Food carving has a long history in China and has existed since the Spring and Autumn Period.
There is a related record in Guanzi: "carve the eggs and chop them after they are cooked." The carved eggs here refer to carving on eggs and other food materials, which is a kind of food carving. In the Cookbook written by Wei Juyuan of the Tang Dynasty, there is a detailed explanation of a delicacy called Yulutuan, which is called carved pastry, also known as Yuhuang Wangmu Rice: egg fat is carved all over the rice noodles, and various flavors are added. In addition, in the Shanjia Qinggong. Xiangyuan Cup written by Lin Hong of the Song Dynasty, there is a record that "Xie Yizhai does not like wine... One day, after finishing his study and playing the piano, he ordered his attendants to cut the Xiangyuan into two cups, carve flowers on them, and warm the wine given by the emperor to persuade the guests. The fragrance was so fresh that people felt that the golden vase and jade cup were all covered with dust."
In addition, there are records about food carving in "Jiangjing Menghualu. Qixi Festival" by Meng Yuanlao of the Song Dynasty, "melon is carved into patterns, which is called flower melon." and "Yangzhou Huafanglu" by Li Dou of the Qing Dynasty, "watermelon is taken, and figures, flowers, insects, and fish are carved on the skin, which is called watermelon lantern."
In short, food carving is a unique feature of China's 5,000-year-long culinary culture. Of course, the word "奇吧" here is not the sarcastic word used on the Internet today, but a solid one with a positive connotation.
Food carving is a unique skill of Chinese chefs and the jewel of oriental culinary art. Of course, due to the limitation of food ingredients, it is impossible to carve food with perfection. It is necessary to grasp the charm through meaning and shape. When carving, some things that should be omitted should be omitted, and some things that should be exaggerated should be exaggerated. But even so, diners should be able to tell what is being carved at a glance.
Just like now.
Ye Chui carved out Lin Wei's family members, and people could recognize each of them immediately. This was because Ye Chui grasped the charm of Lin Wei's family members.
Learning how to carve food often requires long-term practice. It is impossible to become a master without five or six years. Ye Chui has practiced in this area for at least ten years. He also absorbed the essence from clay figurine modeling, which is also a traditional Chinese craft. In the field of food carving, Ye Chui has reached the level of an artist.
His food carvings can have both form and spirit, which is fully reflected in this family-friendly dish, and the whole dish retains its original flavor. But the artistic conception conveyed by this is undoubtedly very touching. Although Lafayette sometimes seems to be quite unreasonable, she attaches great importance to her family. She even stays in the Lin family villa for a simple reason of health preservation. She even doesn't let her son work too hard. These behaviors can be said to be unreasonable in some aspects, but they also reflect the love of an old man for his family.
There is no doubt that this family-friendly dish really touched her to her core, and it also made her shed tears uncontrollably. This is the powerful appeal of this dish.
"Xiao Ye, your cooking skills are really amazing. This dish... is so good, better than any dish I've ever had." The old man took the towel handed over by Wu Haimei and wiped his wet eyes, and suddenly continued, "But there is one thing that is very bad."
"Eh? What is it?" Ye Cui was shocked.
Zhang Ying was delighted, thinking that she didn't expect that the old lady would find fault with the dish herself. She looked expectant.
But in the end, what the old lady said obviously made her happy for nothing.
"This dish 'Two Orioles Singing in the Green Willows' and this dish 'Family Reunion' are so beautiful and moving, how can I bring my chopsticks to eat them?" The old lady continued leisurely.
The food is so good that I can't bear to pick up my chopsticks to eat it...
This is obviously the ultimate compliment to the dish!
Ye Chui couldn't help laughing. So he said with a smile: "Although these two dishes are beautiful and spectacular, this beauty is only fleeting. Only when you eat them can you truly appreciate the deliciousness of these dishes. Grandma, you can eat them. Besides, if you like them, I can make them for you later."
"Yes, yes, Ye Chui's knife skills are very good. It took him less than half an hour to carve these." Lin Wei also said with a proud smile.
Hearing Lin Wei's words, the others were shocked again. Because they suddenly realized that Ye Chui only had one hour to cook, and less than half an hour to carve the two dishes. He completed the carvings in such a short time. This is not something that can be described as superb craftsmanship, right
Even if an ordinary chef can achieve this level of carving, it will probably take a long time...
