Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 83

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25. Midwinter Ice Cream

Keinzel’s choice of dessert turned out to be a stroke of genius.

Ever since Emperor Aslan had defined gastronomy as a sin,

A trend of nobles refraining from eating expensive foods had spread.

Consequently, the culture of tea ceremonies began to develop tremendously.

Originally, tea was a commoner’s drink.

Britannia is damp and often foggy.

Tea, which warms the body and fills the stomach, was deeply loved by the commoners.

The situation changed when foreign luxury teas began to be imported through the trade routes opened during the Great Famine.

In just a few years, black tea became deeply ingrained in the lives of the nobles, to the point where the term ‘tea time’ was coined.

And the popularity of desserts to eat with black tea was soaring.

Especially popular items like soufflés and madeleines were selling out as soon as they were made.

As a result, Joffrey had reason to celebrate every day.

Keinzel also came to Verus whenever he had time to help him.

Joffrey approached Keinzel, who was whipping egg whites to make meringue.

He kept scratching the back of his head, as if embarrassed about something.

Eventually, as if he had made up his mind, he blurted out what he had been holding in his heart.

“…I’m really grateful. The owner gave me the opportunity to wash away the stigma that I thought I would never be able to shake off in my life. Do you remember the chefs who came to the store a few days ago?”

“Those people were chefs? They were looking around the store with such scary eyes that I thought they were investigating some kind of murder case.”

“They were colleagues I used to work with in the capital.”

Keinzel’s eyes narrowed.

He remembered the story he had heard from Einkel when he was working in the kitchen.

Colleagues who had been bribed by a noble spread false rumors about Joffrey, and he ended up losing everything.

Joffrey took a deep breath for a moment and continued in a calmer voice.

“I thought they would kick me out and live well. But in the end, they only stole the know-how to make desserts and were kicked out of the store.”

They wandered around the kitchen for a while, just like Joffrey had done.

Then, they heard that Joffrey was working as a pastry chef again and came to apologize.

Joffrey took off his hat and bowed.

“It’s all thanks to the owner. Thank you so much.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to run Verus without Chef Joffrey. In the first place, I only make ice cream and do a few chores, and Chef Joffrey does everything else.”

“Ah, that’s why. I happened to meet a smart guy, and I was wondering if I could hire him as an apprentice pastry chef…”

“That’s up to Chef Joffrey to decide. Isn’t that why you’re the head chef? I trust you to take care of it.”

“I understand! Then, I’ll leave the meringue to you.”

Keinzel chuckled and nodded.

Before he knew it, Joffrey had become the perfect head chef of Verus.

‘Then I should make the meringue I was making…’

Meringue is a type of dessert made by mixing sugar with egg whites. It is used to make lemon meringue pie by mixing it with lemon juice, or when making soufflé.

In addition, it is the basis for many desserts such as cakes, pavlova, baked Alaska, and pudding.

As Keinzel skillfully made the meringue, Joffrey poked his head out.

“Today, we’re going to use meringue to make angel food cake.”

“Angel food cake… That’s a very beautiful name.”

“That’s because it’s made using only pure white meringue.”

Joffrey began to make the cake in earnest with the meringue Keinzel had made.

Keinzel engraved the scene in his head and muttered softly.

‘It’s full of raspberries and cream of tartar [a byproduct of winemaking used as a stabilizer]. It’s going to be very popular with its refreshing taste.’

In that way, the know-how to make desserts that Joffrey had was gradually accumulating in Keinzel’s head.

@

Keinzel recalled the conversation he had shared with Mayor Wilson a few days ago.

‘When I asked if I could go to the winter festival and sell ice cream, he was as happy as if he had found an oasis in the desert.’

A smile appeared on Keinzel’s face. He had succeeded in introducing ice cream to the world.

Now, he had to make money using it in earnest.

‘I can’t keep relying on Count Well-Ride’s help forever. I need money to rebuild the Gistad estate.’

Besides, so many people buy and eat the ice cream he makes.

How much will his stats increase?

Maybe he’ll reach 100% cold resistance in one fell swoop.

Then he’ll be fine even if he gets hit by the White Dragon’s cold breath that freezes everything.

However, he couldn’t use the jewel ice cream as it was.

The jewel salt that goes into it can only be obtained from the dungeon in Mino Territory.

Not suitable for mass production.

‘In the end, the problem is the price. Jewel ice cream is too expensive to sell to the guests who come to the festival.’

In the end, he needed a new ice cream with a different flavor made with other ingredients.

‘I need to make improvements that are suitable for mass production, even if the taste is somewhat inferior.’

In that way, countless ice creams were born from Keinzel’s hands for several days.

Most of them are 2-3 stars. Not at a level where you can sell them for money.

Then Joffrey came up with an idea.

“After all, the most popular flavors are vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. It’s a very unique form of dessert, but the taste is strangely familiar. That familiarity is good.”

“Oh! That’s a good idea?”

Keinzel nodded and pondered how to best express the three flavors as ice cream.

The effort finally paid off.

Vanilla ice cream, full of vanilla essence, became a work of art that pushed the original taste of milk to its limit.

What about chocolate ice cream? A faint bitterness and a sweetness that spreads throughout the mouth.

It was rich enough to make you swoon.

Strawberry ice cream is suitable for those who find intense sweetness a little 부담스러운 [burdensome/overwhelming].

Strawberry ice cream, with its sour flesh 그대로 씹히는 [literally: directly chewed; meaning: with chunks of strawberry], is so attractive that anyone would fall in love with it.

Joffrey, who tasted the three kinds of ice cream on the plate, gave a thumbs up.

“All of them have flavors that are hard to rank. Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate… You can choose according to your taste, so it will definitely be suitable for the festival. A really wonderful dessert has been created.”

