#plum pudding's back on the menu

[nothinghereisworking]

Seasons Greetings

He sees you when you're sleeping He knows what you did take He knows that you've been very bad And your spirit he will break Oh, you're going to shout You're going to cry You're gonna find out The strength of The Eye Santatar has risen again

#mordor #sauron #nazgul #mt doom #“festive” #bad paint art #tolkien fanart #artist: cuarthol #bad poetry #filk #lord of the rings #plum pudding's back on the menu

[sirenjose]

Analysis of Norton's dish: Roast Beef with Pudding

The pudding is likely Yorkshire Pudding/Plum Pudding

Roast beef with Yorkshire Pudding are traditional dishes in Great Britain, especially in Northern England

Eaten by a variety of people, from the lower classes to the higher classes, and could even be found on the royal family's menu. Commonly served on Christmas day to workhouses/poorhouses.

“roast beef served with plum pudding is the most evocative of past traditions of hospitality. It was once Britain’s prime celebration dish and a potent symbol of the nation’s character and cohesiveness.”

Roast Beef

The history of roast beef dates back to King Henry VII in 1485. Henry’s bodyguards (Yeoman of the Guard) received part of their salary in chunks of beef. This practice took place up until the 1800s and allegedly they earned the title ‘beef-eaters’. The story goes that King Henry’s guards started the Sunday roast beef tradition by cooking the meat (usually fillet, sirloin or shoulder) in the morning before going to Mass. The practice became a habit during the 19th century.  Women would leave the meat to cook in their village baker’s oven, which closed on Sunday, and pick it up when back from church, perfectly roasted.

Eating beef was reinforced by a tradition outlined in William Kitchiner’s 1871 volume “Apicius Redivivus: Or, The Cook’s Oracle”.  In his book, the author recommends eating about 3 kilos of meat per week to stay healthy. This underlined the central role that meat played in the British diet and described the practice of cooking beef sirloin for at least four hours over a spit.  Sunday was the one day of the week when people had four hours to spare to roast beef. Fortunately a massive lump of meat could feed the family.  They would then use it again in stews, pies and as cold cuts for the rest of the week.  As the cost of meat and coal began to plummet working people continued the habit of roasting beef every Sunday.

Yorkshire Pudding

Traditionally, the word “pudding” referred to homely and rustic desserts that were commonly eaten by the lower classes. These could be either sweet or salty. Pudding dishes are mainly made with flour and have a cake-like consistency. But originally, pudding was a meat based, sausage-like food in Britain (ex: black and white puddings). However by the late 1700s, the contemporary puddings were no longer meat based and this change incidentally coincided with the first published mention of the batter pudding.

The Yorkshire Pudding is a baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour and milk or water. It has become a common British side dish which is versatile and can be served in many different ways – although mainly recognized as an accompaniment to a roast dinner.

It has been suggested the pudding was given the name “Yorkshire” due to the region’s association with coal and the high temperatures this produced that helped to make crispy batter.

The 1st recorded Yorkshire Pudding recipe appeared in a 1737 book titled "The Whole Duty of a Woman"and was listed as "Dripping Pudding". Wheat flour had come into common use for making cakes and puddings, and cooks in the north of England had begun baking batter puddings while their meat roasted to make use of the fat that dropped in the dripping pan. Batter was placed in a hot pan over the fire with a bit of butter, then placed under a shoulder of mutton in the oven in place of a dripping pan to collect the fat.

The next recorded recipe launched the pudding from a local delicacy to Britain's favorite dish. It appeared in "The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy" by Hannah Glasse in 1747. Glasse was one of the most famous food writers of the time, and the popularity of her book spread the word of the Yorkshire pudding. This distinguished the light and crispy nature of the batter puddings made in this region from batter puddings created in other parts of England. Back then, the puddings were flatter than they are served today and would be served as a first course filled with thick gravy to help to suppress the diner’s appetite for expensive meat with cheap, plentiful ingredients. The main course of meat and vegetables would traditionally be served with a white sauce, as the gravy used up for the pudding. Poorer households couldn’t afford meat, and would use dripping, flour, eggs and milk to make puddings which would be served with gravy as the only course. Then there was another recipe by Mrs. Beeton, another of Britain's famous food writers of the 19th century, but her 1866 recipe omitted one of the fundamental rules for making Yorkshire pudding: the need for the hottest oven possible. The recipe was also erroneous in instructing the cook to bake the pudding for an hour before placing it under the meat. Yorkshire folk supposedly blamed her error on her southern origins.

The point of traditional Yorkshire pudding was identified in its previous name, dripping pudding. The batter was placed in a large pan into which had been allowed to drip the fat and juices of meat roasting on a spit over the fire. Once the pan had been heated in the fire and the fat was bubbling, the batter was poured into it and placed under the roasting meat as it continued to turn on the spit, thus catching all the remaining drippings. Meat was very expensive through much of the eighteenth century, and none of it was wasted, even the drippings produced when it was roasted. The fat from the meat drippings provided crucially needed calories, particularly for men doing heavy manual labor. The drippings also imparted a rich flavor to the Yorkshire pudding, and the high heat needed to roast meat was necessary to ensure the pudding would rise and had a light and crispy texture.

Traditional Yorkshire pudding was not served with the roasted meat, it was served before, as an appetizer or starter course. The pudding was cut into smaller pieces which were served drenched with the gravy made from the roasted meat. It is generally believed that this was done to take the edge off the diners’ appetites so that they would be satisfied with the small portions of the much more expensive meat which would be served during the second course. In poorer households, the children would receive only Yorkshire pudding and gravy, while the adults were served both the pudding with gravy and the roasted meat. Since the gravy was usually all consumed with the first course on the Yorkshire pudding, the meat and vegetables which typically comprised the second course were served with parsley or a cream sauce. Though Yorkshire pudding could be made with any roasting meat, the eighteenth-century Englishman was very fond of his roast beef. Thus, by the turn of the nineteenth century, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding had become a quintessential traditional meal throughout England. Even before the Regency, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding were a favorite Sunday dinner, especially among the middle and upper classes. There were even many among the aristocracy who enjoyed such a meal.

Going back to the mention roast beef with yorkshire pudding as common in workhouses on Christmas Day, a ballad was written by George Robert Sims for the Christmas of 1877. It served as a criticism of the harsh conditions in English and Welsh workhouses under the 1834 Poor Law

Regarding the in-game dish, from the looks of it, the roast beef is being served in a large Yorkshire pudding, which isn't too abnormal either (ex: places in Yorkshire sometimes might serve your dinner in a large pudding)

#idv #identity v #norton campbell #prospector #idv norton #identity v norton #idv prospector #identity v prospector #sirenjose analyses and theories

[feralandmoonstruck]

Moonstruck Ch. 5 Ezra Meets the Boys

18+ only! This wip contains explicit material

  Apollo’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and opened his messages.

Hey

Hey Ez, how’re you?

I’m good. Been thinking a lot about what you said

Apollo swallowed and took a deep breath. Yea?

I wanna see you again. And the others

A bubble of happiness bloomed in his chest. Yeah, no that sounds great When do you wanna meet?

Saturday?

“Kend?”

“Yea?”

“You busy Saturday?”

“What time?”

“Gimme a sec.”

When were you thinking?

Oh uhhh, mid afternoon?

“Mid-afternoon good?”

Kendrick came into the room and leaned against the back of the couch. “What’s up?”

Apollo looked up at him and held up his phone. “Ezra wants to meet you guys.”

Kendrick’s brows went up. “That’s good. Means I won’t have to eat him.”

“Thanks for the support,” Apollo laughed.

“Where did you want to go?”

“Oh, uh, one sec I’ll ask.”

Any ideas on where you want to go?

Shit I hadn’t thought about that 😅

No sweat. Wanna do lunch?

Lunch sounds good let’s go somewhere fun

“Looks like we’re doing lunch.”

“Cool. Where?”

Apollo held up his phone again. “He said “somewhere fun.””

“Hmm.” Kendrick crossed his arms and rested them on top of the couch. “Does he like Thai? Golden Lotus is fun.”

Apollo’s fingers tapped his keyboard. Thai?

Thai sounds good. Where?

Golden Lotus 35th and Baker

2?

“Two good?”

Kendrick shrugged, “Two should be fine.”

Sounds great

Awesome

“We need anything from the store?” Kendrick asked as he straightened.

“Plums and tapioca pudding.”

“Got it.”

On Saturday Apollo scented out Ezra as soon as they entered the restaurant. “We’re meeting someone,” he told the hostess.

She gave him a smile, “Sure thing. We’ll have someone by to get your drink orders soon.”

“Thanks.”

Kendrick flashed an easy smile at her as he and Ilya followed Apollo through the restaurant.

Ezra waved when he spotted Apollo.

Apollo waved back and headed in the direction of the table. He slid into the seat next to Ezra. Kendrick and Ilya took their seats across from them.

“Ezra, this is Kendrick and Ilya. Guys, this is Ezra.”

“Good to meet you, Ezra.” Kendrick stuck his hand out for a shake.

He shook Kendrick’s hand and held it out for Ilya to take. “It’s great to meet you guys too.”

“What awful things has Apollo told you about us?” Ilya grinned as he said it.

“Not much. Uhh, I know that the three of you are together. Or, at least you and Apollo are together. And then.. You’re with Kendrick, but Apollo isn’t?”

“Yep.”

Ezra let out a relieved sigh. “Oh good, I was afraid I was gonna get that wrong. How long have you and Apollo been together?”

“Kend and I grew up together,” Apollo said.

“I remember you saying something about that.”

Ilya’s cheeks tinged pink. “Apollo and I have been together since I was in high school.”

Ezra looked over at Apollo, “Oh?”

“Listen,” Apollo said, “he was a senior in high school.”

“Mhhm.” Ezra raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry,” Ilya told him. “He was a perfect gentleman until I graduated.”

Ezra giggled. “He is a gentleman.”

“I try,” Apollo laughed.

“Do you guys want any apps?” Kendrick asked, scanning his menu.

Ilya laid his head on Kendrick’s shoulder. “I want the satay chicken.”

“We’re definitely getting summer rolls,” Apollo said.

“Ezra? Anything you want?” Kendrick asked.

“Oh no, I’m okay.”

“You sure? It’s my treat.”

Apollo glared across the table at Kendrick. He opened his mouth to say something, but Ezra spoke first.

“I’m fine. I might share some of yours though. If that’s alright that is.”

“Of course it is,” Kendrick said with a smile.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“No problem.”

“What do you guys do for work? I know Apollo’s a personal trainer.”

“Kendrick is a wildlife photographer. He’s actually got some pieces up in a gallery right now,” Ilya said.

Ezra’s eyes widened. “Impressive. I’ll have to go see them some time.”

Kendrick smiled. “I’m sure Apollo would love to take you.”

“I would. Maybe we can go next weekend.”

“That sounds great.” Ezra gave him a shy smile.

“Ilya is an art teacher,” Kendrick said, leaning his arm against Ilya’s briefly.

“That’s cool that you’re both in the arts field. I’m a nutritionist with a specialization in athletic health.”

Ilya's grin turned into a laugh. “And you’re both in fitness fields. Perfect.”

“Must be fate,” Ezra said, giving Apollo a knowing smile.

Their appetizers arrived and they placed their orders for dinner.

“Want one,” Apollo asked, sliding the plate of summer rolls towards Ezra.

