"Let me see the ingredients you brought."
Arriving in the kitchen, Nakiri Alice looked at Hojo Miyoko, who was glancing around behind her, and directly extended her hand.
"Eh... Oh."
Although somewhat surprised by Nakiri Alice's action, Hojo Miyoko still handed over her things, her eyes revealing a look of anticipation. It couldn't be helped; the demeanor Nakiri Alice exuded at this moment reminded her of Dylan a year ago. Both were so composed, as if any difficult matter was just a small trouble they could easily resolve.
"I remember you're a Chinese cuisine chef. In that case, I'll teach you how to toss the wok, cut vegetables, and process ingredients. Train diligently for a year, and then you'll reach the level of a First-Class Head Chef."
Because this was a task assigned by Dylan, Nakiri Alice was particularly attentive, taking out the ingredients from the bag as she spoke. Mustard, soy sauce, salt, curry. Carrots, celery, pork, Roche shrimp, and also two green and red bell peppers, wood ear mushrooms, potatoes...
'You really buy things randomly.'
Dumping all the ingredients from the bag and lining them up, Nakiri Alice couldn't help but complain after a quick count of the types. The reason was simple: the ingredients in the bag had little relation to each other, giving the impression they were bought on a whim at a vegetable stall.
"When I went to buy these ingredients, it was already evening, and most of the vegetable stalls and butcher shops were closed. There were only a few ingredients left at the supermarket, some not even fresh. I bought a little of each fresh item, which led to this situation." Hearing Nakiri Alice's words, Hojo Miyoko blushed but still retorted in a small voice; this really wasn't her fault.
"Forget it. In that case, let's make shrimp. It's Roche shrimp season now! They're so big, they look delicious just by looking at them." Looking at the palm-sized Roche shrimp in her hand, Nakiri Alice's face showed excitement. She hadn't eaten dinner and was originally planning to grab something quick outside, but now that ingredients had arrived, she naturally preferred to cook herself.
"Do you know how to shell shrimp?"
Suddenly, Nakiri Alice turned her head and asked Hojo Miyoko.
"Yes."
"Then these are all yours. Remove all their legs, then devein them."
As she spoke, Nakiri Alice put all the Roche shrimp on a plate, handed it to Hojo Miyoko, and turned back to prepare the side ingredients.
"Eh..."
Looking at the task assigned to her, Hojo Miyoko's eyes showed some bewilderment. Wasn't this their first meeting? How could this person order her around so proficiently?
However...
Picking up a pair of scissors from the side, Hojo Miyoko quickly began processing the Roche shrimp in front of her. Being ordered with such a firm tone reminded her of the days in Dylan's kitchen; he also spoke in such an unquestionable manner. He usually seemed gentle, even a bit dull, but once in the kitchen, it was as if he completely transformed, acting decisively and without compromise.
Feeling the change in atmosphere, she finally believed that Nakiri Alice was Dylan's direct disciple; otherwise, how could even her behavior be so similar! She didn't dislike it, though.
"Thai red curry, green mustard, these two should be enough... Forget it, let's peel some more garlic, let this dish be full of garlic aroma." Thinking of this, Nakiri Alice took out a few cloves of garlic from under the stove. Her fingers flew up and down, quickly peeling off the white skin. In less than a minute, she had peeled a small bowl of garlic cloves.
Setting the garlic aside for later use, the initial preparations were complete.
"How is it going? Are the Roche shrimp shelled?"
After finishing all this, Nakiri Alice strode behind Hojo Miyoko, only to find that she had only processed about a third of them after half a day.
"Aren't you a bit too slow! But the shrimp are processed quite cleanly. Being careful is good, but being fast and good is the best! Stop what you're doing for a moment and watch how I do it."
Looking at the remaining large portion of Roche shrimp, Nakiri Alice frowned, then waved her hand, telling her to stop and demonstrating herself.
"Okay."
