Appraiser 7

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Finishing Touch Cream Soup

"Now, let's move on to the soup."

"Huh? Are we still cooking?"

"We sure are! Because, you know, the basics of a meal are soup and three sides. Though this time, it's just soup and two sides."

"Soup and three sides? Is that a spell or something?"

"It's a phrase from my hometown. It means one soup and three sides. It's like the ideal meal, you see."

Yuuri smiled as he explained, while Yak tilted his head in confusion. It seemed like unfamiliar terminology in this otherworldly setting. Yuuri, on the other hand, casually pondered how tricky the Japanese language could be while checking the contents of the simmering pot. The bones, stripped of their meat, had produced a rich broth. The power of bones is amazing.

As for why he was doing this, well, there was no butter or other ingredients that seemed suitable for broth. He hadn't expected to find granulated broth cubes in this otherworld either. Still, he wished he had some butter. But upon asking around, he found out that even butter was in limited supply, and those annoying seniors had used it all up by lunchtime. So annoying.

Therefore, lacking any vegetables or excess meat to make broth, he decided to extract broth from the bones. Also, Yuuri actually preferred seafood broth; he liked the Japanese-style broth made from dried fish, bonito flakes, and kombu. However, since he couldn't find any of those here, he had to settle for the bones. Plus, he thought he might as well make a Western-style dish.

"Well then, while I'm cutting potatoes, could you put all the bones in that bowl for me?"

"What are you gonna do with these bones?"

"They're pretty much useless now. Maybe some dogs would appreciate them?"

"...I'll just throw them in the trash."

"Yeah."

Yuuri chuckled at Yak's slightly shifted response and began peeling the potatoes, cutting them into slightly larger bite-sized pieces. He imagined them like potatoes in curry. Potatoes tend to fall apart when cooked. So, it's better to cut them slightly larger. Also, since there were no other ingredients, cutting the potatoes larger would make it seem more substantial. Visual effects shouldn't be underestimated.

After finishing cutting the potatoes, Yuuri rinsed them in water to prevent discoloration. Then he checked the pot. It seemed to have simmered down; the water had reduced significantly from the beginning. But that was fine. Yuuri smiled at the pot and went to the refrigerator to fetch some milk. Holding a large aluminum-like milk container, Yuuri returned to Yak, who looked puzzled. He didn't understand what Yuuri was planning.

Ignoring Yak's baffled expression, Yuuri poured the milk into the pot without hesitation.

"What are you doing!?"

Yak exclaimed involuntarily. But Yuuri just tilted his head curiously, continuing to pour the milk. Yes, Yuuri had decided to make a cream soup with potatoes as the main ingredient, using broth made from beef, pork, and chicken. Initially, he had thought of making a simple soup, but having only potatoes as ingredients seemed too plain. So he decided to borrow the large amount of milk they had.

Furthermore, the large quantity of eggs they had was left for tomorrow's breakfast preparation, pending approval. If he got the green light, he planned to put in extra effort for breakfast.

"Hey, Yuuri! Why are you pouring milk into the pot?"

"Huh? It's cream soup."

"Isn't it bad to heat milk like that!?"

"It's a misunderstanding~. I'll adjust the flavor properly, so don't worry~"

Yuuri laughed carelessly at Yak's flustered expression. He had already confirmed that the people here didn't have drastically different tastes from his own, judging from the croquettes and tempura. Cream soup might be unfamiliar to them, but Yuuri didn't mind. Perhaps dishes like stews or gratins didn't exist here. But Yuuri didn't care. He just wanted to enjoy tonight's dinner.

The soup, now with added milk, was simmering away, much to Yak's dismay. Ignoring Yak's panicked expression, Yuuri continued to simmer the soup. He shouldn't rush it. Milk would form a film when boiled, so it was essential to warm it gently to avoid that. Ideally, butter or cream would add richness, but Yuuri couldn't ask for what they didn't have. If anything, Yuuri wished they had cheese. Even powdered cheese would add flavor. But since they didn't have it, he had to give up.

As bubbles began to form on the surface, Yuuri scooped some soup and tasted it. The broth from the animal bones mixed with fresh milk was surprisingly delicious. Delicious, but lacking something. Anyway, Yuuri seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a few bottles of herbs he had on hand. His seasoning method was casual because he was only familiar with home cooking. However, he would measure precisely when making sweets or bread. It was a habit to taste and adjust the flavor when cooking at home.

