Thank you to all Patrons!
Special thanks to Abdullah A., Aiji S., Akki, Alex, Alexander P., Bakadeathly, Bazsi, BigZak, Bobbyrelien, Bradford H., Brandon M., Brben, Brili3n, Chocolat, Corey, Daniel B., Deguaro, Deso, DKLA, DM, DrafX, Dragoncamper, Emblyon, Emmanuel R., Enis T., Evan A., F. Google, Jacob, Jakers, Janice, Jared E., Jason, Jawritz, Jay S., Jaycobtang, Jaycob T., Jazer A. S., Jealyn L., Joseph A., Juan R., Kevin P., Krazey K., Luis D., Luther S., Malinkat, Matteo S., Maverun, Max, Miguel A. G., Mod, Mosealong, Neilvon A., operaa, Otto E., Quiet Times, Rj Gun, Sakuya, Scott M., Shadowbec, Shaun, Sniktaw, Soomin B., Tenkkun, Tim N., Tristan C., Tuan N., Urko M. M., VizardG, William H., Won L., XxChemical_fire, YMK, and Z!
Dried Fruits
*Ton ton ton ton ton*. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
As I was walking down the hallway, I heard the sound of someone cutting ingredients from the kitchen.
It’s about time for snacks, after all, I wonder what Bartolo is making? Or maybe he’s making a new dish?
Either way, there is a high chance I will be invited to help him so I peer into the kitchen with expectation.
There, Sara was inside the kitchen instead of the muscular middle-aged man. Even when I looked around the kitchen, there was no sign of Bartolo inside. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Eh? Sara what are you doing?」
「Kyaa!?」
When I called her out of curiosity, Sara made a small shriek and jumped back. That’s a real shriek right there.
「It’s dangerous to jump while holding a knife like that, you know?」
「……that’s because Alfried-sama was sneaking up on me so I was surprised」
I called out to her out of concern for Sara, but for some reason, she looked at me with cold eyes.
「No no, I was approaching you directly out of consideration for you though?」
The place we are now is straight from the kitchen’s entrance. I don’t think I would end up in this place if I were to take a detour or something.
「Eh? Is that so? I did not notice you at all. Please forgive me」
Perhaps she noticed the truth from what I said since Sara sincerely apologized.
It hurts a bit when someone told that to me so casually.
I also know it’s not a good idea to surprise someone if they hold a knife in their hand so that’s why I enter the kitchen properly and carefully like that. I wonder if there’s another way to deal with this problem.
「Well, fine. Anyway, it’s unusual for Sara to make something yourself. What are you making?」
「I am borrowing Bartolo-san’s kitchen and making dried fruits」
Looking at the kitchen table there were thinly sliced oranges and apples lined up.
「By ‘dried fruits’, it’s that cut up fruits and vegetables that were dried in the sun right?」
「Yes, the air is dry in winter so it is easier to make them」
Indeed, in this dry season, it would dry quickly if you dry it outside.
Besides, it will last longer and the umami will condense if you dry it.
I guess it’s the perfect food to make in this season. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
Especially since there is no complicated process and treatment of the ingredients making them seem to be fun.
「Hey, can I also help?」
「But this is also part of my job……」
「You know I don’t care about that kind of thing, right? It seems fun so I want to try」
Sara gently smiled when I honestly told her my reason.
「Then, please help」
「Leave it to me」
If possible, let’s also make everyone’s share.
Everyone has become a bit shut-in because of the temperature outside has gotten colder. There are also plenty of people who will eat it anyway.
When I washed my hands in the kitchen, Sara had prepared the table, knife, and cutting board.
「Then, I will cut the apples」
「Yes, I will cut the oranges」
With an apple in my hand, I slowly cut it with the knife.
「Hmーm, I guess I’ll cut it from the top. Or should I lay it on the side and cut it from the bottom?」
「……the result will be the same, is it not?」
「Ah, un. That’s true……」
That’s true, but that was not the conversation’s catch I was looking for.
Whether it will be easier to cut from the top or it will end up looking nice when you cut it from the side, I just wanted to have such a peaceful conversation with no substance like that.
「I’m sorry. Mina is good at this kind of conversation……」
Indeed, conversation with no substances like this is Mina’s specialty.
Stating the reason and analyzing it will be rude so I try not to think of any other reason.
「You don’t have to think about it so deeply. You can just say it however you see fit」
「How I see……fit?」
Aah, Sara is making a complicated expression.
Unlike me, Sara is a serious person and she must be trying to read the deep meaning behind even words like that. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「What does Sara think about the apples that were cut from the top and placed on the side and cut through the bottom?」
I took two apples, cut each of them in two different ways, and showed them to her.
「How do I think about them……」
「Whether the sliced apple cut from the top is more apple-ish or not. Or if the one cut from the side is more cute」
「I see, so there is such a way of seeing things」
When I gave some examples to her, Sara nodded as though she was impressed.
「It’s enough to say something general」
「If you interpret it that way then even I feel like I’m going to be able to have this kind of conversation」
Sara smiled and started to cut up the oranges.
「I will be happy if you can slice them thinly and neatly」
「Ahー, right right. Something like that」
As expected from Sara. She understands the meaning of my words and puts them into practice immediately.
