Chapter 88: Let’s Make Snacks
Note : I don't know how to cook, or majoring in Biology or such, and I don't understand about baking bread. So do forgive me if I made mistakes in some parts. If you're also like me, and curious about how to make bread / the process of making it, you can just go to the link I put in the chapter. And also, snacks and sweets use the same kanji, so I use them interchangeably.
「What are you laughing at, Bartolo」
「Nahー, I just thought that you’d be here any time now, y’see? 」
In order to fulfill my promise with Elna-kaasan, I came to the kitchen to make new snacks.
Bartolo, who is grinning and poking my cheek is so hateful.
This finger, should I bite it?
「Then, you have to make new snacks with this, right? What are you going to make? Snacks are not my specialty, okay?」
After he got up straight, Bartolo tapped on the magic stove *ponpon* as he said that.
「But, it’s also not my area of expertise, you know? 」
「You said that, but you usually make it right? Even I have to take my hats off for your novel foods y’see. And you can still make new snacks……you really have a talent in making snacks you know. Maybe I should tell Elna to have you make snacks from now on, boy.」
This guy! He’s going to make me create the snacks myself! Furthermore, he even goes as far as using Elna-kaasan’s name to keep me in check! Fat chance.
I’m sorry I’ve made you knead the dough till your eyes look dead.
「Bartolo is also making special jam by boiling down fruits and sugar, you also made a lot of cookies these days, right? You’ve come up with something impressive like mixing various things, and changing the sweetness of the flavors recently, don’t you? Elna-kaasan was also happy isn’t she? Reallyー, that’s not something I can do.」
We keep smiling at one another. Trying to force the snacks-making work to the other person.
I make what I like whenever I want to. But it just so happened that this time is an unavoidable circumstance.
Dry laughter resounded inside the kitchen. However, our eyes aren't laughing at all.
You’re the chef aren’t you?
Aren’t you the one responsible for making snacks, boy?
That was our thoughts when we looked at each other.
After glaring at one another for some time, we sighed.
At any rate, let’s make snacks now alright? Well, thanks to the magic stove I guess I can make something like deep-fried food or something, and while I’m at it, I think it’s fine to think about foods that I wanted to eat.
「Well then, let’s make a simple snacks first.」
「What is it?」
「Deep-fried bread.」
「Deep-fried bread?」
That’s right, deep-fried bread. When I was a kid, ‘that’ often came out at the school lunch provision.
Even though I don’t really like bread, only that deep-fried bread is the one thing I can eat happily.
「You fried the bread in oil, you see. Then just sprinkle some sugar on it.」
「Ahー, so it’s a food that uses oil?…then, is that all?」
「Will those people be really satisfied with something like that?」Bartolo asked me with his eyes.
「It’s okay. It’s easy to make and what’s more, it’s delicious.」
In addition, the calories are also quite high. It was eaten in order to improve children's nutrition during the postwar period.
「Also……this will make you gain quite a bit of weight.」
From the maids to Elna-kaasan who said that she would not get fat no matter how much she eats, if they keep on eating it then they will definitely gain weight. In that case, they would naturally refrain from eating snacks.
If so, we will not be forced to make snacks anymore.
「I see. As expected from you, boy.」
Bartolo smiles meaningfully, understanding the meaning of my words. His smiles looked like a beast that had found its prey.
「What an evil face.」
「Hehehe, you too boy」
We’re showing each other a different smile than before. Even though our eyes are laughing, I feel that there’s something impure in our eyes.
「Besides, there are something I wanted to make this time, other than snacks.」
「Ooh! I’m looking forward to it!」
Hearing that I will make a new kind of food other than snacks, Bartolo’s eyes shine.
There’s no more wicked thoughts in his eyes just like the one from a moment ago.
As one would expect from a chef.
I’m thinking of making snacks that can be fried such as deep-fried bread, and sata andagi for today’s menu.
Well, it just looks similar, but if you add toppings on it then they should be satisfied because they will be able to enjoy various flavors.
Then, I will make fried bread crusts and rusks for my own snack. We had sandwiches as breakfast, so there should be some bread left over.
Incidentally, I won’t share this.
