Takumi Aldini Quotes

“Unlike Japan, Italy's cuisine has long centered on meat dishes.
In their home province of Tuscany, duck, rabbit, and even boar would be served in the right season.
I suspect that is how they learned how to butcher and dress a duck.
The breast meat was glazed with a mixture of soy sauce, Japanese mustard, black pepper and honey to give it a strong, spicy fragrance...
the perfect complement to the sauce.
Duck and salsa verde.
They found and enhanced the Japanese essence of both...
... to create an impressive and thoroughly Japanese dish!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 3

“I see bacon, green peppers, mushrooms... those are all found in Napolitan Spaghetti. I guess instead of the standard ketchup, he's used curry roux for the sauce?
The noodles look similar to fettuccini."
"Hm. I'm not seeing anything else that stands out about it. Given how fun and amusing the calzone a minute ago was...
... the impact of this one's a lot more bland and boring..."
W-what the heck? Where did this heavy richness come from? It hits like a shockwave straight to the brain!
"Chicken and beef stocks for the base... with fennel and green cardamom for fragrance! What an excellent, tongue-tingling curry sauce! It clings well to the broad fettuccini noodles too!"
"For extra flavor is that... soy sauce?"
"No, it's tamari soy sauce!
Tamari soy sauce is richer and less salty than standard soy sauce, with a more full-bodied sweetness to it. Most tamari is made on Japan's eastern seaboard. "
"That's not all either! I'm picking up the mellow hints of cheese! But I'm not seeing a single shred of any kind of cheese in here. Where's it hiding?"
"Allow me to tell you, sir. First, look at the short edge of a noodle, please."
?! What on earth?!
This noodle's got three layers!"
"For the outer layers, I kneaded turmeric into the pasta dough. But for the inner layer, I added Parmesan cheese!"
"I see! It's the combination of the tamari soy sauce and the parmesan cheese that gives this dish its incredible richness!"
"Yeah, but wait a minute! If you go kneading cheese right into the noodles, wouldn't it just melt back out when you boiled them?"
No... that's why they're in three layers! With the cheese in the middle, the outer layers prevented it from melting out!
The deep, rich curry sauce, underscored with the flavor of tamari soy sauce...
... and the chewy noodles, which hit you with the mellow, robust taste of parmesan cheese with every bite!
Many people are familiar with the idea of coating cream cheese in soy sauce...
... but who would have thought parmesan cheese would match this well with tamari soy sauce! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]

“Shigureni is a variety of stewed meat where ginger has been added to the traditional soy sauce-and-sugar simmering sauce.
Thick, sweet and accented with ginger's uniquely spicy tang, there are layers of flavor to please the tongue!
Light yet thick, tangy yet sweet... all the various flavors patter across the tongue like a short afternoon drizzle- thus its name, shigure, which means "fall shower."
"It's a dish renowned for its exceptionally deep and compelling flavors."
"Ooh, you just know it's gonna be good. That's Takumi-chi for ya! He's a master of both Italian and Japanese cooking!"”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 27 [Shokugeki no Souma 27]

“There are four cheeses! It's a 'Quattro Formaggi' Pizza!"
"A 'Four-Cheese' Pizza? Well, duh. That's a standard pizza topping, even in Italy. There's nothing special or even unusual about that! So why the big reaction?!"
"Because the four cheeses were blended together and balanced with absolute perfection!
The deliciousness of most cheeses is rooted in their mellow richness and sharp saltiness. With those flavors as his baseline... he took four cheeses and balanced them so that their quirks and strengths play off each other brilliantly! That sharp, salty battle is a stark contrast to the thick sweetness of the shigureni beef- the gap between them creating a full-bodied and indescribably delicious flavor!
Then there's the texture contrast of the gooey cheese and the crisply fragrant crust..."
"And you can't forget the tingly bite of the black pepper sprinkled across the top. What a marvelous accent! All the various flavors blossom to their full potential inside the mouth, each making the salty cheese stand out more and more..."
We came out of the blocks with the bitterness of the artichokes...
then we jumped to the cynarine-boosted sweetness of the shigureni beef...
... and ended with a leap to a salty Quattro Formaggi Blend!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 28 [Shokugeki no Souma 28]

