Datang First Chef

On the day of the flower tour, a hundred gentlemen went to the banquet, accompanied by more than [-] prostitutes. When they entered the garden, the garden, which was as quiet as the wilderness at night, became lively. The clever laughter, the young man's eloquent and eloquent talk, and the splashing of oil, broke the silence in the garden.

Since it is a flower fair, everyone's attention is focused on peony flowers. Different from the cheap peonies sold by flower farmers in the willow lanes on the street, the flowers in this fair are all treasures.The famous prostitute Zheng Duzhi was also invited to participate in the flower tour. She was accompanied by a weak crowned man with a frivolous look on her face. She was very proud of being able to invite Zheng Duzhi.

The top courtesans in the Tang Dynasty were called "Du Zhi", as long as "Du Zhi" showed up, regardless of whether the other prostitutes were beautiful, talented, or proficient in all kinds of piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, they would all be blessed. A swan-like white and soft neck.

Zheng Du is known as Zheng Wanwan, and she walked to "One Plant of Three Colors" with her husband.A three-color plant is a new variety that only appeared at the Peony Flower Fair this year. I don’t know how it was planted. It is obviously the same flower, but the three colors that bloom are different. One is white with white flowers and yellow pistils, and the other is There are light pink gemstones and a deep purple delicate red flower.

Baiyu and Jiaohong were the original names, and Yingluo Baozhu was mentioned by a three-color plant a few days ago, and everyone thought it was very suitable after hearing it, so they opened it with this name.

"Zheng Du knows if there are good poems?" Lang Jun's tone was very respectful. To be a prostitute, you need to have two skills, one of which is poetry.Zheng Wanwan is a rare talented woman. She has read a lot of poetry and books, and she is full of talent. Her poetic talent is higher than that of ordinary scholars. For her, the scenes she sees in front of her eyes and the feelings of life can all be included in poems.

She pondered for a moment, then motioned for others to hand over the brushes. She learned Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, which was elegant and elegant. Just looking at her calligraphy, it was absolutely impossible to tell whether it was written by a man or a woman.The same is true of Zheng Wanwan's poems. The lines are not only unrefined, but bold and unconstrained.

There are several stone slabs next to the flowers, which were specially left by the organizers to write poems for talented scholars. When Lang Jun's poetry became popular, he often wrote inscriptions on the stone slabs or walls, which can be seen on the walls of Chang'an City. Some verses express emotions, some talk about the lives of the common people, some are good and some are bad.

Zheng Duzhi's wrist was hanging in the air, and he left strong words on the stone slab: "Soft light envelops thin veins, warm and fresh skin with demon color. The core is full of yellow powder, with ridges of crimson su*."

It is not a famous article that will last forever, but as a poem, it can be called a good sentence. The gentlemen unanimously called it "Zheng Du knows high talent" and "good poems and good poems".

Zheng Wanwan has seen all kinds of important events, and accepted all the flattery from the gentlemen, she smiled slightly and didn't make many comments.

After talking about flowers, the atmosphere became more relaxed, and we talked about eating.Everyone is still looking forward to today's Peony Banquet. In the past, the Huahua Festival was also held on a large scale. The gentlemen and prostitutes gathered together to recite poems, compose conversations, drink and chat, and the food was only a supporting role, which did not leave a deep impression on people.This time, not to mention Wang Wei, Shen Yu and many other gentlemen who guaranteed the ticket, Mo Wenyuan's age and identity and the jelly that has been popular in the family for a while have already attracted enough attention.

"I heard that this banquet was organized by Tofu Boy."

"Peony Banquet, I don't know what kind of dishes there are."

"There must be peony jelly."

"But I think goat's milk jelly tastes better than peony jelly."

"Vulgar! I prefer the crystal clear appearance of the peony jelly. The petals are condensed in the jelly, which looks like amber."

As they talked, their voices became quieter, and most people couldn't help inhaling the aroma in the air: "What smell? It smells so good!" It's the smell of food, not flowers.

