The corn kernels were soaked and then blanched in boiling water because the corn had been harvested some time ago.
Fresh corn was best for corn cakes, but soaking and blanching helped the flavor.
The remaining potatoes were sliced and fried in oil.
Since she hadn’t found any tomatoes around, dipping in ketchup was out of the question, but dipping in Wu Mei Jiang (plum sauce) was delicious.
The chef made a pot of Wu Mei Jiang early in the morning.
Half the fried potato chips were eaten with the sauce, and the other half were tossed with cumin powder, sesame, minced garlic, chopped scallions, and Chili Oil with Zanthoxylum to make Wolf Fang Potato Chips.
Jiujiu was in her sleepy phase, having done prenatal education with Fang He in the morning and eaten some food, then fallen asleep again, usually waking around lunch.
But today, Yanxi Palace was filled with enticing aromas by mid-morning.
Sometimes sweet, sometimes tangy, then the bold, fragrant, spicy, and numbing scent of Wolf Fang Potato Chips spread, making everyone salivate.
Jiujiu was awakened by hunger.
She didn’t wake grumpy but, still half asleep, swung her little legs toward the small kitchen.
Since Jiujiu started walking, she disliked being carried all the time, and Fang He didn’t have people hold her constantly either.
Xinke and Chun Lai tried hard not to laugh as they watched the little nose sniffing and the tot toddle forward.
When she reached the kitchen door, Jiujiu hugged Fang He’s leg, fully awake now.
She smiled sweetly and softly at Fang He, like she wasn’t the same child who had rolled on the floor a few days ago begging to keep a cat.
Since Fang He was pregnant, she thought cats and dogs weren’t clean enough, and washing them too often in winter wasn’t good.
The newly brought cats were shy; even if trained by the cat and dog room, accidents might happen, so no one agreed to raise one now.
Fang He planned to wait until after delivery; if Jiujiu still wanted one, they could get one from the cat and dog room then.
Jiujiu tried hard not to drool, “Mother~~ Give Jiujiu something tasty! Mua~”
With five chubby, fair little fingers, she even kissed her on the lips and raised her hand to touch Fang He’s belly, as if the kiss was flying to someone inside.
Fang He patted her little head, “Jiujiu has to answer a question for Mother before getting something tasty.”
Jiujiu straightened up quickly, looking up seriously as if ready to charge into battle.
For food, she would do anything!
Fang He: “If you had to choose between something tasty and a cat, you…”
“Want three meals!” Jiujiu raised her small hand without blinking, waving her fingers at Fang He.
No choice needed!
Fang He: “…..”
‘That’s five meals.’
Jiujiu grinned widely, “Five meals! Five meals! Mother is the prettiest!”
Fang He: “…..”
‘Is my daughter trying to trick me?’
Everyone else covered their mouths, laughing.
Newly hired Chef Liu was also trying not to laugh as he and Liu An each carried a plate of potato chips out.
Fang He and Jiujiu didn’t bother arguing about three or five meals and instinctively quickened their steps.
Jiujiu’s little mouth was tightly pursed, her fists clenched as she bounced next to Liu An, trying her best to reach the food.
Give it here!
But Liu An was holding the Wolf Fang Potato Chips, which were too spicy for a child with the Chili Oil.
Fang He didn’t mind the spice or saltiness.
She didn’t even look at her daughter, grabbing a piece of potato chip from Chef Liu’s plate, dipping it in Wu Mei Jiang, and stuffing it into her mouth.
‘Mmm…’
The crispy chips shattered in her mouth, the sweet and sour sauce sliding across her tongue, mixed with the unique fragrance of starch, making her want to keep crunching.
Jiujiu couldn’t reach Liu An’s plate.
Just as she was about to ask Chun Lai for help, she looked up and saw Mother’s eyes squinting from pleasure.
She froze for a moment, opened her mouth to bite, but only bit her own tongue.
Jiujiu’s cries echoed through the courtyard of Yanxi Palace alongside Fang He’s laughter.
“Wah!”
“Mother’s bad, won’t play with me~ Wuu wuu~”
The aroma of Wolf Fang Potato Chips was only slightly less fragrant than spicy hot pot and had already spread from Yanxi Palace to Yonghe Palace and Yuqing Palace.
