Chapter 56 - Cooking Together
After washing the harvested Radish, Aisha and I joined the two in the kitchen.
Today's menu consisted of sautéed Radish, tomato soup, cheese-baked bread, salad, and a sesame dressing dish.
The bread seemed to have been prepared while Aisha and I were harvesting the Radish, as the delicious smell of baking wheat was coming from the oven in the back.
Toak seemed to be mainly in charge of the tomato soup, dicing ingredients like onions, potatoes, and carrots.
"...So you're making me cook after all."
"It's just cutting vegetables. Even you can do this much."
Toak was standing right next to Aisha as a supervisor.
The order was Flora, me, Aisha, and Toak—the same as when we made the venison dish.
I was in charge of the sautéed Radish and cutting ingredients, while Aisha was in charge of the salad.
"And the number of knives has increased to four. Is this Flora's bridal dowry...?"
Aisha muttered resentfully as she looked at the newly added knives.
This was one of the cooking tools Flora had brought from her home. Since we had been inconvenienced by a lack of knives last time, she had brought them.
"It's more fun when we all cook together."
Flora cut the Radish while smiling brightly.
While Aisha was grumbling and complaining, the Radish had already been beautifully dismantled.
"Your knife work is as fast as ever."
"That's not true."
When I muttered in amazement, Flora laughed with a somewhat happy expression.
It seemed she was happy after all. Her overall movements were light, and she looked like she might start humming at any moment.
The strings of her pink apron swayed happily.
"What is it?"
"No, I just thought this apron suits you better after all—."
Until yesterday, she had been wearing my blue apron, but today Flora was wearing a lovely pink one.
It had a pale color with carefully crafted flower embroidery.
The impression was completely different from when she was wearing the blue apron that was baggy because the size didn't fit.
I had seen her in an apron a few times at Elgis-san's house, but I really think her current apron is better.
"Is that so? I'm happy. But I also like wearing your apron, Aldo-san, you know? It's a bit big, but I like the feeling of being wrapped in your scent."
"Ah, I think I understand because I like the towels Flora brought and the ones she lends me."
The towels Flora brought, and the ones she lends me, smell really good.
I wonder if she uses some special fragrance.
"T-Towels are a bit embarrassing."
"S-Sorry."
Since Flora uses the towels too, and Aisha and Toak were nearby, the current conversation might have been a bit embarrassing.
"...This conversation is making me feel embarrassed just listening to it."
"...Well, they finally got together. It'll be like this for a while."
Hearing Aisha and Toak's words, Flora and I gave wry laughs of "Ahaha."
I think I'll try to restrain this kind of conversation a bit.
"Hey, Aisha. Can't you slice it a bit thinner?"
Hearing Toak's reproaching voice, I peeked at Aisha's hands next to him, and there were things like roughly chopped chunks of Radish rolling around.
Was this supposed to be sliced Radish? It was far too thick for that. It wouldn't even look out of place in a soup.
"Eh—? This is thin enough. Hey, what do you think?"
"It's thick."
"Please make it a bit thinner."
Aisha showed us what she had cut, but Flora and I flatly rejected it.
"Eh—? Even thinner? Radish are round, so they're hard to cut with a knife."
I understand that. Radish are round and small, so they're hard to hold down with your hand.
"This thickness is fine, so try your best."
Toak placed a slice he had cut in front of Aisha.
"Eh—!? Impossible! If I try to make it that thin, I feel like I'll cut my finger!"
"Even this is a bit on the thick side, you know? It's fine, just try your best aiming for this."
Being told that by Toak, Aisha began moving the knife with a grim expression.
Thud... thud... a slow-paced sound without any rhythm could be heard.
While feeling fearful of Aisha using the knife next to me, I cut the washed Radish in half one after another.
After cutting eight Radish in half, I drizzled olive oil in a frying pan and began sautéing them.
Once I had sautéed the Radish quickly so they wouldn't go limp, I had Flora sprinkle an appropriate amount of salt on them, and they were finished.
Well, sautéed Radish is just like this. Compared to venison, it's easy because I don't have to be so nervous about how well it's cooked.
