Food Competition

"I brought back some wild boar meat and some cattails I found nearby. I don't know if it'll be usable or not as it looks a bit greener than the ones we gathered last harvest season."

Caspian explained as he sat near Iris on the floor. Iris looked over the meat and plants Caspian brought back and found she was quite pleased with it. Some of the boar meat was fattier and would be perfect as a sort of bacon to wrap boar steaks in. The cattails didn't have pollen, but the root portion was actually at its best at this time of year. Iris smiled as she leaned back into Caspian's arms and kissed his chin.

"Thank you hubby, this is perfect!"

Despite wanting to show Iris his cooking skills, Basil let her decide which cuts of meat to use first. It was her mate who caught the food after all and it would be rude not to.

Iris quickly pulled out a bone knife and spices from her bag to prepare the meat. When she was done cutting the meat she wanted, she handed the rest to Basil. The plan was to partially cook the bacon while it was in long strips then wrap it around the partially cooked and seasoned steaks. This way everything would be able to cook more evenly.

As there was only a spit to roast meat on, Iris had Caspian fetch her a flat stone she could place beside the fire to cook on. It would have to be rotated as necessary in order to ensure all sides of the food were roasted evenly. Unfortunately this hearth was not nearly as convenient as the stone oven and stove Iris had at home.

Basil took the meat that was leftover and cut half of it into small cubes and left the rest whole. The larger pieces of meat was seasoned with salt and then wrapped in umai leaves before being skewered and placed over the fire. Meanwhile, the smaller cubes of meat would be placed in a clay pot with some salt, ginger, garlic, and chilis. The clay pot could easily be placed next to the fire and it would slowly come to a boil.

"So, how are we supposed to decide the winner of our little competition anyways?"

Iris looked curiously at Basil as she asked this. Basil was unbothered by such a matter as he was already gotten the chance to show off his cooking skills. Thus, he easily answered

"Surely we can decide this amongst ourselves. Such a beautiful females as yourself surely wouldn't lie about liking my food, right?"

Basil leaned in towards Iris, tickling her face as he softly ran his fingertips across her cheek. Iris felt the need to hide as she began to feel shy under his heated gaze. Thankfully Caspian came to her rescue as he answered for her

"Iris wouldn't lie about something so petty. If it comes down to it I will try both foods and make the decision."

Caspian rolled his eyes as he said the last part. He may dote on Iris but he found this vixen and his silly games exhausting. Surely there were better ways to pursue Iris than making her squirm as she blushed embarrassedly?

Basil briefly glanced up at Caspian before turning away. The male might not have beaten him half to death yet, but he clearly did not like Basil making his female uncomfortable.

Iris was quiet as she concentrated on carefully cooking her food. Basil found the sight of her heated face as she tended the fire cute. He watched as sweat slowly rolled down her chest before disappearing into her cleavage. He felt himself begin to grow hard as he stared at it for a moment too long.

Thankfully, Iris didn't notice his discomfort. Basil decided it might be best to just tend to his food and give them both a moment to relax. He told himself there would be plenty of time to flirt later, he could take his time.

When the food was done, Basil fetched some small stone bowls and water resistant leaves. He did not actually keep proper dishware in his home. He only had bowls for holding medicine and these leaves were the closest thing to a plate he had.

Iris gratefully accepted the food Basil handed her. As Caspian did not wish for his mate to burn herself on the hot food, he served her dishes. Iris was quite hungry due to having waited all day for a proper meal, but when she went to take a bite Caspian stopped her.

"Don't do that, it's too hot. You don't want to burn your mouth by eating too fast. If you're that hungry I'll blow on it for you."

Caspian gave Iris a doting look as he slowly fed her the food. He had to cut the steaks then carefully blow them cool so it took quite a while for her to eat. The whole time Basil could only sit by quietly as he watched the two while feeling envious.

Basil took a bite of the bacon wrapped boar steaks and ended up burning his own mouth. He hurried through chewing and quickly swallowed it to stop the unpleasant sensation of his taste buds burning. The next bite he was more careful about letting cool before eating it.

He found that the pleasant taste of the meat was quite spectacular. It was tender and juicy as well as having good flavor. The cattails were also quite good roasted if a bit strange to eat. Basil was a fox so, of course, he had eaten vegetables before. However, he had never thought to roast them over a fire before.

Next, Basil tried his own food. He felt that while the flavor was also good it somehow felt lacking in comparison. Basil felt dejected as he finished his food. He had so eagerly wanted to show off his cooking and yet his food was not as good as his favored female's own skills.

Iris was finally able to try Basil's cooking. She was actually quite excited to see what the umai leaf flavor would be like. Since Basil was so confident while cooking it, she could only assume it would be good.

She had already had the sweet root in tea and she found it quite curious. It certainly had a sweet flavor to it but it also had a distinct bitter and earthy plant flavor to it as well. Iris definitely preferred real sugar or honey to the sweet root, but it wasn't a terrible alternative.

Caspian brought his fingers to Iris's mouth and she happily accepted the food. The flavor of the umai leaf was very distinct and different from what Iris was used to, but it was quite delicious. It had a lot of umami flavor but also reminded her of indian spices.

Next, Iris took a sip of soup. It was certainly much better than the soup Caspian made when it came to the flavors, but it lacked texture. Iris was sure with a bit of pepper and some vegetables this soup could even rival her own.

Iris was ready to give her verdict as she declared

"Your food is actually quite tasty. Those umai leaves you found are definitely very unique in flavor. I'd love to do some experimenting with them myself to see what else they'd go with.

Your soup seasonings are on point, but it could definitely be improved with some pepper and maybe some vegetables for texture. The vegetables can't really be held against you, though, as resources can be pretty sparse this time of year."

Basil's eyes lit up upon hearing Iris praise his cooking. Perhaps it wasn't a waste of time after all! Basil began to gently sway his tail back and forth in happiness.

Iris blinked as she looked at Basil's tail. She began once again feel the urge to pounce on it, but she resisted as she asked

"What did you think of my food?"

Basil remembered they were supposed to critique each other's food. Only, he was lost for words. The only thing Basil could think to say was

"You win. Your food was too good, mine doesn't even compare."

Basil was once again in a good mood so even despite admitting defeat he looked quite happy. Somehow, seeing Basil act more normal instead of flirty was just as bad for Iris. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment as she realized she was attracted to Basil.

"I- uh. I need to go."

Iris immediately left Basil's house. Caspian could only feel sorry for the fox as he said

"Get her honey, she likes honey. I've gotta go after her."