He shook his head. “No thanks, I don’t actually like seafood.”

“Oh,” Apollo said. “If you would have told me we could have gotten something you like.”

Ezra shook his head again. “Don’t worry about it. If it’s alright with Kendrick and Ilya I’d love some of their chicken.”

“Help yourself,” Ilya said. He offered up a skewer.

“Thanks.” Ezra took the meat and bit into it, his eyes falling closed as he savored the spices coating it.

Kendrick reached across the table, stealing the summer roll Ezra had turned down. He gave Apollo a smile, flicking his eyes towards Ezra and back. He seems to like you.

Apollo smiled back. He tilted his chin up. I like him a lot, Kend. Kendrick shifted in his seat, one hand dropping below the table, no doubt to come to rest on Ilya’s thigh. We see how excited you are about him, and so quickly, too.

Apollo bit into his summer roll, crisp vegetables and cold shrimp bursting over his tongue as the sticky wrapper was broken. He tilted his head towards Ilya. Do you think Il will like him?

Kendrick shrugged. So far they seem okay.

Their silent conversation finished, Kendrick tore into his summer roll and turned his attention back to his mate.

“Has Apollo convinced you to go running with him yet,” Ilya was asking.

Ezra shook his head. “He told me about his sunrise runs and teased me about going with him, but that’s it.”

Ilya turned a slightly annoyed look on Apollo, but he continued speaking to Ezra. “Sunrise runs are like a rite of passage with him.”

“Oh,” Ezra said, fiddling with his empty skewer.

Beneath the table, Apollo kicked Ilya, who curled his lips and turned his attention back to his food. “You’re welcome to come running with me any time you want,” Apollo said.

Ezra gave him an embarrassed smile, “I’ll let you know next time I’m free. It’ll be a date.”

Apollo bit the inside of his lip. His eyes darted to Ilya and he tipped his head fractionally to the side. What the fuck was that?

Ilya rolled his eyes. His shrug was barely a twitch of his shoulders. Well it is.

Apollo took a slow breath. You didn’t have to say it like that.

Ilya dropped his gaze to the table. Sorry.

“D’you mind if I have another?” Ezra asked, pointing at the few chicken skewers left.

“By all means.” Ilya gave him a smile.

The rest of Apollo’s summer roll disappeared into his mouth. He dropped his hand to his thigh. Let his fingers drum nervously against his leg before he finally made the leap and let his fingers stretch out, barely brushing against Ezra’s leg. A small, hopeful invitation.

Ezra’s hand slipped beneath the edge of the table as well. His fingers stretched out in response, the backs of them grazing Apollo’s hand. Slowly, shyly, their fingers touched.

Apollo’s pinky touched Ezra’s before curling around it. His heart was in his throat, butterflies churned in his stomach. He hadn’t held the hand of someone new in years. The thrill of it terrified him.

One by one their fingers twined together. One by one they slotted themselves into the spaces between the other’s. Ezra’s hand was cool against Apollo’s warm one. He could barely breathe from the feel of Ezra’s small hand fitted against his.

Only when their food arrived did Ezra pull away.

“God that smells good,” Apollo said when the scent of Ezra’s food drifted to him.

“You’re welcome to have some.” He scooted his plate a little closer to Apollo.

“You first.”

Ezra picked up his side of rice and raked it into his curry. When it had thoroughly been mixed in he took a bite. “Seriously, you have to try this. It’s amazing.”

“Thanks Ez.” He scooped up a forkful and brought it to his mouth. “Damn. That is delicious.”

Ezra grinned.

Kendrick and Ilya leaned comfortably against each other while they ate. Apollo shared some of his food with Ezra.

After they’d eaten, Apollo walked Ezra to his car.

“Was that weird?” He asked, running one hand through his hair.

Ezra shifted his weight to one foot. “A little, but I’m glad I met them. They seem nice.”

“They are. I just. I’ve never done this before, y’know?”

“Because you’ve been in a relationship with Ilya for so long?”

Apollo’s fingertips began to tap against his thumb. “Would you like clearance for friendship level five?”

“Only if you want me to.”

He took a deep breath. “I used to be married. They died,” he said quickly.

“Apollo, I’m so sorry.”

Apollo chewed his lip for a moment, clenching and unclenching his hands. “We only had a few years together. But they already knew Kendrick and Ilya, so it was never like a ‘bring your boyfriend home to meet the family’ kind of thing. They just slid into our lives. Things changed a lot. I changed a lot. But we adapted. The four of us. So I’ve really never done something like this before.”

Ezra reached out and laid a hand on Apollo’s arm. “Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry that you lost them so soon.”

Apollo nodded, not trusting his own voice.

“This must be difficult for you.”

“It is.”

“Can I hug you?”

He nodded again.

Ezra opened his arms and let Apollo step into his embrace. Strong arms came up to place warm hands on Ezra’s ribs and shoulder blade.

“Thank you for trusting me with this.”

“I like you, Ezra,” Apollo mumbled against Ezra’s hair. “I’m glad you were willing to meet them.”

“I’m glad I met them.” He spoke against Apollo’s chest. “I’d like the chance to see them again.”

“I’d like that too.” He pulled away from the hug, but kept one hand on Ezra’s ribs. Not willing to let him go entirely.

Ezra smiled up at him. “I’m free tomorrow if you’d like to do something together, just us.”

“Let me know when you’d like to hang out.”

“I’ll text you when I get up.”

Apollo smiled. “See you tomorrow.” He let his hand drag across Ezra’s ribs as he moved to walk away. Ezra’s hand caught his wrist.

“Apollo?”

“Yeah?” He turned to look back at him.

Ezra brought his free hand up to cup Apollo’s cheek. He pulled his head down and pressed his lips to Apollo’s.

Apollo shifted. Pivoting until he was facing Ezra completely. His hand returned to Ezra’s ribs, his fingers pressing against his spine.

Ezra took a small step back, leading Apollo, until he was backed against his car door. His lips parted in offering.

Apollo pulled back, breathing hard. Something shone in his bright eyes. He pulled in a deep breath. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ez.”

Ezra smiled and let him go. “See you tomorrow, Apollo.”

#moonstruck

[hermae-salvador]

LIGHT UP YOUR CHRISTMAS WITH THESE DESSERT DELIGHTS

Christmas is a time to celebrate with music, festivities, and food, or should I say Christmas Desserts.

Desserts play a significant role in Christmas celebrations. Back in the day, the discovery of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper along with exotic dried fruits helped the rise of popularity of Christmas desserts immensely. And here we are today, unable to imagine Christmas without its signature pies, cookies, plum cakes and puddings.

Here are some of the Delightful Desserts that you can prepare for your family this upcoming Christmas!

Buttercream Cupcake

Your cakes, cupcakes, and cookies deserve the very best buttercream.

Buttercream is a sweet and fluffy frosting made by creaming butter and sugar. Other common ingredients include milk (to create the perfect texture) and vanilla (for simple, crowd-pleasing flavor).

Though vanilla is the most popular buttercream flavor, it's also commonly found in chocolate or fruit-flavored varieties. Food coloring is also added for aesthetic purposes.

Use buttercream as a frosting, decoration, or filling. Spread buttercream over cake layers, dollop it onto cupcakes, or create decorative patterns with a piping bag.

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

3 drops food coloring, or as needed (Optional)

Black Forest Cake

Bake a Sweet Black Forest Cake for a December to Remember!

This deliciously moist Black Forest Cake is a cut above the rest with homemade whipped cream, rich chocolate ganache, and sweet spiked cherries. Black Forest cake has multiple (usually 4) layers of chocolate sponge cake, cherries, and whipped cream.  It is frosted with whipped cream and covered with chocolate shavings and a few cherries for decoration.  Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps) is used to flavor the whipped cream.  The bottom layers of sponge cake are also brushed with Kirschwasser (cherry schnaps) to provide moisture and a little extra flavor.

Ingredients

1 box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix (your favorite brand)

1 teaspoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups heavy cream or whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar (confectioners')

1/4 cup Kirshwasser (Cherry Brandy), divided

1 container whipped icing (cream cheese or vanilla)

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling, divided

Maraschino cherries (for garnish)

1 to 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, shaved*

Leche Flan

Who doesn't love a good, creamy Leche Flan?

Leche Flan is a dessert made-up of eggs and milk with a soft caramel on top. It resembles crème caramel and caramel custard. This delicious dessert is known throughout the world. It has been a regular item in the  menu of most restaurants because of its taste, ease in preparation and long shelf life. It can also be added as a component to build other great tasting dessert creations.

Ingredients

10 pieces eggs

1 can condensed milk (14 oz)

1 cup fresh milk or evaporated milk

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Panna Cotta

No food ever made it to the bottom of the hole.

Panna cotta (Italian for "cooked cream") is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italian, and that's essentially what the base is—heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) mixed with gelatin powder and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. The mixture is then poured into ramekins or small molds and chilled.

Ingredients

⅓ cup skim milk

1 (.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin

2 ½ cups heavy cream

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Pancake

Fill the house with Christmas cheer by serving up platters of pancakes on Christmas morning.

Pancakes make an ideal Christmas morning breakfast that are easy to make, and great to serve with a number of accompaniments – from whipped cream and ice cream to fresh fruit and yoghurt. You can accompany your pancakes with almost anything you choose, however, we think that teaming them up with new season fruit is a great place to start. If you think you won’t have time to cook them on Christmas morning, try making up the batter the night before and leaving it in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour. Great Value All-Purpose Flour, 5LB Bag.

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder.

1 tablespoon white sugar.

¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste.

1 ¼ cups milk.

3 tablespoons butter, melted.

1 egg.

Strawberry Crepe

Make something BERRY special for your loved ones this Christmas.

These Strawberry Crepes will have you day-dreaming about them long after that final bite. Buttery, light crepes filled with a sweet and tangy, cream filling, then topped with fresh sliced strawberries are a feast for the eyes and will delight your taste buds. This recipe could easily be featured on a bistro menu, but are incredibly easy to make at home.

Ingredients

For the Crepes

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided, for pan

For the Cream Filling

8 ounces cream cheese , softened

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 cup powdered sugar , plus more for dusting

3 cups thinly sliced strawberries

Christmas is time for family, food, and fellowship. Wishing you nothing but the best that the season has to offer. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

Love, H.

[rabbitcruiser]

British Pudding Day

Tracing its history back to the early 14th century, British pudding has evolved over time. The name likely started out as “poding”, which literally was an animal stomach filled with meat and boiled. And considering that at the time it was something sort of like a sausage, the term was somewhat fitting!

History of British Pudding Day

Developing into something that could either be savory or sweet, by the 17th century British puddings or “puds” were typically boiled in special bags that were just for making pudding. And by the 18th century, most puddings did not even include meat. These dishes were typically boiled but also started to be steamed as well. In modern times, however, puddings can also be baked, though this would not have been the traditional.

Today, the idea of pudding is almost exclusively related to desserts, unless preceded by a descriptor, such as “black pudding”, which is made from pig’s blood and may be included as part of a traditional English breakfast. Steak and kidney pudding is also savory, and is similar to a steak and kidney pie but the pastry is made from suet instead of being surrounded by a shortcrust pastry. Yorkshire pudding is another term for something that is savory, as sort of a roll or bread that is traditionally served with a roast dinner.

