Chapter 33 first quarter

As Muto ascended the long slope leading to the "Goldfinch", he recalled the scene of his first visit. At that time, because Reiko fell ill with a cold, Muto had to visit various stores alone.Everywhere I went, I had to eat the chef's masterpiece, but I got a stomach ache. I secretly decided to decline the dessert served by the last family, and walked with a depressed mood. The last store he visited was "Goldfinch", and he met Natsuori Morisawa there. Muto still clearly remembers that he said "I can't eat this dessert" and declined the gorgeously decorated chocolate cake.

Thinking about it carefully, maybe that is the cake that Xia Zhi really wanted to make, decorated with lots of fresh fruits, and designed to make female guests happy.The taste must also be made to cater to women.If Reiko had attended at that time, she might have been full of praise.If she was present, she might blurt out, "Let's create new products according to this style." As a result, Xia Zhi changed the style of desserts because she was in contact with me at first, and responded to my request seriously, creating new products that she had never tried before.Of course, this is a subject that a pastry chef should learn, but is it really the best choice to participate in the dessert carnival of the "Dessert Palace"?

Muto still cares about it to this day.Therefore, his desire for Xia Zhi to participate in the new project is getting stronger and stronger. He wants Xia Zhi to make desserts that can really show his characteristics. Even if he doesn't know whether it is good or bad, Xia Zhi's desserts will definitely catch the hearts of customers who like sweets—— Muto walked into the store, explained his purpose to the store staff, and was immediately called to the reception room.After a while, Boss Ichikawa and Chef Urushitani showed up. Muto greeted them politely, reported the success of the event and expressed his gratitude to the two. At the same time, he also expressed the hope that "Goldfinch" can continue to help if there is another chance.

The boss and Chef Urushitani smiled and listened, and thanked Muto for giving them the opportunity to give the staff in the store a good learning experience. When Muto said, "Is it convenient to talk to Ms. Morisawa?" Chef Urushitani replied. "She will come over after the work at hand is over for a while, please wait a little longer." After the boss and Chef Urushitani left, the clerks came in with black tea and dessert trays, and then left, leaving Muto alone in the reception room. Muto looked at something he had never seen before on the plate, and thought to himself that this should be dessert.In a slightly deeper white container, there are three dark reddish-purple fruits soaked in a sauce of similar color, and thinly sliced ​​orange slices, also soaked in the sauce, it seems that they should be boiled together with the sauce Cook it.

There is a little fresh cream squeezed on top of the fruit. You can’t guess the taste just by looking at the appearance. Maybe it’s not as sweet as cakes and chocolates, but if it’s boiled with sugar, it might be as sweet and greasy as macarons. .If this is the case, it is really difficult to enter... Muto is a little timid. Having said that, maybe Xia Zhi made this specially for me, who is afraid of sweets, because he didn't see this dessert on sale in the store, and he didn't see it at the dessert carnival.Perhaps it is the same as the snowflake custard I ate before, it is a home-style dessert with a simple taste, and it should not be too sweet.

Spoons and forks are on the side.Muto picked up the fork first.Since I didn't want to eat whipped cream, I tossed it into the sauce, then used a fork to pick up the red-purple fruit and stuffed it into my mouth. With just one bite, the sauce overflows from the soft fruit in an instant.It can be seen that it took a lot of time to eat, and the taste of slowly cooking, and the extremely warm taste made Muto stare. The sweetness is well controlled.There is also a mellow red wine aroma.The refreshing orange flavor spreads in the mouth instantly, as if trying to catch up with these flavors.It looks like it was boiled with fruit-flavored red wine.

Like duck and beef stewed in red wine, it should be boiled with a little sweetness.Muto put down his fork, took a spoonful of the sauce, and tried to drink it.When tasting alone, you can feel the aroma of red wine more.But in order not to overwhelm the dessert, only a little sweet red wine was added. Muto remembered the word "compote".He didn't know where he learned it when he was in charge of the Dessert Carnival.There is also this word in the cooking world. In the dessert world, it means "cooking fruit with sugar", such as candied apples, candied pears, etc.There are also items named directly after this word on the menu of general coffee shops.

What kind of fruit is this? Muto, who didn't know much about desserts or fruits, looked at the fruits on the plate and tilted his head in doubt.It looks larger than a grape, kind of like a prunes.Because the meat is thick, it has a strong bite, and the sour taste is stronger than the sweet.It is not as sweet and greasy as sugar, and will not cause a burden on the tongue. It also has a unique aroma that I have never tasted when I usually eat. When Muto finished his dessert and sipped his black tea, there was a knock on the door. Natsuori Morisawa walked in and nodded slightly. "I am so sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, don't say that. I just want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet." Xia Zhi sat opposite Muto. Muto took a deep breath, and said straight to the point: "About the proposal a few days ago, is it convenient for Ms. Morisawa to reply to me?" "Yes." Xia Zhi looked directly at Muto. "I am scheduled to leave here in one year, and I have obtained the understanding and consent of Chef Urushitani and the boss. After resigning, I will go to Mr. Ichikawa Kyoya's shop to help. I think the work there must be very busy, and I have no spare time to take care of other things I'm really sorry, but I can't accept your youth entrustment"

"Actually, you don't have to be busy with my work every day!" Muto tried to interrupt Xia Zhi. "Just wait for me to submit the plan and decide on a time to implement it. It's the same as the dessert carnival when I assisted the 'Dessert Palace'. Isn't it okay?" "Once I went to Mr. Ichikawa's shop, I decided to participate in dessert competitions regularly in order to improve myself. Not only domestic competitions, but also foreign competitions." Muto took a deep breath and asked back: "Uh... Do foreign countries mean French dessert competitions..."

