A courtyard house, equipped with a fishing system, living in an era.

When it comes to the most elaborate dishes in Sichuan cuisine, boiled cabbage in clear broth is undoubtedly the most famous.

After all, that so-called boiled water is actually broth made from various ingredients.

But thinking about it, it's already two or three in the afternoon, why bother with all that?

I'm just a cook in the factory office...

The main cuisine is Sichuan cuisine, with a little bit of Shandong and Northeastern cuisine as well. I don't know any complicated dishes!

Xu Pingan glanced at the materials prepared by the other party and found them acceptable, nothing particularly complicated.

There was some dried seafood, but not much.

There were quite a few dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, and wood ear mushrooms.

There was a large piece of pork, with layers of fat and lean meat, which was the kind that people in this era liked the most.

The ribs have been chopped into small pieces.

There was also a large piece of beef, from the tenderloin, bright red in color and with clear marbling.

The two small hens, each weighing about three pounds, must have been slaughtered recently, because the meat hadn't frozen yet due to the weather.

A large carp weighing five or six pounds is currently being kept in a bucket of water, and it is still thrashing about.

Needless to say, there aren't many varieties of vegetables available in winter these days. There are only a few kinds: cabbage, potatoes, and radishes!

Even though Lou is known as "half-city Lou," before greenhouse vegetables became widespread, he ate about the same things as Xu Ping'an in winter.

"Which of these materials do you think we can use? Can you give me a list now?"

"sure!"

It can only be said that the moment Xu Pingan saw these materials, he had already decided on tonight's menu.

"I'll tell you, you write it down!"

Two cold dishes:

Garlic Pork Belly: Pork belly is boiled until just cooked through, then sliced ​​thinly and drizzled with a sauce made of minced garlic, chili oil, and soy sauce. It has a rich garlic aroma and is appetizing and refreshing.

Cold Black Fungus Salad: Soak dried black fungus until softened, blanch it, then mix with vinegar, salt, sugar, and sesame oil for a crisp and refreshing taste.

Six hot dishes:

Twice-cooked pork – pork belly with three layers of fat and lean meat, boiled until 70% cooked, sliced, stir-fried until it curls up, then stir-fried with fermented bean paste, fermented black beans, and garlic sprouts until fragrant. It is savory, slightly spicy, and rich but not greasy.

Fish-flavored shredded pork – finely shredded pork tenderloin, paired with shredded wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots, seasoned with pickled peppers, ginger, and garlic to create a fish-flavored taste. It's sweet, sour, and slightly spicy, a perfect dish to eat with rice.

Kung Pao Chicken – Dice chicken thigh meat, stir-fry in warm oil until cooked through, add dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns to create a smoky and spicy aroma, then add sweet and sour sauce and peanuts. The result is a dish that is sweet, sour, and slightly numbing, with tender and smooth meat.

Mapo Tofu – Cut tofu into cubes and blanch. Stir-fry minced beef until fragrant, add fermented bean paste and stir-fry until the oil turns red. After boiling, add tofu and thicken with cornstarch three times. Finally, sprinkle with Sichuan peppercorn powder for a spicy, numbing, and fragrant flavor.

Boiled Beef – Thinly sliced ​​beef tenderloin is coated with egg white and starch, and stir-fried vegetables are placed at the bottom of the bowl. The beef slices are then slid into the spicy broth and cooked until done. Finally, hot oil is drizzled over the beef to release its aroma, resulting in a dish that is spicy, tender, and flavorful.

Pickled cabbage fish – sliced ​​carp, fish bones are used to make soup, pickled cabbage is stir-fried until fragrant, then the soup is added and brought to a boil. The fish slices are then added and cooked through. It is tangy, refreshing, and appetizing, with tender and smooth fish meat.

Xu Pingan thought for a moment and realized that was all. He was all alone, and it was already good enough that he could manage to do all this!

A moment later, Fatty Wang looked at the menu in his hand, his face almost scrunched up.

"Aren't these dishes... a bit too common?"

"Old Wang, you don't understand! If you want something high-class, why would you invite me?"

Xu Pingan thought to himself, "The system only taught me Sichuan cuisine. If you want something fancy, don't come to me!"

Fatty Wang was taken aback, feeling awkward as if Xu Ping'an was arguing sophistry, but he had nothing to say.

"What about this pickled fish? I've never even heard of this dish."

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dare offend Director Lou, I'll make sure he's satisfied!"

Fatty Wang was full of complaints, but he didn't know where to begin.

You guarantee he'll be satisfied, but what if he's not?

But then Fatty Wang thought about it again, and realized it wasn't his recommendation to have Xu Ping'an take charge of the cooking...

