Siheyuan: Tanjia Cuisine He Daqing, destroying Yi Zhonghai

Add appropriate amount of salt and minced garlic, and soon, a plate of stir-fried vegetables with delicious color, aroma and taste will be ready.

"The key is to control the heat and seasoning. If the heat is too high, the vegetables will become tough. If the seasoning is not right, they will lose their fresh and fragrant flavor."

He Yuzhu watched intently, secretly admiring him. He followed He Daqing's steps and tried again. Although the vegetables he cooked were not perfect, they were much better than before. He Daqing nodded and encouraged, "Not bad, you have made progress. Remember, you need patience to cook, and more practice will make the dishes taste good."

From that day on, He Yuzhu came to learn cooking from He Daqing every day. He Daqing also taught He Yuzhu patiently, from the simplest home cooking to the complex banquet dishes. They selected ingredients and studied recipes together. He Daqing also often told some interesting stories about his work in a restaurant when he was young, which made He Yuzhu more interested in cooking.

One day, He Daqing decided to teach He Yuzhu how to make a more complicated braised pork. This dish requires mastering the skills of heat and seasoning, and the slightest mistake will lead to failure. He Daqing first cut the pork belly into cubes, blanched it in a pot to remove the blood foam, and then took it out for later use. Then, he put a small amount of oil and sugar in the pot, and simmered it slowly over low heat until the sugar turned reddish brown. At this time, pour the meat cubes into the pot and stir-fry quickly to make the meat cubes evenly coated with sugar color.

He Yuzhu watched and learned, following He Daqing's steps step by step. After adding soy sauce, ginger, star anise and other seasonings, He Daqing covered the pot and simmered it over low heat. An hour later, the fragrant braised pork was out of the pot. He Yuzhu tasted it and found that the meat was soft and tender, with a strong sauce flavor and delicious taste. He couldn't help but admire He Daqing's cooking skills.

Under the patient guidance of He Daqing, He Yuzhu's cooking skills improved rapidly. He not only mastered the methods of making various dishes, but also learned how to reasonably match ingredients, how to control the heat and seasoning. Gradually, the residents in the courtyard began to praise He Yuzhu's cooking skills, and sometimes asked him to help make some banquet dishes. He Yuzhu became more confident and full of hope for the future. He Daqing gradually felt overwhelmed. He knew that he was old and could no longer be as busy as before. So he decided to pass on all his life's cooking skills to He Yuzhu, hoping that he could inherit his mantle and carry forward this craft. As the sun set, He Daqing called He Yuzhu, and the two sat down in the yard. He Daqing said earnestly: "Yuzhu, your cooking skills have made great progress now, and I am very pleased. In the future, you must continue to work hard, not only to cook well, but also to pass on this craft so that more people can taste the food."

He Daqing looked at the setting sun and felt a little melancholy. He was already in his twilight years, and every day seemed to be bidding farewell to the past glory. He turned to look at He Yuzhu, his eyes full of hope and reluctance. This young man was full of vitality and was his only successor in this courtyard. Thinking of this, he felt warm in his heart and was more determined to teach him all his cooking skills.

The next morning, He Daqing called He Yuzhu. He decided to start teaching him how to learn ingredients, which was not only to improve his cooking skills, but also a key step for his future development. He Yuzhu's eyes were shining with anticipation, and he listened attentively to every word of He Daqing.

"Yuzhu," He Daqing said slowly, "Ingredients are the soul of cooking. If you master the skills of mixing ingredients, you can make a myriad of delicious dishes. Today we will start with the most basic spices."

He Daqing took out a small bag of fennel from the cabinet, and then took out a few bay leaves, a handful of Sichuan peppercorns, and a few star anises. He showed these spices to He Yuzhu one by one, and carefully explained their respective characteristics and uses. "Fennel and bay leaves are suitable for stewing dishes, which can add fragrance. Sichuan peppercorns have a numbing taste, which can enhance the taste, and star anise is suitable for stewing meat, which can make the meat more fragrant."

He Yuzhu carefully remembered what He Daqing said, and the scene of the spices bubbling in the pot kept flashing in his mind. He couldn't help but imagine that he would be able to skillfully use these spices in the future to make a mouth-watering dish.

Next, He Daqing took He Yuzhu to practice. They first made a simple spicy hot pot. He Daqing skillfully put peppercorns and dried chilies into hot oil and stir-fried them. Suddenly, a strong spicy aroma filled the air. He watched He Daqing's every move intently, feeling nervous and excited. He understood that this was not only an opportunity to learn, but also an important moment to improve himself.

"Remember, you must control the heat well and use the right amount of spices," He Daqing reminded as he worked. "Too much will cover the taste of the ingredients themselves, and too little will not bring out the aroma. He took note of these valuable experiences in his heart. He took over He Daqing's spatula and tried to stir-fry it himself. Although his movements were not yet skillful enough, he gradually mastered the trick under He Daqing's guidance.

As time went by, under the careful guidance of He Daqing, He Yuzhu gradually mastered the use of various ingredients. He learned how to match different spices with different ingredients, and how to make dishes more delicious through seasoning. He Daqing felt very gratified when he saw He Yuzhu's progress.

One day, He Daqing decided to take He Yuzhu to the market to pick out fresh ingredients. The market was bustling with people, and there were all kinds of fresh vegetables, meats, and seafood. As they walked, He Daqing explained to He Yuzhu how to choose high-quality ingredients. "Look at this cabbage, the leaves are fresh and green, this is the only way to eat delicious food," he said, pointing to a bunch of cabbage, "and look at this fish, the eyes are bright and the scales are smooth, this is the only way to be fresh."

He Yuzhu followed behind He Daqing, listening carefully to every word. He felt He Daqing's meticulous attention to the ingredients and understood the importance of the ingredients. After selecting the ingredients, they returned to the courtyard, and He Daqing decided to teach He Yuzhu how to make a steamed fish.

"Steamed fish requires the original flavor, so there shouldn't be too many seasonings. Just ginger, scallions, and a little soy sauce are all needed," said He Daqing as he cleaned the fish and placed it on the steaming tray. "The key is the heat and time. The steaming time can't be too long, otherwise the fish will become tough."

He Yuzhu watched He Daqing's operation carefully and silently memorized these key points. After the fish was steamed, He Daqing spread the scallions and ginger on the fish and poured hot oil on it. A steamed fish with good color, aroma and taste was ready. The fish meat was tender and delicious, and he couldn't help but admire He Daqing's cooking skills even more.