But, by far, sweet puddings are the most common. In fact, many restaurants have now simply taken to calling the sweet course that takes place at the end of the meal the “pudding”.

Sticky toffee pudding is a big favorite that consists of a sponge-like cake that is covered in a toffee sauce that is, well, sticky. Bread pudding, Christmas pudding and figgy pudding are some others.

British Pudding Day is here to celebrate all of the lovely deliciousness that goes along with the rich history that puddings carry.

How to Celebrate British Pudding Day

Have tons of fun enjoying British Pudding Day with some of these ideas:

Enjoy a British Pudding

With lots of different options when it comes to the term “pudding”, celebrate this day by enjoying a variety of different dishes that carry the name. Head to a restaurant and order a pudding off the menu, which could be something like a Victoria sponge, an apple crumble, a classic Swiss roll or an Eton mess.

Learn More About British Pudding

How about some bits of trivia to celebrate British Pudding Day?

In 17th century England, special pudding bags were created to make boiling the food much easier.

Christmas pudding is a special treat that is served in the UK and Ireland. Sometimes it is referred to as plum pudding or just “pud”.

The largest Christmas pudding ever made weighed over 7200 pounds.

Haggis is a Scottish savory pudding made of sheep’s innards.

Try Making a British Pudding

This could be loads of fun but also complicated, depending on which recipe is chosen and how traditional the methods are. For the most part, modern British pudding recipes can be fairly simple and enjoyable to make. But getting involved with an old fashioned recipe might just require a bit more time, attention and dedication!

Source

#sticky toffee pudding #dessert #sorbet #ice cream #Maze by Gordon Ramsey #Manhattan #summer 2013 #New York City #restaurant #vacation #travel #USA #original photography #British Pudding Day #BritishPuddingDay #9 November

[docholligay]

Chinese Food in The American West

One of the things I frequently come across as a student of the American West* is that people get most of their information from movies and TV and then act like they know things. Wyatt Earp was not a Lawful Good champion who always did his level best even when it was hard to know. (You want Seth Bullock or Bass Reeves). Racism was far more complicated than white vs not white (I’ve talked about this EXTENSIVELY in Strange Empire, so I’m not going to bore you here**). 

And they didn’t just eat steak. In fact, they rarely ate steak. 

Steak as cowboy food isn’t INACCURATE, but it is MODERN. From about the early 1900s on, you had less and less drives and more and more ranchers who were staying put, with less and less hands needed, and so food was grabbed less “on the go.” Cows could be slaughtered and used to feed the family, allowing for more opportunities for things like steak, yes, but also things like chili, a play on sauerbraten, southern-style biscuits. The cattle drives were a real blend of culture and race, and a lot of what we have left as “Western food” owes a great deal to that. 

And if we leave the cattle drives and head into the towns of the American West, as we will today, we find things like oysters, pies, and various things like that. Far more well-heeled than the general expectation. 

I mean, here’s the menu from the Occidental Saloon circa the late 1880s:

Soups

Chicken Giblet and Consumme, with Egg

Fish

Columbia River Salmon, au Beurre Noir

Relieves

Filet a Boeuf, a la Financier

Leg of Lamb, Sauce, Oysters

Cold Meats

Loin of Beef, Loin of Ham, Loin of Pork, Westphalia Ham, Corned Beef, Imported Lunches

Boiled Meats

Leg of Mutton, Ribs of Beef, Corned Beef and Cabbage, Russian River Bacon

Entrees

Pinons a Poulett, aux Champignons

Cream Fricasse of Chicken, Asparagus Points

Lapine Domestique, a la Matire d'Hote

Casserole d'Ritz aux Oeufs, a la Chinoise

Ducks of Mutton, Braze, with Chipoluta Ragout

California Fresh Peach, a la Conde

Roasts

Loin of Beef, Loin of Mutton, Leg of Pork

Apple Sauce, Suckling Pig, with Jelly, Chicken Stuffed Veal

Pastry

Peach, Apple, Plum, and Custard Pies

English Plum Pudding, Hard Sauce, Lemon Flavor

This dinner will be served for 50 cents.

-I got this from the book “Saloons of the Old West” by Erdoes

But none of that is precisely why I’m here, I just can’t stop myself from talking about this, why I’m here is that one of the things I say that often surprises people, is that Chinese food was incredibly common for the, well, common man to eat. There’s very much a conception that we as a non-Chinese American  people did not start eating Chinese food until the 40s and 50s, and its truer that it took longer to catch on in the American East than the West simply as a matter of proximity and choice. 

Not MORE choice but LESS. Part of what made the West so unique, historically, is that the lack of choice and the basic scarcity caused people to work with and patronize people that their general prejudices would have kept them from using back east, because they had CHOICES. But out in the west, less so. There were few choices for a quick, cheap meal on the go. That dinner I just posted above is a lavish affair, and a great deal at approximately $20.00 in today’s money. (Which does not allow for the fact that cost of supplies has gone up and this dinner would most likely be offered for no less than 70 or so today.) 

People desperately wanted something that was cheap and quick, and the other options in the American West were few, far between, and not intensely pleasing. No one had really come up with the sandwich shop as of yet, and in any case, fresh meats and cheeses would have been too difficult for the low-cost supplier. 

ENTER THE CHINESE POPULATION.

If you have read my Strange Empire blogs, I hope you know that Chinese people were a huge presence in the American West, mostly working for the railroad and various mines, but also doing things like laundry, work that was extremely hard but took little in the way of English speaking. They existed in Chinatowns, for a combination of cultural and legal factors, but it’s a misconception that non-Chinese*** people never went to Chinatown. 

People are not new, and it was not unusual for non-Chinese people to use the laundries, tailoring, and other services of Chinatowns while suppressing the rights of Chinese people int he same breath. There were always individual Chinese people any given non-Chinese person liked and did business with. 

In time, they discovered the inherent wisdom of the noodle bowl. 

I don’t mean to suggest that all these early restaurants served was noodle bowls, but that was where it all started. Remember, Italian food had little prominence in America at the this time, as Italian immigration didn’t really get into full swing until the 1870s in America. While there are noodle traditions half of everywhere, and there is nothing new under the sun, what we today would consider a stir-fry bowl was wildly new to most of the non-Chinese folks in the West. That it could be offered up so cheaply, was so filling, and so delicious (more on this later) was a wild revelation. Everyone from simple cowboys (which, fun fact! Was a slur back then!) to mayors were swinging by Chinatowns to try the dishes. 

By the 1920s, chop suey, a fully Chinese American invention derived from the words for “various leftovers” was a hugely popular American food among all sorts. 

Doc, you may ask, was it just that these folks coming through to get medicines or laundry were SO adventurous? Not at all! Chinese restaurants back then actually, in a very short amount of time, realized that their non-Chinese townsfolk were an excellent way to make money as well, and began to adapt and change dishes to better fit the Western palate, leading what we call American Chinese Food today, which is a legitimate foodway I will defend to my death. Unfortunately, none of these menus survive today--the only ones we have are from places in San Francisco, places that were much more posh, and not the subject of this essay. 

There is a scene in Tombstone where Wyatt and his brothers are eating Chinese food, and it’s one of the things people often ask me about, assuming it’s anachronistic. Actually, it isn’t at all--the anachronism is that there’s broccoli in those noodle bowls, which had not yet hit our shores by the time of the OK Corral. Chinese food was a huge hit, Chinese restaurants were doing extremely well, and some Chinese restaurants were even beginning to attempt to print menus in English, with sit down areas, instead of serving simple fare from food carts. 

As the food from these “chow chow houses” grew in popularity, as we can infer from the advertisements of their competitors promising free potatoes with every meal, and other such niceties to entice, there was, as ever there must be, blowback. Anti-Chinese sentiment grew to a fever pitch, and with this came overt pressure for ‘Good Americans” to patronize ‘American restaurants’. The social pressure is actually where we get some of that old racist jargon about Chinese people serving dogs and cats, which people often think was spread by competitors to degrade the Chinese restaurants, which isn’t UNTRUE, but was just as often said sheepishly by someone who couldn’t stop themselves from going and grabbing a noodle bowl or even the American dishes they offered, such as roast chicken or pork chop sandwiches. 

(I won’t comment with anything but an eyeroll on the bullshit of people saying they’re ~allergic to MSG~ okay I’ll believe you when you stop eating processed food, meat, aged cheese) 

It actually kept this type of reputation as being slightly scandalous well into the early 1900s, as being something you ate after the bar, something to be had in the shadows, but it was all for naught, because Chinese food became an important part of American identity. But for all that, no one ever pictures the Lone Ranger chowing down (the American phrase ‘chow’ for food actually comes from these ‘chow chow houses’) on some chop suey, but there’s every reason to believe he would have. American Chinese food is just as American as the Germanically-influenced hamburger. 

(There’s a whole subtopic to go down about Jewish and Chinese communities and Kosher Chinese Food, two marginalized and othered communities coming together, but that’s a WHOLE other topic) 

(Also someone please buy me Chinese food. This shit always makes me so hungry.) 

*The American West is a specific time period, as far as the study of history goes. It covers the period between the end of the Civil War and the New Century, generally, and is, obviously, concerned with the western half of the country. It doesn’t cover stuff like Lewis and Clark (that’s Expansion) or even the Civil War itself, though you cannot possibly hope to study the American West in any level of seriousness without understanding the Civil War. Anyway! I know a lot about America between 1865 and 1900, and am just knowledgeable enough to be dangerous on everything else. Most History nerds are highly specified like this. We’re not as much help to your trivia team as you think.****

**I actually have had little chance to talk about ~European-style xenophobia~ as it played out in the west, because Strange Empire takes a more modern pass at it. But there was a hierarchy of “whiteness” as well, as still largely exists in Europe, land of intentionally clean ethnostates. 

***I use the term “non-Chinese” instead of white because believe it or not, non-white people were not magically free of racism against Chinese people. It was horrific and BASICALLY every non-Chinese person was guilty of it to some level, a wild-ass level of hatred that led to Chinese folks not being able to PURCHASE PROPERTY BY LAW in ENTIRE STATES. Being Chinese or Native in this place and time was your Worst Bet. 

****I actually was on a competitive trivia team, you DO want me.

#That was Oddly Specific #Holligay is 34: The celebration

[baiqi]

"i was happy at first, but then i cried. and then i was kinda ok, but then i totally cried again." i feel like kiro or mc would say this or maybe both skdlgjdklsf

prompt from here!

“Y’know,” Kiro begins, fingers drumming idly on the tabletop, “the first time I came here, I got to try this rice pudding called Eight Treasures.”

You take a sip of your tea. Your menus have already been collected, and now all you can do is wait (im)patiently for Mr. Mills to return with your meals. “Why was it called that?”

An almost dream-like expression crosses his face as he rests his chin in his hand. “Well, it’s made with sticky rice and red bean paste, which you can’t go wrong with, but the best part is that there are eight different kinds of candy stuff on top.”

You shift in your seat, drawing Kiro’s pretty blue eyes to focus on you. He watches as you lean back to settle in for his story, hands folded against your stomach. “Candy stuff? What does that mean?”

“Raisins, cherries, plums. Stuff! I don’t remember exactly.” He can’t resist an opportunity to make you laugh, so he gives you the reason. “I was too busy crying about how good it was to commit it to memory.” 

It works: you can’t help but giggle. “Crying? Oh, Kiro.”

