We stepped back inside the warm entryway of House 132, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind us. Elicia followed me down the hallway, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched me carry the white eggplants and the tiny green calamansi fruits like they were precious treasures.
"Alright, little Ren, I'll bite, What exactly are you planning to do with those 'eggplants'? You literally just saw them for the first time in your life five minutes ago, yet you're acting like you've been cooking them for decades. What's the secret?" Elicia said, a playful but deeply skeptical smirk crossing her elegant face
I glanced back over my shoulder, a mysterious, thoroughly human grin tugging at the corners of my lips as my crimson wings gave a light, confident flutter.
"Don't ask, big sister, Just trust the process. I promise you this dish is absolutely delicious… honestly, it might even be more delicious than your signature beef stew." I replied, my voice filled with a rare, playful warmth.
Elicia let out a dramatic gasp, resting a hand against her chest as if she had been physically struck, though her eyes were dancing with amusement.
"Yeah, right! Bold words, little Ren. My beef stew has sustained this family for years! You've got a very high bar to clear if you think some weird, egg-shaped elven fruit is going to beat my cooking."
"Challenge accepted," I murmured happily as we walked into the kitchen.
It was a beautiful sight. Without a single glass vial, mortar, or toxic powder bin in sight, the kitchen looked completely pristine. The wooden counters were spotless, bathed in the beautiful, safe sheets of morning sunlight pouring through the open velvet curtains.
I immediately set to work, the familiar steps of the recipe flooding back to me like second nature. First, I went to the small brick hearth and kindled a fresh pile of charcoal. Once the embers were glowing with a steady, smoky, red-hot heat, I placed the white eggplants directly over the open fire. Elicia watched intently, her skepticism slowly turning into pure fascination as the smooth white skin of the fruits began to char, blister, and blacken, releasing a rich, beautifully smoky aroma into the air.
Once the flesh felt perfectly soft and tender to the touch, I pulled them from the heat. Waiting just a moment for them to cool, I used my fingers to carefully peel away the blackened, charred outer skin, revealing the steaming, incredibly juicy, and fragrant pale meat inside. I laid them flat on a cutting board, gently flattening them out with the back of a fork while keeping the stems intact, just like a proper tortang talong.
Next, I placed a heavy iron pan over the stove and applied a generous splash of cooking oil, letting it heat up until it shimmered. In a wide ceramic bowl, I cracked a few fresh eggs, vigorously whisking them together before tossing in a pinch of salt, crushed black pepper, and a few aromatic local spices from our pantry.
I picked up the flattened eggplant by its stem, fully submerging it into the seasoned egg mixture until it was completely coated. With a satisfying, loud sizzle, I carefully laid the egg-soaked eggplant into the hot oil, pouring the remaining beaten egg right over the top to form a beautiful, wide omelette skirt around the fruit.
The rich, savory, and smoky fragrance instantly exploded throughout the room, swirling together with the bright sunlight. I looked up at Elicia, my single jade-green eye bright with anticipation and genuine, joyful pride as I flipped the omelette to a perfect, crispy golden brown.
"Oh my goodness, Ren, The smell of that... it's incredible. How did you even know that burning the skin off would create an aroma like that? I've never seen anyone prepare vegetation this way." Elicia murmured, leaning over the counter as her crimson eyes widened in sheer astonishment. She took a deep, appreciative breath of the savory, smoky aroma filling the room
I didn't answer right away, entirely focused on the sizzling pan. A quiet, knowing smile touched my lips as I carefully slid a thin spatula under the egg. With a practiced, seamless flick of my wrist, I flipped the omelette over. The other side was a flawless, crispy golden brown, the edges lacy and beautifully fried.
Once it was cooked to absolute perfection, I lifted the hot tortang talong out of the pan and let it slide gracefully onto a clean porcelain plate. It looked spectacular… rustic, perfectly golden, and radiating a comforting, smoky heat.
I carried the dish over to the wooden dining table and set it down right in the center. Elicia immediately hovered over it, leaning in close as the steam billowed softly into the bright morning sunlight.
"Woah, little Ren… I think that it is actually going to be incredibly yummy. The texture looks so crisp on the outside."
She eagerly reached out with her fork, ready to dive right into the steaming dish, but I stepped in, lightly tapping the back of her hand to stop her.
"Not yet, big sister, You cannot eat it plain. I will make a proper sauce to accompany it." I said, a rare, playful authority in my voice as my single jade-green eye danced with amusement.
I turned back to the pantry, my mind automatically searching for the classic pairing. In a perfect world, I would have reached for a bottle of sweet, vibrant red banana ketchup… the undisputed, legendary companion to a proper Filipino eggplant omelette. But a wave of disappointment hit me as I searched the shelves. In this fantasy world, only traditional tomato ketchup existed. No banana ketchup. To pair a smoky tortang talong with regular, acidic tomato ketchup felt like a massive bummer, a culinary tragedy that wouldn't do the elven-grown crop justice.
