Chapter 110: Adam Cooks 2

Then came the moment he had been waiting for since the market.

The spreads.

The cocoa was now sufficiently ripe to provide him with a first usable batch.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread

Adam used:

*roasted hazelnuts;

*sugar;

*cocoa;

*cocoa butter;

*a little milk;

*vanilla;

*a pinch of salt.

The hazelnuts were first ground until they became an almost liquid paste.

Then the sugar was added.

The cocoa.

The cocoa butter.

Finally, a little milk to obtain a smoother texture.

A machine automatically mixed and refined the preparation.

Adam tasted it.

Silence.

Then a second spoonful.

"Yes."

Very close to what he knew.

He then produced different variations.

Pistachio Paste

*Pistachios;

*Sugar;

*Neutral oil or butter;

*A little milk;

*Vanilla.

Almond Paste

*Roasted almonds;

*Sugar or honey;

*Milk;

*Vanilla.

Honey Walnut Paste

*Walnuts;

*Honey;

*Pinch of salt;

*A small amount of butter.

Chocolate-Almond

*Cocoa;

*Almonds;

*Sugar;

*Cocoa butter;

*Milk.

He even experimented with local fruits.

Some were good.

Others...

Adam tasted one of them.

His face tightened.

"No."

The container disappeared immediately into a designated waste area.

The House seemed to agree with his assessment.

Two hours passed in this way.

The sugar was now fully available.

The cocoa continued processing.

So did the coffee.

Adam had prepared the flours.

The fruit.

The marinades.

Several basic sauces.

And a collection of jams and spreads that would likely have sent Shiora into a frenzy.

He continued.

Dinner had to remain the main focus.

He wanted to present several different styles.

Not necessarily the most complex recipes on Earth.

Rather, dishes that were immediately understandable...

But completely new to them.

He finally chose five main dishes.

Pizza

For the dough:

*flour;

*water;

*yeast;

*salt;

*a small amount of oil.

He mixed the ingredients.

He kneaded until he obtained a smooth dough.

Then he let it rise.

Normal time:

1 to 2 hours for a simple first fermentation.

The Chamber naturally accelerated this stage.

Meanwhile, Adam prepared the sauce:

*tomatoes;

*garlic;

*onions;

*oil;

*basil;

*salt;

*pepper.

Baking time:

30 to 45 minutes to properly concentrate the flavors.

He then prepared several toppings.

A simple pizza with cheese and tomato.

A vegetable pizza.

A chicken pizza.

A meat pizza.

And a seafood pizza.

Each pizza would then only require approximately:

10 to 15 minutes of baking in a sufficiently hot oven.

Adam looked at the different versions.

"They should like this."

Especially Selene.

Seafood Paella

He obviously didn’t have all the exact Spanish ingredients.

But he could easily create an adapted version.

He used:

*rice;

*shrimp;

*squid;

*pieces of fish;

*local mussels when he found them while shopping;

*tomatoes;

*onions;

*garlic;

*bell peppers;

*spices;

*broth.

The vegetables were sautéed.

Then the rice was added.

The broth was poured in.

Finally, the seafood was added gradually according to its cooking time.

Total time:

40 to 60 minutes.

Adam tasted it.

He adjusted the salt.

Then he added a slightly smoky local spice.

Second tasting.

"Much better."

Crab Soup

For this one:

*crab meat;

*carrots;

*onions;

*garlic;

*tomatoes;

*broth;

*herbs;

*a little cream;

*pepper.

He first sautéed the vegetables.

Added the broth.

Then the crab meat.

The cream only towards the end.

Time:

45 minutes to 1 hour.

The result was rich.

Hot.

And particularly fragrant.

Burgers

Adam smiled when he got to this one.

Simple.

But probably completely new here.

He first prepared the buns.

*flour;

*milk;

*Water;

*Yeast;

*Butter;

*Eggs;

*Salt;

*A small amount of sugar.

Normal rising time:

1 to 2 hours.

Baking time:

15 to 20 minutes.

For the patties:

*Ground beef;

*Salt;

*Pepper.

Nothing complicated.

