Food: Taking the twins to kindergarten to be chefs

In the spacious and bright classroom of Class 2.

Cai Jingxian divided a group of children from the senior class into three groups, with ten people in each group. They sat around a "giant dining table" made of small tables. There was a large plate on the table of each group. On the plate, strings of attractive hawthorns had been strung together in advance and arranged neatly, waiting to be transformed.

Teachers Cai Jingxian, Zheng Yujia and Wu Meijuan, wearing different aprons, stood guard beside a large iron pot like guardian angels. They were concentrating on assisting the children in cooking and making the syrup that is indispensable for making candied haws.

As the firepower increases...

The sugar in the pot slowly melts and gradually boils. The golden syrup shines more brightly under the warm light, exuding a mouth-watering sweet aroma.

Cai Jingxian smiled and said to the expectant children around her: "Look, the color of the syrup is getting darker and the fragrance is getting stronger!"

Upon hearing this, the children opened their eyes wide with curiosity, stretched their necks and looked into the pot, wanting to witness this magical change with their own eyes.

"Look, there are so many bubbles in the pot. They seem to be having a happy party. Every bubble is dancing happily!"

"Yes, yes, yes. And every bubble is golden, just like... well, just like the sunlight from the sun. So shiny!"

"I think they are more like magical elves, busy casting wonderful spells in the pot, and then dressing the hawthorn skewers in a sweet magic coat!"

"Look, the bubbles seem to be getting smaller! Does that mean the syrup is almost ready? Can we make delicious candied haws now?"

"..."

The children's imagination was like a wild horse running out of control. They described the scene before them in a fanciful way, filling the classroom with laughter.

"Yes, children, the syrup will be ready soon..."

Cai Jingxian raised a gentle smile and reminded them, "You must watch carefully, because the next magical moment is when the teacher will put on the shiny sugar coating on the candied haws!"

As she spoke, she carefully dipped the hawthorn bunch into the golden syrup and slowly rotated it, hoping that every hawthorn would be evenly coated with the tempting sugar coating.

however.

As expected, the accident happened.

As the syrup cooled slightly, it became thicker than expected. When Cai Jingxian tried to lift the candied haws, the syrup stuck to the edge of the pot like glue, leaving only half a bare bamboo stick and a few lonely hawthorns.

And Zheng Yujia is not much better.

I tried to pour a large pot of boiled syrup evenly on the skewered haws, but for some reason, the syrup became extremely sticky and solidified quickly as it came into contact with the air. Instead of forming an attractive sugar coating, it stuck to the edge of the pot and the candied haws like glue, making the originally smooth surface become mottled.

Even Wu Meijuan, the best cook in the audience, was not spared from this "candied haws disaster".

Although her candied haws were all covered with a layer of sugar coating, the coating looked strange, thick and rough, as if the candied haws were wearing an ill-fitting piece of clothing.

Got~
A typical case of "the brain knows, but the hands don't"...

This is the rhythm of the whole army turning over...

This is so embarrassing...

This time.

The air in the classroom suddenly froze.

Faced with this scene, the children's big eyes that originally sparkled with expectation gradually lost their luster, and the upward curves of the corners of their mouths slowly drooped.

"Oh, why are the candied haws made by the teacher different from the ones I bought outside? Is it because they are not made well?"

"Yeah, how could this happen? I thought I could see beautiful candied haws!"

"Hmm... is this a failure?"

"Oh, how can we sell candied haws like this? No one will buy them, right? What should we do?"

"Yes, no one will spend money to buy ugly candied haws... we can only... we can only ask our parents to buy them..."

"Yeah... If I can't do it well, this is the only way..."

"..."

Each group of children gathered around their respective teachers, watching the candied haws that should have been sweet become a mess, and muttered helplessly.

Cai Jingxian and the other three teachers listened to the children's words and didn't know whether to be happy about their intelligence and thoughtfulness, or to feel sorry for their parents' wallets and stomachs...

After feeling helpless for a second...