A taste that even Joffrey, who is more 까다로운 [picky/fussy] than anyone else when it comes to desserts, 인정한 [acknowledged/recognized].

‘I was worried because most of them were 4 stars, but this is 괜찮겠는데 [not bad/acceptable]?’

Keinzel let out a sigh of relief. No matter how great a painter is, not every painting becomes a masterpiece.

The same goes for cooking.

Perhaps a 6-star jewel ice cream is made only once out of every 10 times.

That was the case even with the power of jewel salt.

‘I need skills like 불주먹 [Fire Fist], which I use to knead bread, and 폴른 스타 [Fallen Star], which I use to grill meat.’

The honey butter sandwich, which used both skills, was completed at the desired grade more than 90% of the time.

There must be something like that for desserts as well.

If he makes a lot of ice cream to sell at the festival, he will definitely be able to find it.

Joffrey opened the window for ventilation.

Then, the winter air left a pure white trace on his lips and disappeared.

“Hoo… It’s already winter. The winter festival is three weeks away, so if we prepare hard, we’ll be able to sell ice cream as planned. But how long are you going to wear those clothes that show off your 팔뚝이 훤히 드러나 [bare arms]? It’s cold just looking at it.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m from the North, but this is just a little chilly?”

“Oh my… Are all Northerners 괴물이유 [monsters]?”

Keinzel smiled and explained several legends that have been passed down in the North.

“In the North, assassins don’t carry weapons separately. When they need a weapon, they go outside and urinate, and it freezes sharply.”

“…I don’t think I could ever live in the North.”

It will soon be midwinter.

If he raises his cold resistance, it will be easier to operate in the North.

Thinking about whether he could make the ice cream to sell at the winter festival even sweeter.

Keinzel rolled up his short 팔뚝 [forearms] and began to make meringue in earnest.

@

“Is this the house of the great writer…”

Keinzel muttered softly as he looked at a building in the downtown area. The address written on the invitation he was holding pointed to this place.

It is not uncommon for chefs to be secretly invited to show off their skills at private residences.

Being able to eat food without worrying about other people’s eyes is important to nobles.

That’s why he deliberately offered a huge price of 100 gold.

A huge sum close to a knight’s annual salary.

Nevertheless, the person who asked for it appeared.

When Keinzel first saw the name on the invitation, he doubted his eyes. The name of such a great person was written on it.

Arthur Wolfgang von Goethe, the great writer whom Emperor Aslan loves more than anyone else.

The man who made so many people shed tears with his 희대의 [epoch-making/unparalleled] masterpiece, 『The Sorrows of Young Werther』.

His influence on society is also enormous.

If he goes to a ball even once, the clothes he wears at that time will spread like a trend.

I heard that he had been in seclusion for writing a new book for a while. I can’t believe that place was Citizen.

‘If Goethe likes the ice cream I made…’

The fame of ice cream will spread not only to Citizen but also to all of Britannia.

That was something that couldn’t be done even if he paid thousands of gold.

However, Goethe was also famous as a gourmet. Can ice cream satisfy his tongue?

Keinzel swallowed hard and knocked on the door of the building.

But the answer came from a completely unexpected place.

A man in a cloak jumped out as the second-floor window opened.

“Goethe is going out!”

And he tried to land 멋지게 [stylishly/coolly] on the floor, but he failed and started rolling around on the floor.

Keinzel realized that the man’s appearance matched Goethe, whom he had heard rumors about.

“…Excuse me, are you Mr. Goethe? My name is Keinzel, and I came after receiving a business trip request.”

Goethe 벌떡 일어났다 [jumped up] from his seat and said.

“Ah, I thought it was the editor who came to catch me because the manuscript was late. Business trip request? I’ve never done anything like that?”

Keinzel quietly sighed.

I can’t believe that this 방정맞아 보이는 [scatterbrained/frivolous] man is the great writer who wrote Werther. I can’t believe it.

“Here’s an invitation.”

“It’s definitely my handwriting. Um, did I send it in my sleep? Ice cream… I think I vaguely remember it… Anyway, come in. You’ve come all the way here, so why don’t you try it.”

When he went inside, he saw piles of paper that seemed to number in the thousands, 아니 수만 장 [or even tens of thousands].

I heard that the manuscript was late, and I think I know why.

‘Slump. A huge one at that.’

Goethe scratched his head and held out one finger.

“They treat me like a criminal for being only this late with the manuscript.”

“If you’re only a month late…”

“No, it’s only been a year?”

“….”

“Anyway, don’t tell anyone. As you can see, I haven’t been able to write lately. Surely, the best thing to do in times like this is to eat something sweet, right? Then, shall we try this thing called ice cream?”

Keinzel quietly nodded and began to take out the tools he had brought in his two-dimensional pocket [a reference to the cartoon character Doraemon’s pocket, which contains an infinite number of items].

Then Goethe raised one corner of his mouth and said.

“I didn’t have any content for the review I was going to write for the magazine, but this is good. You’ve even come on a business trip, so I’ll eat it and write down my impressions. Of course, all the way to if it’s not worth a hundred gold.”

Keinzel stopped the hand that was taking out the tools. That was close to a threat to be prepared if it wasn’t delicious.

Restaurants that had even a slightly negative mention in his reviews all went bankrupt.

But he is a man who is more honest with his tongue than anyone else. If he likes the ice cream, he will write it down as it is.

This was like a challenge from a great writer to a chef.

Writer and playwright. Critic and philosopher.

And what impressions will Goethe, a gourmet, leave after eating the ice cream he made?

‘Now that it’s come to this, I’m going to pour everything I have into making it a 6-star dish!’

Keinzel quietly used freshness recovery on the ingredients he had brought.