Chapter 115 Three Treasures of the Earth, Mapo Tofu, and Corn and Pork Rib Soup
She needs to understand Han Ming and "Crescent Moon" more deeply and determine if there are other possibilities.
[Han Ming]: Sure. (Smiling emoji) I look forward to meeting Miss Su again.
He agreed very readily.
Su Xiaonuan breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
She needs time to think carefully about what to talk about and how to talk about it.
She put down her phone and checked the time; it was almost ten o'clock.
She pretended to fiddle with the "modification materials" she had brought, then got up and prepared to go home.
As they were taking the elevator upstairs, the doors opened on the first floor, and a man rushed in, almost bumping into Su Xiaonuan who was about to leave.
Su Xiaonuan reacted quickly, stepping aside to avoid the danger.
The man was around forty years old. He was wearing a neatly pressed dark gray suit underneath a good quality khaki trench coat. His hair was combed meticulously, but his face showed obvious anxiety and impatience. He was in a hurry and didn't even glance at Su Xiaonuan before pressing the button for the upper floor of the elevator.
Su Xiaonuan hadn't paid much attention at first, but the moment the elevator doors closed, a thought flashed through her mind and she suddenly remembered—wasn't this man one of the two people she had overheard arguing with another man over a "large sum of money" issue at the Western restaurant that day?
That guy in the polo shirt, wearing an expensive watch, and speaking in a tough tone!
Why does he live in this neighborhood? Or is he looking for someone?
Su Xiaonuan frowned subconsciously, a professional alertness making her want to follow and see what was going on.
She was about to turn around and wait for the next elevator when the elevator doors opened with a "ding".
"Nuan Nuan? What are you doing standing here? Have you bought your things?" An Ran stepped out of the elevator and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Seeing that Su Xiaonuan hadn't returned home yet, she became a little worried and went downstairs to check on her.
Upon hearing An Ran's voice, Su Xiaonuan immediately stopped turning around, her face instantly switching back to her sweet and adorable smile as she looked at An Ran: "I've finished shopping! I was just about to go upstairs. Why did you come down?"
"I was worried because you hadn't come back for so long." An Ran took her arm. "Let's go home, I'm starving."
"Okay, let's go home." Su Xiaonuan replied with a smile, letting An Ran pull her home, but she remembered the man in the trench coat and the corresponding floor.
It seems that this neighborhood is much more "lively" than she imagined.
When the two returned home, Su Xiaonuan tied on an apron and began preparing lunch.
Since we're going out this afternoon, let's just have a simple lunch.
She planned to make two simple stir-fries to go well with rice—stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers with potatoes and green peppers and Mapo tofu—along with a light corn and pork rib soup.
First, I got the ingredients from the system store: round purple eggplants, yellow potatoes, green peppers, soft tofu, minced pork, broad bean paste, Sichuan peppercorn powder, scallions, ginger, garlic, as well as fresh sweet corn and spare ribs.
She deftly peeled and chopped the eggplant and potatoes into chunks, and broke the green peppers into small pieces.
Add more oil to the wok and heat it to 60% of its maximum temperature. First, put the potato chunks into the wok and fry them until the surface is golden brown and the edges are slightly charred. Then, remove them and drain the oil.
Next, add the eggplant pieces. The eggplant absorbs the oil and quickly shrinks and softens in the hot oil, its surface glistening with an enticing sheen, turning golden and tender. Remove it from the oil as well.
Finally, quickly fry the green bell pepper pieces in the oil to release their aroma.
Leave some oil in the pan, add minced scallions, ginger, and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the fried eggplant, potatoes, and green peppers and stir-fry quickly.
Add appropriate amounts of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and a pinch of sugar for seasoning. Pour a little hot water along the edge of the pot to allow the flavors to meld better.
Finally, drizzle a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce slightly, then reduce the heat to high to reduce the sauce further. A plate of oily, fragrant, and brightly colored "Three Treasures of the Earth" is ready to serve.
The eggplant is soft and tender, the potatoes are fluffy with a caramelized aroma, and the green peppers are crisp and refreshing. It's a savory and delicious dish that goes perfectly with rice.
On the other hand, cut the soft tofu into small, evenly sized cubes and soak them in boiling water with a little salt. This will remove the beany taste and prevent the tofu from breaking apart.
Marinate the minced pork with cooking wine, a little light soy sauce and white pepper powder.
In a separate pot, heat oil and stir-fry minced pork until it changes color and separates. Then add chopped Pixian chili bean paste and fermented black beans, and stir-fry over low heat until the oil turns red and the sauce becomes rich and fragrant.
Add minced scallions, ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorn powder and stir-fry until fragrant. Pour in an appropriate amount of boiling water or broth.
Carefully slide the drained tofu cubes into the pot, and gently push them with the back of a spoon so that each piece of tofu is soaked in the bright red and spicy broth.
Add a little light soy sauce and sugar for seasoning, simmer over low heat for a few minutes to allow the tofu to fully absorb the flavors.
Finally, thicken the sauce by adding cornstarch slurry in two or three batches, allowing the sauce to coat the tofu, and then sprinkle with chopped green onions.
The eight essential flavors of numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, crispy, tender, fresh, and vibrant are all gathered in one dish, making it so tempting to look at that it makes your mouth water.
Corn and pork rib soup is even simpler.
Blanch the pork ribs and rinse them. Put them into a clay pot with chopped sweet corn and a few slices of ginger. Add enough cold water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for more than an hour.
The ribs are cooked until they are tender and fall off the bone, and the sweetness of the corn is fully infused into the soup. The soup is clear with a few golden oil droplets floating on the surface. Only a little salt is needed for seasoning, and it is already extremely delicious.
Two dishes and a soup were placed on the table, and the rich aroma of the food filled the small restaurant.
"Wow! It smells so good!" An Ran took a deep breath, her face full of anticipation. "It looks incredibly appetizing!"
The two of them served themselves rice and sat facing each other.
An Ran first scooped a spoonful of Mapo Tofu onto the rice. The red oil soaked into the snow-white rice. She couldn't wait to put it in her mouth. Instantly, the spicy and savory flavor exploded on her tongue. The tofu was so tender that it hardly needed to be chewed. The minced meat was crispy and fragrant. The numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns belatedly surged up, making her gasp for breath, yet she couldn't bear to stop eating.
"It's so delicious! Nuannuan, your cooking skills are amazing!" she exclaimed indistinctly as she ate, then quickly reached for the stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers.
The fried eggplant and potatoes soak up the broth, creating a rich and layered flavor that is savory and delicious. Paired with rice, it's the perfect combination.
Finally, a bowl of sweet and nourishing corn and pork rib soup neutralized the spiciness, and the warmth spread from my stomach to my whole body, making me feel extremely comfortable.
"I feel like my soul has been healed..." Anran leaned back in her chair with satisfaction, squinting her eyes as she sighed.
Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Su Xiaonuan felt a great sense of accomplishment.
The power of food is always so direct and comforting.
After finishing their meal, the two of them cleaned up the dishes together.
Looking at the time, it was a little past one in the afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly.
"Shall we go out for a walk?" Su Xiaonuan suggested. "We're planning to sell roasted lamb legs tonight, so let's go out for a stroll now and digest a bit."
“Okay!” An Ran readily agreed.
The two changed into lighter clothes, and then... began to "arm" themselves.
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