Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 148 Delicate skin and slender bones scatter fragrant blossoms, and golden stamens shimmer with rosy clouds (Bonus Chapter for 2K chapters)

The "Chrysanthemum Glass Bowl" that seems to breathe inside is simply breathtakingly beautiful.

It truly resembled a chrysanthemum that moved without wind, swaying gently before the judges, displaying its graceful beauty.

After watching for a little over half a minute, the chrysanthemum in the bowl finally slowed down, but none of the seven judges picked up their chopsticks or spoons at this moment, simply because the dish was too beautiful and they did not want to spoil the mood.

Mao Xianzheng blinked and slowly spoke.

"Delicate skin and slender bones scatter fragrant blossoms, while golden stamens shimmer with rosy clouds."

"The ancients were right; Su Shi's poem 'Chrysanthemums in Winter by Zhao Chang' perfectly depicts this scene."

"With such a beautiful scene before me, I am moved to tears. If it were any other scene, I would have lingered longer to appreciate it, and I would have been more than satisfied with this divinely inspired dish."

Upon hearing Mao Xianzheng's words, Yu Fangmei also sighed.

"It's hard to believe this is a dish from a 'New Chef Competition'; truly, new talents are constantly emerging!"

Yin Shengjiang watched as the judges sighed, but none of them took action, which was somewhat frustrating.

He admitted that he really wanted to preserve this moment forever, but the problem is, this is a competition.
The dish in front of me is the competition dish, although it perfectly fits the theme of "kung fu".

But ultimately, we can't just score it based on experience as before; we still have to taste it.

So he raised his hand and took the lead in scooping the food into the bowl with a spoon.

What should have been a perfectly normal scene caused the live stream chat to erupt in excitement.

"No, it looks so good! Let's eat it later! Let me look at it a little longer!"

[I can't take it anymore, I'm going to die if I don't get to eat Xia Ming's cooking soon! Quick, any brothers want to get him to cook for me offline?]

[Holy crap, it's a real person! I've reported it!]

[You're really something, directly telling someone you want to open a box. I'm reporting you.]

[I suddenly understand why Xia Ming's barbecue restaurant was so successful that it got reported. If all the dishes looked like this, girls would buy them all on the spot!]

[I strongly suggest Xia Ming open a shop. I've already created a "Xia Ming Shop Support Group." If anyone reports him again this time, we'll definitely slam him!]

Xia Ming probably didn't expect that coming here to make a name for himself and get the "Eight Treasures Pig" reward would reverse most of his reputation with each dish.

The more scathing the online attacks against "Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef" were in the past, the deeper the netizens' love for him is now.

Chen Xiaodong was lucky to escape by going to Sichuan and Chongqing for further studies, thus avoiding the onslaught from netizens and other newcomers. Otherwise, it's hard to know what the store is like now.

Netizens may just be there to watch the spectacle, but the new chef and the internet celebrity don't see it that way.

I don't know who cut out the conversation between Xia Ming and Luo Jinran.

There's a rumor circulating in the industry that defeating Chen Xiaodong is the key to meeting Xia Ming, and a bunch of internet celebrities or chefs eager for fame are rushing headlong into Chen Xiaodong's arms.

His own store manager even called him, telling him to be careful in Sichuan and Chongqing and not to let anyone find out where he was staying.

Leaving aside Chen Xiaodong, who is currently playing hide-and-seek with a bunch of people.

Yin Shengjiang, who was standing in front of Xia Ming, originally thought that a spoon wouldn't be able to handle this dish, but to his surprise, the cartilage was stewed much softer than he had imagined.

With just a slight effort, a portion of the chrysanthemum in front of me was cut off like tofu.

However, at the very bottom, it felt a little tough, like touching a hard leather bowl.

Yin Shengjiang blinked, then scooped up the cartilage in the direction he could use force.

As the broth churned again, the shimmering scene reappeared, only this time, the chrysanthemums swayed even more vigorously.