If things don't go well, the worst that can happen is a beating... so he instantly figured it out, gave up, and let whatever happens, happens.

We finalized the menu for dinner with Fatty Wang.

Chen Guixiang and the woman called Aunt Liu went downstairs to prepare the ingredients.

Xu Pingan found a chair and leaned back in a comfortable position.

I can't help. It's their job, after all. If you insist on helping, wouldn't you be taking away their livelihood?

Besides, there are some chores that Xu Ping'an doesn't do at home, but he comes to other people's houses to do them, so he becomes more diligent.

Xu Ping'an was sitting there lost in thought when a curious voice came from the doorway.

"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before."

Xu Pingan was startled and looked up in the direction of the sound.

This is a little girl of twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a pink floral cotton-padded jacket, with two braids in her hair, the ends of which are tied with two bows.

The little girl had delicate features, but her eyes held a hint of timidity as she held a two-bitten apple in her hand.

He huddled most of his body behind the wall, only peeking out with his head and half his body to look at him.

Is this Lou Xiao'e?

Seeing that Xu Pingan ignored him, the little girl asked timidly again.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before."

"My name is Xu Ping'an, I'm a cook at the steel rolling mill, and I'm here today to help with the cooking."

"You can cook too? My mom can too, and she's a fantastic cook."

Xu Pingan looked left and right, but there was no one with the little girl.

After thinking about it, I figured I had nothing else to do, so I might as well chat with her.

"Aren't you the eldest daughter of the Lou family? Why does your mother still have to cook for you?"

Lou Xiao'e's face showed a mixture of conflict and fear.

"I wasn't a rich girl before, but I suddenly became one a few days ago!"

These words really hit a nerve with Xu Ping'an's lack of knowledge.

Is this kind of identity even changeable?

It wasn't like that before, but suddenly it is. What's the logic behind that?

However, it must be a secret of a large family.

Xu Pingan didn't intend to press the issue further, so he directly changed the subject.

"Did you and your mother always cook for yourselves before?"

"Yes, that's why I say my mom is the best cook."

As she spoke, she looked at Xu Ping'an with hopeful eyes.

"Brother Xu, is your cooking good?"

This question stumped Xu Pingan.

According to the plot, the little girl's mother is a successor of the Tan family cuisine. How can her mediocre skills compare to others?

However, the other party is an expert in Tan family cuisine, while I only know Sichuan cuisine...

Although people say that Sichuan cuisine is not up to standard, the fact that it is spicy, numbing, and flavorful is undeniable, and its deliciousness is beyond question.

Otherwise, Sichuan cuisine wouldn't have become so popular throughout the country...

"It's alright, I think it tastes pretty good."

"It's a pity we have guests today, so I can't eat at the table. Otherwise, I really wanted to try it!"

"How about I save a little of each dish for you so you can take it home and eat it all by yourself?"

"May I?"

Lou Xiao'e's eyes sparkled with hope.

"Of course you can, as long as you don't get caught!"

"no problem!"

Lou Xiao'e agreed very readily.

"I've found a few secret hideouts in this building these past few days... I'll just go there and hide and eat there later."

As they were chatting, they heard the voices of Aunt Liu and Chen Guixiang from the side.

Lou Xiao'e immediately ran away like a startled rabbit.

As she ran, she glanced back at Xu Ping'an, her eyes conveying a clear message: Don't forget to save some food for her!

Looking at the little girl's performance today, Xu Pingan finally understood something.

Why did Lou Xiao'e suffer so much bullying from the Xu family in the original drama, yet have no family member to stand up for her?

No matter how fiercely Lou Bancheng shouted or how strongly he spoke, he remained unmoved in the face of Lou Xiao'e's predicament.

If the so-called "Madam" and "Young Lady" are merely scapegoats used to deal with the situation, then many problems become understandable.

Since he had promised Lou Xiao'e, Xu Ping'an would intentionally or unintentionally make a little extra food while cooking, and then intentionally or unintentionally hide a little.

Although there were two people helping with the work watching over them.

But Xu Pingan is, after all, someone with cheat codes.

With space and a backpack at your disposal, how much food can't be hidden?

Xu Pingan even had time to set a platter for him!

The dishes were prepared one by one, and the two middle-aged women who were helping carried them to the main building one by one.

As the two of them left, that familiar little head peeked out from the doorway again.

"Brother Xu..."

She didn't say anything else, but her eyes kept darting around the kitchen.

Disappointment filled her large eyes when she didn't see what she wanted to see.

Seeing Lou Xiao'e approaching, Xu Ping'an turned around, found a blind spot in her line of sight, and pretended to take out a prepared dish from under a shelf.

"Take it home and eat it, don't let it get cold."

"Thank you, Brother Xu!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already vanished!