“The rich, juicy savoriness of seafood explodes in the mouth like a breaking wave, so powerful it leaves me writhing! The keystones of this filling are the cheese, tomatoes...
squid liver and anchovies!"
"Correct! I finely diced each and then sautéed them in olive oil with red peppers and garlic until they were nicely fragrant. I added a splash of white wine, simmered it all until tender and mixed it into the filling."
"I see. However, the most critical factor contributing to the depth of the dish's flavor... is actually on the outside."
"Huh? The outside?!"
"Again correct! Once the squid liver and anchovies were simmered, I removed the solids. To the remaining sauce, I added heavy cream... and heated it until it became thick before I then seasoned it with a pinch of salt and pepper to make a squid liver and anchovy cream sauce!
I drizzled the sauce over the baked squid. Its creaminess makes for a stark contrast with the tangy, salty flavors of the filling... giving the tongue endlessly shifting flavors to enjoy!
Concentrating solely on making the filling delicious would not lead to the flavor I ultimately wanted for my dish. It had to be the casing and the filling together! Only when those two resonated in perfect harmony...
... would the flavor of the spear squid reach its peak deliciousness!
That is my Calamari Ripieni!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 29 [Shokugeki no Souma 29]

“The scent of the spicy squid is almost too much to handle!"
First we start with bite-size chunks of squid sautéed in some olive oil and squid ink...
Once the flavors have fully melded together, in goes a generous splash of white wine to flambé them!
Then some cabbage and onion for sweetness! Tomatoes for a little zing!
And finally... the secret ingredient!
"What the heck? Look at that giant needle!"
"You're not going to use that on the food, are you?!"
We convinced a local restaurant to let us have their huge pile of leftover shrimp heads and seafood shells. By boiling it all down, we infuse all their savory umami goodness and richness into olive oil...
... making a big batch of Hayama's special red olive oil! Using a cooking injector, we inject a dose right into the yolk of a soft-boiled egg, aaand...
PLOOP”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 32 [Shokugeki no Souma 32]

“In true high-class restaurants, a meat sauce is to ground meat what a demi-glace is to beef stew. Their meat sauce forms a solid foundation for the dish's overall flavor.
Not only does Aldini's soffritto give the ground beef an even fuller and richer sweetness... it also works exceptionally well as a building block in the espagnole sauce. Was that Tadokoro's addition? An extraordinary choice.
To top it off, there is the anchoiade sauce, which is based on salty anchovies and sweet basil! By sprinkling it in dots across the top... it not only adds intriguing accents of flavor to please the tongue, it also creates a fascinating visual presentation that pleases the eyes.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 24 [Shokugeki no Souma 24]

“Aah, I know what this is! It's a sformato! A soufflé-like Italian dish similar to a Japanese egg custard."
Thinly sliced onions sautéed to sweet tenderness in heavy cream and melted parmesan cheese...
... and a beaten egg and melted butter steamed into a fluffy soufflé. That's what the white side is- a cheese-flavored Sformato Soufflé!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“What an unbelievably refined flavor! And so lusciously gooey you could just faint! The salty, sticky turtle broth seeps through the mouth... melding beautifully with the salty savoriness of the butter and cheese! Together, they lap at your tongue in silky, decadent harmony!
"How on earth does this work? What makes the flavor of the turtle fit so well with the cheese?
Hm? What's this where the two layers meet?"
"You have a keen eye, sir. That's a mix of chopped nuts and seeds- walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds...
...and...
...."
"Kaki no Tane Snack Crackers?!"
Those crackers! Soma used those the very first time Takumi challenged him!
After lightly toasting them to bring out their aroma, I mixed them into the layer between the sides of my Sformato. Of course, this was after I used my Mezzaluna...
... to chop them all into the perfect size of about 0.1 mm each!
"Heyo, Human Food Processor!"
"I see! The toasted Kaki no Tane Crackers bring just enough aromatic astringency to erase the smell of the fish and dairy...
... functioning as a sort of bridge to tie the two distinct flavors together!
Not only that, their crunchiness adds a fun, contrasting texture while not being filling at all!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“What a wonderful crunch!
And yet the char's meat was still hot and deliciously juicy!
The breading perfectly contained inside its protective shell the savory flavor of the fish!
The Kaki no Tane Crackers came already seasoned...
... so the breading itself had a solid, delicious taste.
And the dipping sauce is perfect! The Ki no Me mixed with Tamago no Moto is wonderfully light and fluffy!"
*Ki no Me: The young leaves of the Japanese pepper plant. Clapping one in your palm crushes the leaf's cells, releasing a distinctive scent.*
TAMAGO NO MOTO.
Mayonnaise without the vinegar, it is simply egg yolks and vegetable oil whisked into a creamy consistency.
It's often used to bring ingredients together or to add flavor to a dish.
Some salt and minced Ki no Me adds an overall refreshing taste to the fish...
... erasing any oiliness and giving it a refined flavor.
"That wonderfully smooth creaminess hiding between the crispy crunchiness of the breading really spurs the appetite!
The breaded and deep-fried mountain vegetables on the side cannot be ignored, either.
They provide an eye-pleasing contrast when arranged side-by-side with the deep-fried fish. "
"Soma, where on earth did you get the idea for this?"
"In Japanese cooking, there's a type of tempura called Okakiage, right?
When deep-frying things, use crushed-up Okaki Rice Crackers instead of panko to give the dish some uniqueness and kick.
I made this at home once long ago with my dad. "
"And that gave you the idea to use the Kaki no Tane Crackers in place of the Okaki Rice Crackers?"
"Yep!
I call it the Yukihira Style Okaki-
YUKIHIRA STYLE OKAKI-NO-TANE-AGE CHAR!"
"You just slapped the two names together!"
On one hand, Takumi Aldini maintained a broad version that did not overlook potential ingredients, such as the duck.
On the other, Soma Yukihira's rare ability to think outside the box...
... led him to create a dish that no one else even expected!
Neither was intimidated by the time constraints or the limited ingredients.
They instead focused on what they could do to create their dish.
That is the spirit of a true professional!
Hee hee! This is hardly the first time I've given this assignment. And students have made deep-fried items before... without breading.
But he is the first one to find a way to present to me fish that is both breaded and deep-fried!
The char, in season this spring...
... is snuggly wrapped in a protective shell of Kaki no Tane Cracker breading. ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 3

