Now that the judges were done tasting Ye Xieren’s dish, it was Lu Xinyi’s turn to present her entry. Her calmness had smartly concealed her nervousness for her dish. Everyone might be fooled by her facade, but her husband knew well that Lu Xinyi hadn’t made a squid ink pasta just by looking at her.
Shen Yi placed a hand on Shen Yuyan’s head as the girl sat on his lap while Shen Zhichen stood and tip-toed on the railing separating the VIP seats from the kitchen counters where Lu Xinyi and Ye Xieren were. His wide eyes were staring at his adoptive mother’s dish, amazed that she could make black noodles.
“Yuyan, look at Mommy’s black spaghetti,” he called his twin sister.
“Gege! That’s not spaghetti!” Shen Yuyan corrected her brother. She then tugged Shen Yi’s sleeve to get his attention. “Daddy, won’t it be bitter?”
Shen Yi raised a brow at her. “Why do you think it will be bitter?”
“But Daddy, it’s black! Coffee is also black. It’s bitter, and I don’t like it,” Shen Yuyan said proudly like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“But I don’t think Mommy’s pasta is bitter. If our Little Yuyan doesn’t want Mommy’s pasta, then can I have it?”
There was a glint of amus.e.m.e.nt on Shen Yi’s eyes that he only showed to his wife and children.
“Can I also have Yuyan’s share?” Her twin brother added, knowing that Shen Yi was teasing his sister.
“Noooo!” The little girl puffed her flushed cheeks and glared at her brother. “Don’t take my share! Mommy’s pasta must be really yummy.”
“Didn’t you say it will be bitter? Daddy and I are brave. We’ll eat anything Mommy cooks for us. Right, Daddy?”
The wide grin on Shen Zhichen’s face made Shen Yi chuckle.
“Right. Mommy is the best. Now, Zhichen, please step down from that railing; or else Mommy will scold us if she sees you.”
Back at the cooking battle, three plates of Squid Ink Pasta made by Lu Xinyi were presented to the judges. He Haotian was impressed by Lu Xinyi’s plating. It seemed that that short training with Chef Kawas.h.i.+ma had improved Lu Xinyi’s plating skills and presentation.
The pasta noodles were twirled and placed in a white porcelain bowl. On top of it was a beautiful soft-boiled egg waiting to be pierced so it could release its deliciousness. Around it, Lu Xinyi scattered finely chopped chives and sauteed mushrooms, giving the black noodles a contrast in its color.
“Ah, this looks so simple yet elegant,” Chef Qin commented as he lifted his knife and made a straight cut on the soft-boiled egg. Once it was cut, a viscous, golden rich yolk came from the inside and flowed to the noodles beneath it. He took a quick taste on the egg and nodded to himself.
“This is what you call a perfect soft-boiled egg. Miss Lu hasn’t left any flaws on the egg while peeling it, and the egg itself was perfectly seasoned with salt alone. Moreover, the pasta… so tender to bite, and it has that silky, salty flavor that left an indelible impression in my mouth. Truly delicious,” he continued.
He Haotian was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with pride as he tasted his apprentice’s dish. Ha! Who cares if Ye Xieren was a culinary prodigy? With Lu Xinyi’s absolute tongue, she could easily compete with any genius in the industry by replicating and improving one’s dish.
“The thought of where the squid ink comes from may seem a bit bizarre to other people. As its name implies, the squid ink comes from the ink-filled sac that a squid use as a defense mechanism against its enemies. How anyone figured out that squid ink is edible is still a mystery for me.” He Haotian followed Chef Qin’s lead and gave his impression over Lu Xinyi’s dish.
“As for Lu Xinyi’s Squid Ink Pasta, the smooth liquid of the ink added a distinct brininess to this dish. It reminded me of the salinity of the sea urchins and oysters but with a flavor that is completely on its own. This dish taste like the ocean in a pleasant way. It was like tidal waves of flavors in your mouth but not overwhelming.”
Han Zhiling kept her silence and dug on her own bowl. There was a reason why she chose Squid Ink Pasta. This was the first dish she’d learn to make from Lu Sibai himself. It was one of the dishes she’d tasted that had been forever ingrained in her mind.
The squid ink was what gave the pasta its gorgeous black color. It also gave it an amazing flavor.
“Squid ink pasta has a rich, briny flavor with a hint of sea saltiness on it, which makes it absolutely a good pair with other seafood. It is also versatile and can be used to color and flavor sauces, fresh pasta, and—interesting enough—one may use it with bread and crackers.” Han Zhiling’s comment surprised He Haotian as he knew the reason behind this challenge. How could he not know that this woman used to be infatuated with his friend years ago?
“Miss Lu, can you tell us how you made this squid ink noodles? Although you and Ye Xieren made the same dish, I noticed that there’s a difference in the flavor of your noodles,” Chef Qin inquired.
Lu Xinyi lowered her head slightly with both of her hands clasped behind her.
“Chef Qin, I do admit that this is my first time making a squid ink pasta, but I’ve made several handmade pasta before. For this dish, I made the cla.s.sic fresh egg pasta and used the aromatic squid ink to give it a silky black hue. While the squid ink has a strong scent, the resulting noodles are relatively neutral in flavor. I’ve found that the fresh squid ink pasta has the most flavor compared to the plain dry pasta we’re used to.
“For this dish, using a higher ratio of egg yolks to egg white ensures delicate, rich noodles with its cla.s.sic brininess and texture. Kneading it by hand also allows optimal control over the quality of the dough while adding salt to the dough provides a more balanced flavor.”
Chef Qin eyed her as she continued to explain her techniques. In his mind, he couldn’t help but be impressed by her ways. He’d seen how Lu Xinyi diligently worked over her handmade pasta. She’d only tasted Han Zhiling’s Squid ink pasta once and tasted the freshly squeezed ink she had and was able to perfectly imitate the dish.
Moreover, this was her first time making this dish? Chef Qin didn’t expect that he’d be able to meet someone who had the same ability as Lu Sibai.
His eyes widened when the thought crossed his mind. Lu Sibai?!
Since he started his culinary career at Silver Leaf decades ago, Lu Sibai alone had this ability to replicate dishes after a single taste. Looking at Lu Xinyi, he couldn’t help but remember that c.o.c.ky b.a.s.t.a.r.d who beat him senseless in their cooking battles.
Was this a coincidence that Lu Xinyi also had the same family name as that man? He didn’t think so. His eyes then darted from He Haotian and Han Zhiling. The two must have known the relations.h.i.+p between Lu Sibai and Lu Xinyi.