Grasp the farming script in the famous book

When the last ray of sunlight disappears from the west-facing windows, two authentic local dishes are already on the table.

The smell wafting from the kitchen has caused several people to knock on the door outside the restaurant, asking if the small restaurant will be open.Roland thought that she would have to make a small sign like "Closed and Closed" and hang it on the door in the future.

The black nanny came over with extremely critical eyes, stretched out a spoon and tasted both the gumbo soup and the risotto, without saying anything, instead went to the cupboard and took out some good tableware that had been carefully kept.

She swayed her broad body again, creaked up the steps, and walked up to the second floor.Not long after, she helped a middle-aged woman who was about the same age as Ellen down.

"This is Mrs. Munro."

"My name is Nanni." Mammy introduced herself.

This Mrs. Munro was a thin woman with fair skin, gray eyes, brown hair, and a gentle smile on her lips. For some reason, Roland always felt that she was familiar, probably a bit like Ellen.

When Mrs. Munro saw Roland, her smile became wider. She turned around and gently pulled Sister Nanni's sleeve, and asked in a low voice:

"Is this pretty lady Tommy's girlfriend? Why didn't Tommy come back with her?"

Prissy next to Roland changed his face first, and Roland could feel the little girl start to tremble.

Sister Nanni winked at Roland one after another, all pleading in her eyes.

So Roland smiled slightly, bowed his head and said, "It can't be counted as it... It can only be regarded as a friend?"

Mrs. Munro understood immediately, and turned to ask the nanny standing beside her, "When will Tommy come back? We can't let such a beautiful guest wait here."

Roland's heart suddenly felt sour, and he barely heard what Sister Nanni said.Hao Jiale's words, "Wait for Ellen to come back before eating" seemed to echo in her ears.

The Mrs. Munro in front of her is just another Jiale Hao, living in her own small world, refusing to admit the cruelty of reality and the departure of her relatives.

She lowered her head and could feel Mammy's sensitive eyes turning back and forth on her face.

"This young lady borrowed our kitchen. In order to express her gratitude, she specially cooked a dinner for you. Please taste it."

Mrs. Munro once again set her eyes on Roland, looked at it again and again, and came to the conclusion: "Looking at your appearance and bearing, you are not a person who needs to cook frequently."

Pulissy nodded desperately beside Roland.

"Oh," Mrs. Munro sighed suddenly, "but I also understand that life is indeed very difficult. My child, thank you for your hard work."

Roland was a little curious: Mrs. Munro's situation was not the same as that of Jiale—as long as Tommy was not mentioned, this lady would be logical and polite; unlike Jiale, she was not normal most of the time.

Mrs. Munro tasted the okra soup made by Roland, looked up, and her eyes suddenly lit up with joy.

"Haven't tasted this in a long time. Boy, are you from New Orleans?"

Roland truthfully said no, and Mrs. Munro said "Oh" regretfully, but then said, "You are already half of New Orleanians to be able to make this kind of flavor."

To Roland's surprise, Mrs. Munro knew a lot about cooking, so she gave some casual pointers and told what could be improved on Roland's okra soup and risotto, or in other words, what could be better suited to the taste of the locals.

Seeing that what she said was true, Roland accepted the teaching with an open mind, and remembered everything in his heart.

For a while, Mrs. Munro asked Nanny to go to the wine cellar to get a bottle of wine to match with the dishes made by Roland - the local wine itself does not have too many layers of taste, but it is refreshing and pleasant, paired with spices Rich, tangy soups and risottos are just the thing.

Sister Nanni took the opportunity to ask Mrs. Munro if she could let Roland and the others borrow the kitchen from time to time.

"Of course."

Mrs. Munro smiled slyly.

"If I don't allow it, Tommy will blame me too."

The more Mrs. Munro was like this, the more Roland felt sad—she seemed to be facing Jia Le.

When I was young, the four women in this house ate the two meals that Roland cooked.Sister Nanni did, as she said, eat a lot, and "wrapped" all the leftovers by herself.

She helped Mrs. Munro upstairs to rest, but with a wink, she signaled Roland and the others to wait a while.

