Food Intelligence King

Chapter 73 Old Chen doesn't really like shredded potatoes that much.
The next day, it was Friday.

Ms. Lin and Tao Tao both took half a day off and came to the store at noon to wait for Chen Zhou.

For lunch, they ate steamed buns from the shop, just like the other customers.

The taste is almost identical to what Chen Zhou makes at home.

But the two of them ate quite heartily.

The customers in the shop, seeing the owner's wife and children eating there, had even higher praise for the steamed buns from the community canteen.

The waitress's professionalism has improved considerably; she even offered to treat the customer to a meal separately. This is a privilege that most customers don't receive.

The junior sister said, "Sister-in-law, don't forget tomorrow night."

She then asked Tao Tao what she wanted to eat.

Chen Taotao didn't stand on ceremony with Sister Zhao and said she wanted to eat Brother Kun.

The old father frowned as he listened from the kitchen.

To be honest, even Chen Zhou himself doesn't use this meme anymore.

But it seems to be quite popular among children.

Especially the older children who are in elementary school, they always mention Kun Kun, and the little ones just follow suit.

Ms. Lin's work is not very busy; at least she feels it's much easier than Chen Zhou's.

So I took on the task of driving today.

Chen Zhou was relatively reassured about this.

My wife drives, and sometimes she really can't park in narrow spaces, and she did scrape against a stone block once.

But on the road, she is absolutely a model of a good driver.

Obey the law and follow the rules; yield to pedestrians and never cut in line.

Maintaining a proper following distance is also possible when following another vehicle.

Later, Chen Zhou looked at the two drivers in the rear-end collision, staring at each other blankly, and felt that Ms. Lin's words made a lot of sense.

On the road, Ms. Lin was intently watching the road conditions ahead.

She casually said to Chen Zhou, "If you're sleepy, you should take a nap first."

no respond.

Ms. Lin turned her head and saw that Chen Zhou had already fallen asleep.

She whispered to her daughter, "Tao Tao, look at your dad."

No response either.

Ms. Lin glanced at the child safety seat through the rearview mirror.

My husband and daughter both have their heads tilted to the right, they're sleeping in the same position.

Upon arriving at Chen Zhou's hometown, the family of three first visited the homes of their relatives and elders.

Then we went back to Tao Tao's grandparents' house to prepare dinner.

The old lady had already fried several large yellow croakers.

I'm just waiting for my granddaughter to come over and cook it for her.

Fish cloves of meat, with few bones. After frying, simmer over low heat for thirty minutes, and it will definitely have a bit of sticky broth at the end. Chen Taotao especially loves fish soup with rice.

The remaining dishes were left to Chen Zhou and his wife.

Shredded potatoes are the dish that Chen Zhou takes the most seriously.

He even brought a sachet with him, using it to peel and shred the fruit.

"Swish swish swish", "Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap"

The potato shreds, about the thickness of a pencil lead, were quickly and neatly arranged on the cutting board.

As the old saying goes, be meticulous.

Chen Zhou has excellent knife skills and is very skilled at slicing.

His skill was so great that the old lady couldn't help but feel sorry for her son.

She secretly asked her granddaughter, "Does your dad or your mom cook at home?"

Chen Taotao thought for a moment and answered truthfully:

"They both make it, but Dad's tastes better."

What else could the old lady say?

The young couple is doing well; whoever cooks better does the cooking. Anyway, she can't stomach Old Chen's cooking at all, otherwise she wouldn't have been in charge of the kitchen for over thirty years.

In the kitchen, Chen Zhou soaked the shredded potatoes in water.

It's similar to steaming rice.

Potatoes also have starch on their surface, so soaking them for a longer time and rinsing them thoroughly twice will make them crisper.

Soaking it for just three to five minutes makes it sticky and chewy. At home, you can make it however you like.

Ms. Lin suggested taking a middle value.

"Then soak it for a few minutes and wash it twice."

"Row."

Heat oil in a pan, then add sliced ​​garlic and dried chili peppers.

Sauté over low heat until fragrant. Add shredded potatoes, then turn up the heat.

The potato shreds, which were still a bit stiff just moments before, quickly softened and became translucent under the high temperature.

Now, start seasoning.

Add salt, sugar, and MSG. Use whatever vinegar you have at home, and drizzle it around the edge of the pot.

Stir-fry the seasonings evenly, add the green and red peppers, stir-fry until just cooked, and then remove from the pan.

The food was being cooked in the kitchen when Old Chen came home from get off work.

After exchanging greetings, he realized he couldn't really join in, so he simply played with his granddaughter in the living room. They only see each other once a month, and they need to catch up first.

Grandpa has plenty of sweet talk.

The two quickly became friends.

Fish and meat were bought and cooked together, along with several hot and cold dishes, creating a sumptuous feast.

The old lady was a bit talkative, asking all sorts of questions during the meal, mainly about her son's shop.

Old Chen ate and listened at the same time.

He listened attentively, but he didn't really like stir-fried shredded potatoes.

He picked up two bites and then went to eat something else.

The stewed pork ribs were good, quite to Old Chen's liking; they were tender, flavorful, and not dry at all. It seemed the young couple brought the ribs; I wonder where they bought them.

Lin Yifan gave him some shredded potatoes several times, so even if Old Chen didn't like them, he had to eat more.

Chen Zhou also tried a couple of bites himself.

It actually tastes very good, with a complex flavor profile of sour, spicy, salty, and savory.

The potato shreds are soaked for a short time, so the texture is not as crisp, but the potato starch that separates out on the surface acts as a natural thickener, coating each potato shred with flavor.

Although it includes green and red bell peppers, the colors are indeed a bit too dark.

The aged vinegar is dark in color, so I'll use less next time, or add some balsamic vinegar to enhance the flavor.

When cooking, you need to experiment and summarize a lot; you can't do it without figuring it out yourself.

When he had almost finished eating, Old Chen stood up and went to the balcony.

He hadn't lit a single cigarette in the two hours he was home; he must have gone for a smoke. Seeing this, Chen Zhou took out a pack of cigarettes and followed him.

Old Chen instructed, "Close the door properly."

Chen Zhou closed the door and handed the Yuxi cigarette to his father:

"Um-"

"Um,"

Old Chen took it, glanced at it, stuffed the Seven Wolves back into his pocket, and gave the same reply.

Then, the father and son fell silent.

Silence is Cambridge tonight.

Chen Zhou looked down at the old elm tree. Over the years, it had grown incredibly tall. It seemed to have been chopped a few times because it was blocking the sunlight.

Old Chen tore open the packaging and started tapping it.

Chen Zhou realized he should say something to break the silence.

"Dad, please smoke less in the future."

"I heard you opened a shop too." Old Chen said almost at the same time as his son.

The father and son finally smiled at each other.

When Chen Zhou turned to light his father's cigarette, he noticed:

Inside the living room, three female relatives, young and old, stood neatly in a row, watching the scene.

The old lady met her son's gaze, stepped forward, opened the door a crack, and said with satisfaction, "You two really should have a good talk."

We were just about to start talking, but then you guys started watching from behind.
That's really embarrassing.

It was incredibly awkward.

Chen Zhou looked at the old tree again. He remembered climbing it when he was a child. He wondered if he could still do it now.

Old Chen took two deep breaths and then turned the phone back on for his wife.

(End of this chapter)