Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Although Leah did not admit it herself, she knew from the video of the Fuzhou Youth Chef Competition that the blonde girl wearing a mask in the video was her.

Although they didn't know why she joined the world of dark cuisine, they could all see how much progress Leah had made.

From this perspective, joining the world of bizarre cuisine might not be such a bad thing.

She wondered what the so-called "dark cuisine" world was all about. She'd always been curious but never had a chance to ask. This might be her opportunity!

"That little girl is really good. She is quite skilled at cooking and knows how to use the properties of preserved plums to make the oxtail meat even more delicious."

However, even with amazing innovative abilities, surpassing this classic dish still requires exceptional culinary skills; we'll see if she can do it.

Antonio Bellucci's voice rang out, praising Samulan while expressing skepticism towards the other player.

"Samulan performed very well. This dish is top-notch even among braised oxtail. It is quite remarkable that she can achieve this level at such a young age."

Upon hearing Antonio Bellucci's praise, Su Che also offered his own compliments, which immediately brought a smile to Samulan's face in front of them.

Cooking is such an easy thing. As long as you follow the steps, you can make high-level dishes and it is hard to make a mistake.

"Next up is your turn, the second strongest in the world of dark cuisine. Let everyone see how your cooking tastes."

Thinking of what Lia had said to her, Samulan looked over, her face expressionless but her eyes filled with inquiry.

She saw when the other party chose preserved plums, and she knew that preserved plums could soften the oxtail meat, making it more tender and flavorful.

But she doesn't intend to use preserved plums.

If it's a dish you've practiced before, then choosing preserved plums is fine, since you'll have some confidence in it.

However, she had no prior experience with this type of cooking, and her conversation with Mei only provided theoretical knowledge. There was a high possibility of making a mistake if she acted rashly.

This competition concerns the honor of the academy, and she cannot place her hopes on something so uncertain. She must do her best to cook what she is good at.

If she loses a game due to carelessness, even if her teammates can forgive her, she can't forgive herself because it was an unnecessary mistake.

Therefore, even knowing the drawbacks of her approach, Samulan did not change her plan and decided to use her existing experience to defeat Lia.

"This plum oxtail dish is made by utilizing the unique properties of plums and oxtail. Please, the three judges, try it."

Compared to Samulan's braised oxtail served on a large plate, Lia's dish was much smaller, with the plum oxtail served in a small square bowl.

"It looks pretty good. Plums and oxtail are indeed a great combination of ingredients. Using them together can achieve a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts."

However, this dish is extremely difficult to prepare. If the oxtail is not handled properly or the plum sauce is not seasoned correctly, the dish will taste very strange and unpalatable.

As for why I know this, it's mainly because I made a dish with preserved plums and beef a long time ago. The principles behind both are quite similar, but the difficulty level is about the same.

Seeing the plum-flavored oxtail that Lillian brought out, she smelled the aroma in front of her but didn't rush to taste it. Instead, she watched Lillian talk on and on.

“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not the kind of person who acts without thinking. Since I’ve chosen to make this dish, it means I have absolute confidence in it.”

Looking at the familiar face in front of her, Leah smiled faintly, but she didn't rush to acknowledge him. Instead, she gave a simple explanation.

This is, after all, a competition venue, not a family reunion event. She knows in her heart which is more important, the competition or the family reunion, and it's not too late to recognize each other after the competition ends.

"Confidence is indeed the foundation of making a good dish, so let me taste your confident creation."

Upon hearing Lia's resolute words, a strange light flashed in Lillian's eyes.

It had been more than a year since the two last met. Although they had kept in touch by phone, they had not gotten to know each other well.

It seems that something must have happened to Leah that changed her personality. Before, although she was a genius, she was too sharp and outspoken. Now, although she is still sharp, she has learned to sheathe her sword.

Being too upright is easy to break. After learning to restrain herself, Leah's potential for future growth will naturally be raised.

"please."

Hearing Lillian's words, Lia's expression did not change. Instead, she raised her hand and gestured for them to proceed, then looked at the other two judges.

Antonio Bellucci and Sutcher exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, picked up a piece of preserved plum oxtail with their chopsticks and put it in their mouths.

The mild, natural tartness of the preserved plum, combined with the sweetness of the rock sugar, perfectly balances the greasiness of the oxtail while enhancing the meat's umami flavor.

"What a brilliant idea! The addition of fruit flavor elevates the taste of the dish to a whole new level!"

The preserved plums, with their tangerine peel and licorice flavors, slowly release their aroma, adding a complex fruity fragrance to the broth and a refreshing aftertaste to the rich meat flavor.

As the dish entered his mouth, Su Che's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected the dish to taste like this, and he certainly hadn't expected the fruit and meat aromas to blend so perfectly. It was simply a masterpiece!

The broth concentrates the rich meaty aroma of oxtail and the fruity fragrance of preserved plums, and the seasoning is supplemented with soy sauce, cooking wine, ginger and scallions, which achieve a subtle balance of salty and sweet.

Chapter 417 Victory, Second Match, Themed Noodles

"It is indeed a very unique and novel flavor. It is the first time I have tasted such a combination of preserved plum and oxtail. To be honest, it tastes pretty good."

Antonio Bellucci's voice rang out at that moment, his eyes filled with surprise, for the dish in front of him tasted unexpectedly good.

It takes courage to create innovative dishes in such a competition, and it is even more commendable to withstand the pressure and make the innovative dishes delicious!

This young girl is truly amazing; she can adjust the flavor of the plum juice so precisely that it doesn't feel out of place at all when added to the oxtail.

