Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Wheel of War

Although the notice of "suspension of business" had already been put up, there was an endless stream of people coming to the "Yi Xiao Tian" restaurant from the evening onwards.Unlike usual, the purpose of their coming here today is not to enjoy a feast, but to watch the fight between Jiang Shan and Yangzhou famous chef at night. Sadly, most of them were left disappointed.It is different from the Famous Building Club which was so grand and full of visitors a few days ago, today's competition can only be watched by those who have been invited by Uncle Xu. These people are not many, and they are all famous figures in Yangzhou's culinary circle.

The spectators who were turned away were somewhat dissatisfied, but Uncle Xu, who has always been very hospitable, made such an offending decision as a last resort.The gambling between Jiang Shan and Yangzhou kitchen circles has become the hottest topic in the city recently. If there is no restriction on the number of visitors, the small "Yixiaotian" restaurant may be crowded into a mess.This competition is related to the face of Yangzhou's culinary world, of course everything must be cautious, and there must be no chaos. This was a pain for Ling Yongsheng who was in charge of receiving the guests that day.Called reception, his main task is actually to stop those visitors who have not received invitations at the door.Most of the people were reasonable, and went back after listening to a few explanations; but some of the irritable ones could not help but feel unwilling, and complained, or said that Uncle Xu was unreasonable, or said that "Yi Xiao Tian" was putting on a big show, and even more so. What's more, the words are disrespectful, bluntly saying that Uncle Xu is not as good as others, so he dare not openly compete?Thanks to Ling Yongsheng's simple and honest personality, even if he suffered some grievances, he was still calm and calm, smiling to persuade him, which actually made the other party lose their energy, and after a few words of resentment, they dispersed.

But the person who appeared at the door now gave Ling Yongsheng a headache. "Why can that person go in just now, but I can't?" This is the third time he asked the same question within a minute. Ling Yongsheng bent down and explained again: "Because he has an invitation card, but you don't." "What is an invitation card?" The visitor blinked, "Is it the same thing as a ticket?" "Yes, yes, yes." Ling Yongsheng nodded hastily. If the other party hadn't asked it himself, he really didn't know how to answer this question for a while.

The visitor clapped his hands happily: "Then I can go in. I don't need a ticket to go anywhere, because I'm not 1.2 meters tall." Ling Yongsheng was stunned. The one standing in front of him was indeed a child who didn't need to buy a ticket to go anywhere.He scratched his head and explained with difficulty: "This, this is different... Tickets are bought with money, but invitations are not. Invitations are for good friends." "Why don't you give it to me? I can also be good friends with you." The child squinted his eyes, as if he was extremely wronged.

"But...we don't know you yet." Ling Yongsheng looked at the little guy's pitiful look, and his confidence in speaking was much weaker, as if he was wronged. "My friends call me Big Head." The child shook his big head, "What's your name?" "Me? My name is Ling Yongsheng." "We know each other now, can we be friends?" "Yes... yes." Ling Yongsheng found that he had unknowingly entered into the child's speech circle. The child grinned, looking very proud: "Then can I go in now?" "This..." Ling Yongsheng smiled helplessly, looking at the "big head" in front of him, he felt that his head was getting bigger and bigger.

"Ah." Someone sighed behind him and said, "You'd better let him in, otherwise, you won't be quiet all night." Ling Yongsheng turned his head and saw Shen Fei's playful smiling face. He seemed to have seen a savior, and hurriedly said: "It's fine to let him in, but you have to help me keep an eye on him, and you can't let him be mischievous." "Hey, leave it to me." Shen Fei stepped forward, hugged the child in his arms, pinched his nose while walking towards the hall and said, "If you dare to make trouble here, I will beat you!" Ass. Why did you come here alone, didn’t your grandpa come?”

This little guy with a big head is Lang Lang in Caiyi Lane.He twisted his body restlessly and muttered: "It's not fun for my grandpa to come. Oh, if you let me down, I will go by myself." "You go by yourself? Hehe, you're such a jerk, maybe you're going to get into trouble, I'll let you go when your grandpa comes." Shen Fei complacently used his beard stubble to pierce Langlang's face, making the little guy laugh Laughing and dodging. Xu Lijie had already been sitting in the hall waiting, when she saw the two coming, she greeted them with a smile, and said, "Shen Fei, why are you bullying the child?"

Lang Lang rolled his eyes, and immediately stretched out his hands towards Xu Lijie, shouting: "Aunt Xu, I want you to hug me, but I don't want Brother Fei to hug me." Xu Lijie's face was full of joy, and she raised her eyebrows at Shen Fei: "Look, how friendly I am, come on, Langlang, come to Auntie." Shen Fei swallowed helplessly, handed Langlang into Xu Lijie's arms, and muttered dissatisfiedly: "Aunt Xu? Brother Fei? What generation are you?" Lang Lang made a face at Shen Fei, and called "Brother Fei" several times provocatively, Shen Fei made a gesture to spank his butt, but Xu Lijie turned around and blocked him with her body.

There is a small arena in the middle of the hall, and there are three main seats facing the arena.At this time, the invited guests have arrived one after another and are seated separately.Shen Fei and Xu Lijie also sat down on the two seats close to the ring, Langlang stretched his neck, looked east and west, very excited. "It's almost time, why aren't my dad and Jiang Shan here yet?" Xu Lijie looked at the empty arena and asked a little strangely. Shen Fei was not in a hurry, leaned back on the chair, and stroked his chin leisurely: "They should still be in the back kitchen. For such an important competition, it is very important to maintain a peaceful mind. So until the last moment, they Never in the ring."

Langlang suddenly put his mouth next to Xu Lijie's ear, and said a few words softly.Xu Lijie blushed, and put him on the ground. Before Shen Fei could react, the little guy had already slipped through the seats a few times, and ran towards the other side of the hall. "Hey, why did you let him go alone?" Shen Fei looked at Xu Lijie with wide eyes. "He said he wanted to pee, and I can't follow him." Xu Lijie gave Shen Fei a blank look, "Anyway, the game hasn't started yet, so you can let him play for a while, and look after him when Jiang Shan and the others come out."

