The two chefs teamed up, and in less than two hours, a table full of delicious and visually appealing dishes was served: braised chicken with chestnuts, sliced beef and tripe in chili sauce, crispy crucian carp with scallions, dry-fried shredded beef, stir-fried pork kidneys, Mapo tofu, Dongpo pork, cold-dressed baby toon sprouts with minced garlic, baked eggs with baby toon sprouts, vegetarian stewed pork and bamboo shoots, fish-flavored eggs, boiled cabbage in clear broth, mushroom soup with a thousand strands of mushrooms, radish balls, stir-fried celery with lily bulbs, dry-fried daylily buds, and vegetarian braised tofu skin.
The table was laden with dishes, making Xu Milu's eyes dazzled.
Cui Mingyue was busy taking photos and posting them on WeChat Moments, while Cui Qingyuan and Cui Qingli wished they could stay at least three feet away from Ninghai Bridge.
Only Cui Shengguo was all smiles, and he even gave a little pointer to his two apprentices:
"Oh my, it must have been years since you two cooked together, right? Haiqiao, I heard you got a job in Singapore. Your junior apprentice Mingjue was shortlisted for the state banquet chef list this time. He's even younger than you were back then. You have to work harder, or you'll really be overtaken by these younger generation."
The old man was in good health, which pleased Cui Mingjue as his son, and he said in agreement:
"No, we're usually busy. Besides, we all agreed to get together for the New Year this year, so that Junior Sister can get to know everyone. We can't have received all the gifts from Third Brother and the others, and still not seen what Junior Sister looks like, can we?"
After receiving the apprenticeship red envelopes from several senior brothers and sisters, Xu Milu immediately returned with several truckloads of delicious matsutake mushrooms from Juhua. In the WeChat group, even the usually quiet sixth senior sister, Ma Shengnan, affectionately called her "little junior sister" repeatedly.
"Alright, let's eat now, the kids are hungry too."
Cui Shengguo picked up a slice of sliced beef and tripe with his chopsticks, tasted it carefully, and nodded in satisfaction.
"The color is bright red, the texture is soft and tender, the taste is spicy and fragrant, the red oil is very spicy, the tripe is chewy and smooth, the beef tongue is tender and melts in your mouth, and the chopped celery is just right. Not bad, not bad."
Only when the elders start eating do the younger ones begin to eat.
Braised chicken with chestnuts is the perfect dish to eat with rice. Every piece of chicken is coated in broth, glistening and juicy. The chestnuts are stewed until they are soft and tender, with a slightly firm texture. After biting into one, they roll on your tongue and melt into chestnut puree that slides down your throat.
The crispy crucian carp with scallions is delicious and has an extremely rich texture. With one bite, the fish skin becomes plump after absorbing the soup, and the fish meat and bones inside are completely fried until crispy and crunchy. They are soaked in a slightly sweet sauce, and make a "crunching" sound between your lips and teeth. The aroma of scallions lingers in your mouth and nose, which is simply the finishing touch.
Crispy stir-fried pork kidneys have a unique texture. The kidneys are soaked in water to remove any fishy smell, then scored and stir-fried. The result is a unique crispness that is very satisfying to the teeth.
The stir-fried shredded beef is dark red, salty, and spicy, with each strand perfectly seasoned. The Mapo Tofu is piping hot and fiery, with a few bits of minced meat on top of rice, steaming hot. Every bite is bursting with the aroma of beans and meat.
There's also a cold salad of baby toon sprouts with minced garlic to whet the appetite and cut through the greasiness; baby toon sprouts baked with egg yolks that have a hint of green; vegetarian stewed pork and bamboo shoot soup that's fresh and the vegetables are tender; fish-flavored eggs with alternating red and yellow hues; mushroom soup with a clear broth; radish balls that are adorable; celery stir-fried with lily bulbs that's all green and white; dry-fried daylily buds that's delicious and have a vibrant color; and vegetarian braised tofu skin that's fresh and appealing.
Xu Milu was curious about the taste of the cold toon sprout salad, so she picked up a piece with her chopsticks and tasted it.
The texture of the young toon sprouts is somewhat similar to that of tender spinach, but with a crisper texture. The young toon fruit replaces vinegar, but it doesn't have the strong sourness of aged vinegar; instead, it has a smoother sourness.
When chewing, the spiciness of the minced garlic and the refreshing taste of the toon sprouts are perfectly combined, and the occasional crushed peanuts add a refreshing and delicious flavor.
The vegetarian dishes made by Ninghaiqiao do taste different from those made by her.
Is this the accumulation of knowledge and experience of a master?
Xu Milu seemed to be deep in thought.
...
...
"It's so delicious. No wonder my dad always says that the vegetarian dishes my master uncle makes are even better than the meat dishes."
Cui Qingli was immediately awestruck after taking a bite and couldn't stop eating. Seeing Xu Milu also deep in thought, she winked at Xu Milu familiarly and whispered:
"Junior Aunt, since Senior Uncle has given me a mission, I'll take you out to play tomorrow. It just so happens that the artists under my company are filming a TV series. You haven't been to the filming location yet, have you? How about we go over for a visit tomorrow?"
On set?
Xu Milu immediately became interested.
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