mijobooks Chapter 102: Showing Off a Little Skill
Chapter 102: Showing Off a Little Skill
The old lady's small restaurant is located in an alley behind the department store; it's a small Sichuan restaurant.
The shop was very clean, with a glass cover over the table and a red checkered tablecloth underneath, creating a cozy atmosphere.
"Mom, where have you been?" A woman in her thirties came out of the kitchen and greeted the old lady.
"Lili, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Lu Yuan. He was helping Mom harvest the grain in the field just now. We'd like to invite Comrade Lu Yuan to have a meal," the old lady said.
Lu Yuan: "???"
What the hell? Lu Yuan was completely bewildered. Why had this old lady suddenly become confused?
Lili immediately pulled Lu Yuan aside and said apologetically:
"Brother Lu Yuan, I'm so sorry, my mother has Alzheimer's. Thank you so much for bringing her back."
That explains everything. No wonder the old lady, at such an advanced age, suddenly went to participate in a knife skills competition.
She probably thought they went to harvest wheat.
Lu Yuan smiled and replied, "It's alright. Now that the old lady has arrived home safely, we'll be going now."
In this situation, it would obviously be inappropriate to stay for dinner.
Lu Yuan decided to take the opportunity to leave and find something to eat on his own.
Unexpectedly, the old lady suddenly blocked the doorway, refusing to let Lu Yuan and his family leave.
"Comrade, you've done me such a great favor, you absolutely must stay for a meal, otherwise I'll feel really bad!"
Lu Yuan tried several times but couldn't leave. Lili then came to persuade him:
"Brother Lu Yuan, please stay and have a meal. Otherwise, it will be difficult to take care of my mother in this condition."
"Alright, Sister Lili, just make whatever you want. We'll just grab a bite," Lu Yuan replied.
"Alright! Xiao Wang, pour the tea!"
Lili called out and went back to the kitchen. A young girl came over with a teapot and poured a cup of tea for everyone. She seemed to be a waitress.
There was no one else in the little shop except Lili and the waitress.
It was around 1 p.m., and unlike noodle shops, Sichuan restaurants shouldn't still have a few tables occupied.
But now the store is empty, as can be seen from the trash cans next to the tables; there's practically no trash.
In other words, this store is doing very poorly, but considering its location, it shouldn't be that bad.
Before long, Lili brought a plate of Mapo Tofu to the table. Judging from its appearance, it was quite ordinary.
Waiter Xiao Wang quickly brought over four bowls of rice, and the old lady warmly invited Lu Yuan and the others to eat.
Lu Yuan took a bite. At first, it was alright, lacking in umami but with a suitable level of saltiness. However, the more he ate, the more an incredible numbing sensation came over him!
The feeling was like Pikachu giving your tongue a 10-volt shock—it felt like your tongue was going to split open!
The numbing sensation was far more stimulating than the spiciness, and tears inexplicably welled up in my eyes, making it difficult to speak coherently.
Seeing that his parents hadn't started eating yet, Lu Yuan immediately stopped them. He then shoveled down several mouthfuls of rice and drank two cups of tea before finally suppressing the numbing sensation.
"Isn't it delicious! This is my husband's specialty!" The old lady smiled kindly, then picked up a piece of Mapo Tofu and ate it as if nothing had happened.
Lu Yuan stared in disbelief, thinking to himself that the cause of Alzheimer's disease might be about to be found.
Lili was quick; a little while later she brought over another plate of stir-fried pork and Kung Pao chicken.
These dishes are indeed the star attractions in Sichuan restaurants.
Not only in Sichuan restaurants, but also in canteens throughout history, these dishes are indispensable.
Lu Yuan tasted them with trepidation, but thankfully they weren't bad. The two dishes were passable, the kind that were optional.
After all, it was someone's good intention, so Lu Yuan and his family of three made do and finished their meal.
During this time, there were no customers at any table.
Lu Yuan was no longer curious at this point; it would be strange if there were customers for Mapo Tofu of this caliber.
At this moment, Lili also moved a stool over and sat down to the side, and asked:
"Brother Lu Yuan, this Mapo Tofu isn't very good, is it?"
