Yu Yao put down the stool she was holding and said with a smile, "Please speak, Quartermaster."
"Here's the thing, the canteen is in that vegetable garden at the foot of the mountain. It was flooded a while ago because of the rain, so we can't have fresh vegetables until the New Year. For more than a month, we've been eating potatoes, cabbage, and sweet potatoes. The soldiers are tired of it and want to change things up. They've eaten the dishes I know countless times, so I wanted to ask if you have any other recipes."
What styles has the quartermaster made before?
Chen Xu thought for a moment, "I've cooked cabbage and potatoes countless times before—stewed, boiled, stir-fried, you name it. The biggest problem right now is the potatoes; we have the most leftovers. Do you have any other cooking ideas?"
He was helpless; even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.
Unlike the mainland, islands have limited resources and not much land suitable for large-scale cultivation. Potatoes, cabbage, and sweet potatoes have high yields and are also the most durable vegetables.
These are the foods we eat most often in the cafeteria.
Yu Yao nodded. "There is a way. We're going to make a potato pancake and a potato roll tonight. It tastes good, goes well with other dishes, and most importantly, can be eaten as a main dish."
"Can it be a staple food? That's great! That way, it'll be used up quickly. Otherwise, watching so many potatoes go bad is just a waste of food, isn't it?"
Chen Xu breathed a sigh of relief and asked with a smile, "Comrade Yu Yao, how do you make the potato pancakes you mentioned?"
"Quartermaster, please follow me." Yu Yao took the lead and walked towards the kitchen.
On the kitchen stove was an enamel basin filled with finely shredded potatoes, which Lu Ze had cut.
Each potato shred is of uniform thickness, as if it were cut with a ruler. They are so thin and long that only a master knife skill could produce them.
Chen Xu looked at the shredded potatoes inside and quipped, "Old Lu, your knife skills are wasted on cutting shredded potatoes."
Lu Ze glanced at him and said, "I use this knife skill to kill enemies too. Quartermaster, would you like to try?"
Chen Xu shivered and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, I can't afford your knife skills, Lao Lu."
Yu Yao washed her hands, scooped the shredded potatoes out of the bowl and put them in another bowl, dividing them into two portions. "I'll make potato rolls first, it's simple. Just make thin pancakes with flour, and then roll them up with green peppers, shredded potatoes, and other side dishes."
After saying that, Yu Yao scooped some enamel flour into the enamel basin, added a little salt, cracked in two eggs, stirred it with hot water until it became flocculent, then added a spoonful or two, kneaded it into dough, and divided it into portions.
Roll out the kneaded dough into thin pancakes.
Considering that oil is expensive, Yu Yao only poured a little oil into the pan, then used a brush to spread the oil all over the bottom of the pan before putting in the dough.
As Lu Ze added firewood, the pancakes in the pot began to bubble and were fried until golden brown on both sides by the high temperature.
The first pancake is done.
The quartermaster, who also knew how to make pancakes, took the iron pan from Yu Yao, who was busy stir-frying green peppers and potato shreds, and started making pancakes.
The pancake wasn't made with much oil, so it wasn't a beautiful golden color, but a light yellow. With the scallions inside, it looked quite appealing.
Once the pancakes were cooked, Yu Yao's shredded potatoes were also ready.
Freshly baked egg pancakes are placed on a cutting board, topped with pickled bamboo shoots and freshly stir-fried potato shreds, and they look very appetizing.
Yu Yao rolled one up and handed it to the quartermaster.
Chen Xu took it; the pancake was still warm, and the aroma of flour, eggs, and potatoes wafted towards him.
It smells delicious and looks good, so you can be sure it tastes good too.
Chen Xu took a bite, and his eyes lit up.
The crispy outer layer of the pancake is fragrant with egg and wheat flavors, while the shredded potatoes inside are soft and chewy, and the green peppers and bamboo shoots are crisp with a hint of sourness. One bite and the aroma is irresistible.
Although I've eaten each of these dishes countless times on their own, they're surprisingly delicious when eaten together.
Yu Yao rolled two more rolls, one for herself and one for Lu Ze to eat.
Seeing that the quartermaster was only eating flatbread, she pushed two small dishes of sauce over, saying, "You can dip it in soybean paste, shrimp paste, or other sauces. It tastes pretty good. The shredded potatoes inside can also be paired with other ingredients, making it more versatile."
Chen Xu nodded as he ate, agreeing that it was indeed delicious.
Even he, who's always eating potatoes, thinks this potato shreds pancake is pretty good. Those guys in the cafeteria who're practically green with envy from eating potatoes will definitely like it too.
He was also looking forward to the potato pancakes that were coming next.
Yu Yao used the leftover shredded potatoes to make seven or eight palm-sized potato pancakes, which the quartermaster praised highly after eating them.
Potato pancakes use a bit more oil, but it's within an acceptable range.
Yu Yao also suggested that the quartermaster could make the potato pancakes with salt and pepper or spicy cumin flavor, which would taste even better.
Chen Xu silently made a note of it.
Besides potato pancakes and potato rolls, Yu Yao also taught the quartermaster how to make mashed potatoes, stir-fried potato slices, crispy potato, and wolf tooth potatoes.
Chen Xu was overjoyed and wrote everything down on paper.
After explaining how to make it, Yu Yao and the others had finished preparing dinner.
Yu Yao invited the quartermaster to eat with her, but he declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Comrade Yu, but I have a meal prepared at home and they are waiting for me to come back. I won't stay any longer. Thank you for today!"
Yu Yao waved her hand: "Quartermaster, you're too kind. You've taught my Lu Ze so much before, it's nothing. If you need any more recipes next time, I'll definitely help if I can."
Chen Xu expressed his gratitude: "On behalf of all the soldiers in the island troops who eat in the mess hall, I thank Comrade Yu for his generosity."
Lu Ze saw the quartermaster out of the courtyard.
Chen Xu nudged Lu Ze on the shoulder. "Old Lu, let me ask you something. Doesn't your wife have any thoughts about quitting her job at the factory? If she did, she'd definitely be a good cook in the cafeteria."
Lu Ze said calmly, "Not for now."
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