Sesame Green Bean Garlic

After a week of the conference, the controversy over the Hutong restaurant gradually subsided.This matter is like a fallen leaf on a puddle, which will not sink for a while, and no one will pick it up.The situation was stuck there, and there were no further rectification orders, nor were they allowed to open for business.

At this time, Qiu Xinzhi found a subtle breakthrough.Sitting under the locust tree with Huo Zian, he asked, "Have you heard of the 'National Western Food Promotion Association'?"

"What the hell? I haven't heard of it. Why should Western food be promoted?"

"Don't worry about the name, it's just the kind of bastard organization that doesn't know what to do just by the name, so you can get involved in everything. The leader of the organization doesn't even use a knife and fork, but he has connections on it. Before There is a dinner every few days. There are him, people in the restaurant circle, writers, celebrities, and real estate developers. There are a lot of people.

"I heard that he was familiar with the people above, so I mentioned the rectification of this area. I made a suggestion to him. See how prosperous the nearby Nanluo is, and it has brought a whole hutong for dining and tourism; five The Daoying side is not doing badly, and it radiates to a large area of ​​Fangjia Hutong. But our place, with a good location and a history, is not doing well. It is obviously an area with great potential. Erbei encountered a safety accident, and as a result, the signs of development were strangled. If the development of this area can be well planned, it may be the next Nanluo."

"It's blowing too much," Huo Zian laughed.

"This kind of person doesn't brag, so he can't listen. I thought, maybe one day he will blow the bull into the upper ear. Who knows, before he can react, the real estate agent will pick up the trouble. Son. He said that this is a good idea. This kind of area is a precious resource. There are historical buildings and Beijing’s living traditions. He said that he is willing to make connections on this matter, and he wants to organize a dinner party to bring together those who have the right to speak, those who have ideas, and those who have money, and have a good discussion."

Huo Zian was stunned when he heard this, "We want to develop this place? How do we do it, dismantle it and cover it like the front door?"

Qiu Xinzhi shook his head: "How can there be such a great ability. This is a protected area, and the relationship is complicated. At most, it is like Fangjia Hutong, with several high-end restaurants, hand-made cafes, theaters and the like. I just want to take advantage of this opportunity , to break the deadlock, first lift the ban on the restaurant."

Huo Zian nodded, "If it can be like this, of course it's great."

"And I'm not bragging. If there is no rectification order, this place will slowly improve. Look at this area, isn't it the same as when you came here? It's not a matter of what to eat and drink. A good restaurant will It conveys spiritual temperament. Let’s talk about your Wei Guoen, who used to be a young man whose feet trembled when he saw Maserati, but now he is watching Duras’ "Lover."

Huo Zian smiled: "He's dating a French girl."

"Hey, it doesn't matter whether you are picking up girls or pretending to be aggressive. Anyway, if this thing is done, the restaurant will come back to life. Zian, there is hope for the future."

Huo Zian was moved by the words.He didn't want to leave here, and he could only hope that this matter could really help the restaurant reopen. "Then what can I do?"

"Chef, of course you are cooking. The dinner is arranged in a private club, and you are the chef. It is better to eat what you say. If you cook this meal, the chance of success will be higher. So you must not miss it.”

"Don't worry, when did I miss it?"

"I'm not worried about your craftsmanship. Your previous guests voluntarily came to eat your dishes, but this time it's different. You have to take the initiative to serve them well. Do you understand what I mean?"

Huo Zian thought for a while, "You mean, just make them happy?"

"That's right, that's the only request. They probably don't understand French food, they only know that they want steak and it's medium rare, or they ask for shark's fin in their salad, or Master Kang's iced tea in their red wine, whatever it is. , as long as you satisfy them."

Huo Zian frowned, noncommittal.

Qiu Xinzhi still wanted to persuade, but he heard a voice say: "Okay, we know how to do it."

Qiu Xinzhi was shocked and looked up to see You Liangchen sitting on the tree.His legs softened and he shouted, "Why are you up there?"

