The night was falling, the last hint of sunlight quietly disappearing below the horizon.
In the kitchen, the light softly illuminated every corner.
Wearing a white apron, Huang Jun was standing in front of the stove, busy preparing tonight’s dinner.
Considering that the two little ones at ho don’t eat much, he hadn’t prepared many dishes but had selected three dishes and one soup—stir-fried cabbage, minced at egg custard, braised pig trotters, and tomato fish fillet soup.
The wok on the stove was preheated, and Huang Jun poured in an appropriate amount of cooking oil. When the oil surface started to ripple slightly, he quickly added the cleaned and chopped cabbage to the wok.
Instantly.
A crisp "sizzling" sound ca from the pot as the cabbage rolled in the hot oil, its color gradually changing from a deep green to a bright erald.
He skillfully wielded the spatula, ensuring the cabbage was heated evenly in the pot, adding a pinch of salt and chicken essence for seasoning. Simple yet perfect, it highlighted the natural sweetness of the cabbage.
As the stir-frying continued, the cabbage beca tender yet retained its crispness, its color becoming even more vibrant and enticing.
He turned off the heat, quickly plating the stir-fried cabbage in a beautiful circle.
The green leaves looked especially fresh on the white plate.
He couldn’t resist picking up a piece of cabbage with his chopsticks and tasting it...
"Crisp and tender, deliciously fresh, not bad, not bad..."
He was once again moved by his own cooking skills...
Next, he washed the wok clean, then poured in an appropriate amount of cooking oil, and began to fry the minced at needed for the minced at egg custard.
When the oil temperature had ward slightly, he slowly added the chopped minced at into the wok.
As soon as the minced at hit the pan...
it t the hot oil with a gentle "sizzle".
With continued stir-frying...
the minced at gradually turned from pink to an enticing golden brown, exuding a rich aty fragrance.
He added a pinch of salt and soy sauce at the right ti to enhance the flavor, making the minced at even more delicious...
At this mont.
In the pressure cooker, pig trotters tumbled in the rich broth, and as steam rose, an inviting aroma began to perate; anwhile, in the stear, the egg custard slowly solidified in the rising steam, and the light egg fragrance mingled with the aroma of the pig trotters...
Carefully, he opened the stear lid.
The egg custard had been stead to perfection, its surface smooth and delicate, presenting an enticing golden hue.
He took the stead egg custard out of the stear and evenly spread the sautéed minced at on top, perfectly combining the aroma of the minced at with the silky texture of the egg custard. Then, he sprinkled so chopped green onions on top, adding a touch of green and freshness to the entire dish.
"Perfect!"
He was genuinely pleased with the presentation of the minced at stead egg custard.
Then, he turned to start making tomato fish fillet soup.
As the flas licked the pot, tomatoes tumbled inside, releasing their bright red juice and an enticing sweet and sour fragrance.
He kept stir-frying the tomatoes, softening them quickly and blending them into a rich tomato sauce.
When the tomato juice was almost done, he added an appropriate amount of water and adjusted the heat to dium-low.
After waiting for the water to boil, he let it simr for five minutes to fully incorporate the tomato’s freshness into the soup.
Then, he poured the prepared tomato soup out for later use.
Leaving so oil in the pot, he sprinkled a little salt, and placed the fish bones to fry.
The fish bones sizzled in the pot, gradually turning golden and crispy.
He poured the sautéed tomato soup back into the pot, added the remaining small tomato slices, and continued cooking for five minutes before adding an appropriate amount of salt, pepper, and chicken essence, enhancing the soup’s flavor.
He then scooped out the fish bones from the pot and plated them for later use.
He placed the fish fillets into the tomato soup in the pot, gently moving them after they set.
After 30 seconds...
He poured the tomato fish fillet soup into a serving dish, and as a final touch, sprinkled so enticing green onions as garnish...
At that mont.
The braised pig trotters were also ready, and steam spewed from the top of the pressure cooker with a "hissing" sound.
He carefully lifted the cooker lid.
Instantly.
A rich steam mixed with spices and at fragrance rose instantly, forming a white cloud, blurring vision.
He reached out to disperse the steam and finally saw the color of the braised pig trotters...
It was a deep and enticing reddish-brown, the result of slow simring that rged the at and seasonings.
In the sealed environnt of the pressure cooker, the at had beco tender and soft, the sugars and dark soy sauce in the broth giving the pig trotters a glossy glaze reflecting the kitchen light, making them look both plump and juicy.
The braised pig trotter’s skin maintained its shape in the pressure cooker, but a gentle pinch with chopsticks revealed its softness and elasticity, each fiber of the at soaked with broth, appearing crystalline and translucent...
"Great, just looking at it is so appetizing, the two little ones will surely love it!" Huang Jun smiled with satisfaction.
...
In the living room.
Qingqing and Weiwei quietly played on a small blanket, surrounded by various toys.
As the aroma of food drifting from the kitchen grew stronger, Qingqing suddenly lifted her head from the sea of toys, her little nose twitching gently, trying hard to catch the mouthwatering sll.
She blinked her bright, sparkling eyes and shouted, "Papa, it slls so good~"
"Mm-mm, it slls so good~" said Weiwei, nodding vigorously at the aroma, causing her Peppa Pig doll to sway with her motion.
Then, she stared straight in the direction of the kitchen, unable to resist calling out to Huang Jun: "Papa, when can we eat?"
"It’s almost ready, you can start washing your hands! Once your hands are clean, we can eat."
Huang Jun, busy finishing the braised pig’s trotters in the kitchen, instinctively glanced towards the kitchen door, trying to spot their little figures when he heard the voices of the two little ones.
