Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Seeing the girls carrying large and small bags and busy with their work, Bai Yuan clapped his hands, making them stop what they were doing and focus their attention on him.

"I brought a change of clothes, some kitchen utensils, and my ID. That's all."

Ryoko Sakaki checked her belongings one last time, and after making sure nothing was missing, she slowly pulled up her suitcase, then looked at Shirahara and spoke.

Because they were competing rather than traveling, they brought practical items, mostly clothes for the current season and kitchenware for the competition.

Bringing clothes is for convenience, while kitchen utensils are for easier use.

"Mine is about the same."

Tadokoro Megumi hung the amulet her mother had given her before she set off around her neck, and when she saw Bai Yuan looking over, she waved her hand to show that she was ready.

Bai Yuan nodded slightly upon seeing this, and then continued walking forward.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, is the place we're going to cold or hot? How warm should we wear?"

Yoshino Yuuki walked over with a coat and a down jacket, chattering away and waving the clothes in her hands, waiting for Shiroyuki to make a decision.

"The weather there is similar to ours, hot during the day and cold at night. If you go, you can wear a jacket at most, and put your down jacket back in the closet."

"Okay, then bring two coats."

Since there are rooms prepared for them in the villa, even if they need to pack their luggage, there is no need to go back. Everything they need is here.

As Bai Yuan answered the girl's questions, he walked towards the kitchen. A rich aroma wafted to his nose, so he asked loudly, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

"Hot pot, I'm making the broth."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's voice, Alice Nakiri raised her head slightly in response before continuing her work.

"No wonder I smelled both mushrooms and butter; it turns out we're getting ready for hot pot."

As they spoke, Bai Yuan had already arrived beside Nakiri Alice. Looking at the bubbling soup in front of her, he showed an expectant expression.

He hadn't had hot pot in a while, so this was a good opportunity to indulge.

"The food we ate at sea last time was too monotonous and not satisfying at all, so this afternoon we went to buy fresh tripe, made shrimp paste, and cut some fatty beef to prepare for hot pot."

Mito Ikumi's voice was filled with excitement.

She had been looking forward to this meal for a long time.

She brought all this beef from home; she specially selected the best quality batch, and it only needs to be blanched in the pot for about ten seconds before it's ready to eat.

Add some sesame chili oil, and you'll feel so satisfied after the exam!

"Okay, let's eat and drink well tonight, and then we'll catch our flight early tomorrow."

Seeing the girl packing her luggage outside the kitchen, and Alice Nakiri and Ikumi Mito preparing the soup base inside, Shirabuchi walked over.

"One of you is making the mushroom soup, and the other is making the spicy beef tallow hot pot. There are two seats here, so I'll make a tomato hot pot. The taste will definitely not disappoint you."

As they were talking, Bai Yuan took out the tomatoes that had been in the refrigerator. He had only thought of making this soup base because he saw that there were still tomatoes left in the refrigerator.

Its flavor is distinctive, with a sweet and sour taste that whets the appetite.

The natural acidity of tomatoes can stimulate the appetite and makes them a good match for oily foods.

Furthermore, the sweetness and acidity of ripe tomatoes can create a layered flavor profile on their own, achieving a balance without the need for added sugar, making them a very convenient ingredient.

"Meat Demon, give me some of your beef bone broth."

Looking at the ingredients on the table, Bai Yuan quickly formed a recipe for a new tomato soup base in his mind, and then he saw Mito Ikumi's beef bone broth.

"Okay, Teacher Bai Yuan, just take it if you want. I've made a lot and can't possibly use it all."

Mito Ikumi agreed to Shiroyuki's request without hesitation, and as she spoke, she opened the lid, releasing a rich aroma.

"Ah."

Seeing this, Bai Yuan no longer hesitated. He took a small knife and made a cross-shaped cut on the bottom of the tomato. After scalding it in boiling water for thirty seconds, he peeled and diced it.

Sauté ginger, garlic, and onion in hot oil until fragrant. Add star anise and Sichuan peppercorns and stir-fry until fragrant, then remove and discard them.

Sauté the diced tomatoes in a pan until they are soft and juicy. Then add tomato sauce and stir well. Add an appropriate amount of beef bone broth, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

During the simmering process, Bai Yuan added a little salt and sugar to the soup pot for seasoning.

The fresh aroma of the tomato itself is also released during this process; it's similar to the fruity scent of ripe strawberries, which clears the mind.

Next comes the slightly charred, sweet aroma produced by the high-temperature stir-frying of oil, similar to the base of tomato basil soup.

Furthermore, due to the addition of various spices, a subtle spicy aroma permeates the air, which, while not overpowering, effectively enhances the complexity.

Even before tasting it, just smelling its aroma is enough to make one unable to resist!

Chapter 393 The duel is not about winning or losing, but about taking it a step further.

"Hot pot is here!"

A shout, neither too loud nor too soft, came from the kitchen, drawing the attention of everyone who was packing their luggage.

"It smells so good!"

Yoshino Yuuki said something unconsciously, and the rich fragrance made her wipe away non-existent drool from the corner of her mouth.

"Tomato, mushroom broth, butter, and mildly spicy. I made four flavors in total this time. You can choose whatever you want. There are also various seafood and meats. I'll cut more later if it's not enough."

Carrying a hot pot with four compartments to the table, Mito Ikumi noticed that people around her had put down what they were doing and gathered around, looking at the hot pot with curious expressions. She pointed to the bottom of the pot and began to explain it from left to right.