I saw Wang Wei coming from the garden with a red face: "Please move forward and enjoy the light, the Peony Banquet has begun."

……

Most of the banquets are shared meals. Ten long square tables are placed on the open space, cushions and futons are placed on the left and right, surrounded by flowers, and you can see the small bridge and flowing water when you look up. Both the scenery and the location are the best.

The soup was served first in the banquet. Before they were seated, the visitors saw exquisite and small cups placed on the table. The wind blows.

"Gudong—" I don't know who swallowed the first mouthful of saliva.

"Gudonggudonggudong", the voices sounded one after another, one after another, if there were only one or two, there might be some good people looking for someone who made an unseemly sound, but if there were too many voices, there would be no time to search.

The smile on Wang Wei's face is getting bigger and bigger. He is very proud, and his level exceeds that of the gentleman who brought Zheng Duzhi. If Wang Wei has a tail, it must be up to the sky: look, this is me Does the chef you found smell good?

"Shall we have a feast?"

Wang Wei was the first to take a seat and said, "Let's go, let's do it. Poems can be written at any time. The soup doesn't taste good when it's cold."

"That's it!"

Even Zheng Duzhi only held back for a short while in front of the domineering fragrance. She used all her self-control to restrain herself from yelling to lift the lid, and waited until everyone around her opened it before moving slowly. Cover, she was shocked by the shape of the peony flower.

"Wow--"

After making a short exclamation, she immediately shut up, for fear that someone might hear her little girl-like exclamation. Of course, no one heard it, because everyone's eyes were pulled out by the soup, and they were shocked by the "Peony" Mei, can't wait to greet with a spoon.

The warm current infiltrates the throat and flows down the esophagus. The soup is clear and delicious. The peony flowers are refreshing and crisp, and there is a crunching sound when you eat it. After a while, the cup will see the bottom.

Mo Wenyuan's time was just right, the soup was finished, and the second course was served, ham, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, etc. were cut into strands a little thicker than a hair, hovering in the soup.The soup is thickened with rice flour, and the iceberg theory is successfully practiced. One-eighth of the silk floats on the surface, and the remaining seven-eighths are hidden in the soup base.The verdant scallions were cut into foam and sprinkled around the edge of the white ceramic bowl, like lotus leaves swaying on the surface of a summer lake.The most wonderful thing is the center of the "lake", where yellow "flowers" are in full bloom.

Diners move their index fingers when they smell the smell, and they are even more curious when they see the yellow "flowers". What exactly pornography is, is not known.

Time is the only criterion for testing the truth. Only after eating can you see its true face.

The gentlemen don't even need the service of prostitutes. They have long since forgotten about their beautiful female companions, and wave soup ladles and chopsticks to fill bowls with soup and vegetables.

When each dish is served, a matching spoon and chopsticks will be provided. Shen Yu has a sharp eye and is quick to grab the serving chopsticks. Others are unable to use their own chopsticks because of politeness, so they stare at him resentfully. .

"Shen Er, hurry up!"

"How can you hold so many? Didn't you see a lot of people at a table?"

"What did you take us to eat?"

"No, no, no, one person can only catch one yellow flower!"

In front of food, one's face will become extremely thick. No matter what other people shouted, Shen Yu also swaggered and picked up three yellow flower slices in his bowl. After filling a full bowl, he put down the chopsticks and spoons, and left The center of the battlefield.

Chopsticks stuffed the tender yellow flower slices into the mouth. After chewing for the first time, the mouth was filled with the soft and waxy aroma of the tubers. After being steamed, the water in the slices was lost, the fibers were torn apart by the teeth, and the aroma of lard diffused between the lips and teeth.

"It's really a flower petal!" Some people ate it. They thought that the yellow flower was carved from melon and eggplant, just like the peony flower in the first dish, but they didn't expect it to be dried and fried peony petals.

Are peony petals so delicious?

"Kang Dang", the porcelain spoon fell into the light bowl, the soft smile on Zheng Wanwan's face was about to collapse, several crosses suddenly burst out from her forehead, are they gone?there is none left?It's gone?

