On an afternoon the Chinese cook Hop Sing sat thinking in his kitchen about an original way to serve the diner. That diner was for the Cartwrights who lived at the Ponderosa ranch. Hop Sing was since a long time the boss in the kitchen and sometimes in the house. Though he was very loved, especially by the 2nd son of ranch owner Ben Cartwright, Hoss. He loved food very much and for that reason Hop Sing could write a bestseller about how he had to get Hoss out of the kitchen in other words his domain. Suddenly Hop Sing had the solution: he went to flambé the supper!
By the end of the afternoon Hop Sing came into the living room.
He said to Ben and his sons Hoss and Joe, “Cartwrights and especially Mr Hoss not come into kitchen of Hop Sing!”
Ben and his 2 youngest sons looked at each other amazed but they couldn’t ask why because the cook was already busy in the kitchen again. Of course now especially Hoss was looking forward to supper.
Finally it was time for supper. The table was laid and the Cartwrights too sat on the their place. The only thing that was missing was the food itself.
“I’m getting more and more hungry”, said Hoss.
“Me too”, reacted Joe.
A moment later Hop Sing came in with a burning dish. Hoss and Joe first looked at each other amazed and ran then outside.
“Mr Cartwright, sons afraid for fire in pan?”, asked Hop Sing.
“I rather think that they are getting buckets of water”, Ben answered laughing.
“Young Cartwrights still lot to learn”, was the reaction of the cook.
Hoss en Joe came inside with 2 buckets of water and saw Ben and Hop Sing laughing.
“What is there to laugh? Hop Sing comes in with burning food and still burns”, Joe said indignant.
“Hoss, Joseph, just bring those buckets of water outside again”, Ben said still laughing.
The brothers did that and back at the table Hoss and Joe got to hear that the food wasn’t burned but flambéing.
“That is flambé. And Little Joe said there was fire”, said Hoss.
Joe looked angry at his older brother for a moment but his appetite was bigger than the willing for a row. They quickly went to eat then.
After supper Hoss said to Hop Sing, “It tasted really delicious. My burning compliments to the cook.”
“Mr Hoss, Thank you for compliment. This was surprise from Hop Sing for Cartwrights”, said the cook.
He went to the kitchen again and thought ‘Cartwrights tomorrow again normal mash as supper on normal way of cooking.’