God of Cooking Chapter 77:

May . The weather was good, the flowers in the garden were slowly blooming . Jo Minjoon was seated on a bench with earphones in his ear and a book on his hands . It seemed like a piece of art, but the book in his hands wasn’t a literature book but a cooking book .

Kaya looked at him and frowned as if she didn’t like something . She approached him and opened her mouth . A rough voice was heard .

“What are you listening to?”

Kaya took off the earphone in Jo Minjoon’s ear, brought it to hers,  then frowned .

“Classic?”
“Precisely speaking it’s Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor…… . What’s with that expression?”
“How much more boring do you have to be to be satisfied?”
“…… . What about classical music? If you aren’t going to listen to it, give it back . ”

Jo Minjoon frowned and tried to pull the earphone . Kaya put her hand on her ear and prevented it from being taken back .

“Who says I’m not going to listen to it? It’s better than listening to the wind blowing . ”

Kaya talked like that and sat at the arm of the bench, and then looked at the page Jo Minjoon was looking at . She frowned .

“Why are there so many difficult words?”
“It’s your country’s words . ”
“Those are extraterrestrial words masked with English . ”

Jo Minjoon shrugged his shoulders . Kaya talking like that wasn’t unreasonable . There were many words used that were derived from French or Spanish, and even Jo Minjoon had to search in the dictionary to find the words he didn’t know .

Because Kaya was leaning towards him to look at the book, her breath tickled his neck . Jo Minjoon slightly looked at Kaya and asked .

“Are you bored?”
“I have nothing to do, but I’m not bored . ”
“What’s with having nothing to do, but not being bored?”

Kaya just looked at Jo Minjoon . Jo Minjoon’s image was filled in her big, round eyes below her black and dark eyeline . He wasn’t planning to keep looking at her eyes as if it was a mirror, so he adverted his sight . Why was it? That the moment he looked at her face, he felt embarrassed . Jo Minjoon opened his mouth .

“What about doing some exercise like Chloe?”
“Even you don’t exercise much . Didn’t I tell you? Men need to have muscle to be considered men . ”
“There’s no need for me to become your ideal man . ”
“…… . . That’s true . ”

Kaya scratched her lips as if she wanted to say something, and then scratched her head . Jo Minjoon looked at her with uncomfortable eyes . Her disheveled hair was caught in his eyes .

“Did you wash your hair?”
“I did, last night . ”
“Even if you did, you have to wash your hair again when you wake up . ”
“My scalp is dry, so there’s no need to wash it that much . What, why? Don’t look at me like that . This is not being dirty, but you being overly clean . ”
“…… . . We will need a judge . Chloe!”

Jo Minjoon was frowning and waved his hands at Chloe that was passing by just in time . Chloe that was wearing a tight dark blue sports clothes approached them . She wiped the sweat out on her forehead and put a confused expression .

“Why were you calling me?”
“We need a person to tell us what’s black and white . Hair, because you washed it at night, can you not wash it the other day?”
“I wonder . I wash it many times because after I sweat after I exercise . ”
“But you do wash it after you wake up, right?”
“I tend to…… . Wash it . But why?”

At Chloe’s question, Jo Minjoon didn’t reply . Instead, he just looked at Kaya with a smile implying that he had won . Just looking at Kaya’s angry face she could guess the situation . She smiled bitterly .

“Now you are also fighting about washing your hair and not? I understand because she is Kaya but…… . Minjoon, you too are a kid . ”
“Wait, why do you understand me?”
“Because Kaya is Kaya?”

Chloe talked like that and smiled beautifully . It was a really beautiful smile . If you had eyes, a smile you couldn’t hate . She was so envious that she wanted to have the same smile, but Kaya thought that that kind of smile wasn’t going to suit her .

Kaya stood up with a bothered expression . Of course, the earphone tensed up and got off the ear . It wasn’t from Kaya’s ear, but from Jo Minjoon’s . Kaya put an excessively surprised expression and said .

“I’m sorry . I didn’t wash my hair this morning, but I pulled off your earphone?”

Jo Minjoon snorted and replied back .

“Just prepare lunch . ”

–

[Me : How are you doing?]
[Marco : Just so, slowly looking for a place to work . ]
[Me : I think that there are going to be a lot of pâtissiers that would want you . ]
[Marco : The reactions of all of the places I went to were quite good, but I will know the results when it comes out . ]

At the reply that came back, Jo Minjoon smiled . The skills that were showed in the broadcast were clearly superior . But even without thinking of his skills, only by recruiting him, the popularity of the restaurant would increase . The prestige Grand Chef had in the United States was that much .

[Me : Call me if you get a job . I will visit you . But of course, I will need to be in the US by then . ]
[Marco : Okay, thank you . :>]

Jo Minjoon put back his handphone . His piece of work was being completed in the oven .

