novelBirthday Feast - (2)
| ← Ch.081 | Ch.083 → |
The seventh dish was chili chicken. With its bright red chili peppers and golden chicken, it attracted everyone's attention as soon as it was served. The two He family brothers immediately recognized this dish. During the few days when live broadcast was suspended, Ruan Tang still continued to cook as usual. At the same time, he still sent them a portion of the dishes he made. The crispy and tender meat and tingling spiciness of this dish still lingered in their minds. As soon as this dish was served, the two of them couldn't wait to taste it.
The guests were naturally not polite. Their chopsticks came down on the dish like raindrops.
The eighth dish was twice-cooked pork, which used streaky pork that was seasoned with hot chili peppers, garlic and similar kinds of ingredients. The fat and thin pork belly was cut very thin. The fatty parts were almost transparent, while the meat that was saturated with spicy oil and sauce had turned a rosy, glossy color. Its spicy taste carried with it a unique savory taste and though fatty, it wasn't greasy. It was also very popular.
[Little Swallow Fly and Fly: Although it doesn't taste as rich as red braised pork, it still tastes very good. ]
[Black souled Blue Demon: It seems that Tang Tang really loves spicy dishes... every dish is bright red. My tongue feels like it's on fire!]
[Stone: Shows what you know. This is Marshal He's birthday banquet. Obviously the dishes were made according to his taste. At the last banquet, I found that Marshal He has a special liking for spicy dishes. [Not simple. jpg]]
[Shadow in the Water: Wow, the above commenter's amazing! Such a sharp sense of observation!]
Seeing the audiences' teasing, Ruan Tang also couldn't help watching the reactions of the guests.
Most of the guests present were not familiar to Ruan Tang. Only Bai Che, the vice president of the Academy of Sciences and his fiancee, Xia Mi, he had met at the last reception. These two seemed to be the type who were weak to spicy food. After every two bites of the dishes, they would drink some cola. Their foreheads were beaded with sweat and their lips were red. For sure, their tongues would be completely numb by now but they still refused to stop.
In contrast, the He Family was much better. He Yun Chen, originally loved spicy foods; he ate the dishes quite quickly. He Wei Ye and Ran Jing also seemed to have similar taste preferences. The spicier the dishes, the more they ate with gusto. Even He Yun Yi, who preferred sweeter dishes, was so concentrated on eating that he didn't even lift his head.
As a chef, nothing was more satisfying than watching guests enjoy the dishes he made.
The Garlic scallops were very large and each person was given one each. The flesh of the scallops was tender, plump and succulent. Each mouthful was soft and juicy, and it had the faint fragrance of the mashed garlic, completely free of any fishy taste. What's more, Ruan Tang also used mung beans to make satiny and supply vermicelli noodles. He steamed it together with the scallops and mashed garlic, letting it absorb the umami of the scallops and the fresh taste of the mashed garlic. Each mouthful was full of rich meaty juices. It tasted so good it could not be described in words.
Soon, it was the last hot dish, which was the highlight of this birthday party—spicy crayfish.
The smart robot directly brought out a large-sized iron basin filled with bright red spicy crayfish.
[Inky Summer: Oh? Why did the monsters shrink? I remember that when he did the broadcast on the 19th planet, each water monster was as large as a basin. ]
[Mu Wan Ke: This is available on the shopping site! I looked at the description and this seems to be a crayfish, an Ancient Earth ingredient that had just been restored. It's not one of the water monsters on the 19th planet!]
[Miao Miao loves to eat all the dishes of the anchor: Who cares! As long as it tastes just as good!]
Before they knew it, a large pot of spicy crayfish was cleaned up. Heaping piles of crayfish shells could be found in front of everyone. The smart robot was very busy clearing it all away.
Finally, a pot of tomato and potato beef brisket soup was served. The sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes was used to flavor this dish, making it a good dish to neutralize the spicy tastes of the previous dishes. The potatoes were stewed soft and melts in your mouth. The beef tendons were also stewed until it was especially tender. With each bite, the sweet soup would be squeezed out, overflowing the entire mouth.
"Well, now it's time to serve the staple food. Those need to be made on the spot. I'll go make it now." Ruan Tang stood up and said to everyone.
"Mr. Ruan, thank you for your hard work!" Everyone responded.
Ruan Tang smiled and nodded, he then entered the kitchen. Tao An immediately got up to assist him.
Tonight's birthday banquet's main staples were Dan Dan noodles and shoutao. Shoutao was already steaming in a pot over low heat. Noodles, though would easily clump together, so it was better to make it just as they were about to be eaten. Tao An was capable of making standard noodles, so Ruan Tang directly entrusted him with that task.
Only the noodles for He Yun Chen were longevity noodles, which needed to be specially made. The special characteristic of longevity noodles was that it was long and intact. Usually, an entire bowl of longevity noodles only had one very long noodle. It was best not to break it when eating, so as to properly convey long life and good fortune.
The dough had been prepared in advance, and now he could start making the noodles right away. Ruan Tang rolled out both ends of the dough into a long strip. He held the dough in one hand and stretched it out with the other. The finer he stretched it, the better. In order to keep the noodle intact, his movements were very gentle. He couldn't make it in the same crude manner he used to make ordinary noodles. Longevity noodles needed to be as long as possible. When Ruan Tang had pulled it to a length of over one meter, he piled it into a large bowl. He then boiled the water and cooked the noodle. He carefully moved it into a bowl and topped it off with a round and plump poached egg.