As I put the sautéed Radish onto a plate and breathed a sigh of relief, Toak handed me a plate of cut vegetables and bacon.
"While you're at it, sauté those with some butter. I'll watch the pot."
"Oh, got it."
He's already cut this many ingredients; he's fast.
"Ah, cook the bacon first before putting in the vegetables."
"I know."
The frying pan was still hot, and there was olive oil in it. It was perfect for sautéing now.
Thinking that, I used a spatula to toss the bacon into the frying pan.
The olive oil and bacon mingled, making a sizzling sound. The unique flavor of the bacon seeped out, and a savory aroma began to drift.
Usually, when I cook meat, Aisha peeks in, but she's strangely quiet this time.
"Aisha, are you okay over there?"
"...Don't talk to me right now."
When I checked to the side, Aisha was slicing Radish with a truly serious expression.
On the cutting board were slices as thin as the ones Toak had made.
She's working hard to replicate it.
"O-Oh. Be careful."
Thinking I shouldn't talk to her, I returned my gaze to the frying pan.
◆
Although Aisha struggled with cutting the vegetables, thanks to everyone's help, the cooking was completed without issue.
Perhaps because Aisha was seriously slicing the Radish this time, she didn't sneak any snacks.
Though she was sniffing the air when I was sautéing the bacon.
We plated the finished dishes and carried them one after another to the living room table.
Inside the living room, the fragrant smell of baked bread and cheese, the acidic scent of tomatoes, and various other smells were mixed together, stimulating the stomachs of us hungry people.
"I'm so hungry because I did something that required so much concentration. Hurry up and prepare..."
Aisha, perhaps having exhausted her concentration on cutting vegetables, was slumped over the table.
With the single-minded desire to eat lunch quickly, I swiftly arranged the tableware on the table.
"Oh? These are the spoons Flora brought, aren't they? As I thought, they're beautiful, unlike Toak's poorly made spoons."
"What was that? No tomato soup for you then."
Unfortunately, the moment Aisha muttered that casually, Toak was bringing the pot of tomato soup to the table.
"Wait, that's not funny."
Laughing at that exchange between Toak and Aisha, I headed to Flora in the kitchen, and she was just taking out the freshly baked bread.
The cheese on top of the bread was bubbling with brown spots, and a rich aroma of cheese drifted around.
The melted cheese flowing down the bread whetted my appetite.
"It looks really delicious."
"Yes, I'm so hungry I can't help it."
We plated it onto the large dish Flora had brought.
Since it would be a waste to put the cheese that had burned and peeled off onto the plate, I decided to put it in my own mouth as a privilege of the master of the house.
Yeah, the crispy texture and the rich taste of the cheese are delicious.
"Ah—, Aldo-san. Your manners are—"
Flora spoke in a reproaching voice when she saw me, so I popped some cheese into her mouth too.
Then, Flora blushed while chewing and muttered, "...Honestly."
It was a somewhat blaming voice, but her expression was very soft.
"Ah—! Aldo and Flora were sneaking snacks! No fair!"
Perhaps embarrassed that she was caught sneaking snacks, Flora began hanging her apron on the wall to hide it.
"Is it so bad to eat the burnt bits? We're using our house, after all."
"Idiot! It's because the burnt bits are delicious that it's unforgivable! Bring some of the burnt bits for us too."
"You're too greedy for food."
Toak admonished Aisha, who was pounding the table.
Right, right, you should overlook at least that much—
"Then, none for Toak. I'll eat his share."
"Hey, nobody said I wasn't going to eat it."
It was no good. Toak was the same.
Well, I think all three of us who are arguing over burnt bits are greedy for food.
After being complained to by Aisha and Toak, I carefully took even the stuck cheese and burnt bits and brought the cheese bread to the table.
"Well then, shall we eat?"
"Yes, let's eat."
"Yeah."
"Finally."
Flora and I sat next to each other, and when I gave the signal for the meal, Toak and Aisha gave short replies and reached for their spoons.
Flora and I were also hungry, so we picked up our spoons with faster movements than usual.
