At the beginning of September, the sky is bright and the air is clear, the wind is breezy, and the warm sunshine shrouds the Yaoguang Temple.
Tempting sweet aromas wafted from the small kitchen. A large pot was filled with chestnuts fried in sugar, each of them was round and small. The brown chestnut skin could not stand the high temperature roasting, and a hole opened to reveal the golden and waxy chestnuts. The meat comes.
When Xu Wenchan came to pay Tao Ti yesterday, he brought a large basket of chestnuts and hawthorn.
After letting the palace people deal with it briefly in the morning, Tao Ti began to study food.
On weekdays, she would definitely not be so diligent, getting into the kitchen early in the morning. But today is different. This afternoon Mrs. Gu, Mrs. Gu, and the eldest girl from the Gu family will come to the East Palace to pay her respects.
Thinking of the secret care of Pei Yan by Gu's uncle for many years, and Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Gu are both elders, Tao Ti, a junior, decided to entertain them well. After all, there is delicious food on the dinner table, which can also enhance some feelings.
Hawthorn is not easy to eat, so Tao Ti made some appetizing and invigorating hawthorn cakes, snowflake hawthorn balls, hawthorn jam, canned hawthorn and other snacks.
As for chestnuts, in addition to sugar-fried chestnuts, Tao Ti made a stewed chicken soup with chestnuts, a braised pork with chestnuts, and a pot of porridge with yam and chestnuts, which were served in a purple casserole and boiled slowly over a low heat.
In addition to chestnut dishes, she also made sweet and sour crispy pot-packed meat, and a big pot of chicken wings and fresh shrimp. In addition to the six special dishes delivered by the Eastern Palace Dining Room, they were all ready to be placed on a large table, which can be described as full of sincerity.
When the women of the Gu family arrived at the Yaoguang Hall, Tao Ti was changing into neat dresses in the dormitory.
Hearing the palace man's report, she was still a little nervous, tugged at the hem of her clothes, and asked Linglong, "Is my appearance okay?"
Linglong said with a sincere smile, "Okay, very good. Even if she doesn't dress up, the princess is still pretty and unparalleled."
"You're getting better at flattering me." Tao Ti winked slyly at Linglong, "But I like it!"
"What the servant girl said is the truth."
"Okay, let's go out first, it's not good to make people wait for a long time."
Tao Ti took a deep breath, straightened her waist, with a gentle and friendly smile on her bright and delicate face.
In any case, temperament has to be taken care of.
With Linglong's support, she walked around an eight-foot-high red sandalwood screen inlaid with jade clouds and dragon patterns, and walked slowly towards the flower hall for guests.
Old Mrs. Gu, Mrs. Gu Bai Shi, and Gu Minglan, the eldest daughter of the Gu family, sat on the right side of the lower head in turn. Seeing Tao Ti come out, the three of them got up quickly and saluted respectfully.
Tao Ti said softly, "Grandmother, aunt, and cousin are all a family. There is no need to be polite. Please sit down."
Before entering the palace, Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Bai's impression of Tao Ti, the princess, was somewhat indescribable.
They had heard about the concubine taking poison on her wedding night, and they had also heard that the concubine shared the joys and sorrows with the prince, and treated the prince with every kind of tenderness and consideration... After hearing so much about the truth, they didn't have a concrete idea.
But now, hearing Tao Ti's kind address to them, I couldn't help feeling a little more fond in my heart.
After taking their seats, they raised their heads and looked at the seat above, both Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Bai's eyes lit up.
Today, Tao Ti is wearing a bean green long dress that is gentle and gentle, and a tea-white shirt embroidered with lotus flowers on the outside. She is wearing a concentric bun and a set of pearl hair. The pearls are round and bright, dotted between the crow's hair and temples, making her temperament more gentle.
Her makeup is also light, with a little powder and daisy applied, charming but not charming, elegant and graceful.
Coupled with her crooked eyebrows and sincere smile, she gave people a sense of comfort with the spring breeze blowing on her face.
Mrs. Gu has lived most of her life and met many people. Looking at Tao Ti's face and aura, she knew that this grandson's daughter-in-law was a good girl with a clear mind.
Mrs. Bai herself is gentle and good-natured. Now that the princess is fair and pretty, and her eyes and eyebrows are full of gentleness and kindness, she doesn't put on the airs of a princess, and her impression of her has changed for the better. few.
Gu Minglan, the eldest daughter of the Gu family, was also amazed by Tao Ti's beauty. Before she came to Chang'an, she had only heard that the princess was good or bad, but she had never heard of her appearance.
Looking at her face now, standing next to the prince's cousin... Well, it's good enough to be barely.
Seeing that the palace servants had poured tea for them, Tao Ti asked them if they would like milk tea or honey grapefruit tea, something sweet would make them feel better.
Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Bai politely said no, but Gu Minglan asked curiously, "Crown Princess, do you also have milk tea here?"
Seeing her answering the call, Tao Ti thought to herself, the strategy of using food as a bridge of communication is indeed right!
"Cousin has heard of milk tea?"
