rare to find a wine with such rich flavor and layered texture.
So much so that Gin Dojima only came back to his senses after a long time!
...
"How is it?"
The General asked, withdrawing his gaze.
"Such quality is absolutely exceptional among many champagnes, perfectly suited for pairing with fine dishes at a luxurious banquet."
Gin Dojima stated calmly, his eyes fixed on the champagne in his glass.
"To you, does it not feel familiar?" The General chuckled lightly upon hearing this, and asked again.
"Familiar?"
"I... I have indeed never tasted this wine before."
Gin Dojima paused slightly, then after a brief thought, he shook his head and replied.
"Gin, to be honest with you, this champagne was actually brewed personally by Saiba."
Seeing that he truly couldn't discern it, the General could only helplessly explain.
"Saiba?"
Upon hearing this, Gin Dojima was immediately stunned!
Then he stared blankly at the brilliant amber-like liquid in his glass, frowning and trying his best to recall: "I never thought he could create something so fresh and gentle!"
After speaking, he sighed faintly, and his eyes began to show a hint of confusion.
...
"His affairs will be discussed in detail later."
"The main reason I invited you to Totsuki Culinary Academy this time is related to the Autumn Elections."
"Although the Autumn Elections are an internal affair of the academy and should be managed and overseen by the Elite Ten, firstly, they don't have that much time and energy, and secondly, their experience is not as rich as yours."
"Things like the construction of the competition venue, contacting and entertaining the judges, and collaborating with various food suppliers, and so on."
"These matters would probably not work out without your assistance!"
"So, Gin, we'll have to rely on you a lot during this period."
The General picked up his drink and downed it in one gulp, then exhaled a cloudy breath of wine, speaking calmly.
"General, since you've said so, then naturally I have no reason to decline."
"Don't worry, I will definitely work hard to assist the current Elite Ten and strive to make this Autumn Elections a complete success and a grand event!"
Realizing that the General valued him, Gin Dojima couldn't help but feel flattered, and quickly agreed.
"Good."
"You've worked hard!"
The General couldn't help but show a hint of a smile, then personally poured him more wine.
...
A pure, delicate wine aroma quickly spread.
Although this champagne was not very rich, its infinite aftertaste after swallowing was its strong point.
Gin Dojima exhaled a breath of wine, and finally couldn't help but exclaim: "Time really flies, the scene of Saiba dropping out of school midway always comes back vividly, as if it were just yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, nearly 20 years have passed."
"Yes! It's indeed almost 20 years."
General Senzaemon Nakiri's gaze deepened, indicating he deeply felt the same way.
"General, he... how is he doing?"
Gin Dojima began to eagerly inquire about Joichiro Saiba's recent situation.
"He's changed a lot; I almost didn't recognize him when I first met him."
"Then during the Practical Training, he came to Totsuki Culinary Academy alone, but before that, it seems he first went to an Izakaya."
"Oh? He went to an Izakaya too?"
"He must have tasted Sosuke's cooking, so what was his evaluation of Sosuke?"
Gin Dojima was clearly very curious about this question.
"He highly praised him, and like you and me, he believes that he will inevitably become a figure who will lead a new culinary era in the future," the General calmly replied.
"Hehe, as expected, Sosuke's strength even makes Saiba feel awe."
Only a strong person at his level can more clearly understand Sosuke's terrifying aspects.
Therefore, Gin Dojima could imagine what kind of astonished expression Joichiro Saiba, the strongest chef representing Totsuki, no, Japan, would show after tasting Sosuke's dishes.
...
"Gin, besides the Autumn Elections, there is actually one more urgent matter I need to discuss with you."
During the conversation, the atmosphere, which should have been harmonious, suddenly plunged as the General's gaze sharpened, as if falling into a bottomless abyss, causing despair!
"What is it?"
Gin Dojima asked seriously, turning his attention.
Who would have thought that a conversation that started so well would turn out to have a 'main event' still to come?
This made him, having experienced many storms, quickly realize that his invitation from the General was not simply a reunion.
"The last time Saiba met with me, he talked about the Midnight Chefs."
The General stroked his beard, taking the opportunity to speak.
"Midnight Chefs?"
"I remember Shinomiya Kojiro's SHINO'S French restaurant was..."
Upon hearing this, Gin Dojima couldn't help but widen his eyes, his voice unconsciously trembling slightly, seemingly with a hint of fear!
...
The word 'curry' comes from Tamil, and its meaning is:
Many spices cooked together.
It is said that originally, curry was used to remove the gamey smell of lamb, and if only a single spice was used, it would not remove the gamey smell.
Therefore, a thick sauce made from a combination of various dry spice powders was used for cooking, and the effect was surprisingly good.
So, in some aspects, equating curry with spices is not wrong!
In that case, Yoshino Yuki, who excels at wild game ingredients, would find it easier to create dishes with "curry" as the theme.
After all, the meat of wild animals, such as deer, rabbits, sheep, etc., usually has a strong gamey smell, so how to use spices to enhance the flavor or cover the original bad taste of the ingredients became a problem she had to constantly research.
Of course, combining curry spices with wild game ingredients and then creating a dish that shines in the preliminary round also gave her a headache!
Don't forget.
If she can think of this, can't others?
For her, approaching cooking from the perspective of spices can avoid many problems.
But similarly, this approach can also be applied to others, such as:
Tadokoro Megumi.
Alice Nakiri.
Sakaki Ryoko.
Hisako Arato.
These people are not skilled in curry dishes, but their use of spices would definitely not be worse than hers.
"Oh, right!"
"It's now early autumn."
"Many wild animals have their thickest and most perfect fat content at this time. If..."
Thinking of this, Yoshino Yuki's eyes darted around a few times, and after making up her mind, she continued: "Ryoko, Megumi, I need to hurry to the wild game market first to see if I can find some good quality wild game ingredients!"
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