Yu Liangchen: "I've been up there a long time ago, haven't you noticed?"

"Who the hell thought there was someone on the tree!" This is the season when the canopy is the densest. If you don't look carefully, you will never think that someone has climbed such a tall tree.

Huo Zian: "He sleeps on a tree when he has nothing to do, eats nectar and drinks dew, don't you know this secret?"

"I really didn't know he was cultivating immortals. Hey, Daxian, come down! How uncomfortable it is to shout and talk."

You Liangchen climbed down the tree and looked at Qiu Xinzhi: "How many people are there for the dinner? Age, gender, background, we'll set the menu once we've decided."

Huo Zian also made up his mind: "Well, just do what you want. What they want to eat and how to eat it, the more detailed the better, we can make preparations in advance."

Qiu Xinzhi: "Okay, I will try my best to help you collect information, and more importantly, be on the spot. You Liangchen, do you hear me?"

"Fuck, are you worried about me?"

Qiu Xinzhi sighed: "You Beijing kids have all seen the world, no matter how big an official is, you don't take it seriously. But this time, I beg you, you must take it seriously, huh?"

You Liangchen smiled: "Understood." On the surface, he still looked foolish, but he was seriously thinking about Qiu Xinzhi's words in his heart.He understood why Qiu Xinzhi asked him specifically instead of telling Huo Zian——Huo Zian came back from abroad to open a restaurant. Although there were many setbacks and difficulties, most people still supported him. In Shanghai, Li Xiaonan protected him In addition, in Beijing, many people helped him. After all, he generally went smoothly and maintained his work and autonomy with dignity.

But this time he has to face a completely different guest.Both Qiu Xinzhi and You Liangchen knew that these people didn't value Huo Zian, or even French food.Although he has a lot of experience, he has never really seen the officialdom here, so he doesn't know if he can bear it.What Qiu Xinzhi said was to hope that You Liangchen could protect Huo Zian and give him some buffer.

You Liangchen nodded slightly to Qiu Xinzhi, Qiu Xinzhi knew that he understood, and felt a little relieved.

After Qiu Xinzhi left, the two slowly walked back to the restaurant.

Because Huo Zian had a breakthrough, he felt a lot more relaxed, but You Liangchen remained silent, obviously something was on his mind.

"Liangchen, are you also afraid that I won't be able to handle this dinner?"

Looking up at the sky from Liangchen, the clouds gathered, as if it was going to rain. "Don't be afraid, you can do it for anyone."

"Then what do you think?"

You Liangchen didn't answer, but said: "I'll talk to Uncle Ma for a while, you go back first." Uncle Ma, like Huo Zian, doesn't live in the store, but no matter whether the door is open or not, he will return to the store every day to find something to do. .

Huo Zian was worried, "I'll go with you, I haven't chatted with Uncle Ma for a long time."

The door of the steamed stuffed bun shop was closed, but it was not locked. The two of them knew their way with ease, pushed the door into the shop, and found the kitchen all the way.

Uncle Ma was alone, pouring flour on a large table.Uncle Ma has four employees, and usually he doesn’t start working. Usually, he is usually seen sitting on a bench with his legs spread apart, his eyes squinted, looking at passers-by, or chatting about gossip.

Huo Zian greeted: "Master, you are kneading the dough."

Uncle Ma raised his head and said "Hey", "You are walking quietly. Have you eaten yet?"

"I've eaten," Yu Liangchen said, "How about you? You're making steamed stuffed buns."

"Don't make steamed buns, steam two steamed buns. Steamed buns are not allowed to be sold, I have stopped buying meat a long time ago, and there are no green onions and ginger in the kitchen."

Seeing the empty kitchen, Huo Zian couldn't help but feel sad.The old man has been running this business for most of his life. Although the business is not good, the neighbors are used to it and want to patronize it from time to time.Ask for some steamed stuffed buns and cold dishes, eat melon seeds and talk about the mountains, the old man is playing chess at the door, and the old lady is picking vegetables around, without all this excitement, even Huo Zian feels lonely, let alone Uncle Ma?