It takes a day or two to carve vegetables, and by then the ingredients will have gone bad!
Lin Zhengdao found that he couldn't have any expectations of Ye Chui, because these expectations would always turn into the same degree of surprise. After he realized it, he smiled and said to Lao Foye: "Mom, I think Ye Chui is right. Don't hesitate. These foods are made to satisfy people's appetite. In this case, just eat them happily. This is the greatest meaning of these ingredients."
"But..." Mr. Buddha looked at the family-friendly dish with an indescribable joy on his face, "Who should I eat first?"
Everyone: “…”
After some discussion, they finally decided that everyone in the Lin family could enjoy the family feast on their own.
This sculpture was made entirely of carrots, and they were raw carrots. However, because of these carvings, both Mr. Buddha and Lin Zhengdao, who originally disliked carrots, did not find the taste disgusting at all, and even enjoyed eating it. It is estimated that from today on, they will no longer hate the taste of carrots...
This is also the magical effect of Ye Chui’s dishes today, making people like ingredients that they originally hated.
Of course, this is not Ye Chui's ultimate goal—
"Grandma, in fact, all things in the world are interdependent and mutually exclusive. Nature has its own unique food chain. Whether humans are vegetarians or meat eaters, they are firmly part of the food chain. In this case, why do we have to stick to being vegetarians?" Ye Chui looked at the old Buddha after he finished eating the carrot of his statue, and said to her solemnly, "You are old now. If you want to ensure your health and longevity, you should supplement enough nutrition. I think it is not a bad idea for you to eat some meat in moderation."
Ye Chui is persuading Mr. Buddha to give up being a vegetarian!
In the past, Lin Zhengdao and Wu Haimei had said this to the old Buddha, but they were scolded by the old Buddha. It was obvious that it was not easy for a vegetarian to give up this habit. After hearing what Ye Chui said, Lin Zhengdao and Wu Haimei showed a worried expression at the same time, fearing that the good impression Ye Chui had just accumulated from the old Buddha would suddenly disappear.
Zhang Ying finally found a way to attack Ye Chui. She hurriedly said, "Mr. Ye, isn't that too much? The old Buddha chose to be a vegetarian because she is kind-hearted. Isn't it embarrassing for her to let her eat meat and make her give up her beliefs?"
"Belief in Buddhism is good, but it does not necessarily have to be accomplished by eating vegetarian food. In my opinion, true goodness should be achieved through practical actions, rather than restricting one's diet. The vegetarian diet of Buddhism is only to calm the mind and cultivate oneself. We ordinary people do not need to ask ourselves so much. As long as we have a heart to do good, why would the Buddha mind things like vegetarianism and meat? The most important thing is the word good." Ye Chui said to the old Buddha seriously, "In my opinion, if you really have faith, you should eat meat happily, so that the meat ingredients can be put to good use."
If you think about Ye Chui's words carefully, it's just like being unreasonable, as if he said that if I don't eat meat, then meat has no meaning to exist. But these words, said in such a situation, are undoubtedly the most touching to the old lady, making her look thoughtful, and it's clear that she has been shaken.
Not only did she not severely refute Ye Chui, but she was thinking about whether to give up the idea of continuing to be a vegetarian!
This once again surprised Lin Zhengdao and Wu Haimei. Could the magic of Ye Chui's food actually make vegetarians break their vows and give up their beliefs
Zhang Ying was even more dumbfounded. She had never expected that Ye Chui's influence on the Old Buddha would be so great. If things continued to develop in this way, wouldn't her goal of keeping the Old Buddha in Xizhou City no longer be achievable
"Old Buddha, if you eat meat, Buddha will blame you." Zhang Ying said hurriedly in a low voice.
Ye Chui also smiled and said to the old Buddha: "Grandma, if you don't take good care of yourself, Weiwei and my uncle and aunt will be distressed."
Which is more important, Buddha or family
Although Lao Foye believes in Buddhism, it is obvious that family is more important to her.
Lin Wei knew what Ye Chui was planning, and immediately continued, "That's right, grandma. You eat vegetarian food every day. I would be very distressed if you had any health problems."
Wu Haimei also hurriedly expressed her opinion: "Yes, Mom. Eating meat to supplement nutrition can make your body healthy. I think you should listen to Ye Chui's advice."
