Episode 15: A Man’s Cooking
“It’s time… for Yuya-kun’s cooking special’s first session! Let’s go, let’s go!”
It was almost 9 pm by the time we arrived home after shopping from the supermarket. Although it was a little too late for dinner it couldn’t be helped. I was more concerned that Hitotsuba-san’s seemed somehow more excited than when we were shopping, but let’s begin with cooking right away.
“Chef Yuya-kun. What’s on the menu today?”
“Today, I’m thinking of making peperoncino (Footnote: He means Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino, a simple pasta dish consisting of spaghetti, olive oil, garlic and italian chili peppers.). I normally prefer tomato sauce or meat sauce, but since I need time to simmer it, I’ll leave that for some other time.”
First, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. In the meantime prepare the other ingredients. Mince two cloves of garlic, remove the seeds of the chili pepper and chop the leaves of all the parsley.
When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Let the pasta cook for about a minute shorter than normally required for spaghetti (Footnote: Also known als ‘pasta al dente’.). This would allow the pasta to have a soft texture when it would be heated afterwards by combining it with the sauce, so it would attain the right consistency after it is finished.
When the pasta is almost done boiling, combine the garlic and chili pepper that you just cut into pieces into a frying pan with olive oil and fry them slowly over low heat. The key is to shake the pan consistently in order to prevent burning. [TL: Or you could just stir with a wooden spoon or chopsticks like a normal person.] If the garlic seems fragrant, add the parsley for flavor.
From here on out, it was all about timing. Turn off the heat of the sauce. Add a ladleful of boiling water to the pan over high heat. Mix the water thoroughly with the olive oil, then add the pasta and toss it around to let it get coated with the sauce.
“Yeah. Just about right.”
The saltiness was just about perfect. I put the dish on the plates we bought, added some pepper with additional chili peppers that I took out, and I was done.
“Wow. You’re amazing, Yuya-kun. You’re very skillful with your hands, and you’re good at preparing the food. I can’t do it like this, so I quite envy you. In fact, aren’t you a better cook than me?”
“… Well, my mother was a good cook, and I don’t mind cooking, so I did it from time to time. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing your home-cooked meals, Hitotsuba-san.”
We sat down at the table facing each other for a late dinner. The smell of olive oil and garlic stimulated my appetite. The seasoning was rather simple, but the result was a decently salty and not too dry dish, which was a relief. The pepper that I sprinkled at the end also added a nice, extra touch.
“Mmm! It’s delicious! The strong aroma of garlic mixed with the freshness of parsley makes it very easy to consume. The pepper flavor also works wonders! Are you a genius, Yuya!?”
“… If something like this could be called genius, then all the chefs in the world would be gods and the holders of Michelin stars would be the creators or something.”
“It’s okay. The only chef for me is Yuya-kun. No matter what anyone else says, Yuya-kun’s food is delicious.”
I scratched my cheek. It was the first time I have ever served food to anyone other than my parents, so I was honestly incredibly happy to hear Hitotsuba-san say it was delicious with a big smile on her face. I was even more embarrassed than ever before.
“But I can’t lose to this one either. I’ll be cooking tomorrow, so please look forward to it, okay? I’ll make you something you like, Yuya-kun!”
“Do you know about what I might like?”
“Of course. What Yuya-kun likes the most is hamburgers! You usually eat pastries, but on days when the cafeteria serves hamburgers, you always get that. What do you think? Is it wrong?”
“… No, that’s correct. But how do you know I never miss a hamburger in the school cafeteria?”
I’m sorry to say, but that seems a little scary, Hitotsuba-san. Where on earth did you get such information? If a famous person like you had been collecting information about me or even following me, I’m sure word would have gotten out in no time.
“Huh-uh-uh. That’s sweet, Yuya-kun. The sources are not just limited to students. The people who provided me with this information were the people working in the school cafeteria!”
Why were you telling stuff about me to her, cafeteria lady! But that was it, huh? She knew I was hungry from club activities, and she even sneaked leftovers for me sometimes.
“Of course. Even from Yuya-kun’s preferences to what he doesn’t like. She also told me what you like to talk about with your friends. I also now know that Yuya-kun’s current obsession is the recently released fantasy game, right? And what I also might know or not is that you also used to talk about how that childhood friend heroine with huge b*****s was the most attractive…”
How come you could hear our conversation with pinpoint accuracy, auntie! Is there a hidden camera or a listening device somewhere? I’m now too scared to go to the cafeteria!
“I’m sure the lady in the cafeteria has her secrets. Also… I was the one who asked her to provide the leftovers from the school cafeteria to you, Yuya-kun. Ah, don’t ask me how I could have done that, okay? It’s prohibited to ask!”
My heart went ‘kyuun’ when she put her index finger on my mouth. Also, what she just said along with that cuteness she displayed was just like a certain character in a light novel. That big-boobed, clumsy character was amazing.
“It seems you know that story well, Hitotsuba-san.”
“Yes. That story is incredibly famous. I’ve read it too. But I liked the quiet girl in the literature club better than the big-boobed, clumsy character.”
I was surprised to learn that Hitotsuba-san actually read that light novel too. And oddly enough, I also liked the mute character the most among the main characters. Why was that? Because I think it’s great when a normally unemotional girl slowly turns into a sweetheart.
We enjoyed that late dinner while talking about such trivial things.
