Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

Because he's been busy with competitions and food battles lately, he hasn't opened the Book of Gourmets for a while, and now there's a lot more stuff in it.

The mission "Win the food battle against Terunori Kuga" has been completed.

[Reward issued: The special recipe for "The Great Magic Panda Mapo Tofu" has been included in the cookbook.]

[Bonus achievement unlocked: The Uncrowned Eighth Seat.]

The first thing to appear was the reward from the previous food battle with Terunori Kuga: the Great Magic Panda Tofu.

Chen Yuxing was quite excited when he saw this. The most distinctive feature of this dish is its "panda" design, which uses black and white tofu to simulate the colors of a panda. Although it is called Mapo Tofu, it is different from the usual hot and spicy Mapo Tofu. This Mapo Tofu is both cool and sweet, making it a special kind of Mapo Tofu.

The book of recipes continues to be turned.

The task 'Pass the Autumn Selection Tournament Preliminaries' has been completed.

[Reward issued: The special recipe for "The Complete Recipe for Whipped Cream Curry" has been included in the cookbook (containing five different flavors: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and astringent).]

[Reward issued: 10 x Special Ingredient 'Fresh Cream' have been added to your system inventory.]

[Note: This special ingredient will become a permanent obtainable item after completing the quest 'The Pinnacle of the Autumn Selection Tournament'.]

"Why does this 'fresh cream' sound so familiar..."

Chen Yuxing stroked his chin and thought for a moment, but when he couldn't figure it out, he gave up.

The recipes and ingredients I obtained are not very suitable for next week's fall selection competition, so I can only put them aside for later use when I have the opportunity.

He then looked at a newly appeared page in the cookbook.

[A new main quest has been triggered: The Pinnacle of the Autumn Selection Tournament.]

[Mission Description: The Totsuki Culinary Academy Autumn Selection Tournament is an elimination-style cooking competition to select outstanding students. It is also a crucial pathway for students to advance to the top ten, providing them with a key platform to showcase their talents and gain industry recognition.]

[Host, please win the upcoming semi-finals and finals to claim the ultimate championship of the Autumn Selection Tournament!]

[Mission Rewards: Special ingredient – ​​'Super Powder' (simply sprinkle this magical spice on curry, and it will become enormous and incredibly delicious) and top-tier item 'Special World Invitation'.]

"???"

Chen Yuxing didn't think much of the requirements for completing the new task, but the reward for this task really left him puzzled.

The "super powder" also looked familiar, but he still couldn't remember where it came from. However, the special ingredients and recipes in the cookbook were all normal.

But what exactly is this 'Special World Invitation'? Could it be a ticket to other culinary worlds?

"It seems that we absolutely have to win this match, although that was the plan all along."

Chen Yuxing lay down on the bed, his mind flashing back to Soma Yukihira's face full of fighting spirit, and the confident looks of Ryo Hayama and Ryo Kurokiba.

……

The next morning, Chen Yuxing was once again awakened by the chirping of birds outside.

He turned over, intending to stay in bed a little longer, since the celebration party last night had been quite lively, and he had thought about it for a while before going to sleep.

However, thinking about the upcoming Autumn Selection Tournament, he decided to get up. Coincidentally, Totsuki Academy had suspended regular classes for the past few days due to the Autumn Selection Tournament, so he planned to go to the nearby market later to see if there were any ingredients he could buy.

Chen Yuxing got up, quickly washed up, changed into some lighter clothes, and went downstairs.

As I pushed open the back door and went out, a gust of air carrying the scent of dew blew towards me.

In the Polaris vegetable garden in the backyard, Isshiki Satoshi was already working.

As always, he was squatting in the ground pulling weeds, wearing only his signature loincloth and a pair of tall rubber boots.

"Good morning, Isshiki-senpai!" Chen Yuxing walked over and greeted him.

"Oh? It's Xing!" Isshiki Satoshi stood up, smiled when she saw Chen Yuxing coming over, "Why are you up so early? I thought you guys would sleep in since you don't have classes this week."

"That's what I was thinking, but then I thought about the competition and decided to get up." Chen Yuxing walked over to Isshiki Satoshi and squatted down next to her: "Is there anything to harvest from the vegetable garden today?"

"There's quite a lot, isn't there? We need to collect tomatoes, eggplants, and all those other vegetables over there too." Isshiki pointed to a spot not far away: "You and Soma will be testing dishes for the competition these next few days, right? I don't know if you'll need these ingredients, but it's better to get some for you."

"Besides, Grandma Wenxu needs ingredients to cook for you these days."

"Then I'll help too." Chen Yuxing picked up the bamboo basket next to him and started picking tomatoes.

