sinovels Chapter 20 Take it slow
Chapter 20 Take it slow
Xu Liang went into the kitchen and took an apron off the wall.
Then he tied the apron on Jiang Wan; it was the perfect size, neither too tight nor too loose.
It's quite suitable for Jiang Wan.
"Let's begin!"
Xu Liang led her into the kitchen.
His small restaurant's kitchen facilities were rather basic, with a stove with two gas stoves, a cabinet on top for pots and pans, and a cabinet below for rice, oil, and gas canisters.
However, this kitchen was quite small for Xu Liang, but in Jiang Wan's eyes it was not small at all; on the contrary, she felt it was rather large.
In short, it's bigger than her kitchen.
"Brother Xu, is this where you usually work?"
For Xu Liang, at the very least, the lifeblood of this small restaurant is this kitchen. The tables and chairs in the living room outside are where customers are served and where value is created.
"Yes, it's this kitchen."
Then, Xu Liang said to Jiang Wan, "If you want to learn to cook, how about I start by teaching you the basics of these kitchen utensils?"
"Okay, Brother Xu."
Xu Liang then took some kitchen utensils from different regions and placed them on the stove, arranging them horizontally from smallest to largest.
Jiang Wan looked at the kitchen utensils. Some of them were familiar to her, but others were ones she had never seen before.
This is where Xu Liang comes in to answer her questions.
"You've probably seen some of these kitchen utensils before, so I won't introduce them. Just pick a few, and I'll tell you their names and functions."
Jiang Wan nodded slightly, like a well-behaved rabbit, and then pointed out the kitchen utensils she didn't recognize to Xu Liang.
Xu Liang then meticulously selected all of those she pointed to.
"This is a strainer, specially designed to scoop out noodles or dumplings, and other things that need to be filtered out of water in the shortest amount of time."
"And this, the grating board, is usually a metal sheet inlaid with a wooden frame."
"Aluminum steamers conduct heat quickly and are mainly used for everyday tasks such as boiling water, steaming rice, and stewing dishes."
……
Xu Liang patiently explained each of them to her, including their functions and uses, while Jiang Wan listened attentively.
After more than ten minutes, Xu Liang finally finished telling Jiang Wan his story, his breath catching in his throat.
So the next step is for Xu Liang to teach Jiang Wan how to process the ingredients.
Xu Liang stood next to her, took out the kitchen cabinet, put it back in its original place, and then walked around behind Jiang Wan to the refrigerator.
He opened the refrigerator's ambient temperature compartment, then took out a large bag of vegetables by hand and placed it on the countertop, sorting the different types of vegetables.
Xu Liang was very familiar with most of the vegetables here. As a chef in his previous life, he needed to know every ingredient like the back of his hand.
However, Jiang Wan's ancestors were, after all, genuine rural people; it was only her and her parents' generation who came to live in the town.
Jiang Wan has lived with her parents in Huaikou Town since birth. Spoiled by her mother, she has never been able to get a proper meal and has become accustomed to the life of a pampered young lady.
Xu Liang is completely different. He wanted to be a master chef since he was a child and was very interested in cooking and making delicious food. This was something he developed in his childhood, which is different from others.
The next moment, Xu Liang randomly selected one of the sorted ingredients.
Xu Liang thought that Jiang Wan was still a newcomer, so he chose a relatively simple ingredient that was easy to handle.
Xu Liang happened to draw a bright green cucumber, and the cucumber he bought must taste cool and crisp.
He placed the cucumber in the sink, turned on the faucet, and sprayed water vigorously onto its surface.
After rinsing, Xu Liang placed the cucumber on the cutting board.
Xu Liang held the kitchen knife in his right hand, his hand on the handle, and said to Jiang Wan, "Come closer, I'll teach you how to cut this long cucumber."
Jiang Wan softly uttered, "Mmm."
After lingering in Xu Liang's hands for a long time, it was finally time to start eating the cucumber.
He held the cleaver at an angle in his right hand, then used his left knuckles to press against the blade, first removing the bitter ends of the cucumber.
Then he quickly and forcefully sliced the cucumber.
Click, click, click…
The cucumber slices were peeled off one by one, revealing the white core and the dark green ring around it.
Jiang Wan watched with great interest, and a feeling of eagerness instantly arose within her.
Although Xu Liang cut the food quickly and easily, and even with a little ease, she believed that it must have taken a long time to reach this level.
"Brother Xu, you're cutting a bit too fast, I didn't understand!"
When Jiang Wan said those words, Xu Liangcai suddenly realized that he had taught her so quickly that he had truly become a god.
