Chapter 1040: Liquid Cuisine
“Ahaha, here comes the chicken soup!” I said with a smile, placing a soup pot on the table. Next to it were various arranged dishes, all personally cooked by me.
“The food is all here, why aren’t you eating?” I asked, looking at Lorna and Giselle, who were staring at the dishes in front of them with surprise, even a bit of fear.
“Um, do you usually eat this kind of food? What country’s cuisine is this?” Lorna asked in surprise. She was confident she had traveled to several countries, but had never seen cuisine like this anywhere.
“Uh, this is indeed Palul’s cooking style. I’ve seen a few dishes before, but this is especially unique,” even Older Brother Jayad seemed a bit surprised this time.
“I can’t help it, Giselle has a bad stomach. To prevent post-operation sequela, I specially made her liquid food. But don’t worry, the taste is absolutely guaranteed,” I said. I had put a lot of effort into this.
Many of these dishes had been simmering on the stove before I left. For instance, old hen soup and rice and wheat porridge, things Europeans rarely eat. Other dishes might be even more unusual to them.
“What is this yellow stuff?” Giselle asked, pointing at a dish.
“Steamed egg. It’s made by mixing eggs and water and steaming them. It’s very soft and melts in your mouth, very suitable for you right now. You can think of it as a warm pudding?” I gave them an analogy.
“R-really?” Lorna’s eyes widened as she looked at the steamed egg. It did look a bit like pudding, especially with the layer of dark caramel on top.
In fact, steamed egg could be considered a type of pudding in a sense. Traditional British puddings were a general term for small snacks made by mixing various ingredients. These ingredients could include oats, fruits, gravy, flour, or even blood sausage. You know what British dark cuisine is like.
I once again applied a bit of my East-meets-West creativity. Originally, steamed egg should be drizzled with soy sauce, but to suit their tastes, I fried a thick layer of caramel and poured it on top.
I had discovered earlier that while the Iberian Empire might be lacking in some things, it had plenty of sugarcane. And Europeans have a particular fondness for sweets. I estimated this steamed egg would taste similar to Portuguese egg tarts, which they would surely enjoy.
“Try it, scoop it with a spoon and swallow it in one bite,” I demonstrated how to eat it. One bite, and it was sweet and delicious. I had added sugar even when mixing the egg mixture. It was made like soft tofu, so those who prefer savory would call me a heretic.
This was truly novel for them, and they hesitated to move for a while. But Older Brother Jayad was already used to my novel dishes and followed suit, scooping it with a spoon.
“It’s delicious!” Older Brother Jayad said unexpectedly. He had never tasted high-end desserts like pudding or egg tarts before. He found this caramel steamed egg incredibly delicious and immediately scooped another spoonful.
Led by Older Brother Jayad, Lorna and Giselle hesitantly scooped a spoonful of caramel steamed egg. Soon, they too were conquered by the humble pudding-like taste and ate with great relish.
Although it didn’t have the chewy texture of pudding, the melt-in-your-mouth, soft tofu-like flavor was also very unique. Combined with the sweetness, I wasn’t surprised they would like it.
“Eat some other things too. This isn’t the main course. The steamed egg is meant to be eaten with porridge, especially since you need it. Here!” I scooped a bowl of porridge for Giselle.
This rice and wheat porridge was prepared by Older Brother Jayad, who I had asked to stay home and cook. It had been stewed until it was very soft, making it perfect for patients with poor stomachs. After I returned, I added an egg and some chopped vegetables to ensure good nutrient absorption.
Although the medical field in this world was filled with all sorts of strange and bizarre black medical techniques, there seemed to be little concept of dietary therapy and recuperation. If they paid attention normally, they could significantly reduce the recurrence rate.
However, I knew that from the medical knowledge I had overheard in whispers, there was indeed knowledge of dietary therapy. Although it was fragmented and contained many bizarre foods I had never heard of, the concept did exist.
It’s just that other doctors never promoted these ideas. They even avoided discussing hygiene, wishing for everyone to be sick so they could be the saviors. Perhaps this health knowledge was only understood by the great nobles.
Europe at least had the concept of oatmeal, although my porridge was a bit special. Lorna and Giselle still tried it, and then they couldn’t stop eating.
“This is too delicious! Jayad, where did your younger sister learn to cook such magical food? I feel like the porridge I ate before was pig feed.” Lorna was British, and she had had enough of British dark cuisine.
But she had also traveled to several countries and tasted many local delicacies. She had experienced other delicious things, but compared to these dishes, to be honest, there was no comparison.
Even Lorna, a priest with relatively good living conditions, had such feelings. Giselle, who came from a thief’s background and had never left Cando City, was completely conquered. She was too busy eating to speak.
“Giselle, don’t eat so fast, you won’t digest it. Slow down.” I reminded her again. Her condition always required my attention. Hearing my words, Giselle finally slowed down her swallowing.
“Is this cheese? Cheese-baked… minced meat?” Lorna was still discovering surprises. Finally, there was a dish on the table she recognized.
The characteristic of cheese was obvious, but she hadn’t expected minced meat to be cooked inside. It didn’t seem like a very bizarre idea, but most people wouldn’t think of doing it this way.
I adopted a method of integrating Western and Eastern styles with minor innovations. For example, minced meat is a very common Chinese dish, and baking it with cheese was a change made to suit their tastes.
The mild cheese was liquid, and the minced meat was cut very finely, making it easy for Giselle to swallow and digest. It could be said that this entire meal was prepared for Giselle’s stomach, and it took me a lot of thought.
Of course, I had my principles. The taste was not compromised at all, and I even strived for perfection. Even though I spontaneously invited Lorna to stay for dinner, it was still perfectly presentable for guests.
The only purely Chinese dish in this spread was the chicken soup, meant to replenish Giselle, who had just undergone surgery and lost a lot of blood. Besides some herbs for conditioning, this chicken soup was traditionally made. In fact, adding herbs was also traditional.
But because of this, it was the only dish no one had touched yet. They had never seen chicken soup before. Europeans mostly ate chicken roasted or fried, covering the chicken’s natural aroma with heavy spices. This clear stewed chicken was unfamiliar to them.
“Hmm? Why isn’t anyone drinking the chicken soup? Drinking soup is such a pleasure. It’s not too salty, not too bland, and the taste is just right,” I said, taking the lead and drinking a bowl.
