Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Homework

I don't know Escoffier's real face.

I did read the book he wrote, but it wasn't that even a proof photo was carried in that book.

The man's age looked quite advanced.

The face was full of deeply dug wrinkles, and already half-white short hair and bushy mustache.

Overall the eye shape was drooping, but the mouth was firmly closed. Rather than weak one should say an impression with backbone.

"Hello, Chairman Balfour. And the Chairman's guest. I am the head chef of Carlton Restaurant, Auguste Escoffier. I took the liberty and came to visit."

Bow.

As expected it was Escoffier. The man very politely bowed his waist.

His accent was somewhat awkward. If hearing vaguely it seemed like some dialect. Should one say similar to Mr. Salvatore's speech?

Of course if a foreigner learned English late even speaking to this level was doing well. He slowly continued the words, and seemed to care quite a bit lest he make a slip of the tongue.

But, just looking at this man's tense expression and attitude he doesn't seem like a cheeky chef who dared attempt provocation toward the Chairman?

"Yes, seeing the face after a long time is glad. What's the matter?"

"Today's prepared course was a quite experimental attempt even for me, but I couldn't be sure whether it became a dish that would surprise as the Chairman requested. Originally I would have explained about the course just before the main dish, but this time you said you didn't want. If there are lacking points or something to feedback separately I'll gratefully receive. I heard the Chairman's guest is also a considerably excellent chef in London."

What is this sound? The Chairman requested the course composition?

I looked back at Chairman Balfour. But this content seemed words the Chairman was also hearing for the first time.

"I requested? What?"

"Didn't you say to prepare a French course dish that any Briton would be startled?"

"I said that? Sorry, chef, I've never given such an instruction."

"...You haven't?"

Ah, I understand. Is this that communication error or something?

I don't know where it twisted, but it was certain someone wrongly delivered the Chairman's request matters to the kitchen. Or Mr. Escoffier not proficient in English and misunderstood.

Mistakes like this occurring at a hotel would be an uncommon matter though.

So Mr. Escoffier sincerely prepared a dish that would surprise Britons, and wondering if he went too ahead came up himself to check the reaction.

He was surprised. In this era one can't eat this level of dish anyone.

Surely it was certain Mr. Escoffier prepared with all his heart, and that skill had nothing to pick on at all.

A luxury that other high nobles or gentry finding Carlton Hotel absolutely couldn't enjoy.

Clearly this was a special banquet prepared for the Chairman.

Chairman Balfour also seemed to have felt that, the uncomfortable expression that was until earlier completely volatilized. Because the main dish was so excellent.

So the Chairman, even showed a generous appearance of turning someone's mistake that would clearly exist to himself leniently.

"Somehow my subordinate seems to have wrongly delivered the talk to the hotel side. That problem is now nothing so it's fine, and since you came up to here solve one of my questions. The pig belly meat that came out as the main dish, if explaining with what thought you conceived it the emotion would be bigger."

"Was it okay? Did it suit the taste?"

"Of course okay. It completely melted in the mouth. Such a wonderful dish is the first."

As far as I hear until haute cuisine there was no custom of the chef explaining about the dish.

The guest just eats as given all. Even in London there was not one chef who explains the dish he made.

The person who first overturned this is exactly Auguste Escoffier.

So in fact, because the chef didn't show his face until the end I was having a slight suspicion of whether it was another person.

This was really himself so it was fortunate. The end of the deduction was really guessing.

"If going to the Tours region in central western France they traditionally enjoy pig belly meat dishes. Among them I reinterpreted a dish called Rillons mixing my own know-how. It's a method of slowly cooking pig belly meat soaked in wine together with spices. Because the cooking time takes a lot it's unsuitable for sales, but today I specially prepared for the Chairman. This dish can only be tasted when welcoming precious guests or on festival days even in the Tours region. I'm glad it suited the taste."

Mr. Escoffier explained, and this time looked at me.

The Chairman seemed quite satisfied with the presentation.

"Thank you for the kind explanation. Now go back."

Bow.

Mr. Escoffier once again deeply bowed his waist and left the room. While going out the door he glanced at me, and muttered something small and disappeared.

Someday I look forward to meeting again once more...?

But that moment passed too quickly, and hearing exactly what words was impossible.

The moment Mr. Escoffier left, the Chairman immediately hardened his expression. It wasn't the kind and affectionate face he showed to the chef until just now.

"Sir Durand, didn't you feel something in this dish?"

"Yes?"

"Didn't you have words you said to me before. The words that identity originates from a sense of homogeneity. France is in a very chaotic state politically even now after the republican revolution. Numerous royalists are still active underwater and looking for opportunities to regain the regime. Even if the country is torn into two sides, three sides right away there's nothing strange. Nevertheless, it's still not collapsing. Even though we're supporting the opposition underwater from our British Empire. What is the reason?"

"...You're talking about the solid identity as French people."

"Right. In the end even if fighting it's one family."

It was content that if hearing the head would ache, but the place and atmosphere being the atmosphere I had no choice but to quietly listen to the Chairman's explanation.

Same country, same people.

Language, culture, and way of thinking.

All these make the basic frame of living as one community.

Even cooking, strongly acts as such a cultural element.

Just looking at stereotypes it's clear. French people are ones who enjoy delicious sauce food. Germans are ones who eat beer and sausage. Italians pasta, Spaniards tomato dishes.

But Britain has only monster dishes.

The words he was trying to say were in the end grand strategy.

Because I roughly knew how modern European history flowed, and how politics and diplomacy turn through newspapers of this era I could vaguely understand his words.

Probably ordinary commoners might find it hard to even chase one end of his words.