Furthermore, I could make pancakes and crepe, but I think it’s better to make snacks using the magic stove as a demonstration this time, so we make that.
We should have as many cards as possible.
Recently, Mina was being noisy by saying something like 「These round rings on the slippers are candies right?」. I meant well, but I shouldn’t have made sweets-printed.
At noon, I asked Bartolo to cook lunch as usual, and I think I’m going to makeand deep-fried food for dinner.
We’re doing nothing but frying and baking all of the ingredients today.
If I have soy sauce and the special sauce, then I won’t hesitate to make a 8……
My Japanese spirit gradually wished for soy sauce.
I haven’t met Tori these days , I wonder if he’s doing okay. I’m also anxious with the amount of rice I have left, I want to replenish my rice stock.
That being the case, first of all we made the preparation in order to make snacks using the deep-frying method.
「We have leftovers bread from breakfast, can I use it?」
While I’m preparing the oil, Bartolo came and handed me a basket with loaves of bread in it.
「Thank you. I can use this for another snack. But, we can not use this for the deep-fried bread, so we need to make it from scratch.」
「Che, what shape of bread do you wanted it to be?」
「Make it into oval shape, just like a bread roll.」
To Bartolo’s question, I explained it while my hand is moving to make an oval shape.
「Aah, I understand. Then while I make the bread, can you make the lunch or something?」
Bartolo put the wheat flour into a bowl, and started making the bread.
As for me, I immediately press the switch on the magic stove.
At that moment, the stove absorbed my magic power and flame suddenly lit up.
We’ve tried the stove when we bought it at the royal capital, I’m not particularly surprised by it cause it looks like a gas stove and very easy to use.
Before, we had to take the trouble to light the firewood first, but now it’s done in an instant like this. Reducing the time needed to cook, and we’re not burdened with it anymore. And is very convenient because we can adjust the temperature. We can even use it to fry.
There’s no need to worry about something like a gas explosion, it might be safer than a modern gas stove.
「Really, the fire began to light up immediately. 」
「Indeed.」
Bartolo is not looking at me because he’s making the bread, but you can tell from his voice that he’s in a good mood.
The one who gained the most benefit from this is the chef, Bartolo.
I bought this magic stove, half for my own sake, and half for Bartolo, so I’m a little happy with the result.
Without knowing why, I smiled and I proceeded with my own preparation.
I’m going to leave the deep-fried bread until the bread is made by Bartolo, I put another frying pan on the stove and pour the oil.
First, I’m making rusk-type snacks from the bread crust for my snacks.
I cut the bread crust to just the right length, and wait till the oil warms up.
Then, when I feel that the oil has warmed up, I add the bread crust that I have cut earlier into the frying pan.
Bake the bread crust, while using to turn it around. I baked the bread crust as it made a sizzling, crackling noise *pachipachi*.
I soak the bread into the oil, and slowly the color turns into golden brown and becomes hard.
When it turns into a perfect golden color, I place it on a plate with a thin cloth already spread on top, arranging it so that the oil will be absorbed.
The soft bread crusts are now releasing a freshly-baked bread smell and have become stick-shaped.
If you bite it, it will make a crisp, crunchy sound *kari*.
「Bartolo, I’m going to use sugar」
When I briefly asked Bartolo for sugar, he replied half-heartedly 「Ooh」, and grabbed a jar of sugar.
It is important to sprinkle it with a lot of sugar when it’s piping hot like this.
The deep-fried bread would also be like this.
I remove the cloth, and just sprinkle it with sugar as a finishing touch.
The golden brown bread crusts have become white, as if it was coated in snow.
Turning it with the chopstick, I sprinkle the sugar evenly and it’s done.
Then I picked a bread crust stick and ate it.
It made a light, crispy sound and crunchy as it popped inside my mouth.
The sweetness of the sugar and the bread is out of this world.
Above all, the texture can be addictive.
I nibbled the bread like a squirrel *karikari*, and before I knew it I was already bringing another one to my mouth.
No, I can’t stop doing this.
More importantly it shouldn’t be stick-shaped. Since it’s easier to eat that way, it makes my hand reach out to immediately take another.
Wouldn't it be great if there was also an elegant glass to go along with this here.
Yeah, let’s do that when I store stuff using space magic.
