Mag had tasted many types of exceptional wine in the past, including the likes of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Chateau Petrus, Château Lafite-Rothschild… But in comparison, none of those extremely renowned wines of exceptional quality and astronomical prices could compare with the gla.s.s of wine he was holding.The aroma of roses intertwined with the scents of other fruits, creating an indistinct yet irresistible flavor.
The texture of the Pinot Noir grapes was still clearly detectable, but it was interspersed with another unique aroma. It was exactly this aroma that set this wine apart from its Domaine de la Romanée-Conti counterpart, transforming it into something completely different.
Perhaps it was due to the alcohol content in the wine, but Mag was feeling a hint of heat rise up within his body after swallowing the mouthful of wine.
He felt as if he were situated within a winery, with an abundance of large, supple black grapes hanging on the vines around him. Off to the side, there was a cellar emanating the faint aroma of wine, and there was a series of oak wood barrels filled with red wine stacked on top of each other, silently waiting for someone to sample their contents.
"This is an exceptional wine." Mag only opened his eyes again after a long while, and he stared at the gla.s.s of wine in his hand with an incredulous expression.
In terms of texture and flavor, this wine had indeed completely surpa.s.sed Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wine. It was just that it was slightly lacking in body, which was a consequence of its relatively short period of storage in the cellar. However, its other outstanding qualities more than made up for this slight flaw.
Mag put down his gla.s.s, and murmured to himself, "It really does feel like a waste to use such fantastic wine to cook steak…"
If this wine were to gain sufficient fame, it would definitely sell for a higher price than Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wine at auctions.
If someone in his past life were to proclaim that they were going to use Domaine de la Romanée-Conti wine to cook steak, they would most likely get beaten to death by all of the avid wine enthusiasts in the world.
"Using the best ingredients to cook the best food is the most basic benchmark a G.o.d of Cookery should strive for. You have to rectify your pettiness; only then will you have the chance to become a true G.o.d of Cookery!" The system"s vehement voice sounded.
"Then how about you give me a one-copper-coin discount for each barrel of wine?"
"No way! A discount of one copper coin is one too many!" the system refused sternly.
"You sure aren"t petty at all." Mag pursed his lips.
He pulled out three portions of steak from the fridge and began cooking.
The steaks also came from Ironhide Bulls, and Mag could tell that the steak had been procured from the same batch of cows that had supplied the rib-eye beef for the kebabs. This reduced the wastage of ingredients, and would also ensure that the quality of the beef was even better than that of the beef used during the banquet.
Three portions of steak were quickly cooked, and Mag plated them in an expert manner. Black pepper sauce was then poured over the steaks, while vibrant secondary ingredients embellished the dishes, making the steaks appear even more appealing.
That smells so good! Babla gulped involuntarily as she turned toward the kitchen. The delectable aroma of steak was wafting out of the kitchen; this was a more mellow scent in contrast with the scorching stimulative aroma of the roast beef kebabs. However, it smelled no less delicious, and the faint accompanying aroma of wine threatened to intoxicate her before the dish had even reached the table.
No! I can"t make it look like I really want to eat it. I have to be reserved and graceful like a princess should be! Babla thought to herself as she wrenched her gaze away from the kitchen, but her stomach betrayed her as it began to growl like a hungry beast.
She had just fainted from hunger, and even though she had been slightly reinvigorated by the sugar water, waves of feebleness and desire were was.h.i.+ng over her uncontrollably as she caught a whiff of the steak"s rich aroma.
She wanted nothing more than to stuff a ma.s.sive piece of beef into her rumbling stomach.
"Huh? Is someone"s stomach growling?" Amy looked around with a confused expression.
"It"s the cat!" Babla immediately pointed her finger at Ugly Duckling.
"Ugly Duckling, didn"t you have a lot to eat tonight already? Why is your stomach grumbling again? This won"t do! You"ll get so fat that you"ll become a ball!" Amy looked down at Ugly Duckling with a stern expression.
"Meow~" Ugly Duckling looked up at Amy with a pitiable expression as it tried to explain itself.
"There"s no need to explain, run 10 laps around the restaurant first." Amy placed Ugly Duckling down onto the ground with a stern look.
"Meow~" Ugly Duckling aimed a resentful glance at Babla before reluctantly jogging around the restaurant.
Babla looked up at the crystal chandelier and heaved a faint sigh of relief. Her dignity as a princess had been preserved.
"Grooowl…"
Babla"s stomach began to growl again; her expression changed slightly as she took a sip of water from her gla.s.s, trying her best to make it appear as if she were oblivious to the incessant rumbling noise.
"Huh?" Amy began to look around again with a curious expression.
"Alright, the black pepper steaks are done." Mag carried three portions of steak out of the kitchen, placing one each in front of Babla and Amy. He then took off his ap.r.o.n and sat down with the final portion of steak on the table in front of him. He hadn"t had a chance to taste the steak yet.
"Wow! It smells so good! And it looks really pretty as well!" Amy"s eyes lit up as she was immediately drawn to the steak before her.
Babla heaved a faint sigh of relief, but her gaze was also quickly attracted to her steak.
The steaks had been pan-seared to a golden brown color. Each portion was around the size of a human hand, and there were thin long lines running along the surface of the steaks, glistening with droplets of oil. The thick sauce was emanating a unique aroma, making one involuntarily salivate.
The aroma of the beef was intermingled with the fragrance of the red wine as it wafted through the air, entrancing and intoxicating.
Compared to the rather dark color of the steak, the secondary ingredients positioned beside the steaks were very bright and vibrant in color. There were colorful peppers, as well as a green vegetable that looked like a flower; the combination of the two immediately lit up the celadon porcelain plate.
Will a big chunk of beef like this really taste good? Babla"s heart was filled with a mixture of suspicion and antic.i.p.ation. However, she didn"t know how she was supposed to eat this large steak. Grabbing it and taking bites straight out of the beef was for neanderthals, yet using chopsticks would make the dining process very inconvenient. As such, she was at a loss for what to do.
"You know how steaks should be eaten, right?" Mag asked.
"O… Of course I do," Babla replied stubbornly, but she still didn"t dig in. Instead, she looked at Mag and Amy out of the corner of her eye, trying to figure out how to eat this steak by observing them.
"Good." Mag nodded, and dragged Amy"s plate over to himself before using his knife and fork to slice her steak into bite-sized chunks.
So you have to slice it up! Babla"s eyes lit up as she turned her gaze toward the knife and fork beside her. She then emulated Mag by picking up her silverware and slicing into her steak.
The knife was able to easily tear through the succulent beef, upon which the delectable aroma lurking within the meat instantly blossomed, causing Babla"s eyes to light up even further.
"What?!" However, Babla immediately stiffened after slicing off a small morsel of beef as she could see b.l.o.o.d.y red fibers within the steak.