National Tide 1980

Zhang Dashao was certainly happy to see everyone's enthusiastic response.

However, the old man was not arrogant and became polite immediately.

He said to Miss Jiang Si, "You are such a famous person, you are looking up to me too much. I am just a cook. If the food is well prepared and everyone is satisfied, I will be satisfied with my thumbs up."

"Actually, the reason why this dish is rare is not that it is really difficult to make. The biggest reason is that it requires patience and a lot of work. Most people don't have that much time to prepare it in detail and concentrate on it. Do it.”

"But this dish does require effort. Regardless of the selection and combination of raw materials, the knife skills and the heat, the requirements are relatively detailed. It is closer to the private dishes of Fu Men'er and Zha Men'er."

"From this point of view, I think if you cook it, it will probably taste better than what I cook. It's just a coincidence that I serve you this dish today, and it's a bit of a trick. Don't just say yes, or You have to find fault with me..."

Miss Jiang Si did not expect that Zhang Dashao would turn around and praise her, and she immediately became humble.

"What? Me? You think too highly of me. I'm just a glutton for delicious food. I can barely be regarded as a eater who never tires of fine food or fine food. How can I compare with you? I want to be picky about your dishes, which is just a trick. Although I have some cooking skills, I can only cook casually at home. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to run a restaurant well..."

"No, you can't say that. You're too kind."

Zhang Dashao shook his head decisively.

He is a true diet expert, especially when it comes to the principle of diligence. One is one and two is two. He must not be careless.

The old man said very seriously, "Most people who eat delicious food will do it. The more they love to eat, the more they know how to eat, the more demanding they are. In private, they will work harder on their diet. As the saying goes, it is better to ask for others than to ask for yourself. If things go on like this, you will be satisfied. How can I not have a few unique dishes to satisfy my appetite? Therefore, truly exquisite dishes often come from the private residences of good eaters. You can’t eat them in restaurants, and only a few of them are available. Only when it is made cheaply can it be spread occasionally.”

"Like 'Pan Fish' and 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall', which of these delicacies are not enough to be handed down from generation to generation? Even in the palace, otherwise Qianlong and the Queen Mother would not have had to have their own small kitchens, and they would have changed their methods from the outside. Get a cook to come into the palace to serve you. The lotus chicken slices that everyone has heard of and the duck in front of you are essentially private dishes in the palace."

"The same goes for you. Back then, wasn't Quischlin's 'Cream Chestnut Powder' your personal creation? Lao Kang had told me about it a long time ago. This dessert is quite amazing, just by itself. I have said that it has surpassed Keshilin who started his career in desserts. I have also tried to make it, and I admire your ingenuity very much. This also shows your cooking level. Who can say that? You're not good at cooking, how is that possible? I don't believe it."

"As for us diligent cooks, our skill lies in how to prepare a complete set of decent official seats in a short time. Although the dishes we are best at are good-looking and delicious, they are all high-sounding things. The cooking requirements of the dishes are the same as The finely cooked dishes are very different and belong to a completely different way. What we pay attention to is fragrant and soft, and what we want is quick and decent, but it loses freshness and tenderness, and often seems rigid. So working as a cook in a restaurant is different from cooking it in a private house. Cooks are completely different things.”

"Of course, the opposite is also true. No matter how good the private kitchen is, it is only suitable for a large and meticulous family to entertain guests. Or it can be used for a dinner party with a few friends who are particular about eating and drinking, but it is not suitable for official banquets. Even if you can barely use it, there will be absolutely no benefit. Even if you can cook it well, you will definitely not be able to eat it well."

"Why do you say that? Because you think about it, there are two or three tables at the official banquet, or more than ten tables and dozens of tables. This kind of formal banquet, a banquet for guests, eating is equivalent to saluting, and every move is restricted. It is a waste of time. Inevitable. For delicate heat-cooked dishes, you eat only the heat. A spoonful can only be used to stir-fry one plate, or two at most. And you have to eat it as soon as it comes, and you have to trot even when passing the dish. After a few seconds, it will be out of taste. ”

"So, if the real fine food is served to the guests of the restaurant, it is difficult to get good reviews. Don't look at the reputation of Tan's cuisine, but now it has become popular with restaurants and has changed its taste. If back then, you would have let When he holds a banquet, two tables is the limit, and he has to prepare three to five days in advance. No matter how many more, he won't be able to get it out even if he vomits blood. Is this the truth? "

"As for you, if you belittle yourself just because the restaurant's business is not doing well, I'm afraid you've really gone astray. In my opinion, if your restaurant isn't doing well, it's not because your cooking skills are not good, but it's probably because your cooking skills are too good. It's too elegant. Don't forget, a good chef needs appreciative diners. And your restaurant is in a foreign country. Can you expect foreigners to understand your exquisite dishes? I'm afraid it's inevitable to be conceited. It is inevitable that the cow will chew the peony..."

