Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Ad Shoot (1)
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We'd come to the nearby mart to buy ingredients for the cooking.
"Haneul, you're still not gonna tell me today? We'll know in just a few hours anyway? Come on, just one menu item."
"Nope, not telling."
Sister was hanging off my arm, curiosity piqued.
Since yesterday, I'd been prepping for the cook-off. I'd mapped out the detailed recipes and figured out Kim Woo-jin's eating habits to set the order. All the while, Sister kept badgering me about the menu.
Honestly, my mouth was itching so bad I nearly lost it.
Her eyes sparkling like a cat spotting a ball of yarn—it was adorable.
But I held back.
Knowing the menu right before eating would build way more anticipation than spilling it early.
"If you're so curious, take a guess."
"Let's see."
The shopping cart was piled high with an hour's worth of groceries.
Sister peered intensely at the ingredients.
"Peaches for dessert, maybe? And pasta noodles mean there's pasta on the menu, right?"
"Ooh, spot on—one is pasta. But you've gotta guess what kind. There's tons of pasta varieties."
"Hmm... Is there a pasta you can make with canned ham?"
Sister racked her brain. Her eyes darted around, scanning the other ingredients. But with everything jumbled up, it was tough to spot what she needed.
In the end, she threw in the towel.
"I give up. I won't ask anymore, so just tell me one. Why'd you buy whiskey?"
Sister picked up the whiskey bottle standing in the corner of the cart. It was a cheap bourbon anyone could grab at the mart—one of the beginner-friendly ones.
"Kim Woo-jin can't hold his liquor, right? If it's just for a side drink, why not skip it?"
After landing the ad gig, Sister had researched Kim Woo-jin's eating habits and tastes. No matter how good my cooking was, allergies or dislikes could ruin everything.
Her notes said: 'Kim Woo-jin struggles to metabolize alcohol—he gets tipsy off one shot of soju. Avoids drinking parties when possible.'
"Don't worry. I'm not using the whiskey just as a chaser. It's for the cooking."
"Whiskey in a canned ham dish? What kind of combo is that?"
"It's the main dish I've put the most work into, so get excited. It's gonna be insanely good."
It was the centerpiece I'd poured my heart into.
After checking out, we headed to Kim Woo-jin's studio, hands full of bags.
"What'd you buy all this for?"
"You're a mukbang YouTuber—gotta eat a lot."
I unpacked the bags and organized everything on one side of the kitchen. With so many dishes, speed was key. I arranged ingredients by workflow to move fast.
The others prepped for filming too.
Cameras got set up everywhere, with multiple fixed cams in the kitchen.
This was the biggest shoot since my return.
"Fighting!"
With Sister's cheer, filming kicked off.
"Hello, I'm Kim Haneul from Sky and Kite. Today, we're shooting an ad for Oju Foods' Stam with another YouTuber."
The camera panned to Kim Woo-jin sitting at the wide dining table. He waved hello.
The video would be split into two parts.
Part 1 for the Sky and Kite channel: cooking-focused, showcasing me using Stam.
Part 2 for Kim Woo-jin's channel: mukbang-style, him tasting and reviewing my dishes.
We were filming Part 1 now, so Kim Woo-jin gave a quick greeting and passed the camera.
-Haneul, I skipped breakfast to eat your cooking.
"That's a scary thing to say. But I've prepped plenty, so look forward to it. Let's start cooking."
One side of the kitchen was stacked with Stam cans. I grabbed a few and opened them smoothly. Chunks of Stam plopped onto the cutting board.
"Today, I'll show off various Stam dishes. First up: super-easy jerky even college kids living alone can make."
I sliced the Stam thin. In a bowl, I mixed sugar and herbs, tossing them with the slices. The fat on the Stam clung to the sugar and herbs.
Stam was pre-seasoned. And sweet-salty was gospel.
With sugar and herbs, you'd get crispy, chewy jerky bursting with herbal aroma.
I lined the air fryer with parchment and loaded the seasoned slices.
"In 20 minutes, the jerky's done. I'll prep other dishes while it cooks."
The air fryer hummed to life. Amid the popping sounds, I sliced more Stam thin.
Truth was, jerky was more snack than main—the real cooking started now.
"Stam's already processed, so you can eat it straight. Grilling amps up the flavor, though."