My eyes glanced over at the tiny, dark green calamansi fruits sitting on the cutting board, and a brilliant alternative clicked in my head.
Toyomansi.
I grabbed a small ceramic dipping bowl and poured a generous splash of rich, dark soy sauce into it. Instead of reaching for a knife, I simply picked up one of the miniature citrus fruits, brought it to my lips, and used the sharp, precise edge of my vampire fangs to cleanly pierce the glossy green rind. I squeezed the tiny fruit firmly over the bowl, watching the intensely fragrant, sour juice swirl beautifully into the dark liquid, catching a couple of stray seeds with my fingertips.
I stirred the mixture gently, letting the sharp, citrusy tang blend perfectly with the savory depth of the soy sauce.
With a proud, thoroughly human smile on my face, I walked back to the table and slid the small dipping bowl right next to the golden-brown omelette. I gestured toward it, showing Elicia the freshly made dipping sauce.
"All done, A smoky, elven eggplant omelette paired with a fresh citrus soy reduction. Now, big sister, you may finally taste it." I announced softly, my voice filled with genuine warmth.
We pulled out the heavy wooden chairs and sat down together at the dining table, the cozy atmosphere of House 132 wrapping around us like a warm blanket. Elicia didn't waste another second. Her curiosity completely piqued, she picked up her polished silver fork and carefully sliced off a generous piece of the golden-brown tortang talong. The crust made a delightfully crisp, crackling sound as the prongs broke through, revealing the tender, steaming white flesh of the elven eggplant hidden within the lacy egg skirt.
She swirled the piece gently in the dark dipping sauce, ensuring the citrusy, aromatic blend of soy sauce and fresh calamansi juice thoroughly coated the crispy edges. Then, she brought it to her mouth and took a bite.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still in the sunlit kitchen. Elicia's crimson eyes widened to their absolute limits, her chewing slowing down as the complex layers of flavor exploded across her palate. The perfect harmony of the smoky, melt-in-your-mouth vegetable, the savory, seasoned richness of the fried eggs, and the sharp, bright, salty-sour kick of the homemade dipping sauce completely overwhelmed her senses.
"Oh my goodness... Ren, this is... it's unbelievable. The smokiness from the charcoal completely transforms the flavor, and that tiny green fruit cuts through the richness of the egg so beautifully. The balance is absolutely extraordinary!" Elicia breathed, resting her hand against her cheek as she swallowed, her expression one of pure, unadulterated bliss
I leaned back in my chair, a triumphant, thoroughly human smirk gracing my features as my massive crimson blood wings gave a proud, dramatic flutter behind my forest-green kirtle.
"I told you it tastes better than your beef stew, My culinary metrics are never to be underestimated, big sister." I replied, a playful, affectionate tease dancing in my quiet voice.
Elicia let out a soft, melodious laugh, waving her fork at me defensively.
"Alright, fine! I gracefully admit defeat. The legendary beef stew has officially been dethroned by a mysterious elven egg fruit."
As she eagerly reached for a second bite, I looked down at the beautiful dish resting between us, and a sudden, deep wave of culinary nostalgia washed over me. My single jade-green eye scanned the table, searching for the final, absolute component that truly belonged with this meal.
A quiet sigh escaped my lips. Rice. There was no rice.
In this fantasy world of Andromeda, the concept of a steaming, fragrant bowl of white rice simply did not exist. The agricultural sectors here grew nothing but wheat, barley, tubers, and exotic elven greens. To my deeply rooted memories of my past life, eating a hot, savory tortang talong without a mountain of fluffy, warm rice felt like an incomplete equation. I was stuck eating what my homeland would consider a pure dish… a standalone viand meant to be a companion to grain, rather than the main event itself.
But as a high-tier vampire and a seasoned bounty hunter, adaptation was my greatest strength. I picked up my own fork, slicing a perfectly golden piece of the omelette, dipping it into the sharp calamansi soy sauce, and letting the rich, savory flavors bloom on my tongue. Even without the rice, the dish was an absolute masterpiece of comfort food, anchoring me to the peaceful, domestic reality we had fought so hard to achieve.
Elicia swallowed another bite, her eyes shining with immense admiration as she looked across the table at me, completely amazed by the sheer depth of my hidden talents.
"Seriously, little Ren, Look at this dish. You have an absolute gift. Now that your bounty is closed and you can roam the continent freely, you shouldn't just rest… you should honestly consider opening a restaurant right here in the district. The townspeople would line up around the block just to get a taste of this!"