Russia trying to find a way through Asia failing to control the North Sea, Germany waging excessive arms race, France spreading political ideology like a virus, Italy sinking due to corrupt power class, and Spain suffering from aftereffects after a great defeat in the war with America.

I couldn't know exactly where Chairman Balfour was paying attention.

But one thing was certain. He was envying citizens who have a cultural consensus sharing French gourmet.

"Science technology developing, economy prospering, various products one couldn't even imagine making the whole world prosperous is clearly a good thing. But human greed has no end. If going like this within ten years if even one of the European countries the balance collapses, the world will be swept into a huge vortex of chaos."

World war.

Chairman Balfour was already predicting the world war ten years ago.

However the flow of huge history, no matter how much a prophet there is can't be stopped.

Like Joseon that predicted Japan's invasion at the time of the Imjin War and tried to defend in its own way, but couldn't imagine the scale and in the end was swept into war.

If the Chairman is having such thoughts, not only other politicians of Britain but also leaders of other countries would be swept in anxiety.

Chairman Balfour's true intention was in the end clear. Making a strong identity that all Britons can share like French gourmet and solidifying the internal substance so Britain isn't swept into that chaos.

Of course making cultural identity with cooking alone is impossible. But Britain didn't even have that simple cooking. There was nothing of an image one could be proud of being British.

"Escoffier is truly a tremendous chef. The fact that he could be born was also because France's cooking aesthetics was solid. And as such chefs increase French cooking and that cultural power will gradually become stronger. Someday it might surpass our British Empire. Who knows? If continuing to develop the day might come when this excellent course dish we ate today is enjoyed daily even in ordinary French homes."

He even accurately looks ahead to the future.

I could definitely say. Someday such an era will definitely come.

And as the Chairman worries, French food culture will once again splendidly bloom by Escoffier's hand within ten years.

If only there was no saturation of the world war as the Chairman predicted France might have grown bigger and controlled the world hegemony.

A honey land that can be said God's blessing descended the best in Europe. It was a country that definitely had that level of potential. So it also received fierce checks from various European countries.

But France also definitely didn't follow the timing. In the end all keys that drive the world going over to America was the original history.

"The expectation I place on your Nutella is big. Escoffier knows how to make delicious food, but still doesn't have the power to transform society. However you seem to have some power that inspires and leads the public. Chicken and Chips, peanut butter, Durand Grilling to grilled eel. Britain causing change from the bottom like this is really the first time seeing. A very enviable ability as a politician. Polish it well."

First politician something, House of Commons member something... In the end it was buildup for this one word?!

Including suddenly calling to a French restaurant too.

I understand well what the Chairman wanted to show me. The plan seems a bit twisted, but in the end it was the meaning of showing France's best gourmet, and having me make something that surpasses it. Or at least he might have wanted to give the homework of causing a change in recognition equivalent to that.

But he couldn't even say up to there, and in the end seemed to end by glossing over.

Shall I flee to the Windsor Castle manor? Or make a new start as His Majesty Edward VII's exclusive chef? No, that also seems many troublesome matters will arise so this side was declining.

But since there are words blurted out abandoning everything here and fleeing wasn't a matter that would stand face.

In the end that logic itself was no different from words I made, so there was nothing particularly to say.

Anyway since the meal ended there was no reason to stay here more.

"Go well. I look forward to your next achievement, similarly a new surprise. This Nutella received as a gift I'll eat well."

"The weather is cold so take care of your health well."

"Thank you. You do so too."

In the end exchanging simple greetings I first came out of Carlton Hotel.

Time flowed a lot and at some point the moon was gradually filling.

Chairman Balfour, and the meeting with the god of French cooking.

And what I obtained was the burden on the shoulder.

Somehow last week's Nutella meeting might have given inspiration from another direction to Chairman Balfour.

Anyway for now I had no choice but to do my best in the given work.

To betray Chairman Balfour's expectation there was too much held in my hand now.

###

The next day, the restaurant's office. Mr. Doyle came like the wind from the morning, and was waiting wanting to hear the matter I experienced.

I spilled one by one without missing. Up to the talk of Chairman Balfour and Auguste Escoffier.

Saying the name, Mr. Doyle also confessed that the responsible chef of Savoy Hotel he mentioned yesterday seemed to have been such a name.

If I knew in advance the heart would have been more comfortable!

Lastly I conveyed all up to the Chairman's meaningful remarks.

Hearing those words Mr. Doyle twisted his abundant mustache and was briefly immersed in thought.

"I see. Hmm. To think Chairman Balfour was having such thoughts. Mr. Durand, I have to congratulate. You obtained a new sponsor."

"...Mr. Doyle, is that something to congratulate? Don't you see my shoulder drooping like this? I thought I'd die of fear!"

"Isn't it House of Commons member? And that the Chairman's constituency? If receiving it will help whatever you try to do unconditionally ahead."

"I don't know anything about the law and don't even have the thought of wanting to do troublesome politics!"

However Mr. Doyle's reaction was peaceful.

"Isn't it fine if not doing parliamentary activity?"

"Yes?!"

"Mr. Durand, by any chance do you know how many seats there are in the House of Commons?"

This is something déjà vu? But I wasn't hooked. Recalling memory I barely recalled a number that seemed to have briefly passed on the politics page of The Times a few months ago.

"Isn't it 670? Sorry but I'm newspaper seller origin. Up to there is common sense."

About ten years ago the law changed and the House of Commons seats increased to 670. It was constituencies combining England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland all.

"Oh, I thought you wouldn't know at least that much!"

Mr. Doyle slowly shook his head and tried to hold laughter!

Hey, why on earth is that fun?!