After adding the seasonings, Yuuri tasted the soup again. It wasn't perfect, but it was satisfactory. Without butter or cheese or cream, it was thinner than the cream soup he imagined. Still, he thought it was reasonably delicious.

"Yak, wanna taste?"

"Can... can I drink it?"

"I've adjusted the flavor, so I don't think it's that bad..."

With a smile, Yuuri offered a taste to Yak using a small dish he used for tasting. Yak hesitantly took it and, after smelling it, widened his eyes. It didn't smell bad at all. If anything, it smelled incredibly delicious. So Yak gathered his courage and took a sip.

And then.

"This is amazing!!"

Yak exclaimed again. It was a taste beyond his imagination. He had thought heating milk would be bad. But the broth from the animal bones blended seamlessly with the milk, enhanced by Yuuri's seasoning, resulting in a splendid soup. It was like something you'd eat at a fancy restaurant. It was very delicious.

Yuuri wasn't consciously aware, but likely, somewhere, the influence of his Cooking skill level 50 was showing. Perhaps his casual seasoning was magically perfect, and his subtle adjustments in cooking were bringing out extra flavors. It was an invisible aspect that nobody could understand, but surely, his skill level was making a difference.

"Is this taste okay?"

"It's more than okay! It's incredibly delicious. Is it ready now?"

"Nope. We still need to add the potatoes."

Laughing at Yak's sparkling eyes, Yuuri drained the water from the bowl of potatoes and added them to the pot. Large chunks of potatoes got thrown in. Yuuri stirred the pot with a ladle to prevent burning and patiently waited for the potatoes to cook. However, he had to be careful not to overcook them, as potatoes would disintegrate if boiled too long.

"...You're adding potatoes to soup?"

"Huh? Don't soups usually have vegetables or meat in them? Otherwise, they lack flavor."

"...I thought the soup was just broth."

"Oh, really?"

Yuuri smiled at Yak's serious response, saying it's tastier with ingredients.

Though it was Japanese cuisine, dishes like kenchin soup or pork miso soup were excellent soups with lots of vegetables despite being soups. Even in Western and Chinese cuisine, Yuuri felt that adding vegetables and seasoning improved the flavor. Mushrooms, for example, added a wonderful depth of flavor. However, soups in this world don't seem to include many ingredients.

Perhaps the image of soup in this world was closer to onion soup. It was like making a roughly prepared version with a large amount of broth. It was similar to instant miso soup with hardly any ingredients. So, Yuuri found it strange that Yak would toss potatoes into the soup.

"If we had butter, cream, or cheese, it would have a richer taste. And if we had bacon, it would enhance the flavor. Plus, it would add texture."

"...Yuuri, you're really good at cooking."

"I'm not that good. I can just make home-cooked meals."

Alright, it's done. With a smile, Yuuri confirmed that the potatoes were cooked and turned off the stove. If he covered the pot, it would stay warm for a while. All that was left was to heat it before eating.

With a large batch of cream soup done, and still some tempura and croquettes left to fry, Yuuri stopped Yak from frying them all at once. Fried foods taste best when freshly fried. Especially if everyone comes to eat at different times, it's crucial to fry them just before eating. ...After all, he wasn't going to eat ten or twenty by himself.

"Well then, let's clean up until someone comes to eat."

"That's the dishes!"

"And wipe down the areas we used."

Yuuri smiled as he said this, and Yak joined in to tidy up. Yuuri did the dishes, and Yak wiped and cleaned, as Yuuri didn't know where everything went. Then, Yuuri polished the sink area until it sparkled. It wasn't very dirty to begin with, but it looked beautifully organized after his careful cleaning.

"More importantly, do you think everyone will eat this?"

"They will! They'll be super happy to eat it, right?"

"Really? Well, that's good then~"

Yuuri said this despite all the mishaps. Yak couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment, seeing Yuuri's slightly off remark. Yuuri seemed to want to convey that he understood everyone's reactions without actually saying it. But Yuuri was Yuuri. He was carefree, optimistic, and marched to his own beat.

Reading the atmosphere wasn't his forte.

And so, Yuuri spent the time until dinner bonding with Yak, awaiting the arrival of everyone for dinner.