0. Mmm! Mess hall food is just the best!
1. You're really piling up the plates there, Raphael. You must've been extra hungry.
2. Yeah, I was just out exercising. Food always [cdb]tastes best after a long workout!
3. You should tell the chefs how much you enjoyed it. I'm sure they'd be pleased.
4. Will do! You know, I opened an inn myself, [cdb]and I've been doing the cooking there.
5. Except, I've never gotten a compliment from a [cdb]customer. Not even once.
6. So they didn't like it? I wonder why.
7. I guess it just didn't taste very good.
8. Honestly, I don't know a whole lot about cooking, [cdb]so I had a pretty rough time in the kitchen.
9. Hmmm. In that case, why don't we work on [cdb]it together?
10. You may not have as many chances to cook here, [cdb]but I bet we can still find opportunities to hone your [cdb]skills.
11. Believe me, one of the best feelings in the world is [cdb]having someone tell you they enjoyed a meal you [cdb]created.
12. Hold on, you're gonna train me? You're the best, Ashe!
13. We'll get started right away. First, let's see you make [cdb]something so I can get a feel for your skill level.
14. Well? How's it taste?
15. Well, it's not bad necessarily. But a huge pile of meat [cdb]isn't really a meal. It's just...meat.
16. Wait, you want something more than that? To each his own, I guess.
17. If you're going to focus on one ingredient, you have [cdb]to work on your seasonings. This just tastes like a [cdb]slab of bacon wrapped around a salt lick.
18. Also, try using some vegetables—for a garnish [cdb]if nothing else. A little splash of color will make [cdb]your dishes more appealing to the eye.
19. Huh. I never thought about how food looked.
20. That's something my father always used to say: "If flavor is king, appearance is the royal court!"
21. He's actually the one who taught me that adding [cdb]some color with vegetables will make things taste [cdb]better, too.
22. Well, I guess I could jam a cucumber in there [cdb]or something if you think it'd help.
23. You can't just "jam" things in without thinking about [cdb]it, Raphael! You have to prepare them first, then [cdb]arrange them in a way that's pleasing to the eye.
24. Every ingredient requires careful preparation in order [cdb]to bring out its true flavor.
25. Uh...OK. I think I get it.
26. For example, try seasoning the meat with some herbs, [cdb]then boil your vegetables to remove the bitterness. After that, fan them out on the platter and—
27. Wait, hang on. I boil the bitterness out of the [cdb]herbs, then platter the season? But which season? Fall? Spring?
28. Ughhh! This is way harder than just throwing [cdb]a hunk of beef on a plate!
29. Deep breaths, Raphael. You can do this.
30. And since this whole training thing was my idea, I promise to stick it out to the very end.
31. Thanks, Ashe. With your help, I'm gonna make grub [cdb]that'll have folks licking their plates!