I'm the Culinary God

Since he was making it for Shen Baobao today, Lin Xu naturally decided to make a drinkable vinegar.

He found a glass jar of about five liters, washed it thoroughly, and dried the inside.

Then, he brought over the air-dried wild fruits. He cut off their stems, halved them, removed the cores, and placed them into the glass jar.

With each layer of fruit, he sprinkled a layer of White Sugar.

When the jar was nearly full of fruit, he poured in some Honey, followed by White Vinegar.

The vinegar should fill more than two-thirds of the jar, leaving some air at the top to aid fermentation.

Making vinegar and brewing liquor are two different processes.

Brewing liquor requires the exclusion of air, allowing starches and sugars to convert into alcohols.

Making vinegar, however, needs some air so that sugars and starches can transform into acetic acid.

Using the same ingredient, like sorghum, for example: if brewed without air, it becomes sorghum liquor; if brewed with exposure to air, it becomes Chen Vinegar.

He sealed the jar with its lid and placed it in a cool, dark place.

In about a month, the fruit vinegar in the jar would be fully fermented.

Lin Xu planned to brew more fruit vinegar before he left. That way, not only could his mom and Second Aunt try it, but he could also bring a few jars to his mother-in-law.

Yes, this kind of beauty-enhancing health drink is his mother-in-law's favorite.

Bringing a few jars home will definitely make her happy.

After preparing the fruit vinegars, the rabbit meat in the pot was also nearly done.

When he lifted the lid, a fresh, spicy, and savory aroma immediately wafted out.

Thanks to the lard, the meat pieces in the pot were glossy and reddish-brown, looking incredibly tempting.

Lin Xu added seasonings like salt, White Sugar, and pepper powder. Then, he added onions and rings of green and red peppers. He stir-fried everything over high heat to thicken the sauce, then squeezed the juice of half a lemon into the pot.

Lemons have a potent effect, neutralizing gamey flavors and enhancing freshness, which would further eliminate any grassy taste from the rabbit meat.

Once these steps were completed, he dished it out onto a plate.

By now, everyone had returned and was ready for dinner.

Lin Xu brought the rabbit meat to the dining table and also put some of the steamed rabbit meat into Dundun's cat bowl.

The little fellow had been circling the pool, plotting revenge, only to get splashed with more and more water.

Upon hearing Lin Xu call out that dinner was ready, it immediately shook the water off its fur, scampered to its bowl, sniffed the rabbit meat, and then began to eat.

Hmph! Only by eating my fill will I have the strength to defeat that big black fish!

「At the dining table」

The Lin Family's dinner began.

Lin Hongqi filled glasses with Luzhou liquor for his second maternal uncle, Chen Meiliang, and his second aunt's husband, Shi Wenming, saying, "You've both worked hard."

Second Uncle Chen Meiliang laughed and said, "Shi Wenming had the tougher job; I was just enjoying the sights... But as the number of tourists increases, more and more children are crowding around the reservoir. Tomorrow, I need to make more warning signs, place more lifebuoys at intervals, and maybe set up some loudspeakers playing looped announcements to remind parents to watch their children closely."

The greatest fear by the water is a drowning incident.

Therefore, extreme caution was essential.

Lin Hongqi said, "If you're short-handed, just let me know. I can arrange for a few more people to help you."

"We don't need more people for now. The main thing is to keep a close eye on the water park. It gets chaotic with so many children, and we can't afford to miss anyone who might be drowning."

Parents bring their children to the scenic area to relax, so they naturally let their guard down more than usual.

That's why we at the scenic area need to be extra vigilant to prevent any accidents.

While the elders were chatting, Chen Yuanyuan quietly picked up a piece of braised rabbit meat with her chopsticks, placed it in her bowl, took a bite, and then gave a thumbs-up to Lin Xu, who was sitting beside her. "This is the best rabbit meat I've ever had in my entire life!"

The rabbit meat melted in her mouth. It wasn't dry or tough like rabbit meat usually was; instead, it was rich and succulent from the lard.