That’s the kind of answer I was looking for.
Human will get tired if they attach deep meaning to each of their words.
Sometimes we want to have such a conversation with no substances like this.
I was relieved Sara didn’t stray off course and also sliced the apples like me.
Since we’re making dried fruits, it will be better to make them as thinly sliced as possible so they will dry easily.
It’s fun to slice the apples thinly like this.
The feel when the knife cuts the apples and when it makes a crunchy sound also feels pleasant to hear.
And above all, it was a fresh experience for me to cook with a beautiful woman shoulder-to-shoulder like this. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
I mean, I’m usually cooking together with the shabby Bartrolo.
I wonder if it would feel like this if I were to marry and have a wife.
「Ah, I made a mistake」
「You tried to make it as thin as you can, eh」
It was as Sara said.
I tried making it so thin that when I noticed it, the knife’s blade was deviating at an angle.
Partly because I was imagining things, but there are also times like this.
I put the failed apple into my stomach and took care of them.
Hmーm, the perfect sweetness, and juicy apple are irresistible.
「Alfried-sama, could you please cut these vegetables next?」
After I finished slicing the two apples, Sara handed me some carrots, onions, and pumpkins.
「Ooh, we’re also drying vegetables」
「Yes, not only as a preserved food, half-dried ingredients can also be used in a soup or stir-fry」
「Heeー, I didn’t know that」
Since the sun is increasing the umami, can we use it as a cooking ingredient without drying it to a crisp? But I didn’t know how to use them.
I think it’s going to be even more delicious if I add them to miso soup.
I continue to slice the vegetables one after another while Sara slices fruits such as lemons and berries.
After that is done, pat them dry with a cloth, and then arrange them on a draining basket in a way they won’t overlap.
Place them in a sunny place in the courtyard and cover them with a net so bugs won’t approach it, and it’s done.
「After that we just have to turn it over at the right timing and wait」
「It’s very convenient since we can make preserved foods with just a little care」
Normally, you wouldn’t think of drying sliced fruits and vegetables. I think the person who first thought of this method was a genius.
◆
「Alfried-sama, I am thinking of bringing in the dried fruits we made the other day, would you like to get them with me?」
「Ooh, come to think of it, it’s been four days, huh? Thank you, I will also come with you」
As I was lazing around in my room, Sara called out to me so I also headed to the courtyard to take the dried fruits. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
When Sara picked up the net, there were dried and completely shrunken fruits and vegetables lined up there.
I came to check them on the second day, but they have become much drier than it was before.
「It’s much smaller than the actual cut size」
「It’s especially obvious with the ones with quite a lot of juice inside them」
Well, fruits and vegetables contain a lot of juice so it’s obvious they will shrivel if the juice is gone.
But even if they become smaller, I know that from the miso soup made with the half-dried vegetables I had the first day’s dinner, the umami is still concentrated inside them.
I wonder what those fruits and vegetables that were dried close to four days taste like if the half-dried fruits and vegetables were already so good?
「Can I try some?」
「Yes, it is also necessary to check the state of the dried fruits and vegetables」
Now that I have a good reason to try it, I took a cut apple and tried it without worrying about anything.
The outer skin has become thoroughly firm as the outer skin seems to have been completely drained of its juice. It looks like a crooked potato chip and it’s surprisingly soft to the touch.
It feels like a fruit that has lost its juice and like a rough sponge.
After observing the dried apple, I took a bite of it.
「Sweet!」
The strong sweetness of the apple spread inside my mouth.
It’s completely different from the normal apples I eat and it tastes rich probably because it doesn’t have any more juice in it.
It has a rich and syrupy sweetness.
「The orange also has a nice sweetness to it」
As I was expressing my impression of the apple, the nearby Sara was also eating a dried orange.
It looks like it was also delicious so I reached out for the dried orange.
The orange doesn’t shrivel that much compared to other fruits and vegetables and they maintain their shape and look nice. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Ah, it may seem like it has no juice left but when you chew on it the orange juice spreads」
The texture and chewing sensation was that of a dried fruit. However, the concentrated fruit juice comes out all at once when I chew it.
It feels like the umami and the slight fruit juice inside have been concentrated through the drying process and surges out.
After eating the apple and orange, next, I tried the berry and lemon.
「Mmm! Even things that taste sour when raw become sweet 」
「It seems like sour things taste more delicious, aren’t they」
Maybe because I have the impression that they’re very sour, that the shock of finding sour things are sweet was great.
Other than that, the carrots and pumpkins have become really dry and have also become sweet. Only the onion seemed to have a slightly stronger taste.
「The result is satisfactory in general」
「Then, let us collect them」
「Yes」
The dried fruits and vegetables are completed without any problems so we pick the net from the draining basket and pick them up.
「Hey, are you going to make dried fruits again from now on?」
I had just eaten the finished product and collected them, but I was attracted by the dried fruits that can be made by just cutting and drying.
Hering my impatient words, Sara chuckled. www.ihavesinnedtranslation.com
「Sure. Shall we make them using different foodstuffs next time?」
「Un」
No comments:
Post a Comment