Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

The moment she closed her eyes, Aunt Mai felt as if she had returned to her youth.

She found herself suddenly no longer in Liwan Square, but in a deep mountain, surrounded by lush green forests, with a mountain spring flowing directly overhead, and the air filled with the sweet taste of spring water.

Just as she was immersed in the moment, a golden phoenix, full of life and radiant with golden feathers, suddenly burst forth from the mountain spring above. Its clear cry echoed throughout the valley, taking away all of Aunt Mai's fatigue and giving her a refreshing feeling that struck her very soul.

"call……"

Aunt Mai opened her eyes and let out a long breath, her eyes full of satisfaction with the dish. "What a fine Qingquan Golden Chicken! The temperature of the chicken is perfectly controlled, and the meat is very tender and not dry at all. The knife skills and the thought put into it are also excellent. It's so satisfying to eat the meat and bones so well."

Chef Xie tasted the chicken dipped in sand ginger soy sauce, and after savoring it, he smiled slightly.

"The unique aroma of sand ginger, combined with the salty and savory flavor of soy sauce, not only doesn't overpower the original taste of the chicken, but actually enhances its freshness, making this poached chicken even more flavorful. The cooking time and knife skills for this poached chicken are excellent, and the dipping sauce is also superb."

Chairman Lin, one of the judges, tasted the chicken dipped in two different sauces and showed an expression of enjoyment.

The three judges exchanged glances and, without hesitation, simultaneously awarded high scores on the score sheet.

After thanking the three judges, Chen Yuxing led Hojo Miyoko to the side.

Next, the other participating chefs' poached chickens were served one after another.

For example, Master Zhou, who is bald, cuts his poached chicken into very neat pieces, with just the right amount of bright red blood in the bone marrow; and Master Huang, who has retired from Fu Lin Men, even adds some dried tangerine peel to his dipping sauce. The tender and succulent Zhanjiang chicken, combined with the aroma of dried tangerine peel, has an even better taste and a long-lasting aftertaste.

The review process lasted approximately twenty minutes.

The host, holding the list on stage, announced loudly: "After evaluation by the three judges, the results of the first round are in! Unfortunately, eighteen chefs have been eliminated in this round due to minor flaws in cooking time, seasoning, or knife skills that failed to meet the judges' requirements. Congratulations to the remaining eighteen chefs who have advanced to the second round!"

Zhang Dana from Tao Tao Ju, Chef Zhou from Guangzhou Restaurant, Chef Huang from Fu Lin Men, as well as Chen Yuxing and Su Youfu are all on the list of those who advanced.

Half of the 36 contestants were eliminated in this round.

Although the eliminated chefs looked terrible and embarrassed, they still politely bowed to the three judges, packed up their knives, and retreated to the viewing area.

"Phew, looks pretty easy." Hojo Miyoko handed Chen Yuxing a bottle of water, and then opened a bottle of mineral water for herself and took a sip.

"We can't let our guard down; this is only the first round." Chen Yuxing leaned against the side and took a glass of water. "Half of the people have already been eliminated; the next two rounds are the key."

The host didn't give everyone much time to rest. He quickly took the microphone and went to the front of the stage again to strike the gong. "Distinguished masters who have advanced, the next round is the second round of this year's Mahjong King Competition - 'Switch of Main and Secondary Players'!"

A murmur rippled through the audience. Although everyone knew the rules of the competition beforehand, many chefs still looked nervous when this round actually arrived.

"The rules are simple. In this round of competition, all the head chefs will step down and become assistant chefs! The assistant chefs who have been helping you will take over as head chefs and complete the preparation of all the dishes for the competition. The head chefs can only provide verbal guidance and simple ingredient preparation. They are prohibited from personally cooking or interfering with the main preparation of the dishes! Anyone who violates this rule will be disqualified from the competition on the spot!"

Many chefs and assistant chefs in the audience showed some change in expression. The chefs and their assistant chefs who advanced to the second round certainly had the ability, but most of the assistant chefs were mostly in the restaurant, mainly cutting and preparing vegetables and rarely cooked on their own. Being a chef on this level of stage, facing three veteran judges, was very stressful.

“Chen Yuxing…” Hojo Miyoko took a deep breath and looked at the black-haired boy beside her.

"What's wrong, are you nervous?" Chen Yuxing took off his chef's apron and handed it to Hojo Miyoko.

"A little, after all, this is my first time participating in this type of competition." Hojo Miyoko didn't try to be brave and nodded honestly. "But it's okay. I've been on stage before at Totsuki. I'm going to take over Hojo Lou in the future."

