Huayu Chef

028 Son and daughter, eating pancakes

There are so many willow catkins!

After blanching, it is cooled in cold water and it is still a large bowl. Let alone 10 people, even 10 more people might not be able to finish it.

The main ingredients were properly prepared.

Zhang Jinxuan began preparing a willow tassel feast. Tonight, he planned to make eight dishes with willow tassels: cold willow tassel salad, willow tassels with tofu, willow tassel pies, scrambled eggs with willow tassels, stir-fried willow tassels, deep-fried willow tassels, steamed willow tassels with rice flour, and willow tassel dumpling soup.

It can be steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried, used in soups, or served cold.

Salty, spicy, crispy, smooth, and flavorful.

It offers both meat and vegetables, as well as hot and cold options, basically satisfying the dietary needs of people with different dietary requirements.

Beijing has a tradition of "Eight Delicacies of Beijing," and Zhang Jinxuan's "Eight Willow Flavors Feast" made with willow tassels is quite elaborate and not at all shabby.

Boil water in a pot, take out a piece of tofu that Huang Mengying and Grandma Lin bought from the refrigerator, put it on the cutting board and cut it into small square pieces.

"That clever little devil has probably figured out the trick again: where did the tofu in my hand come from?"

"Don't ask, the answer is that it was bought."

"Why don't you do it yourself? That's a good question. Don't ask it again next time. If you want to starve us, just say so."

Huang Mengying and Grandma Lin sat next to him, eating sunflower seeds and watching Zhang Jinxuan's performance as if they were listening to a crosstalk show. They laughed when the jokes came on, which was quite professional.

"We blanch the tofu in boiling water and add some salt to the pot."

"Now you know why it's called iodized salt, right? You need to add salt when blanching vegetables, you need to add salt when stir-frying, and you need to add salt when making cold dishes, so it's called 'iodized salt'."

"Hey, nobody's laughing. That joke's too lame."

"Here comes the important part: for tofu dishes, except for those that are deep-fried directly, it's best to blanch them in hot water first. This effectively removes the residual beany taste of the tofu, and blanched tofu is smoother and whiter. Say thank you in the comments!"

Huang Mengying and Zhuangzhuang tactfully said, "Thank you."

"Ha ha."

Grandma Lin was overjoyed. "The three of you can go and perform crosstalk. There's a Deyun Society up ahead, why don't you just call it the Chef Yun Society?"

Zhang Jinxuan, Huang Mengying, and Zhuangzhuang burst into laughter. Grandma Lin is so funny.

Is Chuyun Club any good?

If Master Guo knew this, he would definitely stand up and say seriously, "Performing crosstalk is extremely difficult; laymen who haven't studied it always think it's easy."

He particularly despises amateur crosstalk performers who come from the catering industry.

Zhang Jinxuan hit the bullseye.

Hey, will this episode inspire Guo Jingming's creative work?

The tofu can be blanched for a longer time. After three minutes, Zhang Jinxuan took the tofu out and cooled it down for later use.

He wiped his hands and said to Grandma Lin, "Grandma Lin, the willow tassel pie I made might taste different from yours. I'd appreciate it if you could make this dish for me."

Huang Mengying teased him cutely, "Brother Xuan, you've changed. You're actually trying to slack off."

"Mengying, don't expose my struggles."

"Grandma Lin is so old, how can you bear to make her cook?"

Zhang Jinxuan said confidently, "Grandma Lin went to the riverbank to pick willow catkins today so that she could make willow catkin pies for her daughter and granddaughter. This is her daughter and granddaughter's favorite food. Only Grandma Lin can make the taste that her daughter and granddaughter crave. I can't, and neither can any other chef."

"I'll do it." Grandma Lin stood up, rolled up her sleeves, and glanced at Zhang Jinxuan, saying, "Little Zhang, don't try to fool me. You're not going to slack off. Do you even know how to knead dough?"

"I know a little bit."

Have you ever made pastry?

"I know a little bit."

"How much is 'a little bit'?"

"Would five-spice pastry be okay?"

