Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"Teacher Bai Yuan, Teacher Bai Yuan, I have a question for you."

Just then, Mito Ikumi trotted up to Hakubuchi and Nakiri Alice, causing a violent tremor that drew everyone's attention.

"What's the problem? Go ahead and say it."

Hearing the noise, Bai Yuan and Nakiri Alice both looked over and then saw this astonishing scene.

The girl was soaking wet from fishing in the river; her clothes clung to her body, highlighting her stunning figure. She was walking barefoot toward him.

Fortunately, this is by the river, where the mud and sand are relatively soft; otherwise, walking barefoot in other places would be quite uncomfortable, as Mito Ikumi had!

"I'd like to ask the teacher, which of these wild vegetables are edible, and are these mushrooms poisonous? They don't look very reassuring."

Mito Ikumi, carrying a small bamboo basket, trotted over to Shirabuchi and poured out the various ingredients inside.

"Identifying ingredients is indeed a difficult point that requires special attention."

Bai Yuan spoke as he searched and examined the items.

He had to cram all this knowledge into himself after he came into this world.

By constantly consulting botanical encyclopedias, he has memorized most of the edible wild vegetables in East Asia and Europe.

"This is dandelion, which has powerful effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and promoting urination. It is suitable for stewing pork ribs and making pig's feet soup."

This is the root of prickly amaranth. In the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, it is often used to stew pork ribs and make pig's feet soup. It also has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling.

Among plantain, wild chrysanthemum, and watercress, wild chrysanthemum is the best for cooking fish. In some areas, it is also called pond kudzu. It is suitable for stewing crucian carp soup. The stewed soup is milky white and fragrant, which is very suitable for nourishing the body in autumn.

As for these mushrooms, apart from this one that grows in small golden clumps, the others are unusable.

This mushroom, called the Elm Yellow Mushroom, grows in clusters and is golden yellow in color. It's absolutely delicious in soups; I'm looking forward to your cooking!

Looking at the wild vegetables that Mito Ikumi had collected, Shirabuchi nodded approvingly as he flipped through them.

Although most of these ingredients are unusable, there are quite a few that are suitable for cooking fish soup and are considered to be of very high quality.

"I see. Professor Bai Yuan, you know so much."

Upon hearing the explanation, Mito Ikumi nodded, then looked at Shiro with admiration. Originally, she had only come to give it a try and didn't have high hopes.

Unexpectedly, Bai Yuan really knew it!

"Of course, the Yuan in Teacher Bai Yuan's name means 'profound knowledge'."

Before Shiro could speak after hearing Mito Ikumi's praise, Nakiri Alice spoke first.

With that proud little expression, anyone who didn't know better would think she was the one being praised.

"Alright, hurry up and do it."

After putting all the ingredients back into the basket and handing it to Mito Ikumi, Shirabuchi patted her on the shoulder as encouragement.

Although the final time is in the evening, the earlier you submit, the higher your score will be, and once you have completed the assessment, you can move around freely in the vicinity.

This can be considered one of the few perks.

"Yes, Professor Bai Yuan."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Mito Yumi nodded vigorously, then jogged back to the nearby shore, where all her kitchen utensils were kept.

"Next comes cooking..."

Looking at the few small crucian carp she had painstakingly caught in the basin, she found that their small size made processing them quite troublesome.

Before going to find Bai Yuan, she had already marinated the cleaned fish with salt, pepper, ginger slices, and minced garlic.

The rest is...

Pick out the wild chrysanthemum and elm mushrooms from the ingredient basket, cut them into small pieces suitable for cooking, and then take out the akebia quinata hidden in the pot.

This was discovered in the nearby mountains and forests. It is unknown how many years it has been growing. The vine is thick and strong, and it is twining around a tree.

By the time she arrived, there were not many akebia fruits left, only a few that were difficult to pick from the vines at the top of the tree.

But this didn't stump her. With her agile skills, she performed a monkey climbing a tree for everyone and collected all the remaining fruits.

"It's a treasure that's hard to come by."

Seeing the skin burst open, revealing the white jade-like fruit inside, Mito Ikumi couldn't help but sigh. Then she picked up her kitchen knife and swiftly cut it into small pieces, setting them aside for later use.

Place the marinated fish in a pot, add stream water, just enough to cover the fish, bring to a boil over high heat, and skim off the foam.

Add the prepared wild chrysanthemum greens and elm mushrooms, along with salt, chili, soy sauce, and cooking wine to create a simple base flavor. Then, simmer over low heat, keeping the broth at a gentle boil.

"Without a stove, the flame is really hard to control. If only we had a barbecue grill."

I looked at Erina Nakiri's barbecue grill with envy, wanting to borrow it, but I was too embarrassed to ask.

Mito Ikumi ultimately chose to cook the fish using Hisako's hanging pot method. She turned the fish occasionally to ensure even heating.

After the fish has boiled in the pot for a while, add the chopped akebia fruit to the pot to increase the sweetness of the soup base and make the flavor richer.

Of course, Mito Ikumi didn't make the fish soup that Shirabuchi had suggested, even though that was indeed the best solution. She wanted to make something of her own.

Therefore, after much deliberation, she decided to make a dish called stewed fish, and luckily she had brought most of the seasonings needed to make this dish.

As for the lack of scallions and garlic, she traded them with others using a few harvested akebia quinata, since she only needed one.

Having finished all that, all that was left was to wait. Mito Ikumi paced around her cooking area, glancing warily at the other students.

