At noon, Lin Ruifeng brought Shen Qingluo and Liu Wanhua to Su Ji, and then the same laughter as Liu Wanhua's before was echoed in Su Ji.
Lu Cuiling smiled and said, "Oh, our Xiao Lin is really miserable. He was demoted because he became an apprentice to learn cooking. Now he has found a girlfriend, which means he has been demoted even more."
Shen Qingluo was very proud of hearing this and said, "That can't be helped. He is now considered my person, so he has to follow my way of addressing me. Besides, I didn't even call her from my great-grandmother's side. Otherwise, he would have to follow me in calling her great-grandmother, and his generation would be even lower."
After hearing this, Liu Wanhua stretched out her hand and tapped Shen Qingluo's forehead like an elder.
"You little girl, if you dare to call me great-grandmother, then don't come. How can I be so senior? Just call me grandma. Your grandma and I are good sisters."
Shen Qingluo smiled and hugged Liu Wanhua's arm and said, "But you and my great-grandmother are colleagues, and we are also sisters."
Liu Wanhua shook her head and said, "That was just the arrangement when I entered the factory. I should have been about the same age as your grandma."
Shen Qingluo smiled and said, "Okay, didn't I call you grandma?"
Liu Wanhua smiled and nodded, then said to Lin Ruifeng: "Ruifeng, if you are not used to it, you still call me Aunt Liu. We have been neighbors for so many years, you are used to it, it is really difficult to change it all of a sudden."
Lin Ruifeng glanced at Shen Qingluo and immediately said, "It's okay. Since I became your disciple, I should change my way of addressing you. I can't call you Uncle Rong or Aunt Liu. Now I'll just follow Qingluo and call you Master and Grandma from now on."
Feng Yifan smiled and said, "What should we do? Our Ruoruo's generation has been raised a lot all of a sudden."
Su Ruoxi reached out and patted her husband: "Don't make trouble here, just thinking about your daughter. Go and cook quickly, we have to eat delicious food at noon."
Feng Yifan smiled and asked, "So, is there anything you would like to eat at noon?"
Liu Wanhua thought for a moment and said, "I heard that you, Yifan, made a serving of Wensi tofu yesterday at noon. I remembered a similar dish that I haven't eaten for many years. In the past, when Uncle Quan Sheng was still around, he used to make that dish specifically for this season."
Feng Yifan was stunned at first when he heard this, then he looked at his father-in-law. The father-in-law and son-in-law also thought of the dishes that Liu Wanhua mentioned.
"Is it the 'Pingqiao Tofu' dish from Huaicheng?"
Liu Wanhua nodded: "Yes? It's Pingqiao tofu? Yifan, can you make it?"
Feng Yifan thought about it carefully and agreed: "Okay? I'll make this Pingqiao tofu for everyone at noon today."
Shen Qingluo was a little curious after hearing this: "Grandma? Pingqiao tofu, what kind of dish is it?"
Liu Wanhua smiled and said, "This dish is a local dish of Huaicheng. It is similar to Wensi tofu, but it is not cut into hair-thin tofu shreds, but cut into small diamond-shaped slices that look like sparrow tongues. The cooking method is similar to Wensi tofu, but the seasoning is a little different because shrimp roe is used."
Feng Yifan took over and said, "Wensi tofu is made by shredding the tofu and the side dishes, while Pingqiao tofu is made by slicing everything into diamond-shaped slices. Then they are cooked in the same clear broth, but Pingqiao tofu has a richer flavor and changes with the seasons. For example, shrimp roe is added for seasoning now, and crab roe is added in autumn."
Shen Qingluo was immediately curious: "Wow? Is it so detailed? It sounds great, just like the lion head that grandma talked about before, with a variety of ways to make it."
Liu Wanhua nodded: "Yes, so the taste of Pingqiao tofu is much richer than Wensi tofu."
Shen Qingluo was looking forward to it: "Okay, I want to eat it, uncle, you have to cook it well for us."
Feng Yifan smiled and said, "Speaking of which, Pingqiao tofu is easier to cut than Wensi tofu."
Hearing the word "simple", Su Jinrong and Liu Wanhua looked at each other. These two old people who had seen a lot had a deep understanding of the word "simple".
Su Ruoxi saw her father and Aunt Liu looking at each other, and thought of the consequences her husband usually had when he said "simple".
She couldn't help but say, "Every time you say it's simple, for many people, it's a dish they can only say 'goodbye' to."
Feng Yifan said seriously: "It is indeed simpler than Wensi tofu."
Su Ruoxi urged her husband directly: "Okay, don't just do it, hurry up and do it. It's almost noon. How long do you want us to wait?"
