Chapter 93
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: My Own Dish
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1.
I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. All sorts of thoughts floated up across the white surface, only to fade away again in an endless cycle.
Lately, my mind had been filled with nothing but cooking-related thoughts. Flavors and techniques, along with questions about myself, chained together without end.
'Can I really create a dish that's uniquely mine, like Chef Moon Tae-oh's agnolotti?'
Chef Han Seojin had told me as much. That I lacked knowledge about cooking. Truth be told, this wasn't the first time I'd felt it.
'I sensed it back when I recreated Chef Kang Taeyeon's nostalgic dish, too.'
Back then, I hadn't thought much of it. I never imagined I'd become this serious about cooking.
But after joining Grand Chef, I realized it. I was far more passionate about cooking than I'd ever thought.
'So what the hell am I supposed to do...'
They told me to gain as much experience as possible, but I had no idea where to start. I couldn't just wander around aimlessly.
"Tch."
I shot up from the bed. Frustration made me irritable for no reason. Better to move around at times like this.
'Endless thinking won't give me answers anyway.'
Grand Chef provided unlimited access to the kitchen and ingredients, so I might as well head there and cook something.
'Sulking like this isn't my style.'
I stepped out into the hallway. The vast mansion was unusually quiet. Probably because the number of contestants had dwindled sharply over the past few weeks.
I walked along the corridor, naturally heading toward the kitchen.
'No one's here.'
It made sense. Being cooped up cooking all the time would get boring eventually. For me, this was my first time in the kitchen since eating Yurin’s egg roll.
'It's impressive.'
I marveled at the pantry stocked full of ingredients, neatly organized by type and temperature. The staff must have worked hard on this.
I was here now, but I had no clue what to make. As I stared blankly at the pantry, some mushrooms caught my eye.
Seeing them sparked an old memory.
*
"...Burned to a crisp again."
Charred soil. A toppled fence. I'd come here looking for a village, but all that remained was ash and a lingering acrid smell.
In the center of the burned village, the Sword Saint poured alcohol and scattered it. The Saintess knelt quietly. Her hands clasped together as a fervent prayer flowed from her lips.
"Lord, take these poor souls into your embrace."
While her prayer for the dead spread through the air, we searched the village. Hoping to find any survivors. And, as expected...
"...None."
Hero Arbel muttered heavily. Her hands trembled. I approached her side and said,
"Scenes like this never get easier, no matter how many times you see them."
"...They never will."
Arbel replied through gritted teeth.
"Not until this war ends."
Once the Saintess finished her prayer, we left the village immediately.
I pulled out a map from my bag and marked an X over the village we'd just visited. The map was already dotted with countless such marks.
This wasn't the first, and it wouldn't be the last. That's what war was.
Shwaaa—
Rain poured from the sky, as if mourning the death that blanketed the land.
"……"
A heavy silence fell over the party. No one spoke as we trudged silently toward the next village.
Grrrrowl—
A sudden rumble made everyone's steps halt at once. Turning, I saw Arbel blushing furiously, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"...Shall we eat something?"
I suggested cautiously, and the other party members gradually burst into laughter.
"Yeah, let's. You said it yourself, Siwoo—even the Diamond Mountains are best after a meal. We need to eat well, especially now."
Arbel's face turned beet red, as if it might explode, but it softened the mood nicely.
"I'll go hunt then."
The Sword Saint was already gripping his sword hilt, turning toward the forest, when—
"Wait!"
The sorcerer grabbed his sleeve.
"What?"
The Sword Saint asked curtly.
"Do you know how many days it's been since we've eaten nothing but meat? I'm sick of it—I might die! Please, anything but meat!"
"Come on. What am I supposed to bring then? The forest only has mushrooms and weeds."
"Exactly, let's eat that!"
He frowned.
"Are you crazy? How are we supposed to get our strength from grass? And is it even edible?"
"Siwoo could make it work, right?"
The Sword Saint and sorcerer's eyes turned to me.
"Siwoo, can you cook with forest ingredients? Preferably without meat."
"...I'll give it a try."
With that, I headed into the forest. The Sword Saint joined me.
"What're you planning to make?"
"Not sure yet. I should see what ingredients are available first."
"Hunting an animal would be easier. Don't bother yourself. Women, huh..."
I just smiled lightly instead of replying. They always bickered like that, but everyone knew they were lovers.
A light drizzle. Faint sunlight filtering through the leaves. Fresh green grass.
Shwaaa—
A cool breeze rustled my hair. Closing my eyes, a fragrant aroma tickled my nose.
"This is..."
*
'The scent of mushrooms.'
I smiled at the array of mushrooms before me.
Back then, I'd gathered this many too. Mostly poisonous ones, but the Saintess made that irrelevant.
'Maybe mushroom soup.'
I picked two types of mushrooms.
One white, one brown. Both button mushrooms, but differing slightly in flavor, aroma, and even name.
The difference came from harvest timing—the brown ones were picked a bit more mature.
'Onions, garlic. Chicken. Cream and flour. Some soy sauce, butter, herbs. And whiskey.'
I gathered the ingredients and headed to the counter. Tied on an apron, rolled up my sleeves.
'Alright. Let's start.'
First, I peeled and roughly chopped the onion. Placed a pan on the gas stove, added a drizzle of olive oil.
As it heated, I tossed in the chopped onion and sautéed. When it turned translucent and just began to brown, I added a pat of butter.
