Food: Taking the twins to kindergarten to be chefs

"Brother Liu, sister-in-law, come on, come and try this fresh fruit."

As Huang Jun spoke, he gently placed a plate of neatly arranged, mouth-watering-looking fruits on the coffee table and greeted Liu Shiwei and his wife warmly.

Liu Shiwei responded with a smile: "Brother Huang, you are too polite..."

"No, no, these fruits are brought by you. I just helped to share them with you. I am offering you some flowers to show my gratitude."

Huang Jun said with a smile.

Then, he gently turned to the three little ones who were playing happily with the Orange family, and called softly: "Hanhan, Qingqing, Weiwei, come quickly, don't just play with the Orange family, there are delicious fruits waiting for you to taste."

At this moment, Liu Ruihan was concentrating on petting the cat. When she heard Huang Jun calling her, she instinctively refused in a childish voice: "Dad, I don't have an appetite for fruit now..."

"Dad, I don't want to eat either..."

When Qingqing and Weiwei saw Liu Ruihan doing this, they also started to imitate him, shaking their little heads like drums, and politely declined Huang Jun's kindness in their own unique way.

Liu Shiwei couldn't help but smile as he watched this scene, thinking to himself: Hey, it seems our brother Huang also has his moments of frustration...

Huang Jun was not discouraged and continued to patiently persuade the three little ones: "It's too dry today. Eating more fruits can replenish water, which is good for the body."

What a pity, what a pity...

The three little guys turned a deaf ear to his words and were still immersed in their own world.

This is not surprising, after all, the fun of "petting cats" is too great, and they don't like eating fruits anyway.

If it was the snacks Huang Jun made himself, he probably wouldn't even need to call them, the aroma alone would be enough to attract the three of them.

Looking at the three little guys who remained indifferent, Huang Jun's mind turned and a new idea suddenly emerged in his mind.

He carefully picked out an attractive, crystal-clear cherry from the plate, slowly put it into his mouth, and then deliberately put on an expression of extreme enjoyment, exclaiming: "Oh, this cherry is so fragrant and sweet, and the juice is so much that it is about to overflow. Don't you really want to try it?"

This time.

Liu Ruihan's attention was successfully attracted by Huang Jun's performance. She blinked her bright big eyes, with a bit of hesitation and curiosity on her face.

At the same time, Qingqing and Weiwei were also very interested in these words. They put down the meat buns and pumpkin pie in their hands and gathered around excitedly.

"Wow, these cherries are so big!"

Qingqing and Weiwei exclaimed in unison, their eyes sparkling with surprise: "It's much bigger than anything we've seen before..."

"Indeed, it is big and very sweet. Come, let me feed you a taste..."

Huang Jun smiled and picked up the other two cherries, feeding them to Qingqing and Weiwei respectively, so as not to get their little hands dirty.
As soon as the two little guys tasted it, they were instantly conquered by the wonderful taste. Bright smiles bloomed on their little faces and their eyes sparkled with surprise.

"Wow, that's really sweet!"

Qingqing shouted excitedly, and couldn't help wiping the juice from the corners of her mouth with her little hands.

Weiwei also nodded repeatedly, looking unsatisfied: "I want more, I want more!"

Seeing the two little guys eating with gusto, Liu Ruihan couldn't hold back any longer. She quietly swallowed her saliva and said hesitantly, "Dad, that... I want to try it too."

Huang Jun was secretly pleased with himself when he saw this, but his expression remained calm. He teased her deliberately, "Oh? Hanhan wants to eat too? Didn't you just say you weren't hungry?"

Liu Ruihan's face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head a little embarrassedly: "Just now...just now I didn't notice that these cherries are so delicious."

Huang Jun smiled and shook his head, picked up another cherry, handed it to Liu Ruihan's mouth, and said, "Come on, Hanhan, try it and see if this cherry is as sweet as your godfather said."

Liu Ruihan opened her little mouth and took a bite of the cherry.

moment.

The sweet taste spread in her mouth, and she couldn't help but close her eyes and savor the pleasure from her taste buds.

"Mmm, that's really sweet!"

Liu Ruihan slowly opened his eyes, a satisfied and bright smile bloomed on his face, and then he gave Huang Jun a thumbs up and said in a childish voice: "Dad, I want to eat another one, can I..."

"Okay, of course no problem, as long as Hanhan likes it."

Huang Jun responded gently, his eyes full of doting.

Liu Shiwei and his wife watched this scene quietly, with warmth in their hearts. They couldn't help but exchange a knowing smile, expressing their sincere appreciation for Huang Jun's quick response and infinite patience.

Especially Liu Shiwei, his eyes were filled with admiration, as well as a bit of envy and jealousy.

Who made his precious daughter so close to Huang Jun, while being a little distant from him?

How embarrassing it is for him as a father...

However, only Huang Jun can control his willful daughter...

But thinking that Huang Jun had made his daughter accept and love eating fruit, which was a great achievement, the jealousy in Liu Shiwei's heart disappeared.

