The Chef’s Hidden Blessings

Chapter 1: Ceres (1)

“We don’t have much time left before lunch starts! Let’s hurry up, guys!” The nutritionist’s sharp voice rang loudly enough to shake the eardrums.

 “Yes! Nutritionist!” 

Around 20 cooks in the kitchen replied together at the same time. Most of the cooks were middle-aged women in their 40s, but there was also a young man in his 20s who joined as a contractor to gain some experience.

“Jungdong, are you almost done with the beansprouts?” 

A young man replied to Ms. Kim’s question as he peeled the heads of the beansprouts at a corner of the kitchen. “Yes! They are almost ready!” 

This rather handsome, innocent-looking young man’s name was Jung Jungdong. He was a 24-year-old who just graduated college and was taking his first steps into society. Without a clear direction, he graduated from a decent university in Seoul with a degree in economics, but soon found his passion for cooking and decided to become a chef. Although his parents expected him to become a civil servant, they praised him for discovering his passion and supported his change of career.

He attended a cooking academy to learn basic skills before getting his cooking certificate and ended up joining this Hana University kitchen after looking for a place to gain some experience. 

A kitchen at a university was no different from other restaurants; hence, he had been working here for 2 months now. They had to cook a variety of dishes that changed every day, which was advantageous for gaining more experience. Although, what he did mostly was prepare the ingredients, just like right now. 

“Ms. Kim, The bean sprouts are ready!” 

Damaged sprouts were removed, and the tough tail portions were twisted off. They taste better with the yellow head removed, but this was where the nutrients were, so he left them. It was important that the meals were nutritionally balanced. 

“Hm, they look good! Always gets the job done perfectly, don’t you?” 

Jungdong’s cheeks reddened with Ms. Kim’s compliment, who was the most experienced cook in the kitchen. “Awe, don’t mention it. Is there anything else I can help with?” 

“Um… some onions still need to be peeled, but we are also short on a pair of hands because Mrs. Hwang couldn’t make it today. Do you want to help out with cooking?” 

“Huh! Really?!” 

For 2 months, all Jungdong did was prepare ingredients or wash the dishes. And yet, this was the first time he was asked to work with cooking utensils. Even if the reason for this was because Mrs. Hwang couldn’t come to work, he couldn’t help but feel excited. 

“Do you see two of those large pots over there? Those are some braised mackerels for the patients. Just make sure they don’t burn. And add some water if the soup looks too boiled down. Okay?” 

“Yes, ma’am!” Shouting an answer with confidence, Jungdong stood in front of the gigantic stove, positioned at a corner in the kitchen. 

The firepower could not be compared to stoves used at homes, and the pots that were cooking a few hundred portions at once came up to Jungdong’s chest. Inside those pots which he could barely reach in with his hands, braised mackerel that was about halfway done was boiling away. 

“Do not let this burn… umph!” 

He placed an equally large ladle into the pot and carefully began to swirl it around; he had to make sure the mackerel didn’t break apart while he stirred. It was strenuous work, taking care of both massive pots on his own. Frankly, it wouldn’t have mattered if he was rougher with it, but he put in his best effort to ensure the food remained perfect. 

I need to do my best on every task given to me. Plus, sick patients are going to eat this. I cannot be careless. 

Thinking that the food he cooked would become flesh and blood for these patients, Jungdong could not be negligent. The pastor at a church he used to attend as a child preached that we must treat others with care. And the monk at a temple he used to go to with a friend in middle school said something similar. Jungdong’s parents also mentioned every day that he must love his neighbors and treat others as he would want to be treated. 

An amalgamation of these experiences collectively made Jungdong into a sincere young man. 

“Hm… does this need more soup?” Jungdong took a small spoon and tasted the soup. The soup tasted only slightly salty and slightly spicy; most regular people would find it bland. “Hm, it’s too salty and spicy. I need to add more water.” 

However, this was a hospital kitchen, where sick people gathered. All food needed to be prepared as blandly as possible to avoid irritation, and hence this food was still too salty. He added several pots of tap water using a metal pot and tasted it again; a smile spread across his face. 

“Good, this is just about right.” 

The slightest taste of saltiness caressed the tongue before quickly dissipating. On the other hand, the flavors of other ingredients came through much more impactfully. Just the perfect level of salinity for patients. The only thing left to do was to let it boil. 

“We ran out of spicy stir-fried pork! Please make some more!” 

“Kimchi! Pass me some more kimchi!”