Little Chef 71 – This is made by Su Tang!

Su Tang got up early in the morning but didn’t go to buy groceries. Instead, she handed the list to Master Hao and asked him to help with the shopping.

Otherwise, she would definitely be surrounded.

Master Hao looked at the ingredients and said directly, “Madam, are you planning to prepare a vegetarian feast?”

Master Hao, being an experienced master, could tell what Su Tang intended to cook just by looking at the ingredients.

Su Tang nodded and said, “Yes, I’m preparing a vegetarian feast. After a few days, once the temple completes the rituals, we will reopen the restaurant and host a gratitude banquet.”

The gratitude banquet was a way to thank Lingyin Temple and Shangqing Temple for helping them with the rituals. Not only did they not charge a single penny, but they also helped promote the reputation of the restaurant.

If Xi Cheng Restaurant was famous before for its affordable and high-quality food, now it had become a blessed land!

Who wouldn’t want to enjoy such good fortune?

As soon as Master Hao heard that Xi Cheng Restaurant was reopening, he immediately became enthusiastic.

In these past few days, the staff in their restaurant had been renovating Xi Cheng Restaurant, giving it a fresh coat of paint both inside and out. The newly ordered tables would also be delivered soon.

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Once Xi Cheng Restaurant was revitalized, everyone could resume their work.

It’s not that the staff at Xi Cheng Restaurant particularly enjoyed working, but they were afraid that if the restaurant closed down, they wouldn’t have such good job opportunities anymore.

The owner was good, the managers were good, and the pay was good. Who wouldn’t like that?

So, everyone was working hard for the reopening of Xi Cheng Restaurant.

They didn’t even need Su Tang to hire specialized repairmen. With dozens of them, each lending a hand, they could get the job done. After all, who hasn’t renovated their own house before?

Master Hao also joined in to help, but upon hearing about the reopening of Xi Cheng Restaurant, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Don’t worry, I will definitely buy the freshest ingredients and deliver them to your courtyard,” Master Hao quickly reassured. “When entertaining the high monks and Taoist masters, should we also make sure all our pots and pans are thoroughly cleaned?”

“Definitely, otherwise they might not find the food palatable,” Su Tang replied. “Master Hao, if you have the time, please invite the other two chefs to come to the courtyard, and call five more kitchen helpers. Let’s prepare a vegetarian trial meal together. On the day of the gratitude banquet, we will definitely be busy together.”

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Master Hao readily agreed, saying, “I’ll definitely make time. I’ll go call them over now. Madam, you can rest assured.”

Su Tang nodded, feeling grateful. Indeed, one can only be truly happy when doing what they love.

She reminisced about when she first met Master Hao, always finding him cynical and intolerant of everything. But now, living a comfortable life, his temper had improved significantly.

After Su Tang left, the entire kitchen staff gathered around, eager to see what ingredients she would buy.

They couldn’t wait to start preparing the dishes!

However, Master Hao spoke up, “Madam said only a few of us chefs can go, along with five kitchen helpers. The rest should stay at Xi Cheng Restaurant and continue with the renovation.”

“Go where?” one of the chefs exclaimed in surprise. “Are we going to Madam’s courtyard?”

“Yes, that’s right. Madam wants us to help prepare the vegetarian feast. She has already prepared the recipes,” explained Master Hao, and the others instantly understood what it meant.

It meant that those who went to Madam’s place would have the opportunity to learn how to prepare vegetarian dishes!

Learning directly from Madam herself!

What an honor it was to be associated with Madam.

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She has made it into the top ten in the Master Chef Competition!

Among the ten most skilled chefs in the entire capital city, she is the only one.

Not to mention, Master Hao, their head chef, had made it into the top fifty in the past. With such a ranking, Master Hao’s culinary skills far surpassed all the other chefs in the restaurant.

One can imagine how exceptional Madam’s cooking skills are.

But Master Hao had already dragged Li Fan along; he was the least capable of handling such matters. Let them figure it out themselves!

The staff watched the kitchen helpers discuss animatedly and couldn’t help but wonder how they would make their selection.

After all, it was their own matter as kitchen helpers, and the others couldn’t interfere.

While the Xi Cheng Restaurant was being renovated, they also had to decide who would help Madam. Of course, they wouldn’t dare resort to underhanded tactics, as Madam detested such behavior the most.

Moreover, the three supervisors in the restaurant disliked that kind of approach as well.

The three supervisors were the accountant, Mr. Zhang, the supervisor of the staff, Li Fan, and Master Hao.

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The three of them shared in the restaurant’s profits, and they would prevent anything detrimental to the restaurant.