He patted Huang Jun's shoulder gently and praised him, "Brother Huang, you really have a way to make my Hanhan like eating fruits so much."

Wen Xue Qian also quickly agreed, "Yes, my Hanhan is never interested in fruit when she is at home. Every time I ask her to eat, it feels like I am completing a difficult task. It really makes me feel very troubled."

"Where there!"

Huang Jun waved his hands quickly, with a humble smile on his face: "I just know how to enter the children's world, understand their little thoughts, and know how to make them happy."

After saying that, Huang Jun carefully fed Qingqing and the other two little ones some fruits until they all said they didn't want them anymore, and then he stopped with satisfaction.

Then, he stood up and said politely, "Brother Liu, sister-in-law, then you guys sit down and watch TV for a while and take a rest. I'll go to the kitchen to prepare lunch."

At the end, he did not forget to ask kindly: "For lunch, we will have dumplings stuffed with lotus root, pork and green onions. Brother Liu, sister-in-law, what do you think? If you don't like it, I will prepare some other stuffings right away."

Wen Xueqian nodded immediately after hearing this: "This filling is very good, we all like it very much."

Liu Shiwei also echoed: "Yes, Brother Huang, you don't have to be so polite, just follow your arrangement."

"Okay, I'll get ready now..."

Huang Jun said as he turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Wen Xueqian looked at Huang Jun's back and couldn't help but sigh to Liu Shiwei: "Husband, look at Huang Jun, how thoughtful he is! He is very patient with our Hanhan and cares about us very much. It's really hard to find a friend like him!"

Liu Shiwei nodded in agreement: "Yes, Brother Huang is indeed a rare good man. Not only is he kind-hearted, but he is also an excellent cook. We are in for a treat today."

As he spoke, he picked up the remote control, turned on the TV and tuned to a financial program.

Although Wen Xueqin was not very interested in this type of program, she still patiently watched it with Liu Shiwei, occasionally nodding at Liu Shiwei's sharing to show that she was listening.

On the other side, the three little ones, Qingqing, Weiwei and Liu Ruihan, were having a great time playing with the Orange family.

Sometimes they chased oranges around the house, and sometimes they gathered together and whispered, sharing each other's little secrets, with innocent smiles on their little faces.

In the kitchen, Huang Jun was busy.

He boiled a pot of water and boiled some peppercorns, intending to add it when seasoning the meat filling later to make the flavor richer.

After cooking, he poured the pepper water into a bowl and set it aside to cool.

Then, he picked up a piece of washed meat, placed it on the chopping board, skillfully picked up the kitchen knife, cut the meat into slices, and then chopped it into fine meat filling.

At this moment... Wen Xueqin, who couldn't stand the financial program and Liu Shiwei's lengthy financial sharing, decided to escape from the "torture" of the living room and walked into the kitchen.

She looked at Huang Jun chopping the meat skillfully and asked curiously, "Huang Jun, why are you chopping the meat yourself? Can't you ask the butcher to help you? Chopping the meat is a physically demanding job!"

Huang Jun looked up when he heard the voice, with a gentle smile on his face: "Sister-in-law, how did you find time to come here? Actually, I was just worried that the stuffing minced by the machines out there wouldn't taste good. The stuffing I minced myself would be chewier and taste more like home."

After hearing this, Wen Xueqian admired Huang Jun's persistence, but smiled helplessly: "Your temper is exactly the same as our chef Ge's. You always set such high standards for yourself. How about this, I'll help you chop the stuffing together."

Huang Jun quickly waved his hand to refuse: "Sister-in-law, you don't have to be so polite. Go to the living room and watch TV with Brother Liu. I can handle this job by myself."

Wen Xueqian shook her head and said with a wry smile, "I'm so annoyed by your brother Liu's financial program that I came to the kitchen to find some peace and quiet. Don't refuse, let me give you a hand."

"Okay, since sister-in-law insists so much." Seeing her firm attitude, Huang Jun nodded in agreement and immediately assigned tasks, "Then help me cut the lotus root into small pieces. Don't chop it into fine pieces, otherwise it will lose its crisp taste. Don't cut it too big, or it will break easily when wrapped in dumplings, and the taste will not be good. Small pieces are just the right size."

"Okay, I understand!"

Wen Xueqin agreed readily, then rolled up her sleeves and started to work.

After chopping the meat, Huang Jun turned around and began to mix the meat. He slowly poured the cooled pepper water into the meat and continuously stirred in the same direction to enhance the compactness and elasticity of the meat, making it taste better.

It should be noted that the pepper water should not be added all at once, but should be added in small amounts at several times to prevent the meat filling from being diluted.

After the meat filling and pepper water are fully blended, he adds various seasonings such as salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, five-spice powder and pepper powder one by one.

In order to give the meat filling a more distinct flavor, he also deliberately added a touch of white sugar, aiming to make the meat filling even more tender and delicious.

After all the seasonings and minced meat were thoroughly mixed, Huang Jun beat the minced meat vigorously a few times, and then set it aside, allowing the minced meat to slowly absorb the flavors of various seasonings during the marinating process.

