Chapter 52: Wasteful, So Wasteful!

The two bear cubs did great work today, so Liu Heming gave them a small reward at noon. He swapped their chicken legs for beef. He wanted them to slowly understand that food was earned through labor.

He also prepared carefully for George and Megan: stir-fried potato shreds with green and red peppers, braised chicken pieces, plus a big bowl of tomato and egg soup.

While slicing the potato shreds, he tried hard to control his knife skills, aiming to cut the shreds to the same thickness. Sadly, for him at the moment, this was just a dream.

Still, the pale potato shreds mixed with green and red peppers looked very appealing in color. The braised chicken pieces were also decent, though the broth flavor was a bit off. But for George and Megan, it tasted like an exotic treat.

“I am trying hard to practice cooking now. When I get better in the future, I can make more dishes for you to try. Also, I can’t gather all the seasonings I used back home right now; I’ll take it slowly,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

He really wasn’t used to American seasonings, but to get the ones used back home, he would have to go to Chinatown. And the most complete selection was in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

He felt the travel expenses were too costly; the fare cost more than the seasonings themselves. Of course it pained him. So for now, he could only be patient and wait until he had more money to go on a real big shopping trip.

“Dexter, I think you really could open a Chinese restaurant—not now, but in the future. After Xiangshui Town revives, many people will definitely choose to visit,” George said as he ate.

“I’ve actually thought about it, but I plan to start with just a small stall. I haven’t decided exactly what to sell yet, and I need to research carefully how to adapt it better to American tastes,” Liu Heming replied with a smile.

Pancakes, fried dough sticks, egg-filled pancakes—he really liked these too, but he didn’t know how to make them. Making pancakes wasn’t easy; even if they turned out okay, getting the sauce right was tricky.

Anyway, he had made up his mind: no matter what, he would practice cooking hard. That way, his daughter could taste his cooking properly, and if he could earn a little money on the side, even better.

“By the way, Megan, why haven’t I seen pig trotters for sale in Walker Town or Anderson’s shop? And there aren’t any pig internal organs like pig heart or pig liver either,” Liu Heming then asked Megan.

Lately, he had been craving some sautéed pig liver, but he looked around the shops and couldn’t find any. Besides, the pork sold in the butcher shops was mostly lean meat; he couldn’t even find pork belly with three layers.

Don’t think pork was cheap here—last time he went, lean pork loin was US Dollar 2.95 per pound. He really wanted to buy it but couldn’t bring himself to spend the money.

“Dexter, why do you want to buy those? Is it for the bear cubs to eat?” Megan asked curiously.

“Uh… no, it’s for me to eat. Don’t you all eat those here?” Liu Heming was a bit taken aback.

“We don’t. We basically don’t eat animal organs. Are they really tasty?” Megan nodded and then asked back.

That question stumped Liu Heming; he wasn’t sure how to answer. Chewing on sticky pig trotters was so fragrant, sautéed pig liver was tender and delicious, not to mention pig kidney.

“Megan, so you also don’t eat much pork normally?” Liu Heming asked curiously.

Megan nodded, “We eat very little pork. Often, we think pork has a not-so-nice smell. We like beef the most; maybe we’re just used to it.”

“So what do they do with the pig heads, pig trotters, and pig organs then?” Liu Heming continued.

“Either throw them away or class them as pet-grade. I’m not really sure; I haven’t paid close attention,” Megan shrugged.

Liu Heming felt a bit conflicted. What a waste of good things! Pig ears, pig tongue from the head, and pig trotters—these weren’t cheap back in China, but here nobody wanted them. Wasteful, so wasteful.

“Dexter, can those really be used for cooking?” George asked curiously from beside him.

Liu Heming nodded, “Not only can they be used for cooking, but they taste really good too. Let me look into it slowly; I’ll see where I can buy some, and when I make them, I’ll let you taste.”

He didn’t quite know how to explain it to them. Probably, even if such delicacies were served to them, they wouldn’t know how to prepare them. Now he felt that, in the realm of “eating,” China was definitely advanced. At least, every part of the pig was a treasure, from head to tail. Here in the United States, they only ate a little and wasted the rest.

“But around here, it might be hard to sell, because no one eats these. Still, you could contact the butcher shop in advance and ask them to save some for you,” George said, stroking his chin.

“Ha, George, you wouldn’t be thinking of trying some too, would you?” Liu Heming asked with a laugh.

“Of course! We’ve never tried potatoes cooked this way. It looks a bit oily, but the taste is great. We haven’t cooked chicken like this either, and it also tastes very good,” George nodded earnestly.

“Alright, when I have time to go to Walker Town, I’ll talk to the butcher shop. Frozen pig trotters are fine, but pig liver and pig heart must be fresh,” Liu Heming agreed.

“Dexter, I think maybe I won’t have to cook as much in the future. George always wanted to try foods from different countries when he was young, but he didn’t have enough money to travel the world,” Megan said with a smile.

“Whenever you want to try a different dish, just let me know in advance. The taste might not be perfect, but I promise it will be something you’ve never eaten before,” Liu Heming said, looking at George’s eager expression helplessly.

George really was like a playful old kid. Others might be a bit reserved about it, but George wasn’t; his face showed exactly what he wanted.

He didn’t mind it, though. Right now, he only had the two bear cubs for company, otherwise he’d feel quite lonely. Usually, there was no one to chat with; Xiong Da and Xiong Er couldn’t respond to him.

Liu Heming had underestimated George’s strong motivation as a food lover. After the meal, George told him not to worry about the pig trotters, pig liver, and pig heart. He would handle it and find a way to get them.