Seeing them inattentive, Mr. Zhang suggested, “Why don’t you vote? Write down five names, but you can’t write your own. Whoever gets the most votes will go and assist Madam in the kitchen.”

That was a good idea!

Immediately, the dozen or so kitchen helpers sprang into action.

Little did Su Tang know that her casual remark had stirred up quite a commotion in the Xi Cheng Restaurant.

At the moment, she was in the restaurant’s main kitchen, cleaning alongside Aunt Zhou and Mrs. Wang, the wife of Wang Wu.

On ordinary days, Su Tang would cook meals for herself and her younger brother in the small kitchen. But since they were expecting a lot of people today, they naturally had to use the kitchen in the breakfast shop.

Su Tang and Aunt Zhou were chatting while they cleaned.

“Aunt Zhou, has Zhou Cong already started attending Hanlin Academy? How does it feel?” Su Tang curiously asked.

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After all, it was a renowned private school in the capital, and attending there must be quite different.

Aunt Zhou mentioned the matter and laughed until her eyes disappeared. “Thanks to the boss lending us some money, otherwise it wouldn’t have been enough. Eating and using things there isn’t cheap, and we have to buy a lot of books. But the teacher there is excellent. I heard he even holds a high position in the Hanlin Academy.”

“That’s great. The last time I saw our boss from West City, he praised Cong for being talented,” Su Tang praised.

While they were talking, Mrs. Wang whispered, “Actually, I have some good news to share.”

Su Tang and Aunt Zhou looked at her, seeing the embarrassment on her face.

“I’m pregnant. I just saw the doctor yesterday, and it’s been two months.”

Mrs. Wang had been married to Wang Wu for several years, but they had yet to have a child. Because of this, her mother-in-law and sister-in-law had been giving her a hard time.

It turns out that Mrs. Wang not only found a good job but is also expecting a child now. These are all wonderful things.

Su Tang is always happy to see her employees doing better and better.

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However, now that Mrs. Wang is pregnant, another matter needs to be brought up. Su Tang had been thinking about it before and now that the breakfast shop is doing well, it might be a good idea to hire two more people.

After all, the wages can be managed.

Her breakfast shop is her mainstay, and it’s incredibly stable.

As soon as Su Tang voiced this idea, Mrs. Wang’s expression changed immediately. “Boss, even though I’m pregnant, I can still work. Don’t worry.”

Su Tang was taken aback for a moment and quickly replied, “I’m not trying to let you go. It’s just that the shop is busy now, and I was already thinking of hiring more people. Besides, you have a share in our shop. Why would I ask you to leave?”

This instantly reassured Mrs. Wang. After all, being pregnant makes many things inconvenient, but she wasn’t afraid. She could handle even farm work.

However, Aunt Zhou had another concern. “Even if we want to hire more people, one additional person should be enough. Why do we need to hire two more?”

After all, their shop wasn’t large in size, and a significant portion of their customers came from the East City to buy breakfast for their households. They mostly took the breakfast back home, so there wasn’t much need for additional help.

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Su Tang shared her decision, “Aunt Zhou, would you like to move with me to the East City? I’m thinking of opening another breakfast shop there, and it’s also closer to Zhou Cong’s private school.”

Although Zhou Cong’s private school is located in the southern part of the city, it’s still quite close to the East City. After all, most of the students attending the school are from the East City.

“It’s just that the expenses over there are high, and starting a new shop from scratch will probably be quite challenging,” Su Tang said, then turned to Mrs. Wang and added, “Once the shop is up and running over there, we’ll rely on you for this shop. Of course, we’ll also increase your wages. It depends on what you both think.”

If they weren’t willing to make any changes, it was okay too.

Su Tang could start hiring from scratch again. She had actually noticed that there were many hardworking women in the capital who were willing to endure hardships.

Not to mention the breakfast shop, even the dishwashing aunties in the Xi Cheng Restaurant were dedicated to their work.

If she needed to hire, it shouldn’t be difficult.

By mentioning this, Su Tang was giving Aunt Zhou and Mrs. Wang some time to consider.

Su Tang wanted to open a breakfast shop in the East City, not only because Sun Qiao Shan and others had advised her, but also because she had seen it herself.

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Every time she came to help at the breakfast shop, she could see many people lining up.

Most of them were maids and servants from the East City, who came all the way to buy breakfast for their employers and sometimes took a bite themselves before returning.

And every time she helped out, the maids and servants would ask her to open another shop so they wouldn’t have to travel so far.

She had heard this countless times, and now it was finally time to take action.