Then, he took out the proofed dough, kneaded it carefully, and then placed it on the chopping board to give it a few moments to proof.

During this period.

He deftly poured the chopped green onions and the lotus root pieces chopped by Wen Xueqin into the meat filling bowl.

Then add appropriate amount of salt and light soy sauce, mix all the ingredients carefully, and then set them aside.

Generally speaking, after the dumpling filling is prepared, people will habitually taste its saltiness to avoid making a mistake.

of course.

There are many ways to taste saltiness.

One method is to insert chopsticks into the meat filling and then pull them out. By tasting the sauce attached to the tip of the chopsticks, you can often get a rough idea of ​​the amount of salt.

Another way is to pick a small piece of lotus root to taste, which can also help you make a preliminary judgment.

But for those experienced cooking masters, they already know the proportions of seasonings very well and do not need to verify them by tasting.

The same is true for Huang Jun!

His seasoning skills are unique. Even when faced with ingredients that require a lot of effort, such as dumpling fillings, he can handle it easily and with ease.

No need to try it again!

Seeing Huang Jun preparing to finish his meal without tasting it, Wen Xueqian blurted out subconsciously: "Huang Jun, is it ready now? How about trying the saltiness first?"

Before she finished speaking, she realized that her question seemed a little redundant.

After all, a chef of Huang Jun's level has already mastered the precise control of seasoning to perfection, so why bother with this?

"No, I know the limits of taste."

Huang Jun smiled slightly, his eyes full of confidence: "If you have any concerns, you might as well try it yourself."

Wen Xueqian smiled and shook her head: "I have no concerns, I am just curious."

Even so, she couldn't help but be curious. She picked up her chopsticks, dipped some of the soup from the filling, and carefully tasted it. Then a satisfied smile appeared on her face, and she said admiringly, "Well, the taste is really excellent! Huang Jun, how did you do it? When I tried it at home, I always had trouble grasping the proportion of the seasonings."

"It's actually a feeling, an intuition based on experience."

He said slowly: "Each ingredient and each seasoning has its own unique character and taste. If you want them to dance harmoniously together, you need to keep trying and adjusting until you find the perfect balance."

He paused and continued, "Moreover, seasoning is not as simple as adding or subtracting seasonings. It also involves your understanding of the ingredients, your sensitivity to taste, and even your perception of seasonal changes. For example, summer ingredients tend to be lighter, so you need to reduce the amount of salt when seasoning to highlight the freshness of the ingredients. In winter, on the contrary, richer flavors are needed to warm people's hearts..."

Wen Xueqian: (((φ(◎ロ◎;)φ)))
I can clearly understand every word Huang Jun said, but why is it that when they are put together, it's like listening to a foreign language?
So profound...

Hey!
Nothing is difficult in this world, as long as you are willing to give up...

For a cooking novice like her, it is more appropriate and reliable to taste the food directly...

"Oh, I didn't expect there were so many details to the seasoning."

With an awkward but polite smile on her lips, she exclaimed, "Huang Jun, you are amazing. You can do such a complicated thing so naturally and smoothly."

Huang Jun smiled and said, "You will gain experience if you cook more. You can do the same. As long as you feel the ingredients carefully and experience the cooking process every time, you will gradually find the feeling."

"That's right!"

Wen Xueqian smiled bitterly: "However, this is too difficult for a novice like me. I'd better forget it. If you have a chance, you can teach my chef Ge..."

"it is good!"

Huang Jun nodded and continued with the work at hand.

Once all ingredients are ready...

Huang Jun smiled and suggested: "The kitchen is a bit small, why don't we go to the dining table and make dumplings..."

"Okay!"

Wen Xueqin readily agreed and then assisted Huang Jun in moving the necessary items from the kitchen to the dining table one by one.

Huang Jun stood by the dining table, kneading the dough in his hands. He turned his eyes gently to Qingqing and Weiwei who were playing nearby, and called softly, "Qingqing, Weiwei, the playtime is over. Come wash your hands and make dumplings with us."

"Coming!"

The two little guys responded excitedly.

Liu Ruihan blinked her big eyes and said, "Dad, I want to make dumplings with you too..."

"Of course, but remember to wash your hands first."

Huang Jun smiled and nodded in agreement, while giving a warm reminder. Seeing Qingqing, Weiwei and Liu Ruihan running to the bathroom to wash their hands, he retracted his gaze and invited Liu Shiwei: "Brother Liu, how about making dumplings with us?"

After hearing this, Wen Xueqin subconsciously turned her head to glance at Liu Shiwei, who was curled up on the sofa and watching a financial program, and felt a little hesitant.

Uh, can he help?

Don’t become an example of “doing more harm than good”!
however…

Liu Shiwei gave an unexpected answer. He laughed heartily and said, "Okay, I also want to try my hand at making dumplings. It's more fun when the whole family works together..."

Wen Xueqian: "..."

Are you... sure you can do it? (End of this chapter)