“Yes!” He laughs along. “I mean, I was super happy at first. It looked beautiful and it was so sweet without being too sweet, so,” he shrugs, “maybe I cried a little.”

You raise an eyebrow, doubtful that he’s telling the full truth about how many tears were shed. After all, you’ve seen him cry for five straight minutes after winning a signed Batman collectible card in a raffle -- his crying over food isn’t exactly out of character.

Kiro continues on enthusiastically, not noticing your change in expression. He’s taken by the memory again. “After the first couple of bites I was kinda okay. Like, it was still one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, but I was okay.”

Knowing Kiro the way you do, you prompt, “But that didn’t last.”

“Nope,” he says with an odd amount of cheer. “I totally cried again.”

Your abrupt laugh brings him back to the present, where you have a hand over your mouth in an attempt to smother your laughter. “You cried twice? Over a dessert?” 

“I did!” His grin widens at the way your face is turning red from your struggle to stay quiet even though you’re the only two customers in Souvenir. “It was almost gone, what else could I do except cry?” 

“No, no, you’re right,” you say after taking a breath, though you’re quickly overtaken by giggles again. “I would’ve done the same, if it’s as good as you say.”

“We should try it together next time.” Kiro’s eyes shine as he looks at you fondly. “They only make it around the new year, so maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Isn’t it a little early to make plans for the new year?”

“It’s never too early, especially if it means I get you all to myself.”

#ty anon for sending a req T_T <3 #producer #kiro #mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #fics #answers #anon #baiqi fics

[etherealwaifgoddess]

An Unexpected Memory

Main Characters: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: The reader helps Bucky remember a piece of his past while hosting Christmas dinner for the avengers.

Warnings/ Content: angst if you squint, mostly feels.

Word Count: 1305

Author’s Note: So this written for the amazing @interestedbystanderwrites ‘s 12 Days of Christmas Drabbles. I am a terrible drabbler so this ended up WAY more than 500 words but hey, ya girl tried. My prompt was for today, December 16th: You are in charge of planning Christmas dinner. Create a menu for your perfect Christmas meal. This immediately made me think of family meals spent together on the holiday and how Bucky probably not even know where to start with that LOL. I hope ya’ll have as much fun this little fic as I had writing! XOXO - Ash

An Unexpected Memory

“We can host this year, Pepper. Don’t worry about it.” You repeat for the third time in five minutes. 

Bucky rolls his eyes from his spot on the sofa, watching you pace around the living room as you talk on the phone. It’s an oddly charming 21st century habit and it both amuses and irritates the former assassin who is just trying to get through the latest episode of “How’s It’s Made” undisturbed. 

Bucky’s ears perk up when he realizes the tide has turned and you are winning whatever you’re trying to convince Pepper Potts-Stark to do. 

“I know… Okay…. Really it’s….. Oh, great! We’ll see you in two weeks.” you say and then set your phone on the side table. 

You hop around doing a little victory dance before flopping down on the sofa. “We’re hosting Christmas Dinner for the Avengers this year.” you tell him with a grin.

Bucky’s eyes widen for a moment before he stifles down the anxiety that flares up over having an apartment full of people. “Did we want to?” he asks trying for casual but still sounding hesitant.

You give him a half shrug, “Someone has to. The roofers won’t be done at Pepper’s until after New Years at this rate. She can’t host dinner for the team when she’s missing a hunk out of her ceiling.” 

Bucky laughs, “I still can’t believe Morgan got her hands on an old repulsor. Let alone figured out how to get it to work. She’s Tony’s kid through and through.” 

“Poor Pep. She’s really got her hands full. You don’t mind that I volunteered us to host, do you?”

“Nah, it’ll be nice to have everyone over again. It’s been over a year since the housewarming party.” 

“Mhmm. I haven’t see Wanda in ages either. It’ll be good.”  

Bucky plants a kiss on your head and goes back to his show so you snuggle in against the human space heater that is your boyfriend and bring up menu suggestions on Pinterest. 

xxXxx

“So what do you think?” you ask after rattling off an extensive list of foods for Christmas dinner. 

Bucky looks up, slightly bewildered, cheeks chipmunking out from the sandwich he’s currently inhaling. Ever polite, he swallows his mouthful and wipes his lips with his napkin before speaking. “It’s all fine, baby girl. Whatever you wanna do.” 

You shake your head, wanting him to be more involved. “Come on, give me something here.” you insist, “What did your ma make for Christmas when you were a kid?”

Bucky pauses and puts down his sandwich. You can all but hear his mind churning as he tries to locate those specific memories through the smoke and fog. HYDRA had done their best to wipe out his long term memories but after years of therapy and a little (okay a lot) of help from Shuri and her team, he had a good amount back. He still got flashes of memories now and then when something triggered them and what came up typically stuck. 

“I… I don’t know. I’m sorry.” he sounds defeated and you reach out to take his hand, covering it lightly with yours.

“Don’t apologize. I can try and find a typical 1930s or 40s menu online and see if any of it jogs your memory. Or, we can just make more modern stuff and make our own memories. It’s all up to you.” 

“I could try looking a list if you can find one.” 

You whip out your phone quickly and start typing away at a Google search. Bucky is picking at the edge bits of his sandwich, destroying it instead of eating it at this point, and you feel guilty to have soured his lunch. After a few clicks you find a menu on a homemaking blog that focuses on depression era clothes, recipes, and lifestyle tips. “I found a list.” you tell him and he nods, waiting for you to start, “Okay, how about sweet potato casserole?” you show him the picture and he shakes his head, “Olives?” he shakes his head again, “Buttered squash?” he wrinkles his nose and shakes his head yet again, “Plum pudding?” this picture he lingers staring at. Bucky tilts his head a little to the right and he stares at the image, the crinkley lines at the sides of his eyes deepening as he squints a little. “This is familiar?” you ask hopefully. It’s disgusting looking but you will make a thousand of them if it will help him remember more about his past.

Bucky nods slowly, “I think so. It feels familiar but I can’t quite remember it.” 

“It’s worth a try. And if it doesn’t jog your memory at least we’ll have another dessert for the table.” 

Bucky makes a humming sound of agreement and goes back to his sandwich with a thoughtful expression still on his face. 

xxXxx

It was after ten o’clock on Christmas Eve and you are still in the kitchen preparing things for the next day. Bucky has floated through the kitchen a few times since getting home; just to pull you close and give you a kiss, making sure you don’t need any help. He’s sweet but you don’t trust him to boil water, let alone prep a holiday dinner.  You pull the plum pudding out of the oven and set it down on a trivet to cool on the counter top. The apartment quickly fills with the scent of dark, sweet cinnamon and Bucky’s head pops out of the office almost immediately. “What’s that smell?” he asks taking a long sniff.

You try not to get overly hopeful, “The plum pudding just came out of the oven.” 

Bucky comes out and stares at the slightly odd looking dessert. It would be funny if it wasn’t for how serious his expression is. He pokes at it gently and takes a larger breath right in the steam that’s floating up from it like ghosts of Christmas past. You pull a fork out of the silverware drawer and hand it to him silently. You have to drizzle icing over it anyway so if he takes a bite now no one will be the wiser. Bucky takes a small chunk out from the edge, blowing on it before popping it into his mouth. He chews once and his eyes close, his forehead smoothing out and his breathing hitching for a moment. His eyes stay closed as he finishes the bite and swallows; his voice low and thick when he finally speaks. “I remember this now. It wasn’t my ma, it was Steve’s. Every year Sarah would scrape together enough change to make this one tiny little cake, and Steve would insist on sharing his half with me. I never had the heart to tell him I hated raisins.”  When he opens his eyes they’re filled with unshed tears and you pull him in close by the waist so you can hug him tightly while he processes the memory that surfaced. 

Bucky clings to you while he takes a moment to steady himself. “Thank you for this.” he says quietly into your hair. 

It’s not the memory he was trying to find but it’s a memory nonetheless. Steve is coming to dinner tomorrow and Bucky can’t wait to see the older man’s face when he tastes the dessert. Every holiday he can’t help but worry about how many more Steve has left. This is something they can share though, another memory from their past; when they were young and life was simpler. 

“So,” you say, breaking him from his reverie, “Should we keep plum pudding on the Christmas menu from now on?” 

Bucky kisses the top of your head before pulling back to look you in the eye. “Absolutely not. I’m not afraid to tell you I hate raisins.” 

~~The End~~

#interestedbystander12days #prompt fic #Bucky Barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes fanfic #reader insert #christmas #christmas dinner #holiday feels #so many feels #bucky barnes remembers

[dappersheep]

Day 07: Inside Restaurant

Author’s Note: 31 Days of Food Fantasy is now on AO3! Succeeding drabble entries for this challenge will only be uploaded on AO3. Doodles will be uploaded to Tumblr and AO3.

---

“Master Attendant.”

“I’m telling you, it’s going to sell.”

“Master Attendant, please.”

“It will rake in more tips so we could renovate the rooms on the second floor. It’s been like that for too long and I think the plumbing system needs an upgrade.”

Not that the restaurant or their Master Attendant needed the extra money. With how Plum Juice took care of the finances and the restaurant team being co-managed by himself and Pancake with Cheese as their front, the restaurant was doing very well.

But that was besides the current point of contention.

“Master Attendant, Operation ASS sounds like a terrible name for a menu combination.” Pudding grounded out from across the table, trying to get the topic back on track. Not only was it not kid friendly, it also had nothing to do with the actual food items that were on said menu except for one specific thing. But in the grand scheme of things, it was negligible.

“I think it’s a great idea~” Cheese agreed with, smiling widely with her hands behind her back and swaying back and forth.

Pudding ran a hand over his face, feeling a dull ache forming in his temple which shouldn’t be possible for a Food Soul, but somehow it was. He gave his colleague a long suffering look to which she merely smiled pleasantly back at him.

“Pudding, come on. There’s no harm in experimenting.” Pancake, who had been watching the whole conversation, quipped.

“I’m concerned about what our patrons think.”

“You know, at the end of the day, people will still flock to wherever there’s good food. And we serve good food.” Pancake said. Pudding wanted to agree, but that would just send the wrong idea.

Suddenly, Master Attendant clapped their hands on the desk and stood. “So it’s settled! Cheese, I’m going to need you to help me with the menu setup and how to handle the customers’ questions. You too, Pancake. Operation ASS is going live tomorrow.”

Pudding jerked up from his seat. “We’re done? Wait, Master Attendant, I’m asking you to reconsi-”

“Pudding?”

“... Yes, Master Attendant?”

“Everything will be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Later, Pudding was surprised that ‘Operation: ASS’ actually did work. Unfortunately, it worked too well in tandem with Cheese’s exuberant personality and Jello, of all Food Souls, to be joining the bandwagon and marketing ASS to every customer who enters their restaurant. Skewer was the only one who looked remotely disgusted by the name, but she had a temper towards almost anything. With the influx of customers, so was there a number of people who thought they could get away without paying their bills. Pudding didn’t bother with them, the security team were more than happy to get some action done.

It took all of Pudding’s management skills, and every available soul on the restaurant team to serve each and every customer until closing time.

“I am not looking forward to tomorrow.” Pudding sighed as he made his way to the Ice Arena.