At the same time, Bai Yuan also came out of the kitchen carrying two large plates of tripe.

His face held a hint of anticipation; after all, it had been a long time since he had eaten a proper hot pot.

The food we ate at sea last time was pretty good, but it wasn't very satisfying because of the lack of various ingredients.

The entire meal consisted only of fish slices and fish balls, with the most being shrimp caught to make shrimp paste and a few crabs cooked, which was far from satisfying for her.

"Yay! When can we start eating!"

Yoshino Yuuki swallowed.

Although her expression was unusually eager, seeing that no one was touching their chopsticks, she stood still and did not move, just staring longingly at Mito Ikumi, waiting for her to say that dinner was ready.

"Let's wait until Teacher Bai Yuan is done with his work. Hot pot tastes best when everyone eats together!"

Also looking over were Megumi Tadokoro, Erina Nakiri, and others.

Feeling the pleading gaze, Mito Ikumi touched her nose somewhat embarrassedly, then quietly turned up the heat so that the ingredients would cook more easily when blanching later.

Bai Yuan also returned to the kitchen after placing the tripe on the dining table.

Inside the kitchen, Alice Nakiri was busy at work.

"Leave the rest to me. You take out all the chopped ingredients."

To ensure the meat in the hot pot tasted good, Bai Yuan personally participated in the meat-cutting process. He first sliced ​​the fresh beef and mutton very thinly, then placed it on a plate for Nakiri Alice to serve.

"Okay, then I'll leave the kitchen to you."

Alice Nakiri nodded slightly, put down her cleaver and became a porter. The others felt a little embarrassed to see that she was the only one busy, so they all ran to the kitchen to help carry the ingredients.

"That's about it for now."

Looking at the dozen or so plates of beef and mutton on the cutting board, and many of them already taken out, there was enough for him to eat. So Bai Yuan stacked them together, picked up a stack in each hand, left the kitchen, and sat down at the head of the table.

Everyone else was already seated, but no one picked up their chopsticks; they were all waiting for him.

"Let's eat. There are soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings in the kitchen. Make your own sauce. Alice, can you get me a bowl? I want the red chili oil and sesame sauce. Put extra sesame sauce on top, and also add plenty of cilantro and chopped green onions."

"Okay, but you really do have a thing for this, Brother Bai Yuan."

"I'm used to it, and other dipping sauces just don't feel quite right."

Seeing this, Bai Yuan clapped his hands and, while speaking, put the beef and mutton that were beside him into the hot pot. The rich aroma wafted over, and an expression of enjoyment appeared on his face.

"Let's go to the kitchen."

"Do you have any scallion oil in the kitchen? Adding a little scallion oil will make it taste even better!"

"Garlic, where's the garlic? Please help me salvage this!"

As Bai Yuan finished speaking, the girls on the scene all got up and headed towards the kitchen.

Some clever ones, like Alice Nakiri and Ikumi Mito, had already prepared the dipping sauce and placed it in front of them, while others had completely forgotten about it. When Shirabuchi reminded them, they suddenly realized and hurriedly got up to go to the kitchen.

Before long, the kitchen was packed with people.

The girls chattered excitedly about the seasonings they needed. Some impatient ones urged the people in front of them to hurry up. If the bar didn't have the ingredients they needed, they would run to the cutting board, pick up a knife, and chop them on the spot.

Take Alice Nakiri for example.

Because of Bai Yuan's instructions, she worked diligently at the kitchen counter. Before long, she chopped two bowls of cilantro and scallions, and then cooked a pot of garlic chili sauce, which she placed in the condiment area for people to choose from.

"Wow! Garlic chili sauce! I love you, Alice!"

Looking at the freshly made scallions, cilantro, and garlic chili sauce, Yoshino Yuuki's face lit up with excitement. She cheered and hugged Nakiri Alice's arm, burying her head in her chest for a close embrace.

"Okay, let go, I'm going to deliver the dipping sauce to Brother Bai Yuan."

Feeling Yoshino Yuuki's head fidgeting, Nakiri Alice helplessly ruffled her hair.

"hey-hey."

Upon hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Yoshino Yuuki reluctantly released her arms from holding her, the pleasant fragrance wafting from her nose giving her an exceptionally pleasant experience.

After parting ways, Yoshino Yuuki skipped over to the place where the condiment bowls were kept and started mixing the condiments according to her own preferences.

"Here you go, the chili oil and sesame sauce you wanted."

At that moment, Alice Nakiri came out of the kitchen, sat down next to Bai Yuan, and handed him the bowl of condiments.

"Thank you, please try this tripe, it tastes amazing!"

After taking the bowl of condiments, Bai Yuan naturally tossed the tripe from his chopsticks into Alice Nakiri's bowl, praising its deliciousness.

At this moment, Alice Nakiri's bowl is filled with all sorts of delicious food.

Fish balls, shrimp paste, tripe, sliced ​​beef, tofu puffs...

These were the things Bai Yuan had put on her plate during the time she was away; the bowl was almost overflowing.

"I can't eat that much, you can have the rest."

As she spoke, Alice Nakiri put more than half of the ingredients from her bowl back into Shirayuki's bowl. There was no way to mix so many ingredients with the dipping sauce. She was just worried and confused, otherwise she wouldn't have made such a basic mistake.

"Give me some too! Teacher Bai Yuan is biased and only takes care of Alice."