Chapter 113

Normally, just completing a salad would have been enough without hesitation.

But now, it was a gathering to celebrate Mari’s recognition as an adventurer.

Therefore, a dish fitting for such an occasion was needed.

Even if others said it was okay, I didn’t want to settle for less.

Though my heart was set on creating a grand dish, the reality was that there were too many limitations.

The cost of purchasing ingredients?

Of course, my current financial situation wasn’t exactly abundant, but it wasn’t so dire that I couldn’t secretly buy ingredients while Mari was unconscious.

However, the cultural development level of this world meant that no matter how much money I had, there was a limit to the ingredients I could obtain.

In fact, some ingredients like commercially available sauces had to be made from scratch by me.

Moreover, even if it were just a human village, the variety of ingredients was limited, and with the spatial setting changed to an Elf Village, the ingredient options became even more restricted.

Especially since this dish had to be entirely plant-based for Aisia, the elf.

Still, it wasn’t all bad.

On the cooking tools side, I had received many good items from the Dwarven Village, so I had somewhat overcome the limitations of tools.

And after serving Tofu Steak to the village elves a while ago, some elves had come to learn cooking from me, and in the process, I had also prepared a lot of various cooking ingredients.

So today, I would use these Dwarf tools and the ingredients I had already prepared to create the most spectacular dish possible.

To celebrate Mari’s independence and to comfort Aisia, who had chosen to send her daughter away.

For such a celebration party, a menu fitting the festive atmosphere was naturally needed.

For example, a cake.

But cakes, aside from not containing meat, are packed with animal-based ingredients like milk, butter, and eggs.

Thus, making a cream cake was out of the question.

After all, the options for dishes that a congenital vegetarian can eat are limited.

Therefore, the alternative to the cake was pretty much decided from the start.

Rice Cake.

In fact, I had already prepared to make Rice Cake the moment Mari started taking Aisia’s test.

I believed Mari would surely pass.

And even if she didn’t, it could serve as a comforting Rice Cake.

The main ingredient was rice flour.

Making rice cake from rice flour itself doesn’t take much time, but starting from processing the rice would take hours, so I had prepared the rice flour in advance.

Of course, the rice used wasn’t the long-grain variety from this continent but the proper short-grain rice from the eastern continent.

The difference between long-grain and short-grain rice, as the names suggest, lies in the length of the grains, but what’s important in cooking is not the length but the difference in their properties.

Long-grain rice has less starch, making it less sticky, whereas short-grain rice has more starch, giving it a chewy texture when cooked.

Thus, long-grain rice is more suitable for dishes like risotto or paella, while short-grain rice is mainly used for making rice or rice cakes.

Therefore, the long-grain rice primarily grown on this continent wasn’t suitable for making rice cakes.

So I had to buy rice imported from another continent.

The time spent searching for it was one thing, but the cost was several times that of ordinary rice…

But since it was bought to celebrate herself, Mari would understand.

Money can be earned again.

First, sift the prepared rice flour several times.

Just like with wheat flour used in many Western dishes, sifting rice flour prevents clumping and allows air to enter between the particles, resulting in a better texture when cooked.

Then, gradually add water to the finely sifted rice flour.

The amount of water added at this stage determines the quality of the finished rice cake.

Continue kneading the rice flour, checking the moisture, and mixing water and rice flour.

It’s enough when the rice flour doesn’t crumble easily when pressed.

After mixing with water, sift the rice flour again, then add the prepared sugar.

Normally, beans or jujubes might be added according to preference, but this time, it’s not just plain White Rice Cake but Rice Cake for a cake.

So pure sugar is sufficient as an additive.

Then, shape the rice flour using a cake mold and steam it.

Instead of closing the steamer lid, cover it with a cloth to prevent moisture from escaping.

If a regular steamer lid is used, condensation can drip onto the rice cake during steaming, affecting its quality, and without any lid, moisture and heat would escape.

Wait about 30 minutes, and the White Rice Cake is complete.

While waiting, I prepare other dishes.

Even if Rice Cake is the main dish, eating just that would be too meager. So, I prepare other dishes in the meantime.

The menu was already decided while making the White Rice Cake.

Boil pasta in boiling water, then make Napolitan Spaghetti by adding ketchup to the tomato sauce I once made in the Dwarven Village.

It’s simple and quick to make, and since I had prepared tomato sauce in advance while teaching cooking to the elves, it was perfect for the current situation where multiple dishes needed to be served quickly.

Moreover, the savory and tangy flavor of tomato sauce pairs well with other dishes.

Next, use the tofu marinated earlier to grill Tofu Steak and top it with ponzu sauce and pickled radish.

Having made this dish several times before, the second dish was quickly completed.

Even without ponzu, the mild taste of tofu pairs well with the sweet and sour flavor of Napolitan Spaghetti, creating a good combination of the stimulating Napolitan and the plain Tofu Steak.

However, the order of eating should be noted.

Finally, sprinkle the recently made large batch of Oriental Sauce over salad greens to complete the Oriental Salad.

While salad is often a staple in the elves’ diet, this time it serves to refresh the palate after the stimulating dishes.

By the time the three dishes were completed, the White Rice Cake was also nicely done.

But serving this White Rice Cake as is wouldn’t make it a Rice Cake.

Cut the Rice Cake into two layers, apply honey like glue between the layers, and coat them.

Then, recombine the top and bottom layers.

Next, use White Bean Paste, a substitute for cream, to coat the cake.

White Bean Paste can be made from white kidney beans.

First, remove the skins from the white kidney beans and soak them.

Of course, this White Bean Paste also requires about 10 hours of soaking, so it was prepared the moment Mari went to take the test.

Then, boil the soaked white kidney beans in water.

After boiling, remove the beans and add honey and sugar.

Although honey and sugar aren’t usually expensive, one shouldn’t skimp on sugar for such dishes.

Mari would understand since it’s for her celebration.

Then, mash them into a paste and reduce it to remove moisture.

Cover the cake with this White Bean Paste as if covering it with cream.

Also, place the paste in a circular shape on top of the Rice Cake and carve out pieces with a knife for decoration, quickly creating a presentable Rice Cake.

To achieve a truly satisfying quality, besides White Bean Paste, various colored pastes should be made to enhance the color, and decorations should be shaped with a piping bag rather than by hand.

But given the current environment, this level of satisfaction will have to do.

With this, tonight’s dinner was complete.

Tonight’s main menu.

Rice Cake made with White Bean Paste and White Rice Cake.

Along with Napolitan Spaghetti, Tofu Steak, and Oriental Salad.

After making it, it seems like a lot, but since it’s for Mari’s celebration, she’ll understand.

Thinking so, I brought the completed dishes to the waiting group.