Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　But your mistake was that you made French-style baked escargot!

　Bai Yuan's voice was stern. There was nothing wrong with snails as ingredients; the problem was that she was making snail dishes!

　"Because I made French-style baked escargot?"

　Lia muttered to herself, and combining this with what Bai Yuan had said at the beginning, she seemed to suddenly understand something, and collapsed to the ground.

　"You haven't grasped the meaning of the topic at all. You're just doing what you know how to do, thinking that as long as you put what you're good at on the table, you can get good results, while ignoring the most important thing: thinking!"

　Bai Yuan bluntly stated Liya's thoughts, and it was easy to guess what she was thinking.

　It's simply because I'm good at this dish, and this French-style baked snails and the beef-but-not-beef dish are very similar in theme, so I was momentarily confused and lost my mind.

　"I overlooked the most important consideration..."

　Lia repeated Bai Yuan's words in a low voice, biting her lower lip, looking lost and dejected.

　"That's right. In the end, snails are not beef, so there's no problem with the subject matter."

　But instead of preparing the snails in the shape of beef, you made a dish with snails as the main ingredient—that's your problem! You underestimated this test!

　The skillful old woman also spoke up at this moment, her eyes revealing a rare seriousness.

　If even something like this can pass the assessment, then the assessment is far too insignificant and completely meaningless!

　"You should feel ashamed of your unoriginal dishes, which you try to cover up with your superb skills."

　The skillful old woman spoke sternly.

　Throughout history, there have been many chefs like this: they have a solid foundation, but lack the creativity expected of a chef.

　Such a chef can become a pillar of the culinary world, and the culinary world needs such a chef, but he will never become a master chef!

　You should take a look at this more often.

　The world, not just the small world of the kitchen, is the place to judge this kind of cooking. Go back and hone your skills for another year before coming back to challenge yourself!

　Looking at Leah who had fallen to the ground, the skillful old woman's voice was devoid of any emotion. She had seen this kind of thing many times before and was already used to it!

　Chapter Sixty-Nine: Who is the Ultimate Winner?

　"This dish has no problem in terms of taste. It is a very traditional French baked snail. The skill is even better than that of many veteran chefs who specialize in this dish."

　Before your next trip to China, remember to learn Chinese well. The theme "Beef that isn't beef" means making a dish that tastes like beef using ingredients that aren't beef. In other words, you've already misunderstood the concept from the start.

　Picking up his fork, Bai Yuan tasted the dish in front of him. The taste was passable, with no major flaws, and it reached the top-grade level.

　Logically speaking, a chef like this should have accumulated a considerable amount of culinary experience and shouldn't be able to get even the most basic culinary theme wrong.

　After thinking for a moment, Bai Yuan re-explained the true meaning of the assessment theme to her in French.

　When Leah heard his voice, she looked up, her eyes already streaked with tears, and her expression was slightly surprised.

　Do you speak French?

　"I was bored and read some books to teach myself a little bit. In short, that's it. Your cooking has completely gone off-topic."

　Bai Yuan shrugged and finished off the remaining French-style baked snails on the plate.

　Snail meat has a unique sweet and slightly chewy texture, neither too dry nor too greasy, making it a perfect match for sauce.

　The French-style baked snails in front of me have perfectly absorbed the essence of the sauce, resulting in an incredibly rich flavor and a truly delicious taste.

　No wonder Leah was so confident that her dish would definitely receive the highest score. Judging solely by taste and attention to detail, her French-style baked escargot was absolutely the most perfectly executed dish of the day!

　"I see. Did you mean by 'you lacked thought' earlier that I started making it without seriously understanding the questions for this top-level assessment?"

　"That's right, with your abilities, you shouldn't make such a basic mistake."

　Bai Yuan quickly replied in French that if the opponent could correctly understand the question and create a dish that resembled beef but wasn't, their chances of advancing weren't low.

　After all, she and her brother had both passed the French Grand Chef exam.

　After hearing Bai Yuan's words, Liya silently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and her whole being became clear-headed.

　Chinese is a very difficult language. She and her brother studied it for a year and only mastered the basics. This time, the theme is "Beef is not beef".

　The moment she saw it, the image of French-style baked snails popped into her mind, and she immediately went to cook it without delving into the deeper meaning of the title, which led to such a big misunderstanding.

　"I understand! I will continue to study Chinese and carefully study the meaning of the questions. I will come here again next year."

　If you still can't pass the exam, then try again the year after! You'll keep trying until you pass Guangzhou's top-level exam!

　Hearing Bai Yuan praise her abilities, Liya blushed slightly, then looked up at the boy's face, her heart beating a little faster.

　A strange idea popped into her mind.

　"That's how a chef should be. When faced with difficulties, you should rise to the challenge instead of giving up. You already have the true soul of a chef. I hope you can achieve great results next year!"

