Empress Dowager Yuan held a cup of steaming noodle soup in her hand.

There are "white plums" floating in the clear chicken soup, and the noodles are decorated with a few wolfberries, which become a little red from the snow, and the bright red sets off the plum blossoms white like jade.

Empress Dowager Yuan scooped up a spoonful of "white plum blossoms", blew lightly on the hot white porcelain spoon, and said with interest: "You cooked a bowl of plum blossom chicken soup for the mourning family?" ”

She put the white porcelain spoon into her mouth, and the deliciousness of the chicken soup and the fragrance of plum blossoms exploded in her mouth. She chewed a few times, but she didn't taste the bitterness of plum blossoms, but tasted the sweetness of starch.

Empress Dowager Yuan came back to her senses, raised her thin eyebrows, and her surprise overflowed: "This taste...... Not plum blossoms!? But the sad family obviously smelled the plum fragrance? ”

Xie Xiaobai lowered his head and said respectfully: "It's plum blossom soup cake." The slave maid used water and noodles soaked in plum blossoms and sandalwood powder, and the dough sheets made were naturally stained with a little fresh and pleasant fragrance of plum blossoms. ”

"If the Queen Mother thinks that this dish is acceptable, on the day of the plum blossom banquet, the slave maid wants to prepare plum blossom soup cakes in the catering department. Dian Yu once mentioned some slaves and maids, if there is a lady at the tea banquet who is hungry, you can taste the craftsmanship of the palace. ”

"You girl, you're a little clever." Empress Dowager Yuan bent her danko-dyed hand, scraped it on Xie Xiaobai's nose, and glanced at the princess who was accompanying her with a smile, "Reward." ”

Xie Xiaobai can't say that this is what she saw from the books of later generations.

At that time, when she was reading the book, she was still silently thinking in her heart: the ancients were eating together, and sometimes it was really wasteful.

Take this dish as an example, she soaked water with plum blossoms, and finally abandoned the flowers and left the water without mentioning it, she used a simmer to simmer a chicken, and finally abandoned the chicken and drank the soup purely.

She felt sorry for the fat chicken.

Behind a seemingly simple dish, I don't know how many ingredients are used and how much manpower is consumed to be worthy of the word "elegance".

The prince handed Xie Xiaobai a purse that was not light.

"Thank you for the Empress Dowager's reward." Xie Xiaobai is still the same pampered and unfazed look.

……

On the day of the plum blossom feast, the pawn went to the banquet to give the guests sencha.

This sencha has a performative nature, and while chatting, the ladies can also enjoy the graceful sencha technique, looking at the gentle and watery beauty, and smelling the fragrance of tea with a long aftertaste, which is comfortable enough.

Xie Xiaobai and her catering friends couldn't go to the banquet during the whole process.

They want to make sure that the tea can be placed on the tea table at the same time as the dignitaries hold the hot tea.

Fortunately, Xie Xiaobai's tea food this time is not a pastry that needs to be made, she only needs to take out the plum blossoms that have been soaked in honey for a long time and complete the plating.

This time, she chose a mahogany plate to visit the tea food. On each palm-sized peach wood plate, there are five white plums and one white plum flesh, and the white plum is wrapped in crystal clear bright yellow honey, and the honey flows to the wooden plate, like honey flowing from the center of the stamen of the white plum.

Xie Xiaobai counted the hours and put the honey-stained plum blossoms on the tray, and watched the palace maid who delivered the meal slowly leave the Shangshi Bureau.

Miaofu shook her hand in front of Xie Xiaobai, "Don't look at it, everyone is gone." I used to be a god who was good at hosting the plum blossom banquet, but it turns out that you, like us, are also worried. ”

"I've done what I had to do, and it's up to fate what happens next." Xie Xiaobai didn't forget to set up a calm palace woman at this time.

Miao Fu asked, "Don't you really want to know what's going on up ahead?" ”

"I don't want to."

"Since you don't want to do it, forget it. Originally, the slave maid was going to send someone to ask the palace maid who delivered the meal how the situation was ahead. Miao Fu said.