Shen Fei looked at the direction of Langlang's departure, but he was indeed heading towards the bathroom. He was hesitating whether to follow, when he suddenly heard a slight commotion in the crowd, and when he turned his head, he saw Uncle Xu, Ma Yun and Chen Chunsheng came out from the back hall in a file. All three of them had serious expressions, and they came to the main seat facing the ring without saying a word.As the host, Uncle Xu naturally sat down on a chair in the middle. Ma Yun and Chen Chunsheng were separated on both sides, and there were waiters serving good green tea on the side.After the three of them sat down, Uncle Xu waved his hand, and five or six young fellows stepped onto the ring, moved and carried them, and hurriedly set up two stoves in the center. The young men were young, but they moved very neatly. In less than ten minutes, not only the stove was set up neatly, but also the pots and pans, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar and other utensils and seasonings were also properly placed.At this moment, all the people in the hall consciously quieted down, and the atmosphere in the venue became dignified. Nearly a hundred pairs of eyes were all staring at the exit from the back kitchen to the ring. A fierce celebrity chef confrontation was imminent! Not long after, the sound of "kicking down" footsteps was faintly heard from the direction of the back kitchen.It's just that the footsteps sounded urgent and buoyant, and they had already reached the exit in a short while, without the calm demeanor of a top swordsman at all.Just when everyone was slightly surprised, a small figure flickered and Lang Lang ran out from the back kitchen.While he was giggling, he looked back from time to time, as if there was something very interesting behind him. This sudden scene made the tense atmosphere in the venue disappear instantly, and everyone let out a burst of relaxed laughter.Shen Fei and Xu Lijie glanced at each other, then shook their heads in unison, with helplessness on their faces. But the good show in the arena has only just begun.After Langlang ran a few steps, the exit was wobbly, and a big white goose followed him.The white goose was fat and fat, with its head held up, it was taller than Lang Lang, it flapped its wings, croaked and chased after Lang Lang, and circled around the arena. As a famous building in Huaiyang, "Yixiaotian" naturally seeks fresh and innovative materials. It is not surprising that a white goose escapes from the back kitchen.It's just that at this solemn juncture, the scene of the white goose chasing the naughty boy suddenly appeared, which made people feel a little weird besides smiling. Uncle Xu frowned, looked at Shen Fei who was not far away, and asked in a three-point reproachful tone: "What's going on?" "Little guy, let's see how I deal with you later." Shen Fei frightened Lang Lang with a straight face, while running up to the ring and stretching out his arms to catch the white goose.The white goose dodged left and right twice, suddenly staggered, fell to the ground, struggled twice, but couldn't get up. "Hahaha..." Langlang covered his stomach with his hands, laughing so hard that he couldn't straighten up, "It's drunk!" "What?" Shen Fei leaned over to get close to the white goose, and sure enough, he smelled a strong aroma of wine, which was still very familiar.Shen Fei suddenly remembered something, reached out his hand to touch in his pocket, and the small altar of fine old wine that he and Jin Yiying drank at noon had really disappeared. Although the white goose was drunk and collapsed on the ground, its eyes were still wide open, staring at Lang Lang's abdomen, where a small bag was bulging, as if it was hiding something.Shen Fei thought about it for a while, and he understood a lot in his heart. He chuckled and said, "What a naughty kid, it's not enough to steal my wine. Did you go to the back kitchen and steal the eggs laid by the big white goose?" Shen Fei's guess was right. When Langlang was hugged in his arms just now, he secretly took away the small wine jar that he hid in his pocket. He originally wanted to hide in the toilet to taste it, but he drank it. One bite, it was choking and spicy, and the taste was completely different from the yogurt I usually like to drink.Frustrated, he remembered that Shen Fei had said that Jiang Shan and the others were in the back kitchen, so he decided to spy on them. When they arrived at the back kitchen, several famous chefs failed to find it, but found a big white goose locked in a cage.The little guy became playful, pinched the white goose by the neck, and poured down the rest of the wine in the altar.This was not over yet, after watching the white goose toss and wobble for a while, he opened the cage again and carried away a big goose egg in the cage.Although Bai Goose was drunk, he was naturally protective of calves, so he followed him all the way to the ring. Shen Fei saw through the trick, Lang Lang blinked his eyes twice, and argued: "Your wine is too bad to drink, so I don't want it. Goose eggs... I haven't seen it before." Shen Fei pointed to his stomach, and asked with a smile: "You are bulging, what is it?" Seeing that he couldn't deny it, Lang Lang simply curled his lips and said grinningly: "It's no use keeping this big goose egg here, and you don't know how to cook it, why don't you bring it back to