“Yes, like France’s ‘La Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie’ (La Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie) is very famous, and the United States has WPTC. Both are world dessert competitions held every two years and are the ultimate dessert industry Goal. Of course, it is impossible to participate easily, so we must first hone it from the domestic competition..." "This is great! But the competition is just a technical competition, right? It doesn't have to be a dessert that makes guests happy, so Ms. Morisawa can accept it?" "It's actually the same." "what?" "Making the guests happy is actually the same as pleasing the judges. Dessert is to make people other than yourself happy. This is the duty of a pastry chef. It is precisely because I hope that every judge will like the desserts I make. , That’s why we have to choose the most delicious dessert to participate in the competition, hoping to win an award. This repeated drama is also a dialogue between the dessert chef and the customer, which is the same as the various situations encountered in the store.” Muto suddenly ran out of words. Xia Zhi has a value that she can't imagine, which is the idea that only the maker can have, that is, the value of the pastry chef.And that is a state that I only know how to sell, and I can't reach it no matter what. Xia Zhi said that she would implement this value.There is a little courage in her heart. Xia Zhi continued: "Then, I will apply the training skills in the competition to my work, so sometimes I have to switch my head and think about ideas for the competition. This training method can also inspire work inspiration, so I can't easily It's pointless to say that desserts are made for competitions." Such a time, I really hope that you can use it for my project, Xia Zhi - Muto tried his best to suppress the words that almost popped out of his mouth. This sentence cannot be said. Only this sentence must never be said. Anyway, this is Xia Zhi's own choice.How would denying her choice be the same as forcing her opinion on her? When I first met Xia Zhi, I declined the chocolate cake, and later made a request to restrain her creation—I can’t repeat the same mistakes again. Muto clasped his hands resting on his lap. "...If Ms. Morisawa chooses to resign, I think this person will be replaced by another pastry chef. Once the team is formed, it is impossible to change people just by changing people. For the signboard of Dessert Chef, I believe that consumers also hope that what they buy will always be of the same level as the master, so if you don’t participate this time, I don’t think you will have another chance. Even so, you Does it matter?" "Yes, you can't have both, these are two different paths...Although I don't know which one is the best choice now, I think my choice should be the path that suits me Right. If not, the point of making a choice now would be lost.” "I understand." Muto responded calmly.It always felt as if something passed through his back from his head and fell to his feet - as if something he was leaning on slipped off instantly, and a strange floating feeling engulfed him. Muto felt his mind go blank. There seemed to be a large hole. Muto tried to brush away these feelings, pretending to be cheerful and said: "Since you have made a decision, I can't force others. I hope that Ms. Morisawa can continue to work hard in the new environment. I think you can become an excellent person no matter where you go. Pastry Chef." "thanks." Muto's eyes fell on the plate on the table, as if he suddenly remembered something. "This dessert... what is it? It seems to use red wine." "This dessert is prunes stewed in red wine." "Plum? Do you mean candied dates?" "Yes. Usually fresh plums are dried and made into dried plums, so they are also called candied dates. This dessert is boiled with wine, sugar, water and orange slices. A little spice is also added to enhance the taste... Sun-dried prunes will become puffy and soft after cooking like this, which is very delicious. Although it is very simple, it is also a dessert! Reminds you of eating snowflake custard feeling." "That's right! The sauce made of white wine was used back then." Muto was full of nostalgia.Even though it was only a few months ago, it seems like a distant memory. "Because I used white wine for the first time, so I tried to use red wine this time. I think you should be more daring to eat desserts with similar flavors, and you will have a good time eating them." ——As long as she has this kind of intention, that's enough... Muto saluted Xia Zhi deeply. "Thank you for taking care of me. Thanks to Morisawa-san, I finally know a little about desserts." "That...Mr. Muto." "What's up?" "Dessert is not something that requires courage to eat, so when you want to eat something sweet, just eat it with a relaxed mood. Don't force yourself. Please enjoy dessert happily in the future!" Muto smiled back at Xiaori. Xia Zhi seemed to know that Muto understood what he meant, and smiled back. Take courage and approach dessert.Muto thought to himself: I will never have such an opportunity again.Because the planning project has been handed over to Reiko or Xitou's top management.That's fine, anyway, for me, dessert planning without Xia Zhi's participation is meaningless.