Unfortunately!
The door obstructed his view, leaving only a blurry space.
"Two little gluttons, you’re getting impatient, huh!"
He chuckled fondly, withdrew his gaze, and sprinkled so chopped green onions over the braised pig’s trotters as a garnish.
Upon hearing their dad’s reminder, Qingqing and Weiwei entered "clean up toy" mode, their little hands flitting through the toy pile, putting each one back in its place.
But things got chaotic in the midst of the busyness.
Weiwei accidentally stepped on the "screaming chicken" that let out a shrill squeal upon being pressed.
In an instant.
The entire living room was filled with an ear-piercing "cluck cluck cluck" chicken noise, a sound so sharp and grating it made one’s heart race.
"Ah..."
Qingqing and Weiwei were both startled by the sudden scream, their little faces showing frightened expressions.
But upon identifying the source of the sound, Qingqing quickly recovered from the scare, pointed to the squeaky chicken on the ground, and laughingly said to Weiwei, "Sister, you stepped on the squeaky chicken!"
"Oh..."
Weiwei also ca to her senses, scratched her head in embarrassnt, then crouched down to pick up the "squeaky chicken."
"Hmph, how dare you scare !"
She glared at the "culprit" that had startled her, then gave it a few knocks.
To teach it a small lesson.
Huang Jun heard unusual noises coming from outside, his heart clenched with worry, and he asked, "Qingqing, Weiwei, what’s up?"
"Daddy, I stepped on the squeaky chicken, but it’s fine now."
Weiwei replied.
After speaking.
She tossed the squeaky chicken into the toy basket, continued tidying up with Qingqing, and then ran to wash her hands. With their little wet hands, they pitter-pattered into the kitchen, like two curious little cats, and asked, "Daddy, what delicious food are you making for dinner?"
"There’s stir-fried cabbage, braised pig’s trotters, minced at stead eggs, and tomato fish soup!"
Saying this, Huang Jun turned to look at them, noticed their little hands were still wet, and gently wiped them clean with two sheets of kitchen paper.
"Daddy, what is this red and shiny dish?"
Qingqing, who had her hands dried first, eagerly stared at the tomato fish soup, and though she asked, "What is this?", her face already expressed "I want to eat" in big letters.
"This is tomato fish soup, made especially with your favorite cherry tomatoes, tangy and sweet, just to your liking. Plus, eating fish can make you smarter!"
Understandingly, Huang Jun picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a tender slice of fish covered in rich tomato soup.
With one hand supporting the bottom, he brought it to Qingqing’s lips, saying softly, "Here, have a taste, careful it’s hot."
"Mhmm, thank you, Daddy~"
Qingqing happily opened her little mouth and cautiously bit into the fish slice.
The deliciously sweet and sour taste imdiately filled her mouth, making her squint in satisfaction, a happy smile spreading across her face: "Daddy, this tomato fish is so tasty~"
"Daddy, daddy, I want so, too, I want so, too..." Weiwei tugged on Huang Jun’s clothes, eagerly eyeing the chopsticks in his hand.
Oh dear!
My little glutton can’t wait any longer...
Huang Jun chuckled indulgently, put down the chopsticks, gently patted Weiwei’s head, and said, "Don’t worry, Weiwei, Daddy won’t forget you."
With that, he picked up the chopsticks again, grabbed another piece of fish, and brought it to Weiwei’s mouth.
Weiwei impatiently opened her little mouth and quickly gobbled up the fish with an "ahw."
The fish he made was exquisite, needless to say, and as it entered the mouth, it was bursting with the fresh taste of fish mixed with the sweet and sour flavor of tomatoes, incredibly tasty!
At that mont.
The nearby residents were tempted beyond asure by the increasingly rich aroma of at and fish.
Especially the young man next door, deeply tornted by this fragrance.
The stronger and stronger aroma of food allowed him to once again experience the pain of "slling what’s not edible."
He couldn’t help but secretly complain to himself: "This neighbor is simply inhumane, every ti it’s after work, they start making all these delicious dishes, the aroma wafting around makes it impossible for us singles who can’t cook to survive! Please, show so rcy! Stop tempting !"
After a bit of inner grumbling, he decided not to endure this tornt any longer, picked up his phone in a huff, and ordered so pickled fish and braised pork as takeout, hoping to appease his rumbling little belly.
Huang Jun was oblivious to the neighbors’ grudges, as he was busy bringing the dishes to the table and calling the little ones to eat together.
Stir-fried cabbage, crispy and tasty, each bite exudes fresh vegetable aroma.
The minced at stead eggs were extra delicious, the delicate egg custard mixed with savory minced at, rich in texture and flavor, aromatic and appetizing.
The bright red tomato fish soup, with its tender, slippery fish that lts in the mouth, perfectly combines with the sweet and sour tomato broth — a superb accompanint to rice, making one eager for another bite.
The braised pig’s trotters are tender yet chewy, each fiber soaked in rich sauce, sweet and savory, with a hint of spice drifting in the mouth, utterly captivating.
Between the skin and at of the trotters is a layer of transparent gelatin, lting in the mouth, enhancing the texture, and making the flavor even more delicious.
Qingqing and Weiwei, holding their little spoons, took big bites of fish slices, mixed the tomato soup with rice for more bites, ate so cabbage, scooped a spoonful of minced at egg custard, and chewed on braised pig’s trotter — their plump cheeks never deflated.
Seeing the two little ones eat with such relish, Huang Jun’s appetite increased too, holding a bowl of rice, just eating the dishes heartily.
...
While Huang Jun enjoyed the al, Wan Zhenhong felt a bit lancholic.
User Comments
0 comments from readers