Imperial Crown

On the third floor of the Wallace Hotel, everyone was talking excitedly, wanting to know what Raven would make.

Among them, Fiona was undoubtedly the most looking forward to it.

Ever since she had eaten Raven's noodles with soybean paste last time, she couldn't forget the taste. Although she had imitated it several times in private, she could not grasp the key points and was too embarrassed to ask Raven how to make it. Now she could finally taste the Baron's craftsmanship again.

The most curious one was Anno. In her opinion, Raven was an excellent nobleman and lord, a magician.

He could be good at using weapons, commanding the battlefield, and casting magic, but when it came to cooking, the two images could not overlap at all.

At this moment, footsteps sounded, and everyone turned their heads to see Raven walking out with a huge copper pot in his hand.

The pot had a peculiar shape, with a thick round base at the bottom and a chimney-like opening on the top. The pot body was surrounded on top, like a huge swimming ring.

It was the old-fashioned copper hot pot that was common before Raven crossed over.

Seeing him coming to the main table, the people next to him quickly moved aside. As soon as Raven put the pot in the middle, Weisdong stood up: "Brother, what are you doing?"

Raven raised his eyebrows and said: "Open it and take a look."

Wesdong opened the lid of the pot, and his face immediately showed disappointment - there was only a pot of slightly milky white soup in the pot, with scattered dried red dates and mushrooms floating on it.

"How to eat this...?"

"You will know in a while." Raven smiled and clapped his hands, and immediately there was a dense sound of footsteps behind him.

A group of waiters came over, the first two carrying another copper pot, and the others had more tricks in their hands.

Beef, mutton, pork, all selected from various parts, cut into thin slices and spread on the plate, looked so fresh; lettuce, broccoli, lettuce, potatoes, radishes and other colorful vegetables were also washed and picked clean.

The only regret is that the Eagle Territory is too far from the sea and there is no seafood to eat, but the "Golden Sand Fish" special to the Jinsha River is also delicious. It is sliced ​​thinly, shaved of small thorns, and placed on a plate in a fan shape.

Someone brought charcoal and poured it into the copper pot through the chimney-like opening.

Eric, who had a military career, was the first to react: "Are you going to cook it?"

Raven smiled and nodded: "Almost, but before that, there is something else."

Two dining carts were pushed up, filled with bowls of prepared dipping sauces, both dry and wet, and were served to everyone.

These were all prepared by Raven himself.

The dry ingredients used were crushed peanuts, crushed sesame seeds, salt and cumin. It's a pity that there are no peppers on the mainland, otherwise it would be much more colorful.

The wet ingredients are the dipping sauce for the old Beijing hot pot, a mixture of peanut butter and sesame paste, and some cooked sesame seeds are sprinkled for taste. According to Raven's taste, some minced garlic and chives should be added, but considering the air quality of the public dining environment, it is omitted.

The soup in the copper pot was almost cooked, and now it is boiling. Raven picked up a pair of long public chopsticks from the plate, picked up a few slices of fat mutton and put them into the pot.

The meat slices were boiled in boiling water and soon faded the raw red color. Raven picked it up and put it on his plate: "The overall process is like this. If you are not used to chopsticks, you can use a colander. I have also prepared a public fork. Everyone do it yourself and have enough food and clothing!"

It's not that Raven doesn't want to take care of others, but there are too many people present, and he can't take care of them all.

Weisdong was the first to move.

With him taking the lead, others followed suit.

Hot pot itself does not require any technical skills. Although they did not know what the chopsticks in Raven's hand were, and they did not understand how to use them, it did not prevent them from using spoons and forks to push the meat into the pot. For a while, the house was filled with the aroma of meat.

But only the three ladies did not move. Raven thought they were being reserved because of their status. Just as he was about to show his gentlemanly demeanor, he heard Denise ask: "Raven, how do you use the chopsticks you just held?"

Lacus also said: "Are these chopsticks invented specifically for this hot pot?"