"Mm."
As the nutty aroma rose, I sprinkled in a bit of flour. To make a roux.
Stirring constantly, the onion thickened and browned. Then I turned off the heat and poured in the whiskey.
Sizzle—
Smoke billowed up. I scraped the pan bottom with a cooking spoon. Added a splash of water since it seemed a tad dry.
Crumbled in the dried mushrooms. This would give it a meaty depth.
Added ground soy sauce and pepper. Covered and simmered on low for 30 minutes.
This alone would be fine, but I planned to blend the soup smooth with a hand blender. Otherwise, the texture might lack.
'Need something extra.'
I thinly sliced various mushrooms and chicken. A generous amount to ensure plenty.
In a wide pan, I mixed olive oil and butter, then added the mushrooms and chicken. Sprinkled salt and pepper on top and began sautéing.
Moisture seeped from the mushrooms, sounding like boiling. I cranked the heat high to evaporate it all.
The key to soup like this was bold flavor and aroma. It would dilute when mixed with liquid.
As the moisture vanished, the mushrooms turned golden brown. I stirred in minced garlic and kept going.
Turned off the heat again, poured in more whiskey.
Whoosh—
Flames erupted with the smoke.
I kept tossing, letting the whiskey infuse the mushrooms and meat while shaking off the alcohol.
'Almost done.'
Now, just wait for the soup to simmer fully.
Ding—
I mixed the remaining whiskey with cola for a Bourbon Coke and sipped. As I enjoyed the cocktail, my phone buzzed.
[Seol Yurin: Unnie, where are you!]
[Seol Yurin: (Dog tilting its head emoji)]
'What's up?'
It was Yurin. Why the sudden message?
[Me: Making mushroom soup in the kitchen.]
[Seol Yurin: OMG!]
[Seol Yurin: Can I come eat some too!?]
[Seol Yurin: (Dog with sparkling eyes emoji)]
[Me: Sure]
I accepted her request gladly.
"Unnie!"
Soon Yurin arrived in the kitchen, followed by Lee Seohwa and Han Chaeyun.
"Hello!"
The two bowed politely. I waved lightly.
"It smells amazing! Mushroom soup, but I've never smelled anything this rich!"
"Sit here for a sec. It's almost ready."
"Yes...!"
The three sat side by side at the counter table. They'd become inseparable lately.
'What'll they do if one gets eliminated.'
I opened the pot lid. The soup had simmered perfectly, so I grabbed the hand blender. Submerged it and pureed the mushrooms smooth.
Strained through a sieve, pressing with a wooden spatula for a silky texture.
'A bit tedious.'
Returned the strained soup to the pot, heated it, and added the sautéed mushrooms and chicken.
'Perfect.'
Stirred in cream bit by bit. Seasoned with salt and pepper, simmered a few more minutes to thicken.
Right when it hit the desired consistency...
"Done."
I ladled the cream soup into bowls, topping each with fresh herbs for layered aromas.
"Here."
I set the three bowls in front of them, then prepared mine.
"Let's eat!"
Yurin and Lee Seohwa beamed as they picked up spoons. Han Chaeyun silently examined her soup.
Slurp—
'Mm.'
Intense mushroom umami. Herbs and whiskey blended subtly—it was shockingly delicious.
'Way better than back then.'
Ingredients were basic then: mushrooms, herbs, whiskey, meat.
'The cream really smooths it out.'
Mixing otherworld recipe with modern techniques—success.
'Tastes great to me, but what about others...'
I looked up at the three. All had eyes closed, savoring their soup.
"How is it?"
Yurin snapped her eyes open at my question.
"Th-this is seriously delicious...!"
"Really?"
"Yes! So many flavors blending... It's like, how do I put it... eating a mushroom-filled forest!"
A mushroom forest. Cute way to say it.
"It's truly delicious. If I exaggerate a bit... it could stand with Chef Moon Tae-oh's agnolotti, no shame."
I chuckled at Lee Seohwa's words. Honestly, not quite that level.
"What do you think?"
I asked Han Chaeyun last.
"...Delicious. Familiar yet exotic. May I ask what country inspired it?"
I smiled vaguely instead of answering. Not a country—an otherworld.
"...Kang Yerin already seems to have her own cooking philosophy and world. I'm jealous. Still so much doubt on my end..."
"Me?"
I tilted my head at Han Chaeyun's words. Never thought of it that way.
"Yes. Yerin's dishes always have a consistent essence. Familiar, yet always fresh."
"Right! Every bite surprises. Comfortable but always novel!"
Yurin nodded enthusiastically from beside her.
"...Never thought about that. Not intentional."
"That's how it is. Keep cooking, and your style emerges naturally."
Han Chaeyun sipped her water and continued.
"Cooking touches life closest. So your life naturally infuses it, right?"
"Yeah... you're right."
I let out a hollow laugh. My worries suddenly seemed foolishly naive.
My own dish. It was already inside me. I just hadn't realized.
'Maybe that's why Chef Han Seojin skipped that talk.'
She'd only mentioned knowledge and experience. Now it made sense.
"Thank you."
The epiphany hit suddenly. I thanked Han Chaeyun across from me.
"For what?"
She tilted her head.
"Nothing."
I smiled, spooned more mushroom soup, closed my eyes, and savored the flavors.
'Delicious.'
It evoked a special nostalgia.