Over-Confident Or....
I just want to point out that this Arc is so long that i'm still at the breakfast assignment, this is due to many things happening and Eizan's boys making trouble for Alexander at unexpected and crucial times making more trouble and stretching the story.
Please bear with me so we can be over with this Arc.
My back is killing me
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After Alexander and Takumi regrouped with the others, they spent the night at Hayama's room who had already given up on trying to make them leave a week ago. They say if you can't beat them, join them.
And so, instead of refusing them every time he let them free, he was dragged by the nose by Alice, every day she would come up with an idea to do together. And it's highly enjoyable. Hayama wasn't complaining anymore.
They enjoyed the night and slept a little late than everyone but that was no problem to them, they are confident in their skills.
The next day the groups were shuffled, this time Takumi and Isami were relocated to another group. Alexander saw his brother's name and the blue-haired girl named Megumi too. Like this, he can observe his brother and make sure he isn't in any trouble.
For Chef Shinomiya's assignment, the group didn't need to exit the hotel, they were given a large hall in the middle floors of the hotel with a vast kitchen prepared just for this camp.
"For this assignment, you will have to cook a dish I designated. It's called the 9 Vegetables Terrine" Shinomiya gave the students a sheet where he wrote down the recipe of his dish. The students had their minds blown, not only they got the man who expelled 34 students yesterday but they need to cook one of his original dishes.
The 9 Vegetable Terrine is a colorful dish were the vegetables look florid and beautiful. each of the nine vegetables requires different preparations and heating, none of the ingrediants should be emphasized or weakened. Incorporating the flavors together is most difficult.
Shinomiya was enjoying the various expressions on the students, he loved to see how they look at the peak of the cooking world " I chose a rather simple of my recettes, did you wish for a difficult one?!" he said as he waved with the paper in the air with a smug face. The students wished to hit in the face for his words. " Also, no pairs are allowed here. You will cook individually, exchanging information and aiding someone is prohibited during my assignment" he said, this is perfect for Alexander, he can do his best when cooking alone but this is not how the majority of students were feeling right now.
Shinomiya gestured at the tables of ingrediants and continued " You can select and use any of the ingrediants here in the kitchen." he grinned and looked with mocking eyes at them " I'll give you a piece of advice...Think of everyone here as your enemy! the time limit is 3 hours, then...Start!!" he said. Immediately students rushed to the ingredient tables to get the necessary ingrediants. They were fighting over vegetables like they're life is depending on it. Alex went to the empty table of ingrediants and selected the secondary ingrediants before everyone. He didn't want to get caught in a fight with some idiot, he doesn't want to kill someone over food.
Alex looked and saw his brother getting his stuff but his blue-haired friend wasn't that successful. Although she managed to get most of the ingrediants she fell behind.
"You still need cauliflower, right?" Alexander met Megumi who was looking around nervously with a basket of ingrediants in her hand.
"Y-Yes!" Megumi flinched when Alexander spoke with her.
"It's there on that table, let's go I still need one too." Alexander went with Megumi to the cauliflower table to pick one. When they reached there they found a few left but one is good and perfects while the others started oxidizing and their colors became dull. Megumi was freaking out as she realized if she went with the normal way the beautiful look of the dish will be lost and that is a big no.
Alexander picked one the bad ones that look in a much better state. Megumi noticed it and said" D-Don't!! there is still one left." she said.
"And then what, I get the good and you get the bad one, I leave the good one to you. I'll see if I can do something about." Alexander said. Megumi was feeling better but guilty at the same time. She looked at Alexander who was thinking about a solution and she tried to come up with something to help.
'Should I use something to keep the color? if I do that the flavor will change a bit but using it like this is even worse. Is this a test too? I can't imagine that they let ingrediants like this slip by' Alexander was looking at his cauliflower and thinking about what should he do? it's easy to make the dish if he used something like wine to preserve the color and it can be used as a seasoning too, but it will also add a little flavor of sourness to the dish and this dish is supposed to be a perfect combination of the vegetable sweetness harmony.'
'I just hope he won't nitpick at that since my ingrediants are not in the perfect state.' Alexander thought as he looked at Shinomiya who was surprisingly looking at him with a smug face.
'Let's just do what I can, there isn't any alternative solution for now' Alexander put his ingrediants down on his kitchen and got ready to start cooking.
"E-excuse me..." Megumi came from behind him " You can use the Vinegar Wine to preserve the color for your dish, there are a few bottles of it on the right side shelves." Said Megumi, she racked her brain to come up with that solution, she couldn't let Alexander face the hardship of working with bad ingrediants alone, he let her have the good one then this is the least she could do.
"Thanks, I will do that." Alexander thanked which made her happy, she ran back to her place.
