#sometimes i crave a very specific dish from a restaurant and what do i do? i eat home food *sigh*

[moirasdolly]

Junker Queen Relationship Headcanons (N/SFW) ᥫ᭡ ˖ ࣪

Contains: NSFW, relationships, possessiveness, trans jq, breeding kink

Listening to ♪ ིྀ: Heavy Metal Lover - Lady Gaga

Notes: Trans Odessa is so real to me guys… she makes me giggle and kick my feet i just want her so bad. Also I went overboard with the NSFW portion ummm I just want her so bad.

❥ SFW

• First of all she would be sooo protective and possessive over you. She’s the queen of Junkertown and you’re her girlfriend, so naturally there are people who want to get to you to hurt her, but she’d protect you no matter what.

• She calls you her princess all the time… even more than your own name sometimes.

• “C’mere Princess.” “Princess, yer just the cutest.” “Oi, let me please you Princess.”

• She loves to have you on her lap whenever she can. Especially on her throne.

• Odessa is handsy. She would grab you by the hips and pull you close to her just to feel you close and prove that you’re hers.

• Now onto dates… I don’t think that she’d be one to take you out to a fancy restaurant, but I secretely think she’d be a good cook.

• She’d prepare you whatever you’re craving for that night to perfection <3 No matter how complicated the dish is.

• I think she’d love to watch movies with you because it give her an excuse for you to sit in her lap or for her to be the big spoon.

• Horror movies are her favorite specifically because you’re such a scaredy cat and she takes advantage of that.

• A particularly horrifying scene comes on in the movie you’re watching and you can’t help but bury your head into her neck, waiting for the scene to pass. “I got ya Princess.” Odessa runs her fingers through your hair and places a chaste kiss on top of your head.

❥ NSFW

• She has a huge dick,,, she fills you up real good every time. It stings so good, and you can’t get enough.

• Despite her being very gentle with you almost all the time, she gets rough in bed very quickly.

• “Fuck…” She pants as she slides into your tight cunt giving you just a moment to adjust before pulling out slowly until just the tip is inside before slamming back into you.

• She’s a huge fan of dirty talk. Not big on calling you mean names though. Prefers to call you Princess still or baby during sex.

• “You take me so well, baby.” “Just like that… your cunt is squeezing me so tight.”

• Her favorite position is her over you obviously with your legs thrown over her shoulders. She loves having complete control over you.

• She’s so very strong too <33 No matter how tall or how much you weigh she’s loving to pick you up and fuck you like she means it.

• Did I mention she definitely has a breeding kink?

• She loves filling you up with cum and she loves hearing you beg for it too.

• “Please!” You whine loudly bucking your hips up into her bruising grip. And she gives you exactly what you want. You feel her thrusts slow down and her cock twitch inside you. She plants a soft kiss to your knee as she releases into you. You sigh quietly as you feel the warmth of her arousal and a moan is drawn from you once she pulls out finally.

• She watches as it drips out from between your thighs and she takes those thick fingers of her before shoving it back into your cunt.

• Your body writhes in overstimulation as Odessa continues to work her fingers back into you. “Wouldn’t want any of that to drip out. Right, baby?”

• She is more than capable of being gentle with you in bed as well.

• She’ll let you ride her, but she wants to hold your hands while you do it.

• She’d kiss your knuckles and praise you to high heavens. Telling you how well you’re doing, telling you just how pretty you look on top of her.

• She genuinely thinks you’re breathtaking during intimacy (and all the time). She gets so mesmerized by your breasts, your soft tummy, your squeezable hips, just everything.

• She’ll make sure you feel gorgeous during sex too. Odessa makes you say it.

• Afterare is amazing with her. She’d scoop you up into her arms and carry you all the way to the shower and make sure you’re all clean before bundling you up in her arms and taking you to bed.

• She would definitely tease you afterwards about how needy you were, but it’s all out of love.

#junker queen #junker queen x reader #junker queen x fem reader #overwatch #dolly headcanons ♡

[citrus-lady]

I love soulmate AU how about a AU where your soulmate feels a taste of what you eat? Will they try to eat something more delicious so that their soulmate can try it too? With Twice, Overhaul and Todoroki Shoto where their soulmate loves sweets and milk. I hope this makes some sense.

This is so cute! I love this idea!

Twice, Overhaul and Todoroki Soulmate AU with Taste!

Twice

As always, Twice is undecided on how he feels about his soulmate's taste preference. One part of him likes sweets and is happy whenever you eat them. The other part of him though likes salty and spicy foods and likes to act annoyed that you’re always eating sweet crap. He’s not really annoyed though, that side of him just likes to act macho. 

When he does eat something sweet he enjoys the knowledge that you enjoy the taste as well. In fact, it almost makes his food taste even sweeter. 

I think being his soulmate would be really confusing sometimes because of his personality changes and mood swings, but if you aren’t a picky eater and like trying new things then he would be a really exciting soulmate to have! You never know what he’s craving at what moment.

You can tell what sort of mood he’s in by what he’s eating! If he’s eating sweeter foods then he’s definitely in a softer, more emotional mood, and if he’s eating something savory or spicy then he’s in a more rugged mood. 

Twice really doesn’t change his diet based on his soulmate preferences right now, but would be upset to later learn if his soulmate didn’t enjoy a particular food that he likes. If this was the case then he would try to avoid that food or eat it on special occasions so that he doesn’t bother his soulmate. However, he can’t always control what one side of him will and will not do, so he’s sorry in advance if ends up eating something you don’t like anyway. 

Twice will be so happy if you two share favorite snacks. I think he would start to try snacks that you eat and likewise, he would be happy if you started to snack on things he liked. 

I think it would be cute if you'll meet while getting the same snack from the only vending machine in the city that has it. It would be like a cheesy lady and the tramp scene on who gets the last pack of hello kitty fruit snacks in the vending machine. In the end, it doesn’t really matter though because you both can taste them, which is how you figure out your soul mates. 

Overhaul

Overhaul doesn’t really like sweets, but he doesn’t mind them either. Please don’t eat super sugary and over the top sweets though, he does not like them. This means you should try to avoid things like cotton candy or pixie sticks, pretty much things that are just pure sugar. 

Overhaul's soulmate is really lucky because he has a pretty refined taste and most of the foods he eats are really good. He doesn’t really like junk food though so tough luck if you like that sort of thing. 

If you do like junk food and stuff like that it’s pretty funny though because sometimes he will just be chilling in his office and he will taste something like a hot dog or funnel cake and be like “Wtf is that, what are they eating now???”. Needless to say, sometimes he might be a bit disgusted with his soulmates eating habits. Like why is he tasting marshmallow and cheese at 1 am?

Please don’t get crazy weed munchies, this man will be so annoyed and confused at the same time. 

If all he is tasting from you is sweets and junk food not only will he be pretty miffed, but he’s also going to be pretty concerned about your diet. Overhaul is a germaphobe and likes to be at optimal health all the time so he is going to want the same for you. When he does meet you he is going to try to adjust your diet so your eating healthier. 

Like I said previously, he doesn't mind some sweets. He’s very much a tea and biscuits guy when it comes to them though, meaning his taste is pretty refined and delicate. 

Overhaul isn’t going to change what he eats for his soulmate, but like Twice will enjoy knowing that his soulmate can taste what he does. He’s kind of a hypocrite though because if you eat something he doesn't like he will demand you stop eating it. When you two are together he’s going to treat you though. Never again will you be putting garbage into your body. 

Overhaul has a lot of knowledge about the city, and if he is tasting something specific like a particular dish or drink a place is known for he will try and guess where you are and go there. This is eventually how he finds you when you are eating a famous dish at a restaurant his yakuza runs. 

Todoroki 

Todoroki thinks it’s really cute that you like sweets things, and it doesn’t help that he gets a sweet tooth every now and again too. 

Todoroki is like Hannah Montana because you get the best of both worlds. His family is loaded so he eats a lot of expensive and yummy foods but he also indulges in junk food/ street food. That means you can get the taste of junk food without gaining any weight! It’s a dream come true!

Todoroki is probably the only one that will go out of his way to eat something he knows his soulmate will like. He gets the feeling that his soulmate isn’t very wealthy and can’t afford nice food so he will purposefully order fancy desserts at a cafe or something if he thinks his soulmate will like them. 

I hope you like soba though because if you don’t your shit outta luck. If you tell him he’s eating too much of one food and you're getting tired of tasting it he will try to cut back or change up the flavors to make it better. 

Todoroki can tell what your feeling by what your eating sometimes. Like he was able to figure out that Ben and Jerry's is comfort food for you when you would eat it around the same time each month. Now when you eat it he knows you aren’t in a great mood. 