Lili is rather pretty and wears glasses; she doesn't look like a cook.
Lu Yuan hadn't expected her to be so direct, and immediately tried to smooth things over: "It's alright, Mapo Tofu is all about the stimulating flavor!"
Lily shook her head self-deprecatingly and said, "I know my cooking isn't good, but my father passed away before he could teach me!"
Lili seemed to be touched, her eyes welled up with tears, and she said to Lu Yuan and the other two:
"I'm sorry to make you laugh. After graduation, I worked in the finance department of a factory, but my father passed away unexpectedly two years ago, and my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. I had to resign to take care of my mother."
"My mom and dad have been running this shop their whole lives. My mom's condition is much better when she's at the shop, but it gets worse when she goes home, so I just kept running the shop."
"But as you all know, my father passed away before he could teach me the craft, so I had to learn it all myself. But now it's not a waste of time; the shop is closing at the end of the month. It's just a pity that this shop holds so many memories for our family, and it's a little hard to see it close like this."
Lu Yuan and the other two listened with a sigh, realizing that sometimes life changes drastically without notifying the person involved.
Lu Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke up, "Sister Lili, may I use your kitchen?"
"Huh? Of course." Although Lili was a little confused, she still led Lu Yuan to the kitchen.
Lu Yuan looked at the kitchen layout; it was fully equipped, even the Mapo Tofu was served in a clay pot, which showed that the old man was quite skilled when he was alive.
Lu Yuan first found some Sichuan peppercorns, which smelled very fragrant and were of high quality.
He put the Sichuan peppercorns in a pot and stir-fried them over low heat until they were dry, golden, crispy, and fragrant. Then he poured them onto a cutting board and rolled them into Sichuan peppercorn powder with a rolling pin.
He then chopped some more minced beef, heated oil in a wok, and stir-fried it into dry and fragrant minced beef.
Next, you need to process the tofu. Cut it into diced pieces and blanch it in hot water with salt to remove the beany taste.
At this moment, Lili, who was standing nearby, realized what was happening and asked, "Brother Lu Yuan, are you making Mapo Tofu?"
Lu Yuan hummed in agreement and said, "I'll make a fool of myself."
Then Lu Yuan started chopping up the fermented soybean paste and fermented black beans, and also chopped some minced garlic and garlic sprouts. Lili watched the whole time, without showing any sign of being offended.
After everything was ready, Lu Yuan started by heating oil in a wok. Once the oil was hot, he added minced garlic and sautéed it until fragrant. Then he added fermented bean paste and fermented black beans, stir-fried until fragrant, and then added chili powder and stir-fried until well combined.
After the base ingredients were stir-fried evenly, half a ladle of water was immediately added. At the same time, Lu Yuan said, "It would be better to use stock at this time."
"Oh, oh, okay!" Lili nodded immediately, just like a little apprentice.
Immediately afterwards, Lu Yuan added the blanched tofu and said, "Don't add too much water; it shouldn't cover the tofu."
After the water boiled, Lu Yuan picked up the starch slurry and added a little bit: "For the first thickening, make it a little thinner."
Then he gently pushed the tofu with the back of the ladle: "You can only push it, otherwise it will fall apart."
After the broth thickened slightly, we started thickening it a second time, using the same method.
Before adding the third layer of starch, he first added the garlic sprouts.
Once the broth has thickened, sprinkle in the ground beef, stir-fry quickly, and then serve.
Finally, sprinkle some ground Sichuan peppercorns on top, and your Mapo Tofu is done!
Compared to Lili's Mapo Tofu, this dish looks nothing like the moon compared to the stars; it's far inferior.
Lu Yuan pushed the Mapo Tofu in front of Lili and said, "Try it!"
After Lili finished tasting one piece, her eyes lit up, and she didn't say a word.
He immediately ran to the small storeroom in the back kitchen, carrying a very heavy bag, and panted as he came to Lu Yuan, shoving it into his hands.
"Brother Lu Yuan, this is my most valuable possession. Please, you must teach me how to make Mapo Tofu!"
Lu Yuan opened the bag and gasped in shock!
This taste, this appearance, it's Nuodeng ham!
One of the top-quality hams in China!