The original body Xiaobai is introverted, cautious in words and deeds on weekdays, in line with the principle that more things are better than less things, sweeping the snow in front of the door, not dealing with outsiders very much, and having few friends.

Miaofu is different from Xiaobai, she is straightforward, likes to be lively, is righteous, and there are acquaintances in each palace, so it is very convenient to inquire about the news.

"Wait!" Xie Xiaobai stopped Miaofu, "You find someone to ask about the situation in front, and I'll see if I want to make a film for a while." ”

Miao Fu looked up at the sky, the sun was still hanging in the center, and it was still early for dinner.

She smiled knowingly, and didn't break it, "Yes, the slave maid will help Dianshan ask." ”

Miao Fu left the kitchen, and after about two quarters of an hour, she ran back in a hurry.

She shook Xie Xiaobai's hand excitedly, "Xiaobai, the lady is full of praise for your honey-stained plum blossoms, but I'm afraid that after today, all the families in the capital will prepare this refreshment at the tea banquet!" ”

"When did I ask this?" The corners of Xie Xiaobai's lips couldn't help but rise, "Is there any sign that the Queen Mother's tea banquet will be held until the evening?" ”

"Oh, I'm going to talk about it later!" Miao Fu grabbed Xie Xiaobai and jumped and jumped, "Today's tea banquet should not be held in the evening, but all the ladies unanimously praised the refreshments, and the Queen Mother asked the ladies to stay a little longer and taste the plum blossom soup cake you made." ”

"You've even heard about that?" Xie Xiaobai couldn't help but exclaim: Being able to probe the news in such detail, this Miaofu is simply a humanoid gossip machine!

Miao Fu waved her hand, "How can I be so powerful!" On the way I went, I met the prince, and he told me that. According to the footsteps of the prince, it is estimated that he will also come to our catering department at this time. ”

As soon as Miao Fu finished speaking, the prince led a group of eunuchs into the food department.

There was the incident in front of the palace in front of the palace, and the palace people of the food division were stunned when they saw the prince.

The prince suddenly found Xie Xiaobai, who had a straight back, in the middle of a group of quails, and smiled like a chrysanthemum, "Xiaobai candian, the queen mother wants to leave the ladies to eat a plum blossom soup cake, you remember to make it before dinner." ”

Xie Xiaobai should go down.

She sent the princess away, and hurriedly Zhang Luo's men began to prepare for dinner.

At dinner, she not only served soup cakes, but also served three side dishes to the ladies according to their tastes, which naturally won the favor of the ladies.

After the plum blossom banquet, whether Empress Dowager Yuan successfully achieved her social purpose, Xie Xiaobai didn't know.

But Xie Xiaobai knew that the two winter restrictions at the plum blossom banquet were completely popular in the capital.

These two dishes have been added to the private recipes of the noble family.

The high-grade restaurants and inns in the capital have also launched copycat versions of honey-pickled plum blossoms and plum blossom soup cakes under the banners of "palace hits" and "queen mother's favorite".

Even Xie Xiaobai suddenly became the female official with the highest order rate in the catering department overnight, and she made enough extra money with these two dishes.

On this day, Empress Dowager Yuan summoned Xie Xiaobai.

"In a few days, Your Majesty will pick up the wind and wash the dust for King Liang. This reception banquet will be handed over to you by the mourning family. Empress Dowager Yuan lay on the beauty couch and glanced at Xie Xiaobai obliquely, "If you can handle this matter well, the mourning family will promote you to the chef." ”

The prince gave Xie Xiaobai a small purse.

The purse is very lightweight, not like silver.

"Queen Mother, this is ......" Xie Xiaobai felt that he was holding a hot potato, and it was not to catch it, nor was it to throw it away.

Wang Gonggong said with a smile, "Xiaobai Dianshan, where do you want to go, this is just a warm pot seasoning prepared according to King Liang's preferences, if you put these seasonings in King Liang's pot, King Liang will definitely be satisfied." ”