The two worked quickly and soon filled the bamboo basket. Isshiki Satoshi picked up a tomato, broke it open, and handed it to Chen Yuxing. "Speaking of which, Yuxing, do you have any ideas for the next game?"

"I have a few ideas, but we'll have to go to the market this morning to see if we can find any ingredients." Chen Yuxing took a bite of the tomato and said, "After all, I don't cook much Western food."

“There are quite a few options for the topic of Western cuisine.” Isshiki Satoshi stood up and stretched. “You and Soma are both chefs with great ideas. Although it may not be the best way to put it, I’m really curious to see who will win in the end.”

"We'll find out when the time comes." Chen Yuxing smiled and stood up.

The two carried all the prepared ingredients to the kitchen, where Grandma Wenxu was already busy at the counter.

The pot on the stove was bubbling and steaming, containing miso soup.

There were a few pieces of bacon on the counter, and Grandma Wenxu was holding a spatula, ready to fry them for everyone's breakfast.

"Ah Xing, could you please put the vegetables over there for me?" Granny Wenxu pointed to the kitchen counter. "If you could, could you also chop a few tomatoes for me? I'll make a simple vegetable salad later. Hui, could you go over there and cook the rice for me?"

"Received." X2

Chen Yuxing responded, washed his hands and ingredients at the sink, and then began processing the tomatoes.

Isshiki Satoshi was also cooking rice over there, humming a song.

When breakfast was almost ready, the others gradually got up as well.

The first to wake up was Tadokoro Megumi.

She looked a little dazed, her hair was still messy, and she came downstairs wearing a set of pajamas.

"Good morning, Xing-kun, Iroha-senpai, Fumio-chan..."

"Good morning, Xiaohui." Chen Yuxing placed the salad he had made on the table. "You look a little groggy. Go wash your face. Breakfast will be ready soon."

"it is good."

When Megumi Tadokoro went to wash up, Ryoko Sakaki and Yuuki Yoshino came down with her.

"Ah! It smells so good! What's for breakfast today?" Yuuki rushed to the table like a puppy. "Bacon, miso soup, salad..."

Ryoko Sakaki went to the side to prepare tea for everyone.

Then Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato rode Zenji Marui down, with Shun Ibuzaki following behind them.

Finally, it was Soma Yukihira who came down.

"You should really learn from Ah Xing. If you get up any later, you won't be able to eat breakfast," Grandma Wenxu snorted.

Soon everyone had gathered at the dining table.

Today's breakfast was white rice, miso soup, vegetable salad, and omelet with bacon. It was delicious because the ingredients were fresh and it was made by Grandma Fumio.

Soma Yukihira's mouth was stuffed full of food. He had just swallowed when he looked at Chen Yuxing, "Yuxing!"

"I'm going to the market to check out some ingredients later, do you want to come with me?"

"What a coincidence, I was also planning to go later, let's go together."

"I thought about it for a long time last night, and finally I have a dish I want to make. I'll just go to the market to see if I can find any good ingredients."

"Oh? Soma, you already have an idea?" Isshiki Satoshi put down his chopsticks and looked over.

“Hmm! I want to make beef stew in Burgundy red wine!” Soma Yukihira grinned. “However, it might be a little different from the traditional way of making it. I want to improve some of the ingredients and the cooking process.”

When it comes to cooking, Soma is a completely different person. He started telling Chen Yuxing his ideas: "Traditional Burgundy beef stew uses beef shoulder or beef rump. Because it has less fat and coarser fibers, it needs to be stewed for a long time to soften it. I was thinking about whether we could use beef shank."

"Beef shank?" Chen Yuxing looked at Yukihira Soma with some surprise.

"Yes, since it needs to be stewed for a long time anyway, why not choose beef shank? The soup will be thicker than the traditional choice, and the shank itself will be chewier."

"That's true."

"As for the wine and seasonings, I'd like to replace the Pinot Noir that was originally served with another red wine, one with a stronger fruity aroma."

"But if you stew it like this, won't it easily turn sour if you stew it for too long?"

“Yes, so I’m planning to try reducing the stewing time, for example, by using a pressure cooker first and then a clay pot.” Soma Yukihira scratched his head as he said this. “Also, his traditional method is to add carrots and onions, but I’d like to change it to something else, like apples. What do you think?”

"Adding apples when stewing beef adds another layer of flavor, combining the sweetness of the apples with the fruity aroma of red wine. The fruit acids also help tenderize the meat, similar to how onion juice tenderizes meat."

"Apples..." Chen Yuxing thought for a moment and replied, "It should be fine, but you have to choose apples with a good aroma and sweetness. Fuji apples are a good choice; they won't turn sour even if you stew them for a long time."

"Then you can add some cinnamon, cardamom, or something similar."