Then he added:

*Cheese;

*Tomato;

*Lettuce;

*Onion;

*Sauces.

"Selene will probably eat ten of these."

After thinking about it...

He made many more.

Roasted Stuffed Chicken

The marinade was already ready.

For the stuffing, Adam mixed:

*Bread;

*Onions;

*Garlic;

*Herbs;

*Butter;

*a few mushrooms;

*a small amount of ground meat.

He stuffed the chicken.

Then he put it in the oven.

Normal cooking time:

1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size.

Adam thought about adding several more dishes.

Pasta.

Grilled fish.

Potatoes prepared in different ways.

Then he looked at everything that was already ready.

"No."

He needed to learn to stop.

Five main courses were more than enough.

Well...

For normal people.

With Selene in the group...

He increased the quantities slightly again.

Then came the sauces.

Mayonnaise

*egg yolks;

*oil;

*salt;

*a small amount of vinegar or acidic juice;

*local mustard when he could find a close equivalent.

A few minutes of mixing was all it took.

Ketchup

*tomatoes;

*sugar;

*vinegar;

*salt;

*onions;

*spices.

Cooking time:

45 minutes to 1 hour, until the sauce thickens.

Garlic sauce

*garlic;

*oil;

*eggs;

*salt;

*Lemon.

Slightly spicy sauce

*Tomatoes;

*Chili peppers;

*Garlic;

*Sugar;

*Vinegar;

*Salt.

He prepared several layers.

Mild.

Medium.

Hot.

Then he examined the last container.

Very hot.

He thought about Selene.

And smiled.

"I’m not telling anyone about this one."

When all the dishes were finished, Adam put them away in his inventory.

Time practically stood still there...

They would remain exactly as they were.

Hot.

Cool.

Ready to be served.

Then he turned to dessert.

His smile widened.

"Now, the important part."

He started with the simplest.

Caramel Flan

Caramel:

*sugar;

*a small amount of water.

Mixture:

*milk;

*eggs;

*sugar;

*vanilla.

Adam melted the sugar until it turned amber.

Poured it into the molds.

Then added the milk-egg-sugar-vanilla mixture.

Baking gently:

40 to 50 minutes.

Then cooling:

at least 2 hours normally.

The Chamber took care of the rest.

Tiramisu

*strong coffee;

*biscuits;

*eggs;

*sugar;

*creamy fresh cheese similar to mascarpone;

*cocoa.

Adam finally made his first real coffee from the beans processed by the Chamber.

The aroma alone was enough to make him smile.

"It’s been a while."

He drank a small cup.

Silence.

Then he closed his eyes.

"Perfect."

He lightly dipped the biscuits in the coffee.

Alternated layers of cream and biscuits.

Then finished with cocoa.

Normal resting time:

4 to 6 hours, ideally longer.

Once again...

The Room simplified everything.

Macarons

These were more delicate.

Adam used:

*almond flour;

*sugar;

*egg whites.

For the fillings:

*chocolate;

*pistachio;

*vanilla;

*strawberry;

*strawberry-grape fruit;

*several local fruits.

He prepared the shells.

Let them rest.

Then he baked them.

Baking time:

12 to 15 minutes per batch.

The first batch was okay.

The second was better.

Then Adam tested the unknown fruit.

He prepared a light cream with its pulp.

Tasted it.

His eyes lit up.

"Oh."

He filled a macaron with it.

Then he tasted it.

Silence.

"This one’s staying."

Very clearly.

Cheesecake

For the base:

*crushed biscuits;

*butter.

For the filling:

*cream cheese;

*sugar;

*eggs;

*vanilla;

*cream.

Adam also added a version with a red fruit coulis.

Baking time:

45 minutes to 1 hour.

Then several hours of cooling, as usual.

Apple Pie

*pastry made with flour, butter, water, and salt;

*apples;

*sugar;

*butter;

*cinnamon or equivalent spice.

He prepared a first layer of thinly sliced ​​apples.

Then a second.

A little sugar.

A few pieces of butter.

Spices.

Baking time:

35 to 45 minutes.

The aroma quickly filled the kitchen.

Adam stood for a few seconds in front of the oven.

