It took a while before Carina returns to the kitchen after delivering the snack for my girls. With apologetic looks on her face, she explains why she takes a little longer to return to the kitchen"Sorry, I was asked many questions back there by miss Celes"
"It"s okay…Do you want to eat your pancake now? It"s still warm because just made. I will still in the kitchen to teach the cooks here another recipe. You can wait for me while eating your pancake"
"Yes! Please give me that pancake. I already can"t hold my drool to eat that pancake"
"Hahaha…sure. Enjoy the food, Carina"
I give her another pancake that just made by the cooks while waiting for her return to the kitchen. And as I say to Carina, I still want to add another recipe for the cooks to make during the banquet. I will present the appetizer with various dishes and pastry if possible. Now, what should I teach them to make this time…something that simple and easy to make like the pancake. Also, don"t need ingredients that can"t commonly find here like b.u.t.ter. I"ve thought about making something like j.a.panese Dango, but it"s not feasible since it needs rice flour, rice already in a limited amount not to mention the rice flour. So, dango is impossible right now. I"m thinking about western pastry that easy and simple to make, and come up with a cla.s.sic cookie that only needs 2 ingredients, sugar and white of eggs. It"s a cla.s.sic cookie called "Meringue"…
I called the pastry cooks once again and tell them about another new recipe
"Guys, I have another recipe to teach, but it would need patience and strong arms"
"We will not disappoint you young master Henry"
"Alright, please prepared 4 white of eggs, a pinch of salt, and sugar for me. Be careful when separating the yolk and white from the egg, a little yolk carried in the white of eggs will ruin the cookies, so pay attention"
They know what should do, and in a short time, a bowl contains white of eggs already prepared for me.
"Okay, let"s start and pay attention to my demonstration"
The first step to making meringue is whisked egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well between each addition, until sugar dissolves.
Pipe or scoop tablespoons of the meringue onto the prepared baking tray, s.p.a.cing approximately 2 inches apart.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, stop bake before the color starts to turn into brown,
After put the meringue batter in the baking tray and put it in the oven, I must have to wait about an hour. This time I will use to take a bath, so I instructed the cooks to pay attention to the batter in the oven and told them to take the meringue out from oven when the batter"s color about to change from white into brown.
So, I take this chance to take a bath while waiting for the meringue finish to baked
"Carina….have you done eat your pancake?"
I see she already finish the pancake in front of her. I don"t know how many she already eats because I see she ask for another serving.
"Yes, I"m full"
"Hmm…how many pancakes you eat today huh?"
"Hehe, …only three. Can"t help it because it tastes so delish…fluffy and sweet"
"Glad you like it. Okay, let"s go, I"m done in here"
We left the kitchen and heading to my room, but in the middle of the way, I change my mind and want to see my fiancé for a while and ask her opinion about the pancake.
"Hmm…Carina, you go ahead and prepare the bath, if possible I want to bath in warm water. I will see my fiancé first before heading to the bathroom"
"Okay, see you there then, Henry"
We parting this way and heading to our own destination. I"m heading to castle"s east wing where female reside while Carina heading to the west wing.
When I arrive at my fiancé"s room and knock the door, Clara opens the door for me and I see my sister also still there with my fiancé.
"h.e.l.lo, girls…I hope I"m not interrupting your talk here"
"Oh Henry…you"re not interrupting anything, please come inside"
When I come inside, I see the snacks plates already empty and only tea that still remain in their cups.
"Hmm…. Did the snacks too little? I"ll add some more next time"
"No, it"s enough Henry…we already full right now and they all taste good"
"How about the pancake? Do you like it?"
"Mmm…it"s soft and sweet, taste nice" (Celes)
"Can we eat that pancake again tomorrow, Henry?" (Eliza)
"Henry"s dish always delicious" (Clara and Claire)
"Oh, I"m glad that you all like that dish. I"ll make it for breakfast too tomorrow then"
"Yay! That"s a promise Henry, but why not for dinner tonight?"
"I already make another new dish for tonight"s dinner, so give that new dish a chance, will you?"
"A new one? Henry…do you still can make other new dishes as well?"
"Hmm…if I have the ingredients…there"ll hundreds of new dishes I can make. I only can make with available ingredients right now"
"Oh, what a pity…Ah, how if you visit Stamfort castle? Maybe you can find ingredients that not available here in there"
Hmm….Celes suggestion makes sense. Stamfort castle has wider territory than Harvard castle. The taxes also come from every corner of southern territory, something that I can"t get here maybe can be found there. but I"m still in the middle of the salt project and can"t be left before the project can fully be established.
"That"s a good idea. When I visit you later I will have to ask you to accompany me looking for ingredients in Stamfort castle, Celes"
"Mmm…I"ll wait for you to visit me"
"Well, see you again at dinner, girls…I take my leave then. My body smells from the kitchen and needs to take bath"
Since I already get their opinion about my new dish Pancake, I can take a bath now. I say goodbye to them and promise to see them again in the dinner later. But before I step out from Celes" room,
"Henry…can I speak with you alone?"
It"s my sister who asks me to talk with. I wonder what she wants to talk with me, maybe about her new engagement with Sir Anthony maybe since she wants to talk with me in private?
"Sure"
My sister excuses herself to my fiancé and to Clara and Claire before leaving the room with me.
"Let"s go to my room Henry, I have something to discuss with you"
"Okay…let"s go"
We both walk together to my sister"s room which not too far from Celes"s room. There"s nothing she said during our walk and I"m not in a hurry to hear what she want to say, so I just follow her return to her room quietly.