Chapitre 109: Leonora
Sometimes, people exhibit a very strange condition: saying no with their words, but their bodies being very honest.
Ikumi, who normally isn't interested in ordinary beef, was ultimately unable to resist Zane's cooking and was completely "played" by it! She found herself vigorously chewing and tearing through a whole plate of stir-fried beef with green onions and two bowls of rice, swallowing mouthful after mouthful until it was all gone.
In the end, she was surprisingly tidy, not forgetting to lick the plates clean until they shone.
...
"Really amazing," she said.
"The perfect control of heat made the green onions slightly crispy on the outside but soaked with broth and the aroma of various seasonings on the inside."
"The beef, although ordinary and nowhere near A5 grade, had no gamey taste after being marinated in scallion oil. The addition of green peppers and a special sauce added a spicy and sesame flavor."
"Perfect! It's just too perfect!"
"This dish truly represents the highest standard of beef dishes!"
Ikumi expressed her contentment.
Then, turning to Zane, who was meditating with his eyes closed, she felt a blush on her face and said, "Owner, I've had stir-fried beef with green onions before, but how should I put it?"
"The flavor of the onions completely overwhelmed the meat, as if the main ingredient was not the beef but the green onions."
"Honestly, in my view, if the flavor of the beef isn't fully utilized, it's a failed dish."
"But yours is different. Your stir-fried beef with green onions has a strong onion flavor, but it doesn't mask the flavor of the beef. Instead, the two complement and affect each other, achieving a balanced state!"
"I doubt I could produce such a dish even with 10 years of time."
...
"Timing is very important," she continued.
"If there are too few onions, the flavor of the beef can't be fully brought out."
"But if there are too many, they overshadow and mask the natural flavor of the beef."
"Thus, the correct technique for stir-frying is to fry a large amount of onions in oil until their fragrance is released, then add the beef and other seasonings, and quickly stir-fry over high heat."
"Explosive! Quick! Urgent! These are the three keys to stir-frying."
"Only by stir-frying over high heat can the quality of the dish be guaranteed."
"And the choice of beef isn't necessarily about higher quality being better. Stir-fried beef with green onions should generally use the tenderloin."
"As for the cutting technique, the slices shouldn't be too thin or too thick!"
"For the green onions, definitely choose the white parts and cut them into chunks using a rolling cut."
"Then peel each layer of the onion apart to make them loose and flaky, so they can cook faster during stir-frying, becoming tender without being overdone."
"Eating it gives a fresh and crisp sensation."
"In summary, the treatment of the beef is definitely important, but other ingredients should not be underestimated."
"Even a little bit of salt has its importance."
"If you only focus on the beef and neglect other factors and ingredients, then the dish becomes a celebration of meat alone, not a symphony of various ingredients!"
...
Thinking back, it seems it was when she was 9 years old?
It was Ikumi's own birthday, and her mother gave her a cute teddy bear! At that time, her innocent self was naturally thrilled with such "cute" things.
If nothing unexpected happened, that birthday would have been the best and most memorable one!
But her strict father ruined it all.
In front of her mother and herself, he tore the teddy bear apart and threw it harshly into the trash can, warning her mother never to give such things to her again.
"Ikumi!"
"Listen to me!"
"As the heir to the Mito family, you don't need to be so prim."
"Your only choice in life is to continually grow stronger and make your mark in meat cuisine..."
This was her father's admonition to her after destroying her beloved object.
Since then, Ikumi no longer had any fondness for anything.
She devoted all her energy to researching beef ingredients and developing various meat dishes. Finally, at the age of 12, she successfully entered Totsuki Academy.
Unlike Megumi, who came from the countryside, she had always been at the top of her class from middle school.
Especially in the field of meat research, she always achieved remarkable successes and gradually gained a small reputation at Totsuki!
In the end, her talents even won the appreciation of Erina, and she became a loyal retainer to Erina.
From the beginning to the end, her culinary philosophy was one:
The highest quality meat is always supreme, always making all other ingredients bow down.
This belief in cuisine was deeply ingrained in Ikumi's heart.
But only today, after tasting Zane's stir-fried beef with green onions, did she realize that if the onions are handled properly and the stir-frying technique is perfected, the flavor of the beef can be elevated to an incredible level.
Thus, her understanding of meat cuisine had subtly broken through!
...
"I've always been raised in a family that focused on beef."
"So my father demanded that I work hard like them, constantly researching various meat ingredients!"
"If I ever had any ideas, they would be criticized by him, and they never tolerated any doubt from me."
"Sometimes, I wonder."
"What does relentlessly pursuing the quality of meat actually bring to cuisine?"
"But on this issue, no one could give me an answer or guide me in the right direction!"
"Gradually, all I saw was meat and nothing else!"
Although Ikumi had doubts about the "meat is supreme" culinary philosophy she had been taught from childhood, seeing her own strengths surpass her peers due to her deep understanding of meat ingredients, she slowly came to accept it all.
In the past, if someone told her that ordinary beef, if well-prepared, could surpass A5 grade beef, she would have definitely taken it as a joke.
