Chapter 2385: Hot and Sour Shredded Potato
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The children went home happily with Mag’s gifts. Compared to a delicious dinner, having their own chef’s knife and metal pot made them even more excited.
Furthermore, Teacher Mag had just taught them a dish called ‘hot and sour shredded potato’, which looked very simple.
The children couldn’t wait to show their family members their culinary skills now that they had the chef’s knife, pot, potato and side ingredients.
“Aren’t they the God of Cookery’s Advanced Class’s students? What are they carrying on their backs?”
“School bags?”
!!
“No. It looks like a pot. See, there is even a handle.”
“They even issued pots? Teacher Mag is rather interesting.”
The other teachers and children looked at the children from the God of Cookery’s Advanced Class with shock.
Yabemiya helped Mag to pack up as she asked curiously, “Boss, didn’t you say that you would only give them the chef’s knife and pot after their culinary skills have gained your recognition?”
“Giving them the chef’s knife and pot as a recognition of their abilities was my original thought.” Mag nodded with a smile. “However, I suddenly realized something today. Not all of these children will be able to reach the standard that I set, but if they have a knife which they could use and practice with daily, the chances of them reaching the standard will be much higher. It’s enough as long as they work hard.”
Yabemiya nodded thoughtfully and said to Mag smilingly, “Boss, you’re such a good man.”
Mag simply smiled and walked to the door. “We need to go back to start our operation.”
***
“Mother, I’m home.” Farah walked into a dark and narrow house with a black bag on her back.
A thin and crouching figure stood up next to the only small window in the house and poured some water into a broken terracotta bowl. She said to Farah smilingly, “Welcome home, Farah. Do you feel tired?”
Farah took the terracotta bowl and finished the water in gulps. She smiled and said, “I’m not tired. Studying is not tiring at all.”
“What are you carrying?” Her mother noticed the black bag on Farah’s back.
“This is a gift from Teacher Mag. It’s a metal pot, a chef’s knife and a bag of potatoes.” Farah placed the bag on the floor and took the items out. Finally, she got out a book: ‘The Amazing Journey Around the World’.
Farah stared at the book in a daze. Her eyes turned red immediately, but she couldn’t help smiling.
This was a book from Teacher Mag’s shelves. She intended to read this book after she finished that chronicle, but she didn’t expect Mag to give this book to her.
“There are so many things here. They’re too valuable. Did Teacher Mag give them to all the children?” Farah’s mother asked uneasily. Her fingertips brushed across the pot’s smooth bottom. She had never seen such a good pot before.
“Yes, Mother. Teacher said he gave us pots and knives, so that we could practice at home.” Farah nodded and placed the book on the bed at the side. “We were also given homework today. We are to make dinner for our family with the potatoes.”
“You’re going to make dinner?” Farah’s mother looked at her in shock.
“Yes. I learnt how to cook potatoes today.” Farah nodded and took out four potatoes from the bag and walked into the shabby kitchen.
Farah’s mother, Issa, followed her in. Even though their family conditions weren’t good, she had never let Farah cook by herself before.
Farah enrolled into Hope School with the help of Principal Luna. The child came home to tell her that she had gotten into the God of Cookery’s Advanced Class and was going to learn to cook from the most formidable chef in the world the week before.
She was already very glad that her child got to study and have full meals daily.
She didn’t care so much about Farah learning to cook. She wouldn’t interfere as long as Farah studied hard.
Being a chef wasn’t an easy matter. Even though she only stayed at home to do handiwork and didn’t go out, she had heard that the neighbor’s son had become a chef’s apprentice. Not only did he get to eat good meals, he even had a monthly wage of 1,000 copper coins. He was the neighbors’ object of envy.
However, being a chef wasn’t easy. She heard that the son had not returned home for a month. He had been practicing his culinary skills in the kitchen daily. His dad went to visit him two days ago. He had had good meals, but he still lost weight.
As for her child trying to become a chef just with two lessons in school weekly, she didn’t believe that the teacher was that formidable.
Farah looked at the porridge left in the small terracotta pot and said, “I’ll warm up the porridge and then stir-fry a hot and sour shredded potatoes and make a salt & pepper potatoes dish.”
“What?” Issa looked befuddled.
Farah heated the porridge and said, “Teacher taught us how to make two dishes today, but he only mentioned the salt & pepper potatoes briefly and didn’t demonstrate how to do it. I want to try to make it.”
“Food is precious. We cannot waste it.” Issa reminded her seriously. They were slightly relieved recently as Farah ate in school, but they were still poor.
The food called potatoes seemed rather filling. It would be a pity if Farah wasted them.
“Yes. I understand.” Farah nodded and grabbed the chef’s knife.
Issa felt like Farah seemed to have changed suddenly. The confidence in her eyes shocked her.
She grabbed a potato and shifted the broad cleaver on the potato’s surface. A long strip of potato skin extended downwards and in the blink of an eye, the skin of four potatoes were removed.
The potato skins were thin as paper and equally wide. There was no break in the middle.
She placed the skinned potatoes on the chopping block and two potatoes were quickly equally shredded in the midst of the chopping sounds. They were then soaked in a bowl of clear water.
The other two potatoes were then chopped into cubes and then soaked in water too.
“Her cutting skills?!”
Issa’s mouth was wide agape with shock as she stared with disbelief.
W-was this really her child?
When did she grasp such intricate cutting skills?
Farah didn’t notice her mother’s change. All her attention was focused on cooking.
Even though her cutting skills were already quite good, this was her first time cooking by herself.
The porridge was already boiling in the pot. She used a cloth to put the terracotta pot onto the floor before putting the metal pot onto the stove.
She wiped the inside of the pot with pig’s skin and stir-fried the dried chili with the lard, before adding the shredded potatoes that were already drained in.
Farah held onto the metal pot with one hand and stir-fried the golden shredded potatoes with a spatula with the other.
“Smells great.”
Issa couldn’t help swallowing her saliva as she watched from the side.