Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

"Alright, everyone, lucky winners, find a place to stand."

"Today's intensive task is actually very simple. You just need to independently prepare a complete Italian meal in this kitchen—including an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert—with a time limit of six hours. And you are not allowed to use semi-finished products. Every drop of sauce, every piece of dough, and every serving of broth must be made on-site from scratch."

"You can take whatever equipment and ingredients you like here, but let me make it clear from the start: the quality of the ingredients varies, and what you get depends entirely on your own speed and judgment."

Donato tapped his finger twice on the counter. "Then I, along with these two chefs beside me, Taki Kakuzaki and Sonoka Kikuchi, will score the dishes. If all three of us think they are satisfactory, then you have passed today's assignment. Similarly, if any dish makes us dissatisfied, then I don't need to say more about the result."

Kakuzaki Taki, standing beside him, simply nodded with a serious expression, while Kikuchi Sonoka, on the other side, gently gave everyone a gesture of encouragement.

The crowd below the stage erupted in uproar upon hearing this request.

"Six...six hours?!"

"How could we possibly have enough time! Just preparing the broth and processing the ingredients will take up a lot of time!"

Donato ignored the groans below. He snapped his fingers, and several staff members pushed out carts and distributed stacks of printed recipes to each person's workstation.

“I’ve already finalized the menu for you,” Donato said slowly. “The appetizer is Sicilian-style red shrimp sashimi with freshly baked focaccia bread; the main course is Italian apple risotto; and the dessert is sabón, a royal court dessert.”

When Takumi, standing in the crowd, heard the menu, his eyes lit up instantly.

He has been running the family restaurant in Italy with his twin brother Isami since he was a child, so he is very familiar with these Italian dishes.

Takumi crossed his arms, a confident smile playing on his lips, and muttered to himself, "Sicilian red shrimp, apple risotto, sabón... this is practically tailor-made for me, Chen Yuxing, how are you going to face this?"

Chen Yuxing didn't pay much attention to Takumi's burning gaze. He picked up the recipe on the table and quickly glanced through it.

"Six hours is indeed a bit tight," he thought to himself. "The royal dessert, sabbaon, needs to be whipped and stirred, and the focaccia dough needs to be fermented. These two must be done first. The main course, apple risotto, requires constant stirring and adding broth, which is the most energy-consuming. As for the appetizer, red shrimp flakes, the key lies in the freshness of the ingredients and the preparation method."

"Alright, I've finished explaining the rules and requirements." Donato glanced at his watch, then abruptly waved his hand. "Now, the reinforcement exercise—start the timer!"

As Donato finished speaking, the fifty trainees pounced on the food storage like hungry wolves.

Although the assessment provided the necessary ingredients, there were definitely not enough fresh ingredients for everyone. Being able to grab the freshest ingredients meant having a significant head start over others at the starting line.

"Get out of the way! Don't block my way!" Kurokiba Ryo had somehow tied his signature red headscarf around his head, and his entire aura changed drastically. Like a rabid dog whose wildness had been unleashed, he smashed through the two boys blocking his path and swept the largest and brightest red shrimp into his basket.

Takumi Aldini was quick on his feet. Having worked in the kitchens of Italian restaurants since childhood, he was extremely familiar with these ingredients. He moved swiftly among the ingredients, quickly picking out the best Marsala wine and premium mascarpone cheese, and also managing to snag a few green apples with perfectly firm, bright green skins.

Unlike most students who blindly rush to the food storage to grab ingredients, Chen Yuxing noticed the location of the ingredients he needed in advance. With his exceptional physical abilities, he moved between the chilled and fresh produce and the fruits and vegetables.

The finest extra virgin olive oil, large, translucent Sicilian red shrimp, perfectly peeled green apples, masala wine, and all the necessary ingredients... In less than three minutes, his basket was filled with all the ingredients he needed.

Chapter 26 Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts

"Phew... all done."

Chen Yuxing carried the basket back to his workbench and put the things down.

He turned his head and subconsciously looked in the direction where Tadokoro Megumi was.

Upon seeing it, he immediately frowned.

Megumi Tadokoro stood alone at the outermost edge of the food section, her hands gripping the basket tightly, her face filled with anxiety and helplessness.

