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墨書 Inktalez
Food is essential to the people. An Interstellar Migration led to the disappearance of various food types, resulting in the gradual extinction of the profession of Chef—a skilled cook cannot create a meal without ingredients. Even the best Chef cannot make delicious food without supplies, and with the invention of Nutrient, Chef became a useless profession. It wasn't until three hundred years ago that the profession of Chef re-emerged, gaining a prestigious status—eating Nutrient for every meal for thousands of years, how could one not become accustomed to it? Even if they were given a bowl of Rice Porridge, people from the future would consider it an exquisite delicacy. Those who could become Chefs typically came from prominent families, as only such families retained even a small amount of cooking knowledge. This is why the status of Chef is so high; only wealthy individuals can afford to eat dishes prepared by Chefs, while ordinary people have various flavors of Nutrient to choose from.
The Fat Man and Thin Man were dazed by the sudden pie that fell on them. Bai Tang slapped each of them on the back of their heads: "Useless! Go peel some potatoes."
"Potatoes?" The Fat Man's eyes sparkled. "Big Sister, are we making Caterpillar Potato?"
Caterpillar Potato and Baked Sweet Potato were the most delicious foods he and Thin Man had ever tasted, and just thinking about them made his mouth water uncontrollably.
"Call me boss, not Big Sister. I'm not part of any gang." Bai Tang shot a glare at the Fat Man.
"Boss!" The Fat Man and Thin Man immediately corrected themselves.
"Caterpillar Potato?" Feijie pointed at Bai Tang. "Two types of premium delicacies appeared on Star Network, Baked Sweet Potato and Caterpillar Potato. Did you make those?"
"Of course, our boss made them!" The Fat Man said proudly, as if he were the one being referred to by Feijie. "Both I and Thin Man have eaten Baked Sweet Potato and Caterpillar Potato, and they were incredibly delicious!"
The Fat Man gulped: "After eating these two dishes, I realized that everything I ate before was pig food."
Feijie immediately became starry-eyed: "Sister Bai, please feed me some Caterpillar Potato!"
"No aspirations!" Bai Tang huffed. "Caterpillar Potato is just for eating; today I'm teaching these two how to make a Feast."
"Feast?"
"One dish of Braised Pork Ribs with Potatoes, and one dish of Braised Pork!”
Everyone's mouths watered.
"Fatty, go peel the potatoes. Thin Man, come here, I'll teach you how to make Braised Pork first." Bai Tang took out a box of seasonings from the package and began to pull out the ingredients one by one.
"Before cooking, you need to know the seasonings. You have to learn seriously. Otherwise, if you add the wrong seasoning, this dish will be ruined."
Thin Man nodded seriously.
"This is Rock Sugar, which is extracted from Sugarcane and Beet." Bai Tang popped a piece into Thin Man's mouth, and the sweet taste immediately captivated him.
"What are Sugarcane and Beet?" Thin Man asked curiously.
"They are new species I discovered on Ancient Earth. In the future, the government will promote their cultivation extensively."
Bai Tang took out a bottle of Soy Sauce and vinegar, letting Thin Man taste each one.
"You can't tell Soy Sauce and vinegar apart by appearance, but their flavors are completely different. The sourness of vinegar can be detected just by smelling it. Vinegar is fermented from rice and Sorghum, while Soy Sauce is made from Soybean." Thin Man recognized rice but didn't know what Sorghum and Soybean were; he didn't ask Bai Tang, understanding that these two were likely new species Bai Tang had discovered as well.
Bai Tang also let Thin Man taste Ginger, Nutmeg, Star Anise, chili, Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, and Chicken Essence one by one. Salt was unnecessary; the Future World had plenty of salt. Bai Tang instructed Thin Man to take a piece of Fatty and Lean Meat with Skin from the freezer—not pork; there were many types of meat in the Future World that Bai Tang was unfamiliar with.
Bai Tang didn't do it himself but directed Thin Man: first wash the Pork Belly with skin clean and blanch it in boiling water for a moment before taking it out. Cut it into appropriately sized pieces. Blanch it again in boiling water to remove blood, then drain the water; use little oil in the pot. Add Rock Sugar and Soy Sauce and simmer over medium heat until the sugar bubbles. Then add ginger juice and scallions, pour in cooking wine to stir-fry until fragrant; add Pork Belly and stir-fry evenly until each piece is colored. Continue to stir-fry to render out the fat from the Pork Belly, pouring out the rendered oil; fill the pot with an appropriate amount of water, add Bay Leaf, Cinnamon, etc., sprinkle a little salt, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat.
The rich aroma filled the narrow space, making everyone swallow hard.
“Bai Tang, can we eat now?” Kate asked as she walked over to the cooking station.
“Just wait a bit longer, it’s still early!” Bai Tang turned to Thin Man and said, “Cook it for another half an hour; once the broth thickens, it will be ready!”
“Yes!” Thin Man replied respectfully, his eyes sparkling with uncontainable gratitude and disbelief: Did he really make such a fragrant dish?
