novellhall Chapter 34 The Body Tells the Truth
Chapter 34 The Body Tells the Truth
Lin Shuyao was wearing a white chef's uniform and a white top hat. Her hair was neatly pulled back, with not a single strand falling out from the brim of the hat, revealing only her delicate face. Her skin was fair, her lips were red, and her features were exquisite. The men who had been laughing earlier were now staring at her, their mouths agape, looking like they were mentally challenged.
Lin Shuyao didn't even glance at them, and walked straight through the rows of seats to the entrance of the kitchen.
She arrived late because she had asked Gao Tingting to borrow something for her.
Western cuisine is very particular.
Michelin chefs, in particular, are exquisite in everything from their attire and tableware to their plating.
Since Ivanov is so picky about food, treating him with Michelin chef standards is definitely the right thing to do!
Imagine if a Western chef wore drab overalls and arm sleeves. Regardless of how well the food was made, just looking at him would make him seem unprofessional. Ivanov would probably frown at that.
So Lin Shuyao not only got a brand new chef's uniform, but also went to a tailor shop to iron the clothes until they were perfectly smooth and wrinkle-free. She also borrowed several pairs of brand new rubber gloves from the infirmary.
Oh right, she also considered the cutlery, borrowing some high-quality plates, knives, and forks from a Western restaurant.
In short, everything was prepared according to the standards of Michelin-starred restaurants in later generations.
Lin Shuyao thought Gao Tingting was pretty amazing when it came to borrowing things. She was like Doraemon; she would make any request Lin Shuyao made without hesitation and would guarantee that she could do it, and she would do it very quickly.
Even before Lin Shuyao came to the cafeteria, he secretly slipped her a recipe, saying it was Comrade Ivanov's daily menu.
Lin Shuyao glanced through the information and only entered after she had a general idea of what to expect.
As Lin Shuyao stepped into the kitchen, Liu Dazhu and the others immediately looked at her, their eyes filled with undisguised mockery:
"Hey, Comrade Shen, you're dressed quite well! If I didn't know better, I'd think our Factory 306 canteen hired a female chef from Moscow."
"What's the use of just putting on these fancy decorations? Cooking requires real skill, decades of practice to hone your craft! You think you can cook well just by wearing a white shirt and a tall hat? What a joke!"
"Women are just like that, all they know is to put on makeup, buy clothes and dress up, doing all that superficial stuff."
Lin Shuyao didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. She went straight to the stove assigned to her and began to methodically check the knives, wash her hands, and put on rubber gloves.
After finishing the preparations, Lin Shuyao glanced at Liu Dazhu and his apprentices indifferently and said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense and get started."
Several grown men, dawdling and hesitating.
The group exchanged glances, then gave Lin Shuyao a disdainful smirk.
Just wait and see, you little wench!
The first round of the competition was with appetizers.
Appetizers are the start of the main meal and are designed to awaken the taste buds and stimulate the appetite. Usually, the portions of appetizers are only a few bites and will not make you feel full. Common appetizers include Russian Olivier salad, puff pastry, black bread, or some thick soups.
Ivanov usually eats salad or soup as an appetizer.
Liu Dazhu had clearly made preparations in advance; the three of them, master and apprentice, each prepared an appetizer that Ivanov usually ate.
The salad Liu Dazhu made was made with the exact same ingredients and sauces as taught by Ivanov's personal chef.
Zhang San made a thick soup, while Li Si simply sliced ham and sprinkled it with cheese flakes.
The dishes prepared by the three of them didn't require much effort, so they were finished quickly.
After finishing, he crossed his arms and turned his gaze toward Lin Shuyao, while other kitchen staff watched.
The expert kitchen has many specially supplied ingredients that people of this era have never even seen, let alone know how to cook or eat.
At this moment, Lin Shuyao had several dishes that no one had ever eaten before: a large piece of imported salmon with a bright orange color and beautiful texture, several avocados with bumpy skin, a few limes, and a small jar of yogurt.
"What are those green, bumpy fruits? They look like hand grenades, are they edible?"
"I've heard of that fish before, it's called salmon, and it's very expensive! The Japanese love to eat it raw, all bloody... Is she going to serve the experts raw too? In the middle of autumn, aren't they afraid of giving those Russians diarrhea?"
"Raw fish with green lumps, and that sour milk...tsk tsk, I've worked in the cafeteria for thirty years and I've never heard of or seen such a combination."
The onlookers chattered amongst themselves, but Lin Shuyao ignored them, saying she had no obligation to explain herself when asked.
She handled the ingredients with methodical movements.
Slice the salmon into thin slices, scoop out the avocado with a spoon and set aside, and cut the lime in half to squeeze out the juice later.
Everyone craned their necks and stared at her for a long time, but they still couldn't figure out what dish she was going to make.
Liu Dazhu and his apprentice lost their patience.
Zhang San scoffed, "I think she's just being deliberately mysterious! She'll bring out things that nobody's ever seen before, and if they turn out bad, she can blame it on the ingredients being unusual or the cooking method being fresh. Anyway, we don't know anything about it, so she can just make things up!"
Li Si: "I bet she's going to make a big stew for the Russians, like our stew, throwing all sorts of things into the pot and stewing them together."
Liu Dazhu: "You two were absolutely right! Look, she's piling all those ingredients together right now!"
Lin Shuyao cut the dark bread into small pieces, using one piece as a base, then brushed yogurt on top, added avocado, and stacked the ingredients one by one.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Comrade Shen, are you playing house here? One minute you're building blocks, the next you're kneading mud. I'm telling you, I could eat ten of those things in one bite!"
"If you can't do it, just quit. Don't waste everyone's time. Can't you see we're all waiting for you?"
"That's right, just quit. Don't embarrass yourselves in front of the Russians!"
Lin Shuyao finished rolling the last salmon slice, garnished it with some herbs, looked up at the urging crowd, and smiled: "What's the rush? I'm done."
Outside the cafeteria.
Gao Tingting followed Cheng Zheng, lowering her voice: "Brother, what kind of appetizer do you think Qingqing can make? Can she beat Chef Liu and the others? Aren't you curious and want to go see?"
Cheng Zheng glanced at her and said coldly, "It's working hours, go back to your own department."
Gao Tingting scoffed. She wondered who it was that immediately went to arrange it as soon as she heard Qingqing ask to borrow tableware, and even placed Ivanov's recipe in a conspicuous place on the desk for her to see. Wasn't it just that they wanted to lend it to Qingqing? Doing good deeds anonymously, what a sly fox.
"Is your job very easy?" Cheng Zheng asked again when he saw her still standing there.
"Not busy at all, I'm going back to the department now." Gao Tingting stuck out her tongue. She dared not say she was free, or she would definitely be criticized. "Bye-bye, bro, I'm leaving."
Gao Tingting waved and turned around happily.
Cheng Zheng also turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
Gao Tingting took a few steps, hid behind a tree, and peeked in the direction Cheng Zheng was walking. She then saw Cheng Zheng turn and head towards the cafeteria.
She covered her mouth and chuckled twice, then slipped into the cafeteria.
How could such a lively event be complete without her?
But her brother is really good at pretending.
He may seem cold and tough on the surface, but he actually cares a lot about his future sister-in-law.