Call Me Daddy

Su Aobai casually revealed his family’s culinary history. Some new visitors in the livestream happened to hear his words.

[Dragon Lake Department Store]: Xijiang Youlian State Restaurant? What a coincidence, I’m from Xijiang too. By the time I grew up, state-run restaurants either closed down or underwent restructuring. But I’ve heard my Dad mention that the head chef near Youlian Department Store’s state-run restaurant used to be the most authentic, not only in local cuisine but in all others. Are you really the descendant of that chef? I hope the host isn’t lying.

Back then, becoming a head chef at a state-run restaurant required either strong connections or exceptional skills. Clearly, the chef at Youlian State Restaurant was the latter.

Such a skilled chef’s descendant working in this tiny kitchen? They should have been recruited long ago by upscale restaurants or hotels.

Su Aobai initially didn’t respond to the viewer’s question but continued on his own.

“In our family, only my Dad learned a bit of skill from my Grandpa. By the time it got to me, I could memorize a few recipes, but I haven’t mastered any real skills. But that’s okay. Later, my Dad will teach you how to cook, so I won’t be misleading anyone.”

As he spoke, the old man returned.

[2333]: Hahaha, did Grandpa also style his hair while washing his face?

[Chicken Pecking Rice]: Why does Grandpa seem a bit cute?

It turned out Su Quangen not only washed his face but also applied some of his wife’s face cream and dampened a comb with water to neatly comb his silver hair back, just like the hairstyle of Chow Yunfat’s character in “God of Gamblers.”

“Dad, why did you style your hair like that? You’re going to wear a chef’s hat later. You won’t be able to see anything!”

Su Aobai asked in confusion.

Originally walking steadily inside, his father stumbled a bit upon hearing his son’s reminder, almost falling.

Oh right, I had to wear a chef’s hat!

He steadied himself and placed the chef’s round hat on his carefully combed hair. He even fluffed up a few strands on top to conceal his gradually balding head from the camera.

“…Did it get captured just now?”

The old man frowned, then put on a mask to prevent splashing saliva, hesitating for a while before finally speaking up.

[King of the Battleground]: I didn’t see it.

[2333]: I didn’t see it.

[Little Rabbit]: I saw it.

[King of the Battleground]: Hey there, you’re messing up the formation. Grandpa is so cute, give him some face.

[Little Rabbit]: Okay, I didn’t see anything.

Of course, more barrage comments were filled with laughter. The sight of this old man plugging his ears while stealing the bell was just too interesting. Many decided to stay in this livestream because of this quirky old man.

(T/N: plugging his ears while stealing the bell = doing something shameless while pretending it didn’t happen; but everyone else knows or heard it.)

“No, we just started filming.”

Su Aobai gave the old man a kind lie.

Upon hearing that, Su Quangen sighed deeply. Now he had taken on the idol burden again. He adjusted the sleeves he had rolled up and straightened his clothes. Facing the camera, he put on a stiff but polite standard smile.

“Are we filming now? What should I do?”

The old man was a bit flustered, not knowing how to start with all the ingredients in front of him.

“Don’t mind me. Just do it like you used to. When you’re preparing the ingredients, explain what they are and how to handle them, mainly for the audience watching through the camera.”

Su Aobai waved his hand at the old man, encouraging him to relax.

[2333]: That’s right, don’t mind me. I didn’t see anything.

[Little Rabbit]: That’s right, don’t mind me. I didn’t see anything.

He glanced at the barrage and saw everyone was lined up neatly.

“Tsk, quite sarcastic.”

Fortunately, the old mane couldn’t see it. He started preparing the ingredients for making sticky rice chicken just as his son had instructed. At first, he stuttered a bit while speaking, but as he got used to it, he became much more natural.

He pretended he wasn’t filming, treating it like the cooking lessons his father had given him years ago, and now passing on to his son.

***

“The most important ingredients for sticky rice chicken are the sticky rice and the lotus leaves used for wrapping.”

Su Quangen took out several dried lotus leaves from the cupboard.