Furthermore, the oxtail is slow-cooked for a long time, making the meat extremely tender, so tender that it can be easily separated from the bone with a gentle pull.

The fascia and collagen between the oxtail joints melt into the soup, forming a natural thickening sauce. It is sticky, smooth, and creamy, and every bite is full of the satisfying feeling of collagen!

"Your cooking technique for this dish is still braised oxtail, right? Compared to the previous Samulan contestant, you just added preserved plums."

As Su Che spoke, he looked at Lia. Although the dish was very flavorful, its essence had not changed; it was still based on braised oxtail.

However, the addition of preserved plums has improved its texture and flavor to some extent.

"That's right, braised oxtail is a classic dish."

Given limited time, it's extremely difficult to create a dish that surpasses this cooking method on short notice; at least, it's beyond my capabilities.

So after careful consideration, I decided to use braised oxtail as a base and add preserved plums to make the dish even more delicious.

Hearing Su Che's words, Lia did not hide anything. This dish was indeed made by her using the cooking method of braised oxtail, and it was of the same origin as Samulan.

The only difference is that she added preserved plums when making the oxtail.

It was this tiny preserved plum that transformed the dish and elevated its overall culinary rating.

Thinking of this, Antonio Bellucci, Socher, and Lillian exchanged glances, and then simultaneously pressed the button on their left.

"drop"

The screen in the sky showed images of Lia and Samulan, with their scores displayed in the middle, and a 3 prominently displayed next to Lia.

3:0

Lia completely defeated Samulan.

In the battle between tradition and innovation, judging from the current situation, innovation is clearly winning.

"3-0, I lost? And I was completely crushed by my opponent!?"

Looking at the score in the sky, Samulan, who was already feeling a little flustered, froze on the spot. She had actually lost, lost to the second best in the world of dark cuisine.

To be defeated by someone who excels at cooking in your area of ​​absolute mastery?!

What a disgrace!

However, having already lost the match, continuing to act unreasonably would only make her more embarrassed. Samulan couldn't bring herself to do it, so she could only walk towards the mosque below the stage with her head held high, a faint look of guilt on her face.

Lia watched her departing figure, opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing. Going over to comfort her at this time would feel somewhat like a petty person gloating.

It's better to let Samulan process her emotions on her own.

Now that she has won a victory in the world of dark cuisine, Boss Bai will definitely reward her. Maybe tonight she can go to his room and have some intimate moments!

As if she was thinking of something pleasant, Lia's cheeks flushed slightly, and just as she was about to jog off the stage to find Bai Yuan, Lillian called out to her.

"You rascal, it's been so long since we last met, and after only a few words, you're already planning to go back down?"

Seeing Lia hopping and skipping off the stage, Lillian stood up from the judges' seat, her expression filled with displeasure. Only now did the audience realize that the two seemed to know each other.

"Hey, it's not too late to catch up after the game. There are so many people watching here, what's the point of us talking for so long?"

"Sigh, the kids are all grown up now, and they're not close to me anymore."

After saying this somewhat awkwardly, Lia did not stop and continued walking towards Baiyuan. Seeing this, Lillian couldn't help but purse her lips and complain.

However, she also knew in her heart that now was not the best time to catch up.

On the other side, Lia had already come to Bai Yuan's side, lively like a butterfly flitting among flowers, with a bright smile on her face.

"Boss Bai, you've lived up to expectations!"

Under the watchful eyes of the entire audience, Lia nestled into Bai Yuan's arms like a swallow returning to its nest, her voice carrying the soft, coquettish tone unique to young girls.

"I was watching, you did a great job."

Feeling the extra warmth in his arms, Bai Yuan smiled and gently rubbed the boy's head with a touch of affection.

"hey-hey."

Hearing Bai Yuan's praise, Liya didn't say much, just smiled sheepishly, then leaned closer to him, clearly unwilling to leave.

"There are a lot of people watching here. It's rare for me to be in the limelight in front of the public. Now that I'm in your arms, they might laugh at me behind my back."

Feeling the warmth in his arms, Bai Yuan's voice carried a hint of teasing.

Of course, despite saying that, he didn't let go of Lia's arms. After all, the little girl's body was very soft, and it was quite comfortable to hold her, which he enjoyed very much.

"Let them laugh if they want. If they knew what kind of hero the person holding me was, they'd be too envious to even think about it!"

Lia's voice carried a hint of arrogance. As she spoke, she nuzzled her head against Bai Yuan's chest and tugged at her sleeve, seemingly trying to be affectionate.

"You... fine, hug me if you want. Anyway, you won the game, so even if others want to criticize you, they won't find much to criticize you for."

Sensing Lia's dependence, Bai Yuan reached out and gently stroked her soft hair, then turned his gaze to Tadokoro Megumi, who was eager to try her hand at something not far away.

The girl stared intently in the direction of the monastery members, her eyes filled with seriousness; her mind was focused entirely on the upcoming match.

"It seems that Xiao Hui is also looking forward to competing with her opponent."

Following Bai Yuan's gaze, Lia also saw Tadokoro Megumi's eyes and could clearly feel the burning passion in them, as well as her desire for her opponent.

"Now, please welcome the players participating in the second singles match to the stage!"

After the match between Lia and Samulan ended, there was a ten-minute break.

The next moment, the countdown on the large screen on the platform reached zero, and Mr. Lin raised the microphone again and shouted.

At the contestants' stand, Tadokoro Megumi, who was already poised to go, heard the voice and headed straight for the stage, quickly arriving at the cooking station.

"It's alright, Sister Samulan. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. A temporary victory or defeat doesn't determine anything, and besides, we're here for you."