Chapter 19: [17]
"Hmm... What exactly is this?"
Aoko tried hard to recall any knowledge she might have about the blue liquid in front of her, but she came up empty. "Alice, do you have any clues?"
"I'm not omniscient," Alice replied, glancing at the liquid.
"But I can sense a high concentration of magic within it."
"Is this some kind of drink my grandfather collected?"
Aoko shook the bottle gently, observing it closely.
"I feel like I recognize it, but just barely."
"Forget it. Let's just store it somewhere for now. Maybe I'll figure it out after a good night's sleep," Aoko said, placing the bottle back into its box and closing the lid. The familiar sound of mechanical gears whirred as the box locked itself again.
Alice didn't respond, simply sipping her tea. She found it amusing to watch Aoko work.
"Alright!"
Aoko stood up and stretched her back.
"Finally done with all of it. Now I just need to store these things."
"Mind if I borrow the storage room in the basement?"
Aoko asked Alice.
"Some of this stuff won't be needed for a while, and they're too large to keep here."
"Do as you like," Alice said.
"Just don't move anything in there, or I might not be able to find it later."
"Got it!"
Aoko took the key and said, "Once I finish up here, I'll cook dinner. You can start thinking about what you'd like to eat, Alice."
"…Can't we just order takeout?"
Alice mumbled quietly as if she were worried Aoko might be too tired today.
"Ah, I'm not a takeout person," Aoko said, continuing to organize.
"Takeout often has hygiene issues, like foam residue in the packaging. You can't just go for convenience or taste, you know?"
"…Your cooking is better anyway."
"Sorry, Alice, what did you say?"
Aoko didn't hear her clearly over the noise of her organizing.
"I said I want Italian for dinner," Alice raised her voice slightly.
"You've made it before."
"No problem!"
Aoko responded with a smile.
"How about gna? I've been reading up on it recently, and I promise it'll taste great~"
"Hmm."
Alice nodded in approval, quietly touching her stomach as she realized she was feeling a bit hungry.
The word gna refers to square sheets of pasta or dishes made using such pasta sheets. When it comes to Western cuisine, Aoko's favorites are Italian and French. She and her sister, Touko, had visited Italian restaurants in the commercial district many times. Aoko particularly loved the spicy sausage spaghetti there, paired with a couple of slices of garlic bread and some apple soda—a satisfying and happy dinner.
After sorting and storing all the items in the bedroom and basement storage room, Aoko grabbed her backpack and rode her little motorcycle down the mountain to a large grocery store.
During the last hour before the store closed, she bought the most expensive pork belly and ribeye, along with fresh tomatoes, carrots, and parsley. She also bought a can of pre-made ketchup. After all, she wasn't a purist about natural ingredients and didn't mind using some industrial products. She purposely chose an old brand she had tasted while studying in the United States—a brand she knew had a guaranteed flavor.
In addition to these, Aoko purchased flour specifically for making pasta. If she bought ready-made pasta sheets, she wouldn't be able to control the size or texture as well, and making it herself would avoid these issues. Plus, Aoko enjoyed the process of cooking.
While most restaurants used Parmesan cheese for gna, Aoko had gathered feedback from Alice and knew she preferred Cheddar. So, she bought a large block of Alice's favorite cheese.
By the time Aoko returned to the Kuonji residence, it was completely dark outside. She first took a slice of homemade cake from the fridge and gave it to Alice as a pre-dinner snack. After all, Aoko had sensed Alice was hungry earlier, and it would still take some time before dinner was ready.
Aoko changed her clothes, washed her hands carefully, tied up her thick, silky red hair, put on an apron, and donned a chef's hat before starting to prepare the ingredients.
First, she washed the vegetables and prepped the meat to remove any unpleasant odors. Then, she soaked the large cuts of meat in ice water for a while before briefly boiling them to remove excess blood.
As she busied herself in the kitchen, Aoko heard footsteps approaching. Glancing back, she saw Alice walking over with a book in hand and the half-eaten slice of cake.
"Impatient?"
Aoko asked, still working on the ingredients.
"Sorry, but it'll take a little longer before it's ready."
"...No, I'm just curious about your cooking process," Alice said, sitting down at the small kitchen table and watching Aoko's movements.
"Ah, I get it," Aoko smiled.
"Then please enjoy the spectacle of my culinary skills, Miss Kuonji~"
Aoko pulled a large glass bowl from the cupboard, poured in fine-grade tipo 00 flour, and added a small amount of semolina flour to give the pasta a firmer texture. Next, she cracked a few eggs, mixed the yolks and whites, and poured them into the bowl. She donned plastic gloves and kneaded the flour and eggs together, forming a beautiful golden dough. (Water isn't added to pasta dough, as it affects taste and texture.)
Of course, while kneading, Aoko used a bit of magic to enhance her strength and infused a trace into the dough, giving it a texture and flavor unique to her cooking. Few magi in the world did this—perhaps none but Aoko.
After setting the dough aside to rest, Aoko began preparing the béchamel sauce (white sauce) and Bolognese sauce (red sauce). The white sauce was made by blending butter into flour and then adding milk, while the red sauce was a traditional meat sauce from Bologna. It included a soffritto—a mix of onions, carrots, parsley, fresh basil leaves, garlic, celery, tomatoes, bay leaves, sea salt, and black pepper—combined with minced pork and beef. For many pasta lovers, this sauce was the soul of Italian cuisine.
Alice watched curiously as Aoko worked, her precise and practiced movements making it seem like magic. Alice couldn't help but wonder if her housemate's true profession was magician or professional chef.
Once the sauces were ready, Aoko added olive oil and sea salt to the meat sauce and briefly sautéed it. When the minced meat was just starting to cook, she quickly removed it from the heat and stored it in a container.
By this point, the kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma. Alice, sitting nearby, couldn't resist the smell and swallowed involuntarily, growing even more eager for tonight's dinner.
PS: I'm getting hungry.
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