Chapter 406
Xu Qing picked up a piece of shredded potatoes with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

The unpalatable yet familiar taste in his mouth made him feel nostalgic.

The potatoes themselves had no taste, but he loved them.

It’s cheap, easy to store, and can be cooked in a variety of ways. It tastes delicious no matter how it’s cooked.

It's like a good-tempered and friendly friend who allows you to manipulate him however you want.

This panacea-like ingredient often serves as a supporting ingredient in other dishes. Because it has no taste on its own and can be prepared in a very varied way, it can be paired with many kinds of ingredients to add luster to them and serve as a supporting role conscientiously.

Only shredded potatoes are the dish with potatoes as the protagonist, and it is the light stage that belongs to it alone.

Only it is dancing, and other flavors can only serve as its foil.

At this time, this friendly friend who has always had a good temper revealed his difficult side.

If you don't use a knife well, the shreds will be uneven in thickness and the food will taste terrible.

If the seasoning is not good, the taste is too light or too heavy, it will still taste bad.

If you add too much water, it will be unpalatable. If you add too little water, it will be burnt and unpalatable. If you fry it too hard, it will be unpalatable. If you fry it too soft, it will be unpalatable.

The potatoes, which used to be able to be rolled, flattened or made into anything you want, now became as difficult to deal with as possible.

If you want to make the food taste just right and bring out its delicious flavor, you need to have solid skills and a serious attitude. If you treat it casually, it will just fool you and will never show its best side.

Does it have no temper? It just doesn't care.

Don't mind playing a supporting role to other ingredients, and don't mind how the chef handles it.

And when it cares, when it becomes the protagonist, it will bring out its difficult and serious spirit. Unless the chef is really capable, he will not be able to deal with this difficult thorn.

Every dish of shredded potatoes is like a fierce battle between the chef and potatoes. The knife skills, seasoning, and control of the heat are all clearly reflected in the taste of the dish, and no carelessness is allowed.

Every time Xu Qing tasted the shredded potatoes, it was like he was having a conversation with this friend. He could experience its inner thoughts through the taste, listen to its nagging, listen to it talk about the chef's level, and listen to it complain about how the chef treated it casually.

Therefore, no matter whether the shredded potatoes are delicious or not, Xu Qing will eat them all.

What he tasted was not just the dish, but the heart of the dish.

Shredded potatoes gradually became his favorite dish, a must-order dish whenever he went to a restaurant.

He wanted to see what new stories this friend could tell him.

After he possessed extraordinary five senses, he could feel so many things, and the delicious food he experienced was far better than before.

He also forgot the friend who had once accompanied him.

It was not until then, only after he had lost his obsession and desire for delicious food, that he found it again.

It turned out that Xu Qing had already felt the affection. His original intention was not the almond tofu made by Master Abei, but this long-time friend.

And the thought is not only hidden in delicious food. Whether it tastes good or not, every flavor speaks of the thought, the past of the chef and the dish, and their inner hearts.

And happiness is not only something that can be felt from delicious dishes.

Even dishes that don’t taste good still have their interest, and they reflect the chef’s intentions, even if they are careless.

At this moment, it was as if a bright light was lit in Xu Qing's heart, illuminating his way and also illuminating his future.

Even though his extraordinary five senses would still affect him, Xu Qing could still feel the happiness from the food, appreciate the hidden care in it, and interact and communicate with the food spiritually.

His desire to pursue the ultimate delicious food will not change, but in addition to delicious food, there are still many shining things in the world. The road he wants to take is still the same, but the desolate road is full of colorful flowers, which make this desolate road lively and vivid.

If you feel tired of walking, stop and appreciate the fresh and beautiful flowers on the roadside and experience the different scenery beyond this road.

Xu Qing opened his eyes, looked at the stir-fried shredded potatoes in front of him, and smiled easily.

All along, he has been driven forward by his extraordinary five senses and cannot stop for a moment.

Now, he can finally stop and go, and move forward at his own pace.

It's like taking off an invisible burden from your shoulders, and you feel indescribably relaxed and comfortable.

At the same time, his mind also underwent subtle changes, but Xu Qing found it difficult to explain this change for the time being.

He was determined to save this surprise for the upcoming Jinghua so that they could compete in a cooking showdown.

Ke Ling could also see the changes in Xu Qing. Although Xu Qing was powerful before, people could only look at his back and felt it was impossible to walk to him. It seemed that there was an invisible barrier separating him from the world, as if he was walking on a lonely road that only he could take, and no one could walk side by side with him.

But at this moment, Xu Qing seemed to have stopped, allowing people to approach him, to walk beside him and enjoy the same scenery with him.

It was like a high and mighty celestial being descended into the mortal world and became covered in mud.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Ke Ling couldn’t say for sure.

But she likes Xu Qing like this.

"Ah Qing, what are you going to make next?"

Ke Ling asked.

Xu Qing originally wanted to say that he didn’t need to do it anymore because he had already found his original intention.

But he thought about it and said, "Let's make stir-fried shredded potatoes again. I want to eat more."

"no problem!"

Ke Ling said happily, "I will definitely do better this time than last time!"

Cooking is something that only gets better the second time. Once you’ve cooked a dish once, you won’t be so flustered the second time.

As for the taste though, it’s hard to say.

A notable feature of beginners is that their skills are unstable. The dish they make for the first time may taste amazing, but the taste may be completely different the second time.

If your basic skills are not solid, you can only rely on your feelings, and feelings are the most unstable thing.

Only by absorbing enough experience from failure and carefully avoiding mistakes can the taste of the dishes gradually get on track.

Fortunately, Ke Ling made all kinds of mistakes the first time she did it and absorbed enough lessons. The second time will definitely be much better than the first time.

Ke Ling had no special skills in knife skills, only patience and carefulness. She carefully cut the potato shreds, and it took her a long time to cut the potato. It took her half an incense stick of time to cut the potato.

The result of careful work is obvious. Although the potato shreds are not cut too fine, at least they are of uniform size. The potato shreds are neatly arranged on the plate, which looks quite pleasing to the eye.

Then it was time to fry the food. Ke Ling prepared the sauce in advance to avoid being in a rush. She also placed a small cup of water next to the pot and added it at the right time to avoid burning the pot.

After so much preparation, and with Ke Ling's carefulness, this stir-fried shredded potatoes looked several times better than the previous dish.

(End of this chapter)