Feng Yifan stood up and said, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to my wife and do it now."
When Shen Qingluo saw Feng Yifan heading to the kitchen, he immediately said to Lin Ruifeng, "Hurry up and follow your uncle. Remember to learn well. You have to cook for me in the future."
When Liu Wanhua heard Shen Qingluo's words, she smiled and said, "You little girl, you are really mean. Can't you be nicer to Ruifeng? You can't just bully him when you see Ruifeng is being honest."
Shen Qingluo immediately acted like a spoiled child to Liu Wanhua: "Grandma, how could I not do that? I didn't bully Xiaolin. If you don't believe me, ask him."
Su Ruoxi smiled and said, "You are here, does Xiaolin dare to tell the truth?"
Shen Qingluo felt a little embarrassed when he heard this.
Lin Ruifeng quickly said: "No, Qing Luo didn't bully me."
Seeing this, Lu Cuiling stood up and pushed Lin Ruifeng: "Alright, alright, hurry to the kitchen. If you don't go, you won't be able to learn your master's cooking skills. As for what happened between you and Xiao Shen, you can talk about it later. We don't care."
Lin Ruifeng glanced at Shen Qingluo, who also smiled sweetly, nodded to him, and waved quietly.
Seeing his girlfriend smile, Lin Ruifeng walked towards the kitchen with peace of mind.
When he entered the kitchen, Liu Wanhua asked Shen Qingluo beside her: "Qingluo, are you really dating Ruifeng?"
Shen Qingluo nodded seriously: "Of course it's true, grandma, why are you asking me this? Do you think Xiaolin and I are joking? I'm serious."
Lu Cuiling then asked: "Then don't you think that Ruifeng is a little too honest and naive?"
Shen Qingluo said: "Yes, but I like him like this, I think he is very cute, and I like his serious look. I think if he gets serious, he will definitely be able to catch up with Chef Feng. Then I can eat a lot of delicious food in the future, and I don't have to come to Su Ji all the time."
Liu Wanhua laughed when she heard this: "Hahaha, it used to be said that if you want to keep your husband's heart, you have to keep his stomach first. How come it's the other way around now?"
These words made Su Ruoxi feel a little embarrassed.
When Lu Cuiling saw this, she said, "This should be called, a girl who knows how to eat must be kind-hearted and easy to be happy."
This made Su Ruoxi and Shen Qingluo laugh.
Everyone in the restaurant outside was laughing happily, and in the kitchen Feng Yifan had already taken out the ingredients and started preparing for lunch.
Pingqiao tofu is just one dish, of course other dishes need to be prepared.
For example, prepare a dish called "Tofu and Catfish Lion's Head" that both Su Ruoxi and Liu Wanhua like.
There is also the braised small yellow croaker that my mother likes.
As well as the stir-fried lotus pond and stir-fried shrimps that my father-in-law likes.
Because there were only a few people at noon, Feng Yifan did not prepare many dishes, and of course the dishes were mainly light in taste.
After all, the three elderly people all want to eat light meals, and the young people can also add some slightly stronger dishes appropriately.
While Feng Yifan was preparing himself, he also did not forget to teach his apprentice.
"You have to remember that the fish paste must be beaten, just like when making lion's head. Beat it to make it firm and sticky, so that it can better stick to the tofu cubes."
Tofu and catfish lion head is a dish that Feng Yifan introduced at Su Ji after his return, and it is loved by many people.
Of course, this dish is mainly loved by Su Ruoxi and Liu Wanhua.
In particular, every time Liu Wanhua came to eat noodles at noon, she would order this tofu and catfish lion head as topping.
Su Ruoxi never gets tired of eating this dish. Sometimes she would even sneak into her husband's kitchen to eat one after it is prepared.
When Feng Yifan later made this dish, he used farmed catfish, and the actual taste was not much different.
And the key to this dish lies in Feng Yifan’s two-color soup seasoning.
The seasoning of the golden and silver colored soup is the real soul of this dish.
Lin Ruifeng was also watching very seriously, but after such a long time, he still hadn't really mastered the seasoning, and there were still some deviations in many cases.
This may also be the difficulty of Chinese cooking. It is not possible to match the desired taste according to the given ratio, such as the strict amount of salt and sugar. In many cases, the chef's experience in seasoning and temporary adjustments according to different times will make the taste reach a perfect level.
Every time Lin Ruifeng saw his master doing something effortlessly, he couldn't help but wonder in his heart, when would he be able to do it
Feng Yifan had basically finished making other dishes before he started making the Pingqiao tofu.
Before taking out the tofu, Feng Yifan first spread a few egg skins in the pot.
There are many tricks to spreading the egg skin. Add a little starch when spreading it to increase the viscosity and make the egg skin more resilient.