"Before I entered Chang'an, I heard that there was a new fashionable drink called milk tea in Chang'an. I wanted to try it, but the milk tea in Taotie Pavilion was sold in limited quantities. I sent my maid to go three times. I never bought it!"
Gu Minglan also kept muttering in her heart, is this milk tea so delicious? It's such a hot sell.
Hearing this, Tao Ti chuckled lightly, "Cousin Mochou, I'll give you a VIP card. Next time you take this card and go to Taotie Pavilion to buy it, you will definitely be able to buy it."
Gu Minglan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I heard that there are only one hundred VIP cards in Chang'an, which is very rare. Thank you for the kindness of the princess, I can't accept it."
Seeing that this cousin has a straightforward personality, Tao Ti narrowed her eyes and smiled, "It's fine."
Gu Minglan still wanted to decline, but she heard Tao Ti from the seat add, "I am the behind-the-scenes shopkeeper of this Taotie Pavilion, and I still have quite a few VIP cards like this, so you are welcome, cousin."
Gu Minglan, "???"
She looked at Tao Ti in astonishment, and Tao Ti nodded slightly at her as an affirmative response.
Gu Minglan, "!!!"
Although Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Bai didn't show it on the face, they were a little surprised in their hearts. They didn't expect the Crown Princess to open a shop outside the palace to do business, which was strange.
Not long after, three cups of fragrant and sweet pearl milk tea and a portion of fried chestnuts were placed on the coffee table together.
Gu Minglan held the bowl and took a sip, the warm and smooth milk tea poured into her mouth, it was extremely mellow, the thick milky fragrance contained tea fragrance, but not particularly greasy, the pearls had a faint sweetness, powdery and waxy, and very chewy.
"The taste is really good!" Gu Minglan was immediately overwhelmed by the taste.
Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Bai both drank a couple of sips, and both thought it was good.
The atmosphere in the flower hall is much more harmonious than before.
After sitting for a while, someone from the palace came in to report that the yam and chestnut porridge on the stove had been stewed.
Tao Ti put down the cup in her hand, smiled and said to Mrs. Gu and the others, "It's already noon, let's go to the dining room to have lunch."
Mrs. Gu replied "Yes", and walked to the side hall together.
Seeing the sumptuous dishes on the table, Mrs. Gu took a small meal and sighed, "Such a big table of dishes, you have to worry too much, Crown Princess."
Tao Ti said softly, "Grandmother, aunt, and cousin are not only the guests of the East Palace, but also relatives who are connected with His Highness by blood. Naturally, I will treat them well."
These words made Mrs. Gu very upset.
After being seated, Bai glanced at the dishes on the table and said with a gentle smile, "There are several dishes made of chestnuts today."
Tao Ti said, "It happened that I got a basket of chestnuts yesterday, so I made a few dishes to taste the unique taste of this autumn."
Bai's face showed surprise, "Crown Princess, you said you cooked all these chestnut dishes?"
"Well, I also made the other pot-wrapped meat and chicken wings and fresh shrimp stew pot."
After finishing speaking, Tao Ti personally scooped a bowl of yam and chestnut porridge for Mrs. Gu, and said softly, "Grandma, please try this porridge, I specially prepared it for you. Chestnuts and yams are good tonics in autumn." The ingredients are beneficial to the mind, soothe the nerves, and prolong life."
Looking at the white porcelain bowl she handed over, Mrs. Gu's heart warmed, and she was about to take it when she caught a glimpse of the white jade bracelet on her slender wrist.
Mrs. Gu was obviously stunned.
Tao Ti followed her gaze, saw that it was the jade bracelet, and explained softly, "This is... Well, Mother Lan next to my mother handed it to me, saying that she left it for her future daughter-in-law."
"Yes, I personally put this bracelet on for her when she was canonized as the queen... You are her chosen daughter-in-law, so she naturally wants to leave it to you." Mrs. Gu said softly, her voice a little sad trembling.
In a blink of an eye, her Yuan Yuan has been gone for so many years.
Bai Shi heard that her mother-in-law was in a bad mood, so she looked over and saw at a glance that it was the jade bracelet that her sister-in-law always wore when she was alive. Looking at her mother-in-law like this, I'm afraid she's thinking about others when she sees things.
She pursed her lips, and quickly changed the subject, "Mother, look at how well this yam and chestnut porridge is stewed. It's fragrant and dense. The princess is really considerate."
Hearing these words, Mrs. Gu also came to her senses. When she looked at Tao Ti again, there was a bit of sincere love in the slightly cloudy old eyes, and she sighed, "Yes, the princess really has a heart."
"You can eat comfortably."
Tao Ti withdrew her hand, covered the jade bracelet with her sleeve calmly, and said to Bai Shi and Gu Minglan, "Aunt, cousin, let's move our chopsticks too, otherwise the food won't taste good when it's cold."
"Eat, eat while it's hot." Mrs. Gu said.
Tao Ti picked up the chopsticks on her own, picked up a piece of bright red pot-packed meat, and put it in her mouth.