Episode 15: A Man’s Cooking
“It’s time… for Yuya-kun’s cooking special’s first session! Let’s go, let’s go!”
It was almost 9 pm by the time we arrived home after shopping from the supermarket. Although it was a little too late for dinner it couldn’t be helped. I was more concerned that Hitotsuba-san’s seemed somehow more excited than when we were shopping, but let’s begin with cooking right away.
“Chef Yuya-kun. What’s on the menu today?”
“Today, I’m thinking of making peperoncino (Footnote: He means Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino, a simple pasta dish consisting of spaghetti, olive oil, garlic and italian chili peppers.). I normally prefer tomato sauce or meat sauce, but since I need time to simmer it, I’ll leave that for some other time.”
First, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. In the meantime prepare the other ingredients. Mince two cloves of garlic, remove the seeds of the chili pepper and chop the leaves of all the parsley.
When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Let the pasta cook for about a minute shorter than normally required for spaghetti (Footnote: Also known als ‘pasta al dente’.). This would allow the pasta to have a soft texture when it would be heated afterwards by combining it with the sauce, so it would attain the right consistency after it is finished.
When the pasta is almost done boiling, combine the garlic and chili pepper that you just cut into pieces into a frying pan with olive oil and fry them slowly over low heat. The key is to shake the pan consistently in order to prevent burning. [TL: Or you could just stir with a wooden spoon or chopsticks like a normal person.] If the garlic seems fragrant, add the parsley for flavor.
From here on out, it was all about timing. Turn off the heat of the sauce. Add a ladleful of boiling water to the pan over high heat. Mix the water thoroughly with the olive oil, then add the pasta and toss it around to let it get coated with the sauce.
“Yeah. Just about right.”
The saltiness was just about perfect. I put the dish on the plates we bought, added some pepper with additional chili peppers that I took out, and I was done.
“Wow. You’re amazing, Yuya-kun. You’re very skillful with your hands, and you’re good at preparing the food. I can’t do it like this, so I quite envy you. In fact, aren’t you a better cook than me?”
“… Well, my mother was a good cook, and I don’t mind cooking, so I did it from time to time. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing your home-cooked meals, Hitotsuba-san.”
We sat down at the table facing each other for a late dinner. The smell of olive oil and garlic stimulated my appetite. The seasoning was rather simple, but the result was a decently salty and not too dry dish, which was a relief. The pepper that I sprinkled at the end also added a nice, extra touch.
“Mmm! It’s delicious! The strong aroma of garlic mixed with the freshness of parsley makes it very easy to consume. The pepper flavor also works wonders! Are you a genius, Yuya!?”
“… If something like this could be called genius, then all the chefs in the world would be gods and the holders of Michelin stars would be the creators or something.”
“It’s okay. The only chef for me is Yuya-kun. No matter what anyone else says, Yuya-kun’s food is delicious.”
I scratched my cheek. It was the first time I have ever served food to anyone other than my parents, so I was honestly incredibly happy to hear Hitotsuba-san say it was delicious with a big smile on her face. I was even more embarrassed than ever before.
“But I can’t lose to this one either. I’ll be cooking tomorrow, so please look forward to it, okay? I’ll make you something you like, Yuya-kun!”
“Do you know about what I might like?”
“Of course. What Yuya-kun likes the most is hamburgers! You usually eat pastries, but on days when the cafeteria serves hamburgers, you always get that. What do you think? Is it wrong?”
“… No, that’s correct. But how do you know I never miss a hamburger in the school cafeteria?”
I’m sorry to say, but that seems a little scary, Hitotsuba-san. Where on earth did you get such information? If a famous person like you had been collecting information about me or even following me, I’m sure word would have gotten out in no time.
“Huh-uh-uh. That’s sweet, Yuya-kun. The sources are not just limited to students. The people who provided me with this information were the people working in the school cafeteria!”
Why were you telling stuff about me to her, cafeteria lady! But that was it, huh? She knew I was hungry from club activities, and she even sneaked leftovers for me sometimes.
“Of course. Even from Yuya-kun’s preferences to what he doesn’t like. She also told me what you like to talk about with your friends. I also now know that Yuya-kun’s current obsession is the recently released fantasy game, right? And what I also might know or not is that you also used to talk about how that childhood friend heroine with huge b*****s was the most attractive…”
How come you could hear our conversation with pinpoint accuracy, auntie! Is there a hidden camera or a listening device somewhere? I’m now too scared to go to the cafeteria!
“I’m sure the lady in the cafeteria has her secrets. Also… I was the one who asked her to provide the leftovers from the school cafeteria to you, Yuya-kun. Ah, don’t ask me how I could have done that, okay? It’s prohibited to ask!”
My heart went ‘kyuun’ when she put her index finger on my mouth. Also, what she just said along with that cuteness she displayed was just like a certain character in a light novel. That big-boobed, clumsy character was amazing.
“It seems you know that story well, Hitotsuba-san.”
“Yes. That story is incredibly famous. I’ve read it too. But I liked the quiet girl in the literature club better than the big-boobed, clumsy character.”
I was surprised to learn that Hitotsuba-san actually read that light novel too. And oddly enough, I also liked the mute character the most among the main characters. Why was that? Because I think it’s great when a normally unemotional girl slowly turns into a sweetheart.
We enjoyed that late dinner while talking about such trivial things.