---

End Note: This is Operation ASS:

#food fantasy #31 days of food fantasy #ff master attendant #ff pudding #fanfiction

[imitranslates]

Honjitsu no Kami Oroshi Ch. 4

Sorry for the delay, this one took me quite a bit! Hopefully the next chapters should be done, uh, not quite as belatedly! Reminder that this chapter is viewable until August 12th on the official website!

You can read this chapter at www.ganganonline.com/contents/honzitsu/ by clicking “ [4話] アーサー王 公開! “  in the chapter listing!

Today's Divine Revelation Chapter 4 - The Legend of King Arthur

Page 1

Ryuunosuke: ?

Ryuu: ?

Rin&Ryuu: ........

Page 3

Ryuu: So,

Ryuu: Pull out the knife that was thrust into the pumpkin. (This sure is something.)

Rin: Sorry for bothering you in the middle of work.

My hands are tired, so I can't seem to do it with my strength...

Ryuu: No worries, it's fine! This'll be easy!

Ryuu: Being relied on by my little brother makes me happy...

Rin: I'm really...

Rin: Reeeally reluctant to ask you, but please.

Ryuu: ...Is it really that bad to let me enjoy it? (Every now and then.)

Page 4

Ryuu: Well, anyway. Take a good look at this, little brother.

This is your older brother's true power.

Ryuu: Huuh!

Ryuu: Nnnngh...

Ryuu: Gyah!

!!?

(crack)

Ryuu: My... My wrist...!

Ryuu: (It's tendinitis!!) My wriiiiist!!

Rin: ...

Alright already.

Page 5

Ryuu: Wait, one more time...

Let me try again!! (I'll be able to do it next time!)

Rin: It's distasteful to say things without basis ...Besides,

I don't want to think even less of you than this.

Ryuu: Don't look at me like that!!!

Ryuu: Isn't it bad if you can't pull it out?

Are you using it for dinner?

Rin: No,

I thought I'd make some pumpkin custard.

Ryuu: Flan?

Rin: I bought a pumpkin, but cutting it's more difficult than I thought.

I had some left over vanilla beans.

Ryuu: Ah! (From when I made ice cream!)

Ryuu: (Fushishi) Ehehe, custard!

Even though I didn't ask for it. Custard~~!!

Rin: You're so annoying. Is there a problem?

Ryuu: No, not at all.

Page 6

Ryuu: (Hmm.) Rintarou.

Ryuu: Can we try making King Arthur's pudding?

Rin: Huh? What's that?

Ryuu: Do you know King Arthur?

Rin: Just... the name.

Ryuu: I only read about him when I was a kid, but

Arthur was the king of Britain.

Ryuu: Near the end of the 5th century, the story of a legendary hero who fought with the Saxons spread through the continent.

Ryuu: The story of the Knights of the Round Table, the wizard Merlin, a sacred sword and the Holy Grail...

You could even say that Legend of King Arthur is the first real English fantasy tale.

Rin: Oh... Fantasy, huh... (Not my favorite.)

Page 7

Ryuu: When I told my editor about our divine revelations,

they said I should consider serializing it in a women's magazine.

Ryuu: The Legend of King Arthur is kinda romantic, don't you think?

Rin: Ah...

So it's like that.

(Rin: A king's pudding...)

Rin: Custard's pudding, right? Might as well.

Ryuu: Nice!

Now that it's decided, you should look up how to make pudding!

Rin: Huh? I already know how to make custard...

Ryuu: No, pudding's different!

Rin: Huh?

Page 8

Ryuu: When good King Arthur ruled this land~

Ryuu: If you look it up, you'll understand!

Mother Goose!

Rin: ......

What the heck's that?

[Library search for "Mother Goose"]

Page 9

Rin: (Lately...)

Rin: (I feel like I've become a regular here...)

(Rin: Here it is. It's huge...)

[Mother Goose is...

A general term used for nursery rhymes popular in Britain and America.]

Rin: (These lullabies began as ways to teach English pronunciation, songs to pass down history, songs meant to amuse, etc...

Children of all classes sang these songs during their education.)

Rin: So this stuff

Is what tons of people throughout history used to sing.

Rin: King Arthur appears in here, too, huh.

Page 10

[When good King Arthur ruled this land, 　　

He was a goodly king; 　　

He stole three pecks of barley-meal 　　

To make a bag-pudding. 　　

A bag-pudding the king did make, 　　

And stuffed it well with plums; 　　

And in it put great lumps of fat, 　　

As big as my two thumbs.]

Rin: ?

Rin: (Barley-meal...? Fat!?

Isn't this supposed to be custard pudding? What's the deal...?)

Book: Pudding: Best Collection

Book: There are all types of pudding!

The History of Pudding.

Sausage and dessert are both "pudding!?"

Rin: ...

Ah.

(What a pain... This is so over the top...)

Page 11

[But...]

Rin: ?

Rin: ?

Book: King Arthur and the two swords.

Announcement: The library will be closing shorty.

Page 12

Rin: (Crap!

I was just supposed to be doing a little research, but I got really into it...)

(Rin: It's already this late...)

Rin: (I wasn't able to finish the book about King Arthur, so I ended up checking it out.)

Rin: (The book about pudding, too.

I'll make sure to read it thoroughly la...)

Man: ?

Rin: (What, no way...

What am I getting so excited over?! Come on, me!)

Rin: (This is just some annoying thing I have to do! What's wrong with me?!!)

Page 13

[Those divine revelation menus are my job.]

[Intently doing research and spending long hours in the kitchen]

[Are just part of work.]

Rin: (Right...?)

Page 14

Rin: Why are you here.

Ryuu: I'm taking notes!

Ryuu: I can't cook, but I won't be able to write about it if I stay oblivious!

I'm counting on you to explain!

Rin: (Tch.) Coming in here and demanding something like that...

If you get in the way, you're banned from the kitchen from now on.

(Ryuu: Banned?!)

Ryuu: How cold-hearted...!!!

[Explanation]

Rin: So first, the ingredients.

Wheat flour, bread flour, brown sugar,

Spices, raisins, eggs, milk, and suet.

Ryuu: Suet?

(Also known as sukiyaki fat.)

Rin: It's beef fat.

A particular kind that comes from the area around the kidney's.

Page 15

Rin: Recently using butter has been commonplace, but

Since we're making "King Arthur's pudding," I think we should make it the old way.

Ryuu: When you say old, how old is it?

Rin: 17-18th century, I guess.

Rin: Pudding originally referred to a kind of sausage.

Back then, when the fields in fall started to thin out, cattle farmers would slaughter their cattle.

It was common to use organ casing to preserve food for later.

[There are various theories.]

Rin: Only after that, hundreds of years later, did the sweet pudding we have today get developed.

Ryuu: Ah!!

In the old stories of Mother Goose, there was something about sausage pudding!!

Ryuu: I see, so that's why! (I thought that was weird.)

Page 16

Rin: Since it's an old pastry, it's simple to make.

Rin: First, grate up the suet.

(Use a cheese grater or something like it.)

Rin: Mix it together with both flours and the sugar until it looks incorporated, then

Add the raisins, spices, beaten eggs, and milk, and stir it together.

The spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and coriander, stuff like that.

Rin: With that, the dough's done.

Rin: Now,

Rin: Next is the interesting part!

First I'll boil this cloth in water.

Ryuu: Huh? The cloth?

Rin: Yeah.

In the 17th century, something called a "pudding cloth" came about.

Rin: This cloth became a substitute for cattle organ lining.

With it, they could easily make pudding all year round.

Page 17

[Dust with flour]

Rin: What we call "basins" now were like private steam-cookers. (I've never seen one myself though.)

Rin: Now, I'll wring out the cloth, spread it out, and sprinkle it with the wheat flour from before.

Then I'll place the dough on top.

Rin: Tie it together into a pouch.

Rin: And submerge it in boiling water!

Ryuu: !!!?

Ryuu: You put it in there?!

Won't it get all soggy?!

Rin: I thought so, too, but

The flour I sprinkled on hardens and becomes like a skin. So it shouldn't get very wet...

[Doubtful.]

Ryuu: Re...

Ryuu: Really...

Page 18

[As the water evaporates, add more hot water.]

Rin: Well, anything's an experience.

To keep the water covering the bag halfway, I'll have to periodically add water over the 2-3 hours it boils.

Ryuu: That's so long!!

So, where's the one you boiled for 2-3 hours?

Rin: There isn't one.

I've been making dinner preparations until now.

Ryuu: ...Hm?

Ryuu: Wait, Rintarou.

What are you doing with that pumpkin?

Rin: What am I doing...?

I thought I'd steam it like this so I could pull the knife out. (Since I can't take it out.)

Ryuu: Stop! Stop!! Just wait a sec!!

Rin: !?

What's the deal?

(Ryuu: No way!!)

(Ryuu: You absolutely cant!!)

Page 19

Ryuu: That kitchen knife...

Please trust in me to pull that knife out later.

Rin: ......

(Rin: Trust in you..?)

Rin: ....

What?!

Page 20

Ryuu: Y'know, Rin...

Seeing you in the kitchen has become really common, huh...

Rin: !

Whose fault is that?

Rin: Lately, I feel like I'm always in the kitchen or the library.

Ryuu: Ahh, for your research.

Was the pudding lots of trouble?

Rin: (No.) Just looking up the recipe was easy, but...

Rin: I ended up getting curious about all sorts of things on the way...

Rin: If I remember correctly, the "English people" in King Arthur's time and the Saxons that had come from the continent were different.

Pudding was a traditional dish from those Saxons, but...

Ryuu: Hmm.

Rin: That pudding was also made by King Arthur.

...Isn't that a bit weird?

Ryuu: Haha! I see.

...Yeah, it's a bit weird, but it's not that weird.

Page 21

Ryuu: Because at that time,

Weren't a lot of things changing?

Ryuu: Former enemies became citizens. The shape of the country was changing.

Organ casings became cloth. Models changed.

Ryuu: And those things changed from history to written word.

Ryuu: A simple high school student

Ryuu: Becomes a chef before you know it.

Page 22

Rin: Just when did I become a chef...? (I'm just doing what my job entails.)

Ryuu: Before you know it, I said!

Hey, is your pot okay? (It's almost time, right?)

[But...

For just a moment]

[While researching and making all sorts of things]

[Before I knew it, I was enjoying it.]

Page 23

(Finish it off by baking in the oven to dry the outside.)

[Just a little...]

(Prepare a custard sauce drizzle onto the pudding.)

[But that's a secret.]

Ryuu: It's doooone!

[Today's Divine Revelation Menu:

King Arthur's Pudding (with custard sauce)]

Page 24

Ryuu: Thanks for the meal! My very first pudding!

Ryuu: ...

....

Ryuu: ...Ah...

It's rich... (Really rich.)

Rin: It's really dense!

I wonder if the thick texture is because of the beef fat.

Ryuu: I can smell the spices!

When I smelled the dough earlier, it reminded me of Christmas!

Rin: Yeah, me, too!

Next, I'll try it with the custard on top.

Ryuu: Ah, me too!

Page 25

Ryuu: ...Yeah.

Ryuu: This is really good.

Ryuu: Fancy meals are good, too, but

A traditional dish with a few ingredients, cooked simply,

Ryuu: I feel like I can touch history just by eating it.

Ryuu: Living alongside nature's cycle with their cattle,

Devising new ways to use their wheat and fruits as they ate.

[Ryuunosuke is]

Ryuu: A strong wind blows over the scarce soil...

[Summoning an unseen, far-off legend.]