Lin Zhengdao also said: "Mom, I think what Ye Chui said makes sense."
"This... let me think about it." The old Buddha's mind was obviously too shocked today. Ye Chui's table of dishes was progressive, and in the end, it made a person who had believed in Buddhism for decades waver.
At this time, Ye Chui leisurely delivered the most fatal blow: "Grandma, Chinese cuisine is mainly meat-based. In fact, if you can eat meat, I still have countless delicacies to cook for you, including the Manchu-Han Banquet, which is the highest realm of our Chinese cuisine and the delicacy that Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty wanted to eat every day."
Lafayette: “…”
This old lady is definitely completely moved now!
"Oh, I'm old and not in good spirits. It's noon now and I need to take a nap..." She stood up with the help of a chair and wanted to go back to the house to take a nap before deciding on this issue of faith.
But Ye Chui said, "Grandma, walking a hundred steps after a meal is the traditional Chinese way of keeping healthy. You should exercise for a while before taking a nap. This is the best way for your body."
"Yes, yes, Xiaoye, you are right." Old Buddha nodded hurriedly, "Weiwei, accompany grandma to go around."
"Okay." Lin Wei nodded quickly and agreed.
By now, the old lady seemed to have completely forgotten Zhang Ying's existence, and she seemed to have completely forgotten all the health-preserving tips that Zhang Ying had taught her before!
Seeing Lin Wei helping Mr. Lafayette leave, Lin Zhengdao and Wu Haimei both showed a relaxed smile on their faces. If things continued like this, it wouldn't be long before Mr. Lafayette would be completely "controlled" by Ye Chui. At that time, Lin Zhengdao would be able to gain enough freedom to take care of his company's current business. This made Lin Zhengdao couldn't help but show a touch of gratitude to Ye Chui. Originally, he was not sure whether Ye Chui could influence Mr. Lafayette, but now he understood that Ye Chui had completely met his expectations.
"Uncle and aunt, please continue eating. There are some leftover dishes in the kitchen. You can ask Aunt Wu to bring them up later." Ye Chui said to the two with a smile.
"Ye Chui, you sit down too. You are not a stranger now. Let's eat together." Wu Haimei greeted him quickly.
Ye Chui couldn't help but smile. Did they already treat each other like a family
Zhang Ying took a look at the dishes made by Ye Chui. She was full of expectations for these delicacies. In addition, she was feeling very hungry, so she also wanted to sit down to eat. But Wu Haimei would never let her do as she wished: "Miss Zhang, you seemed very dissatisfied with Ye Chui's food just now. You were picky. How can this be? You are a guest and must be satisfied. Please go back to your room first. After we finish eating, I will ask Aunt Wu to make some more food for you."
This was a disguised way of driving people away, but Wu Haimei spoke very politely, leaving no room for fault.
"..." Zhang Ying was stunned for a moment, and indeed felt that it was inappropriate for her to continue staying here, so she glared at Ye Chui coldly, and then went back to her room in a sullen manner.
Lin Wei helped Mr. Lafayette take a walk and soon came back. Lin Zhengdao and Wu Haimei had almost finished their lunch. As if they deliberately didn't want to be the last one to leave, they left the table chatting and laughing, giving the place to Ye Chui and Lin Wei.
Lin Wei's face was full of happiness at this time. Suddenly she thought of something and chuckled. She ran to the kitchen and took out the carrot statue that Ye Chui had carved earlier. It was a carrot. Although it was beautiful, it could not be kept for long. She shook it in front of Ye Chui and said to him, "This must be eaten quickly."
"Yeah..." Ye Chui said with a smile.
“Crack.”
Lin Wei bit off Ye Chui's head in one bite and started eating it, as it was very crispy.
Ye Chui: “…”
Is Lin Wei trying to say "I want to eat you up in one bite?"
In the guest room on the second floor.
Zhang Ying, who was hungry, had an angry expression on her face. After walking back and forth in the room several times, she finally made up her mind, took out her mobile phone from her pocket and dialed a number.
A moment later, the other end answered: "Zhang Ying, what's wrong?"
"Mr. Zhang, I might fail..." Zhang Ying explained hurriedly. (~^~)
PS: Continue to ask for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets~~