　Hearing Lia's words and seeing her determined expression, Bai Yuan nodded with great satisfaction.

　Correcting a child who has gone astray little by little, and seeing her improve, brings a sense of accomplishment that comes from within, which is truly irresistible!

　"Um... I have a request, and I hope you will grant it."

　Brushing the dust off her skirt, Lia stood up from the ground and jogged over to Bai Yuan. Looking at his handsome face, her fingers unconsciously twirled the hem of her clothes, and her face flushed slightly.

　"Huh? What request...?"

　Small lips, a high nose bridge, dazzling blonde hair like sunshine, flawless white skin, and a height of around 1.6 meters is the most suitable height for output, very good!

　Although he knew he shouldn't think in that direction, seeing the girl's shy appearance, Bai Yuan still felt a sense of anticipation, but he remained calm on the surface and maintained his aloof persona.

　"I'd like to borrow yours for a bit..."

　"can!"

　"A dragon-shaped armband. I haven't finished speaking yet, and you agreed so readily?"

　Tilting her head and pouting slightly, the girl looked at Bai Yuan in surprise, then smiled. Clearly, his agreement had improved her mood considerably.

　"We Chinese are very generous, and we usually won't refuse such a small thing. If you want to wear it, then go ahead and wear it..."

　Bai Yuan turned his head away with a deadpan expression and said that he had already guessed it. Since the other party was so eager for the Chinese dragon-shaped armband, it was only natural that they came to borrow it.

　Just as he expected, yes, that's exactly what he was thinking.

　"That's great! Thank you, you're such a kind person!"

　"That's what Lia said from the bottom of her heart."

　Bai Yuan not only answered her questions but also lent her the dragon-shaped armband, which truly makes him...

　He's a really nice guy, and handsome too.

　"You are welcome."

　After saying this, Bai Yuan shifted his gaze from Liya's face to the skillful old woman not far away, who immediately understood.

　"The review continues, now it's Amu's turn at Chaoweifang."

　At the same time, after hearing what the skillful old woman said, Amu immediately stood up to prepare to introduce the topic, and Liya also sat down next to Bai Yuan.

　However, Bai Yuan's attention was no longer on her at this moment; his eyes were fixed on a plate of something that looked like beef jerky in front of him.

　"The name of this dish is Hand-Shredded Vegetarian Beef."

　I soaked the dried shiitake mushrooms until they were rehydrated, then tore them into small strips of roughly the same size by hand. After trimming off the excess parts, I squeezed out the excess water. Then I added soy sauce, salt, sugar, five-spice powder, chili powder, and cumin powder, and mixed it well.

　Marinate for 10-15 minutes to allow the soaked and squeezed shiitake mushrooms to fully absorb the flavor of the seasonings. Then put them in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, turning them over occasionally to ensure even heating.

　This hand-shredded vegetarian beef, fresh from the pot, tastes and feels exactly like real beef jerky! This is my answer to whether it's beef or not; please try it.

　As Iron-Armed Amu spoke, he stretched out his large palm and gestured for the group to join him. Bai Yuan picked up the vegetarian beef jerky from the plate the instant Amu finished speaking.

　After observing it for a while, I put it directly into my mouth and started chewing.

　"The taste is quite good, with a refreshing flavor and a slight spiciness. Because it uses high-quality ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, it has a slightly chewy texture, giving you the feeling of chewing real beef."

　And with every bite, you can feel its richness and fullness, giving you the satisfying feeling of eating a big chunk of meat, and it won't get stuck in your teeth!

　As he savored the taste in his mouth, Bai Yuan nodded. Although the method of making this hand-shredded vegetarian beef jerky was not complicated, the taste was surprisingly good, truly showcasing the chewy texture of beef jerky.

　"During the baking process, the edges of the vegetarian beef jerky become slightly crispy, which contrasts with the chewy interior and greatly enriches the overall taste."

　After swallowing the vegetarian beef jerky in her mouth, Jin Lanyu also gave it a good review, saying that simple cooking does not mean that the food will taste bad.

　This vegetarian beef jerky is a great snack.

　"Shiitake mushrooms, as a vegetarian ingredient, have a certain aroma."

　After roasting, the aroma becomes even more intense and blends with the flavors of the seasonings, creating a uniquely rich and delicious flavor.

　With her fingers pressed against her chest, Kakuzaki Taki opened her eyes and spoke of everything she had felt, her cheeks flushed slightly.

　"It feels slightly different from real beef jerky, but overall it's a very good imitation and it's really suitable for this subject."

　Lia spoke up, saying that after Bai Yuan's explanation, she had completely understood the meaning of the theme of this assessment: to make a dish that tastes like beef using non-beef ingredients.