If he thinks you’re in a particularly bad mood he’ll ask Sato to make something for him to eat so that you can taste it. 

It would take him a long time to figure out who his soul mate is but he does so in a similar way to overhaul. He was just hanging around when suddenly he tasted his favorite soba recipe which is only served at a particular restaurant and he rushes there immediately only to find you. He will never be able to describe the feelings he felt as he watched you take a bite and a sudden rush of flavor covered his tongue. 

#twice headcanons #twice x reader #twice x soulmate #overhaul headcanons #overhaul x reader #overhaul x soulmate #kai chisaki headcanons #kai chisaki x reader #kai chisaki x soulmate #shoto todoroki headcanons #shoto todoroki x reader #shoto todoroki x soulmate #mha headcanons #mha x reader #mha x soulmate #bnha headcanons #bnha x reader #bnha x soulmate #requests open

[entrepreneurialjourney]

Local Competition

The food delivery service industry is a new and exciting field of business that has been steadily growing over the past few years. It's completely normal to order takeout from your favorite restaurant just about anywhere now. Still, some companies have taken it one step further, using only mobile phones to communicate with customers. The best part? These services never close; you can request anything at any time without ever having to worry about finding someone on call. If you want something delivered right away, they'll be able to get it done in no more than 30 minutes or less (sometimes even faster). Some notable names include GrubHub and Eat24Hours, and Uber Eats.

Therefore, with so many different service providers, it can be challenging to decide which one is the best option for your needs. For that reason, I will examine their website experience and other factors such as price point and social media presence to identify what they are doing well and where improvements need to be made on these top 3 competitors before we launch our venture online ordering food delivery services into a new market.

With a click of the mouse, you can order anything from your favorite restaurant. But with all these options popping up on your screen at once, it's hard to know which one should win out in terms of price and quality. This is where GrubHub steps into play as they have created an easy way for users to find their perfect food by sorting through restaurants based on ratings or specific types that are desired (such as vegetarian). In addition, there is also Eat24Hours available who offer services such as dinner delivery within 2 hours- making sure those late-night cravings get satisfied no matter what time it may be! And finally, Uber Eats has been providing top-notch service since 2017, with over 600 different cities being offered across America. They deliver fast and offer all varieties of food from top restaurants hence all being convenient in their unique ways.

The prices for GrubHub, Eat24Hours, and Uber Eats are very similar. This is because these companies offer a service that directly competes with each other: food delivery from the comfort of your home or office kitchen table to where you need it most - on time. This is because the internet has revolutionized the food industry, and you now have a plethora of choices to order in your favorite meal from all over.

Moreover, GrubHub is one location where people can go if they're looking for some fast delivery service that offers lower price points than others on this list. The cost per item ranges between $2-$13 depending on what type of dish it is; their chicken tenders are only two dollars! Eat24Hours also provides affordable options like these-they vary anywhere from $5 to $ 10 each depending on how many items you choose at once (though there's no set limit). And finally, the UberEATS menu ranges between six and eight dollars, depending on the restaurant you are ordering from. Some of these dishes can be found for less than $8, with an average price point at around three or four dollars per item.

Finally, GrubHub, Eat24Hours, and Uber Eats have all enlisted the help of advertising agencies to create a social media presence for their company. These firms are tasked with creating an online profile that will attract potential clientele and keep customers excited about what's happening at these restaurants through informative posts on Facebook or Twitter. These companies know how important it is to reach out digitally to stay competitive among other businesses, so they make sure every dollar spent goes towards reaching this goal by using different creative strategies like leveraging Instagram Stories while also making innovative use of hashtags such as #foodporn which can be used alongside their business name when posting updates on Snapchat.

[hannnana]

Finding my approach FOOD (need pics)

Flash of how food outcome was like: person feels around in their food – picks it apart  ( food becomes more abstract?) maybe it breaks down into the visceral sensor experience of the food + the branding in the food + its digestingand the mind reshpes it into a memory? Or the physical elements of the food reflect a memory -> person eats it, their sensory organs are transported bit by bit into their memories ?  Food reshapes your body and is shaped and reshaped through recollection.

Ref: how people have documented experience of eating food (how they document tastes texture smell)– etc. ratatouille

 My memories of food – how much importance ive placed on it – logging my life experiences through the snacks id have – looking into the mundane( little moments of fondness as opposed to special occasion foods? Food grounds my memories and thoughts

 Clashing of cultures food etiquette, when the common foods of diff societies and combined – intergration? A weird blend – signifies abrasion between the different cultures – how do we eat these combinations? Awkward food fusion? Symbolically marking a sudden change – clash of identity?  Visuals of a mixed meal time? What cultural food etiquettes juxtapose one another? Why do we have these rules on eating mannerisms?

 A maybe (probably not ?) : Because it’s a human necessity and has been irreversibly ingrained in our lives – we are very vulnerable to being mass controlled through food – it has happened in history, governmental control, dystopian twist?  Idea of control, restraint, abuse, need, want? Eating to live and living to eat ruling food or being ruled by it. self control? Letting the food consume you ( ironic) binge eating – eating disorders ( maybe ). 

Govn controlling, person controlling2 others person control another individual,  controlling food intake (dieting) , letting  food control you ( giving into cravings and urges) – food item spoiling you literally.

How do people in charge choose what to limit / remove for the food supply/ meal

Look into the cases inhistory and also prison time rules and treatment of food.

 Breaking down the steps of eating food through weird food habits? This could be a way to reveal different elements of the meal/ snack – change in experience?

 My relationship with food through out my life

– I still love it as much but I have a habit of leaving the last bit of food unless I really like it? weird rules / food habits how does this subconscious/ conscious decision reflect our Repetition in food – comfort and cravings, as soon as I fount a dish I liked id always order the same thing weeks in a row

Whydo we start craving food? What does choosing the same dish over and over again say about us? What weird food havits to people have? This can be seen as making eating a ritualistic situation. Does the reflect their approahcch to other situations? What are these a result of? How does that change our experinec with eating? can they be rationally explained ?

What rules govern the food we choose to share? How is food used as symbolism in film?

Packaging and presentation of food ( branding) preservation? Food to go– it’s the immediate before – the bit we unwrap of contextualise our snack or meals – it changes te feel and even taste sometimes – fancy presentations don’t always make it better, personally I find food in a vintage metal food box really enticing – its more personall, its packed to go – a piece of comfort. Our memories are technically a way we food packages an experience. – food is a package of memory.

How the setting of where its being sold affets our assumptions on its quality? Market vs supermarket vs local superstore. How do the people change your impression of the food? How does the packaging affect how we eat the food?

Where is food is being sold – how that changes our connection and understanding of it – changes significance

Novelty of very specific snacks? When very sepcialised equipment is made in order to create a dish

How is take away food packaged ( home made vs commercial) ? how does the xperiencing of unwrapping / unwralleing the exterior affect our anticipation and expectations? How do different cultures present and organise meals? What beliefs/ rules do they follow? How do they balance anticipation and reveal of the food?  How does the presence of branding affect the packaging? Organisation of snack foods in limited space – explore the novelty of

How deos watching the preparation of a meal affect the experience of it? human input vs machine input?

What specific feel do different types of food packaging offer as part of the eatning experinec?

Culture comparison through packaging style / branding

I really like casual packaging, simple yet distinct

  Food rules in different cultures and how they clash – what is perceived as “wrong”  because unconventional – deting in different cultures? ( probably not dieting)  - tastes of dishes work well but visuals unappetizing? Use the Gordon ramsey rendang chicken example.

Taboos and rules I food, - memory and association – rules born of the culture

The novelty of specialised cooking equipment – only makes one kind of thing – famous local snack. Street food feels more intimate and involved

 Familiarity vs clashes within food family home vs clash

When familiar food items of different cultres come together- they clash and become something new, often weird and awkward unles fused proffesionally . how do culuturlly different

 Food u don’t expect to see tgt vs what u expect

Backing to a rTelling stories of culture  through that - disorienting clash of cultures. Explore the cultures through contrasts in food visually and symbolically

Mixing the packaging of very different dishes – play with expectations and reveal

Reflect on my connection with food hows its changed and devolved into acceptance and escapism -

Taking time to enjoy and appreciate  good meals is someyhhing I have taken for granted

Back then I was so prviledged to have good food every meal, now im in the uk my dads side isn’t the best at cooking  + I cant get favourite dishes I had back in HK and Malaysia + I don’t have the skills or time to replicate it. ive become less picky with what I eat – instead of eating for pleasure , now its mostly out of necessity .. but also lts a moment of justified non productivity, a retreat from my problems.  it reflects my position in life.

