Chapter 376: 376: Disclosing Test Questions (2 Chapters Combined)

Translator: 549690339

Cindy Clarke meticulously removed all the chicken fat, leaving only a clear, delicious soup. After reducing the heat, she added pieces of coconut into the soup.

She also added Cordyceps Flower and goji berries.

Taking advantage of the simmering time, Cindy cut off the sharp parts of the shrimp heads and removed the shrimp line, then arranged them elegantly on a plate.

Cindy adeptly opened the oyster shells, pried out the meat, and put it back into the shells.

Lastly, she chopped bird’s eye chillis and ginger powder and put them into three small dipping bowls.

She squeezed in lemon juice, added a touch of fish sauce and soy sauce, and scooped a small spoon of chicken soup into the dipping bowl, stirring the mixture until well blended.

With that, dinner was simply and swiftly ready.

Cindy cooked this because it was simple and scrumptious.

On a cool night, enjoying a hot pot, even just thinking of it, is wonderfully warming.

After a long day, she did not have the energy to prepare complex dishes at night.

But she had eaten out at lunch and didn’t want to dine out again for dinner.

She liked to cook for Adrian Zhekova and Morgan Zhekova personally.

So, this coconut chicken pot was just right.

Although the dish is simple, it’s rich and nutritious, warming the body and stomach when consumed.

Cindy poked her head out of the kitchen and saw Adrian and Morgan sitting side by side on the carpet.

Adrian had cleared the coffee table, freeing up quite a bit of space, and was leisurely playing with Lego on the table.

“Adrian Zhekova,” Cindy called out.

At the sound of Cindy’s summon, Adrian immediately abandoned Morgan and charged towards Cindy, “Yes? Anything I can do to help?”

Cindy inwardly thought, “this man is so adorable!”

He just wanted to lend her a hand, right?

“Everything is ready, we can eat now,” Cindy laughed, “but there’s really something you can help with.”

“Tell me,” Adrian immediately responded.

“Just help me to carry the pot of coconut chicken out,” Cindy said.

Upon hearing that, Adrian was surprised to find he had to do something so simple.

He immediately went to do it.

Cindy then placed the induction cooker on the dining table.

Adrian placed the coconut chicken pot on the induction cooker, turned it on, and let the soup simmer beautifully.

Without waiting for Cindy to say anything, Adrian brought out the remaining ingredients that needed to be blanched and arranged them around the pot.

Meanwhile, Cindy was urging Morgan, “Morgan, go wash your hands. It’s time to eat.”

The little guy immediately put down his Lego, obediently went to wash his hands and came over to the table.

The tempting fragrance of the coconut chicken pot was already permeating the air.

It was filled with the savory soup scent and the sweet aroma of coconut.

Cindy gave Morgan a small bowl of chicken soup first.

She remembered that Adrian had been envious before because she only served Morgan and didn’t serve him, hence expressing dissatisfaction.

Therefore, this time, she didn’t neglect Adrian. She also served him a bowl of soup, “Have some soup first. Taste the natural savoriness. Otherwise, when the seafood and vegetables are blanched later, the soup will change its taste.”

The little one blew his spoonful of soup for quite a while before he finally drank it.

“This is so savory!” Morgan was so delighted that he closed his eyes, visibly savouring the flavour.

Adrian also took a sip and savoured it carefully.

“The freshness and sweetness of the chicken soup and the sweetness of the coconut are distinct. When these two subtly sweet flavors collide, they mingle to create a refreshing and lingering taste,” Adrian concluded and took another sip.

I love hearing your tasting feedback,” Cindy said with satisfaction, “You always hit the nail on the head.”

“After all, I run a restaurant – I need to know these things.” When Cindy praised him, Adrian wished he had a tail to wag in joy.

Cindy made the soup clear and free of any impurities.

Just looking at it was a delight to the eyes.

Adrian then lifted a piece of chicken.

The free-range chicken was firm but not dry and carried the aroma of coconuts.

Unlike the chicken soup, the coconut flavor seeped into the chicken flesh. There was a bit of richness from the coconut flavor.

But with the dipping sauce that Cindy made, that little bit of richness immediately disappeared.

The spicy taste was also particularly appetizing.

In Morgan’s dipping sauce, Cindy didn’t add as much chili.

Although the little guy liked spicy food, one could not compare him to adults. Cindy put just a bit in his sauce to give it some zing. She was worried about upsetting his stomach.

Only then did Cindy put the shrimps into the bubbling pot, followed by the oysters.

“Oysters should not be cooked for too long. Once the meat is overcooked, it loses its delicacy,” Cindy advised while using a slotted spoon to ladle out the oysters at the right moment, and served them to Morgan and Adrian.

The savory and plump oysters, cooked in the chicken soup, brought out the savory sweetness of the soup.

And at this point, the chicken soup took on the aromatic freshness of shrimps and oysters.

This kind of delicacy, stemming from the ingredients themselves, enhanced the savory taste more than any condiment could do.

“By the way, have you thought about what to prepare for the next competition?” Adrian inquired as he was eating, and brought up this matter.

“Earlier, the judges mentioned that the next round theme is ‘Ocean’.” Cindy paused her movements; unconsciously, the tip of her chopsticks was on her lips as she thought, “The scope indeed allows for a selection from seafood. And that should be a safer choice. At least, it sticks to the theme.”

“If I choose other dishes apart from seafood, but it appears or tastes like seafood, or symbolizes something related to ocean, it might work but it might not be as safe.”

“After all, the judges have given such a broad topic. The two words ‘ocean’ let contestants speculate and be creative. There could be many ways to interpret it, releasing our imaginations, but there is also the risk of misinterpretation,” Cindy considered.

“So I think, there might be a better way by using safe seafood dishes as a basis and then highlighting my uniqueness.” Cindy looked at Adrian, “What do you think?”

After all, Adrian, as a top decision-maker, should have similar thoughts with the judges.

Or maybe that’s not entirely accurate.

Adrian’s position is much higher than the judges’ and his way of looking at things naturally might be quite different.

That’s why she wanted to hear Adrian’s analysis.

“I don’t mean to ask you to leak the exam content in advance,” Cindy quickly explained, “I just think that you might have a different perspective. The judges are chefs but they also run restaurants. Their thinking might be different from mine who just focuses on cooking.”

Adrian laughed, “I understand. But, I really don’t know the test questions.”

“The Pingla Competition is hosted by the Pingla group, but it’s just one of the events organized by the Pingla Group. They won’t bother mentioning every detail to me. This time, you are participating, which is why I am following up. As for the previous competitions, there were subordinates who would report to me from time to time about the progress and overall situation. I just need to know the gist and not the specifics,” Adrian explained.