At this moment, everyone present is in competition, and there's no guarantee that someone who can't finish their dish won't come and destroy someone else's.

Therefore, you can't relax for a moment until the food is finished!

"Teacher Bai Yuan, this is a fruitwood-infused fish porridge that I made. Please try it."

At the same time, Hisako Shinto's fruitwood medicinal fish porridge was ready. She hung a towel on the handle and carried the casserole to Shirayuki.

"Fruitwood and medicinal fish porridge, quite interesting."

Shirabuchi watched as Hisako Shinto used her suitcase as a table and bent down to serve him porridge, an expression of interest appeared on his face.

Through his long-term training, Hisako Shinto's understanding of medicinal cuisine has greatly improved, and the ruler played a significant role in this.

So much so that she now feels incredibly ashamed whenever she sees Bai Yuan, and a certain part of her body is slightly burning. It's supposed to be a punishment, but it excites her!

This feeling was strange, making her feel like a pervert, so Hisako didn't tell anyone about it and just silently bore it all herself.

"Please, Professor Bai Yuan."

"Please sit down. There's no need to be so nervous. I'll proceed with the review as usual."

Seeing Hisako Shinto holding the bowl in both hands, her face exceptionally rosy, her gaze darting around and avoiding his eyes, Shirayu patted the chair and gestured for her to sit down.

"Ah."

Straightening her clothes, Hisako Shinoto let out a long breath and then sat down next to Shirayuki.

However, her gaze remained fixed on the bowl of porridge in his hand, her fingers crumpling the hem of her clothes, looking extremely nervous.

Bai Yuan remained half-lying down, only slightly propping himself up before scooping a spoonful of porridge into his mouth and savoring it.

The milky white porridge exudes a faint aroma of rice and the refreshing scent of medicinal herbs.

The long simmering of fish bones with various medicinal herbs infuses the broth with the mildness of cardamom, the sweetness of yam, the warmth of dried ginger, and the invigorating properties of dried tangerine peel.

These flavors permeate each other, creating distinct layers that form the core base of the fish congee.

"Indeed, it seems that all the hard work over this period of time has not been in vain, and the punishment with the ruler has not been for nothing."

Putting aside other things, you've completely mastered the basics of medicinal food combinations and can skillfully apply them to cooking, which is highly commendable.

Savoring the flavor spreading in his mouth, Bai Yuan praised it generously, saying that he scooped up a fish slice from the porridge, which was the essence of the fish porridge.

Marinating with sesame oil not only adds an enticing aroma to the fish slices, but also cleverly locks in the moisture of the fish, making each slice exceptionally tender and juicy, fully absorbing the flavor of the porridge.

This texture and flavor demonstrate the precise control of the cooking time. Only by adding the fish slices at the most appropriate moment can they be made tender yet slightly chewy.

Adding them too early will cause them to fall apart, while adding them too late will result in them not being cooked through. Only by adding them at the perfect time can the fish fillets achieve their optimal texture!

Chapter 108 Hisako, you're always slacking off, that won't do!

"If possible, you can actually add a Schisandra chinensis when cooking porridge."

Schisandra chinensis has a sour, sweet, and warm nature, and is associated with the lung, heart, and kidney meridians. Its flavor is primarily sour and sweet, and adding it to porridge can effectively harmonize the overall taste.

After finishing the porridge in his hand and savoring the nuances of its flavors, Bai Yuan offered his insightful opinion.

You don't need to add too much, just one grain will do, and the flavor of the porridge will be more harmonious.

"But I didn't bring any Schisandra chinensis with me this time, so even if I wanted to use it, I couldn't. This is a limitation imposed by objective conditions."

Hisako Niito argued that she knew schisandra berries could balance the flavor of the porridge, and she had thought of that when cooking. The problem was that even a skilled cook can't make a meal without ingredients!

"Have you forgotten where you are? Hisako, I've been telling you to learn about the geographical distribution of medicinal herbs for ages, but you're always slacking off. That won't do!"

However, when Shirai heard Hisako Shinto's words, he did not show any agreement. Instead, he frowned and asked a question.

"This is the riverbank..."

As if remembering something, Hisako Shinoto's voice suddenly softened until it was completely inaudible...

"The medicinal herb Schisandra chinensis usually grows in shrubs along riverbanks and at the edges of forests."

Bai Yuan put down the bowl in his hand and sat up from the chair. He sniffed, searching for subtle changes in the fragrance in the air, and finally came to a bush.

"If you can thoroughly learn all the assignments I give you, instead of thinking that you've learned them enough, wouldn't you be able to make a better dish this time?"

Bai Yuan's voice was stern, yet also revealed a hint of helplessness.

In fact, he could roughly understand Hisako Shinto's idea: as long as you make dishes and understand the properties of medicinal herbs, it doesn't matter where they grow.

Indeed, chefs generally do not need to find medicinal herbs themselves.

We live in the modern era, not the ancient one. With convenient transportation and fast delivery, some of the things we taught in the past need to be adjusted.

Perhaps he's a bit old-fashioned...

"I'm sorry, Professor Bai Yuan, I have let you down."

Hisako Shinoto clenched her fists slightly, a look of shame on her face. She then turned around and looked around. When she found that no one was paying attention to them, she turned away.

"what are you doing?"

Seeing Hisako Shirato suddenly turn her back to him, Shirayuki frowned slightly, wondering what she was doing.

"Isn't the punishment supposed to be given?"