Hojo Miyoko nodded obediently, got up, and stepped aside, watching Nakiri Alice intently. At this moment, she no longer mentioned a competition. Just seeing her mannerisms, so similar to Dylan's, she knew she was no match for her. To cultivate such a demeanor, one first needed to have absolute confidence in their own cooking! Only then could one overwhelm the opponent with their aura, making them listen.
He!"
!?"
"Actually, processing Roche shrimp is very simple. Just cut in this direction, break open the back from this direction and score it, trim the sides a bit, and you can finish one in less than five seconds." Nakiri Alice demonstrated quickly, showing the shelled Roche shrimp in her hand to Hojo Miyoko. Then she processed a few more in the same way, each taking less than five seconds and maintaining good quality, before returning the scissors to Hojo Miyoko.
"I'm doing the same thing, why does it take me more than ten seconds?"
"This kind of thing mainly comes down to practice makes perfect. In other words, you have to practice. Let me show you again."
Hearing Hojo Miyoko's confusion, Nakiri Alice thought for a moment and took the scissors back from her hand. Laughing and chatting, she began processing the Roche shrimp at twice her previous speed. The shrimp legs couldn't last a second in her hands. In less than a minute, she had finished processing all the Roche shrimp.
"Amazing!"
Looking at a plate of neatly processed Roche shrimp, Hojo Miyoko swallowed, her eyes clearing considerably. She had actually wanted to challenge such a strong person just now? Seriously?!
"What's this? Master can finish processing this whole plate of Roche shrimp in a few seconds. Mine is actually quite average." Hearing Hojo Miyoko's praise, Nakiri Alice pouted, not feeling proud, but rather thinking she was too weak.
"Teacher Dylan is already beyond human. You're already very impressive like this!"
Hojo Miyoko shook her head; it couldn't be compared like that. Dylan was a powerhouse who had defeated a Seven-Star Special Grade Chef, and with absolute crushing dominance. Anyone compared to him would pale in significance!
"Perhaps, but the person I want to catch up to has always been him, so I have to compare myself to him! Even though I'm often beaten black and blue. But! Master told me, you can't give up the idea of surpassing someone just because they are too strong. That will make people stagnate and stop progressing. On the contrary, one should compete more actively, to surpass them!"
As she spoke, Nakiri Alice's eyes were filled with passion. She came to Totsuki to challenge strong people. Although she didn't think anyone here was stronger than her, there were definitely some who surpassed her in certain aspects. The master is the one who is proficient; learn from everyone to improve further—that was her thinking. Besides that, she also wanted to interact more with people her own age. For example, that Ryo Kurokiba, although not very strong, had a strong fighting spirit, and every match with him brought her a lot of gains.
"I see, that's indeed something Teacher Dylan would say! Not afraid to duel with strong opponents, fighting with the conviction to surpass them even if it means death! How could one not become strong like that?"
Thinking of that towering figure, Hojo Miyoko nodded in deep agreement. If Dylan said it, then it all made sense.
"Alright, remember to practice more later. Your foundation is too weak. A Roche shrimp, no matter how long it takes, shouldn't need more than ten seconds." Nakiri Alice said meaningfully, a strange feeling suddenly welling up in her heart. She never thought she'd see the day she'd tell someone else their foundation was lacking. The once-daughter-in-law had finally become the mother-in-law; the dragon slayer had become the dragon.
"Yes!"
This display by Nakiri Alice completely won Hojo Miyoko over. The girl's cheeks were flushed, and she responded with great excitement.
"Alright, you just watch from my side next."
"Oh right, go get me a bottle of Sprite from the fridge."
As if remembering something, Nakiri Alice suddenly said to Hojo Miyoko.
"Ah? Okay."
Although somewhat surprised that Nakiri Alice suddenly wanted a Sprite, Hojo Miyoko still nodded and obediently went to get it. Meanwhile, Nakiri Alice took the opportunity to rinse the processed Roche shrimp with clean water, then used a paper towel to absorb the excess moisture.
Add a generous amount of oil to the wok and heat it.
