Chapter 2,
Su Guoer had a good idea. She lifted the bamboo curtain and was about to go to the yard in the morning mist, but suddenly she touched the water on the bamboo curtain. When the water droplets accumulated on the curtain penetrated the layers of bamboo and fell on her hand, she felt a chill.
Oh, it’s a late spring cold snap, it’s quite cold today.
Su Guoer thought, "I guess the mothers in the kitchen will make some thin porridge for us to drink in the morning?"
In this warm yet cold weather, eating some multi-grain rice porridge is very warming. If you add some more shredded ginger and stir-fry the yellow rice when taking it out of the pot, it will be even more soothing.
Shredded ginger can dispel the cold, and paired with millet, which is warm in nature, a quick bite while it's hot can dispel all the coldness from your body. After a mouthful of thin porridge, sweat will appear on your forehead. It's so comfortable.
Just as she was thinking about it, a slim girl in a light purple thin jacket came in from the southwest corner door. The girl had a flowing moon bun and looked a few years older than Su Guoer. She was Sister Xiang Lian who served the old lady.
After walking out of the corner gate, she was looking around, as if looking for someone. Some of the maids and servants had stopped their work and were waiting for instructions. They were all a group of third-rate maids and servants, and rarely came to the old lady on weekdays. Xiang Lian was a first-rate maid in front of the old lady. The fact that she could come to this yard must mean that she had some important task to do, and everyone was looking forward to it.
But Sister Xiang Lian's almond-shaped eyes turned slightly, and after looking at everyone, her gaze fixed on Su Guoer.
He said, "I'm looking for you, come here quickly." After that, he waved his hand and motioned Su Guoer to come forward.
Su Guoer placed the used face towel on the clothesline hanging in front of her and walked forward in an orderly manner.
Xiang Lian said, "The old lady said she has no appetite today and wants to find something new and unusual to eat. But it's too late to go to Bingxianglou to ask for a cook this early in the morning. I remember you're a good cook, so why don't you make breakfast tonight? The food has already been prepared in the small kitchen, so just go ahead and make it. If the old lady enjoys the meal, I'm sure you'll get a generous reward."
Su Guoer looked up and replied with a smile: "Okay, I'll go prepare it right away."
She had cooked for the old lady before, and she had praised her cooking skills, and everyone in the compound knew about it. Occasionally, she would go to the front yard to cook for the old lady, and she would also receive some rewards from her, which once made everyone envious.
But Su Guo'er wasn't a cook. The chefs at the mansion were all master chefs recruited from all over the place, including a retired imperial chef with several apprentices. So there was no place for her in the kitchen, and Su Guo'er had no ambitions there. Just getting some bonuses was good enough. You know, the bonuses she'd saved up over the years were more than her entire monthly salary combined. She was already very satisfied and happy to take on this job.
He walked happily through the corner door towards the kitchen.
As for what dishes to cook, she has already thought about it.
Every noble in the palace had a fixed amount of food, as long as it didn't exceed the amount prescribed by the current emperor. For example, the old lady was a first-rank imperial consort, and according to the rules, she was entitled to eight dishes per meal. However, no one would deliberately pursue eight dishes per meal, and the old lady advocated frugality, so she only needed to prepare three dishes for breakfast, and the set lunch menu was only six dishes, which was not her responsibility.
In other words, Su Guoer needs to prepare three dishes in the morning.
After arriving at the kitchen, Su Guoer saw that today's ingredients had been delivered, including two lively sea bass. She felt relieved. Spring is the season when sea bass give birth, and it is the time when they are fat. The sliced sea bass is mixed with shredded ginger, yellow rice, and white rice to make a pot of porridge. It is not only delicious and appetizing, but also can warm the body.
If it's topped with some warming perilla leaves, the old lady will surely have a good appetite and feel warm all over. It can also dispel the chill brought on by the late spring cold snap. The old lady is old and frail, and after a sudden change in weather, she's bound to be affected by the cold. Therefore, this kind of porridge is essential for warming the body as breakfast.
It is also served with a small stack of sweet potato and yam puree and a plate of rose and mulberry two-color steamed buns.
The perilla leaf sea bass porridge is salty, and the old lady prefers sweet food. It just so happens that the sweet potato yam puree and two-color steamed buns are slightly sweet, which neutralizes the taste and makes the dish richer, so that it does not appear monotonous.
There was a maidservant lighting a fire in the kitchen. Su Guoer first fished out a sea bass from the water tank. After quickly cooking it, she sliced the fish meat and set it aside. Then she casually picked up an earthenware jar from the shelf nearby, put the washed white and yellow rice in it and started to cook. After the rice porridge was cooked, she added the sashimi.
While rice porridge was cooking on the stove, Su Guoer had already kneaded the dough. She kneaded the washed rose petals and soaked mulberries into the dough, and simply pinched two patterns with her hands for decoration, and then steamed it.
Sweet potato and yam puree is even simpler. Put the washed sweet potatoes and yam into a steamer and steam them until cooked. Then mash them into puree. Simply put it on a plate and spread a little locust flower honey on it.
Generally speaking, the dishes are not complicated, but they are varied and exquisite in appearance, which makes people hungry just by looking at them.
Especially the perilla leaf sea bass porridge. The white rice and yellow rice have been stewed and are fragrant. After opening the lid of the ceramic pot, the fragrance of the rice porridge hits your nose, making Su Guoer's stomach growl with greed.
Looking over, she saw large, plump, white grains of rice tumbling in the pot, along with finely chopped yellow rice and finely chopped ginger. The white, ginger-yellow, and rich aroma of rice mixed with the unique spicy aroma of ginger made her inhale. It was so fragrant that it filled the kitchen. The aroma attracted the younger maids to their feet and they kept looking at the clay pot.
After a while, the sweet potato and yam puree was also steamed. Su Guoer took it out and placed it on the stove to keep it warm, preparing to make this dish last. The lunch box was not very effective in keeping this dish warm, so it had to be eaten immediately after it was made, so it was left to be made last.
On this side, Su Guoer took out the steamed buns and put them into the food box filled with warm water. On the other side, she put the fish slices into the rice porridge and boiled it for about a minute. After the fish was cooked, she put it into a large Haikou bowl and put it into the food box.
Finally, it’s time to prepare the sweet potato and yam puree. Peel the sweet potato and yam, mix them together, mash them into a puree, and then stack them into the shape of an undulating hill. Then take a green plum branch from the outside and place it on the plate. Finally, spread a little moist yellow honey on it.
Okay, all three dishes are done.
Su Guoer walked outside carrying the lunch box.
As usual, she should deliver the lunch box herself, but... she can't go today.
No matter what, you can't get through.
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