[Turning back time.]

Ryuu: I can see the capital,

Where a king used to live long ago, in a land far away.

Page 26

Ryuu: And in that place,

Ryuu: Is a sword that only the rightful king can pull out.

Page 28

Ryuu: ...Please

Lend me your power...

Ryuu: I am also a king,

Ordained by literary circles in the future.

Ryuu: Come out!

Page 29

Ryuu: Ex-

Ryuu: cali-

bur!

Rin: Huh?

Rin: I thought that was a different sword from Excalibur?

Page 30

Ryuu: ...Eh...?

Rin: Oh, it came out.

Ryuu: Ehh?!

Book: King Arthur is given Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake.

Ryuu: EEEEH?

Ryuu: It really was a different sword. (I didn't know...)

Rin: (The blade's undamaged.)

Rin: I wonder if that was a real revelation...?

[There's multiple patterns.]

Page 31

Girl: Hey!

You!

Girl: Wait...

Schoolgirl: Kya!

What are you doing?!

Girl: I, I'm sorry...

This is grandma's...

The pumpkin I got from my grandmother...

Schoolgirl: That was close! Geez, what are you doing?

Schoolgirl2: Just drop it. Let's go.

Page 32

(Schoolgirl: What a joke... That stuff about her pumpkin...)

Mom: Urara, are you okay!?

Urara: Ah, yeah, I'm fine!

Mom: You scared me...

That's why I said it'd be better to send it by mail!

Now, can you stand? Let's get going.

Urara: Yeah.

Mom: Don't stray off, okay!

Urara: Okay.

Urara: (This is Tokyo...)

Page 33

[This is the city I'll be living in from now on!]

#honjitsu no kami oroshi #honjitsu no kami oroshi 4 #honjitsu no kami oroshi chapter 4 #today's divine revelation #manga translation

[eatvangelist]

Hello Hilo

I’m finally trying a real vacation in a post-COVID world, and the first stop is Hilo, Hawaii. I’ve been to Hawaii several times in my life, but never have I been to the Big Island until now. Doing my research ahead of time, it seems people tend to go to Kona or Hilo, the former more touristy and the latter more laid back. We wanted to be cautious and chose Hilo for the smaller crowd size. We also knew we would eat well, but I had no idea how right we’d be! Here are my must-visit picks for foodies.

Hilo Bay Cafe

This restaurant has the reputation of being one of the best in Hilo, and it's easy to see why. First, there is a killer view as the location is right on Hilo Bay (true to its name). Call to make reservations - you can do so online, too, but it's not necessarily accurate. OpenTable showed no availability for 3 days, so I called and scored the last table available for that evening. If you're really lucky, try to get a table outside so you can enjoy the sunset. You pretty much can't go wrong with anything you order there, and this is especially true when it comes to the seafood, which is caught fresh daily. I couldn't resist the special of the day, which was the shrimp with grits. Absolutely delicious - you can taste how fresh it is. The polenta grits and boar sausage pieces that shared the plate were great, too, but the shrimps were clearly the stars. We also had room for dessert - had to get a lava cake on the island! It paired perfectly with the macadamia nut ice cream.

Hawaiian Style Cafe

The most classic Hawaiian dish is the loco moco, so we went to Hawaiian Style Cafe for dinner to get that crossed off our checklist. Loco moco is basically an egg and hamburger patties served on top of rice with brown gravy. It's definitely comfort food, along with the luau stew that we ordered. The stew is tender chunks of pork cooked in a broth with taro leaves. We realized once we got to Hawaiian Style Cafe that most people come here for breakfast, as they are famous for their pancakes. We had to get one, and one was really more than enough for us. One pancake is larger than the size of my face! It is topped with haupia (coconut pudding), toasted coconut shreds, and whipped cream. If all that isn't sweet enough, there's also maple syrup on the side. Even without the haupia, this pancake is delicious - thick but fluffy. The only slightly negative part of this experience was we needed leftover containers. When the bill came, I was surprised to see we were charged $0.25 for them. I mean, a quarter is really insignificant, but I was surprised that they 1) charged for it; 2) didn't tell us they were charging for it until I saw it on the bill. When I questioned the cashier about this, she said "oh this is new for us, too," as if that made it all okay. I still recommend a visit though because the food is just too good.

Two Ladies Kitchen

This is a must-have on Hilo. I've had mochi before - and good ones at that, too - but Two Ladies Kitchen puts all the ones I've ever had before to shame. They are most famous for their fruit ones, especially the strawberry daifuku - soft, chewy mochi on the outside, a thin layer of red bean paste, and a whole strawberry at the center. Two Ladies Kitchen uses only fresh fruit, so the menu is updated with what's in season. A very close runner up for me was the momo (peach) mochi. The peach was just so juicy and sweet, and pairing it with the mochi was perfection. I also tried pear and apple, and while I liked the contrast in their crunchy texture, the momo and strawberry were the best. I also bought a couple without fruit - the plum flower (which is just mochi colored and shaped into a plum flower and filled with red bean paste) and the lilikoi (passionfruit), and they were good, too.

A helpful tip if you do visit Two Ladies Kitchen - call ahead to pre-order. We arrived about 10 minutes before opening and there was already a line. By the time they opened, the line was down the block. This is mainly because they are adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and permitting no more than two people in the shop at one time. Those who pre-order can jump to the front of the line. They don't have a website, but I've linked to their Instagram above, which has their contact information.

Hilo Farmers Market

The Hilo Farmers Market is open all 7 days a week from 7am to 3pm. It is the place to go for the freshest produce for a reasonable price. We picked up a couple of strawberry papayas for $1.50. I was very tempted to buy the enormous dragonfruit for $4. I recall seeing much smaller ones for sale for $7 at Whole Foods in comparison! What I love about shopping at Farmers Market in general is you get the opportunity to actually talk to the people who grow your food. In Hilo, it's even more meaningful to me because I know the money is going directly to the community.

While you're at the Farmers Market, stop by Kula for some organic shave ice. They make their own syrup with natural ingredients. I got the Lilikoi Dreamsicle, and it was heavenly!

While I knew practically nothing about Hilo prior to going, I absolutely fell in love here. Not only was all the food I had wonderful, this was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been. Whether it's going up to the summit of Mauna Kea and having some Cup of Noodles while stargazing or strolling through Liliuokalani Park and Gardens, the natural beauty that can be found in Hilo is astounding.

#hawaii #hilo #big island #mochi #eating #vacation #travel

[allthepieces]

It’s that time of year - Let’s Tailgate

Time-honored tradition strikes again!  Roar of the crowd, Crisp air, Stands filled to the rafters, or the smell of every kind of food prepared on a grill that you can imagine.  Nothing draws people to a football game more than the social event of the season - the fall rite of passage - tailgating.  I remember my first experience with a college tailgate - way back in the late 1970′s.  It was most certainly a University of South Carolina game, during the days of George Rogers (Im sure you know who he is).  While I loved the games, the party in the parking lots BEFORE the game was epic.  While the event has certainly evolved over the years - the purpose is the same.  The college tailgate experience as we know it, began back in 1869 when Rutgers played Princeton at the first intercollegiate football game.  People in attendance gathered together and cooked sausages behind or “at the “tail-end” of their horses”.  Thus the name tailgating.  Of course the tradition has adapted over the years.  Today, tailgating events are sophisticated and offer full course barbecue’s and big-screen televisions. It is said that about 35% of tailgaters never even go inside the stadium.  But would you like to know the REAL beginnings of a tailgate?

What would you say if I told you that the very first tailgate dates back to days of the Civil War - 1861 to be exact.  According to National Geographic, colonists would gather with picnic baskets and watch the first Battle of Bull Run.  The purpose was to cheer on their favorite side; Union soldiers or Confederate soldiers.  During those days popular items on the menu would have been apple pies, plum puddings, mincemeat and aged whiskey.  Such strange beginnings for such a time treasured and perfected event wouldn’t you say?  So the next time you gather with your friends to cheer on your favored football team, reminisce to the days of old when our forefathers stood on the sidelines to cheer on the teams that would ultimately help define our United States of America. 

[travlingrabbit]

All the places! (Tokyo Day 2)

Ohayou! It is currenty 8:24am 5/15/18.

This is the update for yesterday!  We got up and ready and joined our hosts for breakfast for which we got salmon and a local fish, soup, freshly cooked rice, and some pickled vegetables! We then headed out to Shibuya! Hachiko was waiting  for us and we got free pictures taken of us with him on my phone! For those of you who don’t know, Hachiko is a famous dog in Japan and so his statue is quite the attraction. Close by is the actual Shibuya crossing. We did it! and I braved my fear of large crowds. Toe’t  think that we were nervous of Tokyo being too overwhelming and almost skipping visiting here. We were already on day two and having a good handle of the metro system. We didn’t even use our phones to get there at all.  After Hachiko and the crossing, we wandered around a bit. Shibuya reminds me of New York city in the way it looks and flows. We found a Starbucks and took our time looking at the products and figuring out what we wanted to do. I want a location specific mug from the main cities we visit so I picked out a Tokyo thermos/tumbler and even today, way over 12 hours later, it’s still ice cold! I paid a lot for it but I’d say it’s worth it! Kendra and I each got a small pudding cup. Hers was coffee with jellies and mine was mango passionfruit with jellies. The coffee and fruit themes continued when she got a cold brew coffee and I got an iced Yuzu citrus tea! Everything was delicious.

After wandering some more, we hopped back on the train and went to Harajuku, the place where the fashion is the most out-there. It was so great to wander Takeshita Street. There was so much that I really would have liked to buy as far as skirts and jumpers but the prices were on the high end and I decided that it wasn’t something I should do. I already brought quite a lot of clothes. I did purchase a bag keychain type thing. It was too cute to resist. Its the softest rabbit and it doesn’t have a tail so I named it Nishi-chan because Nishi means “without” in Japanese. Time gets away from us easily here so we soon realized that it was lunch time and we needed food. Thankfully, there was a crepe stand with savory crepes as well as dessert ones and we each purchased one. I got a teriyaki chicken and mayo one and Kendra got a plain chicken and mayo one. They were delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed listening to the sound of children singing at a school a little ways away while sitting in the shade. 

After Harajuku, we went to Akibara and honestly didn’t really know what to do so after some short wandering, a stop at a fancy grocery store for milk bread, tomatoes and salmon onigiri, we went home. Home being Ikebukero at the AirBnB. 

Since we went to the Izakaya the night before, we got ready for our fancy dinner! We arrived at Itamae Sushi Edo looking nicely elegant if I do say so myself, and put our shoes in the super cute lockers provided. We were seated shortly and looked over the menu for a bit. Being very hungry, we ordered a lot of food. Kendra got the roasted sushi combo, seafood pudding and sweet plum wine while I got a different sushi combo, assorted tempura and a grapefruit shochu drink. We got full very quickly and tried a lot of new things with our sushi. It was my first time trying uni and my first time trying roe. We are both happy we went but didn’t have the palette for all of our food. The ending to dinner was cold sake, my first time trying it. I was surprised by how light and sweet tasting it was! 

We got home well and went pretty much straight to bed so I didn’t update then. We had pancakes for breakfast here this morning and our day ahead includes some anime related things and hiking a Ghibli forest. We will be leaving for that soon!

I hope you all are well! I’ll admit my legs and feet are still very swollen. I’m going to work on drinking as much water as possible and see if that helps. 

