I Have a Countryside Gourmet Restaurant

The more Li You thought about it, the better he felt.

Time to get studying.

He clicked the "Learn" button again.

Soon, all the knowledge about braised dishes was in Li You’s mind.

When he checked the "Braising Liquid" recipe again, it now listed out the detailed formula.

The required ingredients included star anise, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, dried tangerine peel, black cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers, ginger, scallions, yellow wine, soy sauce, rock sugar, and so on—a long and dense list.

The specific measurements for each ingredient were also provided.

’This has to be the most perfect braising liquid recipe in the world.’

’Of course, to be precise, it’s probably one of the most perfect braising liquid recipes.’

Different regions have their own unique flavors for braised dishes, so naturally, their braising liquids differ as well.

There’s no good or bad, only different flavors.

The origins of braised dishes can be traced back over two thousand years. They have an incredibly long history.

A truly ancient tradition.

Throughout this long history, braised dishes have continuously evolved and developed in their own unique way.

Today, they come in countless varieties with distinct flavors, holding significant influence in regional cuisines like Cantonese, Hunan, Anhui, and Sichuan.

You could say that braised dishes can be found all over the country.

That’s why, no matter how good a braising liquid recipe is, it can only be considered one of the best.

And people have always had a great fondness for braised dishes.

Because they are aromatic, tender, served without soup, and never greasy, they are absolutely delicious.

Plus, they’re convenient to eat and easy to take on the go.

’If I start selling braised dishes, they’ll definitely be a huge hit.’

Besides, his braised dishes would be the tastiest in town.

When it came to braised dishes, his could only be described as the best in the area.

What makes a braised dish delicious? It all comes down to the quality of the braising liquid.

Many braised dish shops have their own proprietary recipes for their braising liquid.

And these recipes are closely guarded secrets.

’Now, my braising liquid recipe will be a secret too, of course.’

’I’ll see about going to buy the ingredients tomorrow or sometime soon, then I can start simmering my first pot of braising liquid.’

’Now that I’ve gotten the recipe, I should get braised dishes on the menu as soon as possible.’

’After all, I’m a big fan of all kinds of braised dishes myself.’

’Eating braised dishes, sipping fine wine, and watching TV in the evening... it doesn’t get much better than that.’

’Of course, it would be even better with a beautiful woman by my side.’

’I wonder when Ye Shengge will visit next?’

’Also, I wonder if any other beautiful women are looking to rent a room?’

’Maybe I should put up a "For Rent" sign, "beautiful women only"?’

’Nah... better not.’

It was just a random thought.

Just then, Da Bai brought in a new customer’s order.

’More new customers.’

’Back to work.’

After he finished preparing the new customers’ orders, it was already 7:30 p.m.

Although it was still bright outside, Li You decided it was time for his own dinner.

A plate of Mapo Tofu and a bowl of Tomato and Egg Soup.

’I’ll make the tomato and egg soup first and see how it tastes.’

After finishing the Mapo Tofu, Li You took two eggs and two tomatoes from the Storage Pavilion.

When making tomato and egg soup, you can either peel the tomatoes or leave the skin on.

It’s all a matter of personal preference.

The "Tomato and Egg Soup" recipe said you could either peel them or leave them unpeeled.

Li You decided to peel them.

The tomato and egg soup he’d sell to customers in the future would also be made with peeled tomatoes.

Unless a customer specifically requested otherwise.

There’s an excellent method for peeling tomatoes: blanching them in boiling water for two minutes.

Afterward, the skin peels off easily.

He always kept a pot of water at a rolling boil.

Li You dropped the two tomatoes right in.

Two minutes later, he fished them out and peeled off the skin.

Then, he diced them and set them aside.

Next, he cracked two eggs into a bowl, added a pinch of salt, and beat them.

Some people start by pouring oil in a pan and frying the beaten eggs first.

After the eggs are cooked, they add water and tomatoes, then let it simmer.

That method works, too.

But it’s not the common practice.

Usually, you start by sautéing the tomatoes, then add water and ginger slices and bring it to a simmer.

After simmering for a while, the beaten egg is poured in at the very end.

Once the egg sets, it’s ready to be served. You can’t let the egg overcook.

The "Tomato and Egg Soup" recipe also called for adding the tomatoes first and the egg last.

So, Li You followed those steps.

He heated some lard in a wok.

He added the tomatoes and began to stir-fry them. Once they had cooked down a bit, he added water and a suitable amount of salt.

He brought it to a simmer.

He let it simmer until the tomatoes began to release their oils, then added a pinch of MSG.

Finally, he poured in the beaten egg in a circular motion, stirring constantly.

