I'm the Culinary God

"Wow, this meat is too delicious!"

Shen Jiayue took a piece of meat and put it in her mouth, discovering that this rosy piece of meat was so tender that it melted as soon as it touched her tongue, especially the fatty part, which felt like butter melting in her mouth.

Initially, she thought it was a large chunk like braised pork belly, but after tasting it, she realized this red stew meat was even tenderer and more aromatic.

Only sweet bean paste was used for seasoning, so the meat’s own aroma was fully stimulated, filling the mouth with the rich flavor of pork.

Additionally, the fats rendered during simmering were very fragrant, and deliberately dipping the meat pieces in them while eating had unexpected effects.

Two pieces later, Shen’s craving for meat was finally satisfied.

"I feel this meat goes extremely well with rice, it’s both fragrant and satisfying. Xu Baobao, can I learn this dish?"

Shen Jiayue, whenever she encountered something delicious, wanted to learn how to make it. If it could be cooked with a rice cooker, that would be even better, solidifying her title as the goddess of small appliances.

Lin Xu shook his head and said:

"This dish is too difficult, you better forget it."

If it were braised pork belly or similar, Shen Baobao could enjoy the pleasure of cooking with a rice cooker, but not for this red stew meat; this dish requires high culinary skills.

Too little bean paste lacks flavor, too much makes the meat sour.

The cooking time must be precise; take it out too early and the fats won’t render, leaving the dish greasy; take it out too late and the fats are completely rendered, making it dry and tough.

Relatively speaking, the lazy versions of braised pork belly and Dongpo pork are more suitable for this girl.

They’re not challenging, save time, and effort, you just put in the ingredients and forget about it, even simpler than cooking with an air fryer.

Shen Jiayue pouted her lips:

"But I also want to try making a meat dish."

"Next time, I’ll teach you the lazy version of Dongpo pork, it’s easier to master and looks better too."

From Dongpo pork to braised pork belly, to more common northern dishes like bazi meat, pot meat, and jar meat, the methods aren’t very different.

If you’re willing to learn, you can definitely master it.

Hearing this, Shen Jiayue’s fair face lit up with a smile again:

"Great, great, this Spring Festival, I’m going to cook a feast for my family!"

Chen Yan, who was next to her, pouted:

"Just don’t let the whole family accompany you to eat burnt pots... By the way, if you guys are going to Yinzhou for the New Year, what should I do if I want to visit my grandma?"

"Then you should come too, no one cares if we set off fireworks in the mountains, we can have a blast."

Chen Yan was also a bit tempted and wanted to sing and dance around the bonfire.

But thinking about Ren Jie having to work overtime during the New Year, she dismissed the idea and decided to stay in Beijing with her parents and in-laws.

Lin Xu tasted two pieces of meat and then started discussing the Spring Festival holiday plans with Dou Wenjing.

"Ziqiang Shengjian and the company will start the holiday from the 26th of the twelfth lunar month and work resumes on the eighth day of the first lunar month. Stores will alternate shifts, and if there’s a shortage of staff, we’ll hire more, ensuring everyone gets to go home at least once."

During the Spring Festival, street food shops like Ziqiang Shengjian will have worse business. Rather than sticking around, it’s better to let the employees take a break and go home for the New Year.

The company had already completed the necessary promotions, so there’s no need to stay for overtime.

However, the stores are expected to have decent business during the Spring Festival, so they need to remain open to maintain business.

Furthermore, reservations for the New Year’s Eve dinner at the store have already started, with all the private rooms, including the banquet hall, booked out for New Year’s Eve.

The store also offers a New Year’s Eve dinner delivery service.

Within the Haidian district, the store provides free at-home delivery of New Year’s Eve dinners to customers, setting up all the dishes so customers can enjoy Lin Ji’s grand New Year’s Eve feast without leaving their homes.

Additionally, Lin Ji welcomes customers who can’t return home for the New Year to join the group New Year’s dinner at Lin Ji’s main hall. Just pay one fee to eat, drink, and celebrate with other customers who are also far from home.

Lin Xu said to Shu Yun:

"Make the group New Year’s dinner in the main hall grander; we shouldn’t always think about making money, but also provide humanistic care to the customers."

"Okay, boss, I will do it well."

Chen Yan looked at Shu Yun and asked:

"Shu Baobao, when are you going back to your hometown?"

Shu Yun scooped some rice from her bowl and said with a smile:

"I’m not planning to go back. Anyway, it’s only lively on the first day, and from the second day, the elders start arranging blind dates, like a relay; I’m tired of it."

It seems that girls over twenty-five who return home for the New Year cannot avoid the fate of blind dates and parental pressure to marry.

In elders’ eyes, no matter how much money or achievements you have, once you reach marriageable age, you must marry. Even if it means marrying just anyone, you can’t remain single.

If you insist on staying single, parents and elders start using their usual phrases, saying things like "can’t hold your head up in the village," "being pointed at."

It’s as if you’ve done something terribly wrong.

The women working hard in Beijing, whether Dou Wenjing or Shu Yun, or Zeng Xiaoqi, almost all face this situation when they go back to their hometowns.

That’s why Dou Wenjing is not returning home for the New Year this year, staying in Beijing to manage the store with Shu Yun.

Shu Yun also plans to pack some deli foods after the 20th of the twelfth lunar month and send them home instead of going back for non-stop blind dates.

After a busy year, what you really want to do when you return home is relax, not busy yourself with blind dates that are more exhausting than work.