Chapter 25 Top Chef
"The vegetarian food at Lanxiangzhu is also good. Why don't we invite them?" Qi Ma suggested.
Qi Xiuyuan shook his head: "The level is far behind, and I asked them, but they don't have time!"
"Then don't ask anyone to come to your house, just order the food directly!" Qi's mother was a little unwilling to give up.
"How can this be done? You know how picky they are. Going outside to order it will only make big brother even more proud." Qi Xiuyuan felt helpless and slumped on the sofa.
Qi Ma happened to see the fruit on the ground, and an idea popped into her mind: "Old Qi, do you still remember Qiongye Restaurant?"
Qi Xiuyuan was stunned. "We used to hire famous chefs. Although Mr. Xiaobai's cooking skills are good, he is unknown. And his dishes are just ordinary side dishes. I'm afraid they won't work."
Qi Ma thought for a moment and said, "That's not necessarily true. Last time, my eldest brother invited a top chef from Haicheng to cook some kind of fusion dish. The portion was small, and the presentation was exquisite, but it didn't look like a dish at all. We all said it was unparalleled in the world, but the old man didn't seem to like it."
"I remember the Blooming Lotus Flower dish. It was beautiful, but the old man said it was too bland. And the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, even though it was made entirely of vegetarian food, the old man didn't touch it. Instead, he ate a lot of the wild vegetable platter."
Qi Xiuyuan thought about it and something clicked in his mind: "That makes a lot of sense. Father did say that being a vegetarian is about the heart, not the mouth. He also doesn't care much for fancy things. On the contrary, he usually likes to eat simple side dishes. Maybe this will suit his taste!"
After all, it’s a birthday, so as long as the old man is satisfied, everything else is trivial.
"But... we don't know if Boss Xiaobai is willing to take it."
Qi Ma said, "We have to give it a try. Let's go directly to her to show our sincerity!"
…
In summer, the days are long, so Bai Mengmeng is working in the yard now.
Since the farm house opened, there has been a lot of kitchen waste, so she simply made it into organic fertilizer, which doesn't cost any money and can also increase soil fertility.
I had just put the black plastic film on the bucket when I heard the sound of a car outside.
Do you still have classes so late?
After washing her hands, Bai Mengmeng hurried out and saw Qi Ma coming towards her in a hurry.
"Did you forget to take something? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Qi Ma shook her head and said, "Boss, it's really presumptuous of you to come here so late. I have a favor to ask, and I hope you will agree to it."
It must be something very important if you are in such a hurry.
Although she didn't know if a common person like her could help with anything, Bai Mengmeng still asked them to sit down.
…
The aroma of tea wafts in the air, and smoke billows.
After listening to the couple's request, Bai Mengmeng hesitated for a moment and shook her head to refuse.
"It has nothing to do with money. I haven't actually studied cooking in a systematic way. I can make some homely dishes for a farm stay, but I'm afraid I don't have the skills to prepare a high-end banquet, especially a completely vegetarian one."
Bai Mengmeng actually knew a long time ago that the couple must be very rich, and they asked him to help this time and promised him a large sum of money, which showed that they attached great importance to this banquet.
Her family knew about this. The two side dishes she made were indeed delicious, but not presentable.
The couple looked at each other and said, "We really can't find anyone else. Besides, I had your vegetarian dish today and it tasted really good. Although it's simple, other people may not be able to make it this good. In my opinion, it's as good as those of the chefs."
Bai Mengmeng was a little excited when she was praised like that.
Seeing that Bai Mengmeng was somewhat interested, Qi Ma quickly spoke again: "We really have no other options. I have looked for many vegetarian chefs before, but in one day, I really couldn't find a suitable person."
Bai Mengmeng thought about it. Qi Ma was an old customer who often came to take care of business. She was usually a very generous person, but now her face was full of anxiety. She could only nod and say, "I'll do my best."
Since I have agreed, I naturally have to do my best.
First, let the two of them send over the previous menus so that we can see what dishes were served in previous years and have a better idea.
After taking a look at it, Bai Mengmeng was stunned because she couldn't understand it at all.
The pastries alone used more than ten kinds of ingredients, including wolfberry, longan, and various nuts, but only two or three pieces were made.
The combination of so many exquisite ingredients must taste great, but it also requires a lot of skill, which she simply doesn't have.
The various side dishes are also amazing. The ingredients, like Kochia scoparia seeds, aren't they a traditional Chinese medicine? Bitter and astringent, how can something like this be used in a dish? And how is this traditional Chinese medicine made into a delicious vegetarian dish?
Others include beetroot, seaweed powder, premium truffles, tamarind...
Some of them she had heard of, some she had never heard of. In short, they were all the top ingredients from all over the world, grown in the mountains and swimming in the water, and they could all be found on the menu. Finally, they were piled together to make a vegetarian feast.
Moreover, for many dishes, if you only look at the name, you have no idea what the raw materials are, but between the lines, you can see two words: high-end!
The staple food is even more exaggerated. Although they look like dumplings, the dumpling skins are made of various exquisite vegetables, such as carrots, yams, etc., and are carefully crafted into dough.
The fillings inside are not cabbage or leeks, but top-quality wild delicacies. Even the soup of the dumplings is made from forty-eight kinds of ingredients.
Bai Mengmeng was completely speechless. She did have some talent and could make the natural flavors of vegetables better when cooking, but she had never learned how to cook such advanced dishes!
Moreover, these two people actually looked rich, but I didn't expect them to have such a deep background. If Bai Mengmeng didn't know what the dishes were in previous years and looked at the menu, she might really serve two dishes of stir-fried green beans and braised eggplant like a big banquet. How could anyone possibly look down on such things?
If the owner is not satisfied, will she, the cook, still be able to get paid?
I shouldn’t have agreed if I had known this. She’s just the owner of a farm stay!
Bai Mengmeng's face was speechless, her eyes full of control. Qi's mother looked away guiltily, and Qi's father coughed twice to hide his embarrassment.
"Don't worry too much, boss. Just keep it simple and make sure the food tastes good. No need to make it fancy like they do."
Bai Mengmeng's face was filled with resentment, and she didn't know what to say for a moment. Did she not want to be fancy? Or did she simply not have the ability to do so?
Besides, the old man is going to have his birthday tomorrow. Even if she tries to cram now and become an apprentice in those high-end restaurants, and begs others to teach her a few tricks on her knees, it is impossible for her to learn those high-end dishes.
It was just one day, and she wasn't a cooking god!
It’s better to make good use of your own expertise and make some simple but crisp and delicious dishes, which will look better when presented on the plate.
Sure enough, making money is not that easy!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
