"Go buy three blocks of tofu from the tofu shop," Lian Manman told Xiao Qi, "We’re having clam stewed tofu tonight."
Xiao Qi cheered, grabbed the basin, and ran off.
"Slow down, watch your step," Lady Zhang called out from behind, "Just bring it straight ho after buying; no need to co over."
"Okay, got it," Xiao Qi replied, already far away.
The clams were already dug up, and Lian Manman picked a small basin’s worth to keep for the evening al. The rest had been sun-dried for half the day and were already semi-dry. She brought them into the shop, planning to continue drying them the next day.
In the evening, the family enjoyed another al of clam stewed tofu and then gathered to chat about daily life.
"About those dried clams..." Lian Shouxin broached the subject.
"Dad, these past few days, have you noticed that our stir-fries and soups taste better than before?" Lian Manman asked.
"Yeah, I ntioned it just a few days ago. Since we opened the shop, putting other things aside, the skills you and your mother have in cooking have clearly improved. The dishes we had on the day Zhizhi’s engagent was set, they were no worse than those made by a professional chef," Lian Shouxin said, clearly proud of his wife and children’s abilities.
"Dad, think back carefully and talk about it so more," Lian Manman urged, her eyes sparkling, obviously wanting to hear more praise.
"The chicken, duck, fish, at, no need to ntion they’re always delicious, but even the stir-fried bok choy and the everyday white cabbage soup you make have an added fresh and bright taste," Lian Shouxin said after giving it so thought.
Lian Manman couldn’t help but laugh.
"Dad, it’s not entirely due to our cooking skills... we added sothing to it," Lian Manman said.
"What did you add? I didn’t notice anything," Lian Shouxin asked.
"Dried shrimp shells." Lian Manman got up, checked that no one was outside, and then sat back on the kang-bed to continue speaking.
In this era, there were no seasonings like MSG or chicken bouillon. And since they weren’t a wealthy family that could afford to make rich stock every day, Lian Manman had been using her creativity to satisfy their taste buds and make the food more delicious.
The shrimp shells they bought were dried thoroughly and then ground into a powder. Just like MSG or chicken bouillon, a little bit added during cooking both enhanced the flavor and ensured health.
That’s why Lian Manman’s family went through their shrimp shells so quickly.
"Ah, so that’s how it is," Lian Shouxin suddenly realized.
"This has to be our secret. We can’t tell anyone," Lian Manman said seriously, looking around solemnly.
Everyone in the family nodded.
"Dad, Mom, think about it. If the shrimp shell powder is so effective in enhancing the flavor, what about using clams, which taste even better?" Lian Manman said slowly, looking at her family.
"That goes without saying," Lian Shouxin laughed.
"Right," Lian Manman nodded, "So, I plan to dry the clam at and then grind it into a powder. From now on, when we stir-fry and make soups, we’ll use this to enhance the flavor... Eating this at ho is one thing, but I was thinking of using it in our shop’s dishes."
If the food at the shop beca even more delicious, it would attract more patrons, leading to increased inco.
The family got excited.
"Sis, when you had the clam seller co to our shop, is that when you ca up with this idea?" Xiao Qi asked.
"Mhm," Lian Manman nodded. She had planned to try it out at ho first. Once the recipe was confird, she would need to stock up in bulk for the shop.
"Our new shop is almost ready. We’re just waiting for an auspicious day to move in. I plan to use the clam powder on the first day we open, aiming for a successful launch," Lian Manman said, her eyes gleaming.
"That’s good," Lian Shouxin said.
"It’s just that drying the clam at isn’t easy," Lian Zhizhi said.
"We have a heated kang-bed," Lian Shouxin said.
"Oh right, we have a heated kang-bed," Lian Manman laughed. The versatile heated kang-bed was indeed a great thing. Lian Manman felt like shouting ’Long live the heated kang-bed!’
That very night, the family began drying the clam at on the heated kang-bed in the breakfast shop. Once the clam at was dried, Lian Manman was busy cutting it into small pieces. She then put them in a jar and used a pestle to grind them into fine powder.
They prepared several portions of the clam powder and dried shrimp shell powder in different ratios, mixed them into the fillings of the soup dumplings, and made so buns with labels for identification. They did the sa with the bone broth.
Once the buns and bone broth were ready, each person had a portion to taste. Then they voted, and whichever one received the most votes would have its corresponding recipe adopted.
This was a significant issue related to the prosperity of their shop, and the family took it very seriously. In the end, one recipe received unanimous approval.
The truth was, the business at their breakfast shop was already booming, with the soup dumplings selling better and better. The fa of Lian’s Buns had spread far and wide. However, Lian Manman was not content with this and didn’t rest on her laurels. If they stopped innovating, they could be surpassed one day. Only by continuously improving recipes and making more delicious food could they solidify and attract more custors, leading to endless wealth.
Holding the chosen recipe, Lian Manman knew she would keep improving it. This recipe would be a strong assurance for their family’s prosperity.
"Sis, shouldn’t we give this wonderful thing a na?" Xiao Qi said happily.
"Of course," Lian Manman nodded, "How about we call it ’Fresh Soup Treasure’?"
***...****
Here’s an update, with another coming later. Thank you for your pink support.
***...****
Recomnded completed book from Ruoyan: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles" is a light house fight farmland tale, with all the ups and downs of family life within a grand household.
Book ID: 1771214
Below is a direct link, click to go straight there. (To be continued. If you like this work, welco to Qidian (qidian) to vote for it, and give it a recomndation or a monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
User Comments
0 comments from readers