The little eunuchs and maids sniffing at the corners were startled by the crying.
‘What? Crying because it’s delicious?’
By the time Jiujiu finally got to eat some chips, the roasted sweet potatoes were ready.
Eunuch Chen, in charge of white flour products, peeled the skins off to prevent the messy little mistress from eating dirty, halved them, and served them on pale blue Lotus Porcelain Bowls.
Fang He, smelling the sweet scent, had been eating salty Wolf Fang Potato Chips and immediately scooped a spoonful of golden roasted sweet potato into her mouth.
The soft, sweet flesh melted instantly.
Fang He swallowed instinctively, and the sweetness spread from her throat to her heart.
The mashed potatoes made for Jiujiu were also ready, mixed with just a little salt and fragrant oil, pairing salty and sweet, soft and crispy.
It was so delicious Fang He wanted to bury Jiujiu’s chubby little face in it.
At Fang He’s request, Jiujiu didn’t need feeding anymore.
Holding a tiny silver spoon, she buried her head in the blue Lotus Porcelain Bowl, munching as hard as if nursing.
With mashed potatoes and bright red fruit sauce smeared on her face, Jiujiu suddenly smelled something even sweeter than jam.
Looking up, she saw Mother’s cheeks puffed out, eyes half-closed, even more immersed than herself.
Jiujiu: “I want some too!”
Mother had said, sharing blessings, shouldering hardships alone, and keeping her word.
Fang He gave Jiujiu a small scoop of golden sweet potato mash.
She wasn’t full yet, but the craving had lessened.
These were all things she had eaten countless times, so she wasn’t too fussy…
“Wow! Corn cake is so delicious!”
The bright corn kernels stood out clearly, embedded in white glutinous rice flour, each bite like a crispy and soft dance on the tongue.
Fang He didn’t dare give Jiujiu much; glutinous rice was hard to digest, and the kernels could choke the child.
She only fed her a little bit of the cake base to try the flavor; most of the plate went into Fang He’s own belly.
When Kangxi arrived, the enticing aromas in Yanxi Palace hadn’t dissipated, tempting the exhausted emperor who had been reviewing memorials all morning.
As he entered the hall, he saw Fang He and Jiujiu both leaning against soft pillows, rubbing their bellies, nodding off but not quite asleep, smacking their lips.
Clearly, mother and daughter were stuffed and sleepy.
Kangxi thought Jiujiu’s little belly looked about five months pregnant too.
“What did you eat? I could smell it outside the hall.” Kangxi walked over, half amused, and took over Fule’s duties, rubbing Jiujiu’s tummy.
Jiujiu, more excited than her mother, despite sleepiness, babbled unclearly but eagerly shared with Father.
“Bean chips, sweet! Mud is tasty! Mother’s bad, didn’t share bean chips!”
Kangxi: “…”
He understood the words but not a single sentence.
Mud is tasty?
Whatever mud tastes like, who would let the Ninth Princess eat mud?
Kangxi pinched Fang He’s cheeks, “You didn’t wait for me, no conscience.”
Fang He smiled, “Already prepared for you. I figured you’d be busy, so we ate first and saved some for you!”
Jiujiu quickly covered her chest, heart pounding, “Jiujiu has heart, loves Father! Saved some mud for Father, lots of mud~”
Kangxi wiped his face, laughing as he patted Jiujiu’s head.
“Father knows Fuleguo Chun is the most considerate.” All the drool was for him.
While talking, Jiujiu was so sleepy her head sank into Kangxi’s arms.
She hadn’t slept enough this morning, and being full while waiting for Kangxi was already very filial.
Kangxi handed Jiujiu to Xinke.
Eunuchs Chen and Liu barely contained their excitement, announcing loudly at the door that the new dishes were ready.
No wonder they were so excited — these were Imperial Kitchen dishes!
If the Emperor liked them, they could hold their heads high among the chefs and no longer be looked down upon.
With such ambition, they showed off their skills, turning Fang He’s folk snack memories into exquisite dishes.
Fang He had recipes including Wolf Fang Golden Bean, but without the seasoning, so she had them sliced for ease.
