Reincarnation of Audemars - Who Am I...?

Pengat For Breakfast

The rooster crowed nearby and I softly mumbled, "Hey guys, when did those birds turned into a rooster? Is Will.I.Am and the girls up yet? I want to control the kitchen today... I want to cook breakfast for us...Hehehehe." Patricia had actually crept into my bedroom, sitting in the chair and she heard every single word I said when I mumbled softly but audible enough to be heard in the silent room.

"Sure you can control the kitchen today, what would you like to make?" Patricia remembers what her late mother used to say to her. If a sleeping person talks in his sleep, talk to him or her as you would to a fully awake person. He or she would be able to let you know his past experiences or life.

"I... I am going to make green bean soup with coconut milk, glutinous balls, bananas and with some palm sugar. Do we still have those green beans that the girls had soaked for us, lovely?" I subconsciously speak with my eyes closed and in a fetal position, oblivious that I was talking in my sleep and Patricia was actually leading the way.

"I don't think we have that. Do you want to make another breakfast instead?" Patricia said and was curious what kind of dish I had mentioned for breakfast that sounded out of this world.

"Haiyaa... We can make meat dumplings and we can have them with the XO Sauce. Just inform the 3rd shift girls to reserve some in the rice bowl. Izumi, could you help me do that, right?" I said as I still had my eyes closed and had hugged one of the pillows in that fetal position.

"Oh, I love meat dumplings, how about the rest, how many do you want to make?" said Patricia as she stated at me, hoping to find out more secrets in this way.

"Yawn... Just make for the 6 of you, Hiko-sama and me. Make a few batches and we could have them for tea later... Tea... Te... Eh...?" Suddenly I realised that I was murmuring something in my sleep and rubbed my eyes as I slowly adjusted my eyes to the rays of sunlight that was peeking through the drawn curtains.

"Oh, hello Pat. Good morning. Yawn... How long have you been here?" I greeted her as I slowly moved to the side and used my left elbow to rest.

"Ah, good morning too, Audemars. I just came in before the c**k crows to check on you. It seemed you are sleeping rather comfortably. Did I disturb you in any way? I'm about to leave and make breakfast." she replied as she was about to leave but her left wrist was held on by my right hand.

"Wait a while...Did I talk in my sleep just now? How much did you learn about me?" I stopped her from leaving and I think I had applied too much pressure on her left wrist that she seemed to squirm in discomfort and wanted to be released.

"Oh, I'm sorry Pat. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... Confused... That's all." I said since I don't have any viable answers to give her as I released the wrist that I had held on to. When it was released, Patricia held it close to her chest and was slowly running it with the other hand.

I saw a 5 fingermark that was left unintentionally there. Little did I knew my strength had doubled or tripled in one night after allocating the points. "Its all right, I know you didn't mean me any harm." she simply replied as she turned to exit out of the bedroom.

"Sheesh... How much did Pat know about me? Dammit, I should have used my ninja mask to gag my big mouth when I sleep. Even if I don't remember what I had said, but images if the captains, as well as the Plant Managers, had emerged before in my dream. Don't tell me Pat knew what I was mumbling just now." I thought inwardly as I rose and picked last night's towel and head for the shower.

(Dear Readers, stories of abovementioned side characters are in series 5-7 in Quantum Leap - Multiverse Transmigration. Add it to the library if you haven't done so. Cheers)

I was tiptoeing back after my shower when I caught Patricia in the kitchen and trying to find out what she was doing as she was scratching her head like she had a few thousand lies. Actually back in medieval ages, a serf or a peasant only bathe twice in their lifetime, once when they are born and once again when they are dead.

If I could mass-produce soap, hair shampoo, body lotion or toothpaste, I'm sure the citizens of Ingmery would be glad to take a bath as regularly as me. Hah Hah Hah... And there would be fewer illnesses, lice, ticks, bugs and all those crawly little beasts all over their bodies...ewwwwwwww...!!!

I changed as the offscreen housekeeper had placed my fresh pair of clothes inside the armoire and all I need to do is to swipe it with my hands and everything would be on my body. Hah Hah Hah... Like real only, ah?

I walked to the kitchen and saw Patricia was still looking for some clues on how to settle the things on top of the island. When my eyes settled on the items, I discovered that she was trying to do a Dutch cuisine called the 'Pengat' and it was a breakfast c*m dessert kind of menu.

"Hi Pat, need any help? What are you Tring to make for breakfast today? This ingredients here looked awfully familiar." I remarked and I knew she had overheard what I had mumbled in my sleep. Not wanting to put her in a situation, I helped her to get everything prepared.

