Chapter 319: Chapter 319: The Cook’s Potential
"What are you thinking about?"
Gordon Ford came out of the kitchen carrying a dish. Seeing Stella Sterling staring into space, he asked with a smile.
Stella Sterling turned her head, shaking off her wandering thoughts. "Nothing, really. I was just thinking how amazing your cooking smells. It’s been a long time since I’ve smelled food this good."
Gordon Ford beamed at her words. "If you like it, I can cook for you often whenever I’m free," he said as he headed back to the kitchen.
Before Stella Sterling could reply, he had already returned to the kitchen and gotten back to work.
Stella Sterling sat back down on the sofa and went back to the variety show she hadn’t finished watching.
A moment later, Gordon Ford emerged with the final dish.
Stella Sterling set down her phone, went into the kitchen, and began to get the bowls and chopsticks.
"Time to eat. Let’s see what you think of my cooking."
"Not bad at all! It smells amazing and looks so appetizing. If you ever find yourself out of a job, you can always come work for me as my personal chef."
Stella Sterling said it with a laugh, bowl and chopsticks in hand, as she gazed at the dishes that were a feast for the eyes and nose.
Of course, the praise in her joke was genuine.
She hadn’t even tasted it yet, but the sight and smell alone were enough to make her mouth water.
She was sure it would taste just as good as it looked.
Gordon Ford paused, his chopsticks hovering. He smiled. "As long as you’d have me and I’m free, I’m available anytime."
"Haha, but you’re the leader of Crescentia Base now. If your members found out you were moonlighting as my chef, they’d probably string me up."
"They wouldn’t dare. Besides, if I want to, who’s going to stop me?"
Gordon Ford looked at her, his tone earnest.
"Just kidding, just kidding! Let’s eat, let’s eat."
Stella Sterling laughed and began to serve herself some of the food.
With the first bite, her eyes nearly closed in pure bliss.
In the three-plus years since the apocalypse began, she had never lacked for food. In fact, she ate much better than most people, with balanced, nutritious meals of meat and vegetables.
But the flavor was another matter entirely.
It wasn’t that she was oblivious to how her own cooking actually tasted.
It was just that she had suffered and starved so much in her previous life that now, as long as something was edible and wouldn’t kill her, she considered it a delicacy.
Still, enjoying a truly delicious meal was infinitely better than eating something unpalatable.
The food she kept in her spatial storage was all restaurant takeout. It wasn’t bad, of course, but it was all rather monotonous.
As for the cooks in her base’s kitchen, they were skilled enough, but food cooked in such large batches always lacked a certain something.
It had been more than three years since she’d tasted a meal this delicious.
So, Stella Sterling stopped talking and started to wolf down her food. In a flash, she’d finished two bowls of rice.
"Slow down, there’s no rush."
Gordon Ford said, placing more food in her bowl.
Stella Sterling managed to look up at him for a second. "Don’t worry about me, just eat. If you wait any longer, there might not be anything left for you."
After saying her piece, she lowered her head and got back to the serious business of eating.
Although she always had a big appetite, over the past three years she had shed the habit of eating hastily, a remnant from her previous life.
She had cultivated the habit of eating slowly, which was better for her digestion.
But today’s meal was just so fragrant, and she had been feeling a bit hungry to begin with, so she was eating a little faster than usual.
She wasn’t kidding, either. Her appetite was huge. If Gordon Ford kept fussing over her, he might end up with nothing to eat after working hard all evening.
And that was even with her having provided a generous amount of ingredients.
Knowing her own capacity, Stella Sterling had taken out a sizable portion of ingredients from her spatial storage.
When she cooked the rice, she made enough for five or six normal people.
There should have been plenty of food for two people.
But Gordon Ford’s cooking was so aromatic that her appetite was even better than usual. She had a feeling she was going to eat even more than she normally did.
"Don’t worry about me. You can just grab me anything to fill my stomach later."
Gordon Ford said.
A satisfied expression appeared on his face as he watched her eat.
’She likes my cooking. That’s good.’
As for Stella Sterling’s large appetite, Gordon Ford didn’t show the slightest hint of surprise.
He had already suspected as much when he saw how many ingredients she had prepared and how much rice she’d cooked.
After all, it was just the two of them. Even if she had factored in Basil Xavier, that was still only three people. Why would they need so much food?
Even before the apocalypse, it would have been an excessive amount of food that they couldn’t possibly finish, let alone now, in the middle of it.
So, when he saw her casually prepare such a large quantity of ingredients and rice, he already had his suspicions.
People with great strength naturally have much larger appetites than ordinary folk.
At that moment, Gordon Ford felt incredibly grateful that she was so capable.
’With an appetite like that, if she weren’t capable, how would she ever survive on her own in this apocalypse?’
Stella Sterling looked up.
She saw that Gordon Ford had really stopped eating, looking as if he intended to let her have all the food.
After a moment’s thought, she got up, went into the kitchen, and returned with a large bowl. She filled it to the brim with rice for Gordon Ford, then piled a generous amount of the other dishes on top.
She placed the bowl in front of him. "You eat, too. I’d feel bad if I ate everything by myself."
Having said her piece, Stella Sterling paid him no more mind and went back to devouring her meal.
Now that Gordon Ford’s portion was set aside, she could eat the rest without holding back.
For Stella Sterling, enjoying good food was one of life’s greatest pleasures.
For the next while, she was completely immersed in her meal, oblivious to everything else.
Gordon Ford looked down at the bowl of food in front of him.
A deep smile touched his lips.
’She served this for me.’
At that thought, his own appetite returned. He began to eat in a slow, unhurried manner, a look of contentment on his face.
As for the source of his satisfaction, no one could say.
Stella Sterling finished her meal at the same time as Gordon Ford.
Full and satisfied, she leaned back with a contented smile and patted her stomach.
It was bulging just a little...
Ever since her appetite had grown, Stella Sterling had never gone hungry, but she had also never eaten until she was completely stuffed.
She always had room for fruit or dessert after a meal.
But tonight, she had definitely eaten more than usual.
She let out a small burp and looked at Gordon Ford, her admiration unconcealed. "Not bad. Your cooking is really good. I never knew you had the potential to be a chef."
Gordon Ford gave a low chuckle. "It’s just a small hobby. I can handle a few dishes, but not a whole banquet. Besides, my ambitions don’t lie in becoming a chef!"
