Dinner was a good idea. It was a great opportunity to use the skill. I’d also been missing Crisplet, so I was looking forward to spending so ti cooking with him.
“Crisplet, ready to help out?” I asked, getting a burst of sparks imdiately.
“I’m coming, too!” Liane said, jumping out of her chair.
As we entered the kitchen, I had a good idea of what I needed, and it required so prep work. The first thing I did was pull out two onions. My first dish required onion powder, and to do that seed fairly simple. I had to cut the onions into very thin slices and then dry them out.
The book said it would take several days to dry properly, but I suspected with Crisplet’s help it wouldn’t take much ti at all. That, in combination with the super-sharp knife allowing to have parchnt-thin slices, this should be perfect.
Another thing I noticed onions used to burn my eyes, but now with the new knife, there was nothing. No burn at all.
“Crisplet, we need to dry these slices of onion out, so there is no moisture in it at all, but not cook it,” I instructed, again getting a burst of sparks as Crisplet got to work, pushing across a feeling of joy through the mana.
Once that was ready, I started to prepare the stock. First, was to roast off so bones I had in storage. I wasn’t overly picky about which ones I used for this, so it was a mixture of Buvul, boar, Skywolf, and perhaps a drake or baelvryn one slipped in there.
When they were roasted, I set aside the excess fat that had rendered out. I could use that later. Placing the bones in my largest pot, I covered it with water, along with an assortnt of vegetables like onions, carrots, and verdant bulbs, slowly bringing it to a simr as I skimd off the scum on top.
The next thing to prepare was ground at. There were two versions of this dish I was going to do. One had ground Buvul, but I was thinking about mixing it up and using different at. The other had finely diced mushrooms.
I needed sothing that had so fat content, so ats like Chironid and Grarok were out, which left one obvious option: Grumfel!
I already had the at broken down, too. I’d just need to remove the bones before grinding it, as the bones were not large, I put them into the stock. A bit more flavour couldn’t hurt, right?
I chuckled at that thought. I’d definitely check the buffs of this before I tried it. It could absolutely hurt.
“What are you laughing at?” Liane broke out of my thoughts.
“Nothing!” I tried to wave it off, realising just how guilty that sounded.
“Trevor, don’t do anything silly. It would be best that you experience leaving a city without being paralysed or on the run at least once,” Liane laughed.
I couldn’t help but shudder at that. Being paralysed for that week was horrible, and sothing I had no intention of reliving.
“Don’t worry. No plans on it,” I snorted.
I went back to grinding the at. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra, as this filling could be used again.
Soon it was done, and in front of I had all the prepared ingredients. The onions had been dried, and I used the grinding stone to turn them into a fine powder. The at had been ground, and the stock was giving off a rich, aty aroma. I’d need to pull out all the chunks and it would be done. And lastly, I had started to bake several dozen bread rolls.
So it was ti to work on the first dish. They were called Crispy Flas, which just made smile and think of Crisplet, but they were little fla-shaped pastries that were filled with at or mushroom filling. These in themselves wouldn’t create a complete al, but they’d be amazing to share.
For the pastry, I’d mix grain flour, dried onion powder, salt, and a pinch of sugar together as the dried goods, then I’d add so suet and a couple of eggs to it, and then work it into a dough. I could add a touch of water if required.
Once it had ford together, I pulled it out of the bowl, and as the recipe instructed, I kneaded it lightly. It was important not to overwork it, or it would beco too dense. Right now, the suet would lt during the cooking process and create a flaky pastry, and if I wanted to use this for a dessert, I’d just increase the sugar, swap suet for butter, and remove the onion powder, which gave this a real savoury kick.
Before that, I would need to cook off the filling, starting with the ground at. To that I’d also add diced onions, thinly cut tubers, garlic grass, a pinch of the dried herb mixture I got, and to give it a little kick, so fire salt. For the mushroom filling, it was exactly the sa except you’d be using the mushrooms instead of at, just with a bit more seasoning.
As it cooked off, I ford the pastry shapes, following the recipe and forming them into the shape of little flas, with the centre hollowed out like a pie. These were small enough that I didn’t need to blind bake the pastry first.
It didn’t take long before everything was ready to go. The at and mushroom mixture was cooling off. The pastry flas were all ford and ready to go. And I had an egg wash mixture to brush over the top to give it a really golden-brown colour.