Moreover, there were so many people coming to buy breakfast that their shop’s entrance would get blocked by carriages.

Since there were so many people wanting to eat, opening another branch seemed only natural.

It would save the customers from spending over an hour just to buy breakfast.

Su Tang suddenly felt a surge of ambition in her career!

She was opening a branch for the breakfast shop!

She’s really amazing.

Su Tang praised herself in her mind for a moment. She also planned to clean the kitchen and remove the meaty smell since she was going to prepare a vegetarian feast.

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The taste of vegetarian cuisine was very unique. Unlike other dishes, it didn’t contain strong spices, and onions and garlic were not used.

However, a little ginger could be added.

Vegetarian dishes had a mild flavor but a lingering aroma.

This fragrance was like the most natural scent of rice and grains, a pure and natural flavor.

To highlight this kind of aroma without making the food uncomfortable to eat was quite challenging.

Anyway, as a first step, she needed to eliminate any greasy smells from all the kitchen utensils.

After all, they had been used to cook meat dishes for years, so it was inevitable that some residue remained.

But even after completing these tasks, Aunt Zhou and Mrs. Wang didn’t leave. Instead, more men arrived, and the two of them stayed to accompany the boss.

Su Tang felt grateful in her heart and silently made a note of it.

After a while, Master Hao led the chefs from the Xi Cheng Restaurant to join them. With so many people, they appeared quite imposing, and many people asked them what they were there for.

Master Hao, who usually had a stern face, now had a smile on his face. He said, “Our boss has come up with new dishes, so we’ve been asked to come and help.”

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Wow, the Xi Cheng Restaurant has actually come up with new dishes!

This made everyone even more excited.

The Xi Cheng Restaurant had become a trendsetter. If they started serving grilled fish, many other eateries started serving it too.

Fortunately, the people from the Xi Cheng Restaurant were always generous and didn’t mind these things.

Many small eateries selling packed lunches could also benefit from following their lead.

No one knew what delicious food the Xi Cheng Restaurant would come up with this time.

They couldn’t wait for the restaurant to open so they could go and taste it.

Su Tang also brought out the finalized menu.

She planned to prepare eight dishes, two soups, two desserts, and two sweet soups. The main course would be five-grain rice and sesame sauce cold noodles.

Five-grain rice was highly regarded in both Buddhism and Taoism.

She believed that both groups would appreciate this dish.

As for the sesame sauce cold noodles, besides garlic, everything else can be eaten.

Such delicious food should be promoted!

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Among the eight dishes in the menu, three were cold dishes, and five were hot dishes.

The cold dishes were small red mushroom with mashed taro, marinated gluten, and cucumber salad.

It’s worth mentioning that the small red mushroom mentioned here is what will later be known as enoki mushrooms. Of course, it’s different from the enoki mushrooms known to modern people, but it’s a similar variety.

As for the marinated gluten, it’s a food made from washing dough.

The cucumber salad is basically a cucumber, just slightly shorter now, but the taste is similar.

These are all classic cold dishes.

However, both Buddhist and Taoist vegetarian meals should not have a spicy or stimulating taste. Onions and garlic were out of the question, and even white vinegar could only be used sparingly.

But adding ginger juice to the cold dishes would make them much better.

The method of making the marinated gluten astonished everyone. They had never thought that flour could be washed like this.

When the boss asked them to follow along and make it, everyone was a bit surprised.

But including Master Hao and the other three chefs, all of them followed the instructions.

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First, they poured the flour and added water to it, stirring and kneading it until it formed a smooth dough.

This step wasn’t difficult, and the chefs were skilled at it.

Even the kitchen assistants could do it well.

But after the dough was properly fermented, the next steps confused everyone. They had to add more water and continue kneading the dough.

Su Tang directly said, “This is called washing the dough. Wash it four or five times, and the remaining water shouldn’t be poured out. It has other uses.”

The remaining water is actually starch water, and starch water can be used to make a popular dish that everyone loves!

Yes, it’s liangpi, a type of cold skin noodles.

And the dough that has been washed five times, when wrapped around chopsticks, becomes gluten.

It must be said that flour is truly amazing. With just one bag of flour, you can make countless delicious dishes.

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After the liangpi and gluten were made, Su Tang first seasoned them in the most common way, with ginger, garlic, vinegar, tossed with cucumber strips, cooked mung bean sprouts, diced gluten, and her homemade chili oil and sesame sauce. It was incredibly fragrant.

Everyone present received a bowl.

The aroma of the chili oil, combined with the smooth texture of the liangpi, and the incredibly delicious chewiness of the gluten, made it impossible to stop eating.