This question stumped Raven. There was no special reason for him to use chopsticks. He just thought it was convenient to use chopsticks for hot pot. He did not expect that their focus was on this.

Just as he was about to deal with it casually, Raven found that An Nuo was also looking at him with curious eyes, or more precisely, looking at the chopsticks.

It seemed that they were all very interested.

"It's actually very simple to use..." Raven was a little stuck when he said this. Using chopsticks is an instinct that every Chinese has developed since childhood. It's hard to explain the techniques and principles involved.

So Raven had to teach and demonstrate how to hold and use chopsticks.

Even as a second-level priest, Lux found it difficult to master the use of chopsticks. The chopsticks were split or one of them simply fell off. She always couldn't grasp the key points.

Perhaps there are some similarities between holding a pen and holding chopsticks. In comparison, Denise seemed to be much more talented in this aspect. She could use it without Raven's teaching for a few times. Although she was not very skilled, her wrist was very stable.

Even Anno tried it and it was very stable. However, every time he would subconsciously use his magic to stabilize the chopsticks, it was hard to say whether he knew how to use it or not.

Denise cooked a few slices of beef, first put more than half on Weisdon's plate, and then put the rest on her own plate.

Like Raven, she covered the beef with sauce and put it in her mouth. Denise smiled, trying to suppress it.

She thought Raven did this just to create a lively atmosphere for everyone, but she didn't expect it to taste so good.

The freshly cut beef had a meaty aroma and a soft chewiness. After chewing it, it was delicious.

Especially the sauce prepared by Raven, the fragrance of sesame paste, the smoothness of peanut butter, and the occasional surprise of crispy and fragrant taste of cooked sesame seeds. It was very satisfying to take a bite.

Combined with the cold Angel's Tears, it cleared the greasiness in the mouth and made people unable to stop.

On the other side, Lux stubbornly refused the mutton that Raven picked for her, and tried to control the unskilled chopsticks to put the meat into the pot. She looked so serious as if she was fighting a war.

There is a problem with using chopsticks to pick up meat. If you hold it too tightly, the part that is held by the chopsticks will not be cooked. Lux was very nervous and used the chopsticks very hard, which resulted in this effect.

She loosened the chopsticks like Raven, hoping that the soup in the pot would scald the meat. This step was successful, but when she tried to put the chopsticks away, she caught nothing - the chopsticks were split apart again.

"Let me help you." Raven said, holding her white and tender palm without waiting for Lux to refuse, and adjusted the position of her fingers: "Would you like to try again now?"

Lux stared at the pot, like a young hunter. She held the chopsticks and stretched out her hand to pick up the meat. Although there were still a few pieces of meat flowing, she finally held a piece firmly.

Putting the mutton on the plate, Lux even forgot the existence of the dipping sauce and immediately put it into her mouth.

The two little feet in cloth shoes faced each other, the head shook slightly, and the eyes showed undisguised satisfaction.

This is simply the most delicious mutton Lux has ever eaten. It is tender and smooth, without any fishy smell. Instead, it has a strange deliciousness. Eating a bite of mutton is just like drinking a big bowl of fresh meat soup.

This is not just the satisfaction of getting results after hard work.

Another factor is that she picked up the chopsticks too late. Many meats have been cooked in the pot. Various flavor substances have been fully released. Now the pot is no longer a simple soup base, but a real broth!

"Here, try it, it tastes very good." Denise has mastered the chopsticks and the joy of serving and sharing dishes. Seeing that Annuo's plate has been empty, she put a few slices of freshly cooked beef tenderloin on her plate.

Annuo nodded and said, "Thank you."

She picked up the fork, dipped the beef in the dry material dish, put it in her mouth, and raised her eyebrows slightly.

After traveling to many places on the continent, it was the first time that An Nuo had eaten beef cooked in this way. The taste was delicious, and the dry ingredients provided saltiness and flavor. It could not be said to be amazing, but it could be considered a fine product among the food An Nuo had eaten.