The gentlemanly demeanor of the gentlemen is the same as that of reeds, and they are swallowed by them. After all the gentlemen have finished the second dish, it is the turn of Zheng Wanwan and other female prostitutes. She has nothing to catch the highest status. It is conceivable that under the anger, she can only drink soup and water to fill her stomach.

As soon as the soup was in the mouth, Zheng Wanwan felt that the soup was very particular.The soup thickened with soybean flour is very solid. The silky white radish is hidden at the bottom of the soup. Shredded chicken, ham, and radish are entangled together. They enter together with the soup. The ham is fragrant but not greasy, and the shredded chicken It complements the radish and has a delicate taste.

The well-cooked shredded radish does not need to be chewed with teeth at all, it can be broken with a strong tongue. The deliciousness of the chicken juice is bound in the plant fiber. The moment the radish is crushed into mud, a great sense of happiness rises in her heart.

It is so delicious!

Under the protests of the guests that there is not enough food, the speed of serving food has finally become faster. Meat dishes are not served one at a time. For example, the peony fish fillet and peony pork slices that Wang Wei ate were served at the same time, two dishes The dishes and a few extra spoons relieved the pressure, and the bold prostitute also joined the man in the process of grabbing food. The chopsticks and spoons staggered, drawing beautiful arcs on the table.

"Zi la z la -" the sound of oil splashing came to the ears. In the Tang Dynasty, when the barbecue technology was developed, the gentlemen were no strangers to this sound. Eyes shine.

The heated iron plate is placed flat on the low table. The thin slices of meat have been rolled up, and the part that sticks to the iron plate is slightly golden. The precious spices from the Western Regions such as cumin and pepper are evenly sprinkled on the surface of the pork meat. Before grilling, each piece of meat is brushed with Mo Wenyuan's specially prepared sauce with a soft and delicate brush. The juice soaks into the texture of the meat, and once you bite it, you can absorb the full salty aroma.

The iron plate on Wang Wei's table was served by Mo Wenyuan himself. He was very respectful to the host. After everyone had seen the peony flowers made of meat slices, he waved the wooden clips to divide the meat. The sauce has been put into a small dish and sent to everyone. After the meat is also distributed, no matter whether it is hot or not, whether the crackling oil will leave stains on the clothes, everyone eats first. .

Mo Wenyuan smiled and said, "How?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhh"

“Delicious on earth!”

I couldn't even lift my head up.

Four cold and eight hot are actually not too many. When is the dish on the banquet not counted?Moreover, in addition to the normal dishes, everyone also drinks and eats steamed cakes and steamed buns. Mrs. Lang Jun recites poems while eating, and writes down good sentences when she hears them. It takes one or two hours to eat each time.With a long interval, you can eat more dishes, and eat intermittently, and no one will feel full.

This time it was not the case, when the last hot dish was served, the prostitutes were already full of wine and food, the gentleman was dressed in loose clothes, and it was not obvious, but the ladies were not, they were well-dressed, and some of them could be restrained with a belt I have a slender waist. When I came here in the morning, my waist was still slender and too full to hold. Now, no matter whether my belt is thick or thin, my belt is stretched very tight. I should be smarter to loosen and loosen my belt so that it won’t be too ugly. Not enough Smart, that is, the abdomen is bulging, round like a frog's belly.

Prostitute: No, no, I really can't eat it!

Damn how can you eat so much?

The last dessert is indeed peony jelly. Needless to say, gentlemen, they have tasted the taste of peony jelly and ate it happily. Few prostitutes can taste this kind of food. In addition, the flower jelly is beautifully made, which is modern. People who are used to all kinds of snacks are captured by their appearance, let alone ancient people.

Zheng Wanwan looked at Peony Dong, as if facing an enemy, and fell into sweet torture.

To eat or not to eat, that is the question!

After less than a second of ideological struggle, she picked up the spoon righteously, let's eat!

Dessert is not considered a dish, and it doesn’t take up your stomach if you eat it?

Right?

