The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

The old man put down the rag in his hand, his face full of pride, but that pride quickly faded as he went into the kitchen to prepare new dishes for them.

Seeing this, Liu Yu and Wang Jing exchanged a glance and followed him. This time, they wanted to watch closely from the sidelines to see how he made it.

The old man didn't say anything. It was rare for two young girls to come and enjoy loach dishes, so he couldn't just send them away.

Perhaps because someone was watching him, the old man felt exceptionally well today, and the dishes he made were more fragrant than usual.

Chapter 208 Kitchen Instruction, Enlightened Hisako Shinto

"Hisako, how can you be so useless? You can't even beat Megumi, and you lost in the semi-finals! I don't want a useless secretary like you!"

"Useless guy."

"Get away from Teacher Bai Yuan quickly, don't embarrass him."

"I don't have friends that weak."

"A waste of resources."

…………

"Hisako, you have disappointed me greatly."

"do not want!"

Hisako Shinoto opened her eyes and grabbed forward abruptly. Her chest heaved violently, her breathing became rapid, and her face turned pale.

She had a very long dream in which she lost the competition and was disliked by Erina Nakiri and looked down upon by everyone around Shirobuchi.

Just before she woke up, she was met with Bai Yuan's disappointed eyes, which she couldn't bear and woke up from her dream in fright.

"call…"

Her rapid, tense breathing gradually calmed down. Hisako Shinoto wiped non-existent cold sweat from her forehead, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Even though she knew that everything that happened in the dream was fake, she couldn't help but overthink it; it would be terrifying if such a thing actually happened!

She got out of bed barefoot and went to the toilet, washed her face with water, brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth, then relieved herself. Afterwards, Hisako Shinto changed into comfortable casual clothes and came out of the house.

The sun shone brightly outside, and a gentle breeze was blowing. She was heading towards Bai Yuan's house, where she was going to learn cooking, which was part of her daily life.

Although she hadn't been able to seek Bai Yuan's guidance for a while due to the Summer Selection, she hadn't been there for some time.

But now that she has lost the competition, the Summer Selection has completely severed ties with her, and she has regained her freedom, so naturally she should go as usual.

"Hisako, you're here pretty early."

Coincidentally, Hisako Shinto ran into Shirogen before reaching her destination. Shirogen was carrying large bags of groceries and walking home.

"I went to bed early yesterday, and I woke up naturally today feeling refreshed, so I came here early."

Hisako Shinto, with her obedient appearance, looked at the handsome young man in front of her, and while talking, took the ingredients from his hands to help him share the burden.

"Then come with me. We haven't made breakfast yet. Your cooking yesterday was quite good. You can have it as dessert for everyone later."

Shirai and Hisako Shinto walked steadily forward, one on each side, chatting casually.

"Well, it's a pity I suffered a crushing defeat. I didn't even have a chance to fight back. It was a very ugly loss."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan bring up yesterday's cooking, Shinoto Hisako lowered her head, looking somewhat disappointed, before raising her head again to probe.

"With the dish you made yesterday, it's actually quite normal that you lost."

You rely too much on ingredients. While ingredients are certainly a plus, isn't our role as chefs to turn various ingredients into delicious food?

Blindly pursuing high-end ingredients and trying to bring out their original flavor will only lead to a dead end, where the high-end ingredients will backfire.

Hearing Hisako Shinto's somewhat melancholy words, and thinking of the dishes she had served yesterday, Shirabuchi thought for a moment before replying.

Pursuing high-quality ingredients is fine, but it shouldn't be done blindly. The role of a chef is to bring out the deliciousness of the ingredients and combine them with another ingredient to create a synergistic effect that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Hisako Shinto brought out the best in taro by using a variety of ingredients, but this path was very difficult, and she underestimated her abilities.

Bringing out the best flavor from an ingredient is much harder than adding one plus one equals more than two; her overambition and lack of practical skills were the key reasons for her failure.

"Is it easy to suffer a backlash...?"

Hisako Shinoto murmured softly, her eyes filled with a dark and unfathomable light. She bit her lower lip slightly, looking as if she didn't want to believe it but had no choice but to.

"What you need to do now is to continue to solidify your foundation. The foundation is the root of us chefs. Only by making the roots deep enough can we have the strength to go far."

Looking at the girl's appearance, Bai Yuan patted her head.

This guy is way too ambitious; he can't even crawl before he wants to walk. To bring out the best in an ingredient, you need at least a top-tier (three-star) level of skill; otherwise, you're just a joke.

Lower-rated chefs often lack a sufficient understanding of ingredients, which is a matter of experience. Only chefs with enough experience can consider variations.

"Braising is actually the best way to bring out the original flavor of ingredients. Since this is a rare opportunity, let me show you how to bring out all the deliciousness of the ingredients."

"Okay! I'll listen carefully."

Feeling the warm, large hand on her head, Hisako Shinoto blushed slightly and nodded earnestly after hearing Shirabuchi's words, indicating that she would study hard.

Bai Yuan's house, kitchen.

"My braised dishes are different from ordinary braised dishes. I mainly use the white braising method from the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. This braising method is often used to braise poached chicken and poached pigeon, which can make their flavor more fragrant and rich."

Looking at the prepared ingredients in front of him, Bai Yuan nodded silently in his heart. Before cooking, he gave Shinobu Hisako a brief introduction to the function of the white brine.

This brine helps to bring out the original aroma, color, and flavor of the ingredients to the fullest extent, making it the best choice to bring out the ultimate taste of the dish.

"When using white brine to braise dishes, the first and most important step is to select the ingredients. You need to choose the best quality ingredients, because the higher the quality, the higher the potential."