Ja, mattane!

-travlingrabbit

#travlingrabbit #japan #japan18 #japan2018 #japantrip #japantrip18 #japantrip2018 #travel #traveli #shibuya #token #harajuku #akibara #itemae sushi edo #Japan 2018

[andagii-writes]

Orchard Party

For @aperturegaming011, mega request indeed!

You’ve been waiting for so long, and the number of characters made the entire project a lot more involved than its initial conception. I really hope you enjoy it, and that I captured your characters! It had to be its own short story so I’m slapping it under a... 

"Good grief, Rhei. You didn't say I'd be having a festival in my front yard."

With a scratch at the light stubble along his chin, Rhei grinned, and neatly skipped up the steps of the Breezy Banks veranda. He threw his arm around Kutone's shoulders. "You specified no guidelines for this event." Nodding to the sprawl of tables and vineyard decorations, as well as the townspeople marveling the spread of autumn fare, Rhei gave his friend a fond squeeze. "A bit more gratitude would be nice."

Shaking Rhei off, Kutone squared her shoulders, letting her suit jacket settle back into a comfortable position. Despite Rhei's amused snort, she tugged next on the collar of her blouse. Routine, for old business. She crossed her arms. "You told me you had some guests for me to talk to?"

"Sure do." Rhei offered his hand. Rejected, of course, as Kutone slapped away the offer, and descended the veranda steps. Still, he chuckled. "Otherwise, you wouldn't give a shit about the other farmers around the valley--ah, no, sorry--was that too much?"

She glared as Rhei matched her pace. "Oh, do carry on. Business as usual."

"So I'm not getting an earful from your fiance?"

"Business. As usual."

"Come on, Kutone. He's become something of a little brother to me. I like pissing him off."

Golden rays spilled over the visible fields of autumn fare, and glinted through amber glassware offering candied yams, cranberry sauce, homemade stuffing, plum pudding--and even more than Kutone knew she'd requested for the event. Instead of reflecting her confusion, however, Rhei maintained a proud smirk. "It's amazing stuff," he said, "when a local farmer is also a top-tier chef."

A sweet laugh answered. "Mr. Young, you realize I'm not sitting on a cake, right?"

"That's not..." He masked his exasperation well, with an amused chuckle, as he waved someone over. "I'm not talking about cake tiers, Catherine."

"I guess that one was a little obscure of me." Catherine, bright green eyes sparkling, stepped away from the table and accepted Rhei's firm handshake. Then offering her hand next to Kutone, she laughed again. "Kind of a sour face, aren't you? Life's thrown you too many lemons?"

Kutone tried a light smile, as she shook Catherine's hand. "The day's making my face pucker, maybe," she said. "Having Rhei as an associate does that sometimes."

"Hey!"

"Quite the opposite, actually!" The strands of Catherine's blonde hair bounced as she nodded toward Rhei. "The man sponsored and got me out of the sour patch known as Joja. You don't need me to say more, do you?"

"I'm not here to dredge up awful memories," replied Kutone, "for my sake or yours." She gestured to the orchard party. "Rhei tells me he invited you on business? You must have prepared the spread here."

Catherine gasped, and cast an impressed expression in Rhei's direction. "She's a sharp knife, that's for sure! Tell me that you're enjoying it so far!"

"I unfortunately haven't had a chance to try it yet, but," Kutone paused and turned in her spot, nodding to the Pelican Town residents gaily tucking in, as well as the amber ambiance. "This is beautiful, top-floor restaurant fare here. Do you have your own location?"

"Maybe I should sit on top of a cake at this point!" Catherine laughed. She clasped her hands together, as though in prayer. "Though, it is my dream to open up a restaurant. So when Young told me an old friend of his had a fantastic vineyard in the works, I had to come check it out. I understand, you'll be unveiling an original blend soon?"

At this, Kutone shot a glare toward Rhei, who uneasily averted his eyes and pulled at his collar.

Catherine pressed a hand over her mouth. "Oops, I guess I spilled some milk here? Please don't mind me!"

"I don't, and I won't," Kutone replied, digging a sharp knuckle into Rhei's side. "I'm surprised no one else has asked me, really, with this great flapping mouth of his."

"I was talking business!" Rhei whimpered, cringing and curling away from Kutone's jab. "Catherine wanted to pair some of her signature autumn dishes with your drinks, so I told her about testing your new blend!"

"He told me nothing more than that, I promise," Catherine added. "Since I had no idea if it was even a red or white wine, I prepared a variety here to take the guessing out of the picture!" She offered her hand again. "Kutone, when I make my dream come true, I'm hoping you'll let me carry your wines on the menu?"

If not her puns, her enthusiasm was infectious. Kutone accepted a second, eager handshake, as she chuckled. "So long as you're okay with Rhei being our go-between."

"I wouldn't have it any other way!"

They exchanged business cards, Rhei adding he'd send a mock-up of a wine menu for Catherine's consideration, before Catherine turned next to Gus and Elliot. Both in awe of the artistry and taste of the dishes, they already had wine pairings to discuss with the up-and-coming restauranteur.

Meanwhile, Rhei guided Kutone past the banquet tables, toward the vined arches leading to the farm's main orchards. They weren't permanent, Rhei assured, unless Kutone wanted to keep them. "Don't get me wrong," she responded. "They're a nice touch, but once this event's over, they're gone."

"Sometimes I forget you're a minimalist."

"You forget a lot of things in your age, Mr. Young, sir."

At this, Rhei crossed his arms, and turned up his lip, mocking an offended pout. "Stand yourself corrected, miss! I remember that cruel tone of voice very well!"

Cackles answered in Kutone's stead. "Big, bad businessman just got one-upped by the wino!"

Hardly the description Kutone would have used for Rhei, but it was comical enough to grab their attentions, and a legitimate frown from Rhei. Following the voice, he turned to one of the benches nestled between the arches, where two girls sat giggling.

One of them, at least, was familiar to Kutone. "Lay off, old friend,” she said, laying a hand on Rhei’s arm. “I told you about Jane, didn't I?"

"I'm assuming she's the one currently not laughing at your supposed one-up?"

"Still giggling, but yes." Kutone lifted a hand in greeting, as she approached Jane and her friend.

"You've some explaining to do," said Kutone, mocking a patronizing tone. "I don't take kindly to people other than me giving my old friend a hard time."

Rhei ground his knuckles into Kutone's shoulder. "I'm hearing the word 'old' too many times, Kutone."

While Jane, face hidden behind her curtain of black hair, giggled helplessly at the banter, her friend shrugged. Her fair features held a perpetual smugness that, when she spoke, added to her playful tone. "Well at least it's obvious who's wearing the pants in this partnership."

"It's why I don't wear skirts," said Kutone, smiling. "But giving Rhei a break for just one second here..."

Jane pressed her hands together, nodded, and pulled her phone from her pocket. After a bit of typing, she flashed the message to Kutone and Rhei.

My friend, Glaser, began the message. weve been enjoying the party and talking video games this entire time!

"Just sucks that I don't know the language to talk to you so you don't have to keep typing and playing charades, y'know?" Glaser huffed and crossed her legs, directing her attention to Kutone. "What a sharp-lookin' bitch though--you're sure you're a farmer?"

"And businesswoman," Kutone added. "Rhei here is basically my mentor."

Jane gasped, and quickly tapped out another message. It's very nice to meet you, sir!

"Good grief, finally some shred of good vibes in my direction," Rhei replied. Accepting Jane's amiable handshake, he flashed a handsome smile. "You're also a valley local?"

With a deep nod, Jane threw an arm around Glaser's shoulders.

"Both of you, eh? How do you like the Banks, then?"

"Makes me feel good to know a chica's running the place," said Glaser. "Or maybe I should be more respectful, senorita?"

Kutone shook her head. "Say whatever you want about me. I don't particularly care."

Jane landed a light but purposeful slap on Glaser's shoulder. Cheeks puffed and brow furrowed, she leveled a meaningful glare.

Glaser rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Fine, I'll be nice, just because she's your friend. And because she runs a fuckin' winery from her backyard." She shot a calculating glance toward Rhei. "And also 'cause the old man's not nearly as annoying as I thought he'd be."

Rhei threw his hands up. "Kutone, if you need me, I'll be on the other side of the estate arranging your other meetings, okay? Okay."

"Hey now, no rage quitting!" Glaser jeered, "You can't go AFK and ghost us like this! Hey!"

Kutone snickered at Rhei's retreating back, meandering back through the banquet tables on his way to the farm's entrance. Noticing Jane's concerned frown, she gestured toward him. "No need to worry about him--he's used to far more cruelty than that."

"Bet you really jerked him around, huh?" Glaser leaned back against the bench, and sagely shook her head. "You can't get to be a powerful girl without stomping over some stupid chicos, y'know? Is he your bitch?"

Jane pressed both hands to her face and deeply sighed.

But Kutone snorted. "Far from it. I'm his producer, he's my distributor. We've known each other in too many ways for too many years for us to have some better-than-thou relationship here."

"That's almost boring."

After a contemplative silence, Jane's fingers tapped out another message on her phone. She considered the words with a cock of her head, but with a nod, showed it first to Kutone, then to Glaser to fill her in on the conversation.

i think its amazing how u get along with ppl, kutone. esp when youre as close to a business partner as you are. like... it feels like u and rei are so much more than what youre saying.

As Glaser pulled a grim, suspicious expression, Kutone simpered. "We were. Once. Before we stabbed each other in our backs and realized we just weren’t meant to be.”

"So how do you get to be buddy-buddy-business-partners without killing him or being friends with benefits, huh?"

Kutone winked. "I have a fiance who's a far better match than Rhei could ever be. Rhei's already come to terms with that."

rei's kind of amazing in his own right?

"Now, why would I ever be so kind as to admit that?"

"Tell it like it is, senorita!" Glaser laughed. "You and me could have drinks sometime and talk more about this type of shit!"

She could appreciate that refreshing sort of rudeness, especially over drinks at the Stardrop Saloon. Definitely in moderation though--Glaser seemed like the type to easily rub off on people. Heaven forbid Kutone started talking to Rhei, or even her lovely boy like that; they'd surely crack and break down.

Leaving Glaser and Jane with a wave, Kutone followed Rhei's path: back across the banqueting area, along the stepping stones to the farm's entrance. Seeing Rhei in conversation--heated conversation--with other suits, she squared her shoulders stepped into the ring. "Problem, gentlemen?"

It was a rhetorical question, but an effective one to get the suits off of Rhei and on to her. Not that Morris, bespectacled pudgy face creased into an ever-worsening scowl, needed the distraction. Neither did the other two suits with him, but Morris stood to his fully unimpressive height, and adjusted the bright red, oversized bowtie at his neck. "A pleasure to see you, Kutone," he sniffed. "It's been some time since I last saw you and this community--I found myself wistful, you know."

The lie through his teeth couldn't have hissed harder, but Kutone shrugged and gestured to the party behind her. "Pardon my bluntness here, but I remember my colleague saying participants needed invitations to attend this event. Did he extend you one?"

Rhei, keeping an easy expression over his restrained irritation, crossed his arms. "Well, no," he started. "Morris here never saw your products as worthy of his attention so, I saw no point to inviting him."

"Yet I am a member of this community," said Morris, face already turning pink. "Certainly, I've been away awhile, but once a soul of Pelican Town, there's no leaving it, yes? I believe I deserve a spot in this party!"

