Chapter 633: Chapter 633: Remembering Your Preferences
The room was equipped with underfloor heating, making it very warm.
The temperature was quite high, and they even had to open the window a bit to maintain a comfortable level.
The elders were wearing thin T-shirts and shirts indoors.
The little fellow’s face turned rosy as soon as he was enveloped by this warmth.
The old lady checked again; the little guy’s face was already warm.
Only then did she let him take off all his outerwear.
Tonight was the Little New Year’s Eve, and Ye Fei, thinking it was a rare visit, decided to be responsible for the dinner on Little New Year’s Eve and make something delicious.
The old lady objected, "That won’t do. Even though your cooking skills are excellent, even recognized by Michelin three-star chef Gu Changfeng, having such a culinary talent at home and not letting you show your skills would be a pity."
"But it’s fine to occasionally make one or two dishes; you can’t be busy preparing a dinner for the whole family."
"You married into the Zhao Family not to work for us or be a chef for the family," the old lady said. "Cooking is your profession; you can do that outside at work. At home, you’re supposed to enjoy life."
"You can’t come home and still have to work on preparing meals for the whole family," the old lady said.
Before Ye Fei came, wasn’t Aunt Lin’s cooking good too?
How could they rely solely on Ye Fei?
"Grandma, I just feel that having the ability to cook and not doing anything seems strange. Besides, I truly love my work; even cooking at home doesn’t feel tiring to me."
"Grandma, I don’t find it tiring at all that you let me be in charge of dinner."
After much persuasion, the old lady finally relented, but still disagreed with Ye Fei making a large table of food, saying it would be enough for Ye Fei to make one or two special dishes.
"Why don’t I make dumplings?" Ye Fei thought for a moment and said.
It is customary to eat dumplings on Little New Year’s Eve in the North.
"We still have some at home. I made them in advance yesterday and froze them, just waiting to be cooked today," Aunt Lin quickly said.
"Dad, Mom, are you discussing what to eat for dinner?" Zhao Dinghuan and Chi Jingsi entered as the voice spoke.
Housekeeper Hong and Aunt Lin came over, one helping Zhao Dinghuan and the other helping Chi Jingsi.
Receiving the coats and scarves both took off.
"Yes, Xiao Fei insists on making two dishes." The old lady said with a smile, "We are just thinking about what to make."
"How about hotpot?" Chi Jingsi immediately suggested.
"It’s especially cold today. You can hear how strong the wind is outside," Chi Jingsi said.
Her words were aptly confirmed as the wind outside beat against the windows.
The howling sound it made through the window cracks suited the occasion perfectly.
"It’s perfect for a family to gather around and eat a warm hotpot, lively and cozy!" Thinking of hot pot, Chi Jingsi couldn’t help but salivate, "Just thinking about it makes me feel warm all over."
"Besides, I wanted to eat hot pot a few days ago," Chi Jingsi added. "But, Ding Huan has been busy lately and hasn’t had the time to take me out for it, so I’ve been really craving it."
"Alright then, let’s have hot pot for tonight." The old lady decided.
Hot pot didn’t require Ye Fei to do anything.
Zhao Gushen called Yan Beicheng’s hot pot restaurant to have them deliver the broth and ingredients.
At Yan Beicheng’s hot pot restaurant, the beef tallow spicy pot is exceptionally authentic.
They hired genuine Sichuan and Chongqing chefs to make it, and all ingredients are shipped from Sichuan and Chongqing.
Ye Fei wasn’t needed for dinner, so she simply decided to prepare some simple desserts for after dinner.
Right after a hot and spicy hotpot, a refreshing dessert would be perfect.
At six o’clock, people from Yan Beicheng’s hot pot restaurant delivered the four-compartment hot pot.
There was beef tallow spicy pot, tomato pot, bone broth pot, and mushroom pot.
Even the dipping sauces were prepared in large portions just like those available at the restaurant, for them to adjust according to their taste.
The ingredients for the hot pot included fatty beef, fatty lamb, spicy beef, tofu flowers, fresh duck blood, tripe, pig intestines, duck intestines, aorta, fried dough twists, wide noodles, fish tofu, frozen tofu, and gluten balls.
They had fresh vegetables at home; Aunt Lin went to wash pea shoots, spinach, chrysanthemum greens, baby bok choy, lettuce, and Chinese kale.
Ye Fei also mixed some refreshing cold dishes.
When one gets tired of eating hot pot, they can have some cold dishes to refresh their palate.
Especially since the spicy pot is made with beef tallow, the oil is too heavy.
Then, Ye Fei prepared the dessert for after dinner.
This dessert was particularly simple - Italian panna cotta.
It’s a bit like pudding, like jelly, cold and smooth.
Ye Fei first soaked gelatin sheets in water, then added fresh cream to an empty milk pot, heating it while adding sugar.
Considering the two elders, Ye Fei didn’t add much sugar.
Since there was no xylitol in the old house, she had to use sugar.
She heated it while stirring until the cream thickened slightly, then added a bit of liqueur.
Then she added the soaked gelatin sheets to melt in the cream.
The cream was heated until it was thick but still more liquid than a paste.
Then she poured it into bowl-shaped molds.
There was still some cream left in the milk pot.
Ye Fei added some sesame powder, stirred it evenly, and placed it in new molds.
She put these in the fridge to cool.
Ye Fei found cherries in the fridge.
She took them out, pitted them, added sugar and water, boiled them, and simmered them over low heat until they made a thick cherry sauce.
During simmering, she used a spoon to mash the cherries, making the cherry sauce finer.
Once the sauce was reduced, she stored it in the fridge for later use.
"Xiao Fei, come eat hot pot!" the old lady called from outside.
Ye Fei hurried out.
Everything was already set up.
"I’ve prepared the dipping sauce for you." Zhao Gushen said.
He now knew what flavor Ye Fei preferred.
No need to ask Ye Fei, or for her to do it herself.
Zhao Gushen guaranteed he could handle it to her satisfaction.
He didn’t even know Xiao Mo’s taste as well as he knew hers.
Ye Fei sat down and saw that Zhao Gushen had prepared the sauce for her.
Sesame sauce with a small spoon of fermented bean curd, a small spoon of leek flower sauce, then sprinkle some chopped green onions, cilantro, minced garlic, oyster sauce, and aged vinegar.
Ye Fei just loved eating it like this.
It’s a fusion of northern and southern dipping sauces.
The Sichuan and Chongqing hotpot used an oil dish with green onions, cilantro, and minced garlic; some liked adding a bit of oyster sauce and aged vinegar.
But Ye Fei preferred the texture of sesame sauce.
She replaced the mixing oil from the oil dish with sesame sauce, adding the northern copper pot’s essential fermented bean curd sauce and leek flower sauce.
"How do you know so well?" Ye Fei looked surprised at Zhao Gushen.
When they ate, Ye Fei usually had time to do it herself.
"I’ve seen you do it often, so I remember your preferences." Zhao Gushen said casually.
