“Damn you! I don’t want to go to your bandit hideout!”
“I told you, I’m no bandit and it’s not a hideout!”
“Where’s your proof, huh?!”
“How am I supposed to prove that?!”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the two of them.
Doc would be staying at our place for the time being. I asked Charlotte if it would be okay with her, and she quickly stated it would be no problem.
We teleported back home using a giant magic circle—big enough to transport Zara, Sir Aiskoletta, Charlotte, Umataro, Amelia, Rih, and me all at once.
Doc’s spell brought us back home in the blink of an eye.
“Welcome to our home, Doc! We actually own this place.”
“How wonderful.” He cast a ball of light to illuminate the house. “A honey-colored brick home. Yes, it’s lovely.”
“Thank you.”
I led him inside. Charlotte told us she would tidy up a guest room for him.
“You’re welcome to use the bath, Doc.”
“Shouldn’t the great hero bathe first?”
“I shall bathe after everyone else.”
“See?”
“Very well. I’ll take you up on the offer.”
I combined magic water stones and magic fire stones to heat the bathwater in no time at all. I also sprinkled some fatigue-treating medicinal herbs in the water. I hoped soaking in this bath would let Doc recover from his long journey.
“Would you like some dinner, Doc? I’m about to get started on it.”
We’d only just eaten at the restaurant, but I figured it would be safe to ask, given Doc was such a glutton.
“Why yes, it’s been so long since I had your cooking, Mell.”
“Then I’ll prepare you a serving too.”
I stood in the kitchen, put my apron on, and rolled up my sleeves. Album hopped up on the counter then.
“Little ol’ Album wants to help too!”
“Album… You stowed away in my bag again?”
“Uh-huh! I thought I’d get to eat something yummy if I did!”
“What a strange creature you are.”
Album had a contract with Lord Lichtenberger and the food at his house was surely much yummier, but he still seemed to prefer my cooking.
I filled a saucer with water and gave it to Album to wash his paws. Zara appeared in the kitchen next.
“Want some help, Melly?”
“Yes, thank you, Zara.”
I set the ingredients out on the counter.
“What’s for dinner tonight, Melly?”
“I was going to make hamburger steak using boar-pig and three-horned cow meat, but…”
I wanted to add something special for Doc. I crossed my arms and racked my brain for an idea.
“How about golden mushroom sauce on top?” Album suggested.
“Ah, the golden mushroom!”
Zara won that competition against Lance in the hunt for the golden mushroom. I’d been unsure of how to best use it for cooking since we only had one.
“Um, Zara, do you mind if I use this golden mushroom in a sauce?”
“Go right ahead.”
“Thank you so much!”
I could only imagine how delicious a golden mushroom sauce would taste.
“Okay, shall we begin?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Yeah!”
First up, I was going to fry a diced onion in three-horned cow fat instead of oil. I put the fat in a pan and placed it over the fire. Once the fat was melted, I added the onions and let them simmer until they were brown, pouring them onto a plate to cool.
Then I put breadcrumbs and milk in a bowl where I would add the onions. They needed to sit and soak for a while before it was time to use them.
Next, I prepared the minced meat. I had asked the butcher to make a six-to-four ratio of three-horned cow and boar-pig meat for my hamburger steaks.
“Please salt the meat, Album.”
“On it!”
He put salt all over the meat and then spread it with a spatula.
Once the minced meat was nice and sticky, I cracked an egg into the onions soaking in milk and breadcrumbs, then I seasoned it with medicinal herbs, salt, and pepper.
These were all the necessary steps to making delicious hamburger steaks. The salt brought a stickiness to the minced meat that sealed the moisture inside—as did the egg and breadcrumbs.
Now it came down to a race. I had to knead the mixture together, but the consistency would be ruined if I took too long.
I started by soaking my hands in cool water. Warm hands made it more difficult to keep the moisture trapped inside the meat.
Zara and I began to knead the meat with our cool hands and proceeded to mold them into patties. Then we struck them with our palms to get the air out. Skipping this step meant that the patties would fall apart during the cooking process.
We let the formed patties sit in a cold box for a while to chill. This was, of course, a measure to keep them nice and juicy.
“Now we can work on the golden mushroom sauce while they cook.”
“Sounds good.”