"Teacher Alice, the Sprite you wanted." A few minutes later, Hojo Miyoko brought the Sprite to Nakiri Alice, her eyes expectant. Although they were the same age, Nakiri Alice was clearly much stronger than her, and she had just taught her. This "teacher," she called out willingly.
"Don't call me teacher, I can't bear it. You can call me Senior Sister or Alice." Because Hojo Miyoko had been taught by Dylan and called Dylan 'teacher,' calling her 'teacher' now would mess up their seniority with Dylan, which wasn't good. Thinking of this, Nakiri Alice corrected her in time.
"Okay, Senior Sister Alice."
Hojo Miyoko nodded like a chick pecking at rice, also realizing that her form of address was problematic, and an embarrassed expression immediately appeared on her face.
"This part is diluted with Sprite because it contains sugar, which can reduce the spiciness of the green mustard while retaining its aroma." Nakiri Alice didn't pay much attention anymore, turning her gaze to the bowl containing the green mustard, explaining to Hojo Miyoko as she processed it. These were actually culinary applications, not limited to a single ingredient, aiming to make the best possible dish under limited conditions.
"So Sprite has this kind of effect." Hojo Miyoko nodded, her face full of surprise.
"Coke chicken wings are pretty much the same principle; the key is that flavor."
"I see."
As Nakiri Alice spoke, she turned her gaze to the wok in front of her, then picked up the properly processed Roche shrimp from the side and, at an astonishing speed, neatly arranged them in the wok to ensure even heating. Hojo Miyoko watched from the side, marveling at Nakiri Alice's efficiency and lack of hesitation; she was truly worthy of being Teacher Dylan's disciple.
"Now!"
Nakiri Alice didn't know what Hojo Miyoko was thinking. At this moment, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the frying pan in front of her. The sizzling sound of the Roche shrimp after the oil burst was in her ears. Suddenly, the girl's expression tensed, and the Roche shrimp flipped over. Unfortunately, it wasn't neat and needed to be manually adjusted with chopsticks.
"Sigh, I still can't do it like Master. Flipping it over can keep the shrimp in the same position..."
Looking at the shrimp that had almost flipped out of the pan, Nakiri Alice sighed inwardly. However, her expression didn't change much. She just waited for both sides to be evenly heated before continuing to toss the wok to prevent overcooking.
"Miyoko, go chop the garlic."
"Roger."
Hearing Nakiri Alice's words, Hojo Miyoko nodded, then picked up the garlic cloves from the side, quickly chopped them, and put them in a bowl. When it was about ready, Nakiri Alice directly scooped up all the chopped garlic from the bowl with a ladle, then put it in the wok and continued to toss, combining the garlic aroma with the Roche shrimp. Then she added oyster sauce to the green mustard Sprite mixture, along with Thai curry, steamed fish soy sauce, and soy sauce, and finally picked up a bottle of beer.
"This step is to remove the fishy smell and enhance the fragrance. Pour it in from the side of the wok, remember that!"
Nakiri Alice said as she poured the beer into the wok, covered the lid, and simmered for a short while. A few minutes later, watching the beer gradually reduce in the wok, Nakiri Alice poured the previously prepared sauce into it. She reduced the sauce over high heat, adding a few spoonfuls of sugar to bring out the umami. In an instant, a rich aroma wafted out, lingering throughout the kitchen.
"What a fragrant smell!"
Feeling the rich aroma in the air, Hojo Miyoko swallowed, looking at the Roche shrimp in the wok with an expression of intense craving on her face.
"What am I doing now? What is the purpose of adding butter to the wok?"
Looking at Hojo Miyoko's studious eyes, Nakiri Alice suddenly thought of herself back then. Was this so-called inheritance? Such a subtle feeling...
"Ah?" Being suddenly asked by Nakiri Alice, Hojo Miyoko was stunned. After thinking for a long time, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a word. She didn't know; she hadn't learned these things!
