Chapter 7 Green Plum Pork Ribs
The place where I met Zhang Caimai was in a small restaurant on Zhuquefang Street.
Zhuquefang can be said to have gathered almost half of the powerful and wealthy households in Chang'an City.
Someone once joked that walking on the street of Zhuquefang, even if you take a breath, you can smell the smell of money and power in the air.
The Wen family in her childhood memories used to be a member of the Zhuquefang, but then... nothing.
After being convicted, the power and money turned into nothing.
But Zhang Caimai made an appointment with her here not to see the rich and powerful.
Except for the rich and powerful, the rest of Zhuquefang is the yamen, and more than half of the yamen of the various ministries in Chang'an City are gathered in the area of Zhuquefang.
Holding the tea, Zhang Caimai said, "Zhao Sishan has entrusted me with this matter since last year. I did find a good place for you before you left the palace." While speaking, Zhang Caimai stretched out his hand and pointed out the window. Facing the tall and red-walled yamen, he said, "That's the place I planned for you."
Wen Mingtang looked at the big golden characters on the plaque above the head of the red wall yamen, and read out: "Dali Temple yamen?"
"No." Zhang Caimai glanced at her, shook his head, and said, "Although the public chef of Dali Temple is also recruiting cooks, the place I will prepare for you is the Guozijian behind Dali Temple."
Wen Mingtang let out an "oh", indicating that he understood: They are all cooks anyway, so it's not the same in any yamen?
Probably seeing Wen Mingtang's thoughts, Zhang Caimai explained one more sentence: "You don't know, in all the yamen of Chang'an City, the official cook of this Guozijian is recognized as a fat job!"
Wen Mingtang nodded his head in agreement: Since ancient times, the idea that no matter how hard it is, children have been the overwhelming majority of the crowd. Those who can get into the Imperial College are all sons of rich and powerful families, and their spending is naturally generous, not to mention that there are some elders in the family who are willing to pay rewards for their children. It can be said that as long as the craftsmanship is sustainable, the rewards are probably much more than the wages.
"It's also a coincidence that there was a vacancy in the official kitchen of the Guozijian a few days ago. I have a good relationship with their official kitchen, and I reported you immediately when I got the news." Zhang Caimai said, "Zhao Sishan said that your craftsmanship is better Thinking of her, she is still better than blue, so I will buy it with Ding Cai to assure you that you are a good crafter. After a while, when Ding Cai buys it, you must show him your hand. If Ding Cai buys it, this lady can do it. It's settled eighty percent."
Wen Mingtang expressed understanding.
While talking, Ding Caimai, the public chef of Guozijian, came in.
After sitting down, he took the tea poured by Wen Mingtang. Ding Caimai didn't talk nonsense, he pointed to the back kitchen and said, "Make a dish to see if the craftsmanship is feasible?"
Wen Mingtang nodded, Zhang Caimai had already told her about this.
Just as he was about to turn around and go to the back kitchen, Ding Caimai glanced at Zhang Caimai, who was flirting with him, with a half-smile, and said, "Old Zhang, you don't have to speculate on my taste preference, I'll just say it myself." Yes! I like sour and sweet..."
Zhang Caimai heard the news, and hurriedly said to Wen Mingtang: "Then make a sweet and sour cold vegetable dish..."
Before he finished speaking, Ding Caimai said again: "I don't like to be a vegetarian, but I like to eat meat."
Hearing this, Zhang Caimai's face froze: "Old Ding!"
Can the meat and vegetables taste sour and sweet?
Ding Caimai didn't seem to see Zhang Caimai's eyes, and opened his mouth again: "Although I like meat, but I ran for a trip in this hot day, and I don't want to eat too greasy..."
Although he is not a cook, he still has to eat. From the perspective of an ordinary person like him, sweet and sour dishes are mostly desserts such as pastries, and only occasionally a few vegetarian dishes can be sweet and sour, which taste like appetizing cold dishes. But Lao Ding "deliberately" tripped him up and asked for meat by name.
Sweet and sour, but also made into meat dishes, Zhang Caimai will not be so delicious after thinking about it. However, this old man is not finished yet. After clamoring for meat, he can't get too tired.
But among the requirements he specified, whether it is sweet or meat dishes, they are easy to get tired of eating. How should we do this?
Lao Ding ignored him, rolled his eyelids, and looked at Wen Mingtang: "Can Miss Wen do it?"
The girl didn't respond immediately, she just pointed to the back kitchen and said, "I'll go to the back kitchen to see if the ingredients are available?"
The owner behind this small restaurant is Ding Caimai, so it can be conveniently used for school exams.
Ding Caimai nodded, the girl came in only a few minutes later, before Zhang Caimai questioned Ding Caimai, she came out again, nodded to Ding Caimai: "Do it!"
Shuangli people like Shuangli people themselves. Hearing the girl's straightforward response, Ding Caimai had a good impression of her, waved his hand, and said, "Okay, I'll wait here and try Miss Wen's skills."
Wen Mingtang responded and entered the kitchen.
Seeing that Wen Mingtang is no longer here, Zhang Caimai can finally explode. He glanced at Ding Caimai: "Old Ding, you and I have been friends for many years. Since you promised me, why did you deliberately make trouble?"
Ding Caimai glanced at Zhang Caimai, who had a sullen look on his face, took a sip of tea slowly, and said, "Old Zhang, you might as well be as refreshing as a little girl! Look at Miss Wen, she doesn't care about anything." He went into the kitchen without saying anything? Since you rely on craftsmanship to eat, you should see the truth behind your hands, what's the use of talking about it?"
"It's okay to enter the kitchen to test your skills, but you didn't mean to force others to make things difficult for you just now?" Zhang Caimai squinted at him, "As for the request you just made, how many cooks in the capital can do it?"
Ding Cai paused when he was drinking tea, glanced at him, and said, "It's not that I made trouble on purpose! To be honest, all my requests just now were made by us, Yu Jijiu. This little lady Wen just passed it." I have passed the level of Master Jiang, who is in charge of the public chef, and he will also pass the test in the final level of Yu Jijiu."
Watching the sullen anger on Zhang Caimai's face dissipate, Ding Caimai smiled and stretched out his hand to pat him on the shoulder: "You and I have been friends for so many years, do you think I look like someone who deliberately finds fault?"
Speaking of this, Ding Caimai elongated his tone and said meaningfully: "I've 'understood' the question in advance!"
"Hiring a cook is not enough." Zhang Caimai glanced at him sideways, and the displeasure in his heart didn't dissipate until then, heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "It's rare for Yuerou to ask me for a favor once. If you don't get things done, how can you have the face to approach her in the future?"
Yuerou is the name of Zhao Sishan, and Ding Caimai suddenly realized: "I just said, why are you so active? It doesn't seem like an ordinary friendship at all. It turns out that Zhao Si is a happy person..."
Before he finished speaking, he was kicked on the leg.
It turned out that Wen Mingtang, who had been busy in the back kitchen for a long time, came out with the dishes.
Ding Caimai glanced at Zhang Caimai who had regained his sitting posture, shook his head, and casually glanced at Wen Mingtang who came out with the dishes.
Ding Caimai was stunned when he saw the dish for the first time: "This is..."
Although he can’t be said to be a gourmet eater, he is also a restaurant owner after all, and has eaten almost all the common dishes in his daily life.
But it was the first time he had seen the game in front of him.
Wen Mingtang smiled at him and said, "Green plum ribs."
(end of this chapter)