At this moment, there were only two people in the kitchen.

Because she stayed up too late yesterday, Alice Nakiri is still lying in bed and doesn't want to get up.

"Uh-huh."

Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Shinoto Hisako nodded and quickly took notes in her notebook.

"Here's a leftover pig's ear from yesterday. Other ingredients aren't really suitable for braising, so we'll use that as an example for today's dish."

Looking at the remaining ingredients in the refrigerator, Bai Yuan took out a pig's ear, then picked up a blowtorch and burned off all the hair on the surface of the pig's ear.

The heat needs to be controlled; the surface should not turn yellow or black, otherwise it will affect the appearance and defeat the purpose of white braising.

"Taking pig ears as an example, the fishy smell of pig skin mainly comes from the layer of dirt on the surface of the pig skin, and secondly from the hair follicles and sweat glands of the pig skin."

As for how to process it, I've taught you before. After scorching, use a knife to scrape off the dirt and grime, then put it in a basin, add a little salt and white vinegar, spread it evenly, and marinate for ten to twenty minutes.

Do you know why we add salt and white vinegar?

While preparing the ingredients in front of her, she asked Hisako Shinodo, who was patiently taking notes beside her, whether she had really absorbed the knowledge.

"Is the strong acidity of salt and vinegar used to corrode the surface of pig ears to remove the fishy smell?"

Hisako Shinoto was taken aback by the sudden question. She lowered her head to think for a moment, and after half a minute, she looked up and asked tentatively.

"Don't use interrogative sentences; if the answer is correct, be more assertive."

Shirai gave Hisako Shirato's head a light tap, then continued processing the ingredients, asking, "Besides removing the fishy smell, what other purpose does it serve?"

"We can make it whiter!"

Seeing the pig's ear in Bai Yuan's hand turn white quickly under his rubbing, a flash of inspiration seemed to pass through her mind, and Shinoto Hisako shouted.

"Clever! Salt and white vinegar can make it white because the surface of the pig skin is corroded, which is also the color of this dish."

Bai Yuan nodded, then washed the pig's ears with clean water. The pig's ears were now clean and white, with no fishy smell on the surface.

Place an iron basin on the countertop, add an appropriate amount of water, then add salt and deodorizing powder.

The so-called deodorizing powder was prepared by Bai Yuan a long time ago, using spices such as star anise, galangal, angelica, Sichuan pepper, cardamom, white cardamom, white pepper, and galangal.

Crush onion slices, ginger slices, and scallions to extract the juice. Add high-proof liquor and cooking wine, stir well, then add pig ears, cover and marinate for an hour to let the flavors infuse.

After washing his hands with clean water, Bai Yuan glanced at Hisako Shinto beside him, whose calligraphy was flowing and elegant. He frowned slightly and then asked:

"Don't just take notes. Tell me what role each of the ingredients I added played. These are the keys to bringing out the deliciousness of the pig's ears."

"Let me think... Onions are rich in sulfides, which have a strong odor and can effectively neutralize the fishy smell in food."

In addition, the sweetness and aroma of onions can enhance the overall flavor of the ingredients.

Ginger contains compounds such as gingerol and gingerone, which have a strong pungent flavor and aroma, and can remove the fishy and unpleasant odors of food. Ginger also has warming, detoxifying, and antibacterial effects, which can enhance the taste and safety of food…

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's question and looking at the ingredients in the iron basin, Hisako Shinomiya pondered for a moment before launching into a long and detailed explanation.

She was an expert in this field and had read many books on medicinal cuisine.

These ingredients are both spices and medicinal herbs, and the introduction was a comfort zone for her. Bai Yuan listened attentively, nodding repeatedly with admiration in his eyes.

"That's right, these ingredients release their flavors in the water, blend together, and then all of them come together in the pig's ear while it's sitting."

This process enhances its flavor and brings out its original taste; this is the purpose of pickling.

While we wait, let's make breakfast.

"I'm here to help."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he started a separate stove to prepare breakfast. Seeing this, Shirato Hisako immediately helped, picking up a clay pot and starting to cook lean meat porridge.

It's 7:30 in the morning now. If all goes well, everyone should be here by around 8:00, which means we have about half an hour to prepare the food.

Thinking this, there was a noise at the door. Bai Yuan peeked out and saw that the people who came were Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko, who were taking off their shoes in the entryway.

Bai Yuan looked over and saw them leaning against the wall, taking off their little leather boots to reveal the black stockings covering their feet, exuding a unique allure.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, we've arrived."

Upon seeing Bai Yuan's face peeking out, Yoshino Yuuki and Sakaki Ryoko changed into slippers and immediately went to greet him, standing in front of him with smiles.

"Hey, Hisako is here so early? I thought we were early enough."

Good morning, Hisako!

"I got up early today and came over first. Good morning, Yuuki."

Seeing Hisako Niito busy in the kitchen, Ryoko Sakaki was a little surprised, while Yuuki Yoshino greeted her energetically.

Afterwards, the two of them set up their own stove in the kitchen and started making breakfast with the available ingredients, one dish for each of them – this was their daily routine.

Whoever arrives first on weekdays prepares breakfast, and the breakfast prepared receives feedback from Bai Yuan, which is, in a sense, a benefit for the hardworking.

As time went by, people arrived at the house one after another. Some chose to help cook in the kitchen, looking forward to Bai Yuan's evaluation, while others sat in the living room with their legs up, watching TV and enjoying this moment of leisure.

For a moment, her beautiful legs were spread out, and the scene was breathtaking. Bai Yuan secretly swallowed and pretended to sit down in the middle of the crowd as if nothing had happened.