First, I'll have the tomato soup Toak made.
When I put my spoon into the bright red tomato soup and stirred it, there were plenty of ingredients like softened onions, carrots, potatoes, and bacon.
When I scooped them up together and carried them to my mouth, the vegetables entered my mouth in chunks.
As I chewed the vegetables, an acidic sweetness and plenty of umami were released from the ingredients.
The tomato soup, simmered with bacon and several kinds of vegetables and herbs, brought out an exquisite deliciousness.
"Mmm! The tomato soup is really delicious too!"
"Right? I'm good at soup-based dishes."
Toak answered happily to my spontaneous impression.
"It's true. Thanks to the combination of vegetables and herbs, a natural umami is coming out."
"You really are good at soup."
It's just like Toak, who is a furniture craftsman and a perfectionist. He probably likes finding the taste where the soup is most effective.
It must be a taste he created through many trials and errors.
After enjoying the tomato soup, I reached for the hot cheese-baked bread.
Even after some time had passed, the bread and cheese hadn't cooled down, emitting a gentle heat in my hand. It wasn't enough to burn me, but it was a bit hot.
However, since it's most delicious when it's piping hot, I bit into it vigorously.
The soft bread entered my mouth, and the savory flavor of wheat pierced through my mouth.
Then the hot, melted, rich cheese weighed down on my tongue, delighting it.
The compatibility between the rich cheese and the freshly baked bread is irresistible.
"...Phew... phew."
Flora, next to me, broke the bread in half and blew on it to cool it down before putting it in her mouth.
"Mmm, ahff, haff."
Even so, it must have been a bit hot. Flora let out a voice while covering her mouth.
"Are you okay?"
When I offered her a cup of water, Flora accepted it obediently and put her mouth to the cup.
"...Phew, I'm sorry. It seems it was still too hot for me."
Flora, who had calmed down thanks to swallowing it with water, returned the cup shyly.
Flora, making such a slightly embarrassed expression, is very lovely.
"Honestly, please don't laugh."
When I reflexively laughed, Flora gave my shoulder a light tap.
Such a charming attitude of Flora's was so cute and funny that I ended up laughing even more, but she didn't seem to notice.
It's cute and funny, so I won't tell her, though.
"W-Water! None!?"
"Here."
"It's empty!"
"Hahaha. Serves you right, idiot."
Ignoring Toak's happy laughter, Aisha snatched my cup.
Then she gulped down the water in one go.
"Pwah—, I thought I was going to die."
Aisha slammed my cup onto the table like someone drinking alcohol in a tavern. It was a rather old-man-like action, but strangely, it suited her.
"I thought you were being unusually considerate, but it was empty. Truly the worst."
"Heh, who would be considerate to someone like you?"
Perhaps because his spoon was insulted earlier, Toak was extremely displeased with Aisha.
Well, they're always like cats and dogs, so it'll probably settle down soon.
The two of them were so funny that Flora and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Hey, what do you think of that, Flora?"
"Yes, it was funny."
"No! I'm asking what you think of a man who does that when a girl is in trouble!"
While Aisha was complaining to Flora, Toak didn't seem to care and took a bite of the sautéed Radish.
"Oh, it's done properly, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't put it on the table if it wasn't."
I said that, but I also felt half-anxious as I ate the sautéed Radish.
Yeah, it's delicious with a moderate salty taste. The sweetness of the Radish comes out in the mouth, and the texture is crunchy and good.
"Flora did the seasoning, so of course it's delicious."
"Hey, praise the original taste of the ingredients more."
I didn't know the right amount of salt, so I asked Flora, but I want my achievement in growing the Radish itself to be recognized too.
"It's a joke. It's well done, isn't it?"
Toak grinned and praised me.
I'm a bit annoyed by that 'I got you' feeling, but there's no way I wouldn't be happy to have the first vegetables I grew praised by a third party.
"...Thanks. The Radish in the kitchen are for sharing, so you can take them home."
"Oh, thanks."
I'll give Toak the spicy Radish that Aisha and I chose with our discernment.