Chapter 42
Hearing Mineo's answer, Senzaemon gave a slow nod.
"Actually, here at Totsuki, the discipline of Molecular Gastronomy has never been established very smoothly."
"I hope your arrival can bring new changes to our Molecular Gastronomy Research Society."
"It's already midday; we can head to the dining room to eat together."
"I've asked Erina and the others to prepare some delicious dishes. Mineo-kun can give them some pointers."
After saying this, the grandfather stood up, and Mineo followed him toward the dining room. There, he saw Erina and Alice had already discarded their previous outfits and changed into crisp, white chef uniforms.
The two cousins moved nimbly between the dining room and the kitchen, serving a variety of exquisite dishes one by one onto the dining table.
"Grandfather, Mineo-kun, are you finished talking?"
"Things on Erina's side and mine are also almost done. Please take a seat first; I'll serve the final dish."
Hearing Alice's words, Senzaemon said with a smile to Mineo:
"Actually, it's very rare for Erina and the others to cook for guests visiting the house. This time, because it's Mineo-kun visiting, they took the initiative to personally prepare the meal to entertain you."
"Later when we eat, you can give those two girls some advice."
"Ever since eating at your restaurant, those two have praised you nearly to the heavens. Now is the perfect time for me to see your powers of judgment, Mineo-kun."
Not long after, Alice and Erina had served all the dishes. Once the whole family was seated around the table, Alice spoke to Mineo with visible impatience:
"Mineo-kun, try this dish first! This is a dish I prepared specifically for you, you know! Hurry and taste if it's delicious!"
Looking in the direction Alice pointed, the dish was a "Molecular Gastronomy Yogurt Sphere." The yogurt, which was originally a thick liquid, was currently presented as a perfectly round sphere without any sign of melting or flowing downward.
"A very beautiful dish."
"Molecular Yogurt Sphere, huh? Transforming yogurt that is originally liquid into a concentrated solid form... Yet its texture when eaten still maintains a liquid-like silkiness."
"Wonderful, Alice. This appetizer was made with great attention to detail."
Mineo tasted a bite of the yogurt sphere, then continued his praise:
"If my judgment isn't wrong, the core of this dish is the use of Alginate Gel, isn't it?"
"Using sophisticated equipment to extract alginic acid gel from seaweed, then mixing it into the yogurt at a ratio of 4 to 1 with pure water... This makes the yogurt's flavor smoother, and its shape gradually shifts from liquid to a gel form."
"To enrich the flavor of this yogurt sphere, Alice, you must have also added the juice of five different types of fruit."
"There's yellow peach, strawberry, cherry tomato, melon, and honey orange..."
"The ratio of these five fruits was mastered exceptionally well by you. Not only do they not clash with the flavor of the yogurt itself, but they actually enrich the color gradation on the surface."
Hearing Mineo praise her cooking, Alice's eyes narrowed with joy. This was an evaluation from a Molecular Gastronomy expert! It seems Mineo-kun really does like my cooking!
Alice, feeling incredibly happy, was about to ask Mineo to taste her other dishes, but Senzaemon cut in at that moment.
"Mineo-kun! You shouldn't keep praising Alice like that."
"She'll become so arrogant she'll forget where her feet touch the ground."
"Since this is an evaluation, how can you only speak of the good points? You could also talk about whether this dish has any flaws..."
Mineo glanced at Alice and said with a smile:
"Alice's own foundation is already very good. Reaching this level in Molecular Gastronomy means she already possesses expert-level qualifications."
"As for flaws, this dish truly has none."
"However, if we are talking about room for improvement, there is indeed a little."
"Alice, the greatest charm of Molecular Gastronomy is providing an unexpected surprise when the customer tastes the dish."
"The flavor of your cooking is beyond reproach, but as a whole, the texture is still dominated by a smooth softness."
"If you could sprinkle grated white chocolate and coconut chips evenly over the surface of the yogurt sphere, it would provide a richer variety of textures to the dish."
"Sprinkle grated white chocolate and coconut chips on the surface of the yogurt sphere?"
Alice was also a formidable chef. After thinking for a moment, she fully understood just how much of an upgrade Mineo's suggestion gave to her dish.
The combination of the crunchy chocolate and the soft yogurt would create a massive contrast of stimulation inside the customer's mouth. Furthermore, the pairing of coconut aroma and yogurt would become much more intriguing.
Mineo-kun really is amazing; this suggestion truly provided the finishing touch that drastically transformed the quality of the dish!
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