What Zhang Dashao said is reasonable and well-founded.

Not only did he explain clearly the difference between private kitchen food and restaurant food, he also immediately solved some of Miss Jiang Si’s long-standing doubts about restaurant management.

Moreover, he also specifically mentioned the proud things of Miss Jiang Fourth back then, and praised Miss Jiang Fourth.

Can Miss Jiang Si still be unhappy?

"Oh, thank you for your suggestion, and thank you for thinking so highly of me. Otherwise, an expert is still an expert. As expected, the insights are unique and brilliant. After listening to your words today, I finally understood something. It seems. That's really what happened. Otherwise, let's just keep it like this. Let's not talk about who is advising whom and who is the master of the art. Warriors make friends with martial arts, and literati make friends with literature. Since we all love eating and cooking, let's make friends with food. . Today I will eat your food first. At noon on the fifth day of the first lunar month, I will also set up a banquet to treat you. What do you think? If you don’t mind, you can also taste my private dishes when the time comes..."

These words also reached Zhang Dashao's heart.

Since Miss Jiang Si's family environment is very unusual, he really wants to know something about her.

The private dishes of Gein's wealthy family are rarely known to outsiders, and they are all good and have special cooking methods.

There are often even unique and refreshing feelings.

The old man also hopes to have some surprises in his ordinary life. It is very likely that Miss Jiang Si is the person who surprises him.

But despite this, Zhang Dashao, who was looking forward to this meal, refused to take advantage of others.

Although he accepted the invitation, he did not forget to make arrangements for Ning Weimin.

"Hey, you want to treat me, I'm really asking for it. When the day comes, I will never be absent. As for my little knowledge, if you find it helpful, that's my honor. But, if you can take all the credit Me, I would be ashamed too."

As he spoke, the old man pointed at Ning Weimin, "Because to be honest, these insights and ideas are also due to this guy. I didn't think so clearly at first. Speaking of which, it's thanks to this guy that he opened a restaurant specializing in palace dishes. We are a restaurant in China, and we also want to open branches abroad. When we get together and have nothing to do, we think about which dishes are suitable and how to cook them. After going back and forth, we have such experience and consensus."

The old man followed and pointed to several dishes on the table for Miss Jiang Si with a smile.

"Hey, by the way, this kid is also a good eater who knows how to eat and drink. The dishes he comes up with are quite interesting. Look at the pine nuts, corn and oyster sauce lettuce on the table today. These two dishes are his. Invention and creation. Now it has become one of the best-selling dishes in his restaurant. By the way, the salt and pepper mushrooms, and duck egg yolk baked pumpkin are also very popular in Japan. I have to say that this Lao Kang is really I have gained a good apprentice, I am very envious..."

Indeed, it was different from the content that was similar to most families in the capital at that time.

The size of the meal served at Majia Garden at noon today is absolutely top-notch.

Because in addition to some traditional dishes that people in Beijing have to have during the New Year, such as "pork skin jelly", "mustard dumplings", "tempeh tofu", "hawthorn mixed with cabbage heart", "rice vermicelli meat", "steamed fish", " "Stewed Chicken", "South Fried Meatballs", "Stir-fried Mutton with Scallions", "Braised Pork Ribs", "Homemade Hairtail Fish", "Minced Pork with Snow Pork" and "Eight-Treasure Rice", there are several unique and fresh dishes on today's table. of dishes.

Needless to say, the Chai Bang Duck and Braised Sea Cucumber with Tendons cooked by Zhang Dashao were all delicious dishes and occupied the most conspicuous position on the table.

But there are two extremely bright vegetarian dishes that are also eye-catching and refreshing.

That is, Ning Weimin copied the work of the future catering industry and "invented" pine nut corn and oyster sauce lettuce in advance.

If nothing else, let’s just say that in Beijing these days, vegetable production has not completely broken through the shackles of seasons.

Although Beijing has vigorously developed greenhouse vegetables since 1984, it has also established "special vegetable bases" for introducing foreign vegetables in Taiyang Palace and Xiaotangshan. Even vegetables from other places have been vigorously supplied to Beijing since last year.

But for the vast market demand, these are still a drop in the bucket.

As ordinary people, we still have to mainly store Chinese cabbage in winter.

Being able to spend a lot of money to buy a few fresh products in winter, namely tomatoes, cucumbers and bean sprouts, is better than nothing.

Therefore, from the perspective of material supply, it is not easy to see such a thing in the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month.

This is entirely due to the good cooperative relationship between Ning Weimin and the Temple of Heaven Park, which allows us to obtain these things from the greenhouse supply chain.

In addition, don’t forget that pine nut corn and oyster sauce lettuce are also popular dishes that have been tested by public tastes.

