I was now ready to make my first real attempt at cooking!
With his chin resting in his hand, Alk let out an overly dramatic sigh. “I do hope that whatever you produce will be edible.” Despite all that, the smile on his face wasn’t entirely cold.
I heard that, Alk! I promise that once I’m finished, you’ll be begging me for a second helping!
All I needed now was to quickly buy some metal skewers to toast the ingredients on... Since this was my first time cooking, I wanted to treat myself!
“Though I cannot claim to be...entirely confident,” I admitted to myself.
I had managed to get as far as slicing the ham and the bread on the cutting board, but when I put the ham on the skewer and brought it closer to the flame, I suddenly became very nervous indeed! After all, I had never been this close to a fire! I had always used magic to light the fire in the hearth, and I’d never had the opportunity to go into a kitchen.
Burning heat was prickling my cheeks. I kept bringing the skewer closer to the fire, pulling it back, and doing that again and again. At first, Salamander cocked his head in confusion, but his vermilion eyes quickly softened with concern once he realized what was going on.
“Ah, I get it,” he said. “You’re scared to get burned ’cause it’s your first time using fire. Or are ya scared the food might char?”
Hesitant, I groaned. “The food isn’t going to...explode as I cook it, is it?” I asked before glancing in Salamander’s direction.
“Not while I’m in charge!” he replied, exuding confidence.
Still, I couldn’t help but be nervous...much to the amusement of Alk, who was practically guffawing at me! But within Teiren’s memories, I had seen glimpses of cooking going up in flames or even exploding!
That said, I couldn’t allow fear to hold me back. Summoning up my courage, I held the ham skewer over the blazing fire. It did not explode. Instead, it began to sizzle, and juices dripped onto the ground. As dark, appetizing marks started to appear on the ham’s surface, the meat and fat crisped up, filling the air with a tantalizing aroma.
I’m doing it! I’m cooking!
“Don’t get too comfortable, m’lady. Ya gotta turn it from time to time so it doesn’t burn.”
“Oh, dear! I’d completely forgotten!”
Salamander’s words reminded me to check on the meat. It was a rather deep brown by now, and I supposed I should have been grateful that it wasn’t burnt completely yet. I turned the skewer as he’d instructed to toast the other side and was surprised to see how quickly it browned.
That ought to do it since it didn’t need cooking to be edible in the first place.
Putting the skewer somewhere away from the fire, I picked up the large, two-pronged fork I’d put the bread on and began to toast that too. Once the bread’s surface was a crisp, golden brown, I put it on a plate that I’d decided to have Alk hold for me.
In my head, Teiren whispered to me to grill some cheese and place it on the toast like the Onji of the Alps would. Taking her suggestion, I speared a generous chunk of cheese with a skewer.
“I am your pack mule now?” Alk snorted. “Are you perhaps starting to grow a big head, Fran?”
“If my memories are correct, grilling cheese is a race against time. I’d like you to taste it as soon as it is ready, Alk!”
“Oh? Well, I suppose I have no further complaints, then.”
The promise of eating something straight from the flame was powerful enough to tempt even the grumpiest dragon! However, the pressure was on now for me to get this right.
“To quote an ancient Shinsengumi captain, ‘Cook, fail immediately.’”
I wasn’t sure what Teiren was talking about, but Alk’s eyes were locked on me, and I could certainly feel the overwhelming anticipation in his gaze. Steeling my resolve, I brought the cheese closer to the fire. Both of us watched as the bright red flames warmed the chunk of yellow cheese and rounded its corners. The clear liquid dripping from it must have been fat. While there had been a strong smell of fermentation when I had cut it, that smell was now gradually being replaced by a nutty aroma and the sweet fragrance of milk. I was under no illusions about the effect it would have on Alk.
The cheese was simmering nonstop, and the heat of the flames popped the bubbles of fat that were beading up on its browned surface. It was melting faster than I had expected, and I had to turn the skewer continuously to keep up! My constant efforts allowed the cheese to maintain its shape for some time, but even so, it couldn’t hold out against the fiery heat forever. It was starting to collapse and began oozing heavily from its very center...
“Alk!” I called out.
“Coming!”
He immediately knew what I wanted and held out his plate of still-steaming fresh toast. I dropped the melty cheese onto it—it spread out over the bread’s surface until it was completely hidden by cheese.
I gave him a look giving him permission to go ahead and eat while I started on the next slice of bread—one that would be my portion! As I turned my bread to brown it evenly, I saw Alk’s shining eyes as he took the first bite of his breakfast. He kept nibbling at it, trying to catch every string of cheese that threatened to escape him. As mature as his facial features were, they looked rather adorable at times like this. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to describe them as “childlike.” Again, natural beauty and all that...