Chapter 135: Leonora Visits the Tavern
In the low-desire society of Japan, concepts like minimalism and brands like Uniqlo are widespread.
Only ramen shops, dessert shops, late-night diners, taverns, sushi shops, etc., still have long lines.
Perhaps, in tough economic times, people focus all their desires on pursuing delicious food?
Moreover, wild ingredients like bear paws, something not commonly available in daily life and representing natural growth rather than artificial cultivation, can stir inner cravings.
Especially when it comes to eating.
As a foodie, Rindo Kobayashi has the most say.
Eishi Tsukasa once evaluated her as having three different faces:
She is a gourmet who has tasted foods from around the world, a serious explorer of unknown ingredients, and a savage who dares to handle any ingredient.
Even Isshiki Satoshi, the current seventh seat of the Elite Ten, always recalls her cooking with a sense of awe.
It's clear that Rindo Kobayashi is not just a foodie.
She has a deeper understanding of strange ingredients than most people.
After all, for her, the wild ingredients from nature can satisfy many desires!
...
Tender!
Really tender!
There was no strange taste at all.
The meat had a bit of toughness and was very chewy. With the honey and other seasonings, the aroma was exceptionally strong.
It's no exaggeration to say that its taste and texture far surpassed A5-grade beef.
Rindo Kobayashi, slightly recovered from her initial shock, now had a greedy look in her eyes. She shifted from slow, careful chewing to devouring large chunks.
She wanted to continuously feel the bear paw meat being crushed in her mouth, the thick gelatin gradually spreading its rich flavor.
In the end, she finished the entire plate of orchid bear paw.
Even the remaining meat juice, she mixed with some rice and ate clean.
"Owner, your cooking is truly impeccable."
"I pride myself on being nearly unmatched in handling bear paw, but you have a deeper understanding."
"In short, you give me the impression that you can cook anything, any ingredient. If I could graduate from Totsuki Academy right now and stay by your side, it would be wonderful."
Finally, savoring the delicious taste of the bear paw, Rindo Kobayashi couldn't help but praise and sigh.
"Food has its own texture and logic."
"Most of the time, we are busy solving food issues, and we are used to taking from nature."
"Wild ingredients often mean unnecessary high prices and irresponsible destruction of the ecological chain, so sustainable eating is also a test for a good gourmet."
Hearing this, Zane just smiled lightly and replied.
Rindo Kobayashi was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
There is a mysterious saying about bear meat: its fat has a low melting point, close to room temperature, so if there's something that melts in your mouth, it must be this, right?
Of course, achieving the sticky, glutinous texture like Zane's orchid bear paw requires extremely high culinary skills.
Even Rindo Kobayashi herself couldn't question that.
...
In the original storyline, Rindo Kobayashi's character is somewhat casual and unrestrained.
When Azami Nakiri initiated his temporary coup and she had to make a choice, knowing his policies and ideas could cause greater turmoil at Totsuki, she still voted in favor.
It was her vote that ultimately led to Azami Nakiri replacing Senzaemon Nakiri as the new headmaster with a narrow margin of one vote.
It can be said that the eventual split and division into two factions at Totsuki Academy had her behind-the-scenes push!
However, can you say she is a complete antagonist?
Maybe she deeply understood that the so-called "elite education" mode of Totsuki Academy had brought many contradictions and problems.
Everything had reached a point where it needed to be overturned and rebuilt.
From her later behavior, she didn't truly support Azami Nakiri.
So, in Zane's eyes, she was a relatively positive character, a character with a distinct personality!
...
"Huh? Drinking Alone Under the Moon?"
"The four big characters on this plaque are beautifully written!"
"According to the headmaster's address, this tavern should be right here, right?"
At this moment, as Zane was cleaning the dishes.
A noblewoman in a luxurious long dress hesitated outside for a moment before walking into the tavern with light, elegant steps.
Looking closely, her silver-white hair was casually tied in a loose bun, appearing a bit casual but still elegant.
Her exquisite face, with eyes that constantly looked around, was always filled with gentleness.
Perhaps because she was from Northern Europe, her skin was very fair. Whether it was her luxurious dress or some exquisite jewelry, nothing could hide her innate confidence and noble temperament!
"Am I seeing things?"
"How could it possibly be... her?"
Glancing up slightly, Zane was instantly stunned.
At this moment, during the residential training camp, based on the current timeline, she shouldn't be in Japan, let alone in the tavern, right?
Of course, with his arrival, many butterfly effect events had occurred in this world, so it couldn't be viewed with past knowledge.
Realizing this, Zane felt relieved!
...
Being new here.
Leonora naturally had a strong interest in everything around her.
Although the tavern wasn't large, it had a comfortable environment, especially with the handsome owner, who caught her eye for a long time.
Finally, Leonora came back to her senses and curiously asked, "Are you the owner, Zane?"
"Yes, that's me."
Zane responded calmly.
"Oh, it's just like the headmaster said, very young!"
"And very handsome, no wonder my daughter Alice often mentions you, no, praises you on the phone."
Since she had been living in Northern Europe, Leonora's tone was somewhat colloquial, and some words were a bit awkward.
"Daughter Alice? So, you're Alice's mother?"
Hearing this, Zane couldn't help but touch his nose and asked knowingly.
"Yes, let me formally introduce myself. I am Alice's mother, Leonora."
"I was officially commissioned to return to Totsuki Academy early to prepare for my role as a judge for the Autumn Selection."
Leonora replied enthusiastically.
Although it was her first time here and she wasn't familiar with Zane, he left a very deep impression on her, making her feel very emotional.