……

The person in front told himself that he couldn't eat while clutching his stomach, but everyone in the back kitchen had already collapsed on the mat. Even Zhao Shenshan, who was strong and had bulging arms, felt deeply exhausted.

"Why are you so tired?"

"I don't know, I'm also busy in the back kitchen all day, so I'm not as tired as today."

"Let's rest first."

Mo Wenyuan was the only one who could move freely. Not only was he not tired, but he was also full of enthusiasm and joy.Unlike making tofu, hosting the Peony Banquet was the ideal first step for him, and he felt that he was firmly on the road to becoming a famous chef.

"Master isn't tired?"

"Of course I'm not tired. Who is the master? Since I was a child, I learned the art of subjugating demons from the master of Daxingshan Temple. I have unlimited energy. How can I be stumped by a small banquet?"

Mo Wenyuan was embarrassed to hear his apprentice's words, he said: "Moyue is because I have learned boxing and kicking kung fu with Master Huizhi for many years, and I have more strength, so I am not tired." He said sincerely, "Everyone has really worked hard, I want to eat What, I'll do it for you."

"really?"

"Just fried rice and steamed cakes. My stomach is humming, and I just want to fill my stomach right now."

"As long as it is done by the master."

Mo Wenyuan first checked what ingredients were left in the back kitchen, eggs, ham, shallots, and extra rice. He saw the four apprentices lying on the ground, so he simply made a big Yangzhou fried rice. In addition, the remaining meat was fried on an iron plate, and the sauce was added after frying, and it was covered with Yangzhou fried rice——

The four starved to death and were reincarnated, gobbling it up and feasting on it.

Zhao Shenshan is good at making stir-fried vegetables and fried rice. Others can't see the tricks in fried rice, but he can tell a thing or two. He dug a spoon full of golden-yellow fried rice, and looked carefully under his eyes: "What a bowl of fried rice!"

The grains are golden, and the scallion foam is evenly sprinkled between the rice grains. The egg is the most obvious skill. The eggs fried by Mo Wenyuan are not lumpy or grainy, but silky!

The rice and eggs are perfectly combined, and the sauce in the meat topping flows slowly in the rice. Zhou Miao simply stirs the meat gravy soup with the base evenly, which looks a little ugly, but the fragrance is more intense.

Wang Wei poked his head in front of the kitchen: "What are you eating?"

"Fried rice." Mo Wenyuan greeted proactively, "I want some."

Wang Wei stretched out his hands to support his rolling belly, and told him rationally that his belly was about to swell and burst, and he couldn't eat any more, but emotionally, he wanted to eat, and the smell of fried rice always seduced him. The fortress is crumbling, and it is unknown when it will collapse.

"Then take a bite." His expression was painful, like a dying person struggling, "Just take a bite!"

Zhao Shenshan waited for him to look at him, his eyes were wrong, and they almost turned into tiger cubs protecting food: It's so painful, don't eat it!They are no more than guests. They have been busy all morning and haven't eaten anything. Now someone who wants to compete with them for fried rice, how can they be so kind to him?

Mo Wenyuan was more forgiving, he said: "All right, all right, I'll give you a mouthful." He also thoughtfully asked for marinade to be poured on.

Wang Wei cheered and rushed to the stage, swallowed the rice like a piglet and praised: "As expected of Mr. Mo Xiaolang, even the rice can cook so deliciously."

He gloated and said, "You don't know how much shock the Peony Banquet brought to that group of prudish people. Everyday, everyone is proud of their talent and thinks they have poetic talent. When they meet delicious food, their poetic talent will be wiped out." ? By the end of the banquet, even those who drink and compose poems on weekdays have not spit out a single poem, let alone good ones."

He finally knew why the banquets in the past were so difficult, why everyone exchanged glasses, persuaded each other to write poems, and played word games with prostitutes, it must be because the food was not good enough!If it is delicious, everyone will try their best to stuff their mouths with vegetables, and the whole banquet will be quiet and quiet. Who would be interested in arty?

