1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 126 A sumptuous mushroom feast

Ronan entered the kitchen and started making his 'secret sauce'.

He believes it is necessary to formulate a dipping sauce that suits the local taste.

Hotpot is a delicacy that tastes like two different foods when eaten with the dipping sauce and without it.

Especially since he wanted to make a mushroom soup base, if he could add a seasoning that suits it, it would elevate the taste of the food to a higher level.

In fact, Ronan has been trying to solve this problem for some time. He has made many attempts and even discussed it with his father several times.

Luo Tianhai supports his son's innovative move, but he tells Ronan that even in China, the birthplace of hot pot, it is impossible to define a "universal" dipping sauce that everyone likes to eat, because the local and regional influences on taste are too great.

If Ronan insists on formulating an "improved" version of hot pot dipping sauce suitable for the French, he suggests taking regional characteristics into consideration rather than simply considering what the "French" like to eat.

The cuisine of the Provence region has a strong Mediterranean flavor.

Fresh vegetables, meat and seafood are the main themes of the dishes.

Ronan believes that his ideal dipping sauce should have a taste that is familiar to locals, but which ones should he choose to make the "combination"?

I pondered for a while but still had no clue.

He looked at Leah who was busy beside him.

“Perhaps the best local chef in Lourmarin could give me some tips?”

The French love mushrooms.

The residents of Luberon have a geographical advantage and can eat fresh mushrooms earlier than residents in other regions, so they prefer this food.

Hearing that Ronan wanted to try how local mushrooms were cooked, Leah included mushrooms in every dish that evening.

"Will it be too monotonous?" Ronan came to Leah for inspiration, and after finding the menu for the day, he asked worriedly, "Zoe and Vieri are both picky eaters, should I buy something else?"

Leah was happy that Ronan cared about Zoe and Vieri as if they were family, but his worries were unnecessary:
"No, I will cook them in different ways so they taste fresh."

Each type of mushroom is in season at a different time, but all are delicious.

Today Leah went to the market and bought button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms and chanterelles. Together with the porcini that Ronan brought, they were enough to make a sumptuous dinner.

"What do you want to do first?" Ronan looked like he was ready to help.

“First, make cream of mushroom soup with the button mushrooms,” Leah said with a smile.

No French person can resist this soup served with a baguette.

"Let me cut the mushrooms." Ronan took the initiative to find a job.

Leah discovered another shining point about Ronan - he liked to go into the kitchen.

This is great, Zoe doesn't really like to cook.

The two of them worked much faster and soon prepared ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, onions and garlic.

Leah took out a big pot:
"It's very simple to make cream of mushroom soup. Just add light cream and simmer for 45 minutes. Oh, and don't forget to add a little nutmeg. I didn't buy shrimp today, but adding some shrimp would work too."

Ronan discovered that people in Provence love to eat seafood and put seafood in all dishes, probably because it is close to the Mediterranean Sea.

This gave Ronan a bold inspiration - could he use 'seafood soy sauce' as the main dipping sauce?
Soy sauce itself can be eaten with fungi, and it tastes pretty good. Adding 'seafood' flavor to enhance the color doesn't seem to be a problem, right?

"Let's make a risotto with chanterelles." Leah is a great time management master. As soon as she finishes this dish, she starts making the next one.

Chanterelles are also a very common ingredient on the Provence table. They have a special taste and a little bit of fruity aroma.

Mrs. Chels's restaurant has a dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables with chanterelles as the main ingredient, which Zoe and Ronan often order.

Ronan took the initiative to process the chanterelles, while Leah prepared the seasonings needed next. "Butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, a little tarragon and rosemary"

Ronan discovered another eating habit of the locals.

No, it should be said that he had discovered it a long time ago, but just didn't take it seriously.

These people have to have garlic in every dish they eat!

Provence is indeed a land smeared with garlic.

Next, Leah made a 'veggie burger' using portobello mushrooms.

Portobello mushrooms are also called beef steak mushrooms or Puerto Rico mushrooms. They have a stronger aroma than button mushrooms, and the meat is tender, smooth and soft, soft and juicy. They can be cooked for a long time without becoming mushy, and have a delicious fragrance and sweetness. They also have a comfortable gelatinous texture and can completely replace meat in making food.

When Leah made her portobello mushroom 'steaks', she added lots of spices.

Ronan, who was observing silently, asked a question:
“Isn’t dried oregano only used in meat and seafood?”

Dried oregano is a strong-flavored spice with a pungent smell. Its main function is to enhance the flavor and remove the odor of meat.

It is widely used in Italian, Mediterranean and Mexican cuisine, often paired with tomatoes, meat, fish, and in making pizza.

But the light-tasting portobello mushrooms are also seasoned with dried oregano?

Leah burst into laughter:

"Congratulations, you finally discovered my 'secret'."

While cooking, Leah explained to Ronan:

"I like to use a lot of spices when cooking, such as thyme, rosemary, basil, marjoram, parsley and oregano. Without them, food would have no soul, but the effect is pretty good, isn't it? Everyone loves it."

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

Leah's craftsmanship is absolutely first-rate.

Everyone always likes to come to Louis' house for gatherings because of Leah's cooking skills.

Not only the regular attendees of the party, but even Pierre praised Leah's cooking skills.

So, Leah's 'secret' can represent the preferences of a large part of the locals of Provence.

"Spices?" Ronan looked at the various bottles and jars on the table.

These things with all kinds of strange flavors look scary, but Ronan has the ability to control ingredients brought by level 3 [Cooking], which allows him to make these spices appear in the dipping sauce in the most suitable proportions.

Combined with some of the information observed previously.

Ronan seemed to have found a direction to try and he could give it a try.

"Oh, I almost forgot about your porcini!" Leah took out the fresh porcini that Ronan had picked, "This meal is perfect!"

"How do you cook porcini?" Ronan asked after coming to his senses.

"This delicious mushroom can be cooked in so many ways, grilled, added to soup, made into noodles or risotto. How do you want to eat it?" Leah asked Ronan.

Ronan thought for a moment:
"Let's make it in the simplest way. I want to see if it tastes good as a dip."

"No problem." Leah agreed readily, "Just fry them in butter."

"Okay." Ronan turned and returned to his 'laboratory'.

Today, he will definitely give Vieri a happy night!

(End of this chapter)