Thinking about it this way, he is even more eager to end the rectification as soon as possible, so that everyone's life can be restored to its original state.

"Master, how many steamed buns do you want, such a big ball of dough." You Liangchen saw Uncle Ma open and close his hands, kneading Shan Gao's flour and warm water together.

"What do you know, this is called nourishing noodles!" He casually lifted a large piece of cotton cloth not far away, revealing another ball of noodles inside, "The noodles are alive, so they have to be fed and fed regularly. .”

Huo Zian became curious, "The dough you kneaded was just for it to eat?"

Uncle Ma raised his head, "Chef, I don't know what your western food is called. We call it old noodles. My old noodle has been around for more than 20 years. If he is a person, he should graduate from university and marry a wife."

Huo Zian suddenly realized, "I know, raise yeast. I know an Italian chef who would bring yeast with him whenever he travels, for fear that his family members will die. But his yeast hasn't been that long...he hasn't gone to college yet."

Yu Liangchen sounded amused, "Yeast? Is it that big white bottle of Ojizang's stuff?"

"Yes, Ouji also raises natural yeast," Huo Zian explained: "To save time when making pasta, whether it's bread or steamed buns, industrial yeast is used to ferment the dough. Industrial yeast has a single strain and is easy to control. Usually The fermentation is finished in one or two hours. But the strain is single, and the taste is also single. The longer the fermentation time, the richer the taste. Natural yeast uses bacteria in the living environment, and there are many types. Fermentation sometimes takes a day or two. Days, or longer. And the yeast must be kept, and new flour must be fed every few days, otherwise the nutrition will be exhausted and the bacteria will die."

This is the first time that Huo Zian has seen the old noodle that he has raised for more than 20 years. Although the operating principle is not complicated, but after all, he is serving living creatures, and the temperature and humidity will affect the state.Moreover, it is difficult to control the production. Sometimes the dough will have obvious acidity. The most powerful bakers in the world dare not put such a large dough in an environment without accurate temperature and humidity control devices to ferment freely.It can be seen how much Uncle Ma has spent on serving it.

He was very moved: "Delicious food, one is fresh, and the other is that it has been for a long time, both of which are difficult. Uncle, your dough is more valuable than all the equipment in my kitchen."

"That's not right! The survival of noodles is the same as that of human beings. What is the most important thing? Luck! Why is it just him, because the time, place and people are right, and they all get together. You eat noodles outside, If you can’t eat well, it’s under control. I want you to grow two minutes, but you can’t grow two and a half minutes. But the dough for old noodles is different every day, and it doesn’t grow according to our ideas. This is the gift The food given to us is what we should share. What are those guys in your kitchen, cooking a dish, no matter how hot or cold it is, you can’t miss a second, what is it called?!"

Huo Zian knew that Uncle Ma could never approve of his western food, so he would mock him whenever he got the chance.He has long been used to it, and he didn't care about it. Seeing the dire situation of the steamed stuffed bun shop, he asked with concern, "Master, have all your buddies gone home? If this shop won't be able to open for a while, you..."

Uncle Ma waved his hand: "If you can't open it, you can't open it. Even if it is open, few people come to eat it." Uncle Ma smiled lonely, "My buns are worthless, but this piece of land is delicious. Anyone who sees it is greedy. If you can’t sell the buns, I’ll sell the house!”

Huo Zian and You Liangchen glanced at each other, and they both heard the desolation inside.

The author has something to say:

The operation method of the old noodles: leave a part of the fermented dough each time to make the old noodles, add new flour next time, knead it well, leave another part, and repeat the cycle.The steamed buns made from old noodles are much more delicious than industrial noodles. They are soft and strong, and have a rich taste. The northern rural areas still retain this tradition. Some old shops in the city will do this, but most of them use industrial yeast. .Italian chefs also raise it. The Italian baker at Opera Bombana in Beijing is said to have brought the natural yeast that he has raised for a long time. Well, it’s so fucking crazy, running around with a bottle of bacteria...