Alex washed the vegetables and cut them nicely, he prepared the sauce from Egg Yolk, Thyme Spice, Mashed Garlic, Mayonnaise 40g, Virgin Olive Oil 10ml, Milk 10ml, Black Pepper, and Salt.
He let the vegetables cool down to layer them in a terrine mold. He got a spoon to pour one mixture of vegetables on another, using a spoon is the best choice. Starting with the carrot, spooning it into the terrine and smoothing it out to the edges. Next, he spoons over the cauliflower, followed by the peas. then the Parmesan mixture over evenly, and end it with the red pepper. Alexander Folded the overhanging beet leaves over top to cover it. Baked in a water bath. He then waited for a good hour before putting the final touches.
Without him realizing, Alexander is at the end of the line. Before him, many students presented their dishes to Shinomiya who had already fired 10 students who are at the corner crying or hitting their heads on the wall.
Soma and Megumi passed with the other 35 students. It only Alexander that is left. He took a white and shiny plate and presented his dish on. 9 kinds of vegetables in one dish.
Shinomiya had the smug face he looked at Alexander with earlier.
"Here, I did what I can" Alexander gave his dish. Shinomya got his fork and took a bite from it, to say Shinomiya was shocked at how good the dish was would be an understatement, it was really good, better than any student here...But...
Shinomiya shook his head with disappointment " You...failed." he said as he wiped his napkin. If he only hadn't changed the recipe.
"What!!" Soma and Megumi were shocked at Shinomiya's judgment, even them can smell the strong and sweet aroma of the dish, how is that a failure?!!
"And the reason is..." Said Alexander. He doesn't seem to be even fazed by his expulsion. He only questioned Shinomiya for the reason for his decision.
"It's easy, you shouldn't have changed the recipe, you should've cooked it as it is written for you." he said " This dish is supposed to be enjoyed with the harmony and sweetness of the vegetables, you used the Vinegar wine, you used it to preserve the color and as a seasoning. The vinegar wine's mild sourness and the vegetable sweetness make an exquisite combination of flavors."
Shinomiya was already getting bored of explaining his decision so he ended it here "What you made is already another dish. If you submit a dish that is not in accordance with the assignment, then you will be expelled." Shinomiya turned but he was stopped by Alexander
"I can not agree with such a decision!!" Soma called Shinomiya out. the whole room becomes tense and everyone looked at Shinomiya with fear " There were ingrediants whose freshness had become to decline mixed there. your decision isn't reasonable. Changing the recipe is the best course of action." Said Alexander casing Shinomiya to turn and look at him with a scary look.
"Don't get on my nerves, kid." He said with a chilling aura " This was my assignment. It wasn't just by luck that those ingredients were placed there. I ordered for them to be, in order to narrow down the passing rate."
The cauliflower is a triple threat. They oxidize easily, go bad easily, and difficult to cook. They're one of the vegetables you have to be the most careful with. I'm disqualifying the chefs who lost their composer and couldn't judge without omission. The same goes for the idiots who were the last in the race for the ingrediants" All of this information made the students pale and be on the verge of crying.
"That's not fair!"
"How can he..."
"I did my hard to cook those bad carrots"
Many students started complaining, some were crying, their future was sealed because of this guy's sinister plan.
" "You'll be treated as their employees..." is what Doujima Gin said yesterday..." Alexander put his hands in his pants' pocket and said.
"So what..." said Shinomiya with a shrug " I am the chef, you cook with the recette I made if you don't then you are fired!"
"No, you're not a chef...You're a failure as a chef" said Alexander, the whole classroom went down in silence, you can even hear Shinomiya gritting his teeth.
"What did you say?" Shinomiya asked with a breathy and quiet voice.
"I'm saying you're a failure, what kind of chef brings bad ingrediants in his kitchen" Alexander answered with a monotone voice, his casual way of talking in this situation is very terrifying for other students. How can he keep calm in this situation?
Soma and Megumi who wanted to get in and help Alexander earlier couldn't even talk as they watched the exchange between Alexander and Shinomiya with an open mouth.
" I can't believe my cooking was judged as bad by someone like you, it's laughable that you think you're better than me. You actually enjoyed my dish but decided to expel me because I didn't do it your way."
Shinomiya is already at the boiling stage, all of Alexander's words were working as fuel to his anger.
"HOW DARE YOU TALK LIKE THIS TO ME!!!" Shouted Shinomiya "YOU THINK I AM WORSE THAN YOU??!!! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!!!" Shinomiya would've punched Alexander in the face if he could at this moment, it's taking all of his self-control not to lash out on him. It's the first time in his life that someone undermined his cooking skills
"It's not laughable..."Still calm in this situation " You're better than any chef out there for sure, but..." Alexander took his hands out of his pocket and clenched his fist in front of Shinomiya's face.
"You're not on my level!!" he said