It seems that I am still too full [travel]

The 24th of the twelfth lunar month is the New Year.After sending the gods to heaven on this day, theatrical troupes closed the stage, the temples closed, the government sealed, and all walks of life began to have a holiday.Regardless of the common people, or the big and small families, every household began to sprinkle water and sweep the dust and sweep the door to remove the dust and dirt of the old year and clean the house.

Xie Shike lived in Han's house, so he didn't need to worry about the "dusting and cleaning", but since he joined Yi Ya's party, he must not be left behind on the 24th lunar month to worship Zao Jun, otherwise it would be difficult for Zao Jun to go back to the heaven to report on his work and speak ill of people.

This day, I simply ate the morning food, and when I thanked him, I went out and went to the back kitchen in the west courtyard.His injuries are still not fully healed, but he has finally been allowed to walk around, and even now he can walk out of the room.However, when I heard that Xie Shi wanted to cook and eat by himself, the attendants around him stopped him one by one, and even the chefs in the back kitchen actively volunteered to resolutely prevent him from being seriously injured, so Xie Shi is now Come to be a verbal commander.

Official seal, Han Ji, who has been busy running Fuzhou since he came back from Le County, finally had time to stay at home this day and not be busy with other general affairs.

"The people who went to Le County to pick up Uncle set off yesterday." Han Ji said while thanking him.

"Thank you Brother Ji." Xie Shi's brows were curved, although he was still worried about how to explain his injury after seeing Father Xie, but he was obviously in a very bright mood at the moment, and he smiled: "If they set off earlier today, Maybe it will arrive in the afternoon, just in time for our banquet."

The banquet that Xie Shi talked about was an old practice in the officialdom. On the day when the official seal was sealed, the master in charge of the official seal had to invite his colleagues to gather and drink together to repay the labor of the past year.From Xie Shi's point of view, this is actually a big dinner before the department's holiday.Coincidentally, not only in the officialdom, but also among the southern folks, there is a custom that at the end of the year and the winter, relatives and friends are always invited to have a gathering at home.On this occasion, Han Ji was the host and invited a group of subordinates to the Han family for a dinner. Xie Shi took the initiative to ask Ying to be in charge of preparing the banquet. The time was set for the eclipse on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Not to mention what happened at night, Xie Shi will have to send the Stove King to heaven first. This sacrifice to the Stove is a bit particular, not only to prepare sacrifices and burn gold and silver coins, but also to smear wine lees on the Stove door, which means "Drunken Commander" ", and more importantly, offer desserts such as candies, sugar melons, maltose or glutinous rice balls to Stove King, hoping that Stove King's mouth will be sticky and sweet, so keep your mouth shut and don't talk nonsense.

Naturally, his servants would do the preparations for the offerings and gold and silver money for him. When he thanked him for the cakes, he planned to do it himself.There are three kinds of pastries he is going to make, all of which are familiar dim sum to people in Cantonese, and each one is stickier and sweeter than the other, which guarantees that Mr. Stove will be the same after eating it.The first thing is the famous Lunjiao Cake.

The cook who was assigned to serve in front of Xie Shi was an old Yi Ya who had worked in Bai'an for decades. He thought he had heard of all kinds of cakes, but he had never heard of this rare Lunjiao cake.He was worried that his master would blame him if he did not do well, so he asked carefully, "Master, what is this Lunjiao cake?"

Xie Shiyi patted himself on the forehead, "It's actually white sugar cake." As for why a good white sugar cake is called Lunjiao cake, it's really hard to explain.The chef of the white case didn't dare to ask, so he didn't mention it when he thanked him. There are many places to buy white sugar cakes, but the white sugar cakes in the Lunjiao area of ​​Guangfu taste the best and have the best reputation, so they were named Lunjiao and became Cantonese specialties.

Rice, water and sugar, the three ingredients of Lunjiao cake seem extremely simple, but it is not easy to make sugar cake with good taste.The Lunjiao Cake from Liang Guihuan’s in Shunde is said to be the most authentic and delicious. Xie Shi once went there to eat it, and it was really good.

Xie Shi borrowed from sister Huan’s family’s method this time. They soaked the rice in local spring water for an hour and a half. It is said that it will have a special flavor, but after Xie Shi tried it, he found that it was purely a gimmick. Yeast".The soaked high-quality white rice is sent to the stone mill, finely ground into rice milk without impurities, then pressed into dry powder, and sieved again.At this time, you can add water and white sugar to the copper pot and boil, then pour it into the sieved rice flour and stir well.

"Cook on low heat, stir in the same direction while cooking." Xie Shi would feel like a picky landlord. He sat beside Han Ji, giving orders while drinking tea. , and directed a group of cooks from the Han family around.The cooks didn't know if it was because the head of the family was watching from the side and felt nervous, or because Xie Shi's furry demands were too much. Anyway, everyone's foreheads were covered with sweat in the winter.

After being constantly stirred in the wooden barrel, the rice milk gradually becomes viscous until it is difficult to stir. At this time, it is the core secret of this Lunjiao cake - adding yeast for fermentation.This yeast has some reputations. It is not possible to use ordinary yeast powder, but to use "cake seeds" made in advance the day before yesterday. The Lunjiao cake made in this way will not have a trace of sour taste, but only slightly sweet , and fluffy as snow.