“The sticky rice needs to soak for 4 hours beforehand. After it’s soaked thoroughly, drain the water and let it air dry on a white cloth-lined steamer. Steam the sticky rice over high heat, remember to uncover and sprinkle water over it midway, usually 2 to 3 times. After sprinkling water, stir the rice to mix it up. The soaking time and the amount of water sprinkled midway are crucial. Steaming 1 kilogram of rice to 1 and a half catties is the most appropriate proportion. Rice steamed to this degree has the best texture, not too hard, nor excessively sticky.”

These were all the rhymes Grandfather Su had taught Su Quangen.

“These rice grains have been soaking for over an hour. They need a bit more soaking. Let’s first look at these lotus leaves. The best leaves for making sticky rice chicken are those sun-dried from the previous year. As time passes, the fragrance of lotus leaves diminishes. These thoroughly dried lotus leaves should be soaked in water heated to around 85 degrees until they’re slightly soft. Don’t soak them too long, as it will cause the fragrance of the leaves to dissipate.”

As he spoke, he set the lotus leaves aside because it wasn’t time to soak them yet. Just as he explained during the demonstration, soaking them for too long would affect the outcome.

Su Aobai occasionally took close-up photos on the side but didn’t interrupt.

Grandfather Su indeed had genuine skills; all the techniques he taught his son were correct.

Su Quangen began preparing the ingredients.

Soaked shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp were diced. Previously diced chicken was marinated with soy sauce, sugar, and a bit of pepper. Besides these, there were diced radishes, corn kernels, green peas, and other ingredients.

There are many methods for making sticky rice chicken stuffing, which can be adjusted according to individual tastes.

Su Quangen wielded a robust Chinese cleaver, holding down carrot strips with one hand. With swift precision, almost leaving only afterimages in the frame, the carrot strips quickly turned into shreds, and then into diced pieces, all neatly uniform in size.

Such skilled knife work earned praise from most viewers, who could only respond with exclamations of [666!]

(T/N: 666 = Chinese internet slang for Awesome/ Amazing.)

Su Aobai observed that the audience in the livestream had already exceeded 800 viewers, most of whom had stayed in the stream. For a new broadcaster who had just started livestreaming not long ago, this was a promising start.

Su Quangen seemed a bit excited himself, chopping vegetables while also showing off his knowledge.

“The history of lotus leaf rice goes back a long way. In ‘Guangdong New Language, Volume Fourteen, Food Language,’ Qu Dajun mentioned that Changle people steam it with fragrant laurel leaves, making it aromatic inside and out, known as lotus leaf rice. South of Qiongzhou, they use coconut powder as rice, called coconut frost rice. You can see that there are many variations in making lotus leaf rice.”

“However, there are some differences between lotus leaf rice and what we’re making now with sticky rice chicken. Lotus leaf rice often uses stalk rice or Indica rice, while sticky rice chicken, because the rice is steamed in advance, has a fresher and smoother texture, unlike Zongzi made with regular glutinous rice, which tends to be sticky.”

He also flaunted his cultural knowledge, although he had only learned all this from his father at home.

However, the audience didn’t know that. After hearing this grandpa recite a historical excerpt, they suddenly felt that this elderly man before them indeed had some hidden depth and knowledge.

“Let’s get the ingredients ready first. When the sticky rice is done soaking, we can start steaming it in the pot, and then we’ll stir-fry the meat filling.”

Su Quangen checked the time; it was already nearly 10.30. The sticky rice still needed over an hour more to soak.

***

“We have guests arriving; The dish of Dongpo lamb, a stir-fry of dried green beans with chicken, and any leafy greens.”

The first guest for lunch today had arrived a bit early, which suited Su Quangen’s slight urgency. The sticky rice wasn’t ready yet, and he couldn’t keep the livestream audience waiting.

He simply pretended that his son, who held the gimbal, didn’t exist, and busied himself as usual. Occasionally, when he remembered, he explained his actions.

“Dad, add some star anise.”

“Dad, is the broth for braising lamb a bit too little? Add a bit more.”