After being fried twice in oil, the starchy skin wrapped around the pot-packed meat becomes crispy and crispy, and the surface is covered with a rich sweet and sour sauce, which is sweet and sour. When the outer skin is bitten and the tender tenderloin inside is eaten, the aroma of the meat overflows, and the large pieces of meat fill the mouth, giving people an extremely satisfying feeling.
Gu Minglan frowned slightly when she saw Tao Ti eating the pot-wrapped meat with a look of enjoyment on her face. Isn't it just a plate of fried meat, why is it so happy to eat
Curious, she also picked up a piece.
As soon as she put it into her mouth, the sweet and sour taste made her eyebrows move slightly. After chewing twice, her eyes gradually lit up, "This fried meat tastes really good. Princess, this dish is really yours. made?"
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she suddenly realized that it was impolite to ask such a question, and hurriedly added, "Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt what you mean, it's just that this fried pork dish is so delicious..."
Tao Ti smiled at her, "I understand what you mean. This dish is indeed made by me. I have nothing to do when I have nothing to do. I just like to eat well. Cooking... Well, it's pretty good."
Gu Minglan was amazed, and said in her heart: This cooking skill is not only good, it's absolutely amazing!
Seeing that Gu Minglan is also a foodie, Tao Ti felt a little more intimate, and suggested, "Cousin, try this stewed chicken wings and fresh shrimp again."
"it is good!"
Gu Minglan looked at the stewing pot, and saw that the black casserole was full of ingredients, the attractive river prawns and chicken wings were neatly stacked, and the surface was sprinkled with white sesame seeds and emerald green shallots, red, green, green and white, Accompanied by the strong fragrance that is continuously emitted, it brings double stimulation to people's vision and smell. Before even taking a sip, the saliva is automatically secreted.
Not to mention Gu Minglan, even Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Bai were aroused with a strong appetite when they saw this dish, and stretched out their chopsticks one after another.
Gu Minglan first sandwiched a chicken wing, which was cut with a flower knife. During the cooking process, the salty sauce was completely immersed in the chicken wing along the opening, making every trace of chicken full of fragrance. With one bite, the chicken wings melt in the mouth and are extremely tender.
The shrimp meat in the pot is also fully integrated with the sauce, the meat is full of elasticity, chewing carefully can taste the fresh and sweet taste unique to shrimp.
"Wow, it turns out that there is a layer of vegetarian vegetables buried underneath, and I thought it was a whole pot of fresh shrimp and chicken wings." After Gu Minglan picked up the third chicken wing, the lotus root slices, onions, potatoes, Carrots are also exposed.
"These vegetables are full of meat and soup underneath, and the taste is no worse than chicken wings and shrimps, especially with rice." Tao Ti said enthusiastically. Every time she eats stew pot, she can eat enough soup and vegetables. Six bowls of rice.
After tasting two dishes, Gu Minglan developed an inexplicable trust in Tao Ti.
So she did as Tao Ti said, scooped up a large spoonful of vegetable bibimbap covered in soup, and after taking a big bite, she couldn't help nodding, "It's delicious, it's really delicious. Grandma, mother, you should try these too." The food is so delicious!"
After all, Mrs. Bai and Mrs. Gu are of a certain age, and their stomachs that are too greasy can't bear it. After a few bites, they hold back their cravings and switch to the lighter stewed chicken soup with chestnuts.
Chestnut stewed chicken soup is not much different from ordinary chicken soup, except that fresh chestnuts are put in it. The stewed hen is rotten, the meat is tender but slightly chewy, not at all firewood, and it is easy to eat. And the chicken soup that gathers all the essence is clear in color, with a layer of golden chicken oil floating on the surface, but it is not greasy to drink, and the soup has the sweetness of red dates and the aroma of chestnuts, so it is extraordinarily sweet.
"The taste of this chicken soup is really delicious." Bai Shi praised, looking at Tao Ti a little more appreciatively.
Mrs. Gu also kept nodding her head, with a warm smile on her wrinkled face, "I didn't expect your child to have such a good handicraft, Yan'er marrying you is really a blessing in his three lifetimes. "
Tao Ti rolled her eyes and smiled shyly.
Several people in this room had lunch in a pleasant atmosphere, and Pei Yan also received a loving extra meal from Tao Ti in Zixiao Hall on the other side.
Usually when she brings food, one food box is enough, but this time she used three food boxes carved with red lacquer and crabapple flowers.
Gu Zhihong, the young master of the Gu family, approached suspiciously, "Didn't the dining room already bring a table of food over, why is there still more?"
The uncle of the Gu family, the newly appointed Minister of the Ministry of War, Gu Qu, also frowned, feeling a little extravagant and wasteful.
Pei Yan didn't make a sound, Fu Xirui who was on the side was quick to laugh and said, "Master Gu, Mr. Gu Xiaolang, this is food brought by the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess is considerate of His Highness, and every time she cooks, she will definitely give some to you." Your Highness tasted it."
The father and son of the Gu family were all taken aback: The food cooked by the crown princess