As soon as the egg set, he turned off the heat and ladled the soup out.

After pouring it into a bowl, he garnished it with some chopped scallions.

The Tomato and Egg Soup—perfect in color, aroma, and taste, not to mention highly nutritious—was officially ready.

It looked appetizing and smelled wonderful.

Li You was very pleased.

’Time to eat.’

He decided to eat in the dining area.

He carried the Mapo Tofu and Tomato and Egg Soup to one of the tables, ladled himself a bowl of rice, and sat down to eat.

There were still five tables of customers in the restaurant.

When the customers saw Li You eating, they called out to him, "Hey, Boss, you’re having dinner too!"

Li You smiled and nodded. "I am. I was starting to get hungry."

The customers all nodded.

Then one of the customers exclaimed, "Huh? Boss, is that Tomato and Egg Soup?"

Li You nodded. "It is!"

The customer’s eyes lit up. "I bet the tomato and egg soup you make is delicious, right, Boss?"

By now, every customer in the restaurant knew Li You was eating Tomato and Egg Soup.

’That’s not fair, Boss!’

’He has tomato and egg soup but won’t sell it, keeping it all for himself.’

So, the customers began to "protest" in jest.

"Boss, if you have Tomato and Egg Soup, why isn’t it on the menu? We were just saying this place needs a soup dish."

"Boss, you can’t keep it all for yourself! We want some Tomato and Egg Soup too."

"Exactly, Boss! If you have soup, why aren’t you selling it?"

"..."

Li You was a bit taken aback by the customers’ "protests."

He had only wanted to taste-test the soup, not expecting all his customers to be so interested in it.

’That was thoughtless of me. I didn’t consider how the customers would feel.’

But it also showed that his customers were really hoping for a soup option on the menu.

’Looks like the Tomato and Egg Soup recipe showed up at the perfect time.’

Li You apologized to his customers, "Not offering a soup until now was an oversight on my part. To be honest, I only just thought of making Tomato and Egg Soup tonight. I made a bowl to taste-test it, and if it’s good, I’ll add it to the menu tomorrow. I’m truly sorry for the disturbance."

Ah, so that’s what happened.

"Boss, you really should add a soup to the menu," the customers said, nodding in understanding. "Tomato and Egg Soup is a great choice. It looks good and tastes delicious. You picked the right one, Boss."

"Boss, we’re sure your Tomato and Egg Soup is delicious. You don’t even need to test it."

"That’s right. Boss, just add it to the menu."

"..."

Hearing this, Li You smiled. "Thank you all for having so much faith in me. How about this? I’ll go make another pot of Tomato and Egg Soup right now, and I’ll give a complimentary bowl to every table. You can all have a taste and tell me what you think. How does that sound?"

Hearing this, the customers quickly shook their heads and refused.

’How could we accept that!’

"Boss, we appreciate the thought, but we can’t accept the soup. We’ll just order it tomorrow when you officially add it to the menu."

"That’s right, we’ll order it tomorrow after the official launch."

"Boss, your Tomato and Egg Soup is guaranteed to be delicious. We know that without even needing a taste."

"..."

Li You stood up and insisted, "Please, don’t be so formal. It’s just a bowl of soup; it’s not expensive. Besides, I really need you all to try it. If there are any issues, you can point them out, and I can make improvements. So, I’ll have to ask for your help with this. Just wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon."

With that, Li You walked straight into the kitchen.

’He really had been thoughtless tonight.’

So he was more than happy to give each table a complimentary bowl of soup.

It wasn’t expensive, but it was a gesture of his sincerity.

Seeing Li You walk straight into the kitchen, the customers realized he was sincere about treating them to the soup, so they stopped refusing.

Instead, they all began to thank him.

"Well, thank you so much, Boss!"

"Does this mean we’re the first customers to ever try your Tomato and Egg Soup? HAHAHA! We’re so lucky tonight!"

"I’m really looking forward to the boss’s Tomato and Egg Soup."

"I can’t wait to try it."

"..."

The customers hadn’t thought much of it before, but now that they knew they’d get to try the soup, they suddenly found themselves filled with anticipation.

There was even a faint thrill of excitement.

Because they would be the very first customers to taste his Tomato and Egg Soup.

’What great luck!’

The more they thought about it, the happier and more excited they became!

「In the kitchen.」

Li You took out six eggs and six tomatoes.

’I’ll just make one big pot and divide it into five servings.’

A flurry of activity later, the soup was ready.

He divided it into five portions.

Da Bai and Xiaohai entered the kitchen and served the five portions of Tomato and Egg Soup to the five tables.

Li You came out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "Please, everyone, have a taste. If you have any issues or any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to tell me."

...