Chapter 212: Erina's Transformation and Growth
The Big Dipper!
A major constellation in the northern hemisphere, named because its seven stars curve like a dipper.
In ancient China, the sky was divided into three enclosures and twenty-eight mansions. The Big Dipper is part of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, and its seven stars are named:
Tan Lang (Greedy Wolf).
Ju Men (Giant Gate).
Lu Cun (Prosperity).
Wen Qu (Literary Star).
Lian Zhen (Integrity).
Wu Qu (Military Star).
Po Jun (Breaker of Armies).
In "Cooking Master Boy," Leon's chef knives are known as the Seven Star Knives.
These knives, each with a specific purpose, can handle different ingredients and techniques. The Po Jun Knife is one of them.
In the original story, Leon used this knife to perform the dark technique, "Fierce Bull Dragon Slash," perfectly dismembering a giant bull.
...
The Po Jun Knife.
It is about 80 centimeters long, 10 centimeters wide, and weighs about 5 kilograms.
The blade is curved, the spine is thick, and the handle has a wooden guard, providing a firm but heavy grip.
The knife is designed with a slight forward balance, making chopping more powerful!
"Hmm?"
"This knife..."
Holding it tightly, Zane could immediately feel the strength and courage it conveyed.
The blade gleamed like the brightest star in the night sky, making it hard to look directly at. Its edge was incredibly sharp, seemingly able to cut through anything.
Whether hard stone or flexible grass, everything seemed fragile before the Po Jun Knife!
Swinging it slightly produced a "swish" sound.
The knife's aura was like a tiger descending a mountain, unstoppable and overwhelming.
The sound of the knife slicing through the air was sharp and piercing. Every swing created a gust of wind, making one's heart race!
"No wonder Leon could use this knife to completely dismember a bull."
Zane couldn't help but show satisfaction in his eyes.
...
Creating delicious food often requires a good knife.
Different professional chef knives have different shapes and functions, and various ingredients require different knives.
For most households, versatility is key, so one Chinese-style chef knife is often enough.
But for professional chefs, besides the main knives used daily, there are other convenient tools for specific tasks.
For example, herb cutters with straight blades, paper cutters, leather cutters, rope cutters, and yanagiba knives for slicing fish.
In short, there are too many types of modern chef knives to count!
If categorized further, there could be hundreds of types.
Despite many unique knives, none are as heavy and grand as the Po Jun Knife.
Japan has the SG2 powder steel gyuto, extremely sharp and durable, great for cutting beef and only needs sharpening every two months.
However, it has flaws.
The blade is too narrow!
After cutting meat, it can't be used to lift and transfer it easily.
And the blade is too thin, causing food to stick to it, especially when cutting potatoes.
But with the Po Jun Knife and the "Fierce Bull Dragon Slash" skill, it surpasses any other chef knife.
"Great knife, truly a great knife!"
Admiring it for a few more moments, Zane was increasingly pleased.
Then he put the Po Jun Knife away and went to the third-floor bathroom for a relaxing hot shower.
...
The bathroom was filled with a faint fragrance.
It was a mix of body wash and shampoo, fresh but not overpowering.
Zane gently dried himself and put on a soft bathrobe, feeling warm and comfortable from the inside out.
At this moment, all his worries seemed washed away.
With the night's abundant rewards, he felt particularly optimistic, as if he could see a bright future!
Leaving the bathroom, Hisako suddenly rushed out from a corner.
"Ah!"
Seeing Zane.
She screamed, covering her eyes with her hands.
But looking closely, he noticed she wasn't covering them tightly, peeking through her fingers at Zane.
Fresh from the shower, Zane's hair was wet, water droplets still clinging to it. A few strands of hair hung loosely on his forehead, adding to his rugged charm.
His handsome face had a relaxed smile, and his eyes sparkled with happiness.
It was clear he was genuinely happy.
...
"Hisako, what are you rushing for?"
Seeing Hisako covering her face, Zane was puzzled but then realized and asked.
"I was going to take a shower."
Hisako's cheeks turned pink.
She quickly turned to leave but accidentally bumped into the door frame.
With a "bang," her head rang, and her eyes were filled with stars!
Zane hurried over to help her, concerned, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, really. It wasn't a hard hit, don't worry."
Unconsciously leaning against Zane, Hisako felt dizzy but reassured him.
As she smelled the fresh scent from his shower and felt his firm muscles, her heart fluttered.
"These past few days have been hard on you."
"You've been handling all the chores in the tavern. Before you came, it was just me, Sonoka, and Ryo doing everything. Now, you're doing so much."
Zane whispered in her ear.
"I'm not tired, and I should be the one thanking you."
"If it weren't for you tonight, I wouldn't know how to face Erina."
Hisako felt warm inside, grateful.
...
Wagashi, a type of Japanese confectionery, primarily made from red beans.
The process usually involves boiling the beans to make a paste, adding sweet sugar, and using mochi to wrap the sweet paste.
Using the finest glutinous rice and delicious yellow soybean powder for the mochi exterior and top-quality peanut filling inside...
Simply put.
A simple yet exquisite wagashi.
Its taste is truly unforgettable!
"Is this really my cooking?"
In the brightly lit kitchen, Erina tasted the wagashi she made and fell into deep thought.
