I'm the Culinary God-Chapter 611 - 288: Grandma’s Best Specialty - Nourishing Stomach Congee with Greens! A High-end Dish for the Mid-Autumn Festival Reunion! [Subscribe Please]_3

Chapter 611: Chapter 288: Grandma’s Best Specialty - Nourishing Stomach Congee with Greens! A High-end Dish for the Mid-Autumn Festival Reunion! [Subscribe Please]_3

"Uncle Sun was being so generous. He saw I wanted some dough sticks and insisted on packing this huge bag without a word. You guys tell me, isn’t this frustrating? How are we supposed to eat all of this..."

Han Shuzhen knew her husband would definitely not buy just a few, but she hadn’t expected him to bring back such a large bag.

She asked with a faint smile, "Was it really Uncle Sun who gave these to you?"

"Yes, he didn’t even take any money for them and even told me to wait and take some sweet cakes and vegetable pastries, but I didn’t take those."

Han Shuzhen knew her husband all too well.

She asked, "He didn’t take money, so did he take anything else?"

Shen Guofu’s face flushed, feeling as if his trick had been exposed. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Uncle Sun was so polite, I took a cigar from the car for him..."

Tsk, so the case is solved.

Han Shuzhen glanced helplessly at her husband. A cigar from the car cost four figures, more than enough to buy an electric scooter. No wonder those dough sticks were free.

If we were to be particular, he’d actually owe us money. But you can’t really quibble with Uncle Sun. Back when Yueyue was in elementary and middle school, the family was struggling, and Uncle Sun often gave her vegetable pastries and sweet cakes. We’re old neighbors; even if he couldn’t help in other ways, giving the kids a little something to eat was no problem. Now, forget about just one cigar; even if he’d given a whole box, Han Shuzhen wouldn’t have said a word. But this many dough sticks... All those pre-holiday low-fat meals were for nothing.

"I’ll just have a taste, a small piece. I definitely won’t eat too much."

Shen Guofu made his promise as he carried the food into the kitchen. The moment he stepped inside, he pinched a dough stick from the bag, stuffing it into his mouth while murmuring, "Lin Xu, quickly try this! These dough sticks are fried so crispy and fragrant. I ate two on the way here and still couldn’t get enough. The flavor is truly top-notch..."

Lin Xu said with a smile, "You should eat less of these deep-fried foods."

When the shredded mustard greens were first added to the pot, their high water content caused them to absorb all the oil, and they even stuck to the pot slightly. However, as they continued to cook and the moisture evaporated, oil began to seep out at the bottom.

At this point, Lin Xu added the onion slivers and continued to stir-fry. He made sure to fry them until the surface of the mustard greens was glistening with oil and the oil at the bottom of the pot had turned clear. Only when the oil became clear did it signify that a large amount of moisture had evaporated and the mustard greens were thoroughly cooked.

He added two small spoonfuls of sugar to balance the saltiness and a dash of Soy Sauce to make the mustard greens more appetizing. He stir-fried everything until the sugar dissolved and the Soy Sauce was evenly incorporated. Only then were the mustard greens ready to be served.

"Mmm, that smells really good!"

Shen Guofu finished the dough stick in his hand and picked up another. He also used his chopsticks to pick up a few strands of the mustard greens and put them into his mouth, praising Lin Xu’s culinary skills profusely. "Delicious, delicious! These stir-fried mustard greens are truly tasty... When this stuff is cooked right, it makes you eat even more steamed buns than Chili Oil does."

Lin Xu cleaned the wok, then washed and smashed a cucumber. He cut a few more dough sticks that were still crispy on the outside, mixed them with Garlic Paste, Chili Oil, and other seasonings, and finally tossed in a handful of Grandma Shen’s fried peanuts. With that, this cucumber and dough stick dish, perfect for accompanying drinks or meals, was ready.

By this time, the congee was also ready.

Grandma Shen added the greens, stirred a few times, then turned off the heat and removed the pot from the stove. The congee was very hot and cooled down slowly; the residual heat was enough to cook the greens through while allowing their fresh flavor to meld into the congee.

Once everything was ready, the whole family sat around the stone table under the Chinese parasol tree to begin their breakfast.

"Mom, it was this dish that upset my stomach! You have to avenge me!" Yueyue exclaimed.

Han Shuzhen gave her daughter a helpless look. What nonsense are you spouting during the festival? Luckily, we’re here. If your maternal grandmother and grandfather heard that, they’d scold me again for not knowing how to raise a child.

She inwardly grumbled at her daughter, then picked up a piece of the dough stick salad to taste.

Eh... this actually tastes really good. Usually, eating dough sticks or fried pancakes with a clove of garlic is already delicious. Now, with the dough sticks coated in a garlic-flavored dressing, the taste is even more pronounced, and the garlic also cuts through the greasiness of the dough sticks. Plus, the fluffy and soft dough sticks paired with the crisp cucumber create a wonderful contrast in both texture and flavor. Finishing it off with a crispy fried peanut... no wonder my daughter ate too much. This is simply delicious.

Lin Xu picked up a steamed bun and, imitating Shen Guofu, broke it open in the middle. He stuffed some glossy, oily mustard green slivers inside and took a large bite. It was incredibly satisfying.

After finishing the bun, he used a spoon to scoop some of the fresh and delicious vegetable congee into his mouth. A warm sensation slid from his mouth all the way down to his stomach.

Comforting! This feeling is just so comforting.

"Grandma, this vegetable congee you made is truly exceptional, so delicious. I’ll have to learn how to make it from you later."

Lin Xu had initially thought that vegetable congee, however good, couldn’t possibly compare to the taste of century egg and lean pork congee. But after tasting it, he realized he was mistaken. This simple vegetable congee was flawless in both flavor and texture.

He used his Eye of Discrimination to check, and the system’s rating was actually Perfect Level.

This was almost unbelievable.

Grandma Shen said with a cheerful laugh, "There’s nothing much to learn, really. Just soak the rice and then simmer it slowly in a clay pot. As long as it cooks long enough, the congee will naturally taste good."

The old lady had been making congee her whole life and didn’t think there was much to learn. She’d been making it this way for decades and had always eaten it this way—congee, pickled vegetables, paired with cornbread buns or mantou. Wasn’t that a very ordinary breakfast?

Shen Guofu held his porridge bowl and took a large slurp. Mmm, still the taste of his childhood.

He finished the steamed bun in his hand in two or three bites, then looked at Lin Xu and said, "Lin Xu, we have many guests coming today, even some relatives who rarely visit would come over. Later, you’ll have to prepare a grand dish to impress everyone, preferably one they’ve never even heard of."

The relatives from the Han Family side were all highly educated—the kind where even those with bachelor’s degrees barely had a voice in family matters. Because of this, several relatives often picked on Shen Guofu for his high school education, considering him uncultured.

The grudge-holding Shen Guofu planned to have his son-in-law prepare an obscure dish to retaliate, to see who was truly the uncultured one.

A grand dish? And it has to be unheard of?

Suddenly, the image of a particular dish flashed through Lin Xu’s mind.

In that case, I’ll make that high-end, obscure Sichuan dish that many people can’t even pronounce correctly!

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Wishing everyone a happy family reunion and a joyous festival! The next Chapter will feature that legendary dish which is notoriously hard on cookware. Those interested can give it a try; apart from being a bit troublesome, it’s not overly difficult. This Chapter is 5,100 words. Please vote with your Monthly Tickets!