Because of her shy personality, and even though she had undergone special training from Chen Yuxing, Xiao Hui was still very nervous because this intensive training caught her completely off guard. She had tried to rush in to get the ingredients, but she was pushed out by others several times. By the time she finally managed to squeeze in, all the good-quality ingredients had already been taken, leaving only the defective ones that others had picked over.

Megumi Tadokoro bit her lip and walked to the food storage area where the leftover ingredients had been picked over. The remaining Sicilian red shrimp were noticeably smaller, and even the color of their shells was somewhat dark, clearly indicating that they had begun to oxidize after being exposed to air. The remaining green apples in the fruit and vegetable section next to them also had some bruises, and some of them even had their skins starting to turn yellow.

She silently packed the defective products that others had rejected into her basket, and walked back to her workbench, dejected and like a child who had done something wrong.

"What to do... No matter how well the ingredients are prepared, it's hard to compare to the sweet and chewy texture of ingredients made with fresher ones..."

Tadokoro Megumi looked at the ingredients in the basket, her eyes red. She had just sworn to herself that she would never bring shame to Polar Star Dormitory, but now she had even messed up getting the ingredients.

Just then, Chen Yuxing walked over and glanced down at Xiao Hui's ingredients.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Ah Xing..."

Megumi Tadokoro lowered her head and gripped the hem of her apron tightly. "I... I'm still so clumsy. I can even mess up something as simple as getting ingredients. I'm definitely going to be eliminated..."

"It's okay, don't be nervous." Chen Yuxing said as he reached out and placed his basket in front of Tadokoro Megumi, and also picked up Megumi's basket.

"Ah-Xing? What are you doing?" Tadokoro Megumi was stunned for a moment, then looked up, her golden eyes full of bewilderment.

"This basket of ingredients is mine; you can use mine," Chen Yuxing said calmly.

"Huh!? No way! Absolutely not!"

Tadokoro Megumi was startled and quickly pushed the basket back. "No way! Hoshino-kun, these are all ingredients you worked so hard to get. Besides, this isn't an ordinary project. Chef Donato said the judging is very strict this time. It's my own responsibility that I didn't get good ingredients. If you get dragged down because of the ingredients, I..."

“Listen, Xiaohui.”

Chen Yuxing raised a finger to interrupt Tadokoro Megumi. He bent down slightly and looked directly into Megumi's panicked eyes.

"You should know that there are no perfect ingredients in this world."

Pointing to the basket of slightly flawed ingredients, a smile played on his lips as he confidently stated, "The red shrimp aren't very lively, and their flesh is soft due to oxidation. We can chill them with ice water, or treat them with a specific ratio of acidic solution and salt water to make their flesh tender. The apples are even simpler. Some apples with yellowed skin may become less crisp due to a decrease in moisture and vitamin C, but the flesh will become sweeter and softer, with higher sugar content and aroma than regular apples, allowing for different treatments."

"Imperfections in ingredients are also a test for chefs. The joy of cooking lies in repairing these imperfections through different methods, and even turning them into a unique advantage of a dish."

Chen Yuxing straightened up and reached out to ruffle Xiao Hui's long blue hair. "Alright, Xiao Hui. Make good use of these ingredients, show off the skills you honed in the Polaris Dormitory kitchen, and don't disappoint me. As for these minor flaws, leave them to me."

Tadokoro Megumi stared blankly into Chen Yuxing's confident eyes, feeling as if something had hit her chest, and her initially flustered mood gradually calmed down.

"I...I understand! Ah Xing, I definitely won't let you down!"

She nodded vigorously, turned around, rubbed her eyes, took a deep breath, and picked up the kitchen knife with a determined look in her eyes to begin preparing the ingredients.

Chen Yuxing smiled, turned around and walked back to her kitchen counter, tightening the apron tied around her body.

……

At the very front of the kitchen, three judges were watching the fifty students busily working below.

"Hey! You idiot over there! Are you embroidering while you're chopping vegetables? Stop dawdling and you'll get kicked out right now!"

A furious roar exploded in the kitchen.

Kakuzaki Taki, with his long, dark purple ponytail, stood with one foot on a chair at the edge of the podium, hands on his hips, his sharp eyes scanning the entire room like knives.