“This broth! How can it be this rich and mellow?! It's just creamy enough to go perfectly with the noodles too! And this savory flavor! It's so deep and expansive!"
"I grated some potato and added it to the stock. That's what's giving the broth its creaminess.
Believe it or not, the potato is another vegetable that contains the umami compound glutamic acid.
That compound seeped out into the broth, giving it it's rich and savory flavor.
Plus, I only grated the potato roughly, so there are still little beads of potato in the broth, giving the texture some interesting highlights."
"But what about this topping? What is it?!
Hnngh! I knew it! Imo-Mochi Potato Cakes! They're soft and chewy on the inside and crisp and crunchy on the outside!"
Imo-Mochi Potato Cakes are another Hokkaido specialty.
Made with potatoes and potato starch, they're a popular treat with tourists.
The heavy, chewy potato cakes soaked in the creamy broth are a pleasing textural contrast...
... to the light and sleek udon noodles while also giving the dish an extra sense of fullness and satisfaction!
"Unbelievable.
It's almost as if this one dish...
... contains all the expressions of a potato possible in cooking!"
"Exactly! Y'see, this dish---"
"This dish uses all facets of the Irish Cobbler Potato, accenting its starch, its unique texture and its umami goodness.
In fact, it can be considered the ultimate in potato-noodle dishes!”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 21 [Shokugeki no Souma 21]

“SALSA VERDE.
A sauce made primarily of finely minced Italian parsley and cured anchovies... it is often a garnish for grilled meat or vegetable dishes... and is considered a staple sauce in Italian cuisine.
"What was he thinking? This was supposed to be a Japanese dish! Making something Italian means he automatically fails!"
"No, he does not. This salsa wasn't made from cured anchovies. Instead, it primarily uses uruka, a specific type of shiokara sauce made from sweetfish. *Shiokara is salted, fermented fish viscera.*
Uruka typically requires over a week to make. However, this is an "instant" version, is it not?"
"Correct! Wash sweetfish viscera and boil them in saké for two minutes. Then flavor with soy sauce, salt and mirin. The result is a quickly made, yet still rich and appropriately bitter, uruka.
"Instant uruka?!"
"I didn't know that was possible!"
"That wasn't the only place he was creative. Instead of parsley, he minced Japanese perilla leaves and green onion to give it a bright green color and refreshing kick. And since garlic is hardly used in traditional Japanese cuisine, he chose yuzukosho, a seasoning made from chili peppers, yuzu fruit peels and salt, to give it a distinctly Japanese flavor."
"Exactly. With instant uruka as its base...
... I made a Japanese-style salsa verde!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 3