Eunuch Liu even cut the potatoes into “wolf fang” shapes, frying the strips golden and crispy.
They really looked like Golden Beans.
The Wolf Fang pieces were arranged to resemble a wolf’s head, with seasonings sprinkled evenly.
The mashed potatoes were shaped like a three-tiered mountain, decorated with Wu Mei Jiang and salt to depict blossoming plum flowers.
The Wu Mei potato chips were arranged like a blooming lotus, and the corn cakes were patterned with dragon and phoenix designs.
The roasted sweet potatoes were shaped into Four Happiness meatballs, fried until round and plump, garnished with intricately carved radish flowers, rivaling artistic dishes.
Looking at the spread, Fang He was full but craving more.
She couldn’t resist and grabbed a fried sweet potato mash ball.
Compared to roasted sweet potato, the balls were not only sweet and soft but also had a crispy, slightly milky skin, making them irresistible.
She glanced meaningfully at Eunuchs Chen and Liu.
Were they thinking of transferring jobs?
Kangxi was so captivated by the delicious dishes that he ignored Fang He’s plaintive expression for the first time.
After biting into the Wolf Fang potato, Kangxi’s phoenix eyes flashed with brilliance.
“This is a potato?”
Before Fang He could answer, he eagerly took another spoonful of mashed potatoes.
The soft, salty flavor made the mouth water.
The plum blossom decorations were soft, sweet, and fragrant, each taste a surprise.
“Are these dishes difficult to make?” Kangxi asked eagerly before trying the rest.
He knew potatoes had five times the yield of rice.
Officials had even reported that the crop wasn’t afraid of drought and could yield more in sandy soil, though the taste was ordinary and there was still toxicity to avoid.
If they could figure out a safe, simple cooking method and spread knowledge, they could plant it in Beimong and Shengjing.
Even if it only doubled rice yields, it would ensure no soldiers starved in future wars.
Fang He knew the benefits of these crops and had Kangxi put in the effort to acquire them.
Besides satisfying cravings, it was to provide more food to fill the people’s stomachs.
She immediately handed over the recipes she wrote.
Simple!
Far more than the ones she gave Eunuchs Liu and Chen.
For potatoes alone, she had written down over twenty dishes she had eaten.
For corn and sweet potatoes as staples, she knew less — mostly porridges and flour foods, with only a few dishes.
Kangxi hadn’t summoned Liang Jiugong for the meal and ate heartily while reviewing the recipes, his eyes shining.
The recipes from Guoguo were all uncomplicated.
If they all tasted as good as these, it wasn’t just about more grains to fill stomachs.
Not surprisingly, Kangxi was also stuffed.
Since sweet potatoes and corn counted as staples, no separate staple food was served.
There were eight dishes in total.
Fang He and Jiujiu ate a third before they were full.
Kangxi finished half alone and couldn’t sit still, smiling as he helped Fang He up to stroll under the corridor.
But despite his joy, Kangxi’s gaze toward Fang He remained subtle.
“Did you hear these recipes from the itinerant merchants?”
Fang He smiled at Kangxi, “I think it was Fang Fang or Yuan Yuan, or maybe Daqiao and Xiaoqiao told me. Too many sweet talkers before, I forgot. Should I write to Jiangnan to ask?”
Kangxi: “…”
Why not just bring that chef into the palace?
He silently ruffled Fang He’s hair, “Next year it’s time to go to Jiangnan. If you can bear to leave the child, you could go yourself.”
Fang He calculated the timing and felt sick.
By the old schedule for going to Jiangnan, she would still be in her confinement period.
She had wanted to visit Sister Naren and Sister Liang for years.
Suddenly overwhelmed with sadness, tears welled and spilled down her cheeks.
“Your Majesty is mean, I won’t play with you anymore, boohoo~”
Kangxi: “…..”
Yanxi Palace staff: “…..”
Because the kitchen’s aroma hadn’t completely faded, it thickened once again.
Even the maids from Yonghe Palace and the secluded Crown Prince gathered anxiously by the wall, hearing crying again.
Everyone: “…………”
‘Cried from delicious food how many times already?’
‘What is this? Is it ever going to end? Boohoo~’