He wipes my cheek.
“Oh, thanks. It must have splashed.” I look up and he’s stock-still. “What’s up? Is there still some on me?”
He shakes himself out of a stupor and draws his hand back in a hurry. “No, never mind. Can I help with anything?”
“Yes, please! The main course should be about ready. I’ll bring it in if you’ll take the salad, potatoes, and mayo to the table!”
“Got it.” He grabs the bowls and leaves the room.
He was acting weird… Oh, well. Whatever. I get back on task and peer into the oven, or furnace, rather. Perfect. It’s got a nice crust on it. I take the steaming pan out and get a heady whiff of the aroma of baked cheese. Mmm! Looks delicious, if I do say so myself! My potato quiche is all done! And because I sprinkled cheese on top before I put it in the furnace, it almost looks like pizza!
I tip it out of the pan onto a cutting board, and slice it into easy-to-eat pieces like you would a cake. Steam billows from each cut. It smells great! Now to plate it…
“Hey, all! Thanks for waiting! This is a potato and cheese quiche.” I set the dish down in the center of the dining table.
Jabrin and Marie cry out in admiration.
“Gosh, what a nice smell!” Marie says. “I’ve never seen this before.”
“You make it by baking potatoes, vegetables, and bacon together with eggs and fresh cream. It’s really yummy. And the crust is a mixture of potatoes, flour and cheese.”
Quiche is a nice, stylish tart that is perfect for showing off a girl’s cooking ability. I’d place it in the top ten most popular dishes for girls to cook.
My heart is in my throat as I watch Jabrin and Marie carve into their slices with forks and bring the quiche to their mouths. Being freshly made, it’s piping hot, so they huff while chewing. I’m on tenterhooks, praying they like it.
They both break into smiles.
“Wow, it’s great! This is brilliant, Sakurako! It’s as good as you’d find in any restaurant in the neighborhood!” Jabrin praises me. “It’s like firm stew. The creamy texture melts on your tongue, and the potatoes in the batter are crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, which is irresistible!” He sets his fork down and grabs the slice in his hand instead. One munch, two munches. Cheese spools in a string from his lips to the quiche.
Marie smiles next to him, cradling her cheek in her hand as she savors every bite. “Yes, it’s delicious! Who would’ve thought that boring old potatoes can taste like this?”
Phew! I take a bite. Although I made it myself, I have to agree it’s easy on the palate. The potatoes are hot and buttery, and the cheese is rich. Blending the two makes for a flavor bomb!
Jabrin and Marie then turn their attention to the steamed potatoes. I couldn’t put all the potatoes Marie wanted me to use into the quiche alone, so I steamed some as well. But I bet they haven’t tried them with mayonnaise before!
“I noticed you usually have steamed potatoes with salt, so I’ve gone with mayonnaise tonight,” I say, cutting crosses in the tops of the steamed potatoes before I put them on everyone’s plates. When you slather them in mayo, they turn a simple dish into one that’s super delicious. “Try them with this. You can also use it for salad dressing!”
Marie’s interest is piqued by the mayonnaise. She takes a small spoonful of it. “What a complex taste! It’s sour, sweet, and most of all, mellow in a way that’s hard to describe.” She spreads some on her potato and takes a bite. Her eyes go wide. “J-Jabrin! This! This mayonaize is incredible! You have to try it, too!”
She dumps mayo onto Jabrin’s potato with gusto.
“I’m still dealing with the keesh. The harmony of cheese and potatoes is sublime…” Jabrin hesitates before obediently taking a bite of potato and mayo. His jaw drops, and he shoves the rest of the potato into his mouth. “This is… Sakurako, this is too good! I don’t even know what to say; it’s addictive! The mild yet refreshing tang lingers, it’s too much, too much to cope with!” He raves excitedly, alternating chews between the potatoes and mayo, quiche, and salad.
Marie smiles blissfully, too, and keeps complimenting the food as she eats all three dishes.
Thanks, guys! They really are nice people. Yay, they praised me a ton! It counts extra because they both have good taste! Ha ha.
I’m over the moon that the two of them are enjoying the food. I turn to Kazuya, expecting him to be digging in as well, since I already know he likes cheese and my cooking, but he’s just staring at his half-eaten quiche in disbelief. “Wh-what’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“No, it’s great. It’s just… It makes me feel like I need to say something.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. Just a feeling…” Kazuya looks at Jabrin, who’s still extolling the sort of positive review you’d expect from a food critic. His gaze drops back to his quiche and he heaps some more on his fork. “Never mind. Forget it, I’m okay. Anyway, if you don’t eat up soon, there won’t be any left.”
Ack, I was too busy watching everyone’s reactions! I hastily start eating, pushing whatever’s going on with Kazuya to the back of my mind. Mmm, potatoes rule! Yum!
“The potatoes are only this good because they’re from your family’s farm, Marie!” I say, munching happily.
“Thanks! I’ll tell my father!” She beams.