My Lady Chef

Chapter 79: Beef Stew and Chicken Congee

Ezran's POV:

The mess hall inside the Guthrie Royal Palace was beginning to fill up with senior knights and officials.

Ever since we conquered this city. We all take our dinners together in this spacious area that received

minimal damage during our siege.

I noticed with some irritation how one of Lady Lorax's man was waiting for me as I left my room for

supper.

"Milord, Lady Lorax requests that you escort her to supper."

"I will do no such thing. She is here to give us supplies and return home where she would be safe."

"My Lady strongly wishes that you escort her, Your Grace. She has been supervising the food for

tonight's dinner and desires your opinion on the food prepared."

I frowned and sent him away as I walked towards the mess hall where everyone was seated and

waited to be served as they drank some ale and beer to fill their bellies.

As I took my seat, one of the soldier cooks who was fixing our meals came in looking harassed and

stressed.

"Your Grace, I was sent by the Lady Lorax with a message. She is asking you to escort her to the mess

hall or else she will withhold the meals from being served."

I frowned and noticed how my men and the senior knights seem to be getting drunken and unruly with

every sip of alcohol so I walked towards the mess hall and stopped midway at what I just saw in the

kitchen.

It was rather chaotic. The cacophony of noises and the tense air of cooks trying to complete dishes

made me frown when I saw the dishes being placed on the plates.

My eyes saw fishes stewed in broth, succulent beef roast with mashed carrots and peas, baked fowl

with mushrooms and potatoes as well as an assortment of bread, bowls of butter and honey being

brought out towards the mess hall.

It was a veritable feast and I saw one chef amidst the soldier cooks barking out orders. This man must

be a cook from the Lorax House as I have never seen him before.

Immediately, my arm was grabbed by someone and the smell of roses heralded just who it was.

"Did you like the magic my chef did for tonight's supper? Only the best food for you and your army,

Milord."

I looked at Margaret who looked out of place in the noisy kitchen in her deep blue gown and elegant

hairdo.

She looked ready to attend a ball, not a simple supper at the mess hall.

"Thank for doing this, Lady Lorax." I shook her hold off and scowled at her. "But next time, refrain from

using everything from the supplies for one fancy dinner. The true reason for the food supplies and aid

was to make sure it lasts us for a while since we are still at war."

"But the nobles most be very tired of eating hard meat, cheese and bread. You need a good meal

befitting your station!"

My foot came down on the hard floor and the vibration from the force of my foot made everyone freeze.

"We are at war. You are under my jurisdiction and protection while you are here. If I say we do not need

anything fancy. Either you follow my orders or pack your bags and leave."

She looked shocked that I would scold her as I wondered how many scraps and wastes will have to be

recovered to be given to the poor as I left her side as she stood in the kitchen like a fool.

It made me furious how she would stupidly try to win me back with such a display.

If only....she had organized the soup kitchens for the common people instead of trying to impress me

then I would have been truly grateful.

But none of the soldier cooks in my employ would wanna tackle something so tedious and labor

intensive as running the soup kitchen.

As I left the large kitchen, I took a shortcut through the kitchen's open field and stopped at what I saw. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The people were working diligently. These were not the same aimless men I saw these past few days.

There were men chopping, peeling and cleaning produce and a few men cutting up meat while a few

young boys were tasked with stirring the stew pots. A few younger squares whizzed pass me and held

the herbs and freshly picked mushrooms to Elena for inspection.

Amazing. She managed to arranged and command people so easily.

Like a formidable general in the battlefield.

The firelight and sunset painted her figure lovingly as if she was an angel and I felt my body stirring at

the way she smelled on sprig of parsley and thyme before nodding and taught them to make some sort

of herb bouquet before she commanded all the bous stirring the pots to put their spoons out for tasting.

"Great. Good. Needs more salt." She used a small bowl and spoon to taste the soup or stew and

seasoned or took a vegetable to throw into the boiling pot before she had an empty pot heated against

a blazing fire and began cooking.

She carefully had men throw in aromatic spices at first like onions and garlic and then browned a

generous amount of beef chunks before shepoured in the broth and stirred in a few huge herb

bouquets which was something I have never seen before...

But I noticed the rich beefy smell and sighed at the richness of it.

Then I noticed a pot filled with some odd mushy white substance being stirred by one of the boys....

As I got closer, Curiosity me look and I wondered what is this? The smell of chicken wafted inside my

nose but there was also a hint of strong aromatic that is not onion, tomato or even garlic....

"Just...what is this soup?" I took a spoon from the nearby table and took a small amount and cooled it

first before slurping.

The gentle business was not unplesant but the texture allowed the gentle yet tasty flavors of the

chicken to come out. The slight sharpness of the mystery herb finally made sense.

"She put ginger in this soup but this white thing is..."

"Rice."

I turned around to find Miss Elene looking proud of her efforts but the moment our gazes collide, she

curtsied and bowed.

"So you took charge of cooking. Tell me what food did you prepare for the people?"

"Beef Stew and Chicken Congee, sire. The first 4 pots are ready to be distributed to the hungry people

waiting by the east gate. I have some extra pots currently stewing in case more come."

Her confidence reminded me of my Alaina. It seems like she was certain of her cooking so I had my

men open the east gate and soon a line formed to get some stew or congee.

And from the looks of it, the people loved it. Their satisfied faces and noisy slurps of their spoons was

evidence that she succeeded.

Out of curiosity. I had some of the soldier cooks bring me two bowls of the beef stew and this soup she

calls congee.

As I watched her supervise the people handing out bowls of foods to the city folk and the low tiered

warriors, I broke off a piece of loaf that came with the stew and took a bite.

Normally our soldier cooks could make an adequate stew but I was surprised at how flavorful the meat

and vegetables were and how thick the stew was. To achieve this kind of mouth feel was further

elevated by the herbs she mixed in and the crusty bread that was baked to go along with it.

The first spoon of stew was absolutely delicious.

Ahhh so warm...nights here in Guthrie are chilly so having a delicious bowl of stew is the best...

This stew was absolutely fragrant, delicious and filling that I finished the bowl in no time and I was

reaching for the congee.

In contrast to the stew's rich flavor. This congee was a mild rice porridge flavoured with sliced chicken,

chicken broth, roasted garlic and green onions. It was a gentle taste and aroma that relaxed my senses

while keeping my belly full.

After finishing the whole bowl. I realized that that mysterious aromatic in the porridge was ginger, a type

of vegetable from the Exotic Lands.

Laughter and conversation flowed around the benches and tables occupied by the warriors as they

smiled and talked over good food while the city folks asked for seconds to take to their families. And in

the center of it all...

was this petite slip of a woman, who never stopped serving them till everyone has eaten. She had a

gentle smile for everyone regardless of their status, be it a warrior or a civilian.

Even the young Lady Lorelei was enjoying serving the others by her side while the young knight called

Kain watched them discreetly a feet away.

Again, something about her bothers me. Her smile and her mannerisms were too familiar.

I stood up from my bench and walked towards her.

Maybe I can get a better grasp of who she is if I talk to her longer...

But she eluded me everytime. My senses tingled and I was surprised that I was actually more intrigued

with this woman.