Chapter 28 Birthday Party
Soon the servant changed the third dish, which was yam cake with jam.
The yam cake does not contain any flour and is made entirely of yam. A little bit of glutinous rice flour is added on top and it is topped with the big fruit banyan jam made by Bai Mengmeng.
The old man took a bite and found it mellow and smooth. He didn't know how the jam was made, but it was not only sweet and delicious, but also had a floral fragrance. It was very special, and the combination tasted unique.
"What is this jam made of?" Old Master Qi couldn't help but ask.
The servant who brought the food naturally didn't know, so Qi Ma quickly replied: "Father, this is a large-fruited fig. There are many wild fruits like this in the mountains now. It looks very similar to a fig."
Qi Boyuan’s wife was speechless. What was there to say about the wild fruits on the mountain? Wasn’t he afraid of being laughed at?
Mr. Qi was very satisfied: "It's wild fruit, and the sauce made from it is so delicious, not bad."
He is very picky and usually doesn't praise others, so it is very rare for him to receive such an evaluation.
A few younger people also became curious and started to taste the yam cake which looked nothing special.
Only after putting it in their mouths did they discover that the pastry was not only delicate and delicious, but also very refreshing, and a small piece was really not enough to satisfy them.
Even Qi Yue, who had previously been very disdainful of Bai Mengmeng, ate up the yam cake on the plate.
Generally speaking, hot dishes should not be served directly after the pastries, but this is not a five-star hotel, and Bai Mengmeng is too lazy to follow the rules of serving dishes.
The meat dishes also look simple, they are all the most common home-cooked dishes, fried, roasted and steamed, which is not surprising at all.
Even though we put a lot of effort into the presentation, the ingredients are still simple.
But everyone had already been impressed by Rose's appetizer, and Mr. Seven also had some expectations for these ordinary dishes.
I first tried the stir-fried lotus root, which is the tender root of the lotus and has a different taste from the lotus root.
It is difficult to maintain a fresh and tender texture when cooking, and it will be too hard if you are not careful. But this dish tastes crispy, tender, and sour and spicy now.
Moreover, the sour taste does not come from vinegar, but rather has the aroma of lime, which makes people's appetite increase.
Mr. Qi had eaten this dish before at Bodhi Pavilion. It was made by Chef Sun. Although it tasted good, it was not as simple and natural as this one, leaving people with an endless aftertaste.
There is also a jasmine lily dish, which looks like a flower but tastes soft, tender and sweet without any bitterness. At the same time, it has a light fragrance, and the floral scent is almost imperceptible in the collection.
I don’t know how the lilies were processed, but the taste is really great.
Among the hot dishes, the most important one is a roasted bell pepper and king oyster mushroom. Yes, I don’t use any matsutake or deer antler, but it is still a very simple recipe. In addition, there is a dish of green pepper and dried mushroom.
But these two dishes, one tastes fresh, smooth and tender, like fat, but not greasy, and the other is dry, crispy and fresh, tasting like the most delicious air-dried beef.
Add stir-fried seasonal vegetables, such as white fungus, bean curd sheets, wood ear mushroom and cauliflower... They all look like simple seasonal side dishes, and they may seem crude when served on the table, but the aftertaste is full of freshness and fragrance, making people unable to help but indulge in them.
Now no one questioned it anymore, even Qi Boyuan and his wife couldn't help but eat more and more.
The younger generations were even more surprised. The famous chefs they had hired before looked much more high-end in terms of ingredients and presentation, but the taste was not as good as these simple meals.
Could it be that the cook secretly used some technology or some hard work? But the aunties were watching, so that shouldn't be possible.
…
Bai Mengmeng didn't know what the host family thought. He was busy preparing the most important main dish, Dinghu Shangsu.
First, simmer the various mushrooms, sons, and grandsons separately over fire.
Each of these ingredients requires different cooking methods and different cooking times, which is a great test of the chef's skills.
Then he brought over a dozen small cups and filled them with various condiments.
The separate dining system is indeed quite torturous, and just arranging the dishes is exhausting.
After the dishes are arranged, each portion is added with broth made from Sima hoof starch. In order to ensure that the taste is sufficiently restored and the starch does not dominate the dish, the starch is also very thin and is called glass starch.
Finally, place the cup filled with ingredients on the plate and put it in the steamer for cooking.
As time passed, a faint aroma that sounded very much like meat wafted into the air.
The timing is just right!
Bai Mengmeng quickly opened the box, took out the tray, and lifted the upside-down bowl. The golden soup immediately flowed out, and the ingredients stood like a small mountain with distinct layers.
Finally done.
Bai Mengmeng breathed a sigh of relief. All she had to do next was make one more main dish, and the birthday banquet would be complete.
In fact, she was too lazy to do anything fancy, so she just made a simple bowl of noodles, because she had to eat noodles on her birthday.
…
The servants came forward to change the tableware, and everyone stopped eating with their chopsticks.
It was really embarrassing because the food was so delicious that everyone forgot to maintain their manners and was so engrossed in eating that it was quite unsightly.
Suddenly, a particularly strong fragrance drifted in from afar, capturing everyone's heart.
"Is this the taste of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall doesn't seem to be as fragrant. It doesn't feel quite like it."
The younger generations still didn't discuss it.
The old man smelled the fragrance and became a little impatient.
When the servants brought the dish, everyone realized it was just a small plate. It looked like this was the main course for the banquet. When it was served, Mr. Qi saw the dish, which was made of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and ears, piled high yet with distinct layers, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "This is Dinghu Shangsu."
After all, I am so old now, and I often go to high-end restaurants, so I have naturally eaten at Dinghu Shangsu.
I have seen dishes that were presented in a more beautiful way, but none of them could compare to this kind of aroma that makes people drool.
The old man was no longer reserved and picked up his chopsticks to taste the food slowly.
As soon as he took a bite, he felt that the ingredients had distinct layers of texture, and the mushrooms had absorbed the soup and were extremely delicious.
Bamboo shoots also have a complex flavor, but they are very crisp, tender, fresh and delicious.
There are so many complex ingredients, but the seasoning is unusually light. Not only does it retain the original flavor of the ingredients, but the various flavors also blend into a unique and strange fragrance. It tastes much better than meat, which is really amazing.
Because the portion of the dish was not large, Mr. Qi finished it after just a few bites and could only put down his chopsticks with a sigh.
"I was pleasantly surprised by this Dinghu Shangsu experience."
It's more than a surprise, it's simply impossible to stop.
I don’t know who made this, he just can’t get enough!
Qi Xiuyuan said cheerfully, "Father, this dish requires nineteen ingredients, some of which are particularly hard to find. I went to all the restaurants, big and small, before I finally found them, especially the bamboo shoots."
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