pertwk Chapter 41 Serving the Dishes!
Chapter 41 Serving the Dishes!
Xu Jianguo and Xu Jianjun almost burst out laughing after hearing this, while the old man was so angry that he just sneered:
"No one's helping you up? How did you get that car? Who funded your business?"
"You can't say that!" Xu Jianhua said guiltily, "Young people always make mistakes!"
"You didn't just make a few mistakes! You made mistakes all the time!"
The mere mention of Xu Jianhua would infuriate the old man.
"Alright, let's just eat properly today, why bring up those things!"
Xu's mother quickly patted the old man's back to save her youngest son's day.
Zhenzhen also seized the opportunity to stand next to the sideboard and introduce:
"Today we are offering four drinks: lemon honey water, passion fruit tea, fresh orange juice, and peach four-season spring tea. Each one can be served with ice."
Lu Yuan had frozen the ice cubes yesterday. These days, many people don't even have a refrigerator at home, so adding ice cubes to drinks in the summer is still a very fashionable thing.
"I want fresh orange juice with ice!" Xu Jianhua was the first to speak, as he was most interested in these new and exciting things.
Zhenzhen scooped a spoonful of ice from a small box next to her and added it to half the glass. Then she picked up a pitcher and poured in 7% full of fresh orange juice.
After Zhenzhen placed the cup on Xu Jianhua's table, Xu Jianhua drank it all in one gulp.
"Awesome! This drink is definitely made from freshly smashed oranges, truly living up to its name. I'll have another one!"
Lu Yuan and Xu Jianguo had discussed beforehand that they would not drink tea or alcohol at this family dinner.
Xu Jianguo thought Lu Yuan wouldn't prepare anything special for drinks, but he didn't expect him to prepare such a wide variety of beverages.
Even before the dishes arrived, he was already pleasantly surprised, which made him even more eager for what followed.
A moment later, everyone ordered a drink and slowly savored it.
The tent that Lu Yuan chose, though called a tent, was actually as big as a yurt.
Each side has a liftable screen that keeps out mosquitoes and allows for ventilation.
Grandpa Xu took a sip of honey lemon water, feeling the gentle breeze blowing from the river, and found it quite pleasant.
The three children, who were close in age, sat together, drinking beverages and laughing and chattering.
A short while later, Lu Jie walked in carrying a tray.
Pingping, sitting to the left of the table, picked up a plate, gently placed it on the turntable, and introduced it as "Sesame Double Crisps".
This is a refreshing cold dish. The presentation is simple, with the pieces stacked naturally for easy picking.
This dish consists of shredded snow peas, wood ear mushrooms, and button mushrooms, along with wild black moss, and simply seasoned with sesame salt.
Wild black moss, in particular, was almost extinct due to being eaten so much because its name sounds like "get rich." In order to protect the ecology, the government banned the harvesting of black moss.
This dish is refreshing and appetizing, without chili peppers, making it suitable for all ages.
The ingredients were prepared skillfully, cooked just right, and each bite was incredibly crisp.
Especially when you chew on the sesame seeds, the aroma bursts in your mouth instantly, which greatly stimulates your appetite and makes you look forward to the dishes to come.
Even the three children who disliked eating vegetables kept taking lots of them, their mouths bulging with food.
After going around the dish once, half the plate was empty, and everyone was very satisfied with it.
Xu Jianguo is a gourmet who frequents various restaurants in the provincial capital and has seen it all.
At home, the third son gets into trouble, while the eldest son is in charge of building a career; he's always the one who lightens the mood.
His family often eats out, and his wife always jokingly calls him a food critic.
Sure enough, after finishing the first dish, Xu Jianguo leaned back in his chair and began to comment:
"This dish is very elaborate. Although it is a small cold dish, the chef has put a lot of effort into it. Look, the snow peas and wood ear mushroom strips are all the same thickness."
After Xu Jianguo said that, everyone realized that it was indeed true.
This is a lot of work for someone who can't cook, but for Lu Yuan, it's just basic stuff.
Especially at this moment, Lu Yuan was cutting Wensi tofu, which made the eyes of his several braised egg apprentices almost pop out.
Before the documentary series "A Bite of China" aired, this dish was not widely known.
Most people's understanding of tofu is limited to large pieces of tofu, such as Mapo Tofu and Tofu Pudding.
This kind of finely shredded Wensi tofu is almost unknown outside of areas where Huaiyang cuisine is popular.
When Lu Yuan stir-fried lamb before, the braised egg fans thought there was still hope of reaching that level.
But this Wensi Tofu completely overturned their understanding.
In their view, this has gone beyond cooking; it's more like crafts.
While the kitchen was busily preparing the food, the second dish was already served: a traditional cold dish of beef tendon salad.
A banquet at a Chinese restaurant must conform to local dietary habits.
It doesn't have to be expensive or creative dishes. The most important thing is to make the diners feel comfortable eating within their expectations.
In Chinese restaurants in northern China, cold beef salad is an indispensable dish.
More affordable restaurants use beef shank, while more upscale restaurants use beef tendon.
Lu Yuan used one of the most expensive parts of a cow: the tendon.
Even a cow weighing a thousand pounds only has two small tendons on the inside of its two front legs.
What's most special is its cross-section, where meat is wrapped around tendons and tendons are filled with meat, perfectly interwoven.
It forms a beautiful pattern that resembles copper coins, hence the name "coin tendon".
The texture of the beef tendon is very rich, with the firmness of lean meat and the chewiness of tendon, and it is not easy to get stuck in your teeth.
Lu Yuan's method of braising meat is quite similar to that of the northern region, using only simple spices to highlight the natural flavor of the young yellow beef without adding too much sauce.
However, Lu Yuan offered a wider variety of dipping sauce options.
In addition to the regular garlic and vinegar sauce, it also comes with chili oil sauce, spicy powder, salt and pepper, sweet chili sauce, and sweet and sour sauce.
From Lu Yuan's conversation with Xu Jianguo, he discovered that the other person was someone who cared a lot about the feelings of children and the elderly.
At this dinner party, the elderly and children made up half of the attendees.
Lu Yuan's cooking preferences will definitely take into account the needs of both children and the elderly.
Especially for children who don't like to eat meat, you need to use some unique sauces to entice them to eat meat.
Xu Jianguo was very knowledgeable about the dish "Golden Tendon" and his desire to comment on it was even stronger.
"This boss is definitely a meticulous person. He doesn't skimp on the meat at all. It's tendon, not your average tendon."
"And the portions are very generous." Xu's mother came from a difficult past and is very particular about the portion sizes of the dishes.
Many restaurants serve this dish by separating each slice of meat.
Lu Yuan's method was to place three-quarters of one piece of meat on top of the previous piece.
A plate of meat like this would be sold in three portions at other restaurants.
"Wow, this sweet chili sauce is so delicious!"
Manman was not very skilled at using chopsticks, so she simply picked up a piece with her hands and ate it.
Xu Jianguo saw this and was overjoyed.
The doctor said that Manman should eat more meat, eggs, and dairy products to boost her immunity and make her less prone to illness.
But Manman is a child who doesn't like eating meat. Every time she tries to get her to eat meat, it's like a battle.
Unexpectedly, Manman ate a lot of the meat that Lu Yuan had prepared.
"My dear granddaughter, eat as much as you like!"
Grandpa Xu doted on his granddaughter, so he pressed the turntable down and stopped it in front of Manman.
Xu Jianhua, on the other side, was about to grab a cup when he realized there was nothing left in front of him. Frustrated, he ordered another cup of orange juice.