me and let grandpa cook some side dishes. " Everyone in the audience was laughing and watching the excitement, but at this moment they were stunned and looked at each other in blank dismay: This kid has such a big tone, dare to say such words in a place where famous chefs from Yangzhou gather, I don't know why? Shen Fei still had a smile on his face, teasing Lang Lang's words and continued: "Oh, tell me, what small dishes can your grandfather make?" Langlang was not too polite, he raised his neck proudly, and said: "You don't understand if it's too powerful, so I'll just tell you a few simple ones. Make a 'Yushu Qionghua' with the egg white, and a 'Long River Sunset' with the egg yolk. Eggshells, let’s make a ‘silver bowl of water shield soup’.” Now even the three famous building bosses sitting on the main seat couldn't help but change their expressions slightly.You must know that goose eggs are thick and have a fishy taste, and they are rarely used in dishes.According to legend, the "Yushu Qionghua" and "Long River Sunset" were created by Zheng Banqiao, the head of the Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty.At that time, Zheng Banqiao was living in poverty. One day when a friend visited, he had nothing but a goose egg at home.In desperation, Zheng Banqiao had an idea, separated the egg white and egg yolk, and served with a small amount of freshly picked wild vegetables to make these two dishes.Although it is a bit crude, but the conception is elegant, and my friends greatly appreciate it.Zheng Banqiao himself was quite proud, so he wrote this matter into his records.These two dishes have not been handed down in the recipes, so not many people in the culinary world know about them, but now they are casually picked up by a young child, which naturally raises eyebrows. What's even more strange is that, according to what the child said, the shell of this goose egg can also be eaten, and one egg can be eaten three times, which is even better than that of Zheng Banqiao back then.Even Ma Yun, who is very knowledgeable, has never heard of this kind of practice. He stroked his long beard and asked with interest: "Little friend, tell me, what should I do with this 'silver bowl of water shield soup'?" what?" "It's not difficult." Langlang shook his head and said openly, "Remove the top of the goose egg, pour out the egg liquid, and then polish the edge of the eggshell, so that a small egg is made. "Eggshell Bowl". Then put water shield and ingredients into the bowl, add a little soup, and steam over water. The trace elements and special fragrance in the eggshell will dissolve into the soup. If you haven't eaten it, go to Next time I will ask Grandpa to make one for you to try." "Really? Good, good!" Ma Yun laughed twice, then looked at this clever and cute little guy, and asked kindly: "Who is your grandpa?" Not only Jack Ma, but almost everyone present is thinking about the same question.This kid is good at talking, especially when he talked about the recipe of "Silver Bowl of Water Shield Soup" just now, the idea is ingenious and admirable. It is expected that he must be the descendant of a famous chef with an extraordinary background.Many people have even secretly speculated whether the "grandfather" he mentioned is the "one knife fresh" who disappeared without a trace 30 years ago? Lang Lang didn't answer Ma Yun's question directly, but just smiled mischievously and said, "My grandpa is coming soon, you'll know when you see him, right?" "Well, that's the best." Uncle Xu nodded at this time, and said to Shen Fei: "The competition is about to start, you can take this kid to the stage to play for a while." Lang Lang made a grimace at Shen Fei: "You always bully me, so I don't want you to take me with you." After finishing speaking, he ran down the ring and rushed to Xu Lijie's side, tilting his head and saying coquettishly: "Auntie, you accompany me!" Let me play together." Xu Lijie patted his head: "Okay, but when the game is played later, you have to be obedient and don't make trouble." Shen Fei also followed at this time, sat down beside Xu Lijie, and sighed: "Oh, you want him to be obedient, unless you can tie his feet up." After saying this, he seemed to suddenly remember What, put your mouth to Langlang's ear, lower your voice and say: "Do you know why that big white goose chased you desperately just now?" Seeing Shen Fei's mysterious appearance, Lang Lang couldn't help being curious, he opened his eyes wide and asked, "Why?" Shen Fei replied solemnly: "Because the goose egg you took just now is about to hatch a goose soon." "Really?" Langlang took the goose egg out of his arms and said regretfully, "If I had known, I wouldn't have taken it. It's so fun to watch the old goose hatch the baby goose." Shen Fei sighed, looking even more regretful than Lang Lang: "I originally had a more fun plan, but it was a pity that you ruined it." "What fun plan? Tell me quickly." Langlang asked impatiently. "According to my calculations and observations, today should be the last day of incubation for this goose egg. I planned to steal the goose egg quietly while the mother goose was not paying attention, and then incubate the last hour or two by myself. After the goose was born, it would regard me as its mother and run around with me all day, do you think it’s fun?” Shen Fei said as he glanced at the goose egg from time to time, with