"So, you want him to become your cooking teacher?"
Looking at Nakiri Alice, whose face was etched with seriousness, Nakiri Leonora repeated the words her daughter had just spoken.
"That's right, Mom! I want Dylan to be my cooking instructor!"
Nakiri Alice declared excitedly. It was a pity she had just finished the last piece of cheese-baked potatoes; otherwise, she would definitely have let her mother witness Dylan's skill.
"This isn't child's play, Alice. I need to see young Dylan's abilities for myself."
Having been properly introduced, Nakiri Leonora now knew Dylan's name. Thanks to his earlier compliments, she felt quite favorably towards him.
However, that didn't mean she was ready to let him become Alice's cooking teacher. After all, she had been the one fulfilling that role until now!
"May I ask what Sister Leonora would like to eat right now? I will prove myself through my cooking."
Dylan's voice resonated with boundless confidence. If it were about anything else, perhaps, but using cooking to prove himself? He had countless ways to do just that!
"Let me think..."
Hearing Dylan, Nakiri Leonora's gaze sharpened. She even brought a finger to her lips, thinking seriously.
"I'd like a dish that includes vegetables and soup, and is filling enough for a meal. There's no time limit, but the flavor must satisfy me."
Looking at Dylan's face, Nakiri Leonora stated her request with a smile. Because he had been so sweet-tongued earlier, she deliberately made the conditions less stringent.
"Isn't that basically noodles with poured-over toppings? No, wait, with soup... ramen would be more appropriate.
In that case, let's go with a classic of Japanese ramen: Tonkotsu ramen!"
Hearing Nakiri Leonora's request, the image of ramen immediately surfaced in Dylan's mind. Vegetables, soup, and filling – a dish combining these three elements was undoubtedly ramen!
"Tonkotsu ramen? Surprisingly ordinary."
"Whether a dish is delicious depends on the control of details. Even for the same dish, different chefs will produce entirely different flavors."
"Alright. Then let me witness your cooking, young Dylan."
Nakiri Leonora paused for a moment upon hearing Dylan's response, but quickly nodded. Tonkotsu ramen did indeed fit her requirements perfectly.
However, creating a version of such a common Japanese dish that could satisfy her palate was far more difficult than making some niche dish she had never tried before!
Take egg fried rice, for example. Since almost anyone can make it, a chef needs exceptional skill and must produce a distinct flavor to command a high price.
"No problem. But before that, I need some time to prepare the ingredients."
Dylan cupped his hands slightly in a traditional gesture as he stated his need. Because Japan was geographically close to China and both were in Asia, he knew quite a few Japanese dishes. He had even learned Tonkotsu ramen from a recipe book.
He just wasn't sure if recipes from a century ago would suit modern tastes.
Calculating the time, the era of Chuuka Ichiban! should be about a hundred years before the present. He wondered how modern Japanese Tonkotsu ramen had evolved over that century.
"Jonah, please assist young Dylan. Go to the nearby market and purchase the ingredients he needs."
"Yes, Madam."
Hearing Dylan, Nakiri Leonora immediately instructed the bodyguard, Jonah. Being a local, he was more familiar with the nearby markets than they were.
Jonah then led Dylan away from the Nakiri residence. Seeing them leave, Nakiri Leonora turned her attention to Nakiri Alice.
"Alice, where exactly did you meet young Dylan? Can you tell Mom about it?"
With a gentle, serene smile, Nakiri Leonora pulled up a chair and sat down, clearly intending to hold a small family meeting.
She found it highly problematic that her daughter had brought a strange young man home. She also wondered what kind of spell he had cast on her to make the usually proud Alice, especially regarding cooking, proactively ask him to be her teacher.
·
·
"Mr. Jonah, I need quite a few things, and I don't have any money on hand right now. Please consider this a loan; I will definitely repay you in the future."
Once outside the Nakiri villa, Dylan spoke to Jonah beside him. He strongly disliked owing people things.
"You're too kind, sir. When Madam asked me to accompany you, it implied that I should cover the costs. I can claim it back through expenses later. Please feel free to buy whatever ingredients you need."
Jonah hastily replied. Ever since learning Dylan was a skilled Special Grade Chef, his attitude had become even more respectful. Chefs held a high status in this world, especially Special Grade Chefs – each one could be considered a national treasure!
Of course, the real reason for his heartfelt respect was that piece of cheese-baked potato. Dylan hadn't looked down on him just because he was a bodyguard, which made him very happy!
Respect between people is inherently mutual.
"Understood. Please take me to the nearby market. I have quite a lot to buy."
Hearing Jonah's explanation, Dylan didn't say more. He wasn't very good at interacting with people anyway; he had only spoken up because he lacked funds.
The two headed towards the market together. For making Dylan's Tonkotsu ramen, the most crucial element was naturally the broth.
To simmer a pot of rich-flavored Tonkotsu ramen broth, one needed chicken skeletons, pork femur bones, pork spine bones, a whole chicken, and pork trotters.
Besides that, ingredients like chashu pork, tare (flavoring sauce), ramen noodles, aroma oil, soft-boiled ramen eggs, back fat oil, and marinated bamboo shoots were all vital components.
Since this was a test, Dylan decided to polish every detail to perfection, purchasing the basic ingredients for all these elements and creating an authentic Tonkotsu ramen from scratch!
This process would take at least ten hours.
Holding the most basic respect for cuisine, if Dylan was going to do it, he would do it to the best of his ability, striving for excellence until no further improvement was possible!
At this moment, Nakiri Leonora had no idea just who she was testing, nor did she know the level of impact a dish prepared with such meticulous care by Dylan would have!
Half an hour later.
Dylan returned to the Nakiri villa with the purchased ingredients. Nakiri Alice was already waiting eagerly by the door. Hearing the sounds at the entrance, her eyes lit up, and she immediately ran over.
"You're finally back! You bought so many ingredients! Mom told me to come help. You can tell me to do anything you need."
Nakiri Alice looked at Dylan with sparkling eyes, taking some of the groceries from his hands as she spoke. Ever since tasting his cheese-baked potatoes, she had been incredibly excited about his cooking!
Not just the taste, but also the process of him cooking – she felt she could learn so many useful things!
"Then you'll be responsible for the most important part: the pork bone broth,"
Dylan decided, pausing his movements. He carefully observed her small figure, considered the work ahead, and didn't refuse her offer to help. He directly assigned her the critical task of simmering the bone broth. "I'll teach you the specific method. And just so you know, I'm very strict. If you don't do it well, you won't be having dinner tonight."
"Of course! I'll do my absolute best!" Nakiri Alice replied enthusiastically.
This was also a small test from Dylan. He wanted to see if Nakiri Alice had what it took to be his disciple, to inherit his skills.
Teacher and Master – those were two entirely different concepts!
____________
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