一个人吃火锅

Today I ate hot pot all by myself, and bought enough food for three people. I am Xiaoyue. Today I will tell you how to eat hot pot at home by yourself, and a few sentences that are really useful at a hot pot restaurant.

It has turned cold in Hangzhou these past few days, and the wind is strong at night, so I really wanted to eat something hot. In the past, when we ate hot pot, we always went to the restaurant together, four or five of us. But today everyone was busy, and I could not find anyone to go with. I asked in our group chat, and everyone said they were too busy. Going to a hot pot restaurant alone felt a little awkward to me, so I decided to eat at home.

In the afternoon I went to the supermarket. The supermarket has a special hot pot section: beef, lamb, tofu, enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage and meatballs. I took a little of each, and also bought two bottles of yogurt drink. When I got to the checkout, I realized that this food was enough for three people.

For hot pot, the most important things are the soup base and the dipping sauce. The soup base can be clear broth, or spicy and numbing. If there are many people, you can order a yin-yang pot, half clear broth and half spicy. Dipping sauce is the seasoning you put in a small bowl; some people like sesame paste, and some like sesame oil and garlic. I cannot eat much spicy food, so I bought a clear broth base and only added a tiny bit of chili oil.

After I got home, I washed the vegetables first. The enoki mushrooms need to be pulled apart one by one, the cabbage needs to be cut smaller, and the tofu needs to be cut into cubes. The beef does not need washing; just put it on a plate. Then I poured more than half a pot of water into the pot, turned on the heat, and waited for the water to boil.

After the water boiled, I put in the meatballs first, because they take longer to cook. The beef slices only need about ten seconds in the boiling broth, and once the color changes, they are ready to eat. The first time I swished the meat, I forgot to watch the time, and the meat was a little tough. The second time I remembered: about ten seconds, no more.

More and more food went into the pot, and I ate happily. Then I noticed a problem: I had added way too much chili oil. I took one bite, and tears almost came out. Luckily I had bought yogurt drink. I took a sip, but it was still very spicy. That was when I learned a sentence: it is too spicy, I cannot eat it.

Then I came up with a solution. I added a little clear broth to my bowl, and a little vinegar, and the taste was much better. So if you also cannot eat spicy food, you can say when you order: use a little less chili, I want it mildly spicy. This sentence is really useful at a hot pot restaurant.

Eating hot pot alone actually has its good points. I can put in whatever I want without asking anyone. I can also watch a TV show while I eat, and I do not have to watch the clock. While eating, I do not have to take care of anyone else, and I do not have to wait for anyone. Halfway through the meal, I felt that eating alone is actually quite comfortable.

Of course, eating hot pot alone also has its downsides. I bought too much food, ate until I was very full, and still half the table was left. Looking at all that food, I felt it was a bit wasteful. Luckily, I could put it all in the fridge. I divided the food into three portions and put them into three containers.

At noon the next day, I cooked a bowl of noodles with the leftover broth. I put in the cabbage, tofu and meatballs, and added an egg. That bowl of noodles smelled wonderful, and I ate it feeling completely satisfied. So leftover hot pot can become a new dish the next day.

From eating hot pot alone this time, I learned three things. First, the amount of food one person needs is less than you think, so do not buy too much. Second, you can start with a clear broth base, and add the spice yourself. Third, do not throw away food you cannot finish; you can still use it the next day.

If you go to a hot pot restaurant with friends later, these sentences are very useful: do you have a yin-yang pot? How long does this need to be cooked? I cannot eat anything too spicy. Can I take the rest home?

Today you can remember these sentences: I would like to order a yin-yang pot. How long should this meat be cooked? Please use a little less chili. Can I take the rest home? Even if you are alone, you should still enjoy a good meal.