Her past dishes were always stunning and elegant, typically "too expensive to eat," especially with high-end ingredients.
They had a sense of distance.
But on the other hand, this made them out of reach for many.
She never thought like Hisako, considering the essence of cooking from the diner's perspective.
Whether it was "self-indulgence" or "unwilling to fall to the mundane," her dishes were always made for herself.
But this sweet wagashi was made for Zane, thinking from his perspective.
"I wonder if Zane will like this overly sweet Japanese treat?"
"He should, right? But maybe not..."
At this moment, Erina's thoughts were complex and chaotic.
Thinking about soon working at the tavern as an intern, her emotions were high.
...
In fact.
Zane's tavern was already excellent in its operation.
Since opening, business had been booming.
The hands-on training required students to show real results.
So, Erina was worried if she could make any changes at the tavern as an intern.
And how should she face Hisako?
Tonight didn't resolve this question, but there would be an outcome. Erina hoped Hisako would return to her.
However, seeing Hisako's attitude, she knew...
It would be hard!
"No matter, I will continue making wagashi."
"The best I can do now is improve my cooking skills, aiming to pass the hands-on training as an intern at the tavern!"
Erina shook her head to clear her thoughts, and her confused eyes became clear again.
Then she continued working.
...
Holding a triangular stick in one hand.
Perpendicular to the surface, the pointed edge facing the wagashi.
With the other hand, she used her fingers to gently turn the wagashi, pressing patterns with the stick.
She then placed the wagashi on a board, using the pointed edge to create petal edges.
With a sharp tool, she pressed two short lines on each petal and a small circle at the end of the lines. In the flower's center, she used a special tool to press out the details, adding yellow pollen with fine chopsticks to complete it.
From making white bean paste to kneading it, dyeing it, and finally shaping it.
The whole process was done quietly, adding tranquility and making Erina enjoy the process.
In fact, those who understand know.
Wagashi!
It isn't particularly delicious.
Originating from the tea ceremony, it is often paired with matcha.
So, wagashi is extremely sweet and serves more for aesthetic appreciation than taste.
"I see, the sweetness issue isn't from the ingredients, but..."
Tasting it again, Erina seemed to understand, then continued working silently.
...
Opening the door, turning on the lights, placing signs outside the tavern.
Preparing enough materials for serving and checking all the facilities.
Additionally, ensuring the table settings were correct.
And checking if the chairs and tables were clean.
If there was any dirt, she quickly prepared a bucket of water and wiped it clean with a cloth.
In short, as Zane's assistant, Hisako started working early and was busy all the time.
If asked if she was tired.
She would surely say, "Not at all!"
In fact, she seemed to enjoy it.
Thinking about making the tavern orderly with her small efforts.
Just like serving Erina before, helping Zane made her feel satisfied and happy!
"Good morning, Hisako."
Zane, just waking up, stretched lazily, still a bit sleepy.
"Good morning!"
"Zane!"
Hisako, wiping tables, quickly turned and responded.
"Why are you working so early?"
Seeing her working early, Zane was a bit surprised. He then got ready to cook, rolling up his sleeves: "I'll make some fried noodles; come help me!"
"Okay."
Hearing this, Hisako eagerly ran over.
...
In his previous life, Zane had a friend
in Beijing.
This friend loved fried noodles and had them five days a week.
He would fry a big bowl, dip cucumbers in it, and eat a bowl of noodles with it.
Even now, Zane remembered his friend's "delicious" expression when eating fried noodles.
So, whenever fried noodles were mentioned, Zane felt hungry!
Fried noodles start with the sauce.
There are various types: meat sauce, vegetarian sauce, eggplant sauce, egg sauce, shrimp skin sauce, etc.
The sauce is usually yellow soybean paste.
But some people prefer sweet flour sauce.
It can be mixed according to personal taste, but meat sauce is the most common.
Nowadays, some prefer pork belly for the sauce.
It doesn't matter, as long as it's fatty and lean.
First, dice the meat, heat some oil in a pan, use a little vegetable oil, add the fatty meat first to render out the fat, then add the lean meat.
Then add the yellow paste, keep the heat low, and stir with a bit of water for about 20 minutes.
Adding water prevents the sauce from sticking and allows the aroma to develop.
The combination of oil, sauce, and water through slow frying makes the sauce shiny, with the oil seeping out and the sauce looking bright. Add green onions before serving.
And that's it!
...
Then Zane rolled the dough into a sheet, folded it, and cut it into strips, then noodles.
Cutting noodles is simple; it used to be a mix of wheat and corn flour.
Fried noodles aren't as thin as dragon beard noodles.
So, no need to stretch them repeatedly.
After cutting the noodles, the next step is boiling.
When boiling, add a little salt, then the noodles. When boiling, add cold water and stir with a ladle.
Take them out and rinse in cold water, making them chewy, smooth, and refreshing. This method is called:
Over-water noodles!
Finally, put the minced pork, yellow paste, and sweet flour sauce in a small bowl.
Put the green onions in the sauce to warm, avoiding raw onion flavor. The sauce should be dry and thick, called small bowl dry sauce!
Then pour the hot sauce over the noodles, with fresh crunchy vegetables.
"Hey? Is this fried noodles?"
Hisako, watching quietly, was a bit confused.
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