I had a thought, though. Since I was going with a fla design like this, it would be a good ti to use an item the princess gave to test, pulling out the Ignel flower petals, which were surprisingly white with a glowing red base.
Crisplet let off a burst of sparks imdiately as I pulled it out, clearly excited to use these fire-based items.
“I’ll put a single petal on top of each one,” I said, using my purify on it, just in case.
Crisplet let off a burst of sparks and pushed across joy again.
I got to work, scooping a small amount of filling and placing it in the middle of the pastry, adding a petal on top and laying it out on a tray I found that was usually used to bake bread. And finally, I started to bake them. They wouldn’t need long since the at was already cooked. It was just a matter of getting the pastry cooked and golden brown.
So while Crisplet worked on that, I started the second dish. For this, I was going to go super basic, sothing that was truly a shared al and sothing that would be perfect for the chill that was still in the air.
Tuber and Li-kye soup.
Li-kye was a vegetable I found fairly recently. Its colour caught my eye, with its red leaves and pale orange stem. The flavour was very onion-like, but with a hint of spice to it. The recipe itself ca from Archie, who said it was his favourite dish, and it was the reason I was making the stock.
First, I lted so butter in a large pot while I sliced up the Li-kye. I made sure to use all of it, since each part provided a different flavour to the whole.
Adding it to the pot, I slowly started to mix it. I’d need to cook it down until it was soft and translucent. While that was happening, I took out so tubers. I used a mixture of regular ones and so uncommon marbled tubers, dicing them up into small cubes. The last thing I needed was a small amount of garlic grass.
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As soon as the Li-kye was soft, I added the tubers, half the garlic grass I had set aside, and poured in the stock until it covered the vegetables, storing the rest away for later.
From here, I would just need to bring it to a low simr and cook it until the tubers were cooked through and just about to fall apart.
“That one slls good. I don’t know how to describe it. Sothing comforting about it,” Liane said, shuffling a bit closer.
“I got this recipe from Archie when he saw buy the Li-kye. I’m going to put aside so for him tonight,” I said.
“Good idea. Archie has been a lifesaver since we ca here. We’ve not had to deal with the horses once,” Liane chuckled.
I felt my blood chill. How could I have been so heartless? Since arriving in the city, I’d not once checked where Sable was, or how she was doing.
“What’s wrong?” Liane frowned.
I tried to wave her off, but she wouldn’t have any of it.
“It’s just that I realised I’ve not checked on Sable once, or even asked how she’s doing.” I felt incredibly guilty.
Liane laughed. “Yeah, Jen’s been doing that for you, as well as Archie.”
I needed to apologise to both of them and try to figure out a food that Sable would really like before we hit the road. How could I have been so forgetful and heartless?
“I won’t forget again,” I vowed, mostly to myself.
The dinner quickly ca together as the sll of sweet onion and pastries filled the room. Crisplet let know the pastries were ready to remove, and what surprised the most was the petal I placed on top had not changed at all. The pastry itself was a deep golden brown, and you could see it flaking at the edges, while the mixture in the middle was still bubbling, giving off an incredible aroma of herbs and mushrooms.
The petal, though, looked exactly as if I had just pulled it out of storage.
The soup was easy to finish. When the tubers were cooked through, using a large spoon, you just crushed the tubers, turning the soup into a thick mixture as the starches allowed the soup to thicken up. I then infused it, going for the longest duration, in the hope that I could start working on my quests.
I then separated the at pastries and mushroom pastries and again picked the longest duration on each one and infused them both.
Pulling up the buffs of all three just to check I had not gone too crazy.
[Uncommon] Grumfel Pastry Fla
2 Perception 1 EnduranceMinor Fire Magic PotencyFire immunity.
[Common] Mushroom Pastry Fla
1 Intelligence 1 EnduranceMinor Fire Magic PotencyFire Immunity.
So it looked like the petal alone was adding the potency, which was incredible information, and I’m sure the princess would be happy to find this out.
However, the soup wasn’t as basic as I had expected.
[Uncommon] Infused Tuber and Li-kye Soup
4 Strength 4 Endurance 2 Intelligence 3 Dexterity 2 CharismaMinor Fear AuraFire Immunity.
“Well, that was unexpected,” I muttered.
“What did you do?” Liane said, jumping up from where she was sitting.
“The soup is just far more potent than I was expecting, is all,” I waved it off.