Thinking of this, he looked up to the sky and sighed: "Oh, it would be great if Mr. Mo Xiaolang stayed in Luoyang for a few more months!"

……

Wang Wei left the banquet feeling proud, and the faces of those left behind were strange.They used to look down on Wang Wei. They only thought that Wang Wei had a good family background but he was not stingy. He didn't read much. He couldn't play word games or write poems at banquets. He didn't have the air of a son.

This time their performance was no different from Wang Wei's. They said that a good peony banquet is a matter of elegance, and they should write more peony poems during the banquet. After the banquet, they will compile the poems and record them as an anthology, let alone an anthology right now. , A line of poetry is not seen.

"How about the Peony Collection?"

"Is it the beauty of flowers, or the delicacy of flowers?"

"Flowers are delicious..."

"Extremely, let alone the smell of white jade, all I can think of is the aroma of 'National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance'. Sigh, Mr. Mo Xiaolang is also an elegant person to be able to name this banquet dish."

Guose Tianxiang is the name of the first soup, which Mo Wenyuan and Houshi Heze City officials learned. The Peony Banquet not only requires the dishes to be well-cooked, but also has a beautiful name for each dish. "Blooming riches and honor", "flowers on the branches", everything is vulgar and elegant, even Zheng Duzhi kept nodding when he heard it.

"Why don't we really write a tribute for the Peony Banquet?"

"This, this, this is degrading!"

A clear female voice interrupted the conversation: "Why not?" Everyone raised their heads and looked at Zheng Duzhi.

As a famous courtesan, even the son of a family should not be contemptuous of Zheng Wanwan, no matter whether she will have a bleak late life, but now she is in full swing, what is said about "Wuling is young and quarreling with each other, and there is no number of red silk" is talking about her, so when she When speaking, no one ignores their opinions.

"A poet, where the ambition is, the ambition is in the heart, the speech is poetry, the emotion is in the heart, the form is in the words, if you feel it, you can write it. The stones on the roadside and the weeds on the ridge of the field can all be included in the poem. Only Xiao is not moaning without illness , why not put food into poetry?"

"Food is the most important thing for Kuang people. A hundred years ago, there was Yu Yu who wrote "Food Treasures". Now we write poems for the peony banquet, is it shameful?"

Everyone felt deeply ashamed when they heard her words and thought of the irresistible aroma of the dishes in the Peony Banquet.

"Extremely great!"

"I'm going to make a preface to the Peony Banquet."

……

After drinking and eating, the lords lingered, tasted peonies, wrote poems for the banquet, and made several drinking orders before leaving.Xingjiuling is an entertainment item that will definitely appear on the literati's wine table. It has a long history and its origin is untraceable. However, until the Qing Dynasty, people still had the habit of playing this game at banquets. "Order".

Yuanyang acts as a referee in the book, responsible for announcing the rules of drinking orders, judging whether what the participants say is good or not, what is good, and why they are punished.Her position was called "Xi Jiu" in the Tang Dynasty, and it was held by Du Zhi. Zheng Wanwan should not only tell the truth, but also use witty and clever language to convince others.

Zheng Wanwan's talent is well known, she has two talents, her speech is elegant and tame, her advances and retreats are appropriate, and the husband who drinks wine is very comfortable. After an hour or so, they are ready to leave.

Zheng Duzhi was just about to leave, but was stopped by a little maid who was helping. She tremblingly handed an exquisite food box to Zheng Wanwan, and said timidly: "This is a gift from Mr. Mo Xiaolang to Mrs. Zheng."

She frowned, took the food box and said, "That's it, thank you, Mr. Mo Xiaolang."

After returning home, Zheng Wanwan opened the food box and looked at the contents carefully.Different from ordinary prostitutes, she is known to be very well-known, and there are many men who chase after her, and she will receive expensive gifts every now and then. Since the beginning of ten days, there has been a whirlwind of jelly in Luoyang City, and she has received many food boxes.The contents are the same, there are different flavors of jelly, and the food boxes are made by each family.