But having personally tasted Zane's stir-fried beef with green onions, she finally realized that the philosophy she had adhered to might be wrong.
"Hisako, is this why you wanted me to come to the tavern?"
In the end, Ikumi muttered to herself softly.
Perhaps now she understood the purpose behind Hisako giving her the hand-drawn map to come to the tavern!
...
"Owner, could... could I have another serving of stir-fried beef with green onions?"
Ikumi took a deep breath to calm her emotions and then lifted her head, smiling at Zane.
"Sure, just a moment."
As the owner of the tavern, Zane naturally hoped his customers would eat more and patronize his business.
So, without any fuss, he turned back to the kitchen and started making another dish of stir-fried beef with green onions.
Soon after, a steaming plate of stir-fried beef with green onions was placed in front of Ikumi.
Different from her previous wolfish eating, this time she chewed slowly, taking her time. It seemed she wanted to savor the true essence of the dish by eating slowly.
"Wuwuwu!"
"What... what's happening to me?"
"Why... why can't I stop my tears... wuwuwu..."
But in the end, she cried bitterly!
...
Undeniably, she had a strong talent in handling meat ingredients!
This was evident from her bold and unrestrained personality, yet she could turn delicate and gentle each time she handled beef, showing the finesse of an artist playing a piano...
Perhaps, in the realm of meat ingredients, truly no one could surpass her.
But those familiar with the original story know that in the Donburi Research Society incident, in that Shokugeki duel, Ikumi ultimately lost to Soma.
And the price she paid was reluctantly leaving Erina and joining the Donburi Research Society!
The reason for her defeat was partly because Soma was very skilled.
But on the other hand, her excessive focus on meat quality and flavor caused her to neglect the importance of other ingredients.
This led to her beef over rice dish being deliciously devoured by the judges, but the rice and scallions, among other things, were quite unsatisfactory.
...
"Actually,"
"The quality of ingredients definitely impacts the dish."
"But in terms of cooking, the main thing is to cater to the diners' preferences and practical cooking needs."
"That is to say, while higher quality beef is naturally better, the deliciousness of a dish doesn't just depend on the grade of the beef."
"Take my tavern, for example. The diners we face every day are mostly local residents."
"They're mostly office workers, students, homemakers, teachers... Most of them probably will never have the chance to eat A5 grade beef in their lifetimes!"
"So, does that mean they don't eat?"
"No, in their perception, an ordinary, inexpensive dish of stir-fried beef with green onions, grilled meat might just be the most delicious thing in the world!"
"Whether it's meat or vegetables, each ingredient has its own characteristics."
"As chefs, our job is to carefully cook them and make delicious dishes that diners will love."
"I think only by doing this are we truly maximizing the value of the ingredients, rather than just obsessing over one particular ingredient."
These words, though a bit long-winded.
For Ikumi, however, they were profoundly impactful!
...
At 10 o'clock at night, Totsuki Academy was particularly quiet.
In a cooking laboratory, Alice, having just completed a new dish, looked exhausted.
Then, she walked to the window, staring blankly at the night sky, her eyes vacant as if pondering something.
Thinking about how long she had been at Totsuki, yet there was one person whose presence she couldn't shake from her mind, making her strangely nostalgic.
"Mom!"
Alice murmured, her doubts deepening.
She thought her mother, Leonora, would be worried about her.
She expected her to call and ask about her various situations at Totsuki, but... there had been no contact between mother and daughter at all.
Thinking it over, Alice helplessly picked up her phone and dialed a number.
The call connected, but no one answered.
Alice had to end the call and instead sent an invitation for a video call.
Soon, the video connected, showing Leonora just out of the shower, her silvery-white hair still wet, her bare face radiant and only wrapped in a towel.
Unfortunately, this extraordinary beauty, aside from the moon and Alice, was not for others to see!
"Ah? Alice, why are you calling me?"
Looking at Alice in the video, who seemed on the verge of tears yet holding them back, Leonora chuckled, "Did you miss me?"
"Mom!"
"I've been at Totsuki for so long."
"Aren't you going to call me at all? Am I not your daughter?"
Watching her mother, beautiful as a lotus in water, Alice pouted and whined.
"Well..."
"The research lab has been very busy recently, so..."
Leonora, while drying her hair with a hairdryer, replied apologetically.
Originally, sending Alice to study at Totsuki was hard for mother Leonora.
But for her daughter's growth and for her to have more educational opportunities, she reluctantly let her go back to Japan to study at the prestigious Totsuki Academy!
After the mother and daughter parted.
Leonora had wanted to call every day to contact Alice and find out about her life there.
But as she said, she had indeed been too busy lately, and moreover, when it came to contacting her daughter, she didn't know what to say.
"Alice, have you had any interesting experiences at Totsuki?"
In the end, Leonora had to start a topic.
"Mom, Totsuki is just a culinary academy. What's there to say?"
"The most I can say is that this side has family like Grandpa and Erina. But there is a tavern, and the owner of that place is quite interesting!"
With that, Alice began to speak nonstop.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
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