The beginning is only when you become a chef

Chapter 4 Brown Rice and Raw Beef Porridge

"Mom, I want to watch Dad cook!"

Xiaoxi yelled, grabbing a bar stool and trying to climb up.

Seeing this, Lan Qingya went up and hit Xiaoxi on the head: "How can you climb like this? What if you fall later?"

Lan Xiaoxi pursed her lips, covered her head and said weakly:
"Mom, if you hit my head again, Xixi's intelligence will not develop well. If she doesn't do well in school in the future, it's all mom's fault!"

Lan Qingya's forehead was taut with veins when he heard this:

"Okay, you're going to put the blame on yourself for failing the exam now, right?"

Despite the scolding, Lan Qingya still picked up Lan Xiaoxi and placed her on the clean wooden bar:

"If you want to see it, just look at it. Don't crawl around."

As she spoke, Lan Qingya also sat down and observed Xia An in the open kitchen with an occupational disease-like scrutiny.

She comes from a family of traditional chefs.

Although the chef's talent is about the same as Xia An's, there is no hope for him to become a top chef in his lifetime.

But after all, he took advantage of his family's connections and resources to transform himself into a food star and became a huge success, reaching his popularity peak five or six years ago.

It can be said that the probability of her appearing on the popular food shows in China today is frighteningly high.

For example, the "Nine Star Chef" program recorded on Shanghai TV tonight.

Several nine-star chefs competed against each other. Lan Qingya sat high on the judging panel and served as a famous commentator. Her fame was great enough to allow her to make sharp comments without any worries.

Lan Qingya was also used to seeing nine-star chefs sweating profusely while listening to her sharp reviews.

I saw Xia An washing vegetables and preparing food.

Lan Qingya raised her eyebrows.

"Watercress, beef?"

After Xia An finished washing the vegetables, he looked up at the woman and said calmly:

"I want to cook porridge."

There's nothing to hide.

Porridge is a very common food.

"Porridge?"

Lan Qingya saw Xia An open the cupboard and take out a bowl of rice to wash it.

She couldn't help being surprised:

"The rice grains are so rough and the color and texture are yellowish. Could it be brown rice?"

"Congratulations, you answered correctly."

Xia An said, "Is it strange for a young man who is about to enter middle age and has started to have health and weight loss needs to always have brown rice at home?"

Lan Qingya opened her mouth, unable to refute.

Then Xia An put the brown rice into the rice cooker and set it to fast cooking.

Then he threw the washed beef onto the chopping board with a snap.

dong dong dong dong!

Xia An held his favorite kitchen knife.

The knife moves quickly yet appears calm.

Not a few seconds.

On the chopping board, there was a pile of meat slices of equal size and thickness.

Lan Qingya's face showed surprise again.

"Your knife skills don't seem to have been wasted, do they?"

At the same time, Lan Qingya said secretly with certainty in her heart.

Xiaocheng’s knife skills are undoubtedly excellent!
"Abandoned?"

Xia An hesitated to speak.

Forget it.

I'm too lazy to explain.

We can't honestly say that the God of Cooking panel has already formatted and reset everything about cooking in its predecessor.

In other words, Xia An's current cooking skills are all the result of his own hard work.

Continue to chop the green onions and set aside.

Next, marinate the beef, cut the ginger into shreds, put the beef in a small bowl, mix with salt, cooking wine, light soy sauce and black pepper, and finally beat an egg and cornstarch and mix well.

Xia An took out a clay pot from the cupboard.

This piece of kitchenware can also be called a clay pot.

It is a very classic kitchen utensil for making casserole dishes.

Fill the casserole with water and place it on the stove.

Over high heat, the water boils quickly.

Ding--

The rice cooker makes a sound when in quick cooking mode.

Xia An opened the pot and used a rice spoon to put the brown rice into the boiling water in the clay pot one spoonful at a time.

The clear boiling water immediately boiled into rice paste, and the entire casserole was dyed the color of rice paste.

Immediately, Xia An slowly scooped up a spoonful of porridge and checked it.

Lan Xiaoxi clapped her hands and said crisply, "Dad, the rice grains are blooming!"

Xia An smiled and said, "Xiao Xi, in fact, Cantonese-style porridge can also be called porridge-based hot pot."

The more Lan Qingya looked, the more surprised her face became.

Is this... still the Xia An she knows?
That Xia An with ordinary qualifications and a frivolous attitude?

The former Xia An.

I was always in a rush when making a dish. I didn’t have the control over the kitchen and the rhythm that I have now.

Lan Qingya continued to examine.

Just a few words of casual chat.

The porridge water in the casserole began to roll visibly.