My need to move and change home and how food is linked in that : hk – mostly eating out more memories of reataurant food – rmb buying a bunch of ready meals. Mum didn’t really cook much. Malaysia – balance of homecooked and restaurant food. Uk – 90% homecooked meals only eat out on special occasions.

Big shift of available cuisine when moving from msia to the uk – the food my dad and his family cooks were so tasteless and bland, also the hardest move cuz I becme so removed from my familiar places and I didn’t have the food items to comfort me . the food I ate would bring me further from home. – how do this big events in a persons life document a sense of rebellion

 How do key life transformations affect our attitude towards food?

[ixnova]

Okay so IDK if I will continue this as an actual fiction exploring this, maybe but I just wanted to get one specific scene  out so I wrote some context for the scene so uh YEAH enjoy this concept. new to writing for this fandom sorry in advance.

It was a Sunday. Don't let the name fool you, in fact today wasn't a particularly nice day. The sky was cloudy and it was cold enough to need a proper jacket. London had seen better days, but of course, this kind of weather wasn't unusual either. It just wasn't anything to celebrate. No plans to be made to spend the day with the family at the park. Perhaps it was even threatening to rain later on in the day, or maybe the wind could shift just enough, that the tiniest glimpse of the sun would peak out at the times when people wouldn't even be looking to notice it. Other than that one could say that today, was just as ordinary as any other day. Just as ordinary as any other day, only if you were mortal, that was. There were two men in London just finishing up with a late lunch who couldn't be more thankful for Sunday. Sunday was a wonderful day to each of them, there wasn't a better day to be had. The weather to them could be considered perfect. Sure, it could turn at a moments notice but what was a bit of rain water among good friends? It's not like they'd expect to end up completely soaked today, the probability of that happening was highly unlikely. Especially not on a Sunday, nothing bad could ever, possibly happen to them on a Sunday. Sunday was their favourite day, for it was the first day of which the rest of their lives began. And perhaps, sometime in the far future, Sunday would also be the last day, of which their rest of their lives would end. “That was perhaps one of the better lunches I've ever had.” “Yeah well, they burnt your starter course, but given the circumstances I'd say the rest of it turned out well.” “...If you've done what I am assuming you've done, I do hope you've remembered to return them to normal and leave a hefty tip.” “Yea- Right. About that, uh. Lovely weather, huh?” A Demon and an Angel, a most unlikely duo are found leaving a quaint restaurant off the far corner of main street. The tall and brooding one who held the door open upon exit was known as Crowley. The slightly shorter, polite gentleman that thanked him before stepping ahead of him to leave was known as Aziraphale. Crowley snapped his fingers while Aziraphale glanced upwards to question the overcast sky, and suddenly the waiters and staff at the restaurant they just left had worked the best shift of their lives and found themselves with a worthy tip. “Right. So, you enjoyed lunch?” Aziraphale glanced over his shoulder back at the restaurant before he smirked, turning back to Crowley. “Yes, thank you.” “'Course.” Crowley nodded and extended his hand forward to gesture in a direction down the street for which they could start walking. “Also, weather's a tad off, don't you think? Could be better.” “What? No, the weathers lovely.” “For you maybe.” “Oh please, it's just a bit grey. But it's not too warm! Or too cold, just  right if you're dressed properly.” “Yes, but what about the rain?” “It's not going to rain.” “But-” “It's not going to rain.” Crowley stopped for a moment, standing in front of Aziraphale, making sure he heard what he had said, or would he have to repeat himself for a third time. “Fancy a bit of dessert?” Aziraphale raised a  brow at Crowley, almost knowingly, before smiling and walking past him again. “Oh, how you tempt me, Crowley.” “It's what I do.” Crowley chuckled. “Is the parlour open on Sundays?” “It can be.” Crowley suggested. “Oh, but I feel terrible having them work on their day off.” Aziraphale replied, frowning slightly at the thought. “It's just not right to force them to do that because I'm craving some vanilla whip.” “You have any better suggestions?” Crowley questioned. “Actually yes- I tried a new recipe from the many cookbooks I own, and I've discovered quite the fitting recipe-” “Do I dare inquire what it is?” Aziraphale chuckled to himself before speaking. “Angle cakes.” “Oh dear lo-” Crowley cut himself off, rolling his eyes. “Oh! And they have another delightful dish I'd love to try as well.” Aziraphale continued. “A chocolate cake called 'Devils Food' cake. Funny, isn't it?” Crowley inhaled sharply through his nose as he grinned, it wasn't exactly a laugh but he did find it amusing. “Wonder where the mortals come up with things like that?” “Beats me,” Aziraphale shrugged. “But I do find it ironically fitting in a way.” He clasped his hands together, picking up the pace and leading Crowley down a different street. “You have to try them! We are stopping by the shop right now, I'll whip some up for you.” “Sure, and then you can boil the kettle and we'd have a spot of tea and discuss the evening news.” Crowley replied, willingly following the aspiring baker. “When have we ever-” “It's a joke, Angel,” Crowley sighed, shaking his head as the reaction didn't surprise him. “I'd love to try some.” “Oh! Right, haha.” Remember when we talked about how sometimes the sun would show up today, at the most inopportune times when people couldn't truly appreciate it? Well, funny enough something that seemed exactly like this started to take place, except someone was witnessed to it. Two of them, in fact. As the pair walked a gap cleared in the sky above, allowing the slightest bit of sun to come through, shining down on to them. It almost seemed like the beams were following them as they walked. “Well that's rather strange.” Aziraphale stated, looking up at the clear sky. “You mean you're not doing that?” Crowley questioned, squinting as he gazed up in to the sky as well. “No, you said it wasn't going to rain, I saw no need for there to be sun.” Aziraphale “...That is rather strange.” Crowley agreed, and the pair stopped, taking a moment to look around. “Aziraphale!” “Oh good Heavens!” The Angel flinched as a familiar voice boomed from above. “Uh- Yes? Hello? It's been awhile hasn't it- uh, I trust you're doing well?” “Ah, that'd explain it.” Crowley mumbled, stepping back a little bit. “I'll just, I'll wait over there.” He motioned behind himself to the other side of the road, starting to slowly make his way there. “You too, Crowley.” Another voice boomed, this one the Demon knew all too well, as the gap in the sky widened to hover over him as well. “Ah, Shi- Yes, Hi.” Crowley turned around on his heel, looking up in to the nothingness of the sky. “Pardon me, but uh, didn't we have an agreement with you lot to leave us alone?” “Come.” The voices boomed together and suddenly the pair were swept up in a sudden flash of supernatural powers. What was only mere seconds could easily have been eternity as the duo landed on the strange ground. The sky was always clear in this location, and the ground felt familiar, grey, and fluffy. “Oh. Uhm.” Crowley was the first to speak, looking around and realizing where he was, a natural flap of his wings as he saw the figures in the distance approach them. “S-Should I be-” He gestured to himself, then looked at Aziraphale to his side, questionably. “Relax, it's just a cloud top.” Aziraphale confirmed, being more familiar with the landscape than his demonic companion. “It'd have to be something really important, or bad, to actually bring you all the way up there.” He chuckled slightly. “Ah, good, right then.” Crowley mumbled, shifting in place, glancing over Aziraphale and his wings quickly before looking back at the ones who summoned them here. “Gabriel?” Aziraphale questioned the first figure whom stood across from himself. “Beelzebub!?” Crowley accused the second figure whom stand adjacent to the first. “Now, Just hold on a second, there best be a good reason you're interrupting our day like this.” “Mayhaps they are expecting another Armageddon and need the best men for the job?” Aziraphale suggested, grinning a bit when Crowley did in fact chuckle at this joke. “Oh haha, I'm sure you two would enjoy that, wouldn't you?” Gabriel questioned as he stood firmly, hands pitched against one another as he spoke. “We have been discussing many things since we last spoke.” Beelzebub picked up. “Thanks to the stunt you two pulled, there's been much communication between both sides as of late.” “I take it that means a peace treaty is in the works and you wanted witnesses?” Crowley suggested. “Aight well lets make it quick-” “No.” Beelzebub cut him off sternly, making sure to shove him back in place with a force when he tried to start walking past her. “Actually, the war between Heaven and Hell has become more than heated since you two ruined the Divine Plan.” Gabriel sneered, collapsing one hand as it caught his fist. “Oh, but what about the ineffable pla-” “Shut your face!” Gabriel cut off Aziraphale. “The Divine Plan has been... Reworked.” Beelzebub stated, glancing over the pair before continuing. “We are waiting for the big one, before we strike now, and as such work has resumed as normal for both parties, if not perhaps increased since you two got in put in to the mix.” “Right, so that's wonderful, I'm glad. Would be a shame to see 20 million supernatural beings out of a job, eh?” Crowley rolled his eyes as he took a look at his watch. “So what's that got to do with us?” “Oh well you see, we've been doing some talking with the... Higher, up.” Gabriel explained, taking a step closer as did Beelzebub. “We've been working closely to better understand the so called ineffable plan, that you two seem to regard so highly.” Beelzebub added, steeping now and having Gabriel follow. Crowley and Aziraphale wanted to back up, they very much disliked the thought of getting too close to those who ranked this high in their own respective divisions. The funny thing was though, that they couldn't. It was only as if they were frozen in place, by a force much stronger than that of their own. “Now, I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation that you're going to expose to us any minute!” Aziraphale stated nervously as he glanced quickly over to Crowley. “Like, oh, I dunno, relinquishing your positions to ones better suited for the carrying out of the ineffable plan?” Crowley asked, trying to keep calm and play things off as he normally did. “I think I know of a few worthy candidates, like dear Aziraphale here, and perhaps, my self-” “Shut