Dao of Cooking

Chapter 10 - Time To Cook

The next day Lei sent Stone and Snake to fetch him the lamb cuts, and milk from the market, giving them some extra coin as he knew those little devils couldn't help themselves in a place full of food and candies. After that, he took Little Mei and a bunch of others for a short stroll around the ruins where he gathered enough wooden logs for his grand venture.

He could just cook the chops straight over on a grill, and that would be tasty enough. But taste alone, Lei found, wasn't enough to get the attention of the masses. He needed that extra touch, something flashy in Fatty Lou's words if he wanted to charge over ten coppers for half a bread.

It wasn't like him to try a big gambit like this. Back on Earth, he'd spent most of his life taking account of all the possibilities, thinking too deeply of what ifs and whatnots to the point that he hardly spent a dime on other than basic necessities. Even when he was out drinking with some friends, he'd always be thinking about the way back, the traffic, the crowds until he'd turn the whole night into its own hell.

Crashing into a building certainly clears one's mind. Makes you think about all those decisions, no doubt.

Now that he'd been blessed with a second chance, he had the mind to be a little more courageous than his old self. Take his chances rather than thinking too much about it, sort of.

That was the reason why rather than going with tacos and burritos, which would've saved him the trouble of laboring through the morning with these wooden planks, he opted for a dish that would easily get the attention of these ancient folk.

It was a big stick, after all, and it would be full of meat. Who would turn a blind eye to this marvel of the culinary field?

Not me. Feels like years since the last time I tried one of these.

He cut and shaped the wooden logs until he was satisfied with the result. He used a round piece as a base before fixing a spit on it which came near about his waist. Luckily, the kids found some metal parts around the ruins, though Lei was horrified when Little Mei easily bent those parts into square containers that would house the firewood with which the kebab would be cooked slowly.

It took all of the morning, but Lei was more than proud of the final product. Sure, it could be a little cleaner and maybe he could've tried to find a real spit than this metal stick, but these were simpler times.

The noon sun was high in the heavens and sending streaks of bloody light down on the ruins when Snake and Stone came with his orders and some more. Lei left them alone with the candies they'd bought from the market, which sparked an intense bout amongst the other kids, and took the meat cuts inside.

As always, Master Luwei didn't disappoint, as all the cuts were around one finger thick and not longer than his hand. He poured the milk into one of the big basins, adding pepper, salt, garlic, cumin, and a pinch of mint. The mixture slowly changed into a thickish, brown color. Once that was done, Lei then eased the fillets into the basin and left them to marinate over the noon.

On the side, he had his lemons and vinegar waiting for him.

He cracked an egg and slipped its yolk into a small bowl, whipping it up before adding a bit of lemon juice, some vinegar, and a pinch of salt.

"We didn't have enough money, okay? I promise I'll buy you some next time," came Snake's voice from the outside. Then the little brat chuckled. "Or you can always ask Big Brother Lei for more."

Just then Lei felt eyes on his back. A look at the bowl gave him an idea, so he gestured for Little Mei to come closer. She had that curious glint in her eyes as she watched him whipping the mixture.

"Little Mei, do you want to help me?" Lei asked with a smile.

Little Mei nodded vigorously as her eyes stayed glued to the bowl.

"Alright, keep whipping it while I add some oil. Don't stop unless I tell you, understood?" Lei stifled a laugh when the girl's face creased with absolute focus.

As Little Mei started working the mixture, Lei grabbed a bottle from the side, which was filled with a dark-golden-colored liquid that had a mild, nutty smell about it. Lei was rather doubtful if cottonseed oil would be a good fit for the mayonnaise, but it was the most neutral-tasting oil he'd managed to find.

Somebody has to come up with sunflower oil soon, or even olive oil. They have tomatoes, so there are clearly some differences from the real ancient times.

Sighing, Lei poured the oil into the mixture, nodding to Little Mei when she gave him a strange look. After a couple of minutes, the mixture got thick enough to dip a finger into it.

"Want to try?" Lei asked as Little Mei put the bowl on the table. She didn't seem that eager to try, so Lei tried it first. The texture was smooth and velvety, and it had an acidic kick to it.

It can use a little bit of mustard, but it's quite good for a simple recipe.

Little Mei shuffled impatiently as Lei savored the taste of mayonnaise, and finally couldn't help but dip a finger into the mix. She sucked on her finger for some time, then she scowled.

"Lei Lei, this thing is too strange!" she said, licking her lips. "I've never eaten anything like this before."

"Oh, is that so?" Lei smiled knowingly. "Back where I came from they loved this stuff. It's called mayo over there. We'll be saucing our breads up with it."

Little Mei nodded, then stared up at him. "Where did you come from, Lei Lei? You never tell us anything about yourself."

"Some place far away from here." Lei tousled her hair.

"Did they kill your parents, too?" Little Mei asked. "Is that why you have to come here?"

Lei blinked at her. His parents should be still alive, but there was no way of him knowing if it'd been really just a month after his death. For all he knew, there could be hundreds of years between his death and the reincarnation.

