God of Cooking

Marco was embarrassed. Moving to Los Angeles all of a sudden? Moving from one place to another was easy and simple for someone, but it was very hard for a person with a timid personality like Marco.

At that moment, Lisa approached him and asked, looking at him, "How about it. Do you like my bread?"

"Yes, very much. In fact, I was a little touched by the taste of the bread. Actually, I have been feeling frustrated because I can't figure out how to make bread with a rich taste. I even wondered what quality bread was all about. But…"

This time, Marco tore only a little Ciabatta without any topping and put it in his mouth.

Since it was made without butter, it didn't have any deep flavor, but he liked its savory texture and the taste of the grain.

"It seems like this bread is the very one I've been looking for. Am I demanding too much if I ask you how to make this kind of delicious bread?"

"If you want, I can tell you how I make Ciabatta here. Of course, you have to come to my kitchen and help me in person. Would you like to do that?"

Lisa gave him a job offer suddenly.

Marco gave it a thought for a moment. To be honest, it was a strange situation for him.

Min-joon, who bought him a plane ticket, was now trying to hold him in Los Angeles. He wanted Marco to stay here not temporarily but permanently, so he could settle down in this city.

Normally, he would reject Min-joon's persuasion. He would definitely laugh it off, telling him to stop kidding. But he could not this time.

It wasn't because he was timid nor because Min-joon was so nice and considerate.

In fact, he was touched by the taste of Lisa's bread.

'The bread was really delicious.'

As a baker, Marco knew better than anyone else how difficult it was to make such delicious bread. No baker could make it with his or her talent and creativity alone. Likewise, they could not make it by investing lots of time and effort.

It was none other than the taste of the bread that only someone like Lisa with years of experience could make. It could be called the 'taste through the ladders' in some respects.

It was the taste of the bread made through a baker's sweat and hard work for many years.

Marco envied Min-joon again. His working environment was the best, which was natural because his workplace—Rose Island—was the best restaurant in the world. Accordingly, chefs working there could naturally take their cue from it.

Marco looked at Lisa's hands for a moment. Like him, she had calluses on her hands, and her hands were swollen since she had to dip her hands in cold and hot water repeatedly. Her hands made him trust her as much as her delicious bread.

"Yes, I will give it a try."

"Do you know what it means to take my offer?"

"Yes. I know," said Marco, smiling at her.

He was ready to accept her job offer and Min-joon's request. He was grateful to them even before he felt pressured by their offer because there were few who had reached out to him until now.

Of course, when he was popular right after the Grand Chef competition was over, there were lots of people who reached out to him. But it was Min-joon who came to his rescue first when he was in his worst situation, like now.

'I have to challenge myself at least.'

Apart from Min-joon and Lisa's warm considerations, Marco felt they could keep reaching out and helping him as long as he was with them in this city. He felt his life would be more enjoyable and pleasant if he was around here.

'I have very good friends.'

Marco smiled brightly. The greatest gift the Grand Chef competition gave him was not fame. It was this kind of human networking, relationship with people like Min-joon and Lisa and their friendship.

So, Marco wanted to be next to them. He didn't want to be with them because they were in the best working environment in the world. It was because he loved and valued them most, let alone imitate them.

Now, Marco had to make the decision to move to Los Angeles. They would one day be the most famous and wonderful chefs in the world. So, he had to improve his skills in order to stay with them and survive.

Marco opened his mouth.

"I want to be the best baker in the world."

At that moment, Lisa almost burst into laughter, unable to control the expression on her face. The best baker in the world? It was an ideal wish only a child could express. What she asked a minute ago was whether he would be willing to come and join her bakery, not asking him whether he wanted to be the best baker in the world.

Lisa looked at Min-joon and said, "He is like you in many ways."

"In what way?"

Lisa chuckled and said, "Well, he is too zealous!"

Ignoring Min-joon's embarrassed look, Lisa beckoned to Marco.

Marco asked with a slightly anxious expression, "I guess I made a tongue slip, right?"

"No, you didn't. Never mind."

"I was not so zealous as you said."

"I was kidding, so don't take that seriously."

"Oh, I see. You cracked a joke."

Only then could Marco feel relaxed with a sigh of relief. Although he was a big guy with a heavy build, he was as timid as a girl. Grinning at him, she stepped into the bakery. With Marco following her with an impatient expression, Min-joon also entered the bakery.