Grandma Lin said irritably, "You can make flaky pastry with just flour and oil. You know how to make five-spice flaky pastry, and you call that knowing a little bit?"

Zhang Jinxuan gestured with his thumb and forefinger, and said sincerely, "I'm not lying to you, Grandma Lin, I really only know a little bit."

Although shortbread is simple, there are many flavors and thousands of ways to make it. Zhang Jinxuan only knows a few common ones, which are like the difference between the solar system and the interstellar cloud in the whole family of shortbread.

Grandma Lin: "..."

The old lady shook her head and gave orders: "Make a very simple pastry using flour and oil, in a ratio of two spoonfuls of flour to one spoonful of oil. Then knead the dough and let it rest. That should make about two pies per person."

"Okay."

"Xiao Huang, don't just stand around, come here and I'll teach you how to make the filling for willow tassel pies."

"Okay, Grandma Lin."

Zhuangzhuang felt forgotten and asked, "Grandma Lin, what should I do?"

"Xiao Zhuang, just go do what you're supposed to do."

What should Zhuangzhuang do? Just stay idle.

"Xiao Huang, add salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, and pepper to the minced pork belly and mix well..."

While making the pastry, Zhang Jinxuan also helped Huang Mengying, who looked embarrassed and awkward, by thoughtfully providing her with various seasonings.

Huang Mengying gave a grateful look and earnestly learned how to make the filling. As soon as she added the ingredients, she startled Grandma Lin and almost ruined a bowl of meat filling.

It was a complete kitchen disaster.

It's unbearable to look at.

Zhang Jinxuan silently turned his back, his shoulders trembling. He thought to himself that Grandma Lin was really reckless; she really dared to let a complete novice in cooking make the fillings. After all, she was a wealthy grandmother living in a courtyard house, rich and willful.

Are her daughter and granddaughter related by blood?

After quickly making the oil paste, Zhang Jinxuan kneaded a dough ball, let it rest, and then rolled it out into a large sheet. He spread the oil paste evenly on the surface of the dough, rolled it up, cut it into small pieces, kneaded them, and then rolled them out into small sheets.

Making pies is very simple now. Hold a small piece of dough in your hand, put a spoonful of filling in, wrap it up like a bun, and press it into a thick pancake shape.

It wasn't difficult at all; Huang Mengying learned it in no time and made them quickly and perfectly round. Zhang Jinxuan checked the time and reminded her, "Grandma Lin, you can call your son and daughter now. By the time they get home, they'll probably be able to eat the freshly baked willow tassel pancakes."

Grandma Lin nodded, letting Huang Mengying make the pies. She washed her hands, took out her phone, and dialed her daughter Xie Baoxin's number. She said very honestly, "Hello, Baoxin, Mom went to the riverbank on the outskirts of the city today to pick some willow catkins and made some willow catkin pies for you... How did you get there? By bus... I slipped and fell while picking the willow catkins, but thankfully Xiao Zhang and Xiao Huang helped me..."

Hearing this, Zhang Jinxuan couldn't help but smile wryly. If Grandma Lin said that, her son and daughter would have to fly back immediately.

Let's bake the pies first.

When the children arrived home, Grandma Lin handed them a hot willow tassel pie and said, "Baocheng, Baoxin, have a pie," which was absolutely heart-wrenching.

Thankfully, Xie Baoqing wasn't there.

The induction cooker was turned on, the frying pan was placed on it, and Zhang Jinxuan stepped down, letting Grandma Lin bake the willow tassel pancakes, which were full of family affection.

Actually, making pancakes is quite simple. Just put in a few at a time, cover the pot, and cook over low heat to slowly cook the filling.

While waiting, Zhang Jinxuan rinsed some rice and started cooking, preparing all the side dishes needed for the other seven dishes.

About thirty or forty minutes later, the door was pushed open, and a fashionable woman in her late thirties hurried into the kitchen.

"mom……"

Grandma Lin was enjoying half a willow tassel pie when she beckoned to her daughter, Xie Baoxin, "Baoxin, come and eat this freshly baked willow tassel pie, it's still warm."