up.” This was said in unison as there was little to no personal space between both sets of Heaven and Hell now. The Angel and Demon did so, but not because they wanted to. “Did you really think we wouldn't of caught on to your little 'magic trick'?” Gabriel questioned them. “Clever, but unfortunately not clever enough.” Beelzebub commented. “The only way a Demon could survive Holy Water and an Angel to defy Hellfire, would be if they swapped places...” “Or, if they were- Well, why don't we let you figure this one out yourself?” Gabriel finished. Suddenly, at the same time, both higher beings gave a quick flick of their wrists. Gabriel's summoned a small whirlpool of liquid, twisting and turning in his grasp, and the same could be said for Beelzebub, though this was the hot searing of an open flame. “Holy Water?!” “Hellfire!?” Crowley and Aziraphale stammered out as they desperately tried to back away. “C-can we perhaps, talk about this?” Aziraphale asked, tilting his head slightly as he stared back at the Archangel. “Oh c'mon, you're not still mad about this, are you?” Crowley complained at the Prince. “Misbehaviour must be punished. Justice needs to be served.” Gabriel expressed as he stepped aside to swap placements with Beelzebub. “Don't act so surprised, this is all within the ineffable plan.” Beelzebub grinned wickedly, already reaching towards Aziraphale with the Hellfire. “Wait-” Crowley instantly reached to try and protect Aziraphale, only to be pushed back again by Gabriel's threats. “Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.” Gabriel laughed. What happened next, wasn't exactly what one would expect to be done. Simply put, they could have spilled the tiniest drop on any part of Aziraphale or Crowley's body and instantly the pair would have been wiped from existence. This would be the most quickest and effective way to dispose of the trouble makers, and would save a lot less paper work for both head offices in the long run. However, as the Archangel and Prince of Darkness mentioned,  this was not how the ineffable plan was supposed to go. Instead, something different took place that neither Demon nor Angel could have predicted.  Perhaps the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of a certain with could have prevented this from happening, but not even the future could change what is to be decidedly fate. The pair both braced themselves expecting the worse, and their minds it was. A searing pain, that burned them through to their core, feeling like they'd live with the scars it left forever, even though they wouldn't be alive at all. The higher beings reached a hand out each, and purposely avoided the bodies, instead reaching behind them. In a swift motion they attacked the duo's wings. In a flash they had gone up, as quickly as the pair were summoned, burning long and hard, causing the Angel and Demon to cripple over in pain. Screams so loud and desperate that they weren't ever sure if they'd even feel pain again after this moment. And then it happened. The ground from under them dissipated, exposing them back to the Earth below them. A split moment of time felt like it was frozen for eons as the pair processed what exactly was happening. Instead of pain, it was now quickly replaced with fear. The minute time resumed again was when they were already plummeting to their doom. Watching them from the clouds above, Gabriel and Beelzebub smirked proudly, before turning and taking their leave. The wind rushed past them feeling like knives cutting through their skin. Lord knows how high they were or how long it would be before they finally connected with the ground again. Would they even end up in London? Did they even have time to question things like this. They were falling, uncontrollably at that. Crowley reacted as he glanced at the ground approaching closer and closer, he'd figured they'd only have about fifteen seconds or so. Aziraphale was hoping they'd have much longer than that, or perhaps thinking if they could keep falling forever, surely it wouldn't be that bad? It would, in fact, be leagues better than finally contacting the ground. He'd already been discorporated once, he'd hate to have to go through all of that again. “Angel!” Crowley's voice was barely audible above his own screams and the passing wind, but it was enough to catch Aziraphale's attention. Crowley was scrambling in the air to re adjust himself, trying to close the gap between himself and Aziraphale. He was desperately reaching a hand out for him. It didn't take long for Aziraphale to catch on, returning the gesture, stretching as far as he could to just barely make contact with Crowley's hand. Now, anyone could tell you that normally anyone travelling towards to surface of the Earth at this speed would have a rough landing. Sure no one had conducted experiments on the exact height a Demon and Angel are dropped from a cloud, but there were enough failed sky-diving attempts to give a pretty accurate estimation. Directly below the pair is a large lake, the same lake they visited multiple times in central park to feed the ducks and discuss a matter of things throughout the years. Yet, throughout all those times, none of them knew how deep the lake really was. Not that it mattered, because any normal human hitting water as such a high velocity would surely expire upon impact. There's a little thing called surface tension that would lead to prove all of the Sunday morning cartoons false. However, it would simply take a miracle to survive the impact. The pair crashed down, scattering a large wave that upset quite a large amount of ducks nesting nearby, and perhaps drew the attention of a few onlookers who didn't exactly know what they saw, but knew the end result – Two men, splashing about in the local lake, something that very much was probably illegal, and would be attracting the local authorities soon enough. Crowley surfaced first, looking around as he struggled to stay afloat. His anxiety calmed a bit as Aziraphale breeches not too far from him. To be quite honest, he wasn't exactly sure if the Angel could swim, and right now was probably the worst way to have found out about it. “We're alive!?” Aziraphale exclaimed, splashing around frantically as he tried to get his bearings, glancing back over at Crowley. “Yeah, unfortunately.” Crowley huffed, starting already to make his way to the shore. “But, if we're not dead then-” Aziraphale followed suit behind Crowley, and shorty the pair were able to drag themselves out of the considerably cool waters, perching on walk path as they shook off the extra water. “What happened back there!? What was all of that about!?” Crowley questioned, cough a bit as he spat the fowl water from his mouth and nose, taking a moment to catch his breath. “Why didn't you teleport away?” “I couldn't!” Aziraphale responded, also winded and just as confused as the Demon. “I-Why didn't you just make us fly?” “I wasn't able!” Crowley hissed back, standing up straight now and wiping hands through his hair. “It's a wonder we survived that fall!” “Probably a joint effort.” Aziraphale noted, before he then froze up, realizing that he was able to just blink and remove the water from his clothing. “Oh good lord-” “What? What is it!?” Crowley questioned, stepping closer to the Angel as he noticed his body language change to one of fear and worry. “I-Oh my I've...” Aziraphale could barely get the words past his lips before he piratically broke out in a sob. “T-The fall! My Miracles, I can't... No they wouldn't... I... What have I done to deserve this? I've always done the greater good, even the- Oh my Heaven's divine! I've fallen! Crowley I've fallen!” Crowley instantly stepped back from Aziraphale, looking completely astonished, perhaps a bit disgusted. “Oh you haven't, trust me you haven't!” He then raised his voice a bit, pointing at himself as he addressed Aziraphale. “I should know if you've fallen, I've bloody well experienced it first hand! That was not, falling! Christ, I wish my fall was that fucking pleasant!” “W-well I just, you know I- Maybe they went easy on me?” Aziraphale stammered out. “Pah-” Crowley shoved off from Aziraphale, turning away as he took off his jacket, starting to manually strain it off the water. Aziraphale observed this for just a second before it clicked. “Wait, why can't you just-” He paused again. “You too? You can't do Miracles now either?” “O-oh no I can I just, prefer to do things the hard way, y'know? Keeps me grounded.” Crowley wasn't at all confident in his claims. “I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this.” Aziraphale frowned as he gazed down at his hands, taking a moment, before looking up and examining demon closely. “Crowley.” All it took was his name addressed to get the Demon to look directly at the Angel, questionably. And one glance was all it took to make Aziraphale's heart nearly jump out of his chest. “My God-” Aziraphale gasped bringing a hand up to his mouth and staring back at Crowley in shock. “What now?” Crowley rolled his eyes as he groaned in annoyance, the surprised reactions really starting to irritate him. “Have I got something on my face? Bit of bloody lake grass?” “Your eyes.” “What about 'em?” “...They're...” Aziraphale took a good long moment, staring back as if he wasn't actually believing what he was seeing. He wasn't really, not fully anyway. There was no possible way this could be happening. “They're... Normal.” “Normal?” Crowley shook his head, not completely sure what the Angel meant by that. “What do you mean, normal? That's good isn't it?” Aziraphale just shook his head, scrambling to check his pockets, suddenly pulling out an old dated pocket watch, it was polished almost to perfection though, reflecting whatever came in to view. He handed to Crowley. Crowley snatched it instantly and quickly held it up to his face, staring back in to the little section of his own reflection, and then suddenly he saw, or rather it was what he didn't see. Looking back at him was normal, human eyes. They were coloured brown if he were to describe them in detail. It wasn't what he was expecting to see, that was for sure. A far cry from the serpent slit's he'd had his whole existance. “What does this mean?” Aziraphale asked, stepping closer to Crowley. “A-Are you...Human? Did they-?” “Worse.” Crowley acknowledged, tossing the watch back to Aziraphale, already starting on a game plan it seemed as he started to stroll out of the park, Aziraphale quickly following up behind him. “Worse? What do you mean worse?” Aziraphale continued to question him. “What could be worse than what's already happened? They've taken our magic, and changed your eyes. What could be worse than what's already going on?” Crowley suddenly stopped again, looking back over his shoulder at Aziraphale. “Do you want the short explanation or the long one?” Aziraphale went to speak his reply, before catching himself, pausing then changing his mind. “Short.” He stated. “Lay it on me, then.” Crowley sighed, shifting in his spot as he rubbed his tongue on the inside of his mouth before replying. “We're mortals.”