a feeling of unwillingness. look. "Really?" Langlang looked at the goose egg in his hand suspiciously, "How do people hatch eggs?" "Just sit cross-legged on the ground and put the eggs under the buttocks and legs." Shen Fei gestured twice, and then said, "How do you think a newborn goose knows what its mother looks like? Of course It is the first time you see whoever is its mother. If you don’t believe it, let me hatch it for you.” "No, no." Langlang called out immediately, "I will incubate by myself, and I will be the mother of the little goose." "You don't know how to hatch, let me do it." Shen Fei said, stretching out his hand, making a gesture to snatch the goose egg. "I will!" Langlang hurriedly found a chair, sat cross-legged on it, then stuffed the goose egg under his buttocks, and said triumphantly, "Isn't that right?" Shen Fei watched him swallow, made an expression of envy, and then said in a pleading tone: "Good Langlang, if you get tired from sitting, why don't you let me incubate for a while?" "No." Langlang shook his head like a wavy drum, "If the gosling comes out when you hatch, then I won't be a mother goose." Shen Fei sighed sadly: "Oh, I have such a good plan, but you snatched it away. There is no hope, so I have to watch the boring competition. Langlang, when you hatch a goose, you must call me Come and see." "Got it, got it." Langlang was afraid that Shen Fei would be thinking about the goose egg he had laid on his butt, so he agreed, "You can concentrate on watching the game, I will call you when the time comes." Shen Fei nodded, then turned to look at Xu Lijie, and said in a low voice, "Now we can live in peace for a while." Xu Lijie suppressed a smile: "It's really useless to lie to children." Shen Fei chuckled twice with a "hey hey": "That's not the case, how could he be honest. Hurry up in the stands, Jiang Shan and the others are coming out." Xu Lijie looked up, and she saw Jiang Shan and a fat middle-aged man walking onto the ring from the exit of the back kitchen.The venue immediately fell silent, the episode just now was forgotten by everyone, and everyone waited and watched for this celebrity chef duel. Uncle Xu took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and said in a loud voice: "Everyone, today's competition will start immediately. I think everyone knows these two. This young man is Mr. Jiang Shanjiang who made the bet with Huaiyang Chef. Needless to say, one is Master Zhu Xiaohua from "Miaoweiju" in the south of the city, he has always been famous in the Yangzhou kitchen circle for his fine selection of ingredients." Both Jiang Shan and Zhu Xiaohua bowed slightly and nodded to everyone. After a slight pause, Uncle Xu continued: "Today's dishes for the competition between the two sides are: Boiled dried shredded rice!" "Yangzhou is good, teahouse guests are welcome. Add thousands of threads and piles of thin strands, cooked copper pipes lie on long seedlings, shochu and crystal dishes." This is "Wang Jiangnan" written by Xing'an Jutu in the Qing Dynasty. This poem describes the scene of diners in Yangzhou smoking, drinking, and eating meat in a teahouse in the old days, while tasting "dried silk with ingredients".This "additional dry silk" is the "boiled dry silk" in Huaiyang cuisine today. According to legend, this dish was originally a blind dish on the imperial banquet when Emperor Qianlong went to the south of the Yangtze River and passed through Yangzhou. , seaweed shreds, whitebait shreds, and shredded pork stewed soup.Later, it was spread to the people and underwent a series of changes and improvements.The current method is to dry the tofu in batches and cut into shreds, cook it in clear water first, drain the brine, then boil it in chicken broth, drain the chicken broth, pour in new chicken broth and cook again, and add ingredients such as shrimp and ham Shredded shredded sea cucumber, shredded gizzard liver, shredded chicken breast, etc., mix with sesame oil and Huai salt after taste, and serve on a plate. Yang Cuisine's housekeeping dish. On the ring, the competition has already begun. The dried tofu used to make "Dazhu Gansi", commonly known as "Fanggan", is seven cents high and more than two inches long and wide.Although it doesn't look big, it can build a tall plate after being cut into thin dried shreds.So to make a large portion of "Dazhu Gansi", two portions of dried tofu are enough for the main ingredient. But now, in front of Jiang Shan and Zhu Xiaohua, there was a big bamboo basket each, which was neatly stacked with square stems, worth hundreds of yuan.A young man stood aside with his hands down, and said respectfully: "These are all high-quality fresh dried tofu from Qili Township, please choose them. If they are not suitable, there are still enough square dried tofu in the back kitchen. .” Xu Lijie from the audience asked curiously: "Where is Qili Township? Is Fang Gan famous there?" "You are asking the right person." Shen Fei folded his arms and said, "To make an excellent 'big boiled dried shredded silk', ordinary dried tofu is not enough, you must use dried tofu produced in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The best ones are in the Qili Township area in the south of Yangzhou." "But what's the difference between dried tofu and dried tofu?" "That's a huge difference. The main reason is the difference between water and soil. First, only the fertile