"Seriously."
"Every time he makes a new dish, he has to take an unconventional approach."
"Tofu itself is extremely soft and tender, to make it into a spherical shape and then stuff it into ham is incredibly difficult and completely unnecessary!"
"Cutting Tofu into domino-like blocks and steaming or boiling it with ham might even be better."
"Why… why go through so much trouble?"
Nakiri Erina, who was observing with curiosity from the side, felt very puzzled.
Clearly, Sosuke's new dish, just like before, once again shattered her understanding.
…
When it comes to cooking, the simpler, the better.
Even Erina, who used to believe in noble cuisine, often emphasized convenience and speed.
For instance, there was a dish called "Eggplant Xiang," which incredibly used more than a dozen "Kun Kun" (chickens) to accompany a single eggplant.
Such dishes, where the main and secondary ingredients couldn't be distinguished, often made Erina, who possessed the God Tongue, feel disgusted, because she never knew whether what she was tasting in the end was eggplant or chicken?
Essentially, the process of cooking should be about eliminating all unnecessary flourishes.
Using the simplest and most effective methods to bring out the most original and mellow taste of the food!
However, the ham-steamed Tofu dish that Sosuke was currently making went against this principle, sacrificing simplicity for complexity, stubbornly spending a lot of effort to turn square Tofu blocks into small spherical shapes?
"Ugh, I really don't understand it at all."
"What is the intention behind him making this dish?"
Finally, Erina, unable to figure anything out, could only rub her temples with a headache and continue to calm down and observe Sosuke's cooking.
…
Once steamed.
The savory taste of the ham had fully permeated the Tofu.
Especially at the moment the steamer was opened, a rich and complex aroma directly swept through the entire Izakaya, intensely filling every corner.
Such an aroma, just imagining it, was enough to make one feel refreshed!
However, imagination is, after all, imagination.
In reality, the ham-steamed Tofu's presentation was indeed a bit unbearable.
Because poking 24 small holes in a whole piece of ham and then stuffing 24 Tofu balls into them looked somewhat unappealing.
"This…"
"Shopkeeper, could you tell me the name of this dish?"
With wide eyes, knowing how troublesome it was to make this dish and how amazing the creativity was, Annie eagerly looked up at Sosuke and asked.
"Don't let the unappealing presentation fool you, this dish has a very beautiful name called Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night."
"Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night?"
"Could it be… from an ancient poem of the Heavenly Dynasty?"
Annie thought for a moment, then said.
"Clever!"
"These Twenty-Four Bridges refer to the 24 small holes."
"As for the bright moon, it refers to the Tofu balls as beautiful as the bright moon."
Sosuke explained.
"Oh? Now that you mention it, I'm even more excited about this dish."
Annie came back to her senses, then her gaze returned to the ham-steamed Tofu dish, and finally, her bright eyes sparkled as she eagerly picked up her chopsticks to taste!
…
She picked up a slice of ham.
Its rich meaty aroma instantly filled her mouth, intoxicating her.
Then she tasted a piece of Tofu; its smooth and tender texture seemed to dance on her tongue, and the faint bean aroma left an endless aftertaste.
If she savored it carefully, she could also discover how the savory taste of the ham and the light taste of the Tofu complemented each other.
The ham added a layer of complexity to the light Tofu, while the delicate Tofu dissolved the greasiness of the ham, making it more refreshing; the overall taste was both rich and balanced.
"The ham flavor is strong, the Tofu flavor is light."
"One strong, one light, one meat, one vegetable; two extreme ingredients are integrated together."
"The steamed Tofu fully absorbed the savory taste of the ham, becoming oily, fragrant, tender, and full of juice, and with the infusion of scallion oil, it locked in the aroma of the ham, further highlighting the freshness of the Tofu."
"When eaten together, different textures collide and blend in the mouth."
"Amazing, to be able to create such an astonishing taste experience with just these ingredients, as expected of Zhang's Restaurant!"
Swallowing, Annie's eyes became a bit hazy.
This dish was originally used by Huang Rong to earn Hong Qigong's Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, so naturally, it was made with immense care.
Although to create Tofu as tender and white as the bright moon, Huang Rong's own martial arts unique skill, the Orchid Point-Touching Hand, was required to complete this impossible task!
However, with modern technology.
There are various ways to change the shape of Tofu into a sphere.
But no matter what, the core of this dish has always remained unchanged, which is the pursuit of sacrificing simplicity for complexity.
It requires the chef to be meticulous, and it emphasizes heaviness, clumsiness, and grandeur; the so-called clumsiness triumphs over skill, and skill triumphs over strength, this dish, "Twenty-Four Bridges, Moonlit Night," highlights the word "skill."
…
Gradually.
Annie entered a strange realm.
She found herself alone on a mountain peak, where stood a tall and upright swordsman, like a part of the mountain, integrated with the surrounding rocks and trees!
He wore a white robe, his eyes as deep as the sea, as if containing endless stories and secrets.
Under the faint moonlight, he held a flute in his hand, its body smooth as jade, shimmering with faint light.
Then, he gently began to play the flute.
The sound, as if from ancient times, was both desolate and tragic!
The mountain breeze gently blew, making his robes flutter, and his figure appeared even more solitary yet incredibly firm under the moonlight.
Finally, as the flute sound gradually subsided, Annie awoke as if from a dream.
"Miss, would you like to play the flute with me?"
The swordsman Sosuke slowly put away his flute and looked at Annie.
"I… I would!"
Annie's heart fluttered, and she actually agreed.
Finally, only the figures of the swordsman Sosuke and Annie remained on the mountain, along with the lingering, melodious sound of the flute.
At this moment, how much Annie wished time would stop, to make this beautiful scene eternal, so that she could forever feel the unique charm and allure of the Heavenly Dynasty swordsman!
…
"Huh?"
"What's wrong with me?"
"Why would a simple ham-steamed Tofu dish make me… no… I really can't take it anymore!"
Coming back to her senses from the fantasy, Annie instantly trembled all over, her eyes rolling back.
After a while, she finally became calm and rational.
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