#good omens #good omens fanfiction #good omens crowley #good omens aziraphale #good omens ineffable husbands #ineffable husbands

[trustandblasters]

Trust Comic Funfacts

(Aka I lost all my progress on the next page, I just pulled a 60/hr work week, I feel like death but I still wanna give you guys content)

So basically a bunch of random little tidbits for the Trust Comic version that may or may not show up in comic.

* Most monsters currently alive do not actually remember the outside world anymore, and many of their phrases/idioms are either relics of their parents or are entirely new for the underground. Those that are still alive and still remember the outside are King Asgore, Toriel, Grillby, Nora, Gerson, Bertram, Frank, Gnash, Rudy, Napstablook, and Flowey. Plus three others I cant talk about yet.

* Grillby eventually builds a fence in the backyard of his house to give the boys a secure place to play when the canine unit is to busy to keep an eye out. He had to extend it when he discovered Papyrus could easily jump over it. Twice. He gave up after that but installed a door for them to use instead of just hoping a fence.

* Nora canonly beat the fuck out of Berdley's mother to get custody of him when he was in his early teens. He had managed to get an internship with Nora since Noelle was transfering and during his initial training Nora picked up that his mother wasnt a very good person. Specifically she was an emotionally abusive Stage Mom.

So Nora beat her over the head with her can when the bird came to berate Berdley at the archive and then used the fact she is technically royalty to strong arm Berdley's mother into giving her full custody. Berdley has recently tried reconnecting with his birth mother with.... no success. He feels he probably turned out to be a much better person because of this.

* Nora knows about the existence of the Dark World, but hasn't gone there herself yet. Elci doesnt know what the Dark World is but has been there and assumes it was a dream. (Related, Asgore and Toriel both know of it as well, with both having visited on occasion before being sealed in the Underground)

* Noelle visits Snowdin a lot, mostly to visit her retired father. She's friends with the Nice Cream Guy and Snowy.

* Nora used to actually go out pretty frequently to Hotland to visit the restaurant in the MTT Resort and also the Royal Scientist Lab. She sends Berdley to get her takeout now and avoids the lab.

* Grillby owns a house with multiple bedrooms originally for his extended family so they would have a place to stay if needed be.

* All the other Fire Elementals thing Grillby is weird for liking cold environments like Snowdin, but he genuinely likes the way the chill feels. Also he likes the aesthetic of a winter town.

* Despite being a fire elemental that genuinely likes spicy foods, Grillby never stocks or prepares any items with Jalapeno in them. There's been lots of theories as to why but when Dogressa asked him (due to having a huge craving for jalepeno poppers) he admitted it's because his spouse was allergic, so he couldn't bring himself to stock them in his business.

* On a related note, some recipies he uses were specifically designed to his spouse's preferences, which still stands despite the two not seeing each other in over a century.

* When Sans and Papyrus became more comfortable at Grillby's house, they would start to explore at night. Since locked doors made them nervous, Grillby put all the dangerous cleaning chemicals in high cabinets that they couldn't reach and had wire lights installed on the ground level so they could see in their late night execution. On days that Sans wasn't doing so well, Grillby would hide snacks and sweets for the boys to find during the night.

* No one actually locks their doors in Snowdin, and when the kids are out playing it's not actually uncommon for them to all burst into someone's house for a quick water break before heading back out. If Grillby's is open it is usually his restaurant thou.

* As they get older, Sans and Papyrus do take up the odd jobs here and there. Usually in exchange for some sort of sweet. The only stipulation they have is the job has to keep them in Snowdin.

For the most part, Sans just helps out at Grillby's, usually bussing tables, doing dishes, or serving the occasional drink. Papyrus is far to high energy to stay in one place for long, so usually he is out with the canine unit learning to do Search and Rescue. Sometimes the towns folk will give him the 'job' of delivery boy. Which is usually just them asking him to run a letter or small box across town and drop it off somewhere random. There is usually nothing in the letter/box, it's just to help him burn off excess energy.

* Papyrus got so scared of "Santa" the first time he came to town that he cried and his in Grillby's coat. Sans nearly blasted "Santa" for it, but the three are cool now.

* papyrus has bitten Nora's tail about three times. The first time she accidentally launched him in the air by reflex, which Papyrus thought was the best thing ever. She only allowed him to do it two more times before stopping him.

* Asgore often sends tea to his friends as a gift. Usually it is Golden Flower Tea, but he does have several plants to make preferred blends such as the harvest moon blend for Nora and a triple mint blend for Noelle.

* Papyrus once said he found a talking flower that Grillby told him was an Echo Flower, assuming it was one of the echo flowers that were kept in the bar or at Dogamy and Dogressa's place. He didn't think much of it when Papyrus said it was a different color.

* Grillby does have PTSD from the war, though he had received treatment and still does sometimes see a therapist for certain stressors.

* monsters have an odd concept of Time due to being underground. There are actually three areas that one can see the sky outside the underground in some capacity (the Ruins, above the Core that is to high to reach due to being the very top of mount Ebott, and an exit way that can be seen from the barrier in the castle at New Home that only Asgore has access to). Due to this, their ability to tell what time it is, is very skewed and relies heavily on magical 'sundials' invented long ago along with repaired human technology that comes from the trash dump.

Due to Asgore being the only one to actually be able to see the sun rise and fall outside, there is a sort of system in place that was erected a few years ago where a device was placed above the core that could measure the sunlight and give an approx reading of the time based on that, which was then projected onto special screens around the Underground. The oldest monsters have tracked the date as best they could, and sometimes compare it to soggy newspapers from the trash heap or when they turn on some sort of tech that can still connect to limited wifi to update the date and time. This information is also projected onto those screens.

* Sans, Papyrus, Elci, Undyne, and Alphys play DnD sometimes after Alphys found some books in a box in the trash heap. Alphys tends to be the DM but will switch with Sans if need be.

#comic wizard speaks #undertale #baby blaster au #i havent picked their dnd info yet #maybe ill upload it when i have the time

[cutsliceddiced]

New top story from Time: A Guide to Expert-Tested Cooking and Baking Substitutes if You Can’t Find Your Usual Ingredients Anywhere

As we enter the second month of stay-at-home orders across the U.S., the strain on the home kitchen is already clear; stores and vendors are adjusting to changing food demands and the supply chain has been impacted.

Certain ingredient shortages we encounter while managing with limited grocery shopping runs make cooking dinner — and breakfast, and lunch, and snacktime, and dessert, and midnight snack — all the more difficult.

For those battling food insecurity, school meal services and food banks are working overtime to help provide necessary meals and supplies. But for those looking at empty pantry shelves while delaying a grocery trip to stock up further on in-demand items like beans and oat milk, a few innovative swaps can mean that a missing ingredient here or there won’t throw off your meal planning. For advice, TIME turned to Alissa Wagner, chef and co-founder of the popular downtown New York City restaurant Dimes and co-author of the recently published cookbook Emotional Eating, as well as baker and Great American Baking Show winner Vallery Lomas, who’s popular on social media as the “Foodie in New York,” and pastry chef and Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi, who has been teaching fans with daily live Instagram tutorials.