「Oi oi, why are you having fun by yourself. Give some to me too.」
Having said that, Bartolo picked up a bread stick and put it in his mouth.
「Aahー, the plain sweetness is good………back then, my grandma used to make me something like this………」
Bartolo made a chewing sound as he ate, and narrowed his eyes. He might be remembering the taste of food from his hometown or something.
In my previous life, my grandma also……no that's wrong, the one who was responsible for cooking is my grandpa. Since grandma can’t cook.
It was the worst kind of lineage that was passed down to her grandchildren, my sisters. That was more like a curse in our family isn’t it.
While I was having a distant look on my face, trying to make sense of things, I noticed a bowl in the kitchen.
When I look into it, the dough has already turned into balls and placed in it.
It’s probably on the preliminary fermentation. It’ll be left as it is for forty to fifty minutes to make it rise. Then it’s going to be fermented for the second time, so it will still take some time until it’s ready.
When I think about it, Bartolo - who was preparing the ingredients in the evening, and then baking the bread in the morning - is amazing.
Well, we exchange food occasionally, and now he’s been cooking more rice.
Rather, isn’t that the biggest reason why my rice stock began decreasing?
If all five family members eat what I planned to eat alone, then it will be gone immediately!
If it were Eleonora-neesan, you can just add meat to it and she will eat it quickly.
Really, this is not good. Darn Bartolo, I want you to return my feeling of respect!
Bartolo was still eating the bread stick *karikari*, even when I stared at him.
But, he doesn’t look like a squirrel, more like a wild child gnawing at a sugarcane.
「This is delicious. I can’t stop eating it. Won’t Elna and the others be satisfied with just this?」
「But, this was not a snack that utilizes the magic stove.」
「That’s true isn’t it. If anything, buying a stove that can only make the bread we wanted with this guy here, would be more satisfying than buying anything else. 」
Bartolo nodded to himself as he knocked on the stove. He seems to be quite pleased with the stove.
「Do you need anything else? You also said that you’re going to make something other than snacks right?」
「That’s right.I need ingredients for tempura. We have onions, carrots, and other vegetables, right?」
「Aah, we have most vegetables here you know? But, we only have little bit of mushrooms left.」
「Yosh, let’s ask Sylvio-niisan to gather them.」
That’s because Sylvio-niisan is good at gathering mushrooms and edible wild plants in the mountain.
At most, he’s just going to read books and study today.
Ever since I came back from the royal capital, I haven’t seen him going outside at all.
「You, you don’t hesitate in using your older brother at all, don’t you. Even though you took a modest approach towards your elder sister.」
「But of course. That’s because I’m the little brother.」
「……so it’s fine with your older brother?」
Look here, that’s because Sylvio-niisan is kind. If his cute little brother asks for something then he won’t be able to refuse, y’see.
Incidentally, little brother doesn’t have the authority to order around their elder sister.
The day you said 「You’re free anyway, so go pick some edible wild plants」 to Eleonora-neesan, is the day when you will be viciously beaten.
She’s a moody person, just like a cat. To some extent, she would say something like, 「You’re really cheeky to order me around even though you’re just Al」, and then get subdued.
She’s a beast such as it was unknown whether she would take the bait if it were shown in front of her or not.
「Next is, do we have a large shrimp or something?」
「No, we don’t buy large shrimps.」
Bartolo shrugged his shoulder as he told me that.
I tried to ask for it, but we really don’t have it, huh?
There’s no sea near Koryatt village, so it can’t be helped. Though infrequent, Toriela’s Firm brought it when they visited the village. It’s not that convenient.
When it comes to tempura, it has to be shrimps, so it’s a shame.
「Can we just use river shrimps? If it were those, then we can use them after removing the mud.」
There are river shrimps in Koryatt’s river, but it was the long-armed shrimp.
Of course, they’re not big enough to be used for tempura.
「I’d like to have the big shrimps, but it’s fine to use those this time, I guess? River shrimps are also delicious anyway.」
I also like to eat karaage-like river fish in one go.
I can just use Teleport and buy it at the royal capital, but if I were to take it out, then I will be asked where did I got it from.
Un, guess I will buy it for the next time I eat it alone, huh?
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