Abnormal Gourmet Chronicle
Chapter 344 - 207: A Familiar Recipe_2

Chapter 344: Chapter 207: A Familiar Recipe_2

Qin Huai felt a bit disappointed.

"I remember," Huang Shengli said with a smile, "Although I can’t make the mixed fruit filling, I still remember the recipe from back then."

Qin Huai: !

"The ingredients for the Four Happiness glutinous rice were prepared by me for Master. I also helped in the kitchen while making the rice balls. It’s normal for Zheng Da to not remember, but I remember it clearly." After speaking, Huang Shengli glanced lightly at Zheng Da and smiled, everything unspoken yet understood.

Zheng Da: ...

Was it his imagination? Why did he feel that his senior’s aggressiveness had been increasing day by day in recent months?

"Since Xiao Qin, you’re researching the rice balls, the afternoon fire control practice will be delayed by an hour and a half. You should first study the mixed fruit filling, and then practice fire control with me."

"Thank you, Master Huang."

"It’s nothing. After all, you are a pastry chef, and it’s good to be willing to study new snacks. I haven’t had a Four Happiness glutinous rice ball with mixed fruit filling for many years either, and Zheng Da isn’t someone who likes researching such snacks. If you and Si Yuan really come up with something, I can also enjoy the taste."

After speaking, Huang Shengli stared directly at Zheng Da, saying nothing, just watching him.

Zheng Da: ?

Zheng Da: ...

Zheng Da: .

Zheng Da: !

Zheng Da had an epiphany.

"What do you mean I don’t like researching this kind of snack? I now enjoy researching new snacks the most! Starting this afternoon, I’ll be researching with you all. How many years has Si Yuan been making snacks? Not as much experience as I do! He never liked mixed fruit filling, or Five Nuts mooncakes, unlike me—I loved those back then."

Qin Huai laughed and said to Zheng Da, "Then starting today, it will be hard on Master Zheng to work overtime with us in the afternoon."

Zheng Da started laughing gleefully, "Not hard at all, not hard at all."

Qin Huai went back to work, while Huang Shengli glanced at Zheng Da, who showed no sign of wanting to work, and whispered, "Come earlier from now on."

"Can’t even catch Xiao Qin’s breakfast every day. Those who know you might think you’re too lazy to get up early and don’t want to come; those who don’t might think you look down on Xiao Qin’s skills and disdain eating his food."

Zheng Da: ?

Zheng Da thought it might be time to buy an apartment in the complex across the street.

Living too far, it’s really hard to get up in the morning.

.

With the help of the enthusiastic staff at Zhiwei Restaurant, pastries from the back kitchen continually came out, pleasing the neighbors lining up outside, who eagerly spread the word.

Today’s snacks are even more than yesterday’s. Neighbors who are still hesitating, come and buy; with luck, you might queue twice!

Even though there were many customers lining up for snacks at the entrance of Huang Ji, most of those willing to queue for four hours from early morning just to buy a few more buns and steamed buns were retired, idle residents from around the neighborhood.

.

"Qin Huai, did you hear? Today the customers outside had five arguments while lining up, two more than yesterday. Team leader Cao decided to launch an online queuing service, where missing your turn means you have to queue again."

During lunch, Dong Shi happily flaunted a bowl in front of Qin Huai, sharing the latest gossip, and sneakily took a bite of the Eight Treasures Duck made by Huang Shengli, which was Qin Huai’s lunch.

Qin Huai wasn’t paying much attention.

He was studying the recipe just given to him by Huang Shengli.

Huang Shengli’s recipe was handwritten, and after so many years, he only remembered the various ingredients and general measurements. The finer details were forgotten.

According to this recipe, Jiang Weijin’s version of mixed fruit filling glutinous rice balls could be considered luxurious.

Dried apples, honey dried osmanthus, raisins, dried apricots, jujube paste, longan, dried peach, honey olive, plum, honey tangerine, hawthorn...

Walnut, almond, peanut, sunflower seeds, sesame, lotus seeds, hazelnut, cashew...

The sugar was made by simmering winter melon candy with lard.

The ingredients were rich, almost excessively so.

Qin Huai’s first reaction upon seeing this recipe was to wonder whether people could handle eating rice balls with so many nuts and dried fruits.

Even if it’s called mixed fruit filling, you shouldn’t really add so many things, right?

Besides...

For some reason, Qin Huai felt these nuts and dried fruits looked familiar, like he had seen this combination somewhere before.

Qin Huai was pondering.

He usually didn’t like eating dried fruits.

Luoluo didn’t like them either.

Even during the New Year, the Qin Family didn’t buy much dried fruit, let alone such a colorful array of nuts. They mostly bought sunflower seeds and peanuts, the basic options, to be on the safe side.

Who in his memory ate so many kinds of nuts and dried fruits?

Wait.

There really was someone!

The crazy lady!

When she was hanging around Beiping vegging out, she spent all her time munching and pocketing the candied fruits and nuts at Taifeng Building. As a new establishment trying to make a name for itself in Beiping, the candied fruits and nuts Taifeng Building prepared for guests were top-notch.

Qin Huai vaguely remembered that, if dining in the hall, the luxurious candied fruit and nut platter would be laid on ice and arranged to create an enticing presentation.

Qin Huai quickly set down his bowl and chopsticks and ran to another table to ask Zheng Da, "Master Zheng, did Master Jing make many mixed fruit filling snacks before?"

Dong Shi: ?

The gossip he just shared was so unappealing?

Zheng Da was eating when he was asked by Qin Huai, almost spat out the food to empty his mouth to answer Qin Huai’s question.

"Very rarely," Huang Shengli answered for Zheng Da, "In my memory, Master only made mixed fruit filled rice balls two or three times, and mooncakes once. Our state-owned restaurant mostly didn’t sell this type of snack, and Master rarely made them."

With what Huang Shengli said, Qin Huai suddenly had an absurd speculation.

Actually, Jiang Weijin might not have been skilled in making mixed fruit filling either.

This recipe might be entirely based on the fruit and nut platters of Taifeng Building back then.