Cai Jingxian smiled awkwardly but politely and said, "Haha, it seems our Tanghulu wants to wear a special 'armor' today!"

The children's brows were still slightly frowned, and they politely responded with a smile that was uglier than crying.

"My dear children, failure is not terrible." She continued gently, "What matters is what we learn from it. We can try different methods until we find the secret of success..."

Zheng Yujia agreed, "Yes! We can work together to find a way to fix these candied haws, or we can start over."

But the next second...

She tasted the syrup in the pot, and immediately a bitter taste came over her: "This syrup is a bit bitter. It seems that I can't use it anymore. I can only pour it out and boil it again..."

"I'm not afraid of going through it again, but I'm afraid that the final result will still not be ideal..." Wu Meijuan looked worried.

"So what do you say we should do?"

Cai Jingxian couldn't help but look worried, and said helplessly: "If it doesn't work, it will delay the opening of our class's food stall..."

After these words were spoken, everyone fell into deep thought.

If we can’t open, the kids will probably cry and faint in the classroom…

The children looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion and helplessness.

At this dilemma...

Zheng Yujia's thoughts suddenly became clear, and she immediately suggested, "How about... we ask Chef Huang for help?"

It really wakes up the dreamer...

Cai Jingxian's eyes lit up and she said, "Yeah...why didn't I think of that? Then let's find Chef Huang and let him be our food consultant. I believe he will be able to help us solve these problems."

When the children heard this, they immediately became energetic, with excitement shining in their eyes.

"Yes! Let's find Chef Huang. The dishes and snacks he cooks are so delicious. He must be able to make candied haws too!"

"Yes, Mr. Huang can also make sugar figures, which are also made of sugar, so he will definitely be able to make candied haws that will surprise us."

"In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up and go to the kitchen to ask Chef Huang to help us realize this sweet wish!"

"Teacher, let's go now and ask Chef Huang to come and help us..."

"..."

Cai Jingxian smiled and nodded, and said gently: "Okay, children, just wait here and I will ask Chef Huang to come and make delicious candied haws with us."

Wu Meijuan recalled, "Teacher Cai, when I went to the kitchen to deliver the lunch bucket just now, I saw Chef Huang go to the classroom of Class 4. Do you think he went to Class 4 to help cook the food?"

"It's very likely..."

Cai Jingxian thought that Huang Jun's two twin daughters were in the small (4) class, so it was normal for him to go and help out. She already had the answer in her mind, so she nodded and said, "Then I will go to the small (4) class first to look for them, and you two stay here to look after the children."

Zheng Yujia and Wu Meijuan nodded in agreement: "Okay, Teacher Cai, you can go without worry, I'm here!"

"Children, please listen to Teacher Wu and Teacher Zheng. Teacher Cai will be back soon..."

After giving her instructions, Cai Jingxian walked briskly out of the classroom, went down the stairs, and came to the door of Class 4.

She stood at the door and through the crack, she heard Huang Jun's familiar and patient voice, instructing the children step by step on how to determine the heat.

She listened quietly for a while, and couldn't help but praise Huang Jun's attentiveness and patience. At the same time, she felt that she had found the right person!

"Dong Dong Dong~"

She knocked on the door lightly and walked in.

Hearing the noise, Yang Yuxi and the others subconsciously looked up and saw that it was Cai Jingxian. They smiled and said hello to her, "Teacher Cai, why did you suddenly come to our Grade 4 class? Is there anything wrong?"

Cai Jingxian smiled and said, "Teacher Yang, I'm here to look for Chef Huang!"

"Find me?"

Huang Jun was quite surprised and couldn't help looking puzzled.

Cai Jingxian stated her purpose: "Yes, Chef Huang, I'm looking for you. Our class has encountered some problems in making candied haws, and I would like to ask you to come over and give us some guidance."

Yang Yuxi and Xie Jianing: "..."

I treated you as a good colleague, but you poached my staff right in front of me!

This is too unfair...

