Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

She quickly wrote a few characters for "person" on her hand and swallowed them, muttering these words to herself to ease the tension in her heart.

She can take her time chopping vegetables, but when it comes to stir-frying, she has to get it right the first time. In other words, if she doesn't control the heat properly, the dish will be ruined.

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt nervous again. Although she had prepared all the side dishes, she didn't dare to cook them for a long time.

"Relax a bit. I could tell from how you were chopping vegetables that you have a very solid foundation. You're probably in the top five in this class."

As a chef, it would be such a pity if you hesitated because of nervousness and ended up not being able to make a good dish!

So if you keep going like this, I'm going to give you a failing grade. Hurry up and start cooking; even if you do a terrible job, I'll still give you a passing grade!

Seeing Tadokoro Megumi squatting on the ground muttering to herself, Bai Yuan strode forward to her side and slapped her on the back without any hesitation.

"Eh?!"

The tingling sensation on her back startled the girl awake. Upon hearing that she would be punished for failing, Tadokoro Megumi's face showed panic, and she hurriedly tried to stand up.

However, because he had been squatting on the ground for too long, his blood circulation was poor, and his whole body involuntarily tilted backward, about to fall to the ground.

"You little brat, you're pretty good at chopping vegetables, but you're so clumsy when it comes to doing anything else. You get so nervous even when you're cooking. From now on, you'll be sitting in the front row in my classes!"

Feeling the softness in his arms, Bai Yuan wrinkled his nose and then spoke with a hint of reproach.

The girl had a simple, comforting scent that made people feel at ease, like being held by a woman who was like a Yamato Nadeshiko.

"what?"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, the girl exclaimed in surprise, a moment of panic flashing across her face. How could she have suddenly fallen in front of him?

And... was the teacher secretly inhaling her scent just now? Was it subconscious? Or was it her imagination? It was probably her imagination!

With a slightly flushed face, Tadokoro got up from Bai Yuan's embrace and glanced at the man's handsome face out of the corner of her eye. She felt her heart beating a little fast.

Regardless, she had indeed been held tightly in Bai Yuan's arms just now. The close contact between the man and woman made her, a girl who had never even touched a boy's hand, feel hot and restless all over!

"Alright, don't be nervous, just do it. With your abilities, you can do it well. Don't think about anything else, just let your body guide you."

Given Tadokoro Megumi's current situation, the only thing we can do is to gradually build her courage and confidence, and the best way to do that is to spend more time with her in class.

Let her experience the special care from the teacher!

"Okay, I will try my best."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Tadokoro Megumi nodded earnestly, indicating that she would do her best.

"Summon your passion, ignite your fighting spirit, and don't let the cowardice deep in your heart affect the taste of your cooking!"

"it is good!"

"You're full of energy, I believe in you!"

Seeing that Tadokoro Megumi's condition had improved considerably, Bai Yuan immediately raised his hand and patted her back forcefully, while secretly injecting his inner strength into her body.

As these internal energies were injected, Tadokoro Megumi was affected, and her face gradually burned with fighting spirit. Then she devoted herself to cooking.

Bai Yuan nodded secretly as he watched this scene. This little girl's basic skills are good. As long as she can overcome her psychological barrier, she is no weaker than anyone else!

"Teacher Bai Yuan, I've finished cooking. Please enjoy."

Just as Bai Yuan was about to leave and return to the podium to rest after watching for a while, Nakiri Erina's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

"Okay, bring it up."

Bai Yuan waved his hand but did not stop. He went forward and sat down in his seat, while Nakiri Erina brought over the dishes and placed them in front of him.

"You replaced the shredded winter bamboo shoots with shredded green and red peppers, which retained the crispness of the shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce while adding a touch of sweetness."

Looking at the dishes in front of him, Bai Yuan didn't rush to taste them. Instead, he took a deep breath and then gave his routine comments.

"The ingredients for the fish-fragrant sauce were adjusted according to the composition of the dish. If I'm not mistaken, you used butter when you cooked this dish, right? And you also added white wine."

Bai Yuan calmly looked at Nakiri Erina; with his super sense of smell, he only needed to twitch his nose to grasp all the details of the dish.

In other words, at this moment, Erina Nakiri is completely open in front of him!

"That's right, I pondered the question you gave me, and combined it with what I had learned before, while consuming butter and white wine."

Butter and white wine can add a touch of milk and fruitiness to shredded pork with garlic sauce, without overpowering the other flavors.

Furthermore, the silky smoothness of the butter complements the tenderness of the shredded meat perfectly, while the freshness of the white wine creates a wonderful contrast with the richness of the fish-fragrant sauce.

Although she was surprised that Bai Yuan could tell her cooking method just by smelling it, she accepted it after considering that he was likely a seven-star chef.

"This approach is indeed quite novel, combining what you've learned before with what you're learning now, which might be a good transition."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and scooped up shredded meat, shredded green and red peppers, and shredded wood ear mushrooms, stuffing them all into his mouth at once.

Close your eyes, and the first thing you'll feel is the tenderness of the shredded pork, the crispness of the green and red peppers, and the soft and glutinous texture of the wood ear mushrooms, followed by the rich flavor of the fish-fragrant sauce.

With a perfect balance of sweet and sour, and a hint of spiciness and numbing sensation, it combines the traditional Sichuan fish flavor with the meticulous control of seasonings found in French cuisine.

"The idea is pretty good, but it's a bit lacking in execution."

Since you've chosen to add something new, then you need to integrate it into the overall flavor, rather than letting the flavor stand alone. Do you understand what I mean?

Putting down his chopsticks, Bai Yuan looked at Nakiri Erina with a serious expression, pointed out the problem, and truly adopted the demeanor of a teacher.

