“This is exquisite!” he cried. “I could never tire of it! Given that this was your first attempt, Fran, I shall have to admit that you are rather skilled!” Having made short work of his thick-slice toast, he gave me a contented smile. “I’m so pleased you like it!”
I supposed this meant I could be proud of my first attempt at cooking!
“M’lady, m’lady! Ya gotta keep turnin’ your bread or it’ll burn!”
“I completely forgot again!” I cried. “My bread!”
The edges of the slice were now a rather dark brown. I had been too quick to let my guard down!
Perhaps I ought to just move on to the cheese and promise that I’ll do better with the bread next time.
But perhaps I was forgetting that I was still a beginner and that this was no easy task. Sure, I had burned the edges of the bread a little bit, but that was all. This was my first time cooking anything, so this wasn’t too much of a disaster, right?
Salamander had picked up a plate in his mouth and brought it to me. I put the toast—which was just a bit too golden brown now—on it and set about grilling my cheese. The aroma it released as it heated up was making my stomach rumble. Watching the cheese melt was also a sight to behold, and I would bet that a restaurant that made a show of grilling cheese and adding it to a diner’s food as they watched would prove surprisingly popular.
The cheese’s corners rounded, and I could see it becoming stringy before my very eyes. Desperate not to lose any of those strings to the flames, I kept on rotating the skewer. As soon as the center of the cheese started to get soft, I put it on top of my bread. The cheese flowed over it like molten gold. It looked so incredibly delicious!
Brimming with excitement, I picked up the slice. However...there was something about all this that seemed a little unrefined. Salamander had plopped himself down next to me, and I found myself turning in his direction. After all, he had a knack for making me more assertive.
“It is best to eat this while it is still hot, yes?” I asked.
Salamander seemed to sense my desperation. His vermilion eyes softened. “You got it! Gotta gobble it all up before the cheese gets tough!” he said, opening his bright red mouth in a huge smile.
With that, the matter was settled! Careful not to let the cheese drip, I let my teeth sink into the crisp, crunchy slice of toast. The bread had claimed to have been made with only the finest wheat, and I could well believe it with the flavor that was currently filling my mouth. The dry, toasted surface had a light taste, but once I’d broken through it, I was met with the fluffy, spongy insides beneath.
Then, the incredibly creamy cheese came in to flood my tongue! The lightness of the bread and the weighty cheese... It was a diabolical combination! My inconsistent knife skills meant that the bread’s thickness was uneven throughout the slice, but that made it delicious in its own right as it added variety to its texture and flavor.
I think I did a good job!
I couldn’t help but squeal in delight.
“Well, Fran? Can you understand my reaction now?”
“This is incredibly dangerous!” I said. “I might forget that my stomach has a limit and keep eating!”
I looked at Alk as he’d had the pleasure of making this profound discovery before I could. He was sitting in front of an empty plate with his chin resting on his hand, and the corners of his lips were turned up into a grin. I didn’t realize he had been watching me, and I hurriedly covered my mouth as I nodded repeatedly in response to his question. I was glad that we were of the same mind!
The roast ham, too, was so delicious that one would never imagine it had simply been grilled over an open flame! The meat was so moist and tender that it took almost no effort at all to bite through, even if I had cut it a little too thick. And yet it still had that bite to it that was unique to meat! Each subsequent chew led to more and more addictive juices washing out over my tongue.
The ham’s fattier parts had also been fried until they were crispy. The meat as a whole had just the right amount of salt, making it far too easy to keep on eating. I was sure that cooking some of the fat out of it had also helped to that end.
With all that in mind, the cheesy toast with a slice of ham on top was, well...slightly overpowering. I needed something to soothe my taste buds, and so I had a sip of the cold brew tea I had ordered.
“My! It’s even more refreshing than I had expected!”
As the sweet, floral liquid slid down my throat, it washed away all of the excess fat lingering in my mouth. Its subtle bitter aftertaste made my taste buds tingle, resetting my palate as if I hadn’t eaten anything at all. These cold brew teas certainly had excellent flavors! They were the perfect accompaniments to a meal!
“Fran, is there any more meat, cheese, and bread?”
“Yes, there is plenty. Shall I make you another helping?”
“Please do. My stomach still has space.” Alk looked to be in high spirits as he held out his empty plate to me, and I couldn’t help but feel just as pleased as well!