Lady of the Lord From the East

[Edited] Chapter 13

Bob informed Wei Wei that meals for the nobles required at least six dishes.

Wei Wei, after surveying the kitchen's inventory, ordered egg bacon sandwiches, creamy bacon pasta, creamy mushroom bisque, roasted wild boar, pesto and honey fried chicken breasts, vegetable salad, and fruit soup. This combination seemed simple, but she only needed to meet the six-dish requirement.

Previously, Wei Wei wouldn't have done anything other than eat, but now, just seeing the ingredients brought many recipes to her mind, making her act like a real chef.

Roasting, stewing, and baking were common cooking methods in the West at this time, and the variety of dishes was limited. Bob had never heard of the recipes Wei Wei suggested, but he was eager to learn them, thinking it could enhance his status as a chef.

He wasn't the only one with this thought. The chubby Bob's eyes eagerly watched the servants preparing the ingredients, though his gaze frequently drifted back to Wei Wei.

If Wei Wei wasn't there, he would have driven the servants away.

Wei Wei allowed them to observe as she worked. She didn't know how to handle the ingredients herself and only started cooking after the servants had prepared them.

The kitchen had a hanging pot, but Wei Wei found a flat iron hanging pot to use as a frying pan on the stove.

She first made egg bacon sandwiches. The bacon was pre-prepared, and she cut some from the back of the marinated pork in the kitchen. Without toast, she had someone fetch a large loaf of bread, which she cut into pieces and fried until golden brown. She then placed the fried eggs and bacon in the bread along with raw cabbage leaves. Unfortunately, there were no tomatoes, so she couldn't add tomato sauce.

Next, she cleaned the pan and started frying the chicken breasts. Soon, the sweet smell of garlic and honey filled the air, along with the sound of sizzling oil, capturing everyone's attention.

Penny helped Wei Wei by delivering ingredients while staring at the frying chicken breasts and secretly swallowing her saliva—the sweetness of honey was intoxicating.

Bob was tasked with roasting the wild boar. The wild boar, marinated the previous night, was not very salty. It was cleaned, cut into small pieces, marinated with spices and wine for a while, and then skewered and roasted. Bob brushed it with cumin and pepper while roasting, and soon the smell of grease wafted everywhere, making mouths water.

Creamy mushroom soup and fruit soup were boiling in two hanging pots. The creamy white soup bubbled with mushrooms, while the fruit soup only contained fruit, honey, and a few other seasonings. Qin carefully stirred with a long spoon, occasionally glancing at Wei Wei.

The vegetable salad was prepared by the servants, with heavy vegetables like carrots and onions excluded, and the salad dressing made by Wei Wei herself.

In the middle, Wei Wei also had the servants roll out the dough, fold it in half, cut it into strips with a kitchen knife, and spread it out as noodles.

Although the yellow noodles weren't the same as real spaghetti, Wei Wei used ordinary noodles to make a dish similar to spaghetti.

Wei Wei's favorite pasta dishes usually included tomato sauce, but without tomatoes, she had to choose other methods.

She added some salt to the boiling water, cooked the noodles, then cooled them with olive oil to prevent sticking. In another pan, she fried chopped garlic, bacon, and onions. Once fried, she added cream and heated it, then mixed in the cooled noodles and fried them together, finishing with a sprinkle of ground black pepper. This creamy bacon pasta was ready.

With everyone's help and the kitchen's multiple stoves, the six dishes were prepared around the same time.

Butler Barton wasn't too worried about Wei Wei in the kitchen. He came by a few times, lured by the increasingly fragrant kitchen. Finally, when the time was almost up, he informed Felix that dinner was ready.

Felix had been curious about what Wei Wei would make, though he had urgent work to finish. Hearing it was time for dinner, Felix almost couldn't wait to leave his study.

By the time Felix arrived, his sister Dolores was already there. Wei Wei joined them after cleaning up. The table was set, but the food had not yet been brought out.

More wooden forks had been added to the tableware, specifically four-pronged forks that Wei Wei had requested a carpenter to make. While it would have been proper to prepare more forks, time was short, and this was all she could manage for the three other diners.

Western food etiquette at this time was still developing, and people often ate with their hands.

The meal included the Earl siblings, Father Matthew, and Wei Wei. The knights from the previous night's banquet did not dine with them, saving Wei Wei a lot of effort.

When everyone was seated, the steaming dishes were brought to the table.

These foods were not only new to them but also presented very delicately. The aroma made their mouths water.

Felix complimented Wei Wei with glowing eyes, "This is surprising. Even before tasting, I can already sense their deliciousness."

"Thank you," Wei Wei nodded and accepted his compliment with a smile.

She was amazed at the finished products, not believing she had made them herself. The meal, in terms of color, flavor, and taste, rivaled those of future five-star chefs. The system had given her an incredible advantage.

The delicious food heightened everyone's appetite. As soon as Felix picked up his knife and fork, the others followed suit. Father Matthew was more restrained. Wei Wei had ensured the portions were well-controlled, just enough to eat without waste.

In addition to the table servings, Wei Wei left some sandwiches in the kitchen for Bob and the others as a reward for their help. They were grateful—it was the best food they had ever tasted.

The two maids were treated even better. Besides eating with the kitchen staff, they each received a sandwich, which they had saved for later.

At this moment, the two maids couldn't hide their joy and were extra attentive while serving Wei Wei.

Wei Wei was also enjoying her meal, but perhaps due to being in the kitchen for so long, her appetite was not large, and she ate less than Dolores next to her.

However, the guests naturally couldn't leave the table before the host, so in the end, she only spooned a bowl of fruit soup and drank it slowly.

When everyone finished eating, the plates were emptied, and even the soup was mopped up by Felix with bread. Seeing his unfulfilled expression, Wei Wei realized she might have underestimated his appetite.

"There are some sandwiches in the kitchen if needed."

Wei Wei had deliberately made more sandwiches, worried she might get hungry in the afternoon due to her habit of three meals a day. If Felix needed more, she would bring them out.

"No, that's enough," Felix shook his head, though he was full, the food had been too delicious to resist.

He praised Wei Wei's skills again, thinking that even in the palace, such delicacies were hard to come by. Oriental food was truly exquisite.

Wei Wei could only smile politely, unable to explain that the dishes she cooked were not purely Chinese.

Aside from the differing ingredients, the culinary styles of the East and West were too different. She couldn't guarantee that Felix and the others would accept authentic Chinese food.

After lunch, everyone dispersed. The housekeeper informed Wei Wei that the tailor had arrived.

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