Wagner called from her restaurant’s associated market, which is still serving prepared foods — and remains busy and well-stocked. “Start simply and play around with things,” Wagner says. “You really can look at cookbooks and recipes and try not to be intimidated and enjoy it.” Lomas, meanwhile, has been testing out simplified recipes from her studio apartment in Harlem that are “fuss free” and work for smaller crowds — or even portioned just for one. “Don’t let fear of failure stop you,” she said. Tosi keeps things interesting by playing music themed to match her culinary pursuits (like a “queens of pop” playlist while making popovers) — and sharing what she makes, as much as she safely can. “Kitchen time never feels like a chore when you approach it with a generosity of spirit mentality,” she says. “Now is the time to spread the love more than ever.”

Here, Wagner, Lomas and Tosi share their suggestions for what to do when you run out of some of the basics. And while this guide doesn’t cover everything you might need to make your preferred dish of the evening to the recipe’s exact specifications, it might help you come up with some creative solutions. “I like to look at my pantry with a sense of imagination,” Tosi says. “Approach every ingredient with a ‘What does this typically bring to the dish or snack I use it in?’ Write it down and come back to it when you put your apron on.”

Egg Substitutes

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Eggs are a refrigerator staple, but once you’ve worked through your regular dozen, you may find yourself uncertain of what to use as a replacement. If it’s a breakfast protein you’re in the mood for, Wagner recommends turning to tofu, which can be prepared as a scramble and lasts a long time in the fridge.

Although eggs are hard to match in taste as a standalone food — and Tosi cautions against trying to replace them in a recipe if it calls for more than a few — there are a number of workable stand-ins. If you’re baking, do as the vegans do: consider swapping in apple sauce or another fruit you can cook or puree, which provides the same binding properties in baked goods as eggs. (Mashed bananas are a common option, too, and very cost-effective if you buy bunches in bulk. They can also be frozen for later use.) Tosi says a neutral-flavored oil could also help provide structure and moisture.

Lomas and Tosi also recommend the “flax egg” — letting a tablespoon of flaxseed meal soak in a few tablespoons of water for a few minutes. The resulting jelly-like concoction will work in lieu of real eggs, and is “every vegan’s favorite trick,” Tosi says.

If you’re looking for egg whites, the water in a can of chickpeas, called aquafaba, will suffice. Meringues, mayonnaise and cocktails like a pisco sour can use aquafaba instead of real egg whites. Vegans have been using the replacement source for years.

Milk Substitutes

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When dairy supplies run low, fortunately there are plenty of milk substitutes that are more shelf-stable than perishable dairy. Wagner particularly likes coconut milk, which you can keep in your pantry and will work as a replacement for regular milk when thinned with some water. (“It’s a lot fattier than regular milk,” Wagner explained.)

“Match your milk sub with the flavor profile of what you are baking,” Tosi says. So for bundt and loaf cakes, for instance, she sometimes turns to sour cream and Greek yogurt.

If you have nuts lying around, making your own nut milk is also a possibility: Wagner recommends a three-part water to one-part nut ratio, soaked overnight and blended. A clean t-shirt will do as a strainer, she says. Wagner likes cashew milk, which has a “really nice sweetness — and it’s a little cheaper than almonds,” making it a more cost-effective option. Almonds and oats also work, and Tosi says nut milks are a good option for pancakes, crepes and bar cookies. “I’m not above melting down vanilla ice cream to sub in for milk, either,” she adds. “Embrace all the milky things,” she said. Yes, even whipped cream.

If you don’t have milk, Lomas suggests simply using water instead of milk for a substitute in baking. “And when all else fails,” Tosi notes, “don’t underestimate the power of milk powder,” which you can mix with water, too.

Cheese Substitutes

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There is an almost infinite variety of cheeses on the market. But when it comes to the cheese that we use most often, it’s generally as an additive on other dishes for that umami kick. Nutritional yeast will work as a substitute in many pasta dishes, Wagner says. Or for saltiness, you can try out capers and olives, which last in the pantry and fridge and bring in the “salty brininess” you might be missing when you run out of parmesan, notes Wagner.

For Tosi, the pantry or snack cabinet could also hold answers. “I’ll take the flavor packet from my mac and cheese to make my own Cheez-Its, or use a box of cake mix and some cream cheese for a gooey butter cake,” she says.

Butter Substitutes

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For cooking, oil — olive, canola or even grapeseed or avocado — can generally be used as a butter substitute, provided you select an oil with a flavor that complements the rest of your ingredients. “It depends on the recipe as to how well this swap will work,” Lomas says. Coconut oil, for instance, has a flavor all its own. Used in a cookie recipe, canola and vegetable oil will result in a “sandier textured cookie,” Tosi says. The conversion is also not a direct one-to-one swap between butter and oil, since butter also has milk fats that an oil may lack; you might need a few tablespoons fewer of oil than butter for a cake, for instance.

Then there’s old school shortening, which Tosi says is a “best bet” for matching butter’s flavor and structure; margarine is another option, although not as flavorful. If the butter is being used as an especially creamy component, like in a risotto, you could try a heavy cream.

Bread Substitutes

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If you’re craving homemade carbs — perhaps inspired by the proliferation of amateur baking projects you’re seeing on social media — there’s plenty to choose from. Amid flour and yeast shortages, there are still breads you can make that don’t require yeast.

Cornbread, Wagner says, should fit the bill — provided you can find cornmeal. Simpler bread recipes like focaccia are another option, as it is made without yeast. Tosi turns to her “fool-proof beer bread,” since beer already has yeast in it. (Her recipe: 1 beer, 3 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ cup butter melted.) She also recommends adapting bread recipes by cutting “all but one tablespoon sugar out” and throwing spices and seed in, like za’atar or curry powder, for a more aromatic loaf.

Lomas has been baking basics like wheat bread from scratch using whole wheat flour. Other alternative flours, like rice or chickpea, are common in gluten-free recipes and can be used widely. Wagner likes chickpea flour which is less “gummy” than rice flour and makes “really good savory pancakes.” Tosi suggests cake flour, which has a lower protein content. Nut flours — nuts ground up in a food processor until they are “sandy,” with a few tablespoons of cornstarch to encourage the binding — are her recommendation for cookies. Oat flour (ground up oats) also can work: 1 ⅓ cups oat flour for 1 cup all purpose flour, says Tosi. Lomas is also a proponent of oat flour, which works well in her cookies and is a decently affordable option.

Even beyond the expected flour alternatives, Tosi suggests turning to other dry ingredients that can grind down into a flour-like consistency, like popcorn and pretzels. (“Popcorn flour is fire!” she says, but keep an eye on the overall salt content if you use pretzel flour.)

Sugar Substitutes

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When running low on sugar, look to other sweeteners you have at hand: maple syrup and honey, both of which are actually lower on the glycemic index than regular processed sugar, Wagner says. Plus, both maple syrup and honey last a long time without going bad. Lomas even uses honey in her homemade whole wheat bread recipe. Agave is another natural sweetener option.

Tosi suggests thinking even further beyond the basics when it comes to bringing sweetness to a recipe. “Most things you crave late at night can work, too: marshmallows, chocolate, white chocolate chips, peanut butter, sorbet melted down, and candy.”

Brown sugars can also be whipped up at home if need be: light brown sugar can be concocted by adding a splash of maple syrup to granulated sugar, while to mix your own dark brown sugar you can add molasses. And powdered sugar, to top things off? Blend granulated sugar with a pinch of cornstarch. “In the baking world it’s called 10x, in reference to it being ground down 10 times,” Tosi says of powdered sugar’s origins.

You can also look beyond sugar for flavor in your baking. “If you like a salty-sweet combo, throw potato chips, pretzels, butterscotch chips — you name it — in your cookie dough or loaf or pancake batter,” Tosi says.

Keep up to date with our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking here.

Meat Substitutes

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Alternatives to meat — like plant-based brands Beyond Meat or the Impossible Burger — are buzzy, but can get pricy. To fulfill the central protein portion of a meal, Wagner looks farther afield to vegetarian staples like tofu, which can be bought in bulk for a more cost-conscious solution, or chickpeas. “They’re very filling and versatile; they take to spice and herbs very well,” she says, suggesting a simple preparation with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, sea salt, chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper if you have it).

Or turn to canned goods. Canned fish — like sardines, anchovies and tuna — is shelf-stable and stores well, and works as a meal centerpiece. Wagner suggests a spin on the classic French Niçoise salad, featuring a canned fish and “any vegetable” you have on hand, or you can serve the fish on toast.