I'd originally planned a full course.
Amuse-bouche: smoked paprika mousse topped with crispy crumbled Stam like snow. Appetizer: ham-and-apple-stuffed vol-au-vent. Soup: roasted ham and baby corn velouté.
For the ultimate meal, courses were king.
But this was an ad.
The goal: viewers thinking, 'I could make that too.'
I overhauled the recipes.
Ditched the tricky ones for simple, accessible dishes with basic ingredients.
Second dish: ham sandwich anyone could whip up.
I julienned onions and soaked them in cold water to tame the bite. Toasted bread slices dry, lightly cooked some Stam. While the outside crisped, I whipped up a spread: mayo, mustard, pepper.
The spread decided the sandwich's aroma and flavor.
Layered it up: bread, lettuce, ham, cheddar, tomato, onion, sauce. Cut diagonally for easy eating, plated it.
-Done quick. Why two plates? Worried I can't finish?"
Kim Woo-jin's question from off-camera got a firm headshake.
"No. One's for the editor and PD. We're eating to live—gotta share with the crew."
-Ah, yeah. Eating together's best.
Didn't want to play favorites with just Sister, so I made extra for his PD too. Hers got extra care: better-seared ham, balanced sauce.
Another dish down. On to the next.
"Sandwich as cold appy? Time for a hot one: ham jeon."
Simple: coat ham in chopped green onion, pepper, pancake mix. Dip in egg wash for batter. Fry.
Nutty yolk scent mingled with Stam's savoriness.
Sizzle. Sizzle-sizzle.
Fried like fritters, done. Split plates for Sister too—ketchup heart on top.
"Next: first main. Three mains total: pasta, kimchi Stam fried rice, Stam mayo don. Easiest home cooks."
Fired up three burners: pot and two pans.
Clang. Whoosh.
Pot for pasta water, pans for kimchi-egg-ham stir-fries. Nothing fancy—wokked with both hands for even cooking.
"Kimchi fried rice key: mellow the sourness, boost flavor. Dash of sugar. Scramble eggs loose."
Stam mayo don was basically done. Sweet teriyaki, mayo, seaweed flakes atop—bam, Stam mayo don.
While kimchi fried with rice, new pan for pasta sauce.
Medium heat, olive oil, minced garlic, onions. Nutty sweetness rose.
"Add ham when onions go clear. Browned too much risks overcooking."
Sautéed ham, poured milk. As it reduced, creamy nuttiness bloomed. Salt, pepper, pasta, pasta water. Emulsified well, parmesan for thickness.
"Not authentic cream pasta. Restaurant version needs extras, but who'd bother? Still tastes great—try it."
Kimchi fried rice and cream pasta finished. Plated, separated for Sister and Kim Woo-jin.
Six dishes down. One left.
"Next up..."
-Hey, Haneul? Stomach's growling bad. Can I just eat one?
Kim Woo-jin gazed desperately, swallowing hard—starving for real.
"It's the finale, but... if you're that hungry, fine."
I offered the air fryer jerky. He shot a look like 'This puny snack to tide me over? Barely registers.' Ignored it.
"Last dish: the true star of this feast. Bit trickier than the rest."
Cleared used ingredients, pulled new ones.
Stam, half peach, bourbon whiskey, butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard. Few ingredients, but whiskey upped the skill.
Medium-high pan, melted butter, thick-sliced ham. Seared both sides deep brown for max flavor, rested on plate.
Sauce time.
Ham fat in pan, peach slices lightly grilled. When peachy aroma hit, poured bourbon.
Whoosh!
Alcohol flashed blue flames. Heat blasted everywhere.
-Whoa! What is that?! Need a fire extinguisher?
"All good. At home, flame off and fan the alcohol from afar. Flambé just burns off funk—fancy show mostly."
Showmanship. Why waste alcohol plain when flames look cooler?
Burned off booze, added brown sugar, mustard. Reduced to thick sauce.
Sauce done. Coated seared Stam, glazed all over.
"There—eight dishes complete. Details, tips, recipes in edit notes. Cooking vid ends here; tasting on Kim Woo-jin's channel."
Any more talk, and Kim Woo-jin's glare might turn murderous. I carted the dishes to him.
Sister's share? Safe.