Such a perfectionist brother that she had, Lu Xinyi thought. It was only the appetizer, and yet she couldn’t find any mistake in it. It seemed that her brother wouldn’t let Huang Shenghao win in this cooking battle between them easily. The amuse-bouche and this appetizer were enough to make her ask for more.
Appetizers were the foreplay of meals. Great appetizers would get the guests in the mood; they would get excited about what else lay in store for you. Similarly, bad appetizers could get things off to a bad start, leaving them wondering if the rest of their experience would be any better.
Sure, the chef could recover from a bad appetizer with a good entree, but those points would always be deducted from the overall performance. This was something Tian Lingyu paid attention to.
An appetizer was meant to stimulate one’s appetite, making them extra hungry for the next meal. Meal. Sure enough, Lu Xinyi was eager to taste the first course, the Handmade Tortellini in rich cheese sauce.
When it was presented, the tortellini was covered with bechamel sauce with cheese. Taking her turn to taste it, Lu Xinyi scooped one tortellini, making sure to get some thick, creamy sauce with it.
For Tian Lingyu, making this tortellini dish wasn’t the most challenging of dishes to make, but he wasn’t gonna lie: in the world of labor-intensive foods, tortellini definitely fall into the realm of time-consuming, repetitive tasks. To make a meal for three, it took him an hour of piping and folding.
With the use of a round cookie cutter to shape the pasta perfectly and a piping bag to add the filling, the preparation time lessened, giving him enough time to check on Ye Xieren’s progress on their desserts.
However, it’s time well-spent. They’re delicate, flavorful showstoppers; and with Ye Xieren’s help, he managed to finish all their dishes on time without encountering mistakes in the midst of cooking.
“Not the kind of cheese sauce I’ve expected,” Han Zhiling said, her gaze eyeing the white sauce on the plate.
“Yes, I see that you decided to use the Four Cheese sauce for this pasta,” Chef He agreed.
Lu Xinyi didn’t say anything at first. So it turned out it’s another cheese again! She didn’t know that her brother was knowledgeable about the different kinds of cheese that could be used in cooking. However, in the end, she couldn’t stop herself from asking her mentor what the four kinds of cheeses were.
“Also known as Quattro formaggi, which—of course—means four cheese. Traditionally, those four kinds of cheese include mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, and fresh creamy cheese such as Robiola or Stracchino,” Her mentor explained.
Her brother also inputted some explanation himself. He also pushed a small clear bowl with shredded cheese on it. Taking the hint, Lu Xinyi also gave it a taste and was surprised by the complex flavors that hit her tongue.
“The Italian Blend Cheese I used meshes the buttery flavor of Provolone; the delicate flavor and smooth elasticity of Mozzarella; the fragrant, savory flavor of Parmesan; and the bold, piquant taste of Romano. Any one of these cheeses is a delightful addition to a meal like pasta, and together, they give the gourmet touch to one’s creations.”
“So what kind of filling did you use on this tortellini?” Lu Xinyi inquired.
As much as she wanted to discern the ingredients herself, Lu Xinyi finally admitted to herself that she was lacking experience. The dishes both Huang Shenghao and her brother presented today had surpassed her many times and the gap between their skills was incredibly huge. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
The corner of Tian Lingyu’s mouth slightly lifted. He knew that his sister was trying to discern the taste, but with her inexperienced palate, she couldn’t pinpoint or name the ingredients. It was a pity he wasn’t able to teach her himself.
“For the filling, I used veal, pork loin, and raw ham. It also has mortadella and parmesan cheese in it.”
Indeed, Lu Xinyi was able to taste pork from the filling. What surprised her though was the veal and the mortadella used with it.
Veal had light color, a fine texture, a smooth taste; and it was tenderer than regular beef. While beef tended to work better with red wines or beer, veals could be treated as white meat and blend well with cream sauces, white wine, and subtle herbs and spices.
“I haven’t tasted mortadella yet. What does it taste like?” she asked her brother, curiously if he’d feed her curiosity like when they were younger.
Weren’t they always like this? Because of her curiosity, Tian Lingyu had to endure and tested his own patience at its limit. When they were younger, Lu Xinyi wouldn’t stop asking him questions as to what and why endlessly leaving him frustrated in the end.
“Brother Ye, do we still have some mortadella?” he asked his partner instead. It was better for Lu Xinyi to taste it herself and to know its unique characteristics from the other sausages.
“Yes,” Ye Xieren answered and gave him the remaining mortadella they didn’t use on the filling.
Tian Lingyu passed the bowl to his sister to let her taste it.
“Mortadella is a kind of round pork sausage which is fine-textured and has a mild, somewhat bland flavor. It comes already cooked and has a pronounced taste. The white specks you can see from the meat are fat. Authentic Mortadella usually made entirely from pork meat.
“However this mortadella we’ve used is a combination of pork and beef, hashed, ground, and interlarded in order to obtain a creamy blend; to which salt, additives, and flavorings are added at the end of the process.”
Headmistress Han thought that Tian Lingyu’s experience of working overseas had greatly improved his performance and skills in cooking. He was really taking and following the steps of his adopted brother. At this rate, Han Zhiling thought that Tian Lingyu would be able to surpass his father anytime soon.
Taking a glance towards Lu Sibai’s daughter, Han Zhiling could also say that Lu Xinyi didn’t fall behind and wouldn’t be a disappointment to her father.
“The subtle flavoring and long cooking time give the mortadella its characteristic fragrance and unique, delicate taste. While the exact seasonings used in mortadella vary, it’s almost always flavored with myrtle berries, salt, and pepper,” she added. It seemed that not only she should train Lu Xinyi on making pastries but also help her improve her palate.
Lu Xinyi chewed the sausage in her mouth slowly, trying to discern its taste and making a mental note to purchase a mortadella on her next shopping trip.
As for the dish itself, it was surprisingly addicting. It had a filling that burst with flavor which was enclosed inside the tortellini. The tortellini dough was made with only eggs, salt, and flour—forget any oil or water! The dough was kneaded until elastic and consistent and then flattened until very thin.
Her brother was able to make flawless tortellini with a velvety cheese sauce. It was a clean dish filled and packed with flavor. As for the filling, he decided to stuff the tortellini with a savory with a classic meat-and-cheese mixture and serve them in a velvety four-cheese sauce.
No matter what ingredients used to stuff the pasta, it should be the texture of a dry paste—anything looser would make the tortellini prone to leakage and explosion when cooking them. This meant cooking down any moist filling gently until all of its excess moisture had evaporated.
