Today’s yuzuke sold out safely as well. I’ve been making a little more each day, but lately it has been selling out before closing more and more often. I need to talk with Yoshi-san about tomorrow’s amount...

Ah, I should hurry and start cooking soon, or else Yasu-san and Tokitsugu-san will arrive.

I wonder how I should prepare the eggs. For the first dish, I’m thinking of making eggs and daikon simmered together... but hm, I feel like I need one more dish.

Maybe I’ll think it through while I cook.

First, I’ll make the simmered eggs and daikon. While the rice-rinsing water is coming to a boil, I peel the daikon and slice it into rounds.

Grandma once told me that using rice-rinsing water helps the daikon absorb flavor more easily. Whenever I cook, I end up thinking about Grandma.

I’m sure it’s because she’s the one who taught me how joyful cooking can be.

Now then... once the rice water boils, I’ll simmer the daikon and eggs together. When the daikon is cooked through, I’ll drain the rice water, peel the eggs, and put both the eggs and daikon into the pot.

I’d really rather reduce this with soy sauce and dashi, but for now all I have is miso, so miso it is.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how badly I want soy sauce. Miso is delicious too, but the truth is I’m starting to get a little tired of it.

I added water and miso to the pot with the eggs and daikon, brought it to a boil, then laid a lid on top and let it simmer for a while. The wonderful scent of miso spreads through the room.

My stomach growls.

I’ve been thinking lately that I’m a little tired of miso flavor, but honestly, I still can’t win against that smell.

After simmering for a bit, I move the pot off the heat and let it cool. Apparently, letting it cool once helps the flavor sink in.

When Yasu-san and Tokitsugu-san arrive, I’ll heat it up again and it’ll be finished. Come to think of it, Tokitsugu-san had asked me for a plum rice ball.

Serving everything the same way would be dull, so if he liked the plum rice ball, maybe he’d like this too. I prepare it with that thought in mind.

I shaped the plum rice balls I made yesterday, along with rice balls filled with butterbur and spicy miso. Then I make one more rice ball, something different from yesterday.

And another one will be a grilled rice ball, I think. It’s one of my favorite foods, even in the modern world.

Is something I used to eat on my days off.

First, I prepare the brown rice and place it in my palm. At first I considered filling it with plum, but since Yoshi-san had some homemade miso-daikon, I decided to use that instead.

After all, miso-daikon is the perfect filling for a grilled rice ball.

I cut Yoshi-san’s homemade miso-daikon into bite-sized pieces, then cut one extra piece. I pop the extra piece into my mouth.

“ Mm... salty… ”

It’s pretty salty, but once I chew it, the daikon’s savory flavor comes out. It tastes like Grandma’s cooking. That crisp, crunchy bite is irresistible too.

Tasting as you cook is one of the privileges of the cook.

After tasting it, I place the miso-daikon on the rice ball and shape it tightly. Next make the miso that will be spread over the rice ball. Since I don’t have sugar, I’ll use this instead.

Brown-rice amazake that I made while helping around the shop. I made it with Yoshi-san’s help too.

The rice malt ingredient had been left by the well, and Yoshi-san brought it over. I have no idea who left it there or for what purpose, but since it would only spoil if left alone, I decided to gratefully use it.

For a moment, I remembered that person I met by the well... but no, surely not.

I bring over the brown-rice amazake that’s been chilled by the well and taste it. This is the first time I’ve made amazake from brown rice, so I’m nervous and taste it again.

By the way, I also tasted the freshly made warm amazake with Yoshi-san. When you make something for the first time, you can’t help tasting it over and over because you’re so nervous.

“ Haa... delicious… ”

Cold amazake has a different kind of deliciousness from warm amazake.

Sweet things are still new to me in this era. I could drink it endlessly. But I want Yasu-san and Tokitsugu-san to try it too, so I'll stop there.

Pulling myself together, I make the miso that will go on the rice balls. Miso and brown-rice amazake—mix well, and it’s done.

I spread the sweet amazake miso over the rice balls, place a grill over the hearth, and start to roast them.

Soon, the scent of miso beginning to char drifts through the air. Again and again, I brush both sides with amazake miso and keep roasting.

I want to eat this myself!

For the final touch, I wrap the day’s star ingredient— shiso —around the rice balls like seaweed. This shiso really shines here. Wrapped around the grilled rice ball, it can even become the star of the dish.

The rich miso and the refreshing shiso go together so well.

Just imagining it in my mouth makes my mouth water. Ah... I want to eat it. Suppressing my own greed, I let the rice balls cool a little, then wrapped them in bamboo leaves.

By the time I finished making the rice balls, Yasu-san and Tokitsugu-san arrived.

Yasu-san came into the house first, and Tokitsugu-san followed.

“ Sorry to bother you. ”

“ Excuse us. ”

Yoshi-san greeted them. I left the kitchen and went to stand beside Yoshi-san to greet them as well.

“ Welcome. ”

“ Thanks for all your hard work. We’re counting on you today. ”

My body tensed up on its own. Seeing that, Yasu-san burst out laughing.

“ Hah! What’s with that nervous face? And Tokitsugu’s brought you a souvenir. ”

A souvenir from Tokitsugu-san? I wonder what it is. When I looked at Tokitsugu-san, he was holding something in his hand.

“ I caught a pheasant on the way here. If you’d like it. ”

“ Tokitsugu spotted it, grabbed a pebble, and hit it square on the head with one shot. That’s no small feat. ”

As Yasu-san spoke, he nodded vigorously, clearly recalling the scene. It seems they butchered the pheasant right away, so it was ready to cook as it was.

A pheasant... that’s a bird, right? I had been wondering what to make as a second dish, but… Maybe I’ll go with that thing both children and adults loved, even in the modern world.

“ Thank you so much, Tokitsugu-san! I’ll make good use of it.”

I accepted the pheasant meat, then, overflowing with gratitude, I clasped Tokitsugu-san’s hands and shook them up and down.

“ I’m... glad you like it… ”

Tokitsugu-san covered his mouth and looked away. The slight redness in his cheeks is definitely just because it’s hot, I told myself firmly, and carried the pheasant meat to the kitchen.

When I peeked at Tokitsugu-san from the kitchen, he had already returned to his usual expression. Hm? Maybe what I saw earlier was just my imagination... it must really have been the heat.

All right, then. Time to get serious and start cooking!!

This series has advanced chapters, you can check out my Kofi!