"Kakuzaki-senpai..." Kikuchi Sonoka, standing next to her, was suddenly startled, her hands nervously covering her impressive breasts, her voice soft, "Don't be so fierce, everyone's already nervous, it wouldn't be good if we got her..."

"Shut up! You big-breasted monster!"

Kakuzaki Taki turned around and glared at her without any politeness. "The most important thing in cooking Western food is rhythm and efficiency! If you can't even chop vegetables properly, you might as well leave now if you have to finish three dishes in six hours!"

Kikuchi Sonoka bit her lip, looking a little aggrieved, and shrank back with tears in her eyes, not daring to provoke this irritable senior any further.

Donato Wutongtian stood in the center, holding a cup of Italian coffee. His gaze wandered around the examination room, finally landing on Chen Yuxing.

"Oh? So you actually gave the top-quality ingredients to that girl and kept a bunch of substandard ones for yourself?"

Donato gently swirled the coffee cup in his hand. "Young man, you dare to mess around in this life-or-death exam just to show off in front of girls? Cooking isn't something you can pass by just showing off."

……

Six hours was a bit tight for Chen Yuxing, especially since some ingredients needed special processing.

Chen Yuxing's first task was to work on the focaccia dough, because the dough needed time to ferment, so it had to be done first.

Chen Yuxing took out the high-gluten flour and dry yeast and placed them on the countertop. Then he added some warm water, mixed them together, added a small amount of salt and a little honey, and poured in a large amount of extra virgin olive oil.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

He forcefully pushed, folded, and repeatedly slapped the dough until its surface became smooth and elastic, to the point where it would slowly spring back when pressed with a finger.

Then, put the kneaded dough into a bowl that has been lightly greased with oil, cover it with plastic wrap, and put it into a fermentation box to ferment. At the same time, slightly increase the humidity and temperature of the fermentation box.

Next, we need to deal with the less vigorous Sicilian red shrimp.

If red shrimp stay out of seawater for too long, their meat will become somewhat loose and have a soft, earthy taste.

Chen Yuxing quickly found a large stainless steel basin, filled it with ice, threw all the red shrimp in, then sprinkled in a handful of sea salt. Next, he cut half a lemon and squeezed the juice in, and finally cut a little bit of ginger and put it into the ice water.

Ginger, when placed in ice water at low temperatures, does not overpower the flavor of the red shrimp; instead, it removes the earthy taste from the shrimp. Sea salt and citric acid, on the other hand, can forcefully stimulate the already loosened flesh of the red shrimp at low temperatures, causing it to begin to contract again.

After soaking for about five minutes, Chen Yuxing took the shrimp out and began to peel them and remove the veins. The shrimp meat, which was originally somewhat dull and soft, had now regained some of its original texture. When you gently press the shrimp meat with your finger, you can feel its obvious elasticity.

Lay all the peeled shrimp meat flat on the cutting board, cover it with plastic wrap, and use the wide side of a kitchen knife to pat the shrimp meat into thin, even slices.

Then the red shrimp were temporarily processed, and the processed thin slices were placed in the refrigerator to chill and wait for them to set.

"Next up is the main course, Italian apple risotto."

Chen Yuxing picked up a few slightly bruised and overripe, yellowed apples from the basket. He picked up a peeler, and with a quick flick of his wrist, peeled the apples clean. Then he removed the cores.

The softer parts of the apple have some of their starch converted into fructose as they ripen. Although they are not as crisp, they are very sweet and have a rich, sweet aroma.

He cut off the softer part of the fruit and chopped it into a fine apple puree; while the remaining part, which still had a firm and crisp texture, was cut into neat small cubes and soaked in lightly salted water to prevent oxidation.

Chen Yuxing heated the frying pan, then put in a large piece of butter. The moment the butter melted and bubbled, he poured in the chopped apple puree and apple chunks.

"Fuck!"

The creamy aroma of butter and the sweet aroma of apples blend together.

Sauté the apples in butter, then sprinkle in a small spoonful of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon powder.

