There’s a reward for this too?
Lin Xu was somewhat surprised.
However, after adding the Lotus Leaf Cakes, the price of the Pickled Pork could be increased by about fifteen yuan, and indeed, the profit margins had improved.
Even so, he was still buying the Lotus Leaf Cakes from the supermarket.
If he were to wholesale them or steam them himself using a steaming cabinet, the cost could be further reduced.
Right now, the kitchen was too busy. With people coming and going at the entrance, it wasn’t suitable to pet Dundun and try for the lottery. So, Lin Xu planned to wait until after the midday rush.
After all, with Dundun, the king of luck, on his side, winning the lottery was hardly a difficult task.
Because they had started promoting the dishes yesterday, the restaurant was exceptionally busy this noon.
Whether it was the various duck dishes, the Pickled Pork, or the marinated dried tofu, everything was very popular.
Especially those duck dishes. Eating the fragrant and spicy food, then washing it down with a cold beer—the sensation was unbelievably satisfying.
"This duck head is marinated so well! It’s perfectly numbing and spicy, and the texture is fantastic to chew. It’s amazing with beer. If there were a game on, I could eat this all night."
"For me, the joy of gnawing on duck heads and necks comes from the sense of achievement when you pick out the meat bit by bit. Those tiny morsels hidden in the crevices of the bones, you have to meticulously search for them. This sense of achievement is incredibly satisfying for someone with OCD."
"Me too, me too! I only play scavenging games on Steam, just for that kind of joy."
"Ha! I only play scavenging games too. I’m tired of Skyrim and the like. Bro, let’s add each other on WeChat later and exchange some gaming insights."
Several customers, discussing the art of gnawing on duck necks, found themselves hitting it off more and more as they chatted.
Eventually, they simply created a group chat, and everyone joined.
「Two o’clock in the afternoon.」
The bustle in the restaurant finally subsided.
Lin Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead, walked over to the cash register, and scratched Dundun under the chin—his favorite spot. Each time, Dundun would squint his eyes, thoroughly enjoying it.
However, today Lin Xu was preoccupied with the lottery draw. After just a couple of scratches, he couldn’t help but silently think:
Instantly, the lottery wheel appeared on the mental screen.
It was filled with the names of various Basic Cooking Techniques.
As the wheel spun rapidly, he pressed the draw button.
Soon, a notification from the system sounded in his mind:
"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the Excellent Level Basic Cooking Technique—Knife Sharpening."
Sharpening... knives?
Lin Xu glanced down at Dundun.
What’s the matter, little buddy? Why so unhelpful today?
Dundun shot him a look, leaped haughtily off the table, and squeezed into the Shengjian bao-shaped cat bed Shen Jiayue had bought for him near the entrance, looking quite miffed.
I was too careless, Lin Xu then realized.
Previously, when he used Dundun for the lottery, he would hold him or play with him for a bit.
Today, he had gone straight for the draw.
The little guy must be unhappy.
He was too impatient. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up with such an underwhelming technique.
Although the Knife Sharpening technique wasn’t completely useless, compared to the Dough Technique, the Filling Adjustment Technique, and the Filling Technique, it was significantly inferior.
Alas! A lottery chance wasted!
He squatted beside the Shengjian bao-shaped cat bed and played with Dundun for a while. Then, he took the video footage he had shot in the morning back to his apartment in the residential complex behind the restaurant and edited it on his computer.
After checking it once to confirm there were no issues, he chose to upload it.
Then he lay on the couch and took a brief nap before going downstairs to return to work at the shop.
The shop was still bustling in the afternoon.
The marinated dried tofu had sold out, and a new batch needed to be fried and then braised.
The duck dishes were also running low; not only did new batches need to be braised, but the braising liquid also needed adjustment.
Additionally, some Lotus Leaf Cakes had to be steamed.
Although the supermarket-bought Lotus Leaf Cakes were convenient, they were expensive. Their taste was also mediocre, nowhere near worthy of the shop’s Perfect Level Pickled Pork.