In the future, from a nationwide perspective, whether it is a northern city or a southern city, as long as it is a public restaurant, these two dishes will basically be available and will be retained for a long time, and the ordering rate is not low.

Before liberation, all famous restaurants across the country had the ability to provide more than fifty kinds of general dishes at any time.

Looking at it this way, these two dishes, pine nuts, corn and oyster sauce lettuce, are equivalent to entering the general menu of the new society.

This is enough to prove that these two dishes have a wide audience and are definitely popular tastes.

Needless to say, on Zhang Dashao’s recommendation, Miss Jiang Si also went to try Ning Weimin’s “inventions”.

Needless to say, although the taste of these two dishes is more straightforward, there is no harmony or subtle changes in the five flavors.

But it is really delicious, with a sweet taste, and it is also very satisfying. After one bite, I want to eat another.

No wonder those young people like eating meat so much, and they also flock to these two vegetarian dishes.

For this reason, Miss Jiang Si could not help but look at Ning Weimin with admiration.

While she asked her son to have a taste, she thought about talking to Ning Weimin.

But Ning Weimin didn't care about anything else at this time.

He was taking care of Matsumoto Keiko with all his attention.

While serving her dishes, he explained to her many questions that she didn't understand.

If nothing else, Keiko Matsumoto is Japanese after all. Even after learning Chinese, she can speak a lot of words and has no problem communicating in daily life.

But it is impossible to fully understand the ancient Chinese philosophy of life.

To be honest, from the moment she stepped through the door of Ma's garden, she felt like she had fallen into a profound hole. She had no support, no scratching, and the soft bottom made her sink deeper and deeper. This feeling was unprecedented anywhere.

So even though she was sitting at the banquet, there were too many things that she didn't understand.

Just like Zhang Dashao mentioned the word "wash the dust" just now, she asked Ning Weimin in confusion what he meant, did he want to take a bath?

This made Ning Weimin almost spit out a mouthful of wine from his mouth.

After coughing for a while, he could tell Qingzi that the only way to cleanse himself was to drink and eat.

But Keiko Matsumoto was still puzzled and asked why she had to talk about washing the dust when it was clearly time to eat. Can she talk about eating when it was time to wash the dust?

Ning Weimin had no choice but to accompany him slowly, giving him euphemistic expressions that popularized Chinese customs little by little.

Later, when I saw that she just said she wouldn't eat, he put another chopstick of vegetables on her small plate.

Matsumoto Keiko asked what kind of dish it was.

Unexpectedly, Mi Xiaohui, a naughty girl who deliberately teased Menzi, actually interrupted and said, "This is called an ant climbing a tree and not growing old."

As a result, Keiko Matsumoto was frightened and her eyes widened.

Ning Weimin noticed the change in her expression, and quickly explained that it was just minced meat and stir-fried porridge, and there were no ants in it. It was just called that, so feel free to eat it.

So it is conceivable that it was not easy for Ning Weimin to finish this meal. He basically had no time to take care of Qingzi.

So when Miss Jiang Si saw him looking like a "model loving wife", she was too embarrassed to disturb him, so she went to congratulate Kang Shude instead.

"You are a really good apprentice. No wonder you make Master Zhang envious. You do have some skills. Well, both of these dishes are good. Especially the pine nut corn, which has a beautiful color and is easy to make. If only back then, this dish would have been If you put it in Guishin, I'm afraid it will become a signature dish that attracts people to imitate. It seems that we are all getting older, which means that each generation is getting better and better. I just don't know if you, the apprentice, are willing to Teach me these two dishes and let me try them in the United States..."

It stands to reason that the master would not be unhappy when someone appreciates his apprentice so much, especially someone like Miss Jiang Si who comes from a well-known family and has seen the world.

But he didn't know whether it was because Kang Shude was still angry with Ning Weimin or because he couldn't see him being so attentive to Matsumoto Keiko in front of her.

When the old man heard other people praising this apprentice, he was filled with disgust and disdain. He simply followed the saying "the smell is far away and the smell is near".

"Huh, that's good. The biggest problem with this kid is that he has no future. Can't you see it? He is greedy for pleasure and weak-willed, so he is not a person who can do big things. If I look at it, he is far worse than your son. Your son got a doctorate in Western architecture overseas. This is a talent, and he is worthy of being a descendant of your Jiang family. If you look at him again, what real ability does he have? He only knows how to fall in love, eat, drink and have fun, and understand a little bit. It’s just opportunistic.”

After the old man even frowned, he couldn't help but knock his index finger on the table, and shouted at Ning Weimin from afar.

"Hey, you kid, those ears are just for decoration. Your fourth aunt is talking to you, can you be polite?"

At this moment, Ning Weimin and Matsumoto Keiko were shocked.

The lovebirds immediately broke off their conversation. (End of chapter)