Chapter 175. [Iron Chef Of Cooking]

“Is that in the sink’s drain?”

I was asked, so I peered into it.

Inside the drain hole, there was a blade like a mixer.

“I see, this is a disposer.”

“In other words, it’s a garbage disposal machine. It grinds up the waste into tiny pieces, and then you can just flush it down the sewer.”

“Wow, you can really flush food waste down there!?”

>American sewage systems can handle food waste (U.S.)

>Are there apartments or buildings in Japan that have that too?

>I think you might need special equipment for that

“In America, most houses have it.”

“Oh, really? Houses here come with comprehensive facilities right from the start. They even have large ovens and dishwashers built in. And two-tier drum washers and dryers, too.”

“Of course, it varies from house to house, but it’s generally standard equipment. In Japan, you rarely find houses without a stove, right? It’s like an extension of that.”

As I listened to this conversation, I threw food waste into the disposer. When I pressed the switch, it started with a tremendous roar.

“Whoa!? It’s so loud!?”

America always seems to be about high power, right?

With this, it seems like it can easily crush bones and anything.

“Be sure not to stick your hand in there. For this apartment’s disposer, it won’t run unless the lid is closed. It’s not something that would happen accidentally.”

“Wow, I don’t even want to imagine it.”

Despite saying that, my mental image leaned more towards that.

I’m not a baby bird, but the power of conditioning is substantial.

However, I’d like to have something like this in Japan.

You can quickly dispose of food waste, so it doesn’t accumulate, and there’s no smell.

Convenient and hygienic.

Whether it’s environmentally friendly or not… I’m not sure about that.

“Okay, I’m done. There’s not much left to do here.”

“It’s finally my time!”

“Well, do your best.”

“I’m done!”

“What?!?!?! Isn’t that way too fast!?”

Well, it really felt that way.

It was faster than starting to tell viewers about my experiences during my visit to America I had prepared during the waiting time.

“To complete a meal in such a short time? Could she really be that efficient? With her experience living alone, could she actually be a seasoned cook?”

“That’s a surprise waiting for you! Look, there’s still the finishing touch, right?”

“Yeah.”

I checked the finished rice and added the roux to the pot.

While keeping the lid on so Ogu didn’t see, she had already carried her dish to the table.

Now, where would the outcome of this battle go!?

There was a battle that couldn’t be lost—right there.

***

“So, without further ado, we’re ready to go! Here’s the finished dish!”

“To be honest, you could already tell from the smell.”

“That’s part of the charm!”

For the sake of the stream, we sat side by side at the table.

It was finally time to reveal the dishes.

“All right, I’ll go first. This is my creation, ‘Curry Rice’!”

“Wow~!? That looks incredible, it seems super delicious!”

We uploaded edited photos to the stream to ensure viewers could see it clearly.

It was a hearty curry with chunky pieces of meat and vegetables.

>It’s Japanese curry! (U.S.)

>In America, when you say ‘curry,’ it’s usually all about Indian curry, right?

>I’m glad. At least it looks like a proper dish

“The only thing I couldn’t get was Fukujinzuke, oh well, they didn’t sell it. Also, since we’re here, I decided to use American ingredients.”

“Hmm?”

“Like these small carrots, especially.”

“Oh, baby carrots. Come to think of it, they don’t sell them in Japan, do they?”

They’re those small, round carrots you get as a side with steak.

In Japan, we usually cut large carrots, but these are their natural shape.

“Since we’re at it, I used small onions and potatoes to go with it.”

It wasn’t so much an adventure but more about not being able to find the same ingredients as in Japan.

Nevertheless, it’s curry, so the taste shouldn’t change that much.

>Pekoros and baby potatoes, is that what they’re called?

>Huh, that’s strange

>Where on earth did you use a knife for this???

“I-Iroha?”

“Can you stop making that suddenly worried face? Even onions have roots and stems, you know.”

“R-Right…”

“Anyway, come on, give it a try!”

“I know, I know. I’ll eat it.”

Ogu turned resolutely and brought the spoon to his mouth.

One second, two seconds… and a moment of silence.

“Well, how is it? It’s pretty delicious, isn’t it?”

“Th-this…”

“[This]?”

“This isn’t it!!!”

“What kind of feedback is that!?”

Is it delicious or not?

That’s the usual response!

At the very least, it shouldn’t be that poorly made.

“No, it’s not exceptionally bad. It’s just… what do you call it, ‘mediocre’! The roux is runny, and the flavor is weak. The vegetables are still crisp! The rice is hard!”

Saying this, Ogu made a waving gesture with his hand.

It’s a gesture that means ‘so-so’ or ‘mediocre’.

“That’s ridiculous!? Oh, but come to think of it, I haven’t tasted it yet.”

“Hey!”

As she said that, I decided to take a bite.

Hmm… well, it’s not terrible, but it’s not great either.

Even if you cook it the same way as in Japan, it won’t taste the same. There could be the influence of unfamiliar cooking equipment and water quality.

Also, the simmering time might have been unexpectedly short.

“But it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be, right!?”

It’s perfectly edible.

Well, the nutritional value won’t change once it’s in your stomach anyway…

Oops, I said my inner thoughts out loud.

“Don’t you guys think Iroha is doing her best? It’s not all that simple other than when she’s a VTuber!”

>Indeed, Ogu’s evaluation seems pretty accurate! www

>It’s like that feeling of ‘Dad occasionally making some homemade Chinese cuisine,’ you know?”

>Iroha is Ogu’s husband. So it can’t be helped!”

“No, no, it’s not like that at all! That’s just because Ogu’s palate is too discerning.”

As I said this, I suddenly realized something.

Could it be that Ogu is such a gourmet because she was born with a refined palate?

If that’s the case, is it true that she can cook?

No, no, I don’t want that.

I don’t want to lose to someone like Ogu!