Half an hour later, Mammy came down from upstairs, stared at Roland for a long time, then lowered her head and said:

"Ma'am, I misunderstood you earlier, you are a good person."

"My wife likes your dishes very much, and I like them too. Can you cook more for every meal in the future..."

Sister Nanni clasped her hands together and begged Roland.

Roland hurriedly asked her to tell her about the situation of Munro's family.

It turned out that this Mrs. Munro was originally the daughter of a big local family. After getting married, Mr. Munro died early, and Mrs. Munro raised her only son Tommy alone.In order to make a living, she left the upper city where her family lived, and went to this place adjacent to the lower city to open this small restaurant—Tommy's Kitchen.

After the outbreak of the war, Tommy was not drafted as the only son, but at the later stage of the war, all men who could carry guns in the southern states went to the battlefield, and Tommy was no exception.

Mrs. Munro kept the little dining room alone until her son came home.

But when the death notice came, Mrs. Munro gradually became like this, and her body was getting weaker and weaker day by day.She can no longer even hold a spatula herself.

Fortunately, Mrs. Munro's natal family is still generous and will send some relief from time to time.

In addition, the house and land belonged to Mrs. Munro, and Mrs. Munro and the nanny lived together, so the burden was not heavy.

But this did not cure Mrs. Munro's heart.

She has been guarding the small restaurant, "waiting for Tommy to come back."

"I was a black slave picked up by my wife when I was about to die of illness,"

Sister Nanni explained to Roland why she had stayed here.

"After I regained my life, I swore that my wife would be here with her as long as she lives."

"My wife is really happy that you came here today, and I ate a little extra for dinner. Please come here often in the future. You don't have to worry about the materials, I will buy them for you every day."

Within a meal, Sister Nanni had changed her attitude when she first met her, and now she wished to treat her as her own family and invite her to this house.

Roland agreed to the request, but she refused to allow the other party to subsidize the ingredients—she needed to cook for herself anyway, so she didn't mind making two extra servings.

In the next few days, Roland spent most of his time in the fishing market by the port, except for occasional visits to tea merchants or the Patent Office to help with her "big business".

She took a fancy to the fresh local ingredients, so she brought some back every day, cooked them in different ways, and invited Mrs. Munro and Aunt Nanni to taste them.

But Mrs. Munro really knows how to cook. Like Ellen's natal family, she came from an immigrant from France to America. She knows no less about French cuisine than Roland, but she is also very familiar with local produce and local people. Favorite spices.

As long as Mrs. Munro was not thinking of Tommy, she could give Rowland sane advice.

Gradually, Roland also learned more about the tastes of the locals: the main cuisine in this area is called Creole cuisine.

Creole refers specifically to the descendants of French, Hispanic, and African immigrants.Their eating habits are deeply influenced by French cuisine, and they are best at using various spices;

But it is also influenced by Spain, the Caribbean and African countries, and likes rich and thick sauces;

The staple food of the cuisine is not just bread, rice and various beans are common on the table.

Roland's culinary background is originally a combination of East and West, especially in New Orleans, which is rich in products.She’s even been able to add spices that people don’t use to Creole dishes, like chili peppers from Mexico—which add more aroma and balance to the dish.

In addition to the gumbo and seafood risotto she tasted on the day she first arrived, Roland quickly learned a dozen more Creole dishes: Stir-fried Creole prawns with okra, oysters in cream sauce Stuffed crisp pies, mushroom giblets with turkey liver, fish baked with lime in greased paper 1…

She even had to send Prissy to sit at the door of the restaurant while she was cooking.

People passing by here will see such a strange scene: the door of "Tommy's Kitchen" is closed, but people keep coming up to ask if the restaurant is open, and a little black girl sits in front of the door with her head drooping Dozing off, he replied impatiently: "Do not open, do not open..."

But all people understand this very well.

The aroma coming from the kitchen of this house is so strong that people unconsciously want to stop, or even take a peek, to see what kind of delicious food is being cooked in the kitchen.

