Chapter 95 - 94: New Functions of the Space

Chapter 95: Chapter 94: New Functions of the Space

At first, they were just a cluster of fish eggs. By the second day, they had hatched into a school of tiny fry. And by the third day, those fry had grown into medium-sized fish!

Chen Momo was absolutely thrilled to discover this secret. It seemed she had found the key to making the fish breed—feeding them earthworms and mealworms! After being fed, the fish would quickly lay eggs, and the tiny fry would hatch shortly after.

She wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t tried. She never expected that aside from preserving freshness and maintaining warmth, her spatial dimension could also accelerate the growth of fish!

Presently, Chen Momo was filled with pleasant surprises. She increasingly felt that this built-in dimension of hers was a true treasure trove. Who knew how many more new functions were waiting to be unlocked? However, she was in no rush and decided to figure it out slowly. Once she had fully explored all of the dimension’s functions, she would be able to maximize its utility!

Chen Momo was in a good mood today, so she decided to make pigeon soup. The pigeons she had gathered would be perfect for it.

As the old saying went, "One pigeon is worth nine chickens." Pigeon meat was not only highly nutritious but also offered certain health benefits, capable of preventing and treating various ailments. Traditional Chinese medicine believed that pigeon meat could nourish the liver and kidneys, replenish qi and blood, clear heat, detoxify, and quench thirst. Pigeons were rich in protein with a well-balanced amino acid profile, making them easy for the human body to digest and absorb. Eating plenty of pigeon meat could provide the body with sufficient nutrition, boosting vitality and ensuring a smooth metabolism. Furthermore, pigeon liver contained high-quality bilirubin, which helped the body fully utilize cholesterol and prevent arteriosclerosis.

The easily digestible meat offered a myriad of benefits: it nourished qi, strengthened the body and kidneys, boosted vitality, and invigorated the brain and nerves. It was known to improve memory, lower blood pressure, dispel wind and toxins, and promote the secretion of saliva to quench thirst. It was especially beneficial for those recovering from illness, suffering from blood deficiency, dizziness, or fatigue. It could even regulate blood sugar, enhance beauty by keeping the skin fair and tender, and promote longevity. With its mild flavor, the meat was rich in protein and fat, while pigeon eggs contained protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and more. All in all, pigeon meat was exceptional for tonifying the kidneys, replenishing qi, detoxifying, and relieving pain.

To prepare the dish, Chen Momo first blanched the chopped pigeon in a pot. She started it in cold water to draw out any gamey odor as the water gradually heated up. Next, she transferred the blanched pigeon into a clay pot. She quickly rinsed fifty grams of dried longans, two large jujubes, and fifty grams of goji berries before adding them to the pot to simmer alongside the meat. She tossed in some scallions and ginger to further eliminate any lingering gaminess and enhance the aroma. Finally, she brought the pot to a rolling boil over high heat before turning it down to a low simmer for sixty minutes. During the last ten minutes of simmering, she added a third of a green lemon’s peel to completely neutralize any gamey smell, along with five grams of salt and two grams of white pepper for seasoning.

The water used for the pigeon soup was entirely Spiritual Spring Water sourced from her dimension. Right before serving, she sprinkled in a secret blend of spices from the dimension. Just like that, a pot of Momo’s exclusive, signature pigeon soup was ready!

The moment the pigeon soup was done, the two little foodies in the house popped their heads out of their respective rooms like meerkats, drawn by the mouthwatering aroma.

"Sister Momo, it smells amazing!" Xu Xiaoka could not help but take several deep sniffs.

Xiao Bao PITTER-PATTERED over. "Mommy, it smells so good. Xiao Bao’s tummy is hungry." As he spoke, he rubbed his little round belly with his chubby hands.

Chen Momo smiled. "Don’t rush. Mommy made pigeon soup for you and Sister Xiaoka today. You’ll both get to eat in just a bit."

Xu Xiaoka’s eyes lit up. "Wow, Sister Momo, we actually have pigeon soup?" While others were struggling just to find a scrap of food to eat, they were having pigeon soup at home. Living with Sister Momo was truly a blessing!