Spread a white cloth on the bamboo basket embraced by two people, pour rice milk on it, and let it stand for more than three hours. When it ferments to a fluffy and moist state, it can be steamed on the stove. Rose petals are used as embellishment, and cut into triangles after being baked in this way, it is the Rose Lunjiao Cake.A small piece, snow-white and soft, with tiny pores in the middle of fermentation, as soft as clouds, sweet and slightly sweet in the mouth, as if wrapped in a warm rice fragrance.

It takes a long time for Lunjiao cakes to ferment. During this period, Xie Shi also instructed the kitchen staff to make glutinous rice cakes and sugar buns.

Nuomi Ci is relatively common, and it will not trouble the white case cooks of the Han family, but Xie Shi's method is an eye-opener for these master chefs.Ordinarily, the glutinous rice cakes they make are usually stuffed with white sugar and sesame seeds. Who would have thought that the glutinous rice cakes made by Mr. Xie not only work hard on the dough, but also have the skin of minced tea, pumpkin and red yeast rice dyed. Even the fillings are various, not to mention honey red bean fillings, powdered tea fillings, etc., even fruits can be wrapped in them for fillings!Not to mention the salty stuffing like pumpkin salted egg yolk...

A group of old Yi Ya were beating their hearts out. If this is not tasty, the Patriarch should not blame us...

Xie Shi explained, "Your Patriarch doesn't like too sweet food, so I have to do whatever I want, and make some salty and light glutinous rice cakes to offer."

Han Ji on the side listened, glanced at Xie Shi, and didn't say anything, but there was a bit of warmth in the cold brows, which relieved the trembling cooks.

Tangbudiao, also called Ruyiguo, is the twin of glutinous rice balls. Boiled glutinous rice dumplings are sprinkled with hot syrup and ginger juice, and sprinkled with soybean powder and crushed sesame seeds at the end. It is fragrant, plump, smooth and sweet. Cold and warm stomach.This thing has no technical content, but it is the stickiest and sweetest, and it is the top grade for the Kitchen God.The only thing that made Xie Shi feel unsatisfactory was that the candy was not sprinkled with crushed peanuts. Unfortunately, the peanuts hadn't crossed the ocean and entered China, so I had to settle for the next best thing and replace it with soybean flour. A sweet flavor.

In the afternoon, the Lunjiao cake was baked, and Xie Shi briefly offered sacrifices to Zaojun, and then sent offerings to close people such as Han family courtyards and Cen Yu. Interestingly, this time, no matter which clan elders sent people to Xie Xie Shi gave a lot of gifts in return, and many of them were valuable in return. Xie Shi didn't understand the situation for a while, and was always worried that there would be some burden if he accepted it.On the contrary, Han Ji saw it in his eyes and let Xie Shitong accept it directly.

"I just gave some food. Their gift is too heavy this time. I won't be rewarded for nothing. I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it, brother Ji." Xie Shi's words had already hinted very clearly. Something needs to be "returned".

Han Ji raised his hand, as if he wanted to touch the top of the person in front of him, but in the end he didn't put it down, but said, "Don't worry too much, just accept it, I'm here." They can't count on you.Xie Shi then asked someone to put it into the warehouse for him.

As expected at the time of thanking, the day had not yet darkened. The carriage that picked up Xie Ju from Le County drove into the boundary of the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, and stopped slowly in front of the Han Family Ancestor's Mansion.But it turned out that Xie Ju's heart was on brother Shi, who was sick, so he sent people to set off early in the morning, and went straight to Han's house in Fuzhou without resting on the road.

As soon as he got out of the car, Xie Ju sighed in his heart. The door of the Han family is more grand and elegant than the first-class families in the capital. Big pool, there are still people punting in the pool!

"Father, did the trip go well?" From a distance, Xie Ju saw his elder brother wearing a padded robe and a cloak, wrapped tightly like a rice dumpling, walking towards him, and beside him was a tall and straight Xuan The man in the suit accompanied him, and this one was probably the head of the academy and Han Ji, the head of the Han family.

Xie Ju saw that it was freezing cold, and Xie Shi came outside to greet him, and he didn't care about admiring the Han house as big as a palace, so he hurriedly urged people to come in.

When people came to him, Han Ji saluted Xie Ju and said, "Uncle has worked hard all the way."

Although Han Ji's greeting was short, he put on a full-fledged attitude of a junior. Xie Ju was so frightened that he didn't dare to say a word, not knowing how to respond.After all, logically speaking, this is his former boss and the head of the Han family. In Xie Ju's heart, he is an unattainable figure. Who would have thought that he would be called uncle by such a person one day? !

The scene froze for a while, and Xie Shi, who was still watching from the sidelines, burst out laughing, and said to Han Ji: "My dear brother Ji, don't scare my father. For a person like you, whoever salutes you is welcome." It's a shame."

Xie Ju quickly reacted to his rescue, scratched his head and said cheerfully: "You don't have to, you don't have to be so polite."

Han Ji insisted, "It should." I don't know what kind of should he refers to.