land in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River can grow fat and fine soybeans. Second, in the process of making dried tofu, the The water quality requirements are very high. The water in the north is very hard, and the dried tofu produced is not only stiff, but also yellow in color. Such a color, the cooks in the Jianghuai area would not even bother to look at it. Qili Township is adjacent to Shaobo Lake. It is clear and soft, and the dried tofu produced there is always white and tender, which is lovable." Shen Fei spoke excitedly, licked his lips, and continued to talk eloquently: "Even the dried tofu produced in the same place is of the same quality. They are different, some are tight and delicate, while others are rough and loose, which is related to the age and tenderness of the soybeans used in the production, the composition of the ingredients when stewing, and the amount of water added. Therefore, if you want to make a delicious Amazing big boiled dried tofu, first of all you have to know how to choose the best dried tofu." Xu Lijie stuck out her tongue and said in surprise: "I never thought that a small piece of dried tofu could hide such a big name." "Of course. The knowledge of all aspects of cooking can be said to be extensive and profound. Although I am just a vegetable head, hehe, what I know and learn is not to be underestimated." Shen Fei began to feel complacent with a little intoxication. Xu Lijie smiled, stopped talking to him, turned her head, and watched how the two on the ring chose materials. Just like buying vegetables in the market, Jiang Shan stretched out his hand to rummage through the bamboo basket, then picked up a piece of dried tofu. He squinted his eyes and took a leisurely look at Zhu Xiaohua who was beside him, but his eyes seemed to be frozen, and he couldn't leave for a while. Not only Jiang Shan, but everyone's eyes were now attracted by this unattractive Zhu Xiaohua.He closed his eyes, stretched his right hand into the bamboo basket, flipped his fat fingers up and down, and each time he moved, he picked up a piece of dried tofu with his index finger and middle finger. The dried stool flew out of the basket and landed firmly in a large basin with a wide mouth at the boy's feet.The movements of his hands were extremely quick, and the dried tofu was thrown out piece by piece, drawing white arcs, which was really beautiful.In just two or three minutes, the original full basket of dried tofu was transferred into the big basin.Zhu Xiaohua opened his eyes, shook his head slightly, looking very disappointed, and said to the boy, "Go to the back kitchen, and change another basket." A basket full of dried squares. Everyone in the audience was a little puzzled at first, but after hearing Zhu Xiaohua's words, they came back to their senses.It turned out that in just a few minutes, Zhu Xiaohua had already picked out a basket full of dried tofu with only two fingers, but none of them satisfied him. Jiang Shan knew it in his heart, and he couldn't help being secretly surprised.Zhu Xiaohua can understand the quality of dried tofu with two fingers, which is amazing and amazing; all the dried tofu in this basket are of the rare top grade, but the other party sees them all. It is not eye-catching, and the fine and harsh selection of materials is unheard of.This person is not yet a well-known figure in the culinary world, but he has such abilities. Huaiyang is indeed a place where dragons and tigers are hidden. However, the stronger the opponent, the more excited Jiang Shan was, so he concentrated his mind and carefully selected from his basket of dried tofu.After much deliberation, I finally selected two squares with the whitest color, fine texture and toughness, and placed them gently on the chopping board. Not far away, Xu Lijie was secretly worried about Jiang Shan.At this moment, Zhu Xiaohua had already picked out three baskets of dried tofu before choosing one of them, but Jiang Shan was so hasty and only picked from one basket, the texture of the dried tofu would naturally be at a disadvantage.If Jiang Shan loses this battle, although his father can win the bet, he may not be able to see the demeanor of "one knife fresh", which is a great pity. But Xu Lijie didn't know it, and Jiang Shan's actions were actually helpless.The two pieces of dried tofu he picked out were already at the limit of his knowledge in terms of quality, and it would not make much sense to make more choices.Just like two people swimming together, the person who can see the scenery one thousand meters away will naturally not stop at 500 meters; while the other person has limited vision and can only see the scenery within 500 meters. No matter how beautiful it is, it is useless to it. Over there, Zhu Xiaohua didn't stop, picked four more baskets in one go, and finally found another piece of dried tofu in the seventh basket that satisfied him.After choosing the two pieces of dried tofu, he let out a long breath and wiped his forehead with his hands, where a layer of tiny beads of sweat had already formed.His actions seemed relaxed and leisurely to others, but in fact, to distinguish the nuances of so many dried tofu, the mental state required a high degree of concentration and took a lot of effort.Zhu Xiaohua rested for a while, and after his breath calmed down, he clasped his fists at Jiang Shan and saluted, and