“So brisk! I can feel the fresh Mediterranean breeze... gently rustling the leaves of the lemon trees.
I've had semifreddo desserts many times in my life. But this is unlike anything I've tasted before! And I know the taste of true Italian limoncello.
Where on earth did this intense lemony flavor come from?! Is it that fourth layer? What is it?!"
"That layer...
... is lemon curd."
"Lemon curd?"
"Lemon card?"
"It isn't curd like curds of milk. It's a dessert spread made with citrus fruits."
LEMON CURD
A fruit spread originating in Britain, it was intended as an alternative to jams. Egg yolks, sugar, fruit juice and zest are mixed together with a blender and then cooked into a paste and chilled. A centuries-old, traditional dessert, there is even a royal version called Royal Curd.
"That vibrant, citrusy tang of the curd has a fresh, refined aroma. Its smoothness combined with the satiny-soft Genoese cake melts in the mouth! What a light and downy texture. It touches the tongue like a feather! The grainy Biscuit Joconde could never be this soft!"
"He turned it around! The Genoese cake was supposed to be a liability... but he turned it into an advantage by making it part of an elegant, mature taste experience!"
"A British fruit spread, eh? And he put that together right on the spot?"
"I'm shocked he had the ingredients."
"Fruit curds don't need many ingredients. They use egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest... and butter."
"Butter? I thought you barely had a scrap of butter left."
"I substituted the butter with this."
"Olive oil?!"
"Oho! Is that even possible?"
"He must certainly know all about it, having grown up in Italy!"
"I handicapped myself by choosing Genoese for the sponge cake style. It doesn't have nearly the punch the almondy Biscuit Joconde has. So I turned to the citrusy flavor instead.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 10 [Shokugeki no Souma 10]

“Oops!"
"Are you okay, Tadokoro?"
"Isami! Takumi!"
"Yukihira! How dare you make a lady carry so many heavy things! You are a disgrace to proper gentlemen everywhere!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 15 [Shokugeki no Souma 15]

“I knew Soma would win!"
"Tadokoro...
we all won together as a team. Your efforts played a large part in Yukihira's victory.
And you can be sure he's aware of that.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 28 [Shokugeki no Souma 28]

“Now he's sautéing onions, garlic, bell peppers and paprika in a generous amount of oil?"
"Aha! I know! He's making soffritto, a base paste commonly used in Italian cuisine!"
Soffritto is finely diced herbs and vegetables sautéed in butter or olive oil until they become a paste. It's closely related to the French Mirepoix of onions, carrots and celery. But by adding paprika and bell peppers to the Italian version... yes, that will meld well with the anchoiade sauce, giving it depth and sweetness!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 24 [Shokugeki no Souma 24]

“Japanese people may find this surprising, but eel is a common ingredient in European cuisine.
Kurokiba's Eel Matelote from the Classic's Semifinal Round is one such European dish."
"Southern Italy in particular has a tradition of eating eel right around Natale, which is Christmas. It's often served during the feasts for La Vigilia on Christmas Eve night.
The eels are supposed to symbolize devils, and eating them is thought to be a charm warding off bad luck and evil spirits.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 25 [Shokugeki no Souma 25]

“ If Takumi is beating the eggs whole, that means he's making a Genoise sponge cake for the cake layer, which has a soft and smooth texture but tends to be flat.
But by beating the eggs separated, Mimasaka is probably making a biscuit sponge cake for the cake layer, which is fluffier and will soak up more of the syrup!
"In other words, my cake layer will take better advantage of the sweet syrup than yours. I bet you picked Genoise sponge cake for its tender, smooth texture.
That's fine on its own, but if you try them side by side...
... mine will taste better.”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 10 [Shokugeki no Souma 10]

“Okay, next step is making the syrup...
...with this!"
He even has the limoncello!
Limoncello!
That's an Italian lemon-flavored liqueur. Sponge cakes, especially Genoise, are often brushed with syrup, but the standard flavors are usually almond or rum!
That he happened to pick limoncello too!
"Trattoria Aldini has a specialty that uses this, doesn't it?
Your Limoncello Panna Cotta.
I hear it's so popular that customers come in droves when it's in season in February. I figured you'd likely use it in your semifreddo.”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 10 [Shokugeki no Souma 10]