In the kitchen, all ingredients and staff were prepared and ready.
The head chef of the Imperial Restaurant, surnamed Zhang, was not participating in tomorrow’s birthday banquet. He just greeted Qin Huai and Zang Mu in the kitchen and left work happily.
It was understandable. Although Chef Zhang’s skills were average and his signature dishes clearly showed he was not fully trained, he was, after all, the head chef of a high-end restaurant. It was impossible for him to be an assistant and help out at Han Youxin’s birthday banquet.
Cheng Gong prepared a comfortable chair for Han Guishan, placing it in a spacious area away from the stove, so Han Guishan could sit and wait for the food.
Qin Huai only needed to make three kinds of snacks tomorrow: Four Happiness glutinous rice, Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns, and Three Meat Buns. Originally, Qin Huai planned to make apple dough balls instead of Three Meat Buns. Although in terms of taste, apple dough balls weren’t as good as Three Meat Buns, they had a higher prestige and were also a standard banquet snack.
If a banquet included apple dough balls among its snacks, guests would know the pastry level of this banquet was surely high.
But Han Guishan didn’t choose apple dough balls.
The snacks were tasted by Cheng Gong, and his feedback to Han Guishan was that the apple dough balls looked great but tasted mediocre, while the Three Meat Buns looked ordinary but tasted better.
Han Guishan, adhering to the principle that snacks should be delicious above all, chose the Three Meat Buns without hesitation.
Therefore, the three snacks at tomorrow’s birthday banquet can be simply summarized as buns, steamed buns, and dumplings. At first glance, the flavors seem bankrupt, but upon closer tasting, one would discover the hidden wonders.
For Qin Huai, making these three snacks didn’t require much help, just someone proficient in Knife Skills, who also had decent Fire Control to help cook the filling for the Three Meat Buns.
Zang Liang was a perfect fit.
Let’s face it, Qin Huai really needed Zang Liang’s help.
Qin Huai began kneading the dough, while Zang Liang helped chop the meat. Qin Huai didn’t tell Zang Liang how the meat filling for the Four Happiness glutinous rice should be chopped, instead directly sending him the photo of the meat chopped by Cao Guixiang last time.
Upon seeing the photo, Zang Liang was amazed and unhesitatingly forwarded it to Tan Wei’an. It must be said that these two were indeed good brothers, sharing the same habits.
After viewing the photo, Zang Liang, with a very apprentice-like attitude, stated that he couldn’t chop the meat filling that way, but he would try his best to chop in that direction. Qin Huai comforted him, saying not to force himself, and it was normal not to be able to achieve that level.
If Zang Liang could chop meat to Cao Guixiang’s standard, he wouldn’t be the little Knife Skills prince; he’d be the little Knife Skills emperor, ready to rebel and crown himself.
Qin Huai was kneading the dough for the Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns.
Since it was test cooking, the amount wasn’t large, as long as the patron was satisfied.
Zang Mu was cutting tofu.
Famous for its tofu dishes, Qin Huai knew that Huaiyang cuisine’s Wensi Tofu was a showmanship in Knife Skills, but it was apparent Zang Mu wasn’t cutting Wensi Tofu.
Zang Mu was meticulously cutting the tofu into diamond-shaped pieces, moving slowly but decisively. Upon closer comparison, one would find every piece identical in size, shape, and cut, a perfect 1:1 reproduction.
Qin Huai was currently practicing Knife Skills, still trying to understand cutting radishes, so he clearly understood the skill involved in cutting tofu like that.
Qin Huai was almost blatantly staring at Zang Mu.
Zang Liang, as a good brother of Tan Wei’an, naturally heard from Tan that Qin Huai was effectively self-taught and wasn’t very familiar with many common things, so he explained thoughtfully:
"My master is making Pingqiao Tofu."
"Pingqiao Tofu?" Qin Huai thought for a moment, confirming it wasn’t on Huang Ji’s menu.
Huang Ji’s menu only had Eight Treasure Tofu, Crab Yellow Tofu, and Wensi Tofu.
"Pingqiao Tofu is also a famous dish in Huaiyang cuisine, but compared to other famous dishes, it is more homely, though not without its reputation. It was once part of the Man Han Banquet. My master is very skilled at making tofu dishes, and his specialty is Pingqiao Tofu."
"The ultimate aspect of Pingqiao Tofu is its flavoring. Normal dishes either use chicken soup, pork bone broth, or fish soup for flavoring. Only Pingqiao Tofu uses chicken soup combined with crucian carp brain."
"Of course, while actually flavoring, it’s not just these. You also need to add crab yellow and lard."
"Moreover, many dishes are served when they are at a suitable temperature to prevent guests from burning themselves. When Pingqiao Tofu is served, it may not seem hot, but it is actually very scalding."
"However, I think the most challenging part of Pingqiao Tofu is the Knife Skills; the tofu must be cut thin, the thinner it is, the more flavorful it becomes."
"Many people say Pingqiao Tofu is very homely, but in reality, its difficulty level isn’t low. There’s a homely way to cook it and a high-difficulty way. According to my master, making a show-off dish doesn’t reflect true skill; mastering homely dishes does."
Qin Huai nodded, greatly agreeing with Zang Liang’s last statement.
He had witnessed firsthand at Cao Guixiang’s how exceptional homely dishes could be.
Every day when he ate simple stir-fries, it was so good he wished he could chew the bowl and mix it with rice.
After listening to Zang Liang’s explanation, Qin Huai continued staring at Zang Mu.
Masters like Zang Mu, with excellent Knife Skills yet slow and steady movements, were not common, and worth observing more.
Was his explanation not engaging enough?
Didn’t Tan Wei’an say Qin Huai loved listening to this kind of explanation? Misled information, he must discuss this with Tan Wei’an when he had time tonight.
Since the quantity wasn’t large, Qin Huai skillfully and quickly finished making the Fermented Rice with Steamed Buns, Three Meat Buns, and Four Happiness glutinous rice.