said, "Mr. Jiang, the next task for this competition has been completed. Next, Master Li Dong from the 'Fushou Building' will send Mr. Jiang Seek advice on sword skills." Immediately, there was a small commotion among the spectators off the field, and everyone whispered to each other in surprise.There are many restaurants in Yangzhou City, there are many swordsmen, and there are countless culinary competitions, large and small.Those who were lucky enough to be invited here today are all seasoned masters in this way, but this practice of changing people midway is unheard of by everyone. Although the knowledge of cooking is complicated, there are many processes in the middle of a dish.However, the evaluation of someone's skill level will ultimately fall on the five words of "color, aroma, taste, meaning, and shape" of the dishes. significance.This Zhu Xiaohua had just taken the lead in selecting materials, so he wanted to leave the field and make a substitution, which was really puzzling. Jiang Shan was taken aback at the beginning, but then he understood the mystery, smiled lightly, and said: "The game I made with Uncle Xu is to challenge the entire Yangzhou culinary world. Even if you work together, as long as the final dishes If I can win, I will accept the bet and admit defeat." Jiang Shan's words awakened everyone in the audience, and two or three young and impetuous spectators even blurted out in unison: "Wheel battle!" Although the guests who came to watch the match today were all invited, they didn't know the plans of Uncle Xu and others before.Seeing Zhu Xiaohua playing against Jiang Shan just now, many people still have doubts: Although Zhu Xiaohua's choice of ingredients is excellent, but his comprehensive cooking skills are not outstanding. Jiang Shan's culinary skills make the three famous restaurants helpless. his opponent?Now the whole story has finally been uncovered. It turns out that Uncle Xu has arranged a "wheel battle" method, combining the strengths of many people to compete with Jiang Shan.Of course, this kind of method cannot appear in a personal competition, but Jiang Shanyan clearly challenged the entire Yangzhou culinary world, so this situation is unexpected and reasonable. This method of competition is not only novel, but also greatly increases the possibility of winning in the Yangzhou culinary circle. Everyone's emotions and curiosity have been mobilized. Everyone will wait and see how Jiang Shan will deal with it. Here Zhu Xiaohua stopped talking and took a few steps back.There was a boy on the side who had already prepared a seat, and Zhu Xiaohua sat on the chair, looking at the exit of the back kitchen.I saw a tall and strong man walking out steadily. It was Li Dong, the chef of "Fu Shou Lou". Li Dong walked to the counter with a sullen face, looked Jiang Shan up and down, and asked in a low voice, "Are you Jiang Shan?" "That's right." Unlike Li Dong's haughty attitude, Jiang Shan's reply seemed modest and polite, "I've heard that Master Li's sword skills are extraordinary, and I should have made a special trip to visit him, but unfortunately the schedule was rushed and I couldn't do it. I didn't expect today However, having the opportunity to compete on the same stage will definitely benefit Jiang a lot." Li Dong snorted through his nose and said: "Good!" Then he picked up a piece of dried tofu from the chopping board, looked at it for a moment, and praised again: "Good!" There is a big difference in tone and demeanor.When he said the first "good", Li Dong's expression was stern, which was a short but strong response to Jiang Shan's words; when he said the second "good", his face was beaming, but it was a sincere admiration for the quality of Zhu Xiaohua's choice of party members. After saying "OK", Li Dong turned his right wrist, and there was a kitchen knife in his palm.I saw that the blade of this knife is extremely thin, although it is black all over, but it looks cold when viewed from a distance; The history of this kitchen knife. Shen Fei in the stands praised softly: "Good knife!" Xu Lijie asked curiously: "This knife is not black, is there any trick in it?" "Of course it is famous." Shen Fei said eloquently, "This knife is made of black iron. For the production of kitchen knives, there are two contradictions that seem to be difficult to coordinate, namely the thickness of the blade and the thickness of the kitchen knife. The texture. The thinner the blade, the more flexible the kitchen knife is, but the quality of the knife is not enough at this time, and it is difficult to exert force when performing quick cutting and chopping. Therefore, generally speaking, kitchen knives are divided into light knives and heavy knives. There are two kinds of knives, each with different uses. The specific gravity of black iron is much larger than that of ordinary fine steel, and using it as a raw material to make knives can combine the two advantages of thin blade and light weight, and achieve the multi-purpose effect of a knife.” "What black iron knife? I haven't seen it yet." Not far away, Lang Lang sat on a chair and stretched his neck to look towards the ring. The back view of the spectators. Shen Fei looked at him and said with a smile: "Then you go ahead and have a look, let me incubate this goose egg for you for a while." Langlang quickly sat down cross-legged, curled his lips and said, "I'm not going