Greens and Vegetable Substitutes

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By the end of two weeks without restocking at a grocery, vegetables may have wilted. But Wagner reminds us that “any kind of soft herb” or the green part of a vegetable can be used as a base for a salad or a green addition to a meal, including parsley, basil, cilantro, kale or chard. “Carrot tops, beet greens, even fennel fronds — anything like that you can use, instead of throwing it out,” she says.

And don’t overlook your onions. “One thing people always have lying around that can upgrade anything are onions. You can pickle them easily and throw them into a salad; you can fry them and throw them in with beans, or sauté them into your eggs. It adds a ton of flavor in a really easy way,” she says.

Pickling is a helpful way of extending the lifespan of leftover vegetables, too. “All you really need is vinegar, salt and sugar. Everything else is a bonus,” Wagner says of the pickling process.

Please send any tips, leads, and stories to [email protected].

via https://cutslicedanddiced.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/how-to-prevent-food-from-going-to-waste

#Time #top stories #IFTTT #news

[givelove-always]

5, 10, 25, 87, 92, 106, and 178 (i picked random numbers don’t hate me)

I could never hate you wth you know ily ❤❤

5: Favorite ColorI don’t really have a favorite color tbh! Maybe orange? Honestly tho, any bright colors attract me haha - hot pink, tiger orange, all that sort of stuff! Certain softer colors are also amazing - like carnation pink!

10: Favorite RestaurantTbh I don’t really eat out a lot, and anytime I do, it’s at one of my life 5 safe spots haha my friend’s always teasing me about how small my food palette is! But there’s this really nice Indian place near my house and also this really incredible Mexican place near this AMAZING performing arts theater (I’m not giving names haha I wanna keep my location private) but yeah. Also this AMAZING restaurant just down the street from where I used to live back in India - I still wake up some days craving this very specific dish from that specific restaurant haha I loved it so muchhh

25: Favorite TV ShowOof I really don’t watch TV shows all that much - I prefer random short movies I find on YouTube instead, but I’ve been bingeing The Office recently!!

87: The Last Movie I SawSpiderman: Far From Home!

92: Last time I got a piercingWhen I was four - I got my ears pierced!

106: Here’s what I think about sportsThey’re super cool and super important for not only keeping yourself fit, but also for character building. They teach you teamwork and commitment and all those really important soft skills you need in life, so yeah! I’m a couch potato oops I don’t really play very many sports tbh, and I really should more often, but I do play badminton sometimes and watch a lot of cricket!

178: My momMy mom is the strongest, most caring person I’ve ever met in my life. Sure, she has her shortcomings that I wish I could change, but who doesn’t? She’s so insanely selfless and always goes out of her way to make sure we’re all getting what we need and are taken care of and helps everyone with everything that she can. She’s just absolutely AMAZING and I can’t believe I’ve been blessed to have her in my life. ❤❤

#ask #curlyshawny

[clamjumper5-blog]

Thai Beef Basil with Coconut Rice

This Thai Beef Basil with Coconut Rice is an incredibly flavorful, easy-to-make dinner that can be customized for all types of spicy food level preferences. It’s on regular rotation in our weekly meal plans!

(This recipe for Thai Beef Basil was originally posted in Februrary 2011, but was updated with new photos and content in 2018).

One of my favorite things in life is going out for Thai or Indian food with Chris. It’s basically like free entertainment when I watch him order food to his ideal level of spiciness. BTW, his ideal level of spiciness is “AS HOT AS YOU CAN POSSIBLY MAKE IT.” He has all kinds of strategies to get the waiter or waitress to understand how spicy he wants his food including telling them, “make it Thai hot, please” and “I want 10 stars!” and “make it as spicy as you can; I promise I will eat it!” But my favorite is when he says, “make me cry!” For the record, in the almost ten years I’ve been with Chris, there have only been two occasions where he’s found the food he’s ordered ridiculously spicy… Almost to the point of tears. It’s generally not even close to being hot enough, no matter how he orders it.

I love spicy food, too, but definitely not to the level he does. Call me crazy, but I don’t quite see the joy in crying while I’m eating. I cook a lot of spicy food at home and love that it’s easy to vary spicy levels serving to serving, whether it’s by adding some additional peppers into one person’s serving, sprinkling on some crushed red pepper, or drizzling on lots of Sriracha (also of note, Chris recently tried to argue with me that Sriracha isn’t meant to be spicy. Hello??). I discovered a Thai beef and coconut rice recipe from Martha Stewart about 8 years ago and have slowly adapted it to our specific tastes over the years. It’s one of the meals we have in our regular rotation now and one we both get super excited about.

It’s delicious year-round, but especially during the summer considering many of us likely have absolutely out of control basil plants growing on our decks.

THAI BEEF BASIL WITH COCONUT RICE RECIPE

One awesome thing about this Thai beef basil recipe is that it’s so versatile and can cater to many different tastes for spice. It’s easy to get the flavor of peppers without too much heat by simply removing the seeds of the peppers. But you can leave them in if you love heat. You can also use fewer peppers for those who are spicy-averse and you can add additional peppers as garnish for anyone who loves it. And when push comes to shove, you can always add garnishes like lime wedges to cut the heat or crushed red pepper and Sriracha sauce to add more.

I should also mention that the coconut rice is an excellent complement to the Thai beef because it’s nice and mild and helps take away a little bit of the heat in each bite.

WHAT KIND OF PEPPERS SHOULD I USE?

The good news is that you can really use any type of spicy pepper for this dish. I love using Thai chili peppers, but they can sometimes be tough to find, so I often substitute with habanero peppers or long hot chili peppers. If you want a little less heat, but still lots of flavor, use jalapeño peppers. And like I mentioned above, keep in or remove the seeds depending on your preferences.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE QUINOA OR BROWN RICE?

Yes! I actually make this dish all the time with quinoa and occasionally use brown rice, too. But it’s definitely at it’s most indulgent and best with jasmine rice. The jasmine rice is so light and fluffy with an awesome touch of sweetness from the coconut milk. Quinoa and brown rice have more of a nutty flavor and the coconut milk isn’t quite as prevalent in it. But since I like to make a big batch of this and eat it for leftovers throughout the week, I often try to make it a bit healthier with quinoa. You can use whatever type of grain you prefer!

CAN I SUBSTITUTE GROUND CHICKEN, GROUND PORK, OR STEAK?

Yes to all! Obviously you may not be able to call this “beef basil” depending on what meat you use, but you can certainly use any type of ground beef or even steak in this dish. I told you it was versatile!

You’ll want to get your rice started first and then get going on the rest of the recipe. It’s a quick and easy one, which means you’ll have dinner on the table in no time. Though my husband doesn’t do too much to help out in the kitchen, he always offers to chop my chili peppers and garlic for this recipe, which is pretty much the toughest part. If you’re chopping the peppers, I recommend wearing gloves… Especially if you wear contacts. If you’ve never felt the pain of touching your eye after chopping a hot pepper, count yourself very lucky!

After sautéing half the hot peppers and all the garlic, you’ll add the beef, then mix in a soy sauce/fish sauce/sugar solution and then add in chopped tomatoes, basil, and remaining peppers and briefly cook.

Serve the fluffy coconut rice in a bowl with the beef basil served over the top. If you love the spice, sprinkle on additional chopped peppers, a little crushed pepper, and a Sriracha drizzle. And top off with lime wedges. Even if you’re not trying to cut the heat, there’s something so delicious about a little bit of fresh lime juice squeezed on the top of this dish.

Thai beef basil is actually the dish Chris most often orders when we’re at a Thai restaurant, so it makes me extra happy that he loves my version so much. I haven’t actually made him cry… But I’ve gotten his serving to the spicy level that he’s talking about when he says “make me cry.”

I know this isn’t really traditional Thai food and is definitely Americanized (especially if you’re using jalapeño peppers or quinoa!), but it’s an eclectic fusion dinner that is sure to satisfy most Thai food cravings… Which I get all the time!

Honestly, I think my favorite part of this dish is all that fresh basil. I want a piece of basil in every bite! It’s funny because Chris often leaves his basil behind and makes sure to eat every single pepper.

Believe it or not, it’s actually quite rare that I make recipes twice. I just love trying new things too much and unless a recipe is off-the-walls amazing, I probably won’t make it again for quite a while. This Thai beef basil qualifies as off-the-walls amazing. Plus, it’s so quick and simple, that it’s one of those meals I can add to my weekly meal plan and know that I won’t have to spend all night in the kitchen. It’s right up there with tacos as one of our “eat all the time” meals.

I should note that I actually have managed to make Chris cry with spicy food just once in our 10 years together. It was with a ridiculously spicy ghost chili pepper sauce that we used ONE drop of in mac and cheese. He claims his hearing was affected and refused to go near it again. I opted out of trying it. Do you blame me??

