Food Intelligence King

Chapter 87 New Product: Steamed Flatbread; Separate Beds Fail
When asked by the security guard, Chen Zhou replied with a smile, "It's on page 40. It explains how to make stewed flatbread."

"Wow, you remember it so clearly."

Chen Zhou only knew this one page.

The security guard opened the diary and started flipping through it, counting the pages as he went.

When they reached page forty, the older brother asked:

"A fire, and what does 'seemingly' mean?"

"The 'hu' in 'hubing' (a type of flatbread)," Chen Zhou replied.

"Looks like it really is yours." The security guard readily handed the notebook to Chen Zhou, then added with a hint of embarrassment:

"Although there's nothing valuable inside, the main thing is that our factory manager told me that anyone who goes in has to greet him."

"fine."

Although his older brother is a bit stubborn, it's his duty, and Chen Zhou can understand him.

The two chatted casually for a few minutes.

The security guard seemed to vaguely remember this cornbread. "Now I get scared just looking at cornbread."

Chen Zhou glanced at the ingredients on the table—whole grains, chives, and eggs—which seemed to fit the current popular dietary habits.

"People still love to eat this kind of thing nowadays."

Looking at the sweat on the security guard's body, Chen Zhou felt a little guilty that the guard had gone to such lengths for him in the sweltering heat.

I went to a nearby shop and bought him two bottles of drinks.

Going back and forth, it's not much different from going in and searching by myself. It just makes me feel a little better.

On the subway, Chen Zhou flipped through his old diary.

The cover depicts the magnificent scene of the old shipyard in its heyday, but now everything has changed, and its glory is gone.

He quickly skipped over the specific details.

Turn to page forty, the one that describes how to make steamed buns—

[August 14, 1975: Today I had "hu bing" (a type of flatbread) in the canteen, which was better than cornbread. I asked the canteen chef how to make it, and recorded it below:]

Cornmeal and water. There's no fixed ratio; just make sure it can be formed into a ball. Spread the cornmeal into a large pancake and stick it to a pan. Then fry eggs and dried shrimp, mix them with fresh chives, add a little salt for seasoning, and spread it on the corn pancake.

If I were making it, I would definitely add more eggs. I'd use a smaller pot to fry the bottom crusts until they're golden brown. Chives tend to release water, so I should add some oil to seal it in.

After reading it, Chen Zhou thought to himself: No wonder it was written in such detail. It seems that the owner of the diary couldn't get used to the food and had to cook for himself.

But thinking about it, in those days of scarcity, when things like oil and eggs were scarce, it was really not easy to eat something good.

Fifty years have passed, and conditions are indeed much better now.

With nothing to do on the subway, Chen Zhou casually flipped through some pages.

[June 3, 1974: I love the sea, I love its vast expanse, I love its powerful waves.]

This must have been when he first started working, full of ambition and aspirations.

[July 13, 1975: Is drawing blueprints tiring? Compared to the workers, I'm not tired.]

Chen Zhou never expected that the person who wrote the diary was also a blueprint drawer.

He can be considered a semi-senior. I guess back then, everything was done by hand. Does that mean that all illustrators end up working in the catering industry?
However, this veteran worker naturally retired at the shipyard.

Flipping through the diary, Chen Zhou sighed: This is also a person's life.

Backtrack.

Buying groceries at the market, discussing ingredients for the next day with Lao Zhang, resting, picking up the kids, and cooking—this is also a typical day for Chen Zhou.

Tonight's dinner, of course, was replaced with steamed flatbread.

Based on the descriptions in the diary, Chen Zhou determined the consistency of the cornbread.

Then we began making the filling, which we'll call chives, eggs, and dried shrimp.

In terms of seasoning, in addition to salt, there are also some more modern seasonings.

Based on the previous steamed bun recipe, the filling part was easy to make.

The issue of the chives releasing water, which the experienced chef mentioned, was indeed improved after adding sesame oil.

When frying eggs and dried shrimp, season with a generous amount of salt, but don't add salt to the chives—this is an added tip from Chen Zhou. Brush some oil on the electric griddle to ensure the corn cakes heat evenly.

If you get the heat right, it's quite easy to make a decent pudding.

Chen Taotao stayed in the kitchen for a while, and after smelling the aroma, she left satisfied.

Chen Zhou asked the little girl about sleeping in her own room.

She was quite confident, saying, "I can sleep by myself now!"

Then he carried Chen Facai to the small bedroom.

After Ms. Lin got off work, the family sat down together for dinner.

The flatbread in front of her looked greenish-yellow, with the golden-brown cornmeal showing through the edges. This suited Ms. Lin's dietary preferences perfectly.

She took two bites and gave it a positive review.

Chen Taotao seemed to prefer the crispy cornbread, chewing it with a "crunch".

Push the eggs and chives to the bottom of the bowl for now.

Chen Zhou thought to himself: It's only because we don't lack oil and fat now that we eat like this every day that the little girl probably can't stand it.

He then savored it himself.

The bottom layer is crispy and fragrant, while the slightly coarse texture of the cornmeal rubs against the palate.

The fresh chives are still very moist, and the eggs are also oily.

Overall, it doesn't leave your mouth feeling dry after eating.

Stir-frying dried shrimp and eggs together releases their umami flavor very well.

Nutritious and healthy, with a good taste. Plus, the preparation is not complicated and doesn't require adding too many new ingredients, making it really suitable for a restaurant.

+1 for new products in the store.

In the evening, the mother and daughter decorated the little house.

Ms. Lin discussed sleeping separately with Chen Taotao.

"Mom and Dad will wait until you fall asleep. You can come over whenever you want."

When the time really came, the little girl found it hard to accept.

She's used to sleeping in that little bed.

Although I brought the small blanket and pillow, I felt a little lost and uneasy looking at the empty room.

She never agreed to Chen Zhou's request as readily as she had when she did.

"If it doesn't work, then forget it. Let's take it slowly," Chen Zhou said with concern.

Ms. Lin nodded and silently took the blankets and pillows back, seemingly not quite used to them either.

Children depend on their parents, and parents depend on their children.

The family of three had no choice but to return to their original positions.

Ms. Lin coaxed Chen Taotao to sleep, and then told Chen Zhou to get some rest.

I reckon you'll be very busy in the next few days.

"I know," Chen Zhou thought to himself. "How did you estimate that?"

Ms. Lin recounted what happened at work today:
“My colleague, Sister Hou, the one whose child is learning Go, showed me a video today. Even she knows about the fugitive being caught at your shop. She said she wanted to try these buns, and I told her it’s our shop.”

Chen Zhou asked curiously, "How did you feel at the time?"

Ms. Lin smiled faintly and did not answer.

Chen Zhou guessed that she would feel a little happy inside.

the next day,
When the two employees first started work in the morning, they were just curious because the boss had prepared more ingredients than before.

But since Chen Zhou had already told them this a couple of days ago, the two of them didn't pay much attention to it.

Once the morning rush hour is over
The number of people did not decrease; in fact, the queues were getting longer and longer.

Aunt Zheng and her junior sister finally realized that this was a real business opportunity.

(End of this chapter)