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CHAPTER 27: TO DO: 1. COOK a POT 2. BUY a FLUTE

Mr. Vaughn was just a normal HOME-EC teacher. The type that was hoping for students to learn something useful, for once... Cooking, banking, sewing, all of that, he was going to go over it ALL just for the students. Actually, this was a bit of a coverup. Technically, he was here for something else... The students all claimed he was a renowned 'Cultivation Chef': a secretive figure that was much older than he looked. And no, it wasn't like being a yoga instructor for vegetables. Supposedly, Cultivation Chefs could cook up meals that gave powers straight out of a superhero comic.

"As you've probably guessed, this isn't your typical Home Ec class," Mr. Vaughn began, his deep-blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "We don't just whip up brownies here. We whip up magic."

'I mean,' Steven thought to himself, 'I'd heard of secret sauce, but this seemed a bit over the top.'

Flashing through slides, Mr. Vaughn talked about the essence of the universe, spices, and how 'the temperature at which you heat your soup might decide whether you could levitate afterward':

"Think of it as Boarsnorts, but for cooking," he said with a smirk that highlighted his dimples, "A sprinkle of magic, a dash of science, and it's what you get... after."

Boar-snorts?

[Dieze: 'Description: Boarsnorts, a renowned institute of magic and mystery, offers rigorous training in the arcane arts. Known for its iconic boar emblem, this S-tier magic academy combines traditional wizardry with modern enchantments, producing spellcasters of the highest caliber. Its curriculum blends the complexities of spell-weaving with the practicalities of everyday sorcery.' X]

Eager to see what the fuss was about, Mr. Vaughn called for a volunteer. "You! What's your name?"

The boy hesitated, "Sad."

Mr. Vaughn raised an eyebrow. "Like... unhappy? Or..."

"No," the boy stared back, "Like Sad Ramen. Last name: RAMEN."

Grinning, Mr. Vaughn clapped him on the back. "Perfect. Because today, we're making ramen that might just make you float. Or breathe fire. One of the two. Ready?"

MR. VAUGHN'S RECIPE (as written by Student #XX):

"- LIST of INGREDIENTS

Step 1. COOK!

Step 2. PLATE!

Step 3. EAT!"

"Alright, so first off. You want to start with the soup. We're going to use chicken broth as the base for our soup... with some carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Usually, this process can take quite long, so I already prepped the stock."

"Ramen, compared to chicken stock, is a bit different." Mr. Vaughn explained that the stock had to have: 1. tare, 2. miso, or 3. soy sauce. Usually with a 10:1 ratio of tare and soy sauce, and a bit higher ratio for miso.

'And TARE...'

[Dieze: 'TARE Breakdown. INGREDIENTS: Mirin: A sweetened rice wine; Dashi: A foundational broth; Vinegar; Sake: Japanese rice wine; Spices; Ginger & Garlic; and Oils.]

<I know what TARE is...> Steven muttered.

Meanwhile, in the front, Sad started to reach for the ingredients to make TARE.

"But since we're pressed for time, and I can't explain the different types of tare in a few minutes, we'll just use the store-bought version!" Mr. Vaughn announced.

Sad Ramen stared and then added store-bought tare into the soup.

"Now, we'll use curly, thicker noodles, so let's get the dough ready!" Mr. Vaughn finished off.