Courtyard House: Passing through the Silly Pillar, Activating the Blessed Cave Heaven

24

During the meal, Wu Baotian introduced his children to everyone: his eldest son, Wu Youren, is twenty years old this year and has been learning his craft from him for many years. He married Zhang Xiaoqiao last year and now lives in the east wing; his eldest daughter, Wu Xiangxiu, is sixteen years old, and his six-year-old younger daughter, Wu Xiangyun, lives with their parents in the west wing of the main house; his second son, Wu Youyi, is fourteen years old, and his third son, Wu Youli, is nine years old. The two of them live in the west wing.

After Fengzeyuan opens, He Yuzhu will live with the Wu family and their brothers.

After the banquet, He Daqing took his leave with his children and returned home.

Before they knew it, it was the fifth day of the lunar new year. He Daqing asked Yi Zhonghai's wife to take care of He Yushui and personally carried the bedding to take He Yuzhu to the Wu family.

On the way, he repeatedly instructed: "When you arrive at your master's house, you must be diligent and sensible, and learn your skills from your master."

"When you're a little older, I'll teach you the essence of Tan family cuisine and Sichuan cuisine." He Yuzhu, carrying a change of clothes, silently memorized his father's teachings.

The father and son chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Wu Baotian's house.

He Daqing helped He Yuzhu put away the bedding, exchanged a few polite words with Wu Baotian, and then left in a hurry—He Yushui was still being looked after by someone else at Yi Zhonghai's house, and couldn't linger too long.

After seeing his father off, He Yuzhu laid out the bedding and folded his change of clothes at the foot of the bed.

He looked around his new place. Winters in Beijing are very cold, and every household has built earthen beds for heating, including the north room of this west wing.

This was the first time He Yuzhu had ever slept on a traditional earthen bed. His hometown was a small town on the banks of the Han River, located south of the Qinling Mountains, where there were no earthen beds.

The Wu brothers slept at the north end of the kang (a heated brick bed), while his bedding was laid out on the south side.

After dinner, Wu Baotian stopped He Yuzhu and began to teach him about Shandong cuisine: "Shandong cuisine ranks first among the eight major cuisines and has the longest history."

As the only one...

Northern cuisine is not only a typical representative of northern dishes, but also the foundation of everyday home cooking.

Shandong cuisine has a long history and a rich variety of cooking techniques, which places the most stringent demands on the skill level of chefs.

Shandong cuisine originated in Shandong province and is deeply influenced by Confucian culture. It emphasizes meticulous craftsmanship, harmonious flavors, and health benefits when cooking.

Through the development and refinement by chefs throughout the ages, dozens of different cooking methods have been developed, including steaming, boiling, roasting, and stuffing.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, a large number of Shandong chefs entered the imperial palace, bringing Lu cuisine to the court and adding a touch of elegance and nobility to it, while also making its taste more balanced and harmonious.

Cooking emphasizes three key aspects: color, aroma, and taste.

To make dishes look appealing, knife skills are the most basic skill.

The more evenly and neatly the ingredients are cut, the more visually appealing the dish will look.

To learn to cook, you must first master knife skills. You've been following your father for so long, you should have a certain foundation in this area. Tomorrow is the opening day of the shop, and I want to see your true level.

When it comes to the aroma of a dish, the key is to bring out the original flavor of the ingredients, which best tests a chef's ability to control the heat.

The key to good or bad taste lies in whether the seasonings are properly combined.

An excellent chef must be familiar with the properties of various seasonings and be able to distinguish between good and bad quality seasonings.

Remember, your master can only guide you in the beginning; any further improvement in your skills depends entirely on your own hard work and study.

That's all for today. Go back and get some rest.