Waifu Wars: A Food Wars Fanfic

Ch. 93 Meat Sweats On a Monday, Part Two (Conclusion)

(Author's Note: I pre-ordered Volume 36, but I can't bring myself to read it just yet. I'm not ready for Food Wars to end. I also haven't watched the K-On movie for the same reason...)

           

 Neither Torrey nor Ikumi can afford to waste any time. Returning to the classroom after their trip to the butcher's shop, they only have 30 minutes left to complete a tasty dish without using spice. To pass this assignment, they'll need to be flawless.

"Hey Nikumi! What're you doing standing around for? You'd better get moving if you wanna win this competition!" says Soma.

He watches Ikumi from the opposite side of her kitchen counter, having already submitted a passing dish. Thus far, all she's managed to do was set her ingredients out along with a few utensils.

"Huh? Oh, yeah...the competition! Let's see, first I need to just..." says Ikumi, startled from her thoughts.

What was I going to make again? she wonders.

"And what's with you, Waldy? You sounded real confident earlier, but you haven't even started your dish!" says Soma, glancing over at Torrey's station. Like Ikumi, Torrey's just standing there awkwardly.

"R-right...I'm still gonna win this!" says Torrey, mustering up some false confidence.

"It's not like you two to get distracted so easily. Did something happen outside?" says Soma.

"No! Nothing happened!" says Torrey, a little too quickly.

"Yeah, give it a rest already!" growls Ikumi.

"Sheesh, all right. Forget I said anything," says Soma, putting his hands up defensively.

They're probably just stressed since it took them so long to gather their ingredients. Hehe, I knew fishing was the right call, thinks Soma, with a smirk. Though catching the right fish took some time, his miso-simmered mackerel was easy to cook and it packed some serious flavor.

Torrey silently thanks Soma for redirecting his attention, and he takes a moment to look over his ingredients. That's right, I decided on Brunswick Stew! Damn it, I should have started braising the squirrel right away, he thinks.

Finally leaping into action, Torrey sets a dutch oven over a burner and fills it with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil. He cranks it up to high, and while waiting for the oil to heat he starts up a pan full of bacon (a thank-you gift from Ikumi, in spite of the friendly competition).

He darts back to the counter and quickly slices up garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Once the oil starts to shimmer, he uses it to sear both sides of the squirrel before lowering the heat, then he adds chicken stock and covers it with a lid.

As the bacon begins to make its trademark sizzle, Torrey takes this moment to measure out some rosemary and thyme. Then it hits him.

"Wait, Professor! Do these count as spices?" he asks. Jun Shiomi, who was already watching him anyway, answers immediately.

"Great question! Torrey, was it? Those are technically herbs, but since they serve almost the same function as spices in cooking, they aren't allowed for this assignment," says Jun, sounding like a knowledgeable teacher for once.

The world of cuisine can be thought of as something like a clockwork planet. Spices and herbs are the gears that allow it to turn. They possess immense potential, being able to transform a boring dish into a work of art, and even to captivate the taste buds. For a master spice user like Ms. Shiomi to disallow them for this assignment, says a lot about their true nature, however. A good chef should be able to make a quality dish without relying on them.