A notebook with comments on new dishes between the head chef of the Goethe Grand Hotel and its customers. The cover is full of suspicious grease.

*Due to being hung over the counter and continually exposed to cooking fumes, the edges of the paper have been stained with oil sprays.*

I'm planning to develop some new dishes. If you have any ideas, let me know.
— Gertie

New Item of the Week: Wild Herb Soup

Customer Comments:
1. It looks kind of bad. It's all goopy and stuff, so it turned me off a bit. (— Don) 2. It's called “Wild Herb” soup, but it's actually moss from the cave. The texture is refreshingly nice! The moss is cooked to the point of melting-in-your-mouth, and it took on the broth's sweet-and-sour taste. It's hearty but not heavy, such a wonderful palate cleanser. I do agree with the comment above though. Maybe change the name, or other customers may complain. (— Saunders)

Chef's Response:
Understod. I'm okay as long as its taste is good. I'll think of a new name, but because the moss supply is not stable, I'm not even sure I want to put it on the menu.

New Item of the Week: Iron Pot Braised Olm

Customer Comments:
1. Did you get the iron pot from some decommissioned machines? It's cleaned, but some parts of the edge are a little rusty. It kills my appetite a little. (— Don) 2. I can't blame Don for being fussy. The gravy was nicely done, but I got burned a few times by the metal while trying to eat. Gertie, is there a reason you insisted on using the iron pot? Please consider switching to a different container. (— Saunders)

Chef's Response:
I apologize. I recently read in an old cookbook that “iron pots are perfect for simmered soups and stewed dishes because they can maximize the deliciousness of the food itself.” Let me think on how to improve it. I'm so sorry that it burned you.

New Item of the Week: Improved Iron Pot Braised Olm

Customer Comments:
1. The addition of crust is interesting, makes the tin can look much classier. Gertie, will you decorate the crust? (— Don) 2. Is that crust added on top of the iron pot? The only weak spot of the dish has now become its feature! The crust is warmed by the residual heat until it is crispy, coupled with the tender Olm meat, dipped into the gravy in the pot. I daresay that this can be the restaurant's pièce de rèsistance just from this little tweak! (— Saunders)

Chef's Response:
Don, stop asking, I said no! Even if you ask me ten thousand times, I will not decorate the crust!
Saunders, thank you for your constructive criticism. If it wasn't for you, I might not have realized the overheating issue with the pot. The dish will start being on the menu tomorrow onward. If you're coming over to eat, it's on the house, no worries!

New Item of the Week: Candied Mushrooms with Pepper

Customer Comments:
1. Appetizing but not filling enough. It's not even large enough to get stuck in my tooth gap. I had to go home and have about six pieces of rye bread. (— Don) 2. It's a cold dish, this is unusual. The roasted candied mushroom paired with the hammer pepper flakes makes the sensations come in layers. The spice kicks in just as the sweetness fades. As an appetizer, its portion looked a little small, I finished it before I noticed. (— Saunders)