Feng Yifan spread the egg skin and then cut it into long strips. He then cut it diagonally into small willow-leaf-shaped pieces.
Also add mushrooms, chicken and dried shrimp.
After all these were prepared, Feng Yifan still did not cut the tofu. Instead, he heated the lard in the pot to melt it, then added the scallions and ginger, as if he was frying scallion oil.
While the lard was being refined, Feng Yifan took out the tofu and started cutting it.
Lin Ruifeng was watching very seriously at the side. He had seen his master cut Wensi tofu before, and it really amazed Lin Ruifeng. He felt that it would probably take him a long time to learn it.
When he heard his master say that Pingqiao tofu was simpler to make than Wensi tofu, he was a little bit expectant and wanted to see if it was really that simple so that he could learn from his master.
First, peel off the old skin on the top of the tofu, then slice the tofu into slices about 1 cm thick.
Then cut the tofu into diamond shapes with a slanting knife.
Cut a piece of tofu into about five or six thin diamond-shaped pieces.
Seeing this step, Lin Ruifeng thought to himself that it was indeed much simpler. He should be able to modify the knife in this way.
But then, Feng Yifan turned the cut tofu sideways and started cutting it again on the chopping board. This time he used the Wensi tofu shaking knife technique to slice the tofu horizontally.
Then, as Lin Ruifeng watched with his mouth wide open, he watched the master cut the tofu into small slices as thin as paper.
Listening to the sound of the kitchen knife hitting the chopping board, Lin Ruifeng's original confidence was ruthlessly shattered.
After the master had finished cutting the tofu slices, Lin Ruifeng couldn't help but ask, "Master, is this what you call simple?" as he looked at the tofu slices that looked like willow leaves.
Feng Yifan looked at his apprentice and said, "Is it simpler than Wensi Tofu?"
Lin Ruifeng was speechless for a while and had no idea how to respond to his master's words.
After a long pause, Lin Ruifeng could only say, "Yes, it is simpler than Wensi tofu, but this simplicity is only for you. I can't cut it anyway."
Feng Yifan put the cut tofu slices into the water and slowly let them spread out in the water.
At the same time, he said to his apprentice: "So you still have to keep practicing. Don't think that just because you cook for your family, you have mastered the basics. You are still far from it."
Lin Ruifeng nodded seriously: "Yes, Master, I understand, I will definitely persist in practicing well."
Feng Yifan smiled and said, "Okay, as long as you have this attitude, it's fine."
Then blanch the tofu slices and add a little salt to the pot.
When the pot boils, pour out the tofu slices.
Then put clear broth into the pot, add salt and pepper to season, and pour out the broth after boiling.
Then add the lard into the pot, add the chopped green onion, ginger and shrimp roe and stir-fry until fragrant, then pour the broth into the pot.
After boiling, add chicken, mushrooms, dried shrimps and egg skin into the soup.
Finally, put the tofu slices into the pot, just like Wensi tofu, use the back of a spoon to slowly spread them out in the pot. The tofu slices in the pot will look like scattered willow leaves, forming a very beautiful flower shape in the pot.
Lin Ruifeng, who was standing by, couldn't help but say, "Master, this looks better than Wensi tofu."
Feng Yifan responded: "I can't say it's better looking than Wensi tofu. They each have their own artistic conception. The taste of this dish is a little heavier than Wensi tofu."
As he spoke, Feng Yifan turned around, picked up the chopsticks on the cooking table, dipped the chopsticks in the soy sauce, and then put them into the pot.
While doing so, he did not forget to tell his apprentice: "Just a little bit will do. Just dip the chopsticks in it and add a little bit of color. No more."
As Feng Yifan's iron spoon circled in the pot, all the tofu slices finally fell apart.
Bring to a boil in a pot and add a little bit of MSG.
The last step is to thicken the sauce, also with very thin glass starch.
"Remember, when thickening the sauce, you must use the back of a spoon to do it slowly, just like painting with it. You must not break the tofu. You must do it slowly."
Before serving, Feng Yifan added a small spoonful of lard and gently pushed it along the edge of the pot with the spoon.
Finally, add one or two drops of sesame oil, sprinkle with coriander after serving, and the plate of Pingqiao tofu is ready.
Rather than being a soup, it is more like a tofu soup.
Feng Yifan said to his apprentice: "Look, the key to this dish is that it should not be steaming when it is served, but it should be hot when you eat it."
Lin Ruifeng listened and looked carefully, and sure enough, there seemed to be no heat rising at all.
When the dishes were ready, Feng Yifan led his apprentices to take the dishes outside, and everyone sat down together to start lunch.