But with the soft taste and sweet taste of the iced Angel's Tears, the fine product became the best.

Before, she had only heard of the name of Angel's Tears, but she did not expect that its quality was far better than the rumors.

This family dinner of Raven made her appreciate more than just the food.

She had lived alone since she was very young. She could not be said to be lonely and helpless, but she had no relatives and friends. The only person who had been with her for a long time was her pet Xiao Mo, which was one of the reasons why she was persistent in wanting to establish the academy.

Now, everyone sat together and ate in the same pot. Although Denise took care to pick up food for her, for An Nuo, it was like a home that she had not returned to for a long time, and she could also be a member of this family.

When the academy opens in the future, she must bring all the students to eat hot pot together!

"Ms. Denise, I want to eat that pork."

Denise immediately picked up a few slices: "Okay."

She was worried that she would give Visdon something, but Visdon would not eat it.

It's not that it's not delicious. Visdon likes this way of cooking very much, but the premise is that he cooks and eats it himself. His mother's love seriously deprives him of the fun of doing it himself, and she always gives him vegetables that he hates. He almost ran away with his bowl covered.

Seeing that someone distracted Denise's attention, Visdon breathed a sigh of relief and cast a grateful look at Annuo.

Hot pot is a way of eating that comes from the market. It can't be eaten elegantly. As plates of meat were finished, new meat was served, and the atmosphere became more and more lively.

Eric likes to eat meat, especially big pieces and big mouthfuls of meat. He didn't like hot pot at first, but when he saw Visdon next to him fork a whole plate of meat and put it into the pot, it was like opening the door to a new world and began to imitate him.

Use a fork to pile up the fresh meat on the plate, put it in the pot, break it up and watch it cook, then use a large colander to break it all out and put it on the plate, pour all the dry and wet ingredients on top, mix it lightly, shake your cheeks and start eating.

In this way, the satisfaction provided is no less than that of a large piece of steak or pork chop, and because it is juicy and delicious enough, you can feel the gravy flowing in your mouth with every bite, which is really satisfying!

He originally wanted to toast Raven, but the meat was really delicious, and Baron Raven himself was eating very attentively and happily, so he didn't want to ruin this feeling, so he started eating crazily.

At the same time, as the inventor of the "big pile of shabu-shabu meat" way of eating, Weisdong was not willing to lag behind.

After all, he is only fifteen years old. What he hates the most is those complicated table manners, especially now that he has lost his right hand, which makes every meal at a formal occasion very uncomfortable. Food like hot pot is really what he likes.

What makes Vesdon even more happy is that he also received a red envelope from Raven today, which is a full three hundred gold coins!

Although there is some gap between the three thousand gold coins promised before, it is still a big head start.

When he thought about the three thousand gold coins, Vesdon looked at Eric with a somewhat unkind look.

So just when Eric wanted to pick up the freshly cooked meat in the pot, Vesdon had quick eyes and quick hands and scooped it directly onto his plate.

Eric was stunned for a moment and placed another plate of meat. This time, before he could do anything, Vesdon moved again.

This scene made Eric angry and funny. He didn't eat anymore. He just kept eating the meat to see how long Vesdon could eat it.

The two of them ate one at a time, and the speed became faster and faster. Until the sixth plate, Vesdon shook his red head: "I can't do it anymore, I've taken it, I can't eat anymore!"

Eric laughed, poured a glass of wine for Vesdon, and picked up his own glass: "I'd like to propose a toast to Master Vesdon."

Weston also picked up the wine glass. After the two clinked their glasses, they both drank it in one gulp, and the atmosphere became more harmonious.

In contrast, the table on the other side was a bit "hot", the most important ones being Buvel and Gray Hammer.

Bowell whispered: "Hey, Gray Hammer, eat more elegantly, elegantly! This is the Baron's family banquet, we must give him a deep impression!"

"Elegance? Elegance is nothing!" Suo Hei didn't care about this: "You have to be elegant, it's your own elegance, don't make it hard for me to have enough to eat!"

