Early in the morning, Gan Lan got up, washed up, and got busy alongside the cooking robots. She started simmering the soup base and then stir-fried the spices.
After finishing these tasks, she turned on her live stream to make orange crepes and pumpkin porridge for her audience. Once her stomach was full, she would continue working on yesterday’s unfinished masterpiece.
Retreat: [The streamer is so early today! I haven’t even gone to sleep yet. I was just about to head to bed when I heard the special notification, and I instantly woke right up.]
BBQ Pork Bun Cutie: [This is my first time seeing the streamer go live so early too. Usually, it’s either at noon or later in the morning. Is the streamer preparing breakfast right now?]
Siu Mai Mai Mai: [I was just about to go to sleep too, but the streamer actually came online at this time! I want to watch...]
Seeing the night owls popping up in the comments, Gan Lan was surprised. "You guys still aren’t asleep? Staying up late is bad for your health. Hurry up and go to bed now. You can watch when you wake up. I’ll be streaming all day today."
No One Is With Me: [I have to stay up late because of work. WAAAH! I want to finish eating breakfast with the streamer before I go to sleep.]
"Today, we’re going to continue with yesterday’s unfinished work. But before that, let’s make a simple breakfast. Although rice noodles are very convenient, I don’t feel like eating them today. Let’s switch to something fresh."
Gan Lan diced the washed pumpkin into small cubes. "You guys should cook along," she said. "It’s really simple this time! Extremely simple, trust me."
Dumplings Are Delicious: [That line again! Why do I feel like it’s not going to be simple at all? I just want to eat, not cook!]
Not Coming Tomorrow: [Seeing how sincere and confident the streamer is, I’ll reluctantly trust you one more time.]
She added a suitable amount of water to the pot, poured in the washed rice, and added the diced pumpkin. After boiling it on high heat for five minutes, she covered the pot to let it simmer for about twenty minutes.
"It’s just that simple! In twenty minutes, turn off the heat, and this pumpkin porridge will be done. I definitely didn’t lie to you this time, did I?" Gan Lan said proudly to the audience after covering the pot.
Crispy Fried Chicken Leg: [MHM! You really didn’t lie to us this time, HEHE. I’ve already followed your steps and got it cooking. I can eat it in a bit. I’m so excited!]
Gan Lan took out a thoroughly cleaned orange. "A single bowl of pumpkin porridge is a bit plain, so I’ve prepared the ingredients to make orange crepes.
"We need to give the crepes an orange flavor. Orange peels contain a layer of essential oils that can add a fresh citrus taste to all kinds of dishes."
She scraped the orange down a grater from top to bottom, making sure to avoid the white spongy pith inside the peel since it was somewhat bitter. The orange flesh was then separated and set aside for later use.
Using a machine, she ground the zest into a fine powder—the finer, the better. Taking a clean container, she added an appropriate amount of the orange zest, eggs, milk, and honey, then stirred everything evenly. She heated a flat pan, coated it with a thin layer of oil, and poured in some batter, swirling the pan to spread it out into a thin crepe.
Keeping it on medium-low heat, she waited until the edges curled up and the surface solidified before flipping it. Once both sides turned a golden yellow, the orange crepe was done. Gan Lan finished one and continued frying the rest of the crepes.
Crispy and Tender Egg Tart: [I sneaked a bite of the orange crepe the streamer set aside. The unique fragrance of the orange is mixed with the slight sweetness of the honey. The crepe is slightly soft with a bit of chewiness to it. It doesn’t look hard to make, either. I want to learn!]
Crystal Clear Rice Noodle Roll: [I tasted it too! I originally just wanted to take a tiny bite, but I couldn’t stop! So orange peels can be eaten too? Is there anything you can’t eat?]
Gan Lan fried six crepes in total—three for herself and three for the audience.
By this time, the aroma of the pumpkin porridge had begun to permeate the air. Gan Lan opened the lid, releasing an even richer scent. She picked up a spoon and stirred the porridge. It was ready. Turning off the heat, she scooped out two bowls.
Inside the white porcelain bowls, the pumpkin had boiled down into a soft mush, mixing with the split grains of rice to create a golden-yellow hue that instantly whetted the appetite.
Gan Lan scooped up some pumpkin porridge, blew on it gently, and put it into her mouth. The pumpkin flavor instantly took over her taste buds. Accompanied by its natural sweetness, the slightly mild porridge tasted incredibly flavorful. It was soft and glutinous, spreading a warm comfort throughout her stomach.
After finishing a small bowl of pumpkin porridge, Gan Lan scooped out another bowl and set it aside for now. She grabbed the plate of orange crepes, placed it in front of her, drizzled some honey over them, and placed the previously separated orange flesh on top. Rolling it up, she stuffed a bite into her mouth.
Gan Lan chewed the rich, citrusy crepe. The combination of the crisp, tender, and juicy orange flesh created a truly unique flavor profile. Taking a bite of the orange crepe and a sip of the pumpkin porridge, she ate with immense satisfaction.
I am Huanhuan: [The way the streamer eats is so tempting! Eating just like the streamer, I suddenly feel like life is beautiful!]
Crispy Fried Chicken Leg: [Let me show you guys the pumpkin porridge I made! [Image] I succeeded! Even though I put a little less water and it looks thick, the taste is surprisingly good! I finally learned how to cook something. Streamer, I love you!]
I’m Here to Learn: [Mine is done too! [Image] This porridge is seriously too simple! I succeeded on my first try. I really am a genius!]
Keeping an eye on the comments, Gan Lan laughed genuinely from the bottom of her heart upon seeing so many people showing off their pumpkin porridge. She counted on her fingers with a happy expression.
"Congratulations to everyone for finally succeeding! Isn’t it simple? You can also swap the pumpkin for other ingredients, like sweet potatoes, red dates, chestnuts, lotus seeds, and so on. You can even add meat, seafood, or eggs. They’re all very delicious!
"However, when making porridge, you can wash the rice and let it soak for about thirty minutes first. This makes it easier for the grains to split open! I didn’t soak it earlier because I was trying to be quick.
"Those of you who stayed up all night should go to sleep after eating breakfast, otherwise you’ll ruin your health. It’s the same if you come back to watch me after you wake up, because just like yesterday, the live stream will be a bit dull today."
After saying this, Gan Lan stood up and walked into the small room dedicated to storing yesterday’s cake. A faint, milky aroma wafted into her nose. It was the unfinished Phoenix from yesterday.
Not Coming Tomorrow: [Even though it’s a semi-finished product, it still looks incredibly stunning right now, ignoring the urge to eat it!]
Lily Bloomed: [I couldn’t help but sneak a tiny bite of its wing! I ate it while my heart ached. Even though it’s just data, the cake is so good. Still, seeing a piece missing from the data made my heart hurt, so I quickly clicked restore. This cake is so delicious!]
Looks Like Rain: [You guys are too bad! However, I couldn’t resist taking a small bite either. What do I do? I can’t stop at all! This cake is seriously so tasty. It’s soft but has a little bit of chewiness, along with a faint milky scent. It’s sweet but not cloying!]
Gan Lan looked at the semi-finished Phoenix. Turning off the comments and the sensory sharing effects, she brought out her carving toolbox. Pushing aside all distracting thoughts, she calmed her mind and began to carefully carve, starting from the wing feathers.
The wing feathers were numerous and required great attention to detail. It was a massive project. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to finish the final product today either.
She had been too overconfident, thinking she could finish it in just two or three days.