Zheng Wanwan likes to eat sweets, and she also sent people to Li Sanniang's restaurant to buy jelly, but they always bring their own food boxes, otherwise they would use the simple utensils provided by the store to pack them back.It was the first time she had seen a food box with a negative pattern engraved with the words Li Sanniang.

The wood used in the food box is not expensive, it is common jujube wood, the wood is cheap, fine in texture, easy to carve, most of the boards used in engraving and printing are now made of jujube wood, and the middle of the box is separated by bamboo slices. Small grid, fill each space with a piece of jelly, and put a delicate wooden spoon in the compartment of the box.

Zheng Wanwan said in her heart that with such a good appearance, it is also suitable as a gift for dignitaries and dignitaries. It is not difficult to carve the lines on the food box, but it is not easy to design a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing design.

Mr. Mo Xiaolang really thought about sending this gift.

Thinking of the taste feast she had enjoyed today, she pursed her lips and smiled, it was rare for something to make her feel so good, and it would not be an exaggeration to reciprocate.

……

"Ten eight-piece gift boxes?"

"It's gone, it's gone, there are only six left."

"Six is ​​six!"

"Is there a four-piece gift box?"

"It's gone, there are only twelve gift boxes left."

After the Peony Banquet, the business of Li Sanniang's restaurant became more and more popular. Needless to say, the sales of jelly were booming. What was even more frightening was that the gift box of jelly that was just launched was sold out, and the sales remained high for several days.

The price of the jelly gift box was set really high, even if he was as courageous as Zhao Shenshan, even if he was as bold as Zhao Shenshan, he would have a tongue-in-cheek, four ordinary pieces of jelly would cost 120 renminbi, but the same gift box would cost [-] renminbi, the price tripled.The wooden box is exquisite in workmanship, and it is true that the cost is not low, but it is not as huge as [-] Wen.

He looked at Mo Wenyuan full of awe, and said in his heart that the master is worthy of being a master, and he is very capable.

Mo Wenyuan didn't expect the gift box to be so expensive. After the peony banquet, he gave the newly made gift box to Mrs. Zheng on a whim. One was listening to Zheng Wanwan's words, and he was impressed by her talent and wanted to give it to Mrs. Zheng. It is an exquisite gift for her, and the two inevitably have the intention of borrowing it for advertising.

Of course, he didn't expect the advertisement to be successful. A woman like Zheng Wanwan would definitely not be able to show off the gift box. Leave an impression on the other party and buy it from him.

It is the same reason that modern products endorsed by idols sell well.

He didn't sigh: "Oh, I just thought about it, but I didn't expect the land to sell so well. I think Mrs. Zheng will help us promote it." If there is any new product in the store in the future, Zheng must be the first The eldest lady sent it.

After much deliberation, it seems that this is the only way to express gratitude.

The end of the banquet didn't mean they could relax, on the contrary, Mo Wenyuan became busier.He found four disciples not for holding a banquet at first, but for brewing peony wine in large quantities.

Compared with brewing sake by itself, it is easier to complete the preparatory work related to peony flowers. Seeing that the peony flowering period is gradually passing, and the price of flowers on the market has dropped, Mo Wenyuan saw the right time, entered the market, and bought in large quantities.

"Although the current petals are not as tall and straight as they were at the beginning, as far as winemaking is concerned, wilted petals are more conducive to brewing flavors." He did not forget to explain to his apprentices when choosing.

The process of petal wilting is a process of oxidation, just like melons and fruits before rot are often the most fragrant. After full fermentation, the petals of peony flowers are softer and more intense than before. Washed and dried to remove impurities, it becomes the perfect ingredient in the wine. As long as it is soaked in the wine for two months, the floral fragrance can be perfectly integrated with the wine.

There is a large piece of cloth in the courtyard, and there are various petals of different colors on the cloth. Yellow petals belong to one class, red petals belong to one class, and purple petals belong to one class.

Mo Wenyuan was gearing up and entered the warehouse where there was no sunlight. He was about to carry out the most critical step, brewing sake!