Chapter 213 - 205: Adding More Chili Peppers Makes a Spicy Dish
Chapter 213: Chapter 205: Adding More Chili Peppers Makes a Spicy Dish
Bai Zhi wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and said with a smile, "I have two more dishes to cook. Just watch from the side, and ask me if there’s anything you don’t understand."
’Since she’s here to learn how to cook, she must have some basic skills,’ Bai Zhi thought. ’With a foundation, she’ll naturally learn quickly by watching my process.’
But to her surprise, after she finished cooking the two dishes, the girl stood off to the side, covering her mouth and nose the entire time. She refused to get any closer, and Bai Zhi had no idea if she had actually understood anything.
Bai Zhi dished out the food from the wok and brought it over to Dong’er. "Want to try some?"
Dong’er was a native of Qingyuan Town and had grown up on a light diet. Seeing this dish swimming in red chili oil and spicy broth, she didn’t dare try it at all, shaking her head repeatedly. "No, no, no, thank you for the kind offer, miss, but I can’t handle spicy food."
Bai Zhi froze for a moment. ’She won’t even dare to taste it? How is she supposed to learn to cook spicy food? If she doesn’t even know what it tastes like, how can she possibly make it delicious?’
She hadn’t taken a close look at the girl before, but she did now. Though dressed in a maid’s uniform, her hair was intricately styled, her clothes were immaculate, and she wore a few small, delicate hair ornaments. The way she was covering her mouth and nose made it seem as if she was utterly disgusted by the kitchen environment.
A nearby cook walked over, took the braised fish from Bai Zhi’s hands, and said with a chuckle, "Miss Dong’er is the young miss’s head maid. She’d never deign to step foot in a place like the kitchen on a normal day. I suppose we have you to thank, Miss Bai, for getting her to come in and stay for so long."
The cook was teasing, but her words were quite pointed. She’d made the situation perfectly clear in just a few sentences. Bai Zhi understood now, so she didn’t press the matter, just asking with a faint smile, "So, Sister Dong’er, did you get the hang of it?"
Dong’er waved a hand dismissively. "What’s so hard about it? You just add more chili peppers."
She wasn’t wrong. You do have to add chili peppers to make a dish spicy. But there’s an art to it; you can’t just toss them in randomly and expect it to taste good.
Of course, while the technique wasn’t profound, it wasn’t something that could be explained in a few words—especially not to someone completely clueless about cooking.
Bai Zhi was no fool; she wasn’t about to waste her breath on such a pointless endeavor. "Since Miss Dong’er has learned it, I’ll take my leave." The kitchen staff had already sent the dishes to Lord Meng’s quarters. Bai Zhi went to wash her face and fix her hair. Smelling the greasy cooking fumes on her clothes, she sighed. ’Range hoods are truly a magnificent invention.’
In modern times, even if you cooked frequently, you wouldn’t be left smelling so strongly of greasy fumes, and your hair certainly wouldn’t get this oily after preparing just one meal.
The cook carried the last dish into the main hall of Lord Meng’s courtyard and set it on the table. She glanced at the other plates. Aside from the stir-fried greens, the other dishes were all but gone.
’Including the one she’d just set down, that made six dishes and a soup. These three could really eat.’
Meng Nan noticed Hu Feng kept putting food onto an empty plate. Every time a new dish was served, he’d place a portion onto it, not eating it himself but just setting it aside.
"What are you saving all that food for? If you’re not going to eat it, give it to me." Meng Nan held his hand out toward Hu Feng.
Hu Feng shot him a sidelong glance and said coolly, "This is for Bai Zhi."
Jin Xiao’an swallowed a mouthful of tender fish and nodded at Hu Feng. "He’s right, we should save some for her. She worked so hard cooking. We can’t just leave her with scraps when she finally gets here."