How spicy do you like your food?

If you’re looking for other recipes with a kick, check out my Spicy Clam Chowder with Corn or my Spicy Lime Linguine with Clams and Sausage.

5 from 3 votes

Print

Thai Beef Basil

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

35 mins

  This Thai Beef Basil with Coconut Rice is an incredibly flavorful, easy-to-make dinner that can be customized for all types of spicy food level preferences. 

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Eclectic, Fusion, Thai

Keyword: Beef, Rice, Spicy

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Sues

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice (can also use brown rice or quinoa)

1 can light coconut milk

1 1/4 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp chopped Thai chili peppers (can also use habanero, long hot chili peppers, or jalapeño peppers), seeds removed to tone down heat if desired + additional peppers for topping if extra heat is desired

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. lean ground sirloin

3 Tbsp fish sauce

3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil

2 small tomatoes, chopped

Lime wedges, for garnish

crushed red pepper, for topping

Sriracha, for serving

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, and salt. Let mixture come to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let simmer until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is nice and fluffy, about 20 minutes. 

While the rice is cooking, heat a cast-iron skillet or wok over high, add the oil, and toss in half the hot peppers and garlic. Cook for about 15 seconds. Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, until just cooked through.

In a small bowl, stir together fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir this mixture into the beef and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add basil, tomatoes, and remaining peppers and stir to combine. When basil is starting to wilt, remove pan from heat, about 30 seconds.

Serve coconut rice in bowls and top with beef basil mixture. Garnish with lime wedges, crushed red pepper, and Sriracha sauce, if desired. For extra heat, add additional chopped peppers.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart

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Source: https://wearenotmartha.com/thai-beef-basil-with-coconut-rice/

[unfortunatelycake]

Boueibu ship headcanons (pt1)

Was waffling over boueibu ship headcanons with @sothisiswhyiamhere a while back. Typed them up whilst procrastinating over Other Things today.

It got long, so I split it up, and I tried to do it in a vaguely logical order (by ship-name, kinda) so this first part is quite En-centric. Also just s1 main 8...

Also, I massively headcanon Yumoto as being an adorable fluffy ball of asexual awesomeness, which totally colours these shipping HCs!

(part 2 is here)

EnAtsu

The mom and dad duo. They love each other despite their faults; En is the laid back influence that Atsushi needs, whilst Atsushi is the reason En gets out of bed in the morning.

Problems arise when: En is a little too lazy and Atsushi internalises all the little annoyances without saying anything about them, and eventually explodes over something stupid.

EnIo

Polar opposites when it comes to working, but Io appreciates En's smarts. En likes to chill out at Io's place because Io doesn't expect anything of him: Io can get on with his stock trading whilst En naps, and they have their Private Time together once the markets have closed for the evening.

Problems arise when: En wants snacks and is too lazy to get them, but like hell is Io gonna be his butler, and when Io is too busy with trading to pay En any attention

EnRyuu

If Bill and Ted were gay, they would be these two. They'd probably live together, their apartment would be trendy (Ryuu's influence) but also a mess (partly En, partly because they can't be assed with tidying). They'd probably eat out a lot, so technically would go on lots of dates, but wouldn't really specifically go on dates.

Problems arise when: Ryuu wants some kind of high-octane excitement when En would rather just loaf around, and they'd likely end up arguing over Who Puts More Into The Relationship (Ryuu. The answer is Ryuu.)

EnYu

This would be a relationship filled with cuddles, and food, and not much else. If not for Gora popping by with home-cooked dishes, they'd probably live off sweets and convenience store snacks. There wouldn't be much in the way of physical intimacy because Yumoto just likes to cuddle (5ever headcanon for ace Yumoto) which is fine with En, who likes to sleep.

Problems arise when: En is too lethargic to put up with Yumoto's energy levels and Yumoto is too cheerfully oblivious and ends up being snapped at.

EnKin

Kinshiro is a man who likes peace and quiet, which suits En's desire for naptime. En would tease Kinshiro a lot, though not unkindly, which would gradually pry open the closed box that is Kinshiro. Kinshiro in turn would encourage more of the responsibility that he knows En is capable of.

Problems arise when: Kinshirou gets too uptight and internalises everything that annoys him, but (unlike Atsushi, who would eventually explode) doesn't say anything. Just keeps internalising. Also when En pushes the teasing too far.

EnIbu

A lazy dude and his polite and well-bred butler, who is used to being around livelier guys and therefore glad of the rest, thank you very much. En would enjoy being fussed over because Ibushi fixes refreshments pretty much automatically, and Ibushi totally enjoys sitting around grumbling about things with En. Their sex life is pretty satisfying, though there are the occasional noise complaints from the neighbours.

Problems arise when: En gets into one of his 100% Lethargic moods and doesn't even want to move. Also when Ibushi gets snarky over people En cares about. It's funny, and it's true, but they're En's buddies, so back off.

EnAko

Less of a relationship and more a fling based on little more than physical pleasure. Akoya is a total power bottom, and En likes it when he isn't expected to know what to do. At the same time, they both get a kick out of it on the rare occasion that En takes charge, at which point Akoya meekly plays along.

Problems arise when: En proves himself incapable of staying tidy for more than five minutes. They try to date, and Akoya knows damn well that En could look hot if he made the effort, but En is too set in his ways. Likewise, En doesn't know why Akoya is so obsessed with looking 'perfect' all the time, and thinks he looks great when he's all red-faced and dishevelled. Ultimately they drive each other insane and end up unable to stay in the same room without snarking at each other (which sometimes leads to an impromptu fumble in the nearest closet).

AtsuIo

A pair of serious guys who are low-key bitchy, they have a bit of a mom-and-rich-toyboy kind of rapport. Atsushi makes sure Io eats lots of tasty things, and Io manages to budget their groceries in a way that gives Atsushi leeway to do a lot of experimentation in the kitchen. Probably one of the most normal relationships ever.

Problems arise when: they both fail at communicating their needs, Atsushi being too considerate and Io being too introverted to do that Talking Thing.  

AtsuRyuu

Ryuu would take the lead despite being the younger of the pair, and would spend a lot of time flirting because he loves seeing Atsushi blush. He'd encourage Atsushi to throw caution to the wind every so often, whilst Atsushi would be the one to show Ryuu that it's important to knuckle down and do some serious work from time to time. Ryuu would rather have fun, but Atsushi knows exactly how to bend Ryuu to his will and therefore offers 'rewards' if Ryuu gets on with the boring stuff like chores and paying bills. They go on lots of little dates, though would go on lots more of Atsushi wasn't so worried about his everyday responsibilities.

Problems arise when: Ryuu can't curb his habit of flirting with everyone. It makes Atsushi insecure, and nothing Ryuu says can entirely reassure him that Ryuu won't cheat.

AtsuYu

More cuddling! Yumoto would be crazy for Atsushi's food, and Atsushi would love cooking it for him, happy that it was so well appreciated. Though Atsushi is a serious soul, Yumoto would encourage him to be more spontaneous and chill out a bit.

Problems arise when: They realise that beyond cuddles and a few sloppy kisses, their relationship isn't going to progress into anything deeper. Yumoto wants Atsushi to be happy, but won't compromise the ace wonder that he is in order to do that, especially after they make a half-hearted try that just...doesn't go anywhere. They decide that they're better off as friends, but are a lot closer than before.

AtsuIbu

These two would probably get together due to their mutual protectiveness of Kinshiro. They're a real pair of sinnamon rolls: an outwardly polite yet snarky couple who are absolutely savage in their judgements. They bring out the best and the worst in each other; Ibushi encourages Atsushi's snarkiness and fully enjoys being treated as an equal (for a change). Atsushi meanwhile dotes on Ibushi and likes how much Ibushi appreciates being spoilt. Though Atsushi is normally in charge of food, Ibushi likes to bring him tea and treats, and they sometimes cook together. In bed, Atsushi finally finds his chill and lets Ibushi take control.

Problems arise when: They both have a 'tired-of-waiting-on-people' day on the same day. Also when their affectionate snark at each other cuts a little too deep.

AtsuAko

A total will-they-won't-they affair that takes a while to get off the ground. After some rather passive flirting, they'd get together after Akoya gets tired of The Chase, and questions (whilst draping himself over Atsushi's desk) "So are you going to ask me out or not?" Atsushi would be too surprised to have a comeback, and his stuttered 'Yes' would lead to them going on a date, probably in an uncomfortably expensive restaurant because Akoya would expect no less.

Problems arise when: they go on their first date, because Atsushi spends an entire month's allowance on one course, and Akoya isn't amenable to any of his suggestions that cost