After all, compared to the old men's cooking lab, this warm tavern atmosphere made Leonora feel comfortable and relaxed!
In fact, there was still some time before the start of the Autumn Selection.
But on the one hand, she was really worried about her daughter Alice.
On the other hand, after spending years in the cooking research lab in Northern Europe, life had become quite boring, so she wanted to take this opportunity to return to Totsuki and relax.
"Autumn Selection? Preparing already?"
Beside her, Rindo Kobayashi was surprised to hear this.
As the second seat of the Elite Ten, she had the authority to manage various affairs within the academy.
If the Autumn Selection was to be held, it would have been discussed in the Elite Ten council with Eishi Tsukasa and others before making a decision.
Now, the judges for the selection had been decided, yet she was unaware.
"Ah, it's my fault."
"I often slack off and leave many things to Eishi Tsukasa."
Knowing it was her recent laziness that caused the trouble, Rindo Kobayashi sighed helplessly, feeling a bit guilty.
...
"I heard from the headmaster that in your tavern, diners can order any dish they want?"
Then, Leonora blinked her bright eyes and asked hopefully.
The first time she heard about Zane's deeds was through Alice's phone call.
After returning to Totsuki Academy, the headmaster also told her everything about the tavern.
This made her naturally interested in this mysterious man, so she came to the tavern tonight.
"Didn't you see the sign outside?"
"The tavern is closed tonight, so I can't serve you any food."
Zane frowned and explained to her.
"Closed?"
"Then what about her?"
Knowing the current situation, Leonora was naturally dissatisfied.
She quickly pointed to Rindo, who still had some oil residue on her lips, and asked.
"Uh, okay."
Zane rubbed his forehead and replied helplessly, "For the sake of you being Alice's mother, I'll make an exception."
"There's a salmon left in the fridge. How about I make a dish with it for you?"
"I originally wanted sweet and sour ribs because Alice said this dish involved a lot of molecular gastronomy knowledge."
"But since you recommend it, it shouldn't be bad!"
Hearing this, Leonora looked a bit troubled but eventually nodded.
"Okay, just wait a moment."
Zane returned to the cooking station to prepare smoked salmon.
...
Compared to Southern Europe, known as the "Gourmet Kingdom," Northern Europe has a lower presence in the culinary world, but that doesn't mean Northern European cuisine is inferior.
In fact, every year, restaurants in Northern Europe receive dozens of stars from the WGO food organization. Even the "world's number one" restaurant, NOMA, is in Copenhagen.
Speaking of Northern Europe, the well-known foods are often related to the sea and forests, such as:
Cod.
Herring.
Oysters.
Arctic clams.
Red shrimp.
Some say Northern Europeans have "seawater in their veins," mostly with fish.
Among various seafood, salmon and king crab are the twin pillars of Northern European seafood.
Especially smoked salmon, a common and classic cold dish in Northern European cuisine, can be eaten for breakfast, as an appetizer, or with alcohol.
It is marinated with coarse salt, crushed black pepper, dill, bay leaves, thyme, and other spices, and smoked with fruitwood chips, giving it a unique aroma.
...
At this moment, Zane skinned the salmon and patted it dry with paper towels.
He added white wine, massaged it in for flavor.
Prepared dill, basil leaves, parsley, bay leaves, and thyme, chopped them, and crushed black pepper.
He mixed brown sugar, coarse salt, dill, black pepper, basil leaves, parsley, bay leaves, thyme, and coriander seeds, and rubbed the mixture on the salmon, massaging it for 2 minutes.
He placed the salmon skin on it, wrapped it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated it.
Then, he took out the salmon, removed some of the coarse salt, and wrapped it in aluminum foil.
He mixed fruitwood chips, dried tangerine peel, and black tea, put them in an iron tray.
He placed the tray on the fire to heat, letting the smoking mixture fully burn.
Once the fire was out, he placed it in a smoking box, covered it, sealed it, and repeatedly smoked it 3 times to intensify the smoky flavor.
He took out the salmon, wiped off the remaining mixture, and sliced it diagonally into bite-sized pieces.
"Strange, isn't he Chinese?"
"Why does his cooking style reflect Northern European cuisine?"
The entire process, Leonora watched closely, feeling very surprised.
...
In Zane's eyes, although Northern European cuisine is less known, it has many similarities with Japanese cuisine.
Firstly, geographically, both are northern lands, surrounded by the sea, with pure lifestyles free from geopolitical and cultural disputes.
Perhaps for these reasons, both developed the purest lifestyle.
For instance, in handling salmon, Japanese cuisine also uses smoking methods, including smoked salmon.
Of course, there are differences.
Japanese smoked salmon usually uses low temperatures to slowly infuse the wood aroma, preventing quick smoking and maintaining the fish's elasticity.
In contrast, Northern European smoked salmon uses hot smoking, with high temperatures thoroughly smoking the salmon.
The process is entirely natural, with no additives, highlighting the salmon's original flavor.
"Don't just stand there, try it. This is a Northern European dish, different from Japanese smoked salmon. I believe you, as a foreigner, will like it."
Seeing Leonora staring blankly, Zane reminded her.
"Yes, I understand!"
Hearing this, Leonora came back to her senses and carefully tasted it under his watch.
With one bite, the aromatic and fresh flavor spread, lingering around her nose.
Especially picking up a piece of fish and putting it in her mouth, she felt the fresh and delicious fish, a sudden burst of flavor, simply intoxicating.
The fish, with a sweet and sour taste, seemed to blend all the flavors she could think of!
In short, it was just one word:
Wonderful!
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