The first bite felt a tad greasy, but as she chewed, that richness perfectly counteracted the rabbit meat's slightly dry texture.

It also compensated for the rabbit meat's natural lack of aroma.

Once this richness combined with the spices, the flavor profile changed completely.

This enticing aroma, paired with the spicy kick, uncontrollably whetted one's appetite, making one crave a mouthful of rice or a sip of Liquor.

"Delicious, absolutely delicious! This flavor is truly exceptional!"

"Don't forget to add this braised rabbit meat to the menu at the Beijing restaurant; it'll definitely be a hit."

"It's perfect with drinks and as part of a meal—that's what a great dish should be!"

"Wow! The sauce over rice is delicious too! Yuanyuan, you have to try it."

"And that subtle hint of lemon, it's so fresh and tasty!"

"..."

Everyone was captivated by the delicious rabbit meat.

His father and Second Uncle Chen even forgot about their drinks.

Shi Wenming remarked with a sigh of realization, "We've been cooking rabbit the wrong way at home all these years. Watching Lin Xu today, I finally understand: you need lard to make it delicious."

He decided that when he went grocery shopping in the next day or two, he would buy a couple of rabbits and try stewing them with lard.

If it turned out well, he'd add it to the farmhouse restaurant's menu.

While they were eating and chatting, Shen Baobao mentioned their earlier trip to pick wild fruits for making fruit vinegar.

Hearing that fruit vinegar was good for beauty and health, Chen Meijuan immediately grew enthusiastic, "Wenming, when you go shopping for groceries tomorrow morning, pick up two cases of White Vinegar. I'll go pick wild fruits tomorrow as well; I want to make a big batch."

She not only wanted to drink it herself but also considered buying some elegant glass bottles to package the brewed fruit vinegar and sell it as a local specialty of the scenic area.

「After the meal」

Since it was still early and the sky hadn't darkened yet, Second Uncle Chen said to Lin Xu, "Lin Xu, I have to keep an eye on the children by the reservoir tomorrow, so I won't have time to pull up the shrimp traps. Why don't we go check them now and see what our haul is?"

Lin Xu was also eager to taste the Shrimp Pancakes he had received from the system draw the previous day, so he nodded and said, "Alright, Second Uncle, let's go now."

Shen Baobao, who had been trying to improve her rapport with Dundun using a cat teaser, perked up at the mention of going to the reservoir. She happily hopped into the resort's shuttle vehicle to tag along.

Hehe, how could I, Shen Baobao, miss out on something as fun as pulling up shrimp traps?

The group arrived at the edge of the reservoir.

After boarding the inflatable assault boat, they quickly headed towards the area where the shrimp traps had been set.

Reaching the spot, Second Uncle Chen located the buoy and slowly pulled the submerged shrimp trap out of the water.

The moment it broke the surface, Shen Baobao, perched on the gunwale of the boat, cried out in surprise, "Wow! There's a snake inside!"

Lin Xu jumped, then looked closely. He quickly grabbed her hand and said, "That's not a snake, it's an eel."

Second Uncle Chen, holding the shrimp trap, peered closer and exclaimed, "Whoa, this eel is a beauty! It's as thick as a small rolling pin. We're in for a feast tomorrow! Lin Xu, what's a good way to prepare this?"

How should I cook it?

Huaiyang cuisine has tons of ways to prepare eel.

Dishes like Sautéed Shredded Eel, Boiled Eel with Crispy Rice, or Stir-fried Eel Sections... but I don't know how to make any of them, and the system hasn't provided those kinds of ingredients...

Just as he was racking his brain, Lin Xu suddenly remembered a famous eel dish from Cantonese cuisine. He smiled and said, "Then let's just make a simple Steamed Eel with Fermented Black Beans, Dragon Coil Style."

————————

Writing this has made me crave rabbit meat; unfortunately, it's not available where I am. This chapter is 5,300 characters long. Brothers, please send your Monthly Tickets this way!