"When we went to that five-star hotel last time, I found a lot of things in their freezers," Chen Momo explained. "Pigeons, rabbits, pheasants... I’ll slowly cook them all for you guys later."

Xu Xiaoka nodded happily. "Yes, yes! Sister Momo, you’re so good to us!"

Chen Xiaobao followed suit, clapping his chubby little hands. "Mommy, you’re so good to us."

Chen Momo shot her son an amused, exasperated look. "Nonsense. I’m your mother. If I’m not good to you, who else would I be good to?"

She thought to herself, "After all, we went through life and death together in our past lives."

Xu Xiaoka quickly lent a hand, heading to the kitchen to wash the bowls and prepare the chopsticks and spoons. Chen Momo ladled the freshly stewed soup into three bowls—one for her son, one for Xu Xiaoka, and naturally, one for herself. When the three steaming bowls were brought to the table, the savory, rich aroma of the pigeon meat had them drooling before they had even taken a bite.

Xu Xiaoka could not hold back any longer. "Sister Momo, I’m going to taste it first."

Chen Momo glanced at her son. "You can eat now."

The pigeon had been stewed to absolute perfection; the meat melted in their mouths. The broth was nourishing and rich, and since it had not been overwhelmed with heavy seasonings, the natural, savory essence of the pigeon shone through brilliantly. A bite of the melt-in-the-mouth meat paired with a sip of the fragrant broth was simply a taste of heaven!

Originally, Xu Xiaoka had planned to skip dinner to lose weight, but faced with Chen Momo’s pigeon soup, she completely lost control of her appetite. She lifted her bowl and downed three consecutive servings until her stomach was stuffed to the brim. Chen Xiaobao also held his special little bowl and polished off his portion, broth and meat alike.

Having finished his meal, Chen Xiaobao held out his empty bowl. "Mommy, I want more meat."

Xu Xiaoka was just about to head to the kitchen for seconds anyway, so she conveniently took Chen Xiaobao’s bowl to serve him more soup as well.

Seeing how voracious the two of them were, Chen Momo knew the pigeon soup definitely would not be enough. She suddenly remembered that she still had some rabbit meat in her dimension, which she had also salvaged from the cold storage of the five-star hotel last time. Taking advantage of the time Xu Xiaoka and Chen Xiaobao spent enjoying their soup, Chen Momo got up and went to the kitchen. She took the rabbit meat out of her dimension, preparing to make Cold Spicy Rabbit.

Making Cold Spicy Rabbit was actually quite simple. First, she prepared the ingredients: slices of mature ginger, scallion segments, seeded dried red chili peppers made from Zigong’s premium Heaven-Facing peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, cooking wine, sugar, sun-aged vinegar, rapeseed oil, fresh stock, well salt, and soy sauce.

The specific preparation method was straightforward. For the first step, she washed the rabbit meat and chopped it—bones and all—into two-centimeter cubes. She placed the diced meat into a bowl, added salt, cooking wine, soy sauce, scallions, and ginger, gave it a good stir, and let it marinate for half an hour.

For the second step, she heated the oil until it was moderately hot, then dropped in the diced rabbit to fry off the surface moisture before scooping it out. She let the oil cool slightly before tossing in the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili segments. Once the chilies turned a deep brownish-red, she poured the fried rabbit cubes back in, slowly stir-frying over low heat until the meat became crispy and fragrant. Finally, she added sugar, vinegar, and a splash of stock. As soon as the sauce reduced and dried up, it was ready to be plated. The resulting flavor profile was a mouthwatering blend of numbing, spicy, salty, and savory notes.

Of course, it was easier said than done. The control of the heat during the cooking process, the precise ratio of seasonings, and the delicate balancing of flavors were absolutely crucial. Because of this, a hundred different chefs would produce a hundred different variations of Cold Spicy Rabbit. Naturally, Chen Momo had her own unique way of making it.