What he was making right now was tarte tatin, a french apple **** . The recipe was simple . Just like all of the baking, it started with the dough . After piling the flour in the shape of mountain using the sieve, he made a hole in the middle of that and poured cold water and salt . The process of slowly pouring water and making the dough was the most important one . Actually, the flavor of the bread was half-done in this process .

After making the dough and putting it in a shape of a cross, you flatten it, put butter in the middle of it, and fold it like a takchi (딱지) . You flatten it again when it had the shape of a square, fold it as it originally was, make it flat again, and fold it again . He had to repeat that process five times . There was also a technique similar to this when making udon .

After that, the rest was easy . You smear butter in the hot pan, and pour sugar . You put sliced apple in the shape of a wedge and its seed removed and put it on top of that . If you heat it for 20-30 minutes, the apple juice, butter, and sugar caramelizes and browns .

After covering it with a crust dough he prepared beforehand, he pierced some holes for the dough to not become soggy because of the moisture of the apple . After that, putting it in the preheated oven in between 180 and 200 degrees was the end . Actually, there was one more step left, to carefully flip the tarte tatin . Then the bread below and on top of that will show the tasty seared apples along with the aroma of butter and caramel .

And the tarte tatin Jo Minjoon made, was quite fine .

[Tarte tatin]
Freshness : 96%
Origins : (Too many ingredients to show)
Quality : High
Cooking Score : 6/10

It didn’t have any special methods, but it was made faithfully to the standards . Thinking that his baking level was 5, it wasn’t a bad result . Actually, it was easier to get a 6 in dishes related to baking . Perhaps, it would be because it was influenced by his cooking score . Because it’s different for people who knows to cook, bake, and a person with experience to learn baking .

“Did it turn out well?”

Anderson approached him and asked . On his hands was a dish that contained mille-feuille . The white cream that was in the sides of the bread seemed even more tasty than the tarte tatin . And the cooking score was even 7 . Jo Minjoon gulped . Anderson stepped back as if he was cautious of him .

“You can’t eat it yet . We agreed to eat it together when the broadcast started . ”
“……You could have failed it . I will taste it for you . ”
“I’m sorry, but I already did . ”

Anderson talked like that and raised one corner of his mouth . Jo Minjoon let out a sigh . Then, Kaya bumped Jo Minjoon slightly and passed by . There was also a plate that contained a cheesecake in her hands, but the thing that caught his eyes was her lapping hair . Just how much shampoo and conditioner did she use? An apple and lime aroma pierced his nose, and her hair seemed just like that of a model’s from a CF . Kaya walked a few steps and slightly looked back .

Anderson smirked and asked .

“Why is she like that?”
“She’s Kaya . ”

Anderson nodded as if he had understood . She’s Kaya . Why did that short words be so convincing?

In the kitchen, there weren’t only those three . There was also Chloe, Sasha, Joanne, Ivanna and Hugo . All of the 8 participants were gathered . They weren’t going to cook dinner because they had already eaten . What they were preparing right now was the snack to eat while they watched the broadcast . Jo Minjoon said in a regretful voice .

“It would have been good if Marco still remained . I didn’t eat something as delicious as his souffle . ”
“You say that because you still didn’t try mine . ”
“……Why are you that repulsive?”
“The world tends to send jealousy rather than angels to good people . ”
“I think that it’s only for people that are good halfway . ”
“If I’m halfway good at my age, then in 10 years I will be outstanding . ”

Jo Minjoon shook his head as if he was sick of it . It’s normal to see the sides you didn’t know of a person the closer you got, so you saw that person in a different way . But at least, Anderson was steady in one thing .

“Shameless **** . ”
“You aren’t that much better .

Anderson said in a calm voice . Jo Minjoon looked at Anderson while shaking .

“I’m shameless?”
“After you say it that calmly you get perplexed when you listen to that . Look, are you shameless or not?”
“…… . I’m not a little?”
“I thought that you spoke English well, but a foreigner is still a foreigner . In these cases, you don’t say a little, but a lot . ”

Jo Minjoon snorted and walked up the stairs . As he went to the lobby of the 4th floor, he saw Kaya seated in the sofa closest to the TV . Precisely speaking, she was lying between the arm of the sofa, and the back .

“You are going to become a cow like that . ”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s something from our country . If you eat something and lie down like that, you will become a cow . ”
“Not a pig?”
“Maybe because you can’t digest well . I don’t know . ” (TL:cow in korean is 소,and digest is 소화 . )
“Hmph . Even if you went to college, there’s no much meaning . You didn’t even learn something like that . ”

At Kaya’s words Jo Minjoon smiled faintly and sat in his place . Kaya extended her hand while still lying down .

