As for the shoulder cuts, I hit them with a mallet to flatten them, dipped them in beaten eggs, and covered them with breadcrumbs. I would fry them right before dinner to complete my boar-pig cutlets. Flattening the meat made it look much larger, so it would be a satisfying dish to see on one’s plate.
My third dish would be made with the thigh meat. It was a pretty pink color and I could tell it must be tender.
I sprinkled herbs in the center of the meat and rolled the cuts up, tying them in that position with string to roast them. Then I sprinkled them with salt before letting them cook while I moved on to the sauce. I decided on a special sauce made with grated forest apples and wine. It was rich, but simple and should pair perfectly with the boar-pig meat.
The sun was gradually beginning to set. My family would probably be back from work soon. Amelia and Rih were sleeping nuzzled up against each other. I was glad to see them getting along.
Now that I think of it, I wonder where Album went? I checked my bag as a precaution and found him fast asleep inside. Judging by how warm he felt, he must have been out for a long time. I would make sure to wake him up for dinner.
I poured oil into a pan and began to grill up the boar-pig cutlets I prepared earlier.
A fragrant scent wafted over me once they started to sizzle. I was getting hungry after the long afternoon of work. But I encouraged myself to hold out just a little longer.
Once I’d finished frying that final cutlet, I was filled with a sense of accomplishment that words couldn’t even describe.
I brought them inside the house and piled the cutlets onto a large platter, not bothering to add any garnishes for coloring. Then I sliced up the shoulder roasts and placed them on another platter. I thought about drizzling the sauce over them to make them look nice, but it felt like a waste with such large portions. Instead, I finished by setting my meatballs on another tray.
“Ah, you’re finished too, Melly?”
“Yes, I somehow managed.”
Zara was carrying a pot of soup with flower-shaped slices of vegetables bobbing on the surface. I’d expect nothing less of Zara. He didn’t neglect appearances, even when serving food to such a giant crowd.
“This is boar-pig soup with a broth made from rib stock.”
Next, he brought in the fillets simmered in black tea. They glistened with an appetizing luster. Finally, he carried in the boar-pig roast baked with ginger and garnished with shredded green vegetables.
We’d successfully made dinner using an entire boar-pig’s worth of meat.
“We actually finished in time.”
“Right? Gosh, I feel so accomplished!”
“Me too.”
That was when I remembered Album was still asleep in my bag.
“I get to eat with the Pancake Family!”
Who is he calling the Pancake Family? No, it’s probably best to just ignore him.
One by one, my family members returned home. Their eyes lit up when they saw the mountain of food on the table.
“Wow, it looks yummy!”
“I wanna eat it already!”
“Please wait for the others, okay?”
Dinner began once everyone was gathered around the table.
“Welcome home, Mom, Dad.”
“Thanks. Looks like a real feast you’ve got here.”
“I can hardly believe you made all this since we’ve been gone!”
“Zara made half, after all.”
Male Fore Elves couldn’t cook anything at all, so my parents stared at Zara in disbelief.
“Now I see. You got to Mell’s heart through her stomach, huh?”
I made sure to tell Dad that Zara had other good qualities aside from his cooking.
“All right. Shall we eat?”
The thirteen of us gathered in the living room, packed tightly around the table as we raced to secure our portions. I was seated next to Mill.
“I haven’t had Big Sister Mell’s cooking in so long.”
“But it’s not so different from Mom’s cooking…”
“Well, I like them both!”
I wanted to hug Mill for saying something so adorable. But there was no time. I had to stay alert for the evening dinner race.
“I’ll grab my own servings tonight, Melly,” Zara informed me.
“Really? All right. Give it your best shot.”
“Yep!”
The battle had already begun. I could take my cutlet at the end, since there was one serving for everyone. I started by grabbing a couple of the meatballs, knowing there was only a limited amount. They were big enough that two was plenty.
I dipped a roasted fillet slice in sauce and brought it to my plate. One slice was all I needed for this one. Then I served myself healthy portions of Zara’s ginger-fried pork, soup, and black tea pork. Finally, I obtained my fried cutlet and set it on a separate plate.
“Phew! That should do it.”
Mill had already started eating her dinner next to me. “This boar-pig stew is soooo good!”
“Zara made that one.”
“I knew it. It tasted kind of fancier than normal.”
What, exactly, does fancy food taste like?
That question aside, had Zara been able to secure food for himself? I glanced over and saw him carrying a plate with a beautiful pile of food on top.
But not only was he serving his own portions, he was arranging them on the plate based on their color scheme. His restaurant experience really shone through at times like these.
“Let’s eat, Melly.”
“Indeed.”
We put our hands together, said a prayer of gratitude, and began to dig in. I started with the “fancy-tasting” black tea pork that Mill was praising.
“Wow! The meat is so tender!”
I could hardly believe how well-cooked it was. Zara told me he’d boiled the meat in black tea before dipping it in red wine sauce and letting it simmer for a bit. Mill was right—it really did taste fancy. It was like something straight from a high-class restaurant.
The rib bones made for a rich, delicious flavor in the boar-pig soup too. It was a simple combination of salt and herbs for seasoning, but it turned out wonderful.
The ginger-fried pork was much richer. Dad had been gobbling it down with his booze, and it seemed my brothers favored the dish above the rest. Mom even asked Zara for the recipe.
“Your meatballs are delicious, Melly.”
“Thank you.”
They’d taken me the longest to make, so I really appreciated his praise.
The mountain of food was gone in what felt like no time at all. Seeing my family finish every last crumb made me glad I put in so much effort.
All that was left was to get a good night’s sleep.
My family prepared simple tents for Amelia and Rih to use. Dad even made them two cushions out of straw and bedsheets.
“Kreh kreeeeh!”
“Kreh kreh!”
They were quite pleased with their beds. Dad also gave them separate spaces to sleep in, perhaps because I told him they weren’t mates yet. But I appreciated his consideration.
Zara would be staying with my older brother, who’d moved out of the family home. Mill offered to share her bed with me, so I crawled in next to her. She was so warm that the air under the blankets quickly became the perfect temperature for sleeping.
“Hey, Big Sister Mell.”
“What is it?”
“Come back again sometime, okay?”
“Of course.”
I wondered if I might even come back quite frequently now that Sir Aiskoletta was so taken with the Fore Elf woods. I would ask him to take me along on those occasions, since teleporting made the month-long journey take an instant.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
We squeezed each other’s hands. I must have been exhausted, since I fell asleep instantly. I knew I’d be out cold until morning…that was, until Mill kicked me right out of the bed in the middle of the night.
I’d completely forgotten what a restless sleeper Mill was. I spent the rest of the night sleeping against the wall to avoid a repeat of that disaster.
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