"Come, I need a double boiler on the rocket stove, pronto... Just fill it with a third of water on the boiler while the other one with a water level just as close to the top of the green beans. Wash it down first before putting them on the 2nd boiler inside."

I instructed and she placed the raw beans on a wicker tray and ensure that no small rocks or grains of sand were in there before she places it inside a basket to wash it clean. I saw the grated coconut and I placed just half a mug of water and squeezed it. The residue of the grated coconut was then mixed with another half mug of water for the second squeeze. "Don't throw this away, I could make something out of this."

"Could you find me some screw pine leaves? I need about 5 pieces of that. Thanks, Pat." I instructed her to find the leaves as this gives off an aromatic smell after cooking. Without the leaves, it's simply just a watery dish, that's all.

I fired up another rocket stove and after the fire had stabilised, I place coal into it. The same goes to the double boiler as I pumped a few times on the bellows and the heat flared up immediately. The double boiler was boiling and I made sure that the water in the beans did not dry up but would soon c***k the beans and soften it up.

Next, I took 2 scoops of glutinous flour and placed them in a basin and added some water. I knead the flour until it doesn't leave a residue when I stick it with a toothpick. Slowly I pinch it and twirls it between my thumb and forefinger to make small glutinous marbles. I dusted it lightly with flour in another basin so it would not stick together and become one big mass.

Patricia came back and I told her to wash the screw pine leaves and after that, I folded them and knotted it nicely. She looked at me making the glutinous marbles and was amazed to find that the balls are evenly sized. "This glutinous balls would expand slightly mad had to be dropped in hot water a few balls at a time. Good treats would have to wait longer. Hah hah hah."

She nodded in apprehension as she tried her hands at making these glutinous balls. Some were big, some were small, hanging on the wall, hey! Hah Hah Hah... I looked at the double boiler and the green beans had already been properly steamed and they looked ready to be rinsed once more before placing them into the pot filled with the 1st squeeze coconut milk. The fire had already started and the smell of the coconut milk being boiled along with the screw pine leaves brought back old memories.

The 2nd squeezed coconut milk had been placed inside and properly mixed before I put in a mug full of water in them. "Pat, continue to stir every 10 minutes and don't make the coconut milk dry up." she nodded and peered into the steam that rises from the pot and can't help to inhale deeply.

"Audemars, it smells great. This is breakfast and also dessert? I could eat this the whole day. Hehehe." she giggled like a small girl and was holding her tummy and making circular motions. I laughed at her antics and thought of those 3 little girls, Riko, Fei and Gin.

"You could eat it hot or cold Pat. It doesn't matter as long as the ladle is not kept inside when not in use, this dessert could be sitting here for at least a day." I explained as to prevent spoilage. Even my spaghetti sauce could be left standing on the stove for 3 days without spoilage.

I took the bunch of lady finger bananas and peeled them off and place it in a bowl after rinsing. After I tested the green beans to be soft and a bit mushy, I dropped a few glutinous balls and stirred the contents. "Keep doing what I'm doing and I'm going to drop the bananas inside it. Try not to let the balls stick together." as I dropped in the whole piece of palm sugar that weighed nearly 100 grams.

I pumped a few times in the bellows and the fire flared up again and the contents come to a boil. This would be great since I had dropped in a whole comb of whole bananas and the palm sugar that made the temperature drop a bit. After Pat had deposited all the glutinous rice balls inside the dessert, I told her to cover it up and let it simmer.

*Ding* Congratulations on unlocking Basic Culinary Level 0/10 profession. Progress 20%.

"Hmm, doesn't seem all bad. Crafting and cooking give a yield of 10% each progress. Sooner or later, I would be able to Level up progressively.

" *Ding Ding Ding* Breakfast is ready to be served... "I announced and not the system when the bananas had been cooked, the glutinous rice balls were of translucent colour and not sticking to one another and the taste, after adding a handful of salt, tasted just right as the green beans were soft, cracked and mushy.

Patricia held a bowl in front of me and I laughed as she had forgotten to take the rest 2 bowls and she had her tongue sticking out at the side of the tongue just like anime style. Hah Hah Hah... She must be feeling hungry toiling for so long in the kitchen and when I served her, she can't hell but ogled at the breakfast c*m dessert and I asked, "More beans for you or more of the garnishing."

"Hehehe...this would do just fine. This could be for dessert right?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes. "Yup, sure is... Morning and evening dessert, somewhere in between." I replied as I took a huge bowl and placed a few scoops of the beans while the rest of the bananas and glutinous rice balls follow as I placed it in the centre of the dining table in the Great Hall.