"I don't know," Lei said, shaking his head. He'd spent many sleepless nights thinking about them before finally accepting there was nothing he could do. On some level, he wasn't that different from the people of Jiangzhen. He was trying to carry on, to put up a brave front, but there were times it'd become a touch too hard to accept that he'd lost all the thirty years he'd spent back on Earth.

Perhaps one day I can go back.

"But at least we have each other now, right, Lei Lei?" Little Mei said, making Lei flinch when she patted him on the leg as though trying to console him.

Guess here's not too bad either.

……

Past afternoon, Lei finished stacking the fillets into the spit, slapping the sides to make sure they were packed tightly together. He slipped parts of the tail fat between the layers, and over on the spit, which would slowly melt with the heat, coating over the layers with delicious juice.

He covered the kebab with a cloth to keep away the flies and the bugs, and the children hopping around the house like curious bunnies. Lei assured them that they would get their fill, but that didn't seem to have done anything but make them more excited.

"Stone and Snake, come here," Lei said, pointing a finger to the platform. "You two will help me carry this stick to the square. The others will take the containers. I need all the hands with me tonight, understood?"

After a nod from his little team, they started for the Eastern Square.

The metal platform and the firewood packed inside the containers could easily break a man's back, but while Lei was sweating like a dog under the setting sun, Stone and Snake seemed like they were having the time of their life.

"Why didn't you cook them right away?"

"Did you do something to the stick? Is that why you worked hard all morning?"

"Isn't mixing milk with meat disgusting? Why would you do that?"

"Can't you cook it here? Do we really have to wait before we get to the square?"

Lei tried to blow some cold breath into his robe as he was assaulted by questions from all around. Some of them didn't even make sense, but taking a deep breath, he addressed them one by one, his voice calm and patient.

"Alright, listen up," the inner chef inside of him spoke with strength. "We didn't cook the kebab right away because we want all the customers to see the process of its cooking, and we want that delicious smell spreading around the square to get their attention."

"As for the milk," Lei continued, "We soaked the fillets in the spiced-up milk for maximum marinate penetration to make them more tender and give them some extra flavor. It's an important step, so if there's anyone amongst you who wants to be a chef like your Big Brother here, take your notes and pay heed to my words."

"And yes," Lei responded to the last question, "You will have to wait for your fill, because I've nearly spent all my money on this lamb, hoping it'll earn me enough to put a real roof over your heads. So be good when we're in the square, is that understood?"

They nodded to his words, but Lei knew it'd take just a minute or so before they forgot the real reason for this venture.

Well, you have to let kids be kids, right?

Sighing, Lei motioned for Stone and Snake to continue carrying the stick, while the others followed with the containers. Lei himself took another breath to gather his mind. Even though his arms strained with the effort, he felt a sense of satisfaction as the line of little cooks made their way to the Eastern Square.

Little cooks. I've been there once.

They trudged through the crowds, curious gazes trailing them. When they arrived at the square Lei was taken aback to see the stools and tables that'd been laid before his stall. He raised an eyebrow at a certain fatty who slumped over on a table, drops of sweat heavy on his brows, fanning himself with one hand. There was a sack full of bread near him.

"Looks like you've been busy, Brother Lou," Lei said with a grin as he approached.

Fatty Lou chuckled, wiping his brow with a sleeve. "You know how it is, brother. Gotta make sure everything's just right for the big night."

"That, you're right." Lei nodded and gestured to Snake and Stone to put the doner kebab near the stall. They then placed the wooden containers near the stick and sat around a table.

"You've called the heavyweights, eh?" Fatty Lou said as he stared at Stone and Snake with clear doubt. "Those little arms… I still can't believe it."

"I guess there is a good reason why people are willing to risk their lives to become a cultivator," Lei said.

"That's just bad business if you ask me." Fatty Lou shook his head. "Life isn't a race where there is a clear finish line. Better to give your days meaning than chase some far-away goal only to start the circle once again. For me, I don't want much. A little place by some Immortal City, wine, food, and enough women to spend the days. That's what I'm thinking."

Lei raised an eyebrow at him. "That's very wise of you, brother."

"I'm a wise man." Fatty Lou snickered, then shrugged. "Not often, though. We all have good and bad days, don't you think?"

"We do," Lei said, peering out into the people crowding the square. There were around a dozen or so stalls preparing for the night, and not all of them had friendly faces behind them. Lei could feel their questioning gazes on the back of his head. He turned to Fatty Lou. "I hope you've not wasted all your wisdom pondering on the grand puzzle that is life. We'll be needing some of that here tonight."

Fatty Lou snorted, "This Young Master here knows his business quite well, don't you worry. While you were cooking your dishes, I've been cooking a devious plan that'd grab these bastards by their balls. They won't know what hit them, trust me."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?"

"Snake, Stone, come here!" Fatty Lou snapped his head back at the kids and glared out into their eyes before winking at Lei. "I'll be taking these devils with me."

"Wait, what is the plan?"

"You'll see." Fatty Lou gave him a mysterious smile.

With that, he took the kids and vanished into the crowd, leaving Lei speechless and with a heap of questions clouding his mind. A look up at the heavens reminded him of the time, so he rose to his feet and took his place by the stall.

"Alright kids, it's time for some cooking!"

…..