Not only was the liangpi delicious, but the little holes in the gluten were filled with sesame sauce, chili oil, and just the right amount of seasoning. Each bite was simply irresistible.

Indeed, the sesame sauce cold noodles could satisfy various taste buds.

If served as a vegetarian dish, just omit the garlic. Everything else is suitable for both Buddhists and Taoists.

The chili oil used is vegetable oil, and the sesame sauce is naturally made from sesame. As for the liangpi and gluten, they are made from grain flour, so there’s no violation of any precepts.

Su Tang said, “We’ll serve liangpi for everyone to enjoy, and the gluten can be served as a separate cold dish. What do you think?”

Master Hao restrained his excitement and said, “Of course, that’s great! Such delicious food, and it’s vegetarian!”

Not a trace of meat at all!

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Su Tang smiled and said, “There are many ways to use flour, eat slowly.”

Master Hao nodded and solemnly said to the people behind him, “This is our boss’s method. If anyone leaks it, they won’t be able to stay in any restaurant in the capital city.”

After all, they had dozens of men working at the Xi Cheng Restaurant. If word got out, it would be impossible for them to continue working there.

At least in West City, it would be impossible.

However, those who were selected to be assistants were generally very loyal to the Xi Cheng Restaurant.

Not to mention, these five people were elected by everyone and had good relationships with everyone. Everyone knew that.

Su Tang glanced at them and didn’t say anything. The people around her were truly wonderful.

In fact, after making this sesame sauce cold noodles, Master Hao and the others believed that this feast would definitely be a success.

Even the restaurant staff thought it was delicious, so the monks and Taoists would surely enjoy it as well.

The cold dishes were already prepared.

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The small red mushroom mixed with mashed taro was simple. After cooking the small red mushrooms, the fishy smell was removed, preserving the texture of the mushrooms. When combined with the mashed taro boiled in cold water, the crispy and soft textures complemented each other, making it especially tasty.

The only thing the Buddhists and Taoists couldn’t have was cilantro. But if Su Tang were eating, she would definitely add some cilantro to it.

That would make it even more delicious.

Next came the six hot dishes.

But before making the hot dishes, Su Tang took out a bunch of shiitake mushrooms.

Su Tang explained, “We’re going to make shiitake mushroom powder and use it as a seasoning.”

Shiitake mushrooms and chicken have similar components, which basically enhance the flavor of the dishes, similar to what is commonly known as chicken bouillon in later generations.

In the Xi Cheng Restaurant, they were already using a lot of chicken bouillon, and that was also the method taught by Su Tang.

The shiitake mushroom powder was made in the same way. The mushrooms were dried until all the moisture was gone, then ground into powder and stored in jars for later use.

Adding a little bit of it while cooking would make the dishes incredibly flavorful.

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This was also a substitute for chicken bouillon.

Once the shiitake mushroom powder was ready, it made the preparation of the remaining hot dishes much easier.

After all, many vegetarian dishes were not tasty because they couldn’t use many seasonings, but now it became simpler.

The six hot dishes were: green bell pepper and tofu, stir-fried shredded radish balls, pumpkin and mixed mushroom pot, sweet and sour lotus root slices, pan-fried tender tofu, and dry pot oyster mushrooms.

Each of these dishes had its own unique characteristics.

There was no need to explain the green pepper tofu dish. It was soaked in the fragrance of green bell peppers and seasoned with shiitake mushroom powder, making it irresistible with every bite.

Stir-fried shredded radish balls were made by coating the radish shreds in flour and frying them twice in vegetarian oil. The result was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Finally, they were stir-fried over high heat. This dish was incredibly satisfying.

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For the pumpkin and mixed mushroom pot, the pumpkin was hollowed out in the middle, and then the sautéed mushrooms were placed inside. Afterward, it was steamed, allowing the flavors of the mushrooms to blend with the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.

Sweet and sour lotus root slices were made by coating lotus root with flour and frying it, then pouring sweet and sour sauce over it. Su Tang loved this dish the most.

Pan-fried tender tofu involved cutting tofu into rectangular shapes, coating them with suitable seasonings, and frying them in hot oil until golden. They were then plated and served directly.

The dry pot oyster mushrooms followed the classic dry pot cooking method and was irresistibly delicious.

The sweet soup was white ear fungus and snow pear sweet soup, while the savory soup was winter melon and bamboo shoot soup.

Finally, there were two desserts. One was chestnut puree, where steamed chestnuts were mixed with honey and served in adorable small bowls. Many young monks and Taoists in Lingyin Temple and Shangqing Temple would surely enjoy it.

