23 Feast Preparation

After my father in law left me, I start to calculated how many times I have and what kind of dishes that I can make in that amount of time that can feed 30-40 people. The time currently at 2 p.m and the reception will be held at 7 p.m, which mean I only have 4-4.5 hours to prepare and cook the dishes. I can't make dishes that need long preparation and cooking, besides I don't have anyone else to help me here to cook. This is really a challenge for me by my father in law

One menu that I already have in mind is a dish that will suit Ming Er taste, Sweet Sour chicken, which will make her liking for sour dishes fulfilled. I also thinking about making xiaolongbao again, which some of them will be a gift when the guest left the feast. I'm also thinking to make something sweet for the guest that brings little children with them. Maybe that would be pudding or sweet cakes.

For the soup, since I see many fresh tomatoes here, of course, the soup will be tomato soup. So I start to take tomatoes, carrot, cabbage, and potato from the storage and put them all in the basket and carried to the kitchen. I hope they have the cooking utensil that enough to cook all these ingredients.

When I arrive in the kitchen I see Ming Er already waiting for me there.

"Hubby! I want to help you cook"

"Wifey, aren't you accompany mother? She surely misses you after you left the house for some time"

"She said, she and I can talk again later, but us which just married need time to deepen our relationship, so she sent me to accompany you instead"

"Um, our mother is wise. I'm lucky to have a mother like that"

"Yes, she is. So what can I do to help you, hubby?"

Ming Er look happy when I praise her mother, or maybe because I call her our mother? Whatever, as long as she happy, I also feel happy.

"Ah, can you help me peel this carrot and potato? It's not too hard right?"

"Don't insult my cooking skill hubby, although I'm not as good as you but peeling carrot and potato, of course, I can do that"

She said that while pouting her mouth. she looks cute when she putting her mouth like that, which make me unconsciously stretch my face toward her face and kissing that pouting mouth

"Hubby…mmmmm"

Although a bit surprised by this sudden kiss, Ming Er didn't refuse it all, instead, she replies it with a passionate kiss too. After we finished kissing, she speaks to me,

"Hubby…I was afraid when father start questioning you like that before"

"What do you afraid of, wifey?"

"I'm afraid your answer didn't satisfy him and make him force us to divorce"

"But my answer satisfied him, right?"

"Um, that's the best answer I ever heard and..."

"And what wifey?"

"And make me love you more"

After saying that, her face is blushing. Ah this kind face of her is also cute, make me hug her and caressing her hair

"Hubby…."

"Yes, wifey?"

"We can do this again later, but, we're having not much time to cook, aren't we?"

"Ah you right wifey, let start to peel this carrot and potato and boil some water first"

Ming Er show me where the cooking utensil stored and luckily there are pots that big enough to make a dish for 30-40 people. So after putting water in the pot and lite the fire in the stove, we both start to peel the carrot and tomato together in the kitchen.

"Hubby, what do you want to cook for tonight feast?"

"Dumpling, Tomato soup, Sweet sour chicken, Beijing kouya rolls, and if still have time maybe cake too"

"Um, that sounds delicious"

"Hmm, you'll love that chicken dish since I make that special for you"

"Tee Hee~ my hubby is the best"

Although we peeling the carrot and potato with talking to each other, the works can be finished faster

"Hubby, after peeling carrot and potato, what else can I do?"

"Shredded the carrot and chopped the cabbage"

"Okay I can do that too"

Looking at her so enthusiastic help me cooking make me also pour my spirit into cooking 100%. This is a feast for us, I don't want to make her and her family lose face because the food is not good.

We still busy chopping and shredding cabbage and carrot when her father come into the kitchen carrying duck and chicken meat that already cleaned from its feather.

"Son, this is the chicken and duck meat for the feast. I still have some that have the feather on them, I'll send them right away after taken all their feathers"

"Thank you, father! We will make a delicious feast with this meat"

"Hmm, continue your work. I'll work on the rest of the chicken and ducks"

After saying that, he leaves the kitchen to continue his work. I put that chicken on the pot to make chicken broth and make the chicken meat tender. And for the duck meat, since I want to make them as Beijing Kouya or Peking Roast duck I must threat them first by,

Rinse the duck inside and out, and pat dry. Cut off the tail and discard. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper, and cloves. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the mixture into the cavity of the duck. Stir one tablespoon of the soy sauce into the remaining spice mixture and rub evenly over the entire outside of the bird. Cut one of the green onions in half and tuck inside the cavity. Cover and refrigerate the bird for at least 2 hours.

Finally, the chicken and duck is finish to prepared. I can take a breath and wait until the duck meat ready and the chicken meat become tende