Huang Jun thought about it and agreed, "Teacher Cai, no problem, I'll go right away." Then he turned to the children in the small (4) class and said, "Children, uncle will go to help the older brothers and sisters in the big two class first. You guys keep an eye on the fire first, I'll be back soon."

Finally, he looked at Yang Yuxi again and said seriously, "Teacher Yang, please help me. Steam it for another 20 minutes and then turn off the heat. But don't open the lid in a hurry. Let it simmer for another five minutes before taking it out and steaming something else."

Yang Yuxi and the other three teachers nodded in agreement: "Okay, I understand. Qingqing Dad, don't worry, we will pay attention."

Cai Jingxian took the opportunity to take a look at the delicious food made by the children in Class 4. She was immediately amazed by the exquisite appearance of the spinach steamed cakes. At the same time, she immediately realized that Huang Jun must have contributed a lot to it.

This time.

Her confidence has also increased.

I believe that the children in my class will be able to make perfect candied haws under the guidance of Huang Jun.

Even if it's not perfect, the appearance and taste will definitely be good.

At least, it will definitely not be unsalable, and it will not be reduced to the situation where parents in my class have to buy it out of their own pockets to maintain the last bit of dignity...

"Teacher Cai, let's go!"

Huang Jun saw that Cai Jingxian was in a daze, so he reminded her and then went to the classroom of Class 2 with her.

His arrival immediately caused a small sensation.

"Oh, Teacher Cai is back, Teacher Cai is back, she is back with Uncle Chef Huang!"

"Uncle Chef Huang, you are finally here! We have been waiting for you for a long time!"

"Haha, Uncle Chef Huang is here, our Tanghulu is saved!"

"..."

Faced with the children's enthusiasm, Huang Jun smiled slightly, and then looked at the several strings of candied haws wrapped in "sugar armor" on the plate on the table, and immediately understood the reason.

"Don't worry, kids. Actually, the concentration and temperature of the syrup will affect the quality of the candied haws. Let's solve this problem together! Let's see how to remedy it. In fact, you can add some maltose and continue to boil it until the temperature in the pot reaches about 30 degrees..."

As he spoke, he walked over to the syrup pot, only to find it empty and clean as new.

Apparently, the bad syrup had been disposed of.

Wu Meijuan smiled awkwardly and said, "Chef Huang, um, the syrups were bitter, so I poured them all out..."

Now that things have come to this, the only thing we have to do is start over!
He said nonchalantly, "It's okay, just boil it again later! I'm just afraid that time is a bit tight, I can't guide the children one by one, so I can only boil the syrup for you, and the children will use the hawthorns to coat the sugar later. Of course, I will explain the steps to the children step by step..."

"Special situation requires special treatment. Let's do as you say, Chef Huang!" Cai Jingxian nodded.

"Okay, let's do it."

Huang Jun walked to the stove, skillfully poured water into the pot, and then added white sugar.

He explained to the children: "For beginners, it is recommended to use a non-stick pan to make syrup, and the ratio of water to sugar does not need to be particularly precise."

"If you are not sure about the ratio, you can use a bowl, fill it with sugar and smooth it out, just enough to fill one bowl, and also fill one bowl with water, so that the ratio is 1:1."

As he spoke, he used a spoon to mix the sugar and water.

When everything is ready…

He turned on the induction cooker and switched it to medium heat. He continued, "The heat for boiling sugar is critical. It should not be too high or too low. Medium heat is the most suitable."

"Don't touch it after turning on the fire. Many people fail to make sugar because they stir it too much."

"Sugar goes through three stages in the pot: first it boils, then it thickens, and finally when it starts to turn yellow, it means the syrup is almost ready."

“The whole process takes about seven to 7 minutes.”

Cai Jingxian and other three teachers listened to his explanation and couldn't help but show an expression of "listening to your words is better than watching thousands of cooking videos on the Internet" and "as expected, professional matters should be left to professionals".

The children watched the changes in the pot intently. As the temperature rose, the original white sugar gradually dissolved, and a pot of slightly golden syrup appeared in the pot.