As he spoke, he rolled a large plate of meat together with a fork, then put it into the pot. When the outside was cooked and the inside was still red, he took it out, put it on a plate, poured in the dipping sauce and took a big gulp. Nibbling.

Seeing his appearance, Bowell lowered his head and looked at the blanched green vegetables on his plate, and slowly started cutting them with a knife and fork, but the sound of Suoheiba's mouth and the sound of sizzling food kept coming. The smell of meat made his hands tremble a little.

"Hey, Sohey, Bowell!" Poirot greeted them both, hiccupping.

"It's Bowell and Sohey," corrected Bowell, insisting that his name should come first.

Suo Hei lowered his head and was still engrossed in eating, not caring at all.

"Oh, Sohey is eating. Sorry, I didn't see it just now." Poirot said, "I thought you couldn't eat because you were too short. Sorry."

Buvier was furious and was about to blurt out the words racial discrimination, and then Poirot put a spoonful of meat on his plate: "Eat, if you can't reach it, come to me, everyone is one of our own!"

The smell of meat penetrated his nose, and Bowell finally couldn't hold himself any longer, so he sprinkled some dipping sauce on it and took a big bite.

If something like meat is delicious, the best people should eat it——

So delicious!

Seeing Buvier's face lighten up, Sohei showed disdain and continued to eat!

As the banquet progressed, the three ladies had small appetites and left first under the escort of Raven. Fiona also accompanied Old Gordon to leave, and the atmosphere became more and more lively.

Eric and Volaf loudly recounted their heroic deeds on the bloody highlands, while Poirot and others began to claim credit, saying that without their logistics, these big soldiers would have no choice but to run naked!

If you don't agree with each other, then you can win or lose by drinking. For a while, there was constant clinking of glasses, mixed with shouts and cheers. A lively banquet went from day to night. In the end, except for a few extraordinary people, they basically couldn't walk on their own. .

The excitement on the third floor attracted the attention of the merchants on the first and second floors. They secretly inquired about the situation on the third floor. However, the service staff here were trained by Old Gordon himself and were very strict. They only knew how to eat upstairs. is a kind of food called "hot pot".

The name sounded fresh, and it was something that the Baron was treating guests to, which naturally aroused curiosity and ordered hot pot. Businessman Ino was no exception.

When the hot pot was served, he stared blankly. It turned out that it was really just a pot with a fire in the middle, which made him quite disappointed.

But when the waiter explained how to eat it and he ordered a few plates of meat and ate it himself, he began to admire Baron Raven's wisdom.

The food form of hot pot is novel and does not require a chef. Each diner cooks for himself. This is undoubtedly a very new thing for the nobles who have never cooked.

The meat and vegetables provided by Wallace Hotel are extremely fresh, and the sauces are quite unique. It is indeed a wonderful enjoyment to eat.

Especially since the store is equipped with a temperature control array, even if the pot is steaming, it will not make people feel hot. Combined with the cold angel's tears, it is definitely worth the money!

Moreover, other businessmen would not be able to learn from it - the construction cost of the Wallace Hotel is probably about six to seven thousand gold coins. Most businessmen do not have that kind of capital at all. Even if they do, they are not as big as Baron Raven. reputation!

As many guests left that night, so did the reputation of the Wallace Hotel and hotpot, with everyone raving about it.

Fiona was also very happy. This time the hot pot gave her a completely different experience from the fried noodles. The last time it was refreshing, this time it was rich and fragrant, which greatly opened up her taste buds.

Her favorite is not the meat, but the vegetables cooked in the pot. They are full of the aroma of meat, but not greasy. They are her favorite.

The most important thing is that hot pot can be replicated at home, but she still needs to ask for advice on the dipping sauce.

After washing off the smell of hot pot, Fiona came to her grandfather's room early the next morning, but saw an unexpected figure. She was so surprised that she even forgot to be nervous:

"Baron, why are you here!?"

...