"That..."

Even after all these years...

The smell of apple pie was still just as pleasant.

Having finished dessert, he could have stopped.

He should have stopped.

But he still had breakfast the next day to prepare.

"While we’re at it..."

Crêpes

*flour;

*eggs;

*milk;

*a small amount of sugar;

*a pinch of salt;

*butter;

*vanilla for some.

Recommended resting time for the batter:

30 minutes.

Cooking time:

Approximately 1 to 2 minutes per crêpe.

Adam made several stacks.

Pancakes

*flour;

*eggs;

*milk;

*butter;

*sugar;

*yeast;

*Pinch of salt.

Baking time:

A few minutes per batch.

He made some plain.

With fruit.

And some with chocolate.

Cupcakes

*Flour;

*Eggs;

*Butter;

*Sugar;

*Milk;

*Yeast;

*Vanilla.

Then different toppings.

Chocolate.

Strawberry.

Pistachio.

Coffee.

Local fruit.

Baking time:

18 to 25 minutes.

He also considered baking several types of bread.

But given everything that was already available...

He decided that burger buns and pre-made products would suffice for the time being.

He could explore baking more thoroughly another time.

The last major step concerned drinks.

Adam gathered several fruits.

Strawberries.

Peaches.

Grapes.

Apples.

Local citrus fruits.

The strawberry-grape fruit.

And a few others he had already tested without any problems.

He prepared different juices.

Some pure.

Others blended.

Strawberry-peach.

Apple-grape.

Citrus fruits.

Red berries.

And several local blends.

He tasted one of them.

"Too sweet."

He added a little water and a more acidic fruit.

Second try.

"Perfect."

The bottles were immediately put in the fridge.

Adam then looked at the supplies.

Sugar.

Cocoa.

Coffee.

Vanilla.

Nuts.

Jams.

Spreads.

Sauces.

Main courses.

Desserts.

Breakfast.

Juice.

He stood motionless in the middle of the kitchen.

Then he looked at the internal clock.

"...Twelve o’clock."

He had spent about twelve hours cooking, tasting, adapting, correcting, and preparing.

Without the Bridal Chamber...

It would have taken him several days.

And several weeks if he had had to wait for the cocoa to ferment and dry normally.

But he hadn’t noticed the time passing.

No unpleasant mental fatigue.

No feeling of work.

On the contrary.

He had enjoyed himself.

Exactly like in his old life when he would spend an entire day trying out a new recipe simply because he felt like it.

Adam gazed at the machines.

Then a new idea popped into his head.

"Ice cream."

Milk.

Cream.

Sugar.

Vanilla.

Chocolate.

Pistachio.

Fruit.

He had absolutely everything.

Adam checked the time.

Then he sighed.

"No."

The ice cream would have to wait.

"Otherwise, I’ll never get out of here."

He put the last of the preparations away in his inventory.

Thanks to the internal time freeze of the storage space, the dishes would remain in the exact state he had placed them in.

The pizzas were hot.

The chicken was still tender.

The paella was ready to serve.

The burgers were fresh.

The desserts were perfectly chilled.

The juices were fresh.

Everything was ready.

Adam instinctively cleaned his work surface.

Then he stopped.

The Chamber had already done it for him.

The utensils were clean.

The surfaces, too.

Even the trash had disappeared into its designated area.

Adam stood for a few seconds in front of the spotless table.

"I could get used to this way too quickly."

He finally left the kitchen.

After twelve hours surrounded by flour, chocolate, smoke, spices, and the smell of cooking...

He definitely needed a bath.

He went to the spa.

Once again, he kept it quick.

Hot water.

Cleaning.

A few minutes of relaxation.

Then he went back outside.

The Chamber immediately provided him with clean clothes.

Adam dressed calmly.

Then he returned to the main room.

Behind the closed door, the manor continued to live.

For him...

A whole half-day had just passed.

For them...

A little less than eight hours.

Adam looked at the door.

Then he thought about everything he had prepared.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He had promised a dinner they had never tasted.

That promise...

He was now more than capable of keeping it.

He placed his hand on the handle.

And opened it.