The other dessert was glutinous rice cakes. Who wouldn’t love a fragrant and soft glutinous rice-based treat?

Su Tang felt a bit tired looking at the table full of dishes, but the results were gratifying. From a distance, it didn’t look like a vegetarian meal at all—it was quite visually appealing. And the aroma was delightful.

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The table was a blend of colors, flavors, and fragrances, showcasing the effort that Su Tang had put into it.

Many of the seasonings were made on the spot, such as the shiitake mushroom powder, which played a significant role in these dishes.

The sweet and sour sauce was also made from scratch and poured over the fried lotus root slices, making them even more delicious.

Not to mention the star dish, sesame sauce cold noodles. Master Hao had already prepared plenty of them. They must make a lot of sesame sauce cold noodles because Su Tang had a feeling that they wouldn’t be enough.

As for the classic five-grain rice, they might need to make a little less of it.

The four experienced chefs and five assistant chefs present all felt one thing—helping out was truly the right decision!

Their way of cooking was completely different from the Madam’s. She always had unique and effective ideas.

The most crucial part was that the Madam never held back any knowledge. They taught everything they knew.

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Without exaggeration, the apprentices learned more in one afternoon with the Madam than they had in the previous six months.

It wasn’t that their previous masters didn’t teach sincerely, but the Madam was just that amazing!

The table full of dishes naturally got devoured completely. It was the first time they felt that vegetarian food could be so delicious!

Every dish was delicious!

As Auntie Zhou and Wang Wu’s wife ate, they accidentally overindulged themselves. They were clearly full, but they couldn’t resist taking a few more bites.

After all, the food was just too delicious!

In fact, these people had eaten plenty of good food before, considering they worked in a restaurant.

But this vegetarian feast had a different taste altogether.

Seeing everyone satisfied, Su Tang spoke up, saying, “The people from Lingyin Temple and Shangqing Temple are coming in a couple of days to hold a religious ceremony. They’ll probably arrive early, so we’ll provide them with lunch and dinner. I’ll be going too, but I’ll rely on all of you for the specifics. Prepare the ingredients in advance; there will likely be many people attending the ceremony. We can make some extra and distribute them to the local residents.”

Master Hao readily agreed. They would definitely make this gratitude banquet a success.

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After all, the Madam had given them such a fantastic recipe. It would be a shame to tarnish the reputation of Xi Cheng Restaurant by not presenting the dishes beautifully.

Su Tang had the same intention. After all, they were a restaurant and needed to establish a reputation for their culinary skills. Who would worry about the business being bad in the future? That was simply impossible.

Everything was ready.

They only had to finish the religious ceremony, and Xi Cheng Restaurant could resume its operations.

It was worth noting that Su Tang had already invested all the money earned during these days. With so many people waiting to dine and numerous expenses to cover, it was a wise decision to focus on her breakfast stall. It required less worry and would continue to generate income.

Enough talk. After they finished handling matters at Xi Cheng Restaurant, they would definitely open a similar establishment in East City to earn money from the people there!

Su Tang watched as they finished eating and cleaned the kitchen. She then looked at the four boxes of leftover food left on the side, waiting for Qi Tian Yun’s people to come and collect them.

With all the commotion happening in her courtyard, she didn’t believe that Qi Tian Yun was unaware.

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After all, every move Xi Cheng Restaurant made was being observed by many people in the capital.

It was all because this place was a blessed land!

Sure enough, within a quarter of an hour, Li, the guard by Qi Tian Yun’s side, came over looking confused. He said, “Miss Su Tang, my master asked me if you left him some food. Is that true?”

It was the afternoon, not lunchtime or dinnertime. Why would there be any food left?

Upon hearing this, Su Tang took a deep breath.

Well.

Qi Tian Yun’s guess was spot on. How did he manage to figure out that she left him some food?

With that thought in mind, Su Tang instructed Li to bring over all four boxes of food.

Li was dumbfounded at the sight. This was too much. Was she hosting a feast?

Qi Tian Yun, who was still handling affairs at the palace, had already moved to a side hall to prepare for his meal.

However, as soon as he sat down in the hall, Shi Ding immediately followed suit. After a while, the Chief Guard also joined them, sitting behind the young emperor and the future empress.

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It was evident that they all knew Su Tang was preparing a vegetarian meal today and that Qi Tian Yun had sent someone to collect the food.

Although the vegetarian meals elsewhere weren’t as delicious!

But this was made by Su Tang!

Could they resist taking a bite?