"This move is called braising and reducing. The sauce will completely penetrate the shrimp meat, making its flavor fuller, and the main purpose of the butter is to enhance the fragrance." Nakiri Alice explained, but her brows furrowed. This person's foundation was completely lacking. Weren't these common sense in Chinese cuisine?
"I see!"
Hojo Miyoko nodded excitedly, completely oblivious to the strangeness in Nakiri Alice's words.
"Forget it, Brother Dylan asked me to teach her, he must have considered this. If she knew everything, there would be no need for me to teach her anything." Looking at Hojo Miyoko, who was extremely excited after learning something new, Nakiri Alice thought to herself.
"What type of cuisine are you good at?"
"I'm relatively good at various stir-fried dishes. I passed the Second-Class Chef examination by relying on stir-fried dishes."
Facing Nakiri Alice's inquiry, Hojo Miyoko answered truthfully. Because Totsuki Academy didn't offer Chinese cuisine-related courses, she had only learned cuisines from other countries during this period, and her progress in Chinese cuisine wasn't significant. However, due to constant Shokugekis, her combat experience was quite rich, and she had also innovated on several dishes she was good at.
"Only good at stir-frying? That won't do. Let's aim for balanced development next."
As she spoke, Nakiri Alice turned her gaze back to the wok: "Look, isn't this color beautiful? Just like it's stir-fried with bright oil. This step is to reduce the sauce, you can't thicken it with starch. Coat all the shrimp with the sauce. This state is ready to be served!"
As she spoke, Hojo Miyoko very observantly brought over a plate. Nakiri Alice, holding the wok in one hand and chopsticks in the other, neatly arranged the shrimp from the wok onto the plate.
"Alright, let's eat!"
Looking at the green mustard Roche shrimp in front of her, Nakiri Alice said to Hojo Miyoko with a smile.
"I'm digging in!"
At the same time. China, on a large ship that could carry ten thousand people, singing and dancing filled the air. Dylan sat in the main seat, calmly watching everything before him.
"Leader, this is the shark meat, bear paws, shark fins, and monkey brains you sent people to find."
A beautiful young woman carried a tray with various precious ingredients. As the girl displayed these ingredients, she subtly bent down, revealing large expanses of snowy white skin.
"The quality is quite good this time, worthy of praise. Have Madam Xianglan, who is in charge of this matter, come to my room tonight. I will teach her some new things."
Looking at the various ingredients on the tray before him, a satisfied expression finally appeared on Dylan's face, and he then said to the young woman.
"Xianglan is so lucky! The leader is personally teaching this time!"
"Ahhh! Why was it the Left Protector last time? That guy's cooking skills are only one star higher than mine, he can't guide me properly at all!"
"The leader is teaching?! It seems Xianglan's culinary skills will improve greatly this time. It's not impossible for her to break through to Three-Star Special Grade within two months."
"Too slow. Last time Sister Ting entered the leader's room, she won first place and advanced by participating in a Two-Star Special Grade competition in less than a month."
"Can Two-Star and Three-Star be the same?"
"What? You don't believe in the leader's strength?!"
"I never said that! Don't try to frame me!"
Dylan's words caused a huge commotion below. Various envious voices were heard, but they didn't cause any change in his expression. Such things happened too often. After a year of travel, he had subdued a large number of powerhouses with his formidable culinary skills. After rigorous assessments, these people obtained the qualification to join the Dark Culinary World and receive Dylan's guidance. And this Loulin Ship under his feet was the collection of a Three-Star Special Grade Chef who had joined the Dark Culinary World, said to have cost billions to build. So far, more than thirty people had officially joined the Dark Culinary World, with several hundred reservists who had not yet obtained qualifications. Among the official members, there were ten Special Grade Chefs and more than twenty First-Class Head Chefs.
"It's time to find Alice. It's been a long time since I saw her. I wonder how she is now."
Looking at the chattering Special Grade Chefs before him, the image of that smiling young girl appeared in Dylan's mind.
"Let's go back tomorrow!"
Such a thought appeared in Dylan's mind, and then it became uncontrollable.
_______
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