Famous Martial Arts Dishes

  Although he had no practical experience, Master Zhang was indeed a master. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he seemed like a chef who had been cooking for decades. Whether it was a knife or a spatula, he used them with ease and fluidity. His movements were not only fast but also elegant and natural, making him look like a dancer, swift and beautiful to watch. Ye Meng's eyes widened in amazement, unable to keep up with his skillful actions.

  Seeing Zhang Jin skillfully killing, gutting and scaling a two-pound grass carp in just a few strokes, and then putting it into the steamer without adding any seasonings, Ye Meng curiously asked: "Brother-in-law, when steaming fish, shouldn't you use cooking wine or other seasonings to remove the fishy smell?" Ye Meng had learned some cooking skills from her mother and shared her own opinion.

  Ye Meng thought that Zhang Jin might just be good at cutting skills, but other aspects of cooking were not necessarily proficient.

  Zhang Jin was completely unmoved by Ye Meng's proposal, and continued to put the well-handled fish into the steamer, covering it with a lid and lighting the fire. As he turned his head to continue handling the fresh pork loin that had just been bought back today, he said: "I didn't plan to make steamed grass carp for this dish. For steaming, it's better to use mandarin fish, crucian carp or grouper."

  Watching Zhang Jin's thick-bladed vegetable knife dancing nimbly, chopping the pork tenderloin with a flurry of knife flowers, Ye Meng asked persistently: "Not steaming? Then how do you plan to cook it?"

  "Sister Song's fish, also known as West Lake vinegar fish!"

  "That's even more wrong, my mom taught me how to make West Lake fish in vinegar, and it's not steamed at all. First, you need to put it in clear water and cook it until it's done... Forget it, I'll just do it myself. I've learned this dish before." Ye Meng said as she pushed Zhang Jin away from the stove, planning to turn off the heat under the steamer first and then take over cooking herself.

  Zhang Jin hastily pushed away the little girl who was trying to squeeze over, and then smiled and said: "Have you read Gu Long's 'Seven Weapons'?"

  Ye Meng, who was pushed away from the stove, said somewhat unwillingly: "Do you still have time to chat? Let me tell you, if you keep doing this, after a while when the fish is half-cooked, even if you want to change it back, it won't be possible!" As she spoke, she tried to squeeze back towards the stove.

  Pushing Ye Meng away again, Zhang Jin still asked with a smile: "Don't mind you, just say if you've seen it or not?"

  "No, I've just heard of it. It's an old book, who reads that now?" Ye Meng said with a pout, her eyes fixed on what she thought was the misused steamer.

  "What a pity, such a good book!"

  Seeing Zhang Jin had no intention of letting her intervene, Ye Meng reluctantly gave up on personally taking charge and said in a sulky tone: "What's the point of mentioning that 'Seven Weapons' thing?"

  "The Seven Heroes" series consists of seven books, telling seven stories. In one of the books called "The Jade Blade", the protagonist Duan Yu just left home with the jade blade to visit his young wife in Jiangnan whom he had never met before. He heard someone say: "If you pass by Hangzhou without visiting West Lake, it's a waste of life. If you go to West Lake and don't try the 'Song Hua Fish' at San Ya Garden, it's really regrettable."

  The Song aunt of San Ya Garden emphasized that 'the fish must be killed alive and steamed to be the best, after steaming, the seasonings are poured in, so when it's served on the table, it's still hot and steamy, truly melting in your mouth, both fresh and tender'.

  He paused for a moment, then continued: "What I made is the 'Song Niang Yu' of San Ya Garden, not the ordinary 'West Lake Vinegar Fish' that people usually eat. It's normal if it's different from what you've had before. But I can guarantee that it will definitely taste good."

  Zhang Jin didn't stop his hands from working while speaking, and in just a short while, he had already cut the pork waist into thin slices, soaking them in a bowl of clear water that was ready beforehand. After switching to a knife for cutting vegetables and a specialized vegetable chopping board, he picked up two stalks of celery again and began to peel and chop them into shreds.

  Zhang Jin was like a storyteller, and Ye Meng just pretended to listen. After Zhang Jin finished speaking, Ye Meng naturally didn't believe it at all, pouting her mouth and saying: "Even if Gu Long wrote well, he might not be able to cook. Where did you learn that from? You can't just make things up as you go along, those are all fabrications."

  "Haven't you heard that it's from life? How can you say it doesn't taste good if you haven't even eaten it yet?"

  "The method is fundamentally wrong, it's strange if it tastes good."

  "Oh? You think so? Then you're not allowed to grab it in a moment!"

  "Hmph, you ask me and I won't even eat it!"

  Zhang Jin's hands didn't stop, his mouth was leisurely arguing with Ye Meng.

  Zhang Jin's kitchen used a double-burner stove, and at this time he lit the other burner as well. He put a wok on it, and after the wok was hot, he poured some cooking oil into it.

  Ye Meng couldn't outdo Zhang Jin in a battle of wits, so she changed the subject. "What are you planning to do with this dish? Is there another story you want to tell me?" Her tone still carried a hint of sarcasm at the end. This little girl had just lost an argument and was still feeling upset. After all, she was still a petty-minded little girl.

  Zhang Jin didn't get angry at Ye Meng's bad tone, but just smiled and said: "The next dish I'm going to make is stir-fried bamboo shoots. You might not know, but this dish actually has a story behind it!" As he spoke, Zhang Jin playfully raised an eyebrow, "Have you read Gu Long's 'Lu Xiaofeng'?"