"That makes sense." Soma Yukihira nodded thoughtfully. "So, what about you, Hoshino? What are your plans?"

“I’ll probably choose a seafood dish,” Chen Yuxing replied. “There’s a French soup called bouillabaisse, which is made by stewing rockfish with various seafood and using saffron as a spice. I’m thinking of seeing if I can improve on that dish.”

"Bougainvillea?" Soma Yukihira's eyes lit up. "I think I saw it once in my father's notes. It's one of the three most famous soups in the world."

"Yes, but this dish requires fish caught in the waters near Marseille, and at least four kinds, such as rockfish, conger eel, sea bream, and monkfish. So let's see if we can buy them at the market later. If not, we'll have to find another way."

……

It's very close to the nearby market from Totsuki; it only takes about ten minutes by car.

The market was bustling with activity; the morning rush hadn't ended yet, and the vendors were still calling out their wares.

"Every time I come here, I feel like my head clears up instantly." Soma Yukihira took a deep breath looking at the lively scene inside. "Alright, Hoshino, I'm going to pick out my own ingredients first. We'll meet at the entrance later to go back together!"

"it is good."

Chen Yuxing laughed as he watched Yukihira Soma rush towards the beef section, and then strode into the market as well.

He first went to the seafood section, where there were many stalls selling seafood, ranging from common sea bream and mackerel to rarer grouper and silver cod.

He walked up to a stall that specialized in selling rockfish. The owner, a middle-aged man wearing an apron, was sprinkling crushed ice into the fish tank.

"Hey sir, is there anything you'd like to buy? These just arrived this morning, they're super fresh!" The shop owner immediately put down what he was doing and came over when he saw a customer.

"Boss, do you have any red rock fish here?" Chen Yuxing squatted down and looked at them before asking.

"Yes, yes!" The owner turned around and took out two bright red fish from the freezer behind him. "Look at this one, it's in very good condition. It was just delivered this morning."

Chen Yuxing examined the fish's eyes closely; they were clear and bright, protruding from their sockets without any sunken areas, indicating that the fish was indeed fresh.

He touched the fish and could feel that the flesh was firm and elastic.

"I'll take these two. Also, could you get me a sole and a sea bass? They don't need to be very big."

Chen Yuxing plans to try using different fish to make the soup base. Sole and sea bass are good choices, as their oil and collagen can make the soup richer and more flavorful.

"Young man, are you a chef?" the owner asked curiously while weighing the fish. "You look so young, you must be a student at Totsuki Academy."

"Okay." Chen Yuxing took the bag and paid.

Before leaving, I also bought a few fresh rock lobsters and mussels. The lobsters can be used for plating, and the mussels can be added to the soup to enhance the flavor.

After buying the seafood he needed, Chen Yuxing also bought some thyme, rosemary, and saffron.

Saffron, in particular, is an essential spice for bouillabaisse.

Chapter 84: Food Testing and Improvement

As Chen Yuxing finished buying the ingredients and headed towards the exit, Yukihira Soma also came over from the butcher shop carrying a large bag of ingredients.

"Oh! Xing, are you done shopping?" Soma Yukihira walked over and glanced at Chen Yuxing's hands. "So much seafood, looks like you're planning a big shopping spree!"

“You bought more than I did, red wine, beef, and other ingredients,” Chen Yuxing replied.

"Hehehe, is it for tasting the food?" Soma Yukihira looked up at Chen Yuxing and said, "By the way, Xing, could you help me taste the food when we're tasting it? My tongue isn't as good as yours, so there might be some details I can't taste."

"I don't care, but aren't you afraid I'll find out your hand beforehand?"

Chen Yuxing couldn't help but ask a question when he saw that Yukihira Soma didn't seem to care at all.

"Haha, are you worried about that? What kind of relationship do we have!" Soma Yukihira patted Chen Yuxing's shoulder hard and laughed, saying, "On the day of the competition, I will definitely make other changes. After all, cooking is all about constant change."

"It's like when I compete with my dad. Even if I know what he's going to do beforehand, the final dish he makes will still be a little different."

"And I quite like this feeling right now, to speak out what I want to do and then do my best."

"If my opponent is you, Ah Xing, I'll have to give it my all!"

“Soma…you really are…” Chen Yuxing stared at Yukihira Soma for a moment, then laughed, “Then just pretend I didn’t ask.”

Indeed, that's Soma Yukihira's style; this unreserved trust makes him feel that his worries are unnecessary.

"Let's go, let's go!" Soma Yukihira strode ahead. "I have so many things I want to try right now, let's hurry back to Polaris Dormitory and give them a go!"

The two of them returned to Polar Star Dormitory with a large amount of ingredients, and ran into Grandma Fumio as soon as they entered the kitchen.