This day, Roland made another delicious dish with the ingredients she bought back: she bought fresh blue crabs in the market. They were not big, but they were all soft-shell crabs that had just moulted.She splits the crabs in half, coats them with flour and frys them lightly to make the crab, which she then stews with other common Creole ingredients.

She had just made it, and before she had time to taste it, Prissy's voice sounded in front of her: "Miss Scarlett, Miss Scarlett..."

"Someone here insists on seeing you!"

Roland took off his apron as he walked out, and saw a young man with a prosthetic leg and a cane just like Will.

"Oh, I'm so sorry—"

When the young man saw Roland, he quickly took off the peaked cap on his head.

"I thought Mrs. Munro was cooking."

Roland explained lightly: "Mrs. Munro is not in good health. I'll help her cook dinner."

"So that's how-"

The young man was leaning on crutches, holding a peaked cap, with disappointment in his eyes.

"But this restaurant..."

Roland categorically denied: "The restaurant will definitely not be open, please don't knock on the door to ask again."

The young man let out a regretful "ah", and he said to Roland in a persuasive tone: "It's a pity that you don't open a restaurant with such a good cooking skill..."

Roland said lightly: "It doesn't mean that if you are good at cooking, you must open a restaurant. I didn't make a living from it."

"Of course not," the young man blushed, "you certainly don't need to make a living from this..."

"It's just that if Tommy's kitchen is reopened, it's like going back to the past. The war didn't start, and any disaster didn't happen..."

The young man said helplessly.

Roland frowned.

She raised her voice slightly: "Why are you all like this?"

"Why do you all want to pretend that the disasters of the past few years never happened?"

"Y'all know it's impossible, Tommy can't come back from the dead, and your legs can't get back... The Confederacy can never go back to what it was."

"Friends, our old lives are gone forever. We can no longer lie to ourselves, and we can no longer turn a blind eye to the present—"

"All we can do is to raise our heads, face up to these changes, rebuild our homes on the ruins, and embrace life again... Oh no, I didn't mean to say that this hurts you!"

Roland suddenly became at a loss.

The young man in front of her covered her face with her hands, sobbing silently.Tears dripped from the lower edge of his palm.

Ah, her character is too rigid and straightforward. She can struggle to get out of the quagmire left by the war, but not everyone is like her.

"Prissy, help him into the shop and sit down to rest for a while."

The little black girl led the visitor into the dining room by holding on to his crutches.

This restaurant has not been used for a long time, but Nanni, who is diligent, cleans and wipes it every day. The walnut dining table and chairs in the restaurant are spotless and still look brand new.

"You sit down first... I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to offend."

Roland stuffed his handkerchief into the young man's hand, "I'm the same as you. My mother passed away at the end of the war, and my father is still not very sane. Many of my friends went to join the army. They were killed, captured, Injuries, disabilities... every pain I've seen, I can feel..."

The young man's cries gradually died down.

Someone who can feel their own pain seems to be shared.

Roland sincerely reflected on himself: "It's my fault, I should reflect on myself-I should realize that delicious food has the power to comfort people's hearts, it can relieve pain, and help us put ourselves into pieces again. Pick up the land again."

"Young man, in order to make up for you, may I treat you to dinner?"

She just cooked too much food tonight, and she can serve dinner for two more.

The young man, having wiped away the tears with her handkerchief, smiled and nodded vigorously.

So, Roland brought out Creole noodles with blue crab stewed with small seafood and red bean rice, and some small soft-shell crabs that she fried directly with oil, and brought them up at this time.

The restaurant door was still open.

Someone came in with a probe and said with emotion: "It's really open!"

Roland sighed, thinking that it really seemed unstoppable.

So she said loudly: "Try opening today, there is still a place for free food tasting, please come in if you are interested, and close the door."

When the visitor heard this, he quickly stepped in and closed the door behind him.

……

Sister Nannie sat on the stairs, looking into Mrs. Munro's open room and listening to the dining-room below.

She was very worried that Mrs. Munro would listen to Roland's words: "After all, everyone understands the truth, but if it really is my turn, whether I can survive it will depend on luck!"