“Give me yours . I want to try it . ”
“Eat it when it starts . ”
“Oh, please . Don’t act so poor . There’s not even 10 minutes until it starts . ”

Jo Minjoon just licked his lips and served his tarte tatin in a plate . Kata ate a bite and nodded while putting an expression as if it wasn’t bad .

“It’s fine . ”
“It isn’t too sweet?”
“You eat these things sweet . Well, it could be a bit sweet for you . But even so, customers would want these kind of things . ”

At Kaya’s words, Anderson nodded .

“The more stimulating it is, it will be less healthy for the customers . But what the customers want isn’t health . If they had wanted health, they would have gone to a hospital instead of a restaurant . But of course, there are places that only serve healthy food……but honestly speaking, it doesn’t sell well . Health and stimulus aren’t opposites, but even so, there’s quite a distance between them . ”

When Anderson was finishing his words, footsteps was heard from the stairs . The other five people were all coming into the lobby with the pudding, cake or bread they made . Chloe looked at the TV and asked .

“It didn’t start yet?”
“The previous notice passed by . It will start after a few advertisements . ”
“Good . Just in time . ”

Chloe laughed happily and sat in her place . While they were all eating the dishes, the advertisement passed by . The logo of Grand Chef filled the screen and the broadcast started . Just like the food truck mission lasted for a week, last week’s broadcast and also this one was about that .

And the contents of it was just like they had known . Honestly speaking, it was more fun watching how the others fared instead of watching their own stories . For example, it was when Jo Minjoon and Peter were having a serious talk . Actually, Jo Minjoon was really embarrassed, but the others were really interested . Joanne asked as if she was surprised .

“You two talked about things like that? Why didn’t I know of that? I was right next to you . ”
“Because we talked in a low voice . ”

But even so, not all of the scenes were funny . Because the story of the **** that picked up a fight with Kaya, and ended up fighting with Chloe wasn’t pleasant .

“Stupid **** . Does he want to live like that?”

Jo Minjoon said with a voice full of disdain . It was a really strange thing for him to curse, but nobody pointed that out . Because they were feeling the same . It was the same when a **** appeared in Jo Minjoon’s team . Kaya said with a cynical voice .

“Poor **** . Look how she eats everything and asks for a refund . If you did those things in our town, you wwould really disappear while you walk at night . ”
“…… . I don’t think I will be able to live in that town . ”
“I didn’t ask you to . ”

Kaya said with a sharp voice . Chloe stroke Kaya’s hair . She, who liked disheveled hair, seemed to be quite disappointed at the smooth hair . Kaya opened her eyes like a cat and asked .

“Are you going to keep treating me like a kid?”
“But you are younger than me . ”

Chloe laughed and replied . Kaya grumbled something but didn’t take her hand off . It was just like looking at a dog and a cat . It was at that moment, Rachel Rose was caught in the screen . And Martin didn’t miss any scenes of her . He could only do so . Because she was once the top person . She was a person that guaranteed the ratings .

“Rachel Rose…… You really did meet her . ”

Sasha mumbled absentmindedly . Even when she had heard that they had met her, she didn’t think that it was a lie, but now that she saw the screen, it was a different feeling . It was a scene that Jo Minjoon was certainly being paid attention . From the audience, and from the chefs .

But actually, they didn’t even get jealous because it was way beyond the standards . For him to have an absolute sense of taste, it really was a cheat-like ability . It could be a brand only with its existence, so it had great value . But they were curious if that pretty boy would know that .

After that, it was pretty simple . The results of the mission were announced as usual, and then they named the people who would be doing the eliminating mission . Looking again at the scene where Jacob gets eliminated again wasn’t very pleasureable, but everyone just kept watching with their mouths shut . Because it could happen to themselves anytime .

And after that, it was the scene which Jo Minjoon’s team ate in Rose Island . Honestly at that moment, Jo Minjoon wanted to get out of that place . Because he knew the scene that was going to come out quite well . They thought that only luxurious dishes were caught by the camera, but after a few minutes, the scene which Jo Minjoon cried was shown . Although for the viewers, it would be a scene that would make them feel his genius-like sense of taste…… . But at least, it wasn’t like that for him . But fortunately, those that were together with him didn’t make fun of him, but seemed to be more interested in the food………

“You are a crybaby . Crybaby . ”

Kaya smiled in a detestable way and said . Jo Minjoon blushed and opened his mouth .

“No, it was unavoidable . If you eat it too, you will be able to understand . ”
“…… . . Would the day that I try it ever come? A three star . ”
“Why not? It will . ”
“I hope it does . ”
“You are only going to eat it? You have to become the head chef of a three restaurant . Is it going to be hard?”

Anderson replied .

“It is, crazy **** . ”

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