Liane raised an eyebrow. “How potent, Trev…”
“Well… I picked maximum duration, and it’s still got fifteen stats,” I chuckled.
I was trying to think what I did, but ultimately the only thing I could assu was the stock that I made. It had a variety of different bones in it, and it had sohow taken stats from all of them and infused them into the stock, though I couldn’t exactly tell at what strength, since it certainly wasn’t full.
“Is it safe to eat?” Liane asked.
I used purify on it, just in case, but nothing changed, so I gave her a nod.
A spoon appeared from nowhere as she took a small amount, trying it.
“Well?” I asked.
“It tastes amazing. Needs so more salt, though, but you’re right, that’s a lot of stats, but it’s really widespread it should be safe for everyone,” Liane said, about to go back for seconds before I slapped her hand.
“No more. Save the rest for dinner.” As I went to store it away, I felt a nudge from my other side, as Lily appeared there.
With a sigh, I took two small bowls and added a small amount to each, giving one to Lily and one to Liane.
“There, but no more till dinner. After that, Liane, could you grab everyone? I want to see how the new skill affects the buffs.”
Liane quickly finished her al and went to collect everyone. I wasn’t sure how Shared Table would work, so I kept the soup in the pot and would share it at the table, but the pastry flas I would serve up and bring them out separately. At least then I’d see if it had to be shared at the table or if simply sharing the al would work.
Carrying the plates to the table, I saw everyone sitting down, with Archie shadowing by the door.
“Archie!” I called.
Imdiately, he moved across the room. “Yes, sir?”
“I’d like for you to join us for dinner tonight. You said this soup is your favourite, so it wouldn’t be right not to have you join us,” I insisted.
Archie attempted to protest. “Sir, it’s not proper.”
“Archie, this is a direct request,” I said firmly, putting the pot on the table.
“Sir, at least let serve, then,” Archie pleaded.
“I can’t let you do that for this al. I am testing a new skill, but you’ll be eating with us. Liane, leave a chair for Archie,” I called out.
Liane grinned and just shuffled across one, leaving the chair to my right open.
Archie didn’t protest anymore, seemingly accepting his fate. I couldn’t help but notice that a couple of the other house staff in the room had a grin on their faces.
Dinner started with everyone trying their pastries. It was a big hit, with Milo being excited about seeing finally branching into other magic potency options. We had, of course, had fire already, but being able to mass-produce it and not have Crisplet be the sole cook was an important step.
However, I also found out there was no Shared Table buff added to those pastries, and I suspected it was because I split them up in the kitchen before bringing them out. That was fine, though. It was important to know. I thought it would be rather broken if I could share the table with everyone having my jerky.
I stood up to serve the soup, and despite being left out on the table while we ate, it was still hot. Once everyone had been served, I took a quick glance at my stats, then ate the soup.
Instantly, I noticed the difference from my first test. There was an extra 1 on all stats, while Minor Fear Aura had beco Fear Aura. Everything was slightly buffed except for fire immunity.
“Sir, the soup is superb. I’ll be honest, not as good as my mother used to make it, but it would certainly pass, you’ve got a nice rich li-kye flavour, it’s lacking in a little seasoning and you could work the tubers a bit more to make it smoother, but its warming, and makes rember ho.” Archie said, taking another spoonful.
I felt proud, and the feeling of pride that ca from Crisplet a mont later confird he did too.
I wasn’t trying to make a al better than his mory of it, but hearing it would have got her approval was absolutely enough for , though I was kicking myself about the seasoning. I even added so more after Liane ntioned it.
“Thank you, Archie. Truly, thank you. The rest is for the house staff to eat,” I said.
Simultaneously, Milo and Archie nearly spat out their spoons, both looking shocked.
“Sir, absolutely not. These stats, it’s a treasure that not even I should eat so freely,” Archie protested.
While Milo was nodding, “Trev, it’s far too valuable in stats to just be giving away!” Milo said.
I waved them off. “It’s fine. This is actually incredibly easy to make. The stats are coming from the stock, and I have plenty left over. Please, I insist.”
Milo didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t protest anymore. Mind, I could have sworn I saw Jen squeeze his leg under the table.
“As you will, sir. However, I will not be taking more than a bowl each for them. On that, I will not budge,” Archie said, clear defiance in his voice.
“Fine.”
As everyone ate quietly, it was Hari who surprised . “You know what would go really well in this soup?” He started. “Little crispy pieces of bacon.”
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