God of Cooking Chapter 7:

MAY 2, 2016 KOBATOCHANDAISUKI 14 COMMENTS

The first thing Jo Minjoon felt wasn’t surprise or happiness . He was annoyed . He was concentrating on the food, and didn’t want to get distracted by the alarm .

“Does it suit your tastes?”
“At first it wasn’t familiar . But as I ate I was able to feel it’s flavor . It’s the first dish I ate on the USA . ”
“Then when someone mentions you the USA the first thing you will remember is my cooking . It’s an honor . ”

Jane said that and laughed . Jo Minjoon after smiling back at her concentrated again on the food . What was used on the meat? It didn’t look like something so ordinary as salt . On the ingredients window the herbs and the salt were separated, however he wondered if herb salt was used . The saltiness and the aroma of the herbs were so excessive they seemed to be mixed . When he felt that subtle difference, he didn’t know why but felt joyful . He felt like his tongue was trained .

[You noticed that the salt and the herbs were mixed together and discovered the herb salt . ]
[Your delicacy experience increases . ]

When the alarm window appeared he could once again affirm it . You sense the flavor more clearly after tasting it . The herb salt’s unique flavor seemed to touch his heart . Jo Minjoon slowly savored the hot meat juices in his mouth . And at the same time he quickly read the recipe .

It was more ordinary than he thought . You mixed fried onions, beaten eggs, bread powder and minced beef . The point that minced beef was used was different from the normally used hamburger steak from Korea . It wasn’t chopped meat but minced meat so while chewing you could feel the meat more shallowly, and at the same time the beef juices felt more abundant .

Even the point that it didn’t use pork meat was different . In Korea you mixed the chopped pork meat with beef on a 1-1 ratio . So the softness of pork meat had the tendency to sustain the strong flavor of the beef, but in this hamburger there was no beef . Maybe it was because of that, that he felt more unfamiliar .

After that, the next steps of the recipe were quite ordinary . You fried the hamburger steak on an oiled pan, you put on some pepper on the brown sauce and put it on the hamburger . For a dish that didn’t have any secret preparation to get 6 points, maybe it meant that it was an essentially basic dish .

After eating half of the hamburger steak, Jo Minjoon moved his fork to the mac and cheese .
He didn’t know what would be the final flavour if he ate two dishes that were strongly seasoned, so he purposefully ate the least seasoned hamburger steak first .

Honestly speaking mac and cheese wasn’t a dish Jo Minjoon liked . He didn’t like strongly seasoned dishes, precisely speaking he didn’t like dishes that made him feel pressured . He preferred simple flavors instead of complicated ones, and a simple sauce or only salt instead of sauce mixed with various ingredients .

For Jo Minjoon, the mac and cheese on top of which was added salt, felt too strong . And it wasn’t just melted but to the point it was kind of dried .  And on top of that there was added milk that made it feel buttery, so sincerely it wasn’t an easy dish .

Precisely speaking mac and cheese was called macaroni and cheese . To explain it simply you cooked butter, cheese and milk with macaroni until it boiled down . It was like an American topokki(korean spicy soft rice cake) . Only that instead of the spiciness it was greasy .

However, when he opened his mouth to eat a bite, it didn’t feel as greasy . The flavor was also different from the one he tasted in Korea . It was slightly spicy and also a refreshing aroma could be felt . Jo Minjoon with a hint of admiration opened his mouth .

“This mac and cheese is really delicious . It’s the best from those I have tried . ”
“It’s one of Jane’s own dish . Our daughter really loves it . ”

Lucas said and put on a smile . The recipe alarm popped up, but this time also Jo Minjoon started to analyze the flavors on his head . But he couldn’t help but on the aroma of pepper . For pepper to be on it, there wasn’t even a single black powder on it .