　It turns out she made such a big mistake before. No wonder the examiner was so angry. Using snail meat as the subject matter was way too far off-topic!

　Damn it, it's just a few Chinese characters, why is it so hard to understand!

　"Did all the contestants use soybeans and mushrooms to make their vegetarian beef...?"

　Even if vegetarian beef is the best solution for tonight's theme, it would be a bit too rigid for all chefs in China to think this way.

　Looking at everything before her, the skillful old woman couldn't help but sigh inwardly. She actually longed to see something different from the traditional beef—not beef at all.

　It seems unlikely that this will happen this year.

　"Now, let's have the last one come up, Japanese chef Kakuzaki Taki."

　Seeing that everyone had finished tasting, the skillful old lady turned her attention to the last contestant, Kakuzaki Taki. What kind of dish would this young girl from Japan bring? Would it be a surprise or a shock?

　"Go ahead and let me see what you're capable of."

　Seeing that Kakuzaki Taki was slightly nervous and was constantly taking deep breaths, Bai Yuan raised his hand and patted her back, his inner force circulating through her body.

　In an instant, the feeling of tension vanished completely.

　"My dish is called Spanish Nut Vegetarian Beef Stew."

　It involves mixing chopped walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, and chia seeds, then adding cornstarch, soybean pulp, and seasonings, stirring until the mixture is slightly bound together to create a texture similar to beef chunks.

　Kakuzaki Taki stood beside Shiro and began to talk incessantly. She had thought about this dish for a long time and finally came up with the idea of ​​using various nuts, adding water starch and seasonings to make vegetarian beef that had a similar texture and taste to beef.

　However, she later found that this method did not work. The mixture of water starch and nuts tasted worse than she had imagined. Just when she was puzzled, she discovered that Jin Lanyu used soybean residue.

　As if by some strange twist of fate, she ran to the ingredient section, grabbed a bowl of soybeans, quickly extracted soy milk, and added the soy pulp to her nut-based vegetarian beef. The taste improved noticeably! So she adjusted the proportions and created the second-generation nut-based vegetarian beef.

　"To make the vegetarian beef chunks more uniform, I pressed them slightly with a mold during the making process, and then cut them into small pieces of nut-based vegetarian beef about one centimeter wide with a knife."

　The rest is cooked using the Spanish stew method: heat olive oil in a pot, sauté minced onions and garlic until fragrant, then add paprika, rosemary, and thyme.

　Spices and other spices enhance the overall flavor.

　Next, add the chopped tomatoes, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers to the pot and stir-fry. Once the vegetables have softened slightly, add the potato chunks and continue stir-frying.

　Once this part is done, add vegetable broth, salt, black pepper, and a little red wine to enhance the flavor. Then add the previously prepared nut-based beef cubes, spread them evenly over the vegetables, cover the pot, and simmer over low heat.

　Stir occasionally during the stewing process to ensure that the nut-based vegetarian beef can fully absorb the flavor of the broth.

　Turn off the heat when the broth has thickened, the vegetables are cooked through, and the vegetarian beef with nuts is tender yet chewy. Transfer the dish to a plate.

　This is Spanish nut-based vegetarian beef stew, and also my understanding of the concept of "beef and non-beef" in this dish. I hope everyone can give it a fair evaluation.

　Since it was his first time participating in this kind of assessment, Kakuzaki Taki explained the entire cooking process directly, and finally bowed deeply to everyone.

　After finishing these tasks, she looked at Bai Yuan, her eyes filled with anticipation.

　"Using nuts to make vegetarian beef is a very good idea in every respect."

　First, nuts can give vegetarian beef cubes a unique texture.

　Secondly, different types of nuts have their own unique flavors; the sweetness of almonds and the richness of walnuts intertwine and blend in the vegetarian beef cubes, significantly enhancing the overall flavor and making it even more delicious.

　Bai Yuan didn't disappoint Kakuzaki Taki, speaking up for her very actively. However, he didn't make things up; using nuts to make beef was indeed unique to this place.

　Putting everything else aside, the creativity is absolutely top-notch!

　Take a spoonful and savor the vegetarian beef with nuts, simmered in a Spanish-style broth. The sweetness of the onions, the acidity of the tomatoes, the spiciness of the red and green bell peppers, and the softness of the potatoes blend together during the stewing process, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.

　"The unique crunch and chewiness of nuts, combined with proper processing, are integrated into this vegetarian beef. The nut particles form a structure similar to beef fibers, bringing an incredibly rich and intoxicating texture."

　Iron-Armed Amu savored the taste in his mouth, his expression slightly surprised, as if he had never expected that nuts could have such a texture similar to beef.

　"Moreover, the oil content of nuts makes this vegetarian beef more moist and less dry."