to be fooled, what's so good about a kitchen knife." Xu Lijie pursed her lips and smiled secretly, thinking: Shen Fei's trick is really effective, otherwise Lang Lang might do some mischievous things when he sees such a strange kitchen knife. Li Dong on the ring caressed the blade, looked at Jiang Shan and said, "Although I am not a descendant of a famous family, this knife has been passed down from generation to generation and has a history of hundreds of years. For hundreds of years, our Li family has relied on this It's a knife, and it's a meal in Yangzhou's kitchen industry. Today, Mr. Jiang is so despised by Yangzhou's kitchen industry, we have to see if it agrees." After Jiang Shan came to Yangzhou, he knew a little about the well-known chefs in various restaurants, and he knew that Li Dong had always been arrogant and upright, and he was quite difficult to get along with.Therefore, although the other party's words were not good, he didn't take it seriously, he waved his hand indifferently and said, "In that case, Master Li, please go first!" Li Dong stopped talking, took a piece of dried tofu and placed it in the middle of the chopping board, spread the palm of his left hand flat, and pressed it on the top of the dried tofu, turned his right hand slightly so that the knife in his hand was level with the chopping board, and then pushed slowly, with the blade close to it Cut in along the lower edge of the palm of his left hand. I saw the blade slid across the palm of the hand, very steadily and slowly, but without any pause.Li Dong exerted force with his right wrist, pushing the blade and moving, other than that, his whole body seemed to be in trance, and he didn't even blink his eyes. At this time, there was silence in the arena, and everyone stared with bated breath, their eyes following the movement of the black blade, all of them were experts, and they knew the competition of saber skills, and after the saber fell, they could see the difference. The use of knife skills in cooking can be divided into three categories: cutting, chopping, and chopping. Among them, the cutting method is the most delicate and complicated, and it can best show the level of skill.From the point of view of knife movement, the cutting method can be divided into push cutting, pull cutting and sawing; from the direction of knife movement, it can be divided into straight knife cutting and horizontal knife cutting. Horizontal knife pushing and cutting, commonly known as "slicing", is the most difficult of all knife techniques, and this is the first step necessary when cutting dried tofu into shreds.The success of this step depends not only on the strength and stability of the right hand when pushing the knife, but also on the cooperation of the palm of the left hand.When cutting horizontally, the dried tofu is fixed on the chopping board by the pressure on the left hand. If the pressure is small, the dried tofu will move under the thrust of the blade. If the pressure is high, it will hinder the blade from pushing in. This requires The force-applying hand can flexibly control the change of force according to the advancing degree of the blade.If the coordination of the two hands is slightly inconsistent, the knife may be stopped or the material may be shifted, and naturally it will not be possible to cut a complete and uniform square dry piece. Under the gazes of many gazes, the knife in Li Dong's hand finally cut across the entire square of dried tofu steadily. When the sharp edge emerged from the other side of the dried tofu, Li Dong stopped the knife and moved开左手，把厨刀直直地举了起来。 只见乌黑发亮的刀面上，紧贴着一片极薄的豆腐干，虽然刀体已成垂直，但那片豆腐干仍能粘在刀面上，可见其不仅又轻又薄，而且刀口必然是异常的平整光滑。 李冬似乎有心卖弄，把厨刀举得老高，待众人全都看个清楚之后，这才将右手手腕轻轻一抖，那方干片受了震动，脱离刀面后，竟如一页白纸般从高处飘然而下，悠悠荡荡，刹是好看。快飘落至案板时，李冬伸出左手，将方干片平平稳稳地接在了手心。众人看得如醉如痴，到此刻才回过味来，齐齐赞了声：“好！” 沈飞见徐丽婕一副专注的样子，在她耳旁解释到：“大煮干丝是非常考验刀功的一个菜，一块方干，能切成多少片，直接反映了操作者的刀功水准。能把方干切到三十片以上的，就算达到了特级大厨的标准。照李冬的切法，这块方干只怕最终能到四十片以上！” “啊，他真是好厉害。”徐丽婕感慨地说，心中暗想：却不知道姜山又能切出多少片来？ 此时姜山也已经持刀在手，他所用的是一口崭新的上好钢刀，刃口处寒光闪闪，一看便是出自老字号的精品，但和李冬所持的那口传世玄铁刀相比，终究是差了一筹。 同样是稳稳的一刀之后，姜山切出的方干片却明显比李冬切出的要厚了一些，他自己似乎也不甚满意，轻轻地摇了摇头，不知是在懊恼刀具不佳，还是在叹息确实技不如人呢？ 随后两人各不停歇，擂台上刀光闪动，直到每人案板上的豆腐干都成了一堆薄薄的方干片。 “这两块豆腐干，李冬一块切出了四十五片，一块切出了四十四片，姜山则是两块都切出了三十六片。”徐丽婕认认真真地说道，言语中对姜山的技逊一筹多少有些失望。周围的看客听到她的话，有好几个都轻轻地点着头，看来像她一样数出每块方干所切片数的人还不在少数。 切片完成之后，紧接着便是切丝。这一步所用的刀法属于直刀推切，难度比切片时的横刀推切要小了很多。两人都完成得干净利索，只听得刀刃与案板相碰发出的“笃笃”声此起彼伏，连绵不断，不消片刻，他们面前的案板上便都耸起了一堆小山包似的方干丝。从台下看去，李冬案上的干丝堆明显比姜山的要大了一号，众人心中都清楚，这正是因为李冬切出的干丝更为纤细，所以堆在一起时，能显出更大的体积。 擂台上二人互相比对，心中更是如明镜一般。姜山放下手中的厨刀，诚挚地说道：“李师傅刀功精湛，确实名不虚传。在这一点上，我心服口服。” 李冬翻了翻眼睛，仍是一副冷冷的表情：“不必客气。你的言下之意我明白。我也承认，我只是在刀法上能胜过你，说到综合厨艺，今天在座的能胜过我的只怕就有不少。我不管你这次来扬州究竟说什么目的，不过你得明白，天外有天，人外有人，凭一个人就想撼动整个扬州厨界，哼，可不是那么容易。”说完，他往下退了几步，坐在朱晓华身边的一张空椅上。 不远处的徐叔冲台上的小伙计点点头，小伙计会意，来到后厨出口处，朗声说道：“请'水华轩'金宜英金师傅上台！” 话音甫落，一个四十岁上下的中年男子已从后厨走出，他身材不高，圆圆的脸庞上戴着一副黑框的近视眼镜，一眼看去，不像个大厨，倒更像是个读书人。 众人认得此人正是城西“水华轩”的主厨金宜英。大家心中都很明了，素来以火候掌控能力闻名扬州厨界的金宜英此时上擂台，显然是作为车轮战中的一环，来完成这道“大煮干丝”最后的烹饪步骤。 金宜英不紧不慢地走到灶台前，看了一眼案板上高高耸起的那堆干丝，脱口称赞道：“好！这干丝的质地好，切得也好！” 一旁的姜山接口说：“'妙味居'朱晓华和'福寿楼'李冬的手笔，自然不会差的。我来到扬州的时间虽然不长，但也听说金大厨已对菜品火候妙至巅毫的掌控，同朱大厨额选料能力，李大厨的刀功并称扬州烹饪界的'三绝'，今天三位齐聚'一笑天'酒楼与在下共同切磋厨艺，必定会让我受益匪浅。” “哎，今天高手云集，这样的谬赞怎么敢当。”金宜英笑眯眯地看了看姜山，“你就是从北京来的御厨后代？这两天淮扬厨界因为你的到来风起云涌啊，言语倒是谦虚得体。嗯，年轻有为，敢想敢做，不错，不错。” 金宜英素来雍容大度，是出了名的好脾气，因此他在擂台上公然称赞对手，大家倒也不以为意。只见他顿了一顿，话题一转，又继续说道：“这厨艺比试，向来是一对一的单挑，我们这次合三人的技艺与你比试，对你确实有些不公。不过听徐老板说，你的厨艺确实厉害，要单打独斗，现在扬州很难有人是你的对手，为了获胜，我们也只好这样了。你如果不服气，也没关系，那本菜谱，我们不要你的就是了。” 姜山见他如此坦荡，禁不住莞尔，不过口中却毫不示弱：“这厨艺上的比试，需到最后菜肴出锅才能分出胜负。