Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen: A Marriage of Cheese and Ingredients
Preparing cheese fondue is simple. First, rub a pot with garlic and pour in just a splash of white wine. Bring it to a boil to evaporate the alcohol. Then, add cheese that’s been dusted with potato starch or cornstarch to prevent separation, along with some warmed milk. Mix it all together until the cheese melts, and you’re good to go!
The traditional method apparently uses a lot of white wine to melt the cheese, but considering I’ll be driving, I’ve kept it to just a hint for flavoring this time.
Just be careful not to let it burn!
“I feel like I’ve cut some corners today… I’m a bit sorry about that.”
“It’s fine, isn’t it? The most important thing is that you enjoy making it, Rin.”
“Ville is right. Besides, as I said before, we usually just have to gnaw on things as they are. Having it served as a proper ‘dish’ like this is such a joy!”
“When you put it that way, it really makes me want to cook delicious meals!”
By the time the patrol group returned with armfuls of souvenirs, most of the preparations were complete. Somehow, a mysterious sense of guilt crept over me, but Mr. Ville patted me on the back reassuringly. Mr. Xenon also smiled and soothed me, wholeheartedly agreeing with Mr. Ville.
Yup, knowing that they’re being so considerate makes me want to put my all into tonight’s dinner too.
“The ingredients are bacon, sausages, two types of potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, rye bread, cherry tomatoes, and a fiddlehead fern from the souvenirs… Feel free to request more if you need!”
“Dipping sausage in cheese… just thinking about it makes my mouth water.”
“When you pick something and it becomes a meal right away, it makes you feel glad you collected it, right?”
“Mm… vegetables too…”
“They’re refreshing, so I think they’ll be good as a palate cleanser. The slight bitterness might go well with the cheese.”
I had softened the carrot slices and bite-sized sweet potato and pumpkin chunks in the microwave. I boiled the regular potatoes in a pot and then gently shook them, making the potatoes a bit powdery. I thought the rough surface might help the cheese stick better.
From among the souvenirs the patrol group returned with, I quickly boiled what I thought would go well with cheese and added it to the table. It was a plant with tightly coiled fronds, like a spring. It looks a lot like ostrich fern, a mountain vegetable my grandpa used to gather in early spring back home! According to Survival, it’s called "fiddlehead fern." Apparently, it’s an easily accessible food source because it continuously puts out new shoots regardless of the season, expanding its habitat.
I also put out some crispy fried bacon cut into cubes and boiled sausages…
“And of course, when it comes to cheese, you can’t forget tomatoes!”
“They seem much smaller than the ones you bought before.”
“Ah, yes. There was a bargain set of smaller ones. They’re supposed to be delicious in their own way!”
I took out the tomatoes I had kept in a colander to prevent them from rolling around, and Mr. Ville tilted his head curiously. Yes, I’m glad you remembered about the tomatoes! The shopkeeper said that although they’re small, the flavor is more concentrated and delicious… so I couldn’t resist buying them! They’re larger than the cherry tomatoes from back home, but a bit smaller than a ping-pong ball… I think they’re just the right size for fondue.
I set up the portable camping stove on the table and placed the pot of cheese sauce firmly on it.
Then I arranged the plates of ingredients and forks around it…
“Well then, please help yourselves to the fondue!”
“Mm! Thanks, Rin!”
As soon as I heard everyone’s pre-meal prayer, our hands darted towards the ingredients. Meat seems to be the most popular, as expected. I should eat some meat before it’s all gone…! I skewered a nearby sausage with my fork and dipped it into the sea of cheese that bubbled gently. As I lifted it, the cheese stretched into strings. I twirled it to cut the strands and…
“Mmm…! Ah, delicious! This combination is amazing!”
“Yes! Sausage and cheese is a perfect match.”
“The bacon is excellent too! Meat and cheese truly go well together…!”
“The sweet potato is delicious as well! The sweetness of the potato with the salty cheese melting over it… it’s surprisingly good!”
Listening to the cheers from around the table, I bit into the sausage, its skin taut with meat juices. Rich, fatty juices flooded my mouth. The sausage, made with a special herb mix well-kneaded into the meat, had a subtle herbal aroma that was delicious on its own.
Add the richness of the cheese to that, and well… it’s an explosion of umami—a violent assault of flavor. My tongue feels like it might go numb from the amino acids running wild…! To calm it down, I quickly fondue a small tomato.
Thanks to the mix of several types of cheese, the sauce has achieved a godly balance of "rich but not cloying," which now coats the bright red tomato. The color contrast between the creamy sauce and the tomato is quite pleasing to the eye.
After appreciating the visual appeal, I pop it into my mouth in one bite… What? You’re wondering if it’s normal to eat it in one bite? Don’t sweat the small stuff!
“Ahhh… tomato and cheese go so well together…! It refreshes your palate, making the next bite taste even better…!”
“Mm. Tomato and cheese… delicious… I can eat this…!”
“Aria’s eating vegetables so eagerly. Rin’s influence is amazing…!”
As I bit into the tomato, bursting its skin, sweet and tangy juices flooded out. I know some people dislike tomatoes because of the grassy bitterness of the seeds, but these tomatoes have almost none of that. It’s there, but just a hint, which actually complements the cheese flavor nicely. The flesh melts in my mouth, blending harmoniously with the lingering umami of the meat juices and cheese before sliding down my throat. After swallowing, a refreshing aftertaste of tomato remains in my mouth… I think this will make the next bite of meat even more delicious.
Ms. Aria, following my lead, seems to have discovered the deliciousness of the cheese and tomato combo, her eyes sparkling.
Mr. Ed looks surprised at Ms. Aria eating vegetables so eagerly, but I think she showed potential for loving the tomato-cheese combo when she enjoyed the grilled tomatoes with cheese during our seafood barbeque the other day.
“Oh! The fiddleheads go well with cheese too!”
“Indeed… this makes me crave some alcohol.”
“Drinking during our journey is, well…”
“If we could, I’d certainly like to have some…”
“Mm… disappointing…”
I dip the fiddlehead, now an even more vibrant green after being boiled with salt, into the sea of cheese. As I bring it to my mouth, I’m met with the characteristic crunchy texture of the vegetable. There’s a slight bitterness, but when combined with the saltiness of the cheese and the subtle sweetness and richness unique to dairy products, it leaves an oddly addictive taste in my mouth.
Mr. Ville’s eyes, who had cautiously tried the fiddleheads, seemed to sparkle at the unexpected flavor. Though his comment is exactly what you’d expect from a drinker. The others who followed suit also had slightly disappointed looks on their faces as they continued to fondue various ingredients.
Ah… cheese and alcohol do go well together, don’t they…
As I coat a piece of pumpkin with cheese, I’m thinking in the back of my mind that maybe I’ll make this again as a celebration meal when this journey is over. By the way, I’d like to assert here that bacon & cheese and potato & cheese combinations were also undeniably delicious.