The heat has arrived!
Xia An poured in a whole bowl of marinated beef and quickly broke up the beef with chopsticks.

As a result, the beef slices are evenly heated and quickly turn from bright red to cooked color.

"Crack!"

Xia An turned the valve to turn off the fire, but the pot of raw beef porridge was not yet ready.

Crack an egg into the pot, put the washed watercress in, and use the residual heat from the pot and porridge to cook the vegetables.

Xia An placed the entire casserole on the counter in front of the mother and daughter, then turned around and got the bowls, chopsticks and spoons.

"Cut the egg liquid and you can start eating." Xia An used a spoon to stir a pot of thick porridge in front of the mother and daughter, and finally sprinkled the chopped green onions.

It was as if a culinary spell had been cast, and the delicious flavor and rich aroma burst out from the whole pot.

"Gulu~"

Lan Xiaoxi, who was sitting at the bar like a duck, swallowed her saliva and spoke in a very silly and anxious tone:
"Dad, Dad, give me a bowl quickly! I want to eat!"

Xiaoxi quickly added:

“I want a very big bowl!”

Xia An said with a smile: "Okay, give our Fatty a big bowl."

Xiaoxi puffed up her cheeks:
"Dad, you are so annoying. Don't call me Fat Tiger!"

Xia An looked past Xiaoxi and at the woman sitting on the bar chair behind.

Lan Qingya didn't notice him at all, her eyes were fixed on the bowl of raw beef porridge on the bar.

On her fair and slender neck, the woman's muscles could be vaguely seen moving slightly as she tried hard to conceal the fact that she was swallowing saliva.

Suddenly, Xia An remembered something.

He quickly slapped his forehead.

"Oops, forgot to add the soul!"

Having said that, Xia An turned around and went to look for some soul condiment.

When Xia An fried some crispy condiments that looked like soybeans, he sprinkled them on the surface of the thick porridge in the casserole.

Boom!

The aroma seems to be surging and exploding in the pot.

Lan Qingya looked serious for the first time and uttered a voice of doubt:

"Uh…what is this?!"

Her brows were furrowed.

"Wait... let me think, I know this seasoning!"

"This is Chaozhou garlic crisps." Xia An said in a light tone, "Even diners who don't like garlic can't refuse garlic crisps."

Garlic crisps can also be called garlic crisps.

It is basically a must-have condiment for Xia An when cooking for herself. Sprinkling some fried garlic on it can directly enhance the flavor of the dish.

In Xia An's opinion, fried garlic can be used in many dishes. It is a universal seasoning and a holy grail of seasoning.

So he made a large jar to keep at home.

The production method is not difficult either.

Crush the garlic into minced garlic, dry it and then fry it.

Xia An himself prefers to fry it with lard, which has a stronger aroma and a longer aftertaste.

really!

After sprinkling some fried garlic into the porridge.

In the gushing hot mist, there is a strong aroma that is so amazing that it seems to be able to seduce people's wildest appetite.

Lan Xiaoxi couldn't stand it anymore. Her appetite was about to explode. She turned around and pulled Lan Qingya's clothes, and shouted anxiously: "Mom, don't be in a daze. Hurry up and serve a bowl for Xixi!"

Inhaling the rich aroma, the slightly dazed woman rested her head on the legrest of the bar stool. Her long, round legs wrapped in small trousers subconsciously clamped together, and she took a deep breath to come back to her senses.

Xia An had already picked up the spoon and bowl, and filled a bowl for the anxious Lan Xiaoxi:
"Here, eat slowly."

Lan Xiaoxi said in a sweet voice: "Thank you, Dad!"

She couldn't wait to hold the small spoon.

Seeing this, Xia An didn't care about the text on the panel that had been refreshed on his retina, and reminded: "Xiao Xi, eat slowly, don't burn your mouth."

"Let me feed her."

Lan Qingya opened her mouth and was about to snatch the chopsticks and spoon from Lan Xiaoxi's hands.

"I do not!"

Lan Xiaoxi held the tableware tightly, looking like she was protecting her food:
"This is what Dad cooked for Xixi. Xixi can eat it by herself!"

Lan Qingya saw her daughter's nervous expression as she moved the bowl to her chest, with her back to her, fearing that she would snatch the food from her mouth. She gritted her teeth in anger:

"Lan Xiaoxi, you are a dog, and you are still protecting your food?"

But her daughter no longer paid any attention to her. She buried her head and used her little hands to hold the small spoon and scoop up a spoonful of rice porridge with meat slices.

"call!"

"Hoohoo!"

His expression was very serious, he puffed up his cheeks and blew a lot of air continuously.

I feel like it's almost cooled down.

He opened his mouth and swallowed it with shining eyes.

(End of this chapter)