最后若是我赢了，打赌时定下的条约你们可是不能抵赖的。” “哦？好好好。”金宜英倒不着恼，仍是一副笑容可掬的模样，“那我们就先分出胜负再说。只是前两阵你已落了下风，在火候上想要扳回来只怕不容易啊。” 徐叔轻咳一声，插话道：“两位不用多说，胜败还得看手上的功夫。”说完，他冲那小伙计使了个眼色，小伙计对着后厨方向呼喝了一句：“上鸡汤！” 不一会，两名女服务员从后厨出口款款走上了擂台，把各自手中端着的一只大砂锅分别搁在姜山和金宜英面前的灶台上，随即又退了回去。 小伙计清了清喉咙，向众人解释说：“由于时间所限，这次比试所用的鸡汤，由'一笑天'后厨为双方准备。这两只砂锅中的鸡汤源于同一锅，是用地道的农家老母鸡熬制而成，味道鲜香浓郁。各色辅料也已切好加入汤中，计有脆鳝丝、竹蛏丝、火腿丝、笋丝、木耳丝、青椒丝、口蘑丝、海参丝、燕窝丝九味。这两只砂锅中的汤料完全一致，两位尽可放心，在烹饪技法上比个高下。” 这鸡汤若是凉了，再回热时，便会失了鲜味，姜山和金宜英都把炉灶打起小火，维持着砂锅的温度，然后开始料理各自面前的那堆干丝。 两人分别拿了一口铁锅，加上清水，开大火加热。没几分钟，锅中的水已然沸腾。只见他们把干丝倒入锅中，略抄一下后，立刻又用漏勺捞出。 “这是在干什么？”徐丽婕不明就里，只好又去请教沈飞。 “干丝入锅之前，先要用沸水沥一遍，这是为了出去干丝中的土腥味。这是'大煮干丝'烹制时一个比较关键的步骤，在去处土腥味的同时，又要保留清新的豆香，所以一定要控制好过水的时间。” 徐丽婕若有所悟地点点头。只见台上的二人在干丝沥完水后，把锅中的沸水倒尽，却从砂锅内舀出少许鸡汤置于铁锅中，然后又将干丝倒了进去。 “知道这道工序是为什么吗？”沈飞有意考一考徐丽婕，“这里面的道理并不复杂，你猜猜看？” 徐丽婕歪着脑袋略想了会，一拍手说道：“我明白了。这干丝刚才沥水后，沾上了不少清水，直接下入锅中，自然会冲淡鸡汤的鲜味。所以要先在少量的鸡汤中过一遍，然后再下到锅中，就能够解决这个问题了，对吗？” “不错不错。”沈飞笑着打趣，“这几天跟着我混迹，总算长了些知识。” 徐丽婕“哼”了一声，顾不上和他斗嘴，转过头来，继续关注擂台上的比试。 此时两人都已将干丝下到了砂锅中，这意味着这场比试已经到了最后也是最关键的阶段：鸡汤汆味。这个步骤对火候掌握的要求非常高，火小了辅料和鸡汤的鲜味难以浸入干丝，火大了会把干丝煮烂，失去口感。 而这一点，正是金宜英的强项。“水华轩”靠他打了十多年的招牌，自然也不是浪得虚名。只见他身体微微前倾，左手始终放在炉灶的火力控制开关上，右手则虚抬于腹前，与砂锅保持着约一寸的距离。 不久前那笑眯眯的表情在金宜英的脸上已经看不见了。他紧锁着眉头，面色凝重，虽然隔着厚厚的眼镜片，但他双目中的精光仍然犀利地射了出来，落在面前的那只砂锅上，似乎不会让其中每一分细小的温度变化逃过自己的监察。此时此刻，他全身上下的气质已经完全是一个刀客，一个聚集着一百分精神的顶尖刀客！ 沈飞把嘴附到徐丽婕耳边，轻声提示道：“注意看他的右手。” 徐丽婕凝神仔细看了片刻，不禁轻轻地“咦”了一声。原来每隔几秒钟，金宜英右手的中指便会倏地弹出，与砂锅壁轻轻接触后旋即收回，动作极快，若不特意留神观察，很难发现。 “他这是在干什么？”徐丽婕好奇地询问。 “测试砂锅中的温度。”沈飞回答到，“每测一次，他就会相应地调整一下火力的大小。因为调整的幅度很细微，所以你看不出他左手上的动作。不过从火苗的变化上可以看出一些端倪。” 果然，如果认真观察可以发现，金宜英的右手手指每弹出一次，灶头上的火苗便会相应有些不易察觉的变化，徐丽婕在惊叹金宜英神乎其技的同时，也暗暗佩服沈飞敏锐的观察力。 这一切当然也逃不过姜山的眼睛。这手触壁调温的功夫，没有对温差感觉上的过人天赋和二十年以上的经验积累，是绝对无法做到的。姜山心中惊异的同时，也只能自叹弗如。每隔一段时间，他便会轻轻地揭开砂锅盖，根据目测的沸热状况来调节火力大小，从手法上来说，这自然逊色了许多。 时间一分一秒的过去，两人灶头上的火苗都是越来越小，后来仅是在送气口处微微可见一圈蓝光。台下众人屏气凝神，知道这意味着烹煮已到最后的关头，这场比试的结果也是呼之欲出！ 果然，一直静若处子的金宜英突然双手齐动，左手彻底关了灶火，右手则揭开了砂锅盖，一股奇妙的鲜香立时随着热腾腾的蒸汽喷薄而出。那香味在大堂中迅速弥漫，似乎是一把把看不见的钩子，钩住所有人的鼻息。几个定力稍差的年轻人情不自禁地向着擂台方向倾过身体，那姿态动作就像要随着香气飘去一般。 台上金宜英的动作毫不停歇，他抓住砂锅的泥耳，双手迅捷无比的一翻，把满锅的干丝和汤汤水水全都倒入了一旁早已准备好的青花大瓷盆中，同时大喝一声：“大煮干丝，出锅！” 砂锅中的热汤进了瓷盆，余热未歇，仍在发出“咕咕”的轻微沸声。只见盆中细细千万根银丝雪缕般的干丝蓬松高耸，如洁白的花团，簇簇喜人，其中更点缀着或黄或黑或青或红的各色辅料，同浸在一汪清澈浓郁的鸡汤中，鲜香四溢，霎时间将人的耳、鼻、眼、口、心，所有的感观全都抓了过去。 这一切完成之后，金宜英拍拍手，立在一旁，一身的锐气慢慢褪去。他笑呵呵地看着姜山，又变成了一个普普通通的和蔼中年人。 姜山不动声色，轻轻灭了灶火，把砂锅端到桌上，却不揭盖，只淡淡说了句：“我的也完成了。” “嗯。”主座上的徐叔此时发话道：“既然双方都已经完成，那就该判出个高下。对于评判者的人选，不知姜先生有什么建议？” 徐叔这一问，姜山倒也踌躇起来。按理说，这种级别的比试，在座的众人中除了主座上的这三位名楼老板外，谁还有资格担任评判？不过自己的赌局就是和这三位订下的，自赌自评，实在是有违常理。 不仅是姜山，在场众人此时都被同样的问题所困扰：这比试已到最后时刻，却找不出一个合适的评判者。 就在此时，忽听得大厅外一人高声说道：“这次比试，就让我来做一回评判，不知诸位意下如何？” 这声音虽然苍老，但却中气十足。众人纷纷循声看去，只见酒楼门口处身形一晃，走进一个须发斑白的老者。只见他身形又高又痩，腰杆挺直，行走间步履沉稳，步伐开阔，一副精神烁烁的模样。 这老者手中并无请柬，但言谈神态间无处不透露出一种儒雅尊贵的大家气质，当他长驱而入时，包括凌永生在内的所有人均未产生阻拦询问的想法，只是在心中猜测着他的来历。 姜山、沈飞和徐丽婕三人见到这个老者，眼中都是一亮，浪浪更是脆生生地叫了一句：“爷爷，您也来啦！”原来此人正是彩衣巷中的那位老先生。 老者循声看见浪浪，停下脚步，略带诧异地问道：“你什么时候跑来的，有没有调皮捣蛋？” “嗯……没有，我来看他们比试的……”浪浪生怕被爷爷知道自己偷鹅蛋的事情，不安地挪了挪屁股，把鹅蛋在两腿间藏好。 沈飞有心逗他，凑过去说：“浪浪，你爷爷来了，你还不赶紧过去，这鹅蛋，让我先帮你孵会儿。” 浪浪大急，连连摆手：“什么鹅蛋？哎呀，你们别和我说话了，快看比赛吧。” 老者见此情景，虽然不明就里，却也猜出了一两分。他一时无暇细问，微微笑着说：“沈飞，这孩子你先帮我照看着，别让他惹出什么乱子，我先去处理擂台上的事情。” 沈飞还未答话，徐丽婕眯眯一笑，已抢先说道：“老先生，您放心吧，他只会老老实实地坐在这里，撵都撵不走呢。” 老者与沈飞等人说话的同时，台下的其他看客亦在议论纷纷。先前浪浪在擂台上的那段插曲，已使大家对他爷爷的出现充满了期待。此刻见到真人，果然是气度不凡，颇具大家风范。只是一番交头接耳之后，几个资历颇深的年长者一致认定，此人并非三十年前失踪的“一刀鲜”，这多少让人有些失望，不过众人对其来历的好奇心却因此有增无减。 老者自己对耳旁的议论声却似充耳不闻，他径直走上擂台，冲徐叔等人点头施礼，说道：“三位老板，我今天不请自来，失礼之处，还请多多包涵。” 三人各自回礼。马云捋着胡须，心中甚是诧异，以自己在扬州的资历和见识，竟也看不出这老者的来历，忍不住开口问道：“这位老先生不必客气。只不知你是从何处而来？” 老者微微一笑，说：“我早已淡出厨界，一点微名，无须再说出来了。只是前日受了一个好朋友所托，因此想来化解姜先生和扬州厨界之间的这段纠葛。姜先生，我虽然也是扬州人，但久居世外，早已没有了什么功利之心，由我来做评判，不知道你放不放心？” “老先生不但厨艺精深，而且气度高雅，您若做这个评判，自然是再合适不过的了。”姜山说到这里，转头看看徐叔等人，“只是不知道三位老板有没有什么异议？” 陈春生从姜山的话中听出一些端倪，询问到：“听口气，你和这位老先生是认识的？” “也是今天刚刚有过一面之缘，当时沈飞和徐丽婕徐小姐也都在场。老先生烹制的'神仙汤'和'蛋炒饭'，技艺精巧，美味无穷，我们三个都是大开眼界。” 姜山此言一出，众人间又起了一阵骚动。要知道，这“神仙汤”和“蛋炒饭”都是扬州市井民间极为普通的食物，上至七八十岁的老妪，下至刚刚能够持锅端勺的少年，无一不会。越是普通的东西，要想做好，做出彩，那就越难，这个道理人人懂得。而这老者凭借这一汤一饭，竟能得到姜山“技艺精巧，美味无穷”的八字评语，其在烹饪上的造诣，可见一斑。 主座上的三位名厨老板更是行家中的行家，先前浪浪描述鹅蛋三吃的做法时，他们也仅是略感惊讶而已，此刻却明白可是碰上了真正的高手。徐叔不敢怠慢，恭敬地说道：“既然老先生厨艺如此高深，又是为了扬州厨界而来，那就有劳老先生受累，做今天这场比试的评判。姜先生，请开锅吧。” 姜山却不慌不忙地用左手按在砂锅盖上，右手对老者做了个手势：“请您先品尝这几位大厨的手笔。” “好！”老者走上两步，来到金宜英这边的案台前。此时朱晓华和李冬也都起身离座，围拢了过来。 老者从一旁服侍的小伙计手中接过筷子，从盆中夹起一撮干丝，只见根根银丝整齐完整，细如纤发，当下便赞了句：“好刀功！” 李冬自走上擂台后，一直板着脸庞，此时总算露出了一抹笑意。 老者微微扬首，手指轻挪，将那撮淋漓带汁的干丝送入了口中，细细品尝之后，评价说：“嗯。豆干细嫩爽滑却又不失韧性，火候的掌握妙到巅毫。这一份'大煮干丝'，足以称得上是上上乘之作！” 老者的评价如此之高，不仅操作的三位大厨面露喜色，台下的众人也忍不住一阵窃窃私语：看来这场比试的胜券，已有七八分落在淮扬厨界的囊中了。 老者转过身，又来到姜山面前：“姜先生，现在可以了吗？” 姜山点点头，揭开砂锅盖，把干丝倒入盆中：“老先生，请！” 老者从盆中夹起一筷子干丝，在半空中晃了两晃，微微皱眉道：“从刀功上来看，姜先生似乎要逊色了一些，所用的方干似乎也不及对手的细嫩。” 这一下，连主座上的徐叔三人也都露出了喜色。老者并没有看到这道菜烹制的全过程，但一句话便点出了己方的两大优势所在，可谓目光犀利，见识老到，照此态势，己方几乎已是必胜无疑。 但既是斗菜，自然要等双方的作品都入口之后，才能得出最后的结论，众人眼看着老者将姜山所烹的那筷干丝也送入了口中，全都聚目凝神，静待他的下文。 老者品评良久，忽然摇了摇头，然后又轻轻叹息了一声，似乎甚是失望和惋惜。 等待中的众人全都一愣，不知他这声叹息是什么意思。徐叔和马云、陈春生面面相觑片刻后，终于忍不住问道：“怎么样，老先生？有结果了吗？” “嗯……”老者略一沉吟，“三位也都是此道中的高手，这样吧，在我发表意见之前，你们不妨也尝一尝这两份'大煮干丝'。” 徐叔点点头：“也好。”机灵的小伙计立刻小跑着去了后厨。不一会，三个女服务员走出，各自拿着托盘和小碟，从两份“大煮干丝”中分别夹出少许，送到了三位老板面前。 徐叔等人先后尝了两份干丝后，相互间交换了眼色，却都是默不作声。场内一时间静悄悄的，众人心中隐隐感觉到：这场比试的结果只怕是有了出人意料的变故。擂台上三位扬州大厨脸上先前的喜色此刻也消失了，代之以紧张焦急的表情。 果然，良久之后，徐叔不甘心却又无可奈何地叹了口气，黯然说道：“姜先生，是你赢了。” 大堂内顿时一片哗然，三位扬州大厨更是一副不可思议的表情，朱晓华不服气地喃喃说道：“不可能的……我的选料，李师傅的刀功，金师傅的火候，这都是最出色的，我们怎么会输呢？” “你说得不错。我原先也希望你们能获胜的。”老者的目光从三人身上依次扫过，话锋一转，“可惜啊，在你们所做的这道'大煮干丝'中，无论是选料、刀功还是火候，都已经达到了极至，不过这也正是你们落败的原因。” “什么？”三位大厨你看看我，我看看你，一副茫然的神色，实在是想不通其中的道理。场下徐丽婕也像大多数人一样摸不着一丝头脑，她用手托着腮，嘟着嘴说：“什么啊？我怎么越听越糊涂了？” 沈飞做了个“嘘”的手势：“先别问，继续往下听。” 只见台上老者把目光转向李冬，说：“李师傅，你的刀功确实令人叹为观止，我活了七十多岁，也从未见过切得这么细的干丝。不过我想问问你，你为什么要把干丝切到这么细呢？” 李冬想也不想，脱口便答：“这干丝切得越细，烹制时便越容易着味。” “嗯。你说得不错。”老者点了点头，“在淮扬菜中，对干丝有两种做法，这两种做法对刀功都提出了很高的要求，但其中原因却并不相同。第一种做法叫做'烫干丝'，这是一道凉菜，就是把切好的干丝用开水滚过，然后拌入香油、淮盐、姜丝、虾仁等配料食用。这烫干丝吃的就是豆干的本味，因此过水的时间