At high temperatures, apples with high fructose content begin to caramelize as soon as they hit the pan. The originally yellowish-white apple puree and apple chunks gradually turn into a more tempting amber color, emitting a very rich caramel apple aroma.

After processing the apples, I started preparing the base for the apple baked rice.

In another pot, Chen Yuxing poured in Italian Abolirio short-grain rice and stir-fried it. The raw rice was constantly stirred in the pot until the edges of the rice grains were slightly translucent. He picked up the white wine next to him and poured it around the edge of the pot. The alcohol evaporated under the high temperature, and a ball of blue flame rose in the pot.

Then take out the shrimp shells and heads left over from peeling the shrimp, sauté them in hot oil to extract the shrimp oil, then add chopped onions, minced garlic and a little warm water, and simmer for about fifteen minutes to get a pot of very sweet Italian red shrimp broth.

Add a spoonful of broth and stir continuously in a circular motion with a wooden spoon. Once the rice has fully absorbed the broth, add the next spoonful and continue stirring, repeating the process.

When you add the fourth spoonful of broth, pour the caramelized apples you just cooked into the rice cooker, and finally sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese. Stir constantly to allow the sweet and sour apples and the salty and savory Parmesan cheese to fully blend with the broth and rice.

A sweet aroma, a blend of red shrimp, apples, and cheese, exploded in the air like a tsunami throughout the kitchen.

"It smells so good! What is this smell?!"

"Why does this apple baked rice smell so delicious and make my mouth water?"

The students who were still simmering the broth nearby paused for a moment when they smelled the aroma.

Chen Yuxing placed the mixed apple baked rice into a baking pan, drizzled it with a small amount of milk, olive oil and rosemary, sprinkled the last layer of cheese on top, and then put it into the oven to bake.

By this time, the focaccia dough in the fermentation box had also finished fermenting.

He took the dough out and spread it flat on a French baking sheet.

The dough is very soft at this point. He puts a small amount of olive oil on his fingers and then pokes holes in the surface of the dough, pressing the holes to varying depths so that the olive oil can penetrate to different depths, resulting in varying degrees of flavor and preventing the dough from becoming greasy.

Then sprinkle some dried rosemary and cherry tomatoes into the holes, and sprinkle about 20 grams of sea salt.

Finally, brush a thin layer of olive oil on the surface of the dough and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.

……

Time ticked by, and only thirty minutes remained until the end of the assessment.

The students at the other workstations were also racing against time, their backs soaked with sweat.

Chen Yuxing began making the final dessert—the royal court dessert, Sabaody.

He first found a pot, added a small amount of water to it, and heated it until it was just bubbling slightly.

Then, put the egg yolks, sugar, and the crucial Marsala wine into the pot of water.

Pick up the whisk and start whisking rapidly at a speed of dozens of times per second, injecting air into the egg yolk mixture. During this process, the egg yolk mixture begins to expand, and its color gradually changes from a dark yellow to a light yellow, eventually forming a light yet slightly thick foam.

Use a whisk to draw an 8 on it, and let it remain for eight seconds without disappearing. That's when you're done.

Chen Yuxing took out a dessert bowl, put a few strawberries in the bowl, poured the finished Sabawa sauce on the strawberries, and then lightly grilled them with a blowtorch to create some brown barbecue marks. Finally, he sprinkled some sugar on top, and the dessert was done.

There are ten minutes left until the end.

The focaccia bread came out of the oven on time, its crust golden and crispy, with the aroma of olives, cherry tomatoes, and rosemary blending with the wheat flour, creating a complex, rich, and very tempting smell that kept wafting into the nostrils.

The Italian apple risotto is now completely done. Stir it well, and you can pull out tempting golden cheese between the rice grains.

Finally, there's the Sicilian red shrimp slices.

Chen Yuxing laid the shaped red shrimp slices flat on a porcelain plate, sprinkled them with a few grains of sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and chopped chili peppers. Finally, he picked up the remaining portion of the special shrimp oil that he had prepared earlier and poured it evenly over the red shrimp slices with a small spoon.

The residual heat of the shrimp oil slightly cooked the thin layer of protein on the surface of the red shrimp, turning the shrimp meat into an almost bewitching bright red.

"Time's up! Everyone stop!"

Chapter 27 Review