"There are no restrictions on the subject matter of the dishes in this round of competition! You can make whatever you want, even just stir-fry a plate of vegetables, as long as it satisfies the judges!"

"The match will last two hours! Now, the countdown begins!"

As the second round of the competition began, everyone tensed up. Several of the younger kitchen helpers turned pale and looked helplessly at their masters. The head chefs could only pull their apprentices to the ingredient area and then give them instructions on the recipes and other details along the way.

Chen Yuxing wasn't in such a hurry. He turned to look at Hojo Miyoko beside him.

"Any ideas, Chef Hojo?" Chen Yuxing stepped aside, making room for the head chef.

Miyoko Hojo stepped forward but did not answer him immediately.

She frowned and looked towards the food section, her eyes quickly scanning the different ingredients and seasonings, her brain also starting to work at lightning speed.

“If there are no restrictions on the subject matter…” Miyoko Hojo bit her lip, “the other chefs here are mostly veterans of Chinese cuisine, and their apprentices should be about the same…”

“My suggestion is that you cook whatever you’re good at. There are no restrictions on the dishes, and it doesn’t have to be Cantonese or Chinese cuisine.” Chen Yuxing leaned against the side and looked at her. “You just need to make what you want to make and what you think tastes good. As for helping out, you know my skill level. You just need to tell me what you need me to do.”

Hojo Miyoko was stunned for a moment after hearing Chen Yuxing's words, then she became confident.

“I’ve got it! In that case, I’m going to make curry!” Miyoko Hojo picked up the pot on the counter and weighed it in her hand. “When I was looking at the ingredients section, I noticed that there was green curry paste and coconut milk in the condiments section. When I was in Yokohama Chinatown, I spent some time studying Southeast Asian curry dishes, so I’m quite familiar with curry preparation.”

"Moreover, coconut milk combined with green curry can better stimulate the appetite in such hot weather."

"So what ingredients do you need?" Chen Yuxing washed his hands and looked at Hojo Miyoko.

"Could you please get me a good piece of beef brisket? Also, potatoes, onions, and carrots. I'll also need some fresh coconut milk and Thai green curry," Miyoko Hojo listed a string of ingredients. "Oh, and a few fresh lemons and oyster sauce too."

"Received, Chef Hojo."

Chen Yuxing walked towards the ingredients area, and in less than three minutes, all the ingredients that Hojo Miyoko wanted had been brought over.

Miyoko Hojo quickly got into the swing of things, picking up the beef brisket and cutting it into roughly the same size pieces.

Before she could speak, Chen Yuxing brought over a basin filled with water.

"Let's soak the beef brisket for ten minutes after cutting it to remove the blood. While we're doing that, let's cut the side dishes."

"Okay, I'll prepare the side dishes. Once the beef brisket is cooked, you can put it into the pressure cooker for me."

Miyoko Hojo picked up a knife and began preparing the side dishes. First, she peeled the potatoes and cut them into chunks, then diced the carrots and sliced ​​the onions.

Chen Yuxing wasn't idle either. He skimmed off the foam from the soaked beef brisket, took it out and drained the water. Then he put the pressure cooker on the stove, turned on the high heat, added half a pot of cold water, and threw in the beef brisket pieces along with a few slices of ginger to start cooking.

Miyoko Hojo set up another pot on the other side and started heating the oil. Once the oil was hot, she poured in the chopped potato chunks.

With a sizzling sound, the potatoes began to tumble and roll in the hot oil.

"Frying the potatoes first will create a hard crust on their surface, preventing them from burning when cooking the curry, and it also adds a caramelized flavor."

Miyoko Hojo stirred the potatoes, watching the changes in the pan. When the potatoes were slightly yellow and about half-cooked, she added the onions and carrots as well.

The onions, sautéed in hot oil, released a rich aroma that mingled with the sweet fragrance of potatoes and carrots.

Stir-fry in the pan for a few seconds, and once the side dishes are half-cooked, they can be taken out.

"呲-"

The pressure cooker made a sharp sound, and Chen Yuxing quickly turned off the heat, released the pressure, opened the lid, and took out the cooked beef brisket to drain the water. At this time, the beef brisket looked translucent and very smooth.

"The beef brisket is ready." Chen Yuxing placed the beef brisket on a plate and handed it to Hojo Miyoko.

She took the beef brisket and poured it directly into the oil left over from stir-frying the side dishes.

Turn the heat to maximum, and the oil on the surface of the beef brisket will begin to melt under the high temperature, fully releasing the aroma of the meat.