A few small bubbles occasionally appear on the surface of the syrup, accompanied by a slight "pop" sound.

Huang Jun continued to operate and explained in detail: "When the syrup starts to change color, we can prepare a bowl of cold water to test the hardness of the syrup."

“Dip a little syrup with a chopstick and quickly put it into cold water.”

"If the syrup is watery when you lift it up, or if it sticks to your teeth when you eat it, it means the sugar has not been cooked enough."

"If the syrup hardens quickly and tastes crunchy, it means the syrup is ready."

In order to give the children a more intuitive understanding, he began to demonstrate.

Picking up a bowl of cooled boiled water, he dipped the chopsticks into the pot, then put them into the bowl and lifted it up.

The syrup pulled out long thin threads on the chopsticks.

"This situation means that the sugar has not yet been cooked enough and needs to be cooked further."

after awhile…

He dipped the chopsticks into the pot again, then put them into the cooled boiled water. When he lifted them up, the syrup had completely solidified on the chopsticks.

"Children, come and try some..."

He gestured to Cheng Xinrui beside him to bite the syrup on the chopsticks.

"Mmmmm~"

Cheng Xinrui nodded obediently and took a bite of the syrup on the tip of the chopsticks. With a crisp "crunch" sound, the syrup shattered between her teeth.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

When the children heard this, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. At the same time, they also felt a little greedy and showed their desire to be "guinea pigs".

Huang Jun continued: "The syrup on the surface is now ready. At this point, we need to quickly turn the heat down to minimum."

As he spoke, he quickly adjusted the induction cooker and reduced the fire to the lowest level.

He said seriously: "The step of dipping the fruit in syrup is critical. You can't just put the fruit into the syrup. This will not only burn the fruit easily, but also make the sugar shell too thick, affecting the final taste and appearance."

Wu Meijuan suddenly realized, "No wonder the shell of the candied haws I made before was so thick, it turned out that my hand gestures were wrong!"

Huang Jun picked up a string of hawthorns and demonstrated while saying: "The correct way is to do it like I did. Let the hawthorns string lightly rotate on the surface of the syrup and dip them in a thin layer of sugar bubbles. One rotation is enough. Don't be greedy. Put the finished candied haws on silicone paper and cool for ten minutes."

"Gulu~"

Looking at the candied haws on the silicone paper, the children spontaneously started doing the "swallowing exercise".

Huang Jun smiled and said, "Who wants to try to coat the hawthorn skewers with syrup?"

"I, I'll do it..."

The children raised their hands one after another, eager to try.

Huang Jun did not favor one child over another and treated all the children equally.

I guided them step by step, asking them to quickly rotate the skewered hawthorns in the syrup, then lift them up to let the excess syrup drip off and form an even layer of sugar coating.

The children were very happy to see their own results and competed with each other to see who did better.

Huang Jun, who was concerned about Class 4, could not help but go to the classroom of Class 4 again to check on the situation.

Seeing that Yang Yuxi and the others had strictly followed the steps he had instructed them before, and the steamed spinach cake they produced was bright in color and soft in texture, he finally felt relieved.

After confirming that everything went smoothly, Huang Jun asked Yang Yuxi and the others to continue steaming the remaining spinach cakes. Then he prepared to return to Class 2 to continue helping to make the syrup.

Along the way, he was stopped by teachers from other classes who asked him questions about cooking.

At this moment, he felt like a brick that could be moved wherever needed...

Fortunately, these problems were not serious, and with his efforts and timely remediation, all the minor incidents were resolved.

Afterwards, Huang Jun returned to Class 2 with a feeling of accomplishment and continued his "syrup-making" guidance journey.

In order to add a special twist to the children's candied haws, he sprinkled some white sesame seeds into the syrup, which not only enriched the flavor but also added a layer of taste.

of course.

It also won the love of children and teachers!

over time…

All the candied haws were completed within the specified time.

Under the guidance of the three teachers, the children were busy but not chaotic, carefully packing the cooled candied haws and preparing to start their "stall" mode... (End of this chapter)