Building a World with Four Ingredients

Miko, Miko! I gotta tell you something!

…What, nya. I already know you were making something that smelled amazing in the middle of the night, nya.

You noticed?! (oAo)

…You can’t hide the smell of garlic, nya. That was peperoncino, nya.

As expected of Miko, your nose is sharp! So anyway, while I was eating, something hit me…

…

Why is peperoncino SO good?

…That’s obvious, nya. You made it well, so it tastes good, nya.

No no, I mean yeah, but! There are only four ingredients, y’know?

Garlic, chili pepper, olive oil, and pasta. That’s it!

…What about salt, nya.

Oh… if you count the salt in the pasta water, maybe five (>///<)

So I was researching, and I found out something wild!

…What, nya.

In Italy, peperoncino is called the “Pasta of Despair”!

…Despair, nya?

Yeah! When you’re broke and have nothing else, garlic, oil, and chili are the only things left in your kitchen… It’s the pasta you can still make even then.

…Makes sense, nya. Making do with what you have is the foundation of cooking, nya.

And get this—in Italian restaurants, it’s not even on the menu!

…Not on the menu, nya?

A famous chef named Ochiai Tsutomu said it himself. “When I was training in Italy, not a single restaurant had peperoncino on the menu.”

…It’s home cooking, staff meals, nya. Same reason you don’t see onigiri at fancy restaurants, nya.

Ohhh, that makes SO much sense! (>v<)

…But I’ve heard that if you ask, they’ll make it for you, nya.

Right right! And for chefs, it’s a dish that tests their skills. Since it’s so simple, there’s nowhere to hide!

…Same as dashimaki tamago, nya.

Dashimaki tamago?

Just eggs, dashi broth, and salt, nya. Because the ingredients are so few, heat control and rolling technique are everything, nya. A chef’s true skill is laid bare, nya.

So Japanese cooking has the same idea…!

So there’s one thing I care about most when making peperoncino.

…What, nya.

Emulsification.

…The thing where you mix pasta water and oil, nya.

Wait, Miko, you know about it?! (>v<)

…It’s basic cooking knowledge, nya. Water and oil don’t mix naturally, nya. But the starch in pasta water acts as a mediator, binding them into a uniform state, nya.

Exactly! And when it emulsifies, the oil coats the pasta evenly, and the mouthfeel totally changes!

…Though, putting so much emphasis on emulsification might be a Japan-only thing, nya.

Wait, really?! (oAo)

In Italy, they don’t really shake the pan hard to make it cloudy, nya. As long as the pasta is coated, that’s enough, nya.

Hmm… but I still like it better emulsified.

…That’s fine, nya. Regardless of what’s “authentic,” the method you find delicious is the right answer, nya.

Miko…!

…Don’t get emotional, nya. It’s just that there are no “correct answers” in cooking, nya.

So here’s the thing—I have one really strong rule about peperoncino.

…Go on, nya.

No extra ingredients.

…Like bacon, mushrooms, nya?

Exactly! None of that! Garlic, chili, olive oil, pasta. Period!

…That’s way too stubborn, nya. Adding bacon would make it tastier, nya.

Sure it would! But then it’s “pasta with bacon,” not peperoncino.

…

The full name is “Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino.” Garlic, oil, and chili pepper. The name itself IS the ingredient list!

…True. If you put beef in oyakodon, it becomes a different dish entirely, nya.

Exactly! (>v<)

…But why go that far, nya. Adding more would make the flavor more complex, nya.

Hmm… why, I wonder.

I think it’s not that I love peperoncino specifically—it’s that I love the act of subtracting.

…Subtracting.

Adding stuff is easy, right? Throw in bacon, add mushrooms, top it with cheese…

…If it tastes better, then what’s wrong with that, nya.

But every time you add something, the original flavors get diluted.

…

Peperoncino has only four ingredients, so garlic gets to be the real star. The chili’s kick gets to shine as a supporting actor. The olive oil’s richness gets to wrap everything together.

…Each one gets more spotlight, nya. Like how a two-person play brings out more from each actor than a big ensemble cast, nya.

Miko, that analogy is sooo good…!

…I’m just stating the obvious, nya.

Y’know how I talked about stripping away convenient libraries from the site the other day?

…Alpine.js and Tailwind and such, nya.

You remember!

That was the same feeling. Not adding, but subtracting. The more you take away, the clearer the remaining flavors become.

…Don’t mix up code and cooking, nya.

Ehehe~ but that’s honestly how it felt (>///<)

…By the way. About making peperoncino in the middle of the night, nya.

Hm?

The garlic smell filled the entire apartment, nya. I was sleeping, but the smell woke me up, nya.

I’m sorry…! (>_<)

…However.

However?

…Since I was already up, I had a little taste, nya.

Wait! Miko, you actually tried it?! (>v<)

…The smell lured me in, nya. It’s not like I wanted to eat it or anything, nya.

So? How was it?

…

Hey hey, how was it~?

…The emulsification was done properly, nya.

Yay~! Miko approved it! (>v<)

…Though, the garlic was cooked a touch too hard, nya.

Ah… I knew it (>_<)

Garlic needs low heat and patience, nya. Stop the heat just before it turns golden, nya. High heat kills the aroma and brings out bitterness, nya.

Uuu, I’ll be more careful next time…

…Well, for a midnight snack, it was good enough, nya.

So in the end, the magic of peperoncino is…

…

It’s not “lacking”—it’s “complete.”

…Explain, nya.

Some people might feel like four ingredients isn’t enough. But to me, it feels like “this is all it needs to be whole.”

When there’s nothing extra, you can truly feel each ingredient’s presence.

…Close to the tea ceremony idea of “ichigo ichie,” nya. Strip away the excess, and focus on the moment, nya.

Miko…! That’s so deep!

…We’re just talking about food, nya.

But y’know, after talking about all this today, there’s one thing I’m totally sure about now.

…What, nya.

I’m gonna make it again tomorrow~!

…During the daytime this time, nya.

Okaaay~ (>///<)