Card StatsVignette
The Culinary Crucible (Part One)
Cafeteria - Kitchen
Culinary Crucible - Riddle Making Cabbage Rolls (Part One)
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First, pull off the cabbage leaves. Then remove the core... There. So far, so good. Next comes parboiling. Then you take the fillings, and roll it up in cabbage leaves. The recipe doesn’t specify what size leaf to use... Should I cut it into a handkerchief-sized square, maybe? Wait, but the leaves aren’t all the same thickness. Maybe it would be more uniform if I arranged it by weight in gram... |
 Ghost Chef |
Something got you puzzled, Riddle? |
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Hello, Chef. I have a question for you, actually. Should I be keeping the cabbage shape and weight consistent between rolls? |
Ghost Chef |
You don’t have to. You can always make adjustments when you’re doing the rolling. |
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Ah, I see. I’ll leave the cabbage as-is, then. May I ask another question? |
Ghost Chef |
Of course! |
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What volume of water do I need for the parboiling? The recipe doesn’t specify. |
Ghost Chef |
You don’t really need precise measurements there, as long as there’s enough water to immerse the cabbage leaves fully. Let’s move on to the next step while the water gets boiling! |
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Yes, sir. |
Ghost Chef |
Next up are the fillings. Start by mincing some onions. |
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Mincing requires a width of 1 to 2 millimeters, right? Okay, I’ll measure the size with a ruler, and--- |
Ghost Chef |
Not so fast! |
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Hm? Is something wrong, Chef? |
Ghost Chef |
Measuring won’t be necessary. In fact, you don’t need a ruler at all for this. The onion bits change shape when they’re cooking anyway. |
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Oh, really? But I do want to keep the size as uniform as I can... |
Ghost Chef |
I can tell. Earlier you measured the water down to the milliliter. You’re very exacting about these things, aren’t you? Mind if I ask why you signed up for the Culinary Crucible to start with, Riddle? |
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I figured that a housewarden should be the best at both academics AND cooking. That, and... It makes sense to get a head start on living independently. Better still if it rewards both money and experience. |
Ghost Chef |
Mm, that’s a fine motivation. It’s always good to plan ahead in life! And how about you, Silver? |
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You want to know what led me to sign up for the Culinary Crucible? Riddle invited me, actually. He said---paraphrasing---“Cooking requires constant focus. Perhaps it would instill some discipline and help you fix your dozing habit.” That made perfect sense to me. Besides, I’m always ready for an opportunity to learn how to make better food. |
Ghost Chef |
But you seem to know your way around the kitchen well enough already. You’ve had no issue handling any of our cooking implements. |
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I don’t know if I’d call it “well enough,” really. All I do is fall back on the same crutch--- salt, pepper, and sauté. I’d like to expand my repertoire. That way, I can cook more enjoyable meals for the father who raised me. Admittedly, earning a proper wage for my work was also an attractive incentive. Any money I can save up now will help me to be less of a burden on my father later. |
Ghost Chef |
Awww... What a caring son you are, Silver! |
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...... *sniff* |
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Hm? What’s wrong, Riddle? |
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Ghost Chef |
My goodness, Riddle! Did Silver’s words move you to tears? Don’t worry. I understand completely! Why, I get the same way--- |
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N-no, that’s not it, sir! I mean, it WAS touching, but that’s not why I’m tearing up. It’s... |
Silver & Ghost Chef |
It’s...? |
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It’s the onions! |
Ghost Chef |
Wait, THAT’S why you’re crying? Now come on! |
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Yeah, that’s happened to me before. You okay there, Riddle? |
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Not in the slightest! How do I make it stop?! |
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Riddle, wait! Don’t rub your eyes before rinsing off your--- |
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AAAGH! Rubbing my eyes just makes it worse! It stiiings! |
Ghost Chef |
Well, Riddle! Your fillings came out with a very nice texture. Boy, you had me worried when you started crying back there! I’m glad you got through this okay.. Now comes the part where we roll the fillings up in the cabbage. |
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Wait! I’ve separated the fillings into four portions, but they’re not equally sized! They need a bit more adjusting before--- |
Ghost Chef |
It’s okay. Once they’re all swaddled in leafy goodness, you won’t be able to tell ‘em apart. And remember, spending TOO long cooking can impact the freshness of your ingredients. |
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Mm... I’m not completely happy with this, but all right. I’ll abide by your instructions, Chef. Now to wrap the fillings in boiled cabbage leaves. The recipe says to pack it “tightly,” so... AH! I pulled too hard and ripped the leaves! |
Ghost Chef |
Well, that’s no good. The meat’s going to spill out of the hole you tore now. That means it’s time for you try again using one of the spare cabbage leaves. |
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Rgh... I’ll roll it perfectly next time, just you wait! |
The Culinary Crucible (Part Two)
Cafeteria - Kitchen
Culinary Crucible - Riddle Making Cabbage Rolls (Part Two)
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Let’s see what the next step is...Ah. Cook the cabbage rolls for twenty minutes. Put the rolls in the pan, add water and consommé, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and...turn on the heat. There. Done. |
Ghost Chef |
The rest should go smoothly enough, as long as you remember to skim the grease a few times. Why don’t we have a chat about your day while you watch the stove? What were your takeaways from the Culinary Crucible? |
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Well... For one thing, seeing Silver cooking up close was a clear illustration of how much more I have yet to learn. For another, I memorized the recipe front to back, but I still got stumped at several points when it was time to go hands-on. |
Ghost Chef |
Right, yeah. Recipes can be surprisingly unclear about measurements and the exact order of operations! |
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Mhm. It made me realize that some things, you have to develop a feel for through experience. |
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I guess even an ace academic like you still needs lots of training when it comes to mastering the ins and outs of cooking. |
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It’s true. Even beyond cooking, there are plenty of things in world beyond the limited aggregate of my experience. Today was a good reminder to stay humble. |
Ghost Chef |
Ahhh, I never get tired of seeing eager young student coming into their own! I can’t wait to see how you keep growing, Riddle! The cabbage rolls should be just about done. Let’s see what the judge thinks, shall we? |
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Yes, sir! |
Cafeteria
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The food is done and plated. Now to bring them out to the taste-testing table. Who will be evaluating my dish, I wonder? Wait...MALLEUS?! |
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Ah, Rosehearts. You’re on cooking duty today? |
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Y-yes. Allow me to present the cabbage rolls I made for your judgment. |
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Well, well... They vary quite greatly in size. These two are so lopsided next to each other, it’s like a parent and their tottering child. |
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Rgh... Your assessment is as biting as it is accurate, I’m afraid. |
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Let’s see how they taste, then. *bite* *munch munch* |
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(I followed the recipe to the letter for the measurements. These might look a bit lopsided, but surely they’re reasonably seasoned...) Well? What do you think? |
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They’re certainly edible. That said... This is a meal prepared by Riddle, the student with the highest marks in the entire sophomore class. I was prepared to be blown away by a masterful display of technique. But the flavor and plating are both entirely pedestrian. Perhaps I expected too much. |
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...Ngh. Thank you for your honest feedback. ...... |
Ghost Chef |
It’s okay! You did well for your first time in the Culinary Crucible! As long as you’ve got the drive to learn, I’ll always be happy to teach you. You’re welcome to come back for more! |
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Thank you, Chef. This was a valuable learning experience for me. I can see now that I have a long way to go before I can feel secure in my own cooking abilities. But I’m not one to shrink from a challenge. One day, I, Riddle Rosehearts, will reign supreme as the finest cook on campus! |
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