The True Essence of Megumi's Cooking

Time.

It was time for the judging phase.

All the new students had completed their cooking and, after being evaluated by Roland, received their scores.

On closer inspection, the rich red wine had been fully absorbed by the beef.

After enjoying over an hour of "sauna steaming," the beef's fat mingled with the vegetables, making the meat tender and fluffy, and the rich aroma it emitted was intoxicating…

Afterward, Roland slowly opened his eyes.

His sharp eyes turned towards the last new student, Megumi, and he said, "You seem to have changed a lot in the recipe I provided!"

"Is my cooking really that bad in your eyes? Or are you saying…"

"You want to challenge my authority?"

His last words made Megumi feel intimidated, causing her to shiver.

But she clenched her teeth and mustered the courage to reply, "No, Instructor Roland, I did not intend to challenge you."

"I just think that Burgundy beef stew, originally from the French countryside, should retain some of its rustic origins in terms of ingredients and methods!"

"In other words, in my view, the true essence of a dish should improve upon its original flavor without destroying it."

"Hmm!"

"Is that what you think?"

Roland, after hearing Megumi's explanation, did not show any emotion but calmly asked her.

But he saw that Megumi seemed frightened and dared not continue answering his question.

Out of resignation, he didn't say much else but lowered his head to examine the dish.

…

Then, the sharp-eyed Roland seemed to think of something and quickly picked up a small knife to gently press on the beef!

With a "pfft," the juice inside the beef suddenly squirted out due to the external pressure.

The whole piece of beef visibly shrank rapidly, then released an even richer meaty aroma.

"How tender! How could this beef be stewed so tenderly?"

"I remember you encountered some difficulties halfway through. Did you manage to solve them all?"

"And what about the texture of this beef? Two hours of stewing shouldn't make it this tender…"

At that moment, Roland hadn't tasted it yet, but he had a strange feeling.

He always felt that the dish made by this new student might far exceed his own skills!

Finally, with complex thoughts, he hurriedly cut a small piece of beef and eagerly tasted it.

…

When it comes to delicious food, everyone can say a lot.

But if a group of people discuss this topic, they are likely to argue heatedly.

Therefore, one often feels that food encounters with people are just like human encounters, both governed by fate.

"Burgundy."

"That awful place!"

This was the truest thought in young Roland's heart, who lived in the Burgundy region of France.

From a young age, he had already shown a high talent for cooking, becoming a famous French chef at a young age.

Later, he was recruited by the Totsuki academy to be an instructor.

Since then, away from his hometown, he gradually realized that the place he lived in as a child was always the best sacred land!

The grass and trees of Burgundy, the undulating mountains near and far, as well as the beautiful picture composed of matsutake, cheese, snails, and other delicacies, always evoked in him a feeling of nostalgia whenever he remembered them!

Often, he would try to cook his hometown's dishes.

But perhaps because his mindset had changed, or perhaps because he gradually forgot the taste of home,

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how many times he cooked, he could never recreate the flavor of those days. Also, he could never find that taste that could warm his whole body and make him "smile" again!

…

Upon tasting, a "pfft pfft" sound was immediately made.

That was the sound of beef effortlessly breaking apart along its fibers in his mouth!

And every bit of juice that flowed out was permeated with the rich aroma of wine.

Together with the potatoes and mushrooms that had absorbed the thick juice, the red wine sauce penetrated every inch of the meat.

The solid meat sensation mixed with the slight tartness of the wine continuously blended together, bringing a unique satisfaction!

At this moment, all one needed to do was close their eyes and then listen with the heart, and one could imagine the beautiful vineyards and pastoral French scenery.

The juice was rich, the beef was tender and flavorful, and the tastes of all the ingredients were fully integrated, complementing each other.

So much so, that Roland's chewing motions slowed down, slowly feeling the beef being completely crushed in his mouth and then gradually spreading its rich flavor.

"Hmm?"

"This flavor…"

He swallowed and his eyes showed a shocked expression.

Then, he hurriedly cut another small piece of beef and tasted it carefully.

Just as his teeth bit

 into the beef, in an instant, every cell in his body seemed to become agitated.

Yes!

This was the flavor.

This was the taste of the red wine beef stew he had tasted as a child!

Gradually, he remembered the scenery of his hometown.

First, the gentle slopes where many grapes were planted, creating many vineyards.

Looking around, there were no fences or boundaries, just the rolling green vineyards, and occasionally a few houses could be seen.

And each beautiful pastoral scene began to make Roland's mood turn joyful.

The beauty of Burgundy, after all, was not stunning or thrilling, but it was those warm daily moments, those little things that could touch the heartstrings, indescribable!

All this started from that one dish of red wine beef stew.

…

"Ha ha ha!"

"I've found it, I've finally found it!"

"This kind of Burgundy red wine beef stew is indeed the goal I've been pursuing all my life!"

Returning from his thoughts, Roland couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of his mouth.

Finally, he couldn't completely hide his inner joy and burst out laughing.

A chef who was known by the students as "the chef who never smiles" couldn't help but show a happy smile at this moment after tasting the flavor of his hometown.

Then, without caring about Megumi's reaction and gaze,

He continued to eat one bite after another, stubbornly finishing the entire plate of red wine beef stew.

Even the little bit of juice left in the plate was thoroughly cleaned up by him with the mashed potatoes!

Clearly, this French dish.

Megumi successfully embodied its essence, deeply moving Roland!

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