So he apologized to Jiang Wan, "I'm sorry, I forgot you're a beginner. Since you said to take your time, I'll show you how to do it at my slowest speed."
Xu Liang gradually slowed down the pace of his work.
However, he slowed down and suddenly felt very uncomfortable because his knife skills were still in the middle of a transitional stage.
Just as Xu Liang was cutting the last two or three slices and was about to finish, he accidentally cut his little finger on the tip of the knife.
Soon, fresh blood oozed from the wound, appearing as droplets, and the area continued to increase over time.
Generally speaking, the faster you cut, the more likely something bad will happen. Xu Liang had already adapted to the speed, so this sudden reversal of the Heavenly Stem was really incomprehensible.
At that moment, he hissed.
Jiang Wan, who was standing nearby, overheard this.
She heard it quickly and asked, "Brother Xu, what happened? Did you cut your hand?"
Xu Liang didn't want to lose face, so he just brushed it off.
"No, I'm just tired from cutting and want to rest for a bit."
Things must be complicated, and she couldn't hide it from him. Jiang Wan observed carefully and found that there was blood on Xu Liang's little finger that had been wiped away.
"Brother Xu, you're lying. Look, it's clearly a scratch on my little finger."
Jiang Wan grabbed Xu Liang's left hand and pointed to the wound she had just caused.
He wanted to explain, but he couldn't bring himself to say it: "This...this."
Fortunately, Jiang Wan was carrying a fanny pack today.
Jiang Wan took out a handkerchief from her own fanny pack and wiped Xu Liang's little finger repeatedly. Then, she rummaged through the bottom of the pack and found a small band-aid.
She put it on Xu Liang, which warmed his heart.
"It won't hurt if you put it on; if the wound is exposed, it will get infected with bacteria."
"Okay, I'll pay attention next time. Let's continue."
The cucumber slices were cut very evenly and looked particularly beautiful. When Xu Liang was cutting, there was no splattering of cucumber slices.
In the end, it formed a line.
They are arranged in a perfect straight line.
After cutting the cucumber, Xu Liang took out an enamel bowl and threw the cut cucumber into it.
Next, I needed to teach Jiang Wan how to learn the most basic seasoning, which is cold dressing.
Add chili oil, vinegar, a little salt, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sugar.
All of this was poured over the cucumber slices.
Then, he hooked the bowl with his left hand and took a pair of chopsticks with his right hand, rolling them rhythmically.
Make sure every slice of cucumber is coated with the prepared sauce.
"OK, take it easy," Xu Liang said.
"Brother Xu, this looks pretty good."
"Absolutely. If I'm going to teach you, I have to teach you properly."
While Xu Liang was preparing the salad, Jiang Wan also tasted the cucumber salad, which was full of spicy and numbing flavor.
After she finished eating, Xu Liang asked Jiang Wan to try making a bowl herself, and then he would supervise.
"Why don't you give it a try? You won't learn just by watching and I teach you. You have to practice it yourself."
Jiang Wan responded.
She and Xu Liang switched places, and Xu Liang took a cucumber from the bag on the stove, as he wanted to take care of Jiang Wan, who was a newcomer.
This reminded me of the newbie protection period in a game from my past life.
Xu Liang then took out the smallest cucumber from the bag and handed it to Jiang Wan.
Next, Xu Liang asked Jiang Wan to wash the cucumber clean and remove the dirt from the skin.
Then fix the cucumber to the cutting board.
At first, Jiang Wan didn't know how to hold a knife, so Xu Liang demonstrated it to her again.
He reminded me from the side, "You should hold the knife at the front of the handle. This requires the least amount of force and is less likely to hurt your hand."
Jiang Wan's gaze was fixed on the cutting board; she seemed to have forgotten something.
The ends of a cucumber are bitter; this is a little-known fact.
Jiang Wan didn't remove it, so Xu Liang had to give her further guidance.
"The two ends of the cucumber should be cut off, as the head is bitter. If it's mixed in, it will affect the taste."
Jiang Wan did exactly as Xu Liang instructed.
However, she encountered a problem when cutting vegetables; she always cut the cucumbers too thick.
Damn it, what is this thing?
Xu Liang patiently said to her in a master's tone, "Could you cut it a little thinner? It's not pleasant to eat like this, and it also affects the appearance."
Upon hearing Xu Liang's words, Jiang Wan corrected herself.
But this time the effect was significantly better than the previous times.
It seems that Jiang Wan is quite perceptive.