I was going to make a rich red wine and mushroom sauce for our hamburger patties.
First, I retrieved the golden mushroom from my bag.
“Ah, it’s still glowing!”
“How pretty!”
“It really is.”
Slicing it apart sort of felt like a waste. But this wasn’t just a prize; it was food. So I needed to use it while it was still good.
“O-Okay…”
I cut the golden mushroom apart, but it still shined brilliantly. Perhaps it would glow throughout the rest of the night.
I fried diced onions with thin slices of golden mushroom, added different sauces and medicinal herbs, then finished it off with red wine.
I let the mixture boil for a while, and with that, my golden mushroom sauce was complete.
“W-Wow, the sauce is sparkling!”
“It looks so divine.”
“I bet it’s yummy!”
It was time to cook the hamburger steaks now that this divine sauce was ready. We still had to be careful not to let the patties dry out.
I warmed oil in a pan at medium heat. It was important to indent the middle of the patties so that they could cook thoroughly. My heart was racing as I placed them on the hot pan, enjoying the sizzling sound they made. I was scared of the oil splattering on me, but I couldn’t step away for even a moment.
After flipping them over, I added water to the pan, put the lid on, and let them steam.
The delicious smell of cooking meat wafted in the air.
The patties would be complete once I pierced them with a skewer and saw a clear liquid emerge. I opened the lid and stuck a skewer into a patty, watching as the transparent juices seeped out onto the pan.
“Looks fabulous, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, this is good.”
Finally, I put them on a plate and covered them in sauce. My “Special Hamburger Patties with Golden Mushroom Sauce” were complete.
I made the patties large for Sir Aiskoletta, Charlotte, and Album who hadn’t eaten yet—plus the gluttonous Doc. Zara and I chose smaller patties.
“These turned out amazing, Melly!”
“It’s all thanks to you two for helping me.”
Zara smiled and Album stuck his chest out proudly.
I was setting the table with hamburger steaks and bread when Doc returned from his bath.
“That was a wonderful bath, Mell.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
I called the others down for dinner.
Charlotte’s eyes lit up as soon as she spotted the hamburger steaks. “They smell so good! I bet they are yummy!”
“There’s enough for seconds, so please eat as much as you like!”
“Woo-hoo!”
I put my hands together and prayed before my meal.
I started by sticking my knife into my patty, watching as the juices oozed onto my plate. My mouth started watering instantly. Though I’d already had dinner, it seemed my stomach still yearned for the hamburger steak.
As eager as I was, biting right into the steak would burn my tongue. I covered it in golden mushroom sauce, blew on the bite to cool it down, and stuck it in my mouth.
“Mmmm!”
The juices seeped into my mouth as soon as they touched my tongue. I used my teeth to break it apart to really bring out all of the savory flavors. Our great care to keep the patties moist had been successful.
The sauce was rich with mushroom umami, creating a bold flavor that brought out the delicious taste of the meat.
Charlotte’s tail was wagging as she stuffed her cheeks with hamburger steak. “Mell, this is soooo good! I am so happy now!”
If Charlotte was happy, I was happy. All the effort we put into the dinner was paying off. Sir Aiskoletta had the mouth of his helmet open, dripping sauce onto his mustache as he ate the warm steak.
“Great Scott! What is this sauce?! The boldness, the richness. It pairs perfectly with the juiciness of the meat!”
“We made it with a golden mushroom.”
“A golden mushroom?!”
Despite all the delicious meals Sir Aiskoletta had eaten in his life, this appeared to be his first time trying a golden mushroom. That wasn’t surprising considering the mushroom was thought to be a mere myth.
“How is it, Doc?” I asked.
“It’s delicious. This must be what people mean when they say something tastes like ‘mom’s home cooking.’”
“Does it make you think of your mother?”
“No, I have very few memories of her. I simply thought that a meal like this must be what people tend to refer to.”
Why did he think my cooking tasted like a mom’s home cooking? Well, I probably didn’t want to dig too deeply into that question.
Doc had very unique sensibilities, after all.
Album had already finished his dinner and was now sprawled on top of the table, his stomach bulging with food. He still had sauce on his face and everything. I went ahead and wiped it off with a wet napkin.
Our dinner was a fun, lively occasion.
🥞🥞🥞