“…… . Is there maybe white pepper on it?”
“Yes . You are right . Your sense of taste is really sharp . Normally people don’t even notice . ”

Of course . If you could taste pepper but see none, then that meant that it was white pepper .
White pepper was made by steaming the black skin of the pepper and grating the white stones . It’s aroma was weaker than normal pepper, but it was commonly used cooking white coloured dishes . Jo Minjoon laughed and said as if he had won a quiz contest .

“Because my purpose is to become a chef . ”
“Oh… . So did you come here to try some dishes?”
“That’s one of my purpose, but i want to participate in a competition . Grand Chef . ”
“I know that . I have seen it quite a few times on tv . ”
The conversation stopped for a while . Jo Minjoon put some mac and cheese on his mouth and started to relish the flavour . He didn’t feel rejection towards the aroma of the cheese that flowed through the tip of the tongue and the top of the inside of the mouth . The spicy taste seemed to be mustard . The herbs aroma at the end of the cheese’s was quite familiar . Parsley . However he was quite confused with the sour flavour, and it wasn’t even vinegar .

At the end Jo Minjoon admited defeat . Jo Minjoon opened the recipe window before him enlarged the ingredients section .

[Mac and cheese ingredients]
Macaroni, cheddar, cheese, butter, flour, milk, uster shire sauce, dijon mustard, parsley, white pepper .

Uster shire sauce . For koreans it was better known as uster sauce . Only then did Jo Minjoon get to know of the identity of the sauce . The uster sauce that was made by boiling onions, carrots, celery, etc . had a sour and salty flavor . And in the case of korean people it had a really exotic aroma, but it seemed that you couldn’t feel it because it was hidden under the mac and cheese’s aroma .

He didn’t know if the recipe was an ordinary one . Because it was something he didn’t normally make . Even if he were to make it, he wouldn’t use the main recipe but would guess and put some milk, cheese and would watch tutorials . The sack made by frying butter and flour was an ingredient that if put moderately on the mac and cheese it would make the cheese stretchy .

The recipe was simple . After boiling the macaroni, you mixed milk with the sack and made it long, and on top of that you put uster sauce, dijon mustard and spices . The next step was to put cheese, and after that was the turn of the macaroni . At first glance it would seem complicated, but in reality it wasn’t that hard to make .

“Did you make the uster sauce personally?”
“Yes . The products flavor you can buy in a store was a bit lacking . ”
“I couldn’t even think that I would be able to feel a deep flavor like this one on a mac and cheese . Originally I……”

It was when Jo Minjoon tried to continue what he was saying . He heard someone closing the door of the entrance . At that moment Lucas’s face became stiff as if he were nervous .

Jo Minjoon looked at the entrance . A golden haired student was coming into the house . She seemed to be a middle or high school student, but it was difficult to know beyond that .
Because it was difficult to determine a white person’s age by sight . Her round blue eyes were wide opened and were staring at Lucas .

“What… . . is this?”
“Jessie . Wait, let’s talk with mom . ”
“I’m asking you! What is that person doing here!”
Jessie’s eyes were trembling . Jo Minjoon was drawn in another’s family fight, so he could only be seated vaguely . He felt that his stomach was going to get upset .

“Jessie . Sit down first . Have your meal… . . ”
“I don’t want it! I’m not eating!”
“What are you doing in front of a guest? It can’t be done . Jessie . Go upstairs to your room!”

Jane yelled sternly . Jessie glared at Lucas disappointedly . Lucas could just look at Jessie with regret . Jessie bit her lips .

“I’m always the bad one . ”

With that the discussion ended . Jessie went upstairs stomping . A banging sound of the door could be heard and at the same time it became quiet on the kitchen . Lucas said with a sigh .

“I’m sorry . I got you involved in vain . ”
“It’s okay . You don’t have to apologize . ”

Jo Minjoon said that and waved his hands . Jane went upstairs saying that she will have a conversation with Jessie, and only Lucas and Jo Minjoon remained on the kitchen . Jo Minjoon let a silent sigh .

‘Mac and cheese . It’s not  an atmosphere in which I can eat more . ’

But it’s delicious .

…

Really delicious .