He used the chicken soup that he had boiling for several hours as the soup base of longevity noodles. He put in two blanched emerald green Chinese cabbages and also poured in the Dan Dan Mien gravy that he had prepared beforehand. With a spoonful of special chili oil and a sprinkling of chopped green onions, this bowl of longevity noodles specially made for He Yun Chen was complete.
Soon, all the guests were given a small bowl of noodles, but He Yun Chen's was brought to him by Ruan Tang himself.
"Chen Ge, this a bowl of longevity noodles that I made especially for you. This whole bowl is composed of only one long noodle. When you eat it, be careful not to bite and break the noodles. It is best to eat it whole."
The crystal clear noodles was immersed in golden chicken broth and when stirred slightly with chopsticks, the dark brown meat sauce combined with the noodles. The pure white noodles was quickly stained with red and bright colors, which looked very appetizing.
"Okay." He Yun Chen, as instructed, very carefully sucked the whole noodle into his mouth little by little, before chewing. The main point of longevity noodles was the noodles; the taste needed to come mainly from the noodle itself and not the soup. Therefore, he added a bit of salt when he kneaded the dough. He also kneaded the dough in a single direction to ensure that it would be amply flexible and elastic. Even without the gravy, this noodle was incomparably delicious.
Due to the time restriction, the longevity noodles Ruan Tang made weren't particularly traditional. With the noodle's characteristic length and al dente texture, it managed to match well with the soup. The noodles were flexible, strong and smooth. It absorbed the umami flavor of chicken broth, plus the finely salted and fragrant meat gravy. Its rich and delicious taste left a memorable aftertaste.
[Can't stop Hugging Trees: I am officially jealous! I also want to eat longevity noodles made by Tang Tang himself... Hu hu hu]
[Mu Mu Jing Cin: There's only one noodle. QAQ I couldn't get ahold of it!]
[Salted Fish was originally fish: It's the same as eating the other noodles. It tastes super delicious!]
[ID18220102: It's not the same! It's not the same! The noodle Tang Tang made is different!]
But no matter how much the audience clamored, there was only one bowl of this unique and matchless longevity noodles.
"Well, now, let's the taste Shoutao!" In order to divert the audience's attention, Ruan Tang asked the smart robot to take the shoutao in the bamboo steamer.
Shoutao was made from glutinous rice flour added with sugar and edible red pigment. After being steamed in the pan, it had turned a beautiful jade pink. Fashioned into a peach shape, it was cute and festive. It was sweet and spongy, powdery and glutinous, truly a special delicacy. Everyone quickly scrambled for the shoutao and the steamer that been packed full was quickly emptied out.
Finally, it was time to enjoy the birthday cake. This time, Ruan Tang used fresh cream and decorated the cake with various fruits to make it exquisite and beautiful, making people feel a bit reluctant to eat it.
The birthday celebrant personally held the knife, and cut the twelve-inch-sized cake into equal sized pieces to share with everyone. The sweet cake was exactly to He Yun Yi's taste. After eating his share, he was still not satisfied, and freeloaded a few bites from other people.
[Dan Moran: Sob sob sob, I also want this kind of birthday feast... ]
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this meal, and finally left while rubbing their stomachs. It was also through this live broadcast that the people of the Empire learned the concept of celebrating a birthday, although their main purpose was just to have a big meal.
After the birthday banquet, Ruan Tang stayed to send off the guests, and cleaned up the mess in the house. He then prepared to take his leave. He didn't bring anything with him, so he just went upstairs and took the clothes he changed out of yesterday.
He Yun Chen stood by the door, watching him bend down and pack his clothes into a bag. He said, "A'Tang, thank you." He was not a particularly emotional person. He didn't feel much about his birthday before, but today Ruan Tang had so seriously and earnestly prepared a birthday banquet for him, making him feel that today was truly very special.
The thought of there being such a person, made him feel truly happy and grateful for his existence. He Yun Chen's heart turned soft.
"Ah, right. Close your eyes." Ruan Tang took something out of the bag and held it in his hand, a bit mysteriously and a little embarrassedly.
He Yun Chen obediently did as he was told. He couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.
"All right."
When He Yun Chen opened his eyes, he saw a small, painted and delicate woodcarving held before him. The woodcarving was a cartoon-ish figure, with cute proportions and a round face. It was wearing an iron-gray military uniform, stepping on a silver suspended car. With its straight brows, it had on a serious expression. It was both handsome and comical.
Is this... A carving of himself?
"The carving isn't very good, I hope you like it..." Ruan Tang said, a little embarrassed.
Ruan Tang was actually pretty good at carving, except that he usually carved carrots and the like. This was the first time he had carved wood like this.
"No, you carved it very well. I like it very much!" He Yun Chen took the woodcarving and turned it around in his hands, looking it over and over. Ruan Tang couldn't help but to remind him in a low voice, "The paint might not have dried completely yet. So better not handle it too much or the paint might peel off..."
He Yun Chen smiled suddenly and shook his head. He held the carving in the palm of his hand, and looked at Ruan Tang before him. The uncharacteristically warm expression on his face was filled with joy.
He reached out and wrapped Ruan Tang tightly in a hug."Thank you, I was very happy today."
Ruan Tang also put his arms around his shoulders. And with a brotherly smile said, "I'm glad that you're happy."
Looking at that smile that was so close at hand, his eyes slid down to the small dimple on Ruan Tang's cheek, and finally landed on his slightly curled lips. He Yun Chen's eyes darkened, and he suddenly had the urge to kiss those lips.
He was suddenly startled. Looking at Ruan Tang's completely clueless appearance, he suddenly realized,
Perhaps what he felt for Ruan Tang wasn't brotherly affection.
| ← Ch. 081 | Ch. 083 → |