  "Here we go again! I'll answer you once more, but I won't read that old book, no way, not going to happen...!" Yemeng's voice started to rise in pitch and volume, clearly this little girl was getting worked up.

  Zhang Jin was thoroughly enjoying this teasing, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he spoke in a completely serious tone: "Lu Xiao Feng has a monk friend who's supposedly his most skilled chef friend, called Master Bitter Gourd. His vegetarian dishes are unparalleled in the world. And to get to eat Master Bitter Gourd's vegetarian dishes, you need not only be a famous and influential person, but also follow the rules, like taking a bath and burning incense, being patient and so on. The most important thing is that he has to be pleased with you. This simple stir-fried lettuce of mine may look unassuming, but it's absolutely authentic Master Bitter Gourd's craftsmanship. You're really lucky, little girl."

  This time, Ye Meng didn't have the chance to refute, but instead started desperately gasping for air. It turned out that Zhang Jin had already put the shredded lettuce into the pot. Along with a burst of sizzling oil, a wisp of fragrance rose up, not thick but continuous, like a gentle breeze on a spring day. If you closed your eyes and sniffed this fragrance, you could almost imagine the scene of a grassland in full bloom, and your whole body would feel relaxed and at ease. Moreover, this fragrance had an even greater effect - it not only opened up one's mind but also stirred up one's appetite, which was already a kind of enlightenment.

  This dish of "stir-fried celery" had just been cooked, and Zhang Jin only flipped the wok scoop twice before adding a few dots of fine salt without any other seasonings. This dish tests one's skills in cutting, stir-frying, and controlling the heat; if the heat is too high, it will be burnt, and if it's too low, it will be raw. Moreover, only when the oil temperature in the wok is just right can the celery's fragrance be fully brought out; if the knife work is not good, and each piece of celery is not cut to a uniform thickness, then some parts will inevitably be either undercooked or overcooked; if the stir-frying skills are not good, and each piece of celery does not receive the same amount of heat, then again, some parts will be either undercooked or overcooked. So even though this dish seems simple, it is actually extremely demanding in terms of skill, which is why only someone with "master-level" culinary skills like Zhang Jin can do it to perfection; otherwise, even top chefs from high-end hotels with all sorts of prestigious titles might not be able to achieve such a perfect result.

  Looking at the celery roots that have been stir-fried to a bright green and oily sheen, each one seemed to be carved from the finest jade. The aroma that wafted up to her nose was refreshing and mouthwatering, making her dizzy with desire. Although she still didn't know what it would taste like in her mouth, just based on its appearance and fragrance, Ye Meng felt that at least two of the three key elements - 'color, smell, and taste' - had already scored full marks.

  Ye Meng's eyes gleamed like a cat seeing fish, making Zhang Jin involuntarily smile. He considerately pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the cabinet and handed them over, saying in a soft voice with suppressed laughter: "Try some?"

  Ye Meng completely forgot his previous belittling of Zhang Jin's culinary skills, and deftly took over the chopsticks to dig in. "Ah——" After a mouthful of hot dish, Ye Meng let out a long sigh, with an expression of intoxication on his small face. Without even lifting his head, he stretched out his chopsticks again for another big scoop. If the aroma of this dish made people smell the arrival of spring, then when it entered their mouths, it was like entering spring itself! It's no wonder that this is a top-notch, master-level culinary creation - indeed, anything produced by a master must be a masterpiece!

  Seeing Ye Meng had no intention of stopping, seemingly wanting to finish the whole plate of bamboo shoots in one breath, Zhang Jin hurriedly pried the chopsticks out of her small hands, "Little glutton, why are you eating like a starving ghost? Savor one bite and wait until dinner time to eat the rest."

  With a reluctant gaze, Ye Meng finally shifted her line of sight away from the green dish after Zhang Jin moved it to a place she couldn't reach. She put on a flattering expression like a eager-to-please pug and started praising: "Sister-in-law, delicious, great!" As she spoke, she even raised her slender white thumb to add emphasis to her words.

  After tasting Zhang Jin's craftsmanship, Ye Meng didn't mention the dispute over the "West Lake Vinegar Fish" again, but he looked forward to Zhang Jin's next dish with great anticipation. Seeing Zhang Jin throw the washed and drained waist flowers into the hot pot, Ye Meng suddenly felt like he hadn't eaten for days, feeling extremely hungry!

  To shift her attention, Ye Meng swallowed the saliva that had filled her small mouth with a "gulp" and hastily changed the subject, asking: "Brother-in-law, what's this dish called? Is there a story behind it?"

  Zhang Jin was intently stirring the waist flowers in the pot with one hand, while muttering to himself: "Fireworks waist flowers! If you want to talk about allusions, there is also a book by Gu Long called 'White Jade Tiger'. No need to ask, I'm sure you haven't read it either."

  Her eyes swept to Ye Meng's little head, who was staring at the wok with her mouth watering and nodding vigorously as if she wanted to shake off her own head. Zhang Jin smiled and continued: "The female lead, Lian Yilian, also known as Lian Yilian, met a great chef named Miao Shou Ren in a kitchen called 'Oyster Oil Beef'. This spicy waist flower was made by this great chef at that time. At that time, the description was like this: when she smelled the spicy waist flowers made by others, 'she thought it was very fragrant, but she didn't want to eat because she had just eaten and was still full.' But when she smelled the spicy waist flower made by Miao Shou Ren himself, 'although she was not hungry, she still drooled'.

  "This is the difference between the explosive waist flower made by Master Chef and others. And what I'm making now is 'Explosive Waist Flower'. To be exact, it's 'Master Chef's Explosive Waist Flower'."