“Boss, boss, I’ve peeled the potatoes!” The Fat Guy quickly approached Bai Tang, presenting the peeled potatoes with a flattering smile. He had done a good job, peeling them thin and clean.
“Then cut the potatoes into chunks!” Bai Tang instructed Thin Man to bring out the spice box. “As for the seasoning, learn from Thin Man. Let him teach you while he reinforces his skills.”
Before long, Braised Pork Ribs with Potatoes was simmering on the stove. While waiting for the dish to cook, Bai Tang taught the Fat Guy and Thin Man how to make noodles.
“There are many ways to eat noodles. Today we’ll have noodle soup, and tomorrow we’ll have fried noodles…” Bai Tang explained various noodle dishes to the two novice chefs. The Fat Guy and Thin Man listened attentively and even recorded Bai Tang’s words so they could listen and learn repeatedly.
“Slurp—” The sound of someone swallowing interrupted Bai Tang’s explanation.
Turning around, Bai Tang saw that Kate and the others were all drooling as they surrounded her from behind. Upon noticing her turn around, Kate immediately asked, “Can we eat now?”
The air was filled with the aroma of meat mixed with unknown spices; it was no wonder they couldn’t help themselves—it smelled too good! The scent stimulated their salivary glands, making them want to eat but unable to do so; it was torture!
“You’ll have to wait another half an hour!” Bai Tang checked the time.
The three of them slumped their shoulders: “We have to wait? We’re already hungry!”
"Are you hungry or just craving something?"
"Hehe." The three of them laughed shyly.
"Boss, I'm hungry too. How about we start with a bowl of noodle soup to fill our stomachs?" The chubby guy suggested, knowing that his torment was worse than that of Kate and the others, as he had been standing by the pot, and the aroma was wafting directly into his nose.
"Without broth, how can we make noodle soup?" Bai Tang's words made all five of them lower their heads in disappointment.
"However—" A twist made the five of them lift their heads again, looking at Bai Tang with anticipation.
"We can make tossed noodles." Bai Tang smiled as she announced her decision.
"Oh yeah—" This was met with cheers from the five of them.
The meal left the five feeling unsatisfied, with every plate and bowl licked clean and shiny.
"Delicious! I finally understand Colonel's feeling of 'what we used to eat was all pig food,'" Fei Jie said while holding his belly. "Bai Tang, hurry up and open your restaurant! Otherwise, after we part ways, I won't know what to eat and will starve myself!"
"Exaggerated!" Bai Tang laughed, but Fei Jie's support made her very happy. Even happier were the chubby guy and Thin Man. Ever since they took their first bites of braised pork and potato ribs, they had felt as if they were dreaming. They couldn't believe that such delicious food was made by them. The chubby guy even cried while eating; they were no longer useless—they were capable and could create delicious dishes...
"I agree with Fei Jie's words; he isn't exaggerating at all. Bai Tang, you need to hurry up and open your restaurant," the steady Simon supported Fei Jie. He was completely conquered by the food.
"Bai Tang, you don't need to worry about the shop front; I can help you solve that." Kate patted her chest confidently. Although the Sean family came from a military background, they also had businesses in other industries. "I'll have my cousin reserve a shop for you in Area A."
Capital Star is different from Twenty-First Century Earth, which is divided into many Nations and cities. Capital Star has only one city, a super-sized metropolis that encompasses the entire planet. The city is divided into seven areas: a, b, c, d, e, f, and g. Area a is the location of Alliance ZF, area b has the best environment and is where high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants reside, while area g has the worst environment, akin to a slum.
"Can you ask your cousin to help me find a shop in area e? I want to open two stores: one is a high-end restaurant catering to the wealthy, and the other is an eatery affordable for ordinary people!"
"I've always wanted to ask you, what is 'eating'?" Kate inquired.
"Eating refers to a category of foods that have specific flavor characteristics. Originally, it was meant as an embellishment for banquets or as the main food for breakfast and late-night snacks," Bai Tang recalled the definition he found online. "Ancient Earth had many Nations and regions, each with various culinary styles that varied according to local customs, showcasing distinct features and unique flavors. Food reflects local material culture and social life, making it an indispensable characteristic of a region... Noodles are one type of food; there are many varieties categorized by region, such as Huaxia's Beijing Zhajiang Noodles, Lanzhou Lamian, Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles, Shaanxi Youpo Noodles, Yangzhou Yangchun Noodles, as well as Udon from Neon Country, cold noodles from Korea, and pasta from Italy... Besides noodles, there are buns, dumplings, wontons, various snacks, and dishes... The Baked Sweet Potato and Caterpillar Potato I made earlier also fall under the category of food!"
"Oh, Bai Tang, now you've made me hungry again!" Kate wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth.
Bai Tang glanced at her protruding belly: "Can you still eat more?"
Kate rubbed her stomach and sighed: "Why is my appetite like this?"
Really? You five have eaten enough for ten people!
Bai Tang muttered to himself: "I'll keep teaching those two how to cook; you'll definitely enjoy it!" (To be continued)
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