Seeing this, Sui Wubai seemed to understand something.

"This utilizes the natural structures on the bone to create a rounded base for the chrysanthemum!" "The logic should be similar to a roly-poly toy. To think such a clever idea could be used in cooking is absolutely amazing!"

Sui Wubai knew that theory was just theory, and its practical application would definitely be extremely troublesome.

After all, roly-poly toys require iron sand for counterweight, but obviously, that can't be done in cooking.

Therefore, the stress on the chrysanthemum is crucial during the production process, and the structure of the pig's bones is not entirely the same.

This means that every time Xia Ming makes this dish, he has to readjust the position of the force according to the cartilage structure at that time.

Sui Wubai didn't even want to open his eyes anymore.
"Is Xia Ming remembering that I cracked his recipe last time, so he specially made one that's hard for me to crack this time?"

"After all, what's the use of knowing how to make this if you can't actually make it?"

Putting everything else aside, Sui Wubai believes that simply extracting cartilage and slicing it into chrysanthemum petals would eliminate 99.9% of chefs.

Just as he was marveling at the soup, Yin Shengjiang discovered that there was more to it than met the eye.

"These shark fin-like parts, could they be pork cartilage?"

Yin Shengjiang used a spoon to scoop up some of the transparent crystals clinging to the side of the soup and was surprised to find that it was indeed super fine cartilage.

Unlike the translucent appearance of shark fin, if you look closely, you can actually see the yellow tinge of the "white cartilage".

Because the color of the chrysanthemum was similar to that of the soup, people's eyes were drawn to it, and they were visually misled, failing to notice it immediately.

After seeing this, Yin Shengjiang's astonishment deepened.

He had never heard of cartilage being cooked into a completely transparent yellow color. Judging from the other dishes, the decisive factor must have been the exquisite knife skills.

Having already thoroughly mastered Xia Ming's skills, Yin Shengjiang no longer hesitated and took a bite of the "white cartilage" along with the broth.

Upon tasting it, Yin Shengjiang immediately sensed a sweet aroma, the ultimate umami flavor brought by "bamboo fungus".

Its flavor blends perfectly with the pork broth, and with a touch of salt, it's not complicated, but it's simple and pure.

After the broth flavor fades, you get the chewy texture from the "white cartilage." Unlike shark fin, "white cartilage" is made from fresh pork cartilage, so it naturally carries the "pig flavor."

Theoretically speaking, pork cartilage should have a fishy smell if not properly processed, but Xia Ming's cartilage had none at all.

At this moment, the broth and "white cartilage" blend together, much like a sticky and chewy shark fin dancing with the broth, creating a perfect fusion.

Swallowing the soup in his mouth, Yin Shengjiang's eyes gleamed with endless anticipation.

"If the broth tastes like this, then the main dish must taste even better!"

As he spoke, he picked up his small bowl and brought it to his lips. With a gentle spoonful, the graceful chrysanthemum petals entered his mouth.

The first thing you taste is the broth, followed by the aroma of fat and oil colliding.

Two words flashed into his mind instantly.

【marrow】

Before he could even feel the weight of the bone marrow, his eyes widened and he froze.

He had originally thought that the chrysanthemum would taste like "white chrysanthemum cartilage," but it turned out to be completely different from what he had imagined.

"The combination of chewy and crunchy textures creates a unique and delightful taste experience with every bite. This is an ultimate sensation that can only be obtained by eating perfectly stewed pork cartilage!"

He slowly closed his eyes, feeling everything around him quiet down, with only the exquisite golden broth in his mouth slowly pulling him into the depths of a dream.
Unbeknownst to Yin Shengjiang, the other judges were also experiencing the ultimate deliciousness, just like him.

What he didn't know was...
Seeing that all the judges were carefully chewing and savoring the wonderful taste of chrysanthemum cartilage.

Xia Ming, standing to the side, inadvertently revealed a sly smile.
(End of this chapter)