Chapter 30: Off-The-Rec2

Above the bed, there was a headboard with some books, a few small indoor plants, and some photos of the two of them, both smiling happily. Directly opposite the bed was a long, low cabinet, on which a TV was placed, with a few green plants on either side. The wall behind the TV was adorned with photos of the two of them traveling to various places, truly enviable.

Next to the TV was Hyori's traditional Chinese dressing table, which seemed to match the bed. It was filled with various cosmetics and jewelry boxes. Opening the sliding door of the bedroom, it faced the backyard, and there was a double rocking chair on the balcony. According to Hyori, this was where the two of them watched the stars on summer evenings.

What a comfortable life, truly enviable.

After showing them around the house, Hyori came downstairs to the kitchen.

"Let me show you my cooking skills today, otherwise, you might think I can't cook."

Hyori opened the refrigerator, took out the ingredients, washed the rice and soaked it, cut the onions, carrots, peas, corn, and cured meat into cubes. She added oil to the pan, sprinkled a little salt, and stir-fried for a while, then mixed it with the soaked rice and poured it into the rice cooker.

Hyori pressed the cooking button and turned to the camera, saying, "Just wait for it to cook, it's simple, and it tastes great! You can choose your favorite vegetables to add, and if you're interested, give it a try!"

[After the broadcast, some viewers followed the method and found it excellent, posting their creations on Hyori's official website, making this lazy person's rice dish quite popular.]

"Next is the vegetable soup, both of these are our family recipes!" Hyori washed the cabbage, tomatoes, and scallions, cut the cabbage into thin strips, the tomatoes into small pieces, and the scallions into minced pieces. She then took out three eggs and beat them in a bowl.

She took out a medium-sized pot, heated it, and added some oil. "The key moment for making this soup well is coming." After the oil was hot, she added the tomatoes and stir-fried them until they released their juice, then added an appropriate amount of water and the cabbage strips. Once the water boiled, she turned the heat down and simmered for 5 minutes.

"Stir-frying the tomatoes removes the green taste, making the tomatoes taste better and the soup look more appealing." She then slowly poured the egg mixture into the pot in a circular motion. Finally, she sprinkled the scallion pieces, and the soup was done.

Just as she finished, she heard the door open, followed by Shin Hyeong's voice. "I'm back!"

"Cake~ Cake!" Hyori called out, walking to the entrance and taking a large shopping bag from him, opening it and sticking her head in to look inside.

Shin Hyeong gently tapped her on the head. "You can only eat it after dinner, it's a dessert."

"Hmph!" Hyori wrinkled her nose at him. "I know~" She carried the bag to the kitchen, dragging her voice in dissatisfaction.

"Annyeonghaseyo! I'll be counting on you all from now on." Shin Hyeong turned to greet the VJs.

The VJs quickly returned the greeting. "We're the ones who are intruding."

Shin Hyeong carried the shopping bag into the kitchen, took out the vegetables needed and placed them on the island, and had Hyori put the rest in the refrigerator.

"Tonight's menu is braised pork ribs, stir-fried clams, seasoned bean sprouts, egg rolls, steamed salmon, lazy person's rice, and vegetable soup." He turned to Hyori and asked, "Are the rice and soup ready?"

"Report, they're ready." Hyori gave a playful salute.

"Then let's divide the work. The seasoned bean sprouts and egg rolls are yours. Any problems?"

"No problem, watch me." Hyori rolled up her sleeves and said.

Shin Hyeong pinched her little nose affectionately. "Let's get started then!"

First, he took out two salmon to thaw, washed the pork ribs several times to remove the blood, and cleaned the clams, placing them in a basket to drain. He washed all the vegetables needed, slicing them into strips, pieces, or segments as required, and placed them on separate plates.

Next, it was time for the chef's performance.

He started with the pork ribs, as braised pork ribs take a longer time to cook.

The pork ribs were blanched in cold water, washed, and drained, which is very important to prevent oil splatters when cooking.

In a wok, he added oil and sugar, cooking until it turned a golden brown, being careful not to burn the sugar, which would make it bitter.

Once the sugar turned brown, he added the pork ribs and stir-fried until they were coated, then added scallions, tangerine peel, and ginger slices, stirring. He then added an appropriate amount of water, cooking wine, and soy sauce, bringing it to a boil and then simmering for 30 minutes on low heat. While this was cooking, he prepared the other dishes.

For the stir-fried clams, clams have the benefits of nourishing yin, improving eyesight, and clearing phlegm. In a hot oil pan, he added ginger slices to release their fragrance, then added the clams and stir-fried until they opened their shells. He then added scallions, sugar, and soy sauce, quickly stirring evenly [being careful not to overcook, as overcooked clams are less tasty], and finally added a little oyster sauce and stir-fried until done. This dish mainly highlights the freshness and tenderness of the clams.

The last dish was steamed salmon, which is very simple and can be done in less than ten minutes. He placed ginger strips, red pepper strips, and scallion strips on a plate with the fish, added a little cooking wine and soy sauce, mixed well, and steamed on high heat for 7 minutes. After steaming, he sprinkled scallion strips and drizzled hot oil before serving.

Once the braised pork ribs were done, he transferred them to a plate, completing the meal. By this time, Hyori had already set the table and was squeezing tomato sauce onto the egg rolls.

"Let's all eat. I made extra, so don't waste it." Shin Hyeong invited the VJs.

Hyori also encouraged them, "Don't be shy, set up the camera, and just eat. It won't interfere with the filming."

The VJs looked at each other, then accepted the invitation, thanked them, set up the camera, and sat down.

Shin Hyeong brought the rice cooker to the table, opened the lid, and the aroma immediately spread. "Mm! Not bad, not bad, you've really learned from me."

Hearing Shin Hyeong's praise, Hyori beamed with pride. "Of course, just look at who I am."

Hyori served everyone, and the VJs quickly thanked her.

"Alright, let's eat." Shin Hyeong said, placing a piece of pork rib in Hyori's bowl. "This time, the pork ribs are not as tender as last time, but they have more chew, try it."

"Mm~ Still delicious, chewy, and very filling, tasty." As Hyori started eating, everyone else followed suit, and after tasting, they all nodded in agreement, finding it truly delicious, even better than Chinese restaurants.

Hyori's attention was on the braised pork ribs, and she only spoke a few words when Shin Hyeong served her, to avoid making the atmosphere too cold.

After the meal, everyone helped clear the table.

"Hyori, let's take a walk downstairs. We ate so much today, we need to digest it."

After clearing the dishes, Shin Hyeong pulled Hyori up from the sofa, helped her put on her coat, and they walked out the door.

The sun had not yet set, and walking in the sunset, they could still feel the warmth.

"Oppa, do you think we'll still be holding hands and taking walks together when we're old and gray?" Hyori asked, linking her arm with Shin Hyeong's.

"Of course, I think by then your hair will be gray, your face will have wrinkles, and your figure won't be as fiery, and you might even have a little belly, but what won't change is our hands still holding together and my eternal love for you."

"You're so sweet." Hyori smiled.