In less than ten minutes, the cucumber slices were ready.
Although it's not as good as Xu Liang's, it's enough for a first attempt.
She later made cucumber salad just like Xu Liang.
However, Xu Liang was surprised to find that the results were satisfactory.
"Great job, you've learned it," Xu Liang praised.
"Brother Xu taught me so well, I can learn it just by watching."
"You learned it after watching it only once, which means you have a strong learning ability."
However, he is similar to Xu Liang in this respect, who is also the kind of person who can learn something after seeing it only once.
However, there are still some advanced techniques to learn later.
There are also some theories about cooking.
"You've only learned how to season now. How about I teach you something else, called cooking?"
"That means I'll teach you how to cook."
After saying that, Xu Liang took out his best dish from his previous life: pickled cowpeas with minced meat. This dish was relatively simple among all the dishes and was also easy for beginners to learn.
The ingredients only need pickled cowpeas from kimchi, minced meat, minced garlic, and dried chili peppers.
Xu Liang planned to prepare the necessary ingredients first, and then take out the essential ingredients.
This time, I also took Jiang Wan with me.
She taught him step by step, and Xu Liang would do it herself first, and then she would do it again.
This time, I have to stand behind him and give him careful guidance.
I took two dried chilies out of the cabinet.
On the cutting board, smash the garlic three times and then chop it slightly.
Then, Xu Liang lightly lifted his wrist, dropped the crushed garlic cloves into the bowl, and picked up the two dried chili peppers.
Jiang Wan stood in front of him, the aroma of dried chili peppers filling her nostrils, her eyes fixed on the movements of his hands.
Xu Liang didn't chop the dried chili peppers too finely; he just cut them into several diagonal pieces because if he chopped them too finely, he was afraid they would burn and become bitter when stir-fried later.
Then, Xu Liang grabbed a handful of pickled cowpeas, rinsed them under the tap, drained them, and placed them on the cutting board.
He placed the cleaver on the cutting board with a very steady rhythm.
Three clangs.
The pickled cowpeas were cut into even small pieces.
Then, the minced meat is taken out and used immediately.
Xu Liang taught Jiang Wan how to pour oil, adjust the heat, and make good use of the spatula.
He was patient and used the best methods.
The two were also very close to each other.
However, after stir-frying for more than ten minutes...
The pickled cowpeas and minced meat dish is now ready.
This is the result of their joint efforts, and Jiang Wan has definitely benefited greatly; there is no doubt about that.
When the stir-fry is finished, it's time to enjoy the delicious food.
Jiang Wan took a bite.
Not only did they praise how delicious it was, they also praised these other things.
"It's sour and savory, and it's so appetizing. I could easily eat two more bowls of rice with it, hehe!"
"If you like it, then eat more."
While eating this dish, Jiang Wan made a request to Xu Liang.
She wanted to come here every weekend to learn cooking.
"Brother Xu, could I come to your place every weekend to learn cooking?"
Xu Liang thought about it. She was only seventeen or eighteen years old, which was the perfect time for her to take the college entrance exam. If she came to study here every weekend, it would interfere with his studies.
Therefore, considering all of this, Xu Liang refused.
Jiang Wan's face clearly showed her unhappiness, because she had finally learned to cook, and she was going to get married in the future. If she couldn't cook, she would definitely be looked down upon by her husband's family.
She wanted to improve herself.
At this prime of life, everyone has a lot of ideas.
However, Xu Liang continued from what he had just said and said to Jiang Wan, "Just because it's not possible now doesn't mean it won't be possible in the future. But you're about to take the college entrance exam, so you can come to my place every day during the summer after the exam."
"Not only will you learn to cook, but we'll also arrange a job for you to earn money."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan's expression instantly changed, her previous unhappiness turning into a beaming smile.
"Thank you, Brother Xu. I will definitely study hard to get into university and then come here to learn cooking from you."
Xu Liang smiled with satisfaction.
He knew that he was forced into the factory because he failed to get into university, but thankfully he found a stable job.
After working as an apprentice for two years, he opened this small restaurant on his own.
Looking back now, it seems like I've lived up to my childhood dream, but what if this little restaurant becomes popular and grows bigger in the future?
Moreover, he transformed himself from an ordinary person into a world-renowned culinary master.
Everyone will be happy for him, including himself.
At that time, his value will be immeasurable.
But it's a bit too early to be fantasizing about these things now.
We can only take it one step at a time, accumulating experience day by day.
When Jiang Wan returned home, Xu Liang muttered something to himself.
"Take your time, no rush!"