She looked at Min-joon with a puzzled expression.

"Min-joon, why are following us?"

"Well, I'm the broker of this deal. Maybe I have an obligation to watch what's going on, right?"

"Oh, I see. Got it. Marco, could you show me how you knead dough?"

"What kind of dough is it?"

"Well, how about the basic dough? You remember the Ciabatta that you ate a little while ago. Can you make it?"

"You mean Ciabatta?"

Marco looked a little embarrassed at her unexpected request. In fact, he didn't work at a bakery for home-made bread, but a restaurant that served dishes that could be called a great meal or snack per se. For example, he made something like paninis, puff rolls, or croissants baked with butter seasoned with truffle salt. Because of this, he felt rather embarrassed by Lisa's request to him to make a simple Ciabatta without any other ingredient.

But he understood she meant good. He recalled the savory texture of the Ciabatta he just had. It tasted soft and chewy, made with Lisa's soleful skill, which one could not find in a typical Ciabatta.

"How can I make such a Ciabatta?"

"Let me give you the recipe."

"Pardon? Is that okay? This is only a test for me. Are you sure you want to reveal such a valuable recipe?"

"Yes, it's a precious recipe because one of our main menu items is Ciabatta. But you will be naturally familiar with it when you join me here. And you have to make it every day."

"Every day?"

"I heard you suffered because of a fraudulent contract at your previous bakery. I don't want to be blamed later, so let me tell you honestly from the beginning. Even here, it won't be easy for you to put your own recipe on our main menu items. Of course, I'm the type of baker like your previous employer who is opposed to everything you offer. But it won't be far from easy to pass our own standards here. Of course, our bakery has some strong merits. We've got one strong point which is very attractive, compared with other bakeries."

"What is that strong point?"

Holding his breath, he looked at Lisa with his eyes twinkling.

Lisa said, holding down her smile, "You said you wanted to be the best baker in the world. If the best baker works at a certain bakery, it's the best bakery in the world, right? Well, this is the best place then," she said confidently.

Of course, her confidence was not without any ground. She knew how much time she spent developing Ciabatta and what happened in the process. She knew how valuable it was. So, it wasn't surprising at all that her voice was as confident as a general's.

"Do you want to be the best baker?"

"Yeah," Marco replied with a determined voice.

Lisa quietly nodded and said, "Then you will have to pass this test."

<hr />

'I feel like I would like to learn baking seriously. What do you think?"

While watching Marco kneading the dough, Min-joon was lost in thought for a while.

The way Marco mixed, rolled, and kneaded the dough before his eyes were so impressive that Min-joon could no longer recall any memory of his usual clumsiness in the past.

'If I knew more about baking, I can find out how well he is doing it right now.'

To an untrained eye like him, it would look all the same no matter who kneaded the dough.

But it didn't in Lisa's eyes. She could notice that Marco was kneading the dough evenly.

'He poured water in it very skillfully.'

In fact, Marco even controlled how to pour water to prevent a layer of water from forming in the dough, which no ordinary baker could do without much experience.

"Is he doing well?"

"Hey, you surprise me!"

Startled by what he suddenly heard from behind, Min-joon felt relieved to know that it was Kaya and Anderson who, standing behind, were sticking their heads out.

Min-joon replied in a low voice as if whispering, "I think he is doing well, but I don't know. Lisa and Marco haven't said anything yet."

"If Lisa didn't say anything, she has nothing to point out, I think. Perhaps, she didn't say anything because Marco's baking skill is not worth commenting on," said Kaya.

"Well, apart from Marco's skills, she might have not said anything because she didn't want to affect the way he was kneading the dough right now. I don't know. What's the point of talking among us?" Anderson replied in a sulky way. She stared at him as if she didn't like his reply.

Min-joon said with a smile, "Anderson, be careful. If you fight Kaya, you will lose."

"Oh, please, please don't talk to me like that. She might really think she can beat me."

"Wait a minute, Anderson. Do you really want to have it out with me? Why don't we spar on the ring?"

Kaya clenched her fists and took a fighting posture.

Anderson shook his head with a sigh and said, "Man, I wish I was not here with you guys."

"That's enough. Hey, it looks like it will take several hours for Marco to finish kneading the dough. Besides, he needs to ferment it."

"Should I say goodbye to Marco?"

"Don't mess with his concentration. Let's just leave now. We have to go to work now."

Min-joon thought about it for a moment then turned.