Kutone gave a low, sage nod. "Duly noted, so, I'm keeping this short, Morris. Get out."

"I've even forgiven the assault Pierre made on me--you notice I never charged him!"

"Yes, and I'm not interested in making any deals with Joja either."

"Mighty words from someone using a Joja turncoat as her distributor! I'm saying lose the middleman--you'll find we can offer more benefits, a greater network, than whatever Young can muster!"

"An accomplishment and a half," said Kutone, Rhei snickering next to her. "Do come back some time to prove it though; I'd love to see how you can do Rhei's work better than he can."

"Brat. You think you're untouchable, don't you? You just happen to be on these people's good sides--which isn't that hard to do, might I add; country bumpkins and their magnanimous stupidity were always the easiest to manipulate--but wait until I tell them everything you kept in the dark!" With an evil snigger, Morris pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "After all, Miss Kutone, you know a thing or two about a tarnished reputation?"

"I do, but you wouldn't dare--"

"Wouldn't I now?"

Rhei stepped forward, shoving hard against the suits protecting Morris. "Can the threats. You can't do anything until she signs your agreement, anyway."

"Which she'll end up having to do when her rotten name brings down revenue!" Morris reached into an inner pocket and pulled out his phone. "Just one call, Young my friend."

"Don't--!"

"All's fair in the war of business!"

At the moment Morris looked down at his phone, however, a tall silhouette behind him grabbed the collar of his dress shirt and lifted his entire body from the ground. Feet dangling, Morris flailed like a swinging sack of flour. "Who--?! Put me down! Put me down, or I'll press charges!"

Unfazed, the man lifted Morris higher, reducing the Joja Sneer into a babbling squeal. Morris flailed harder, pointing at his bodyguards. "Do something! Get this man off of me!"

Morris's men weren't moving anytime soon. That much was a certainty to Kutone, mouth agape at the metallic sheen of the mystery man's hand holding Morris aloft. Not just his hand, either--both of his legs looked like they came out of a sci-fi superhero movie. Even his eye, for crying out loud, flickered a dangerous red.

Rhei whistled. "Now I've really seen it all."

But there was, Kutone thought, a certain softness to the man's dark hair and fair features, even as he whispered, "She said leave. So leave," and dropped Morris with a dull whump.

Morris couldn't have scrabbled away any faster, bodyguards in tow and cursing something about coming back to make the deal again.

While Kutone stared, Rhei gave her a nudge and turned to their benefactor. "Appreciate it, sir. Sure felt good to see him squealing like that."

Sir? Kutone tried, but failed, to figure out how this man could be Rhei's superior.

Luckily, Rhei filled in the gap, as the man averted his eyes from Kutone's baffled expression. "If you want to know how the Empire's tearing up the Republic, you're staring at that answer. Defectors like him are the only reason why Ferngill's hanging on to what little edge it's got."

"A soldier," murmured Kutone. She pressed a hand to her chest, and smiled. "Then I have to thank you even more."

The red light in his eye faded to a curious green, as he glanced up momentarily to meet Kutone's gaze. "It's nothing."

Another man, summer-sun-caramelized features practically glowing with his amicable smile, jogged through the party area as he waved for attention. "James!" Finally catching up, he let out an exasperated gasp, and laid a hand on James's shoulder. "Good grief, James, that jump over the whole venue nearly gave Harvey a heart attack, you know! And--and now you're making friends with the hosts?"

James turned away, apparently refusing to regale his companion with a response. Rhei offered his hand to bridge the awkward silence. "Rhei Young," he said. "And the vintner herself, Kutone."

"Pleasure." The young man accepted handshakes from both Kutone and Rhei. "I'm Jake--Harvey let me in on his invitation; James through Abigail."

How all these people knew each other despite the valley's isolation was beyond Kutone. Her attention, however, fell on the metal bits poking through the skin of Jake's left arm. If James was anything to go by... "You're a soldier too?"

"Was," Jake corrected. "Can't do much jet piloting with a busted arm and cruddy grip."

"At least it's an honorable discharge," Rhei replied. "Thanks for your service."

"Flying across Hell and back was well worth it, I'd say," said Jake, "since it meant we protected the lives and magic Stardew Valley has to offer. I mean, all this good food, and good wine? You're an inspiration, Miss Kutone."

"Nothing compared to two men who've been to Hell and back," said Kutone, simpering. "I'm guessing you're local to the area as well?"

"Along with James here. We'll be sure to stop by and offer some of our goods too. Right James?"

James had finally settled on watching Kutone with a placid expression. At Jake's question, he nodded, the flicker of a smile barely ghosting his features. He needed some work, thought Kutone, but she found him likable enough. Somewhat and adorably reminiscent of her fiance.

Rhei, checking his watch, pressed a hand into the small of Kutone's back. "We've got an unveiling, Kutone," he said, gesturing back to the orchards. "Time to bring up the barrel and tap, don't you think?"

A spirited glint sparked in Jake's eyes. "Maybe I can help in some way?"

As Rhei and Jake marched off, Kutone laid a light touch on James's arm, and offered him space to walk with her. "I could use your help again as well," she gently murmured. "If you'd be so willing?"

Another small smile. He wordlessly matched her pace, slow as she was in her pumps, down the stone path leading to her veranda. Rhei and Jake were already inside heading into the cellars, as Kutone and James ventured after them.

It was then he spoke again. "What did you call it? Your wine?"

She stopped at the threshold, turning to face James, as well as the orchard party before them. Sunset skies burgeoning into the deep indigo of twilight, the scenery, she admitted, matched the mood of the wine she'd created. Behind her, inside the house, Rhei's and Jake's voices echoed up from the cellar, as well as her fiance's voice irritably bantering with Rhei.

"Rosé Memoria," she replied, pressing a hushing finger against her lips. "Like the semi-sweet recollections of a bygone summer. Or of meeting new people. Catching, isn't it?”

#stardew valley #ocs #andagii answers #rhei #kutone #a drop echoes #aperturegaming011 #anda's ocs #andagii writes

[chefjohncardwell]

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[schmidtchristmasmarket]

Food traditions all around the world, give us beautiful diversity, and so much to learn about. There are a lot of ways to celebrate one holiday, and the food is a great one to express culture and tradition. That’s why we bring you Christmas dishes all around the globe. 

Get ready for the gastronomic journey, and let’s see how Christmas dinner or lunch looks like in different countries.

Italy - Panettone and The Feast of the Seven Fishes

The first stop on our journey needs to be the country of food - Italy. This country has numerous regional traditions when it comes to Christmas dishes, the country of pizza and pasta, needs to play on its rules.

In some parts of Italy, they celebrate Christmas with The Feast of the Seven Fishes ( Festa Dei Sette Pesci). This tradition contains seven different fish prepared in seven different ways. Often, two of the featured items are baccala (salted cod) and calamari. 

In other parts of the country, Christmas dinner includes roasted lamb, or poultry roasted or boiled and seasoned with sauce on the table.

The final course is reserved for classic Italian desserts, and in Northern Italy, one of the infamous holiday sweets is panettone – a cake with candied fruit, chocolate, raisins, and nuts. In the South they also prepare tiramisu, nougat, cannoli, and pandoro.

Germany - Christmas Goose 

Weihnachtsgans or Christmas Goose is a fundamental part of the Christmas dinner in Germany.  A tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, eating goose was originally referred to St. Martin’s Day, but at some point became a Christmas dish in this country.

Usually, the goose is stuffed with apples, chestnuts, onions, and prunes, then spiced with mugwort and marjoram. They serve it alongside red cabbage, dumplings, gravy and sauerkraut. The cookbook published in 1350. has the oldest known recipe for this Christmas dish. 

England - Christmas Pudding

We all know how Christmas decorations can be various, and the same thing goes for the name of this dessert. Whether you call it plum or figgy pudding,  pud, or Christmas pudding, it all comes down to this popular dessert served in England, Ireland, and some parts of the United States. 

The fun fact is that plum pudding doesn't actually include plums. That’s because in Pre-Victorian era, term ‘plums’ referred to what we now call raisins, that’s why dried fruits are an important part of this Christmas dish. 

This Christmas dessert is primarily made of suet, egg, molasses, spices, and dried fruits, and it is set alight with brandy immediately before it is served.

Poland - Kołaczki (Christmas Cookies)

For Polish families, Christmas dinner is a really big event, and the best way to express it is by food. So, for this celebration, they prepare a 12-course meal that includes classic Polish dishes like borscht, mushroom soup, pierogi, and poppyseed cake. 

Typical Polish desserts are cookies - kołaczki. These cookies are a flaky, jelly-filled confection, with dough often made with sour cream or cream cheese, and they are fold-over style cookies with different types of fillings. The standard one is apricot or raspberry, but they can also add poppyseed, nuts, or sweet cheese. 

They’re topped with confectioners sugar immediately before serving, and you can eat them with a Christmas mug with tea or coffee inside. 

Lithuania - Kūčios ( traditional Christmas dinner)

The traditional Lithuanian Christmas dinner, kūčios is held on December 24th every year, and hosting this event is a very big deal, because this meal can take up to a week to prepare. 

For Lithuanians, the holidays are meant to be spent with family, next to the Christmas decoration, so a week-long meal prep is surely a good opportunity for loved ones to spend some time together, and maybe it is the reason why this tradition has persisted.

At first kūčios had nine dishes, and this was a pagan practice that later expanded to 12 dishes, one for each apostle, so it became appropriate for Christian church.

This meal includes fish, bread, and vegetables. Some of the items you can see on the Christmas menu are herring served in a tomato, mushroom or onion based sauce, smoked eel, vegetables such as potatoes, and sauerkraut (cabbage).

Sweden - Saffron Bruns 

A three-course meal, julbord is a part of the Christmas tradition in Sweden. The first Christmas dish is usually fish (herring). The second dish is cold cuts. The third dish is usually meatballs and a potato casserole. 

The dessert plays a huge role in the Christmas meal, so in Sweden they prepare rice pudding, or popular saffron buns. They are sweet, often yellow, and shaped into an “S”. By tradition the oldest daughter serves saffron buns to the family. 

Japan - KFC for Christmas dinner 

One interesting Christmas tradition came from Japan. In this country the Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year for KFC, the fast-food chain. About 3.6 million Japanese families spend their Christmas Eve eating at Kentucky Fried Chicken. The KFC restaurants are so full of people that they often need to reserve their meal up to two months in advance.

Behind this tradition is a brilliant marketing plan of this fast-food chain. Back in the 1970s, Japan didn't have many Christmas traditions, so KFC filled that void by suggesting consumers to go to eat their Christmas dinner in some of KFC restaurants, so this became trend quickly.

Costa Rica - Tamales

Tropical country doesn’t sound like a place with traditional Christmas dinner, and that goes for Costa Rica. In this country making tamales is Christmas tradition and every family has their own secret recipe.

How to prepare Christmas dish tamales? The basis of this dish is a corn dough, wrapped in a banana leaf or corn husk, and then steamed. Some tamales are stuffed with pork, and some with chicken or beef. Other items that may be a part of the filing are onion, garlic, raisins, or potatoes.

Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to try some of these delicious Christmas dishes made by locals in these countries, or you can prepare some of these meals on your own. We wish you good luck and bon appétit!

  Shop now at Schmidt Christmas Market for all your Christmas Decor.