His main purpose in coming to Totsuki Academy was to teach the original Food Wars! protagonists so that they could become a little stronger, thus preventing Alice's high school life from becoming too boring or even a waste of time.

Especially the pretty girls in Food Wars, they are of utmost importance.

Start with teaching and gradually deepen the interaction.

Yes, we were talking about discussing cooking skills.

"Let the flavors blend in, rather than stand out..."

Bai Yuan's words made Nakiri Erina fall into deep thought, her mind racing.

"Is it mainly about the fusion of flavors in the dishes?"

Erina Nakiri wasn't stupid. She picked up her chopsticks and tasted the food on her plate, quickly understanding the true meaning of Hakubuchi's words.

"That's right, you're too concerned about the extra flavors that are presented."

While the creamy aroma of butter and the fragrance of white wine are indeed enticing, if they are too pronounced, they can disrupt the overall harmony of the dish's flavors.

Bai Yuan's face showed an expression of appreciation, and he continued, "As expected of someone with the God Tongue talent, he understood it after just a little guidance!"

"I understand, Professor Bai Yuan. Please let me make another one!"

Erina Nakiri picked up her chopsticks and ate all the food in front of her, just as Shirabuchi had written on the blackboard.

Only after he has finished eating the food I made can I make the next dish for him to try.

Anyone who dares to waste food, get out of the classroom immediately!

"Go."

Seeing the spirited Erina Nakiri, Bai Yuan simply waved his hand and then turned his gaze to Hisako Shinto, who was walking behind her.

"Then, bring out your work!"

"Yes, Professor Bai Yuan."

Bai Yuan looked at the girl in front of him, or more accurately, at the dishes in front of her.

The ingredients for the dish were the same as those for his shredded pork with garlic sauce, but the aroma in the air had changed significantly.

"Did you soak the herbs in the sauce? But you must have prepared an extra bowl of sauce."

First, use a clay pot to simmer the medicinal herbs to extract their properties, then use a cooking method to infuse the flavor of the herbs into the shredded pork with fish-fragrant sauce. Am I right?

Bai Yuan's voice rang out, carrying a slightly strange tone. It wasn't until Hisako Shinto placed the dish in front of him that he reached out with his chopsticks to pick it up and examine it.

"That's right, I want to combine what I've learned to make Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce) have nourishing effects, achieving the effect of medicinal cuisine."

Looking at the blushing girl in front of him, Bai Yuan did not put the food into his mouth, but silently put down his chopsticks.

“I can roughly understand your thoughts, but the cooking of medicinal cuisine is not something that can be done so simply and crudely. Your dish is a typical example, focusing only on the word ‘medicinal’ while completely ignoring the word ‘culinary’.”

Seeing the slightly stunned girl, Bai Yuan continued speaking without hesitation.

"When I was traveling in Guangzhou, I met an old man who was very good at making soup, which, upon closer reflection, could be considered a kind of medicinal cuisine."

Because he adds many medicinal herbs to his soup, giving it a nourishing effect that can help sick people recover quickly.

However, even though he added a lot of medicinal herbs, the people who ate it could not taste the bitterness of the herbs at all. The soup was only delicious and made people unable to stop drinking it.

I went to him for a while to learn how to make good soup, and he told me that the most important thing is patience and meticulousness.

I never believed such things, but after much pleading and exchanging ideas, I finally got some secret medicinal recipes from him.

After studying the recipes, I discovered that the key to medicinal cuisine lies in the harmony between the medicinal properties, and in how cooking methods can transform bitterness and astringency into flavor, thus enhancing the taste of the cooked dishes.

Looking at the clear-eyed girl in front of him, Bai Yuan suppressed the urge to smash all the shredded pork with garlic sauce in front of him and instead slowly began to talk about the way of medicinal cuisine.

So-called medicinal cuisine mainly focuses on dietary therapy, aiming to enhance physical fitness and become healthier by enjoying delicious food.

The most important part of medicinal cuisine is not the medicine, but the "cuisine" part; otherwise, it would be better to just take medicine directly.

It's clear that Hisako Shinto hasn't grasped the true meaning of medicinal cuisine.

"I guarantee that after eating this shredded pork with garlic sauce, the aftertaste will definitely be slightly bitter. This dish is undoubtedly a failure."

If I were you, even if I really wanted to add medicinal herbs to this dish, I would only choose herbs with a similar flavor to those used in Yu Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce), not just throw them in indiscriminately. It would be strange if they tasted good that way! Hold out your hand.

Bai Yuan solemnly picked up the ruler beside him, and Hisako Shinto was stunned when she heard his words, but still obediently stretched out her hand.

"Clap"

The ruler struck her palm with a crisp sound, causing the girl to gasp in pain, but she did not flinch.

"Eat all the food you made, and then make it again as I tell you!"

Bai Yuan's expression was stern, but in his heart he was marveling at his own gentleness. Under normal circumstances, he would have smashed the plate into Hisako's face long ago.

If those aspiring masters of culinary disasters saw this, their eyes would probably pop out of their sockets, and they'd probably lament his favoritism.

However, there are differences between the two.

The reserve members of the dark cuisine world on the Loulin ship all carried grudges to varying degrees, and were recruited by Bai Yuan by chance.

They all wanted to become stronger quickly and take revenge, which is why they asked Bai Yuan to be as strict with them as possible.

As the leader of the Dark Cuisine world, Bai Yuan naturally couldn't refuse such a request and always trained them to the highest standards.

At Totsuki Academy, Hakugen completely adopted a relaxed, retirement-like demeanor, giving the impression that he had been busy for so long and could finally take a break.