“Dad, did the stir-fried dried green beans and chicken cook for too long? The chicken skin is all burnt.”

When he didn’t speak, Su Aobai started to interject. Not only did he have a mouth, but he also had hands. Sometimes, when Su Quangen didn’t listen to him, he would grab the seasonings and sprinkle them into the pot himself.

[2333]: Hahaha, host, don’t mess with your dad. You can’t cook anyway. What if you ruin the dish and the customers complain?

[Little Rabbit]: I think I know why Grandpa is a famous chef, but now the family only has this small shop because he has a son who can’t cook but loves to meddle.

[King of the Battleground]: The host is just like me, likes to criticize teammates, and yet I’m the quickest to box out. We’re both so bad, yet so confident.

This barrage flew by, followed by laughter filling the screen.

Su Aobai maintained a sense of mystery, and since he wasn’t on camera at the moment, viewers could only see his restless hand and the expression of his father wanting to kick him out but helpless to do so.

This father and son duo had a humor that others didn’t possess. Watching the old man repeat his cooking process, and the occasional battle of wits between him and the hand that wanted to sneakily add seasonings to the pot, surprisingly wasn’t boring at all.

When the first pot of Dongpo lamb was stewed, Su Quangen used clean chopsticks to pick out a small piece.

Previously, his son had added a mishmash of seasonings and even sneakily poured some broth in when he wasn’t looking. After it finished cooking, surprisingly, the pot didn’t burn this time. In the past, when stewing in clay pots, the bottom would often dry out a bit.

Su Quangen still picked out a piece and tasted the flavor. If the taste wasn’t right, they couldn’t serve it to the customers.

Meanwhile, in the livestream room, Su Aobai had already aimed the camera at this pot of Dongpo lamb.

Steam was rising from the lamb, chunks of potatoes, carrots, and lamb, all cut into large pieces. After the broth had thickened slightly to a rich brown gravy, it coated the ingredients. Su Quangen sprinkled a handful of chopped green onions on top, their vivid color stimulating the senses. Amidst the rising steam, a hint of onion fragrance wafted.

The lamb had been pre-fried, so even after simmering, it retained its tender and succulent texture. Su Quangen swallowed the piece of lamb in his mouth and then looked deeply at his son.

It was even tastier than anything I’ve made before!

The gaminess of the lamb was nearly non-existent. The cooking time was perfectly controlled; the lamb had a slightly crispy outer layer, tender but not mushy, and the fried skin had soaked up the gravy, bursting with juices with each bite.

[Food Observer]: Looks delicious!

[2333]: Aww, now I’m hungry.

Su Quangen called his wife over and served the well-cooked dishes.

[Dragon Lake Department Store]: What’s going on? The host who claimed not to know how to cook added so many random seasonings. Can this dish actually taste good? And they’re serving it to customers like this?

[Chicken Pecking Rice]: Actually, upon closer observation, the host only added some basic seasonings. It shouldn’t affect the taste much. The dish looks quite appealing, and Grandpa tasted it himself. If it really tasted bad, would he risk tarnishing his own reputation by serving it?

[2333]: I also think the taste shouldn’t be affected much. But if the host hadn’t meddled, Grandpa’s skills would surely have brought out the best in these ingredients. It might have been a dish originally rated at 7 or 8 points, but with the meddling of an amateur, it might have lost a point or 2.

They were just some basic seasonings. In fact, when cooking at home, people often add seasonings based on experience because the amount can vary each time you cook. It’s difficult to achieve precise control. As long as you don’t excessively add too much of one seasoning, the taste of the dish doesn’t change much; whether it’s slightly saltier or milder, your taste buds might not even notice.

They believed the host’s actions were probably for the sake of showmanship. What he added wouldn’t affect the final taste of the dish at all.

After that, the bullet comments veered off topic. Apart from a few accusing them of being irresponsible to customers, most of the comments were about [Stop meddling, amateur!]

As more and more customers came to order, Su Quangen could only bury his doubts deep in his heart.

Could it be a coincidence once, twice, or three times?

Does my son really not know how to cook?