Roland here, once he opened the mouth for "trial operation", he couldn't stop it anymore.

People come to inquire every day, when will it "officially open" after the "trial opening".

"I've heard that in Tommy's kitchen, the chef's skills are even better than before!"

"I heard that Tony and Alex tried the dish last time, and it is true."

"Then what are you waiting for? When I pass by there every day, I can't walk when I smell the scent."

"Yeah, hurry up and reopen!"

"Under pressure", Roland consulted Aunt Nannie and Mrs. Munro: she was willing to reopen the restaurant, and she would bear all the purchasing expenses of the restaurant. If there was a profit, the profit would be divided in half with the Munro family. .

"My current thinking is that I can open it when I have time, but I don't plan to make any money."

"It's just that people around here can see that this small restaurant is still open, so that they can have more hope and happiness in their hearts."

Roland's current plan is that she cooks a few dishes every day and supplies them to the outside world. For the time being, she only needs to recover the food money and the cost of maintaining the kitchen operation, and forget about making money.

Mammy looked suspiciously, looked at Roland, and then at Mrs. Munro.

Mrs. Munro still had the demeanor of her family background, nodding her head kindly, with the same smile: "This is a good thing!"

With just one sentence, the reopening of the restaurant is settled.

The next day, Roland went shopping and only bought enough fresh ingredients for twenty guests.

In the afternoon, as usual, the kitchen began to overflow with aroma.

People who had heard the news earlier in the morning peeped at the door of the restaurant, and were pleasantly surprised to see that the walnut tables in the restaurant were covered with maroon tablecloths.

A little black girl was sitting behind the counter in a restaurant wiping dishes.

"Really open!"

People spread the news one after another, and they have made plans to come here to order two dishes at night.

Unexpectedly, in the evening, Roland turned out, hung a small wooden board at the door of the restaurant, and drew a number on the wooden board with chalk: "20".

"Cooked a total of 20 dinners tonight, gumbo with rice, soft fried shrimp and oysters, served with sugarcane water. 55 cents each, first come, first served."

"20 copies! There are only 20 copies!"

People were stunned.

And this is different from other restaurants, there is no way to order food at all.If anyone doesn't love gumbo, or fried oysters with fried shrimp, they won't dine.

But the price of 55 cents is really cheap and affordable.Now a cup of sugarcane juice costs 5 cents, and such a meal can be eaten for 55 cents, which is the best of the best.

The smell coming out of the kitchen is very craving, so people recognize it—if you can’t order food, you can’t order it.

They were about to enter the restaurant when they saw a little black girl come out and hang a sign on the door: "Sell out."

"All 20 copies have been ordered today, don't come in again."

The little girl waved her hand at the people outside.When everyone looked at it, it turned out that the restaurant was already full of 20 people, and they all turned their heads to look outside with smiles of "picking up a big bargain".

Ok……

On the first day of business, it is normal to prepare a little less material, so come back the next day!

When the restaurant opened the next evening, Roland turned out and hung a small wooden board outside the door with a number written on it: "10".

This... People are dying one after another, why are there fewer and fewer people?

But the ten people who were lucky enough to wait at the entrance of the restaurant early, when they came out, they just sighed:

"It's worth it, it's worth it!"

Fortunately, on the third day of business, there was a small "50" sign at the door, and the little girl named Prissy kept greeting at the door: "Although there are 50 materials, but Miss Scarlett has no time to do them, even if they are ranked You have to wait for the number!"

"Just wait!"

People waited and waited for the word-of-mouth built by the restaurant in the past two days.

Of the 50 guests, the one who waited the longest is said to have been waiting until night.

But everyone showed satisfaction when they came out, saying:

"It's worth it, it's worth it!"

On the fourth day, a "0" sign was hung directly at the door.The store said that the chef was tired yesterday and planned to close for a day.

This stunned the diners in the city who came here admiringly.

Is this chef actually doing as he pleases?

When Brad came to this restaurant, what he saw was such a scene.

Rhett couldn't help laughing twice, turned and left, and left behind a sentence.

"Yes, she's just as free as that."