Upon arriving at the shop, Lin Xu first proofed some dough, and then began preparing the Pickled Pork.
In the morning, when he was making Pickled Pork, he had purposely cooked the meat chunks for the afternoon. He had also soaked the pork skin until it achieved the tiger-skin pattern. Now, he could just slice it, marinate it a bit, and then it was ready to be steamed.
The dough had risen. Lin Xu kneaded it once more and started making Lotus Leaf Cakes.
The Lotus Leaf Cake, a type of half-moon-shaped small bun, seemed to be available nationwide. It’s generally eaten paired with meat dishes, and one can easily tear it open in the middle to stuff it with meat.
Dishes like Cumin Lamb, Pickled Pork, and Fermented Tofu Meat are all commonly eaten with Lotus Leaf Cakes.
Making Lotus Leaf Cakes is quite simple.
Knead the risen dough again to expel the air inside.
Roll it out into a long, thin strip with a rolling pin, brush a thin layer of oil on the surface, then fold it in half. This makes it easy to separate when stuffing with meat.
After folding, evenly score a striped pattern on the dough with a scraper.
This makes the resulting Lotus Leaf Cakes more attractive.
Finally, holding the open edge of the dough with one hand, gently pinch a small fold at the crease with the other hand to resemble a lotus leaf’s stem.
This is the origin of the name "Lotus Leaf Cake."
Arrange the prepared Lotus Leaf Cakes evenly on a steaming rack, let them rest for fifteen minutes, then steam them in the cabinet for eight minutes.
The Lotus Leaf Cakes, perfect for serving with the Pickled Pork, were ready.
Compared to supermarket prices, the cost of making them with a steamer was less than 0.1 yuan each.
But when paired with Pickled Pork, each cake could sell for one yuan or one and a half yuan.
This profit... It’s no wonder the system sent a reward specifically for this.
At the Fishing Platform State Guesthouse.
Xie Baomin was busy in the kitchen when Assistant Bai from the Dining Department suddenly appeared at the kitchen entrance.
"Bro Xie, Director Liao asked me to collect your discarded chef knives. I’ll report them and get new ones issued. Do you have many discarded knives?"
"Not too many... Xiao Wang, give Assistant Bai those unused chef knives from the storage cabinet."
After saying that, he nudged Assistant Bai with his shoulder and whispered, "I heard they’re setting the competition rules today. What are they? Come on, give your bro a heads-up. I’ll treat you to some grilled lamb kidneys later."
Assistant Bai, in his thirties, had a good relationship with these executive chefs.
He chuckled and said, "The folks at Building Ten are offering to treat me to roasted suckling pig. Don’t you think your Wangjing grilled kidneys are a bit lacking in sincerity?"
After a pause, he added, "I can’t reveal the details, Bro Xie, so don’t keep dwelling on it. Isn’t second place good enough? I heard Building Ten has already made a banner for their third consecutive championship; they’re dead set on winning this time."
Xie Baomin smiled, "What a coincidence. I’ve also made a championship banner. We’ll see whose gets to be hung up in the end!"
Soon, Assistant Bai had collected ten or so chef’s knives that were either dull-edged or nicked.
He took these knives back to the Dining Department office and placed them on a storage rack, already densely packed with discarded knives collected from every building.
Nearby, Geng Lishan, who was there to establish the competition rules, was quietly sipping tea.
"Mr. Lishan, why did you ask us to collect all these knives?" Liao Jinming, the gray-haired director of the Dining Department, asked curiously.
Geng Lishan put down his teacup and said calmly, "As a chef, knife sharpening is a fundamental skill. Later, select the knives with the most severely damaged edges and largest nicks and bring them to the competition site. If a contestant doesn’t sharpen their knife or doesn’t know how, I’ll deduct points on the spot!"
A couple of days ago, during a walk, I stumbled upon a pretty good spicy skewer restaurant. But thinking about how the second Chapter wasn’t updated yet, I held back from eating. So today, I updated early to avoid the spicy skewers delaying things! Here’s the second update. Brothers, please send your Monthly Tickets and recommendation votes my way!