"Now's the time to add the curry!"

Following Hojo Miyoko's instructions, Chen Yuxing scooped out about 50 grams of Thai green curry and put it into the pot.

The moment the green curry comes into contact with the hot oil, the aroma of more than a dozen spices bursts forth.

Even the contestants who were preparing light dishes around them couldn't help but sniff and look over with some surprise.

"Add water! Add vegetables!"

Hojo Miyoko shouted, and Chen Yuxing immediately poured in the potatoes, onions, and carrots he had prepared earlier, along with a little bit of the broth left over from cooking the beef brisket.

The broth in the pot began to bubble and gurgle.

"Then comes the main character."

Miyoko Hojo took a 200ml can of coconut milk from the side and poured it into the pot along the edge.

The original bright green broth, after being mixed with the snow-white coconut milk, turned into a smooth, milky green color. The addition of coconut milk also neutralized the original spice flavor of the green curry, giving the whole flavor a milky aroma.

"Turn the heat down to low and start simmering."

Miyoko Hojo put the coconut milk in and put the lid on the pot.

The curry simmered slowly in the pot, and the originally thin broth began to thicken.

Taking advantage of the break, Hojo Miyoko turned to Chen Yuxing and said, "Chen Yuxing, help me process the lemons. I need two whole lemon slices, and the rest of you need to grate the peel into thin shreds."

"Are you going to use lemon zest instead of lemongrass?" Chen Yuxing raised an eyebrow, understanding her intention.

Traditional Thai green curry includes lemongrass for flavor, but lemongrass has a strong flavor that may be too strong for people from Guangzhou who prefer milder flavors. However, using finely grated fresh lemon instead is much better, as it retains the fruity aroma without being too overpowering.

“That’s right.” Miyoko Hojo wiped the sweat from her forehead. “This is part of my improvement to the dish.”

Chapter 47 Green Curry Beef Brisket

Chen Yuxing didn't waste any words. He picked up a lemon and a grater and started grating. Soon, a small bowl of lemon shreds was grated and handed to Hojo Miyoko.

After taking the lemon slices, Hojo Miyoko turned the heat up to the maximum, and the soup quickly boiled at high temperature, with bubbles rising even faster.

She kept pushing the bottom of the pot with a spatula to prevent it from sticking, and then waited until the soup had reduced to the last third and was very thick.

"The final touch!"

Miyoko Hojo picked up the seasoning and added a spoonful of white sugar to enhance the flavor, and finally added a spoonful of oyster sauce, which is commonly used by Cantonese people.

"Add oyster sauce?" The eliminated contestants below the stage were somewhat surprised by Hojo Miyoko's actions and began to whisper among themselves. There are curry restaurants in Guangzhou, but almost none of them add oyster sauce.

Hojo Miyoko ignored the conversation below the stage, added the seasonings again, and quickly stir-fried them to fully incorporate them into the curry before turning off the heat.

Then pour all the lemon zest from the small bowl into the pot, and squeeze in the juice of about half a lemon, using the residual heat of the pot to process it.

With the addition of lemon juice, a refreshing sour taste wafts from the curry, eliminating the originally heavy and greasy feeling.

"Out of the pot."

Chen Yuxing handed over a plate, and Hojo Miyoko picked up the pot and ladled green curry beef brisket onto it.

The thick, milky-green curry sauce coats the beef brisket and potatoes, garnished with carrots and golden lemon zest. Hojo Miyoko adds two slices of lemon on top, and a small bowl of Thai jasmine rice accompanies it, making it look incredibly appetizing.

"Green curry beef brisket, done."

Hojo Miyoko wiped her sweat and let out a long breath.

"Well done, Chef Hojo."

Chen Yuxing stood beside her, clapping and handing her a dry towel. "It looks really good. Let's go, it's time to serve it to the judges. You're the head chef this time, so I won't go with you."

Hojo Miyoko glanced at Chen Yuxing, then took a deep breath, picked up her plate, and walked towards the judges' table.

The other skilled chefs and their apprentices also completed their dishes one after another.

By this time, the three senior judges had already sampled quite a few traditional Cantonese dishes. For example, Master Zhou's apprentice made the traditional "Shrimp and Pomelo Peel", the apprentice of the old man from Hong Kong made a "Mock Crab Meat" dish, and one of them even made a "Candied Sweet Potato".

Because this round of competition was entirely free-for-all, many of the kitchen helpers chose to cook in their area of ​​expertise, and there were quite a few dishes that were truly eye-catching. However, the three judges were all seasoned gourmets who had tasted all kinds of cuisines, so in their opinion, these dishes were still somewhat immature.

Miyoko Hojo picked up her curry, stepped forward, and placed the porcelain plate in front of the three judges.

"Distinguished judges, this is my dish—special green curry beef brisket. Please enjoy."

As soon as the plate was placed down, the complex aroma of coconut milk, curry, and lemon wafted into the judges' noses.

"Oh? Southeast Asian green curry? Little girl, what made you think of making this?" Chairman Lin Shaoxiong sniffed and looked at Hojo Miyoko with some surprise. He could feel that the unique aroma of this curry had revived his appetite, which had been somewhat dormant.

Aunt Mai, who was standing to the side, was the first to pick up a spoon, scoop up a piece of beef brisket covered in sauce along with a piece of potato, bring it to her mouth, blow on it, and then eat it in one bite.

Xie Guohua then picked up a piece of beef brisket and put it in his mouth. As soon as it entered his mouth, Xie Guohua raised his eyebrows.

"The beef brisket is so tender and soft!"

With almost no effort from my teeth, the beef brisket seemed to melt right in my mouth.

After being pressure-cooked, the outer tendons of the beef brisket become very elastic, while the lean meat inside is stewed until tender, allowing the beef to melt in your mouth while still retaining the pleasure of chewing.

Then comes the spiciness of green curry, a blend of various spices that makes you feel like you're about to sweat. Just then, the rich, creamy aroma of coconut milk, like a gentle wave, extinguishes the spiciness of the green curry, bringing a smooth and rich sweetness.

The potatoes were fried in oil beforehand, so although their skin was now covered in curry sauce, the inside still had a soft, slightly grainy texture. The sweetness of the carrots also helped to cut through some of the greasiness.

Just as Xie Guohua was about to swallow, a fresh, slightly sour fruity aroma suddenly wafted up – the sweet and sour scent of lemon zest.

In the rich coconut curry flavor, the sourness of lemon is like a sharp knife, cutting directly through the curry and piercing deep into the stomach. All the greasiness disappears, leaving the stomach empty and incredibly refreshing, creating a strong craving to eat a whole bowl of rice.

"This is……"

Xie Guohua closed his eyes.

He was briefly transported into a hallucination, feeling as if he were sitting in a small wooden boat floating on a river in the Southeast Asian rainforest. The surrounding trees were made of potatoes and carrots, and the scorching sun overhead made him feel dizzy. Suddenly, a torrential downpour began, the rainwater composed of coconut milk and green curry sauce. He was submerged in this thick downpour while sitting in the boat. Just as the boat was about to capsize, a giant lemon tree suddenly grew out from under his boat, lifting him into the air. The lush green lemon leaves shielded him from the sun and the rain, and the instant coolness made him stand up and cheer loudly.

"Brilliant!" Xie Guohua suddenly slammed his hand on the table, looking at Hojo Miyoko with some surprise. "Using lemon zest instead of lemongrass, and using the residual heat of the pan to bring out the aroma of the lemon, not only eliminates the greasiness of the green curry and beef brisket, but also whets our appetites again. It's a truly ingenious design, choosing Southeast Asian curry when most contestants opted for Cantonese or other cuisines..."

"These potatoes are prepared very well." Aunt Mai couldn't help but take a few more bites. "Frying the potatoes in oil beforehand to create a hard crust on the surface before stewing them not only prevents them from becoming mushy in the curry and affecting the flavor of the broth, but also allows the hard crust to absorb more curry sauce while keeping the texture of the potatoes completely unchanged, with a slightly charred base flavor. It's a clever little trick."

Lin Shaoxiong, who was standing to the side, didn't say anything. He just scooped up some curry sauce, poured it over the rice, mixed it, and then ate it all in one big mouthful. Only after he finished the whole plate of curry did he put down his spoon and look at Hojo Miyoko.

"The base flavor of this sauce... you also added oyster sauce, right? It has a very rich umami flavor."

“Yes!” Miyoko Hojo answered confidently. “Traditional green curry usually includes fish sauce, but I choose to use oyster sauce instead, which is very common in Japan. Oyster sauce adds umami and a richer flavor to the curry, while also making the curry sauce thicker.”

“That’s a really good idea.” Lin Shaoxiong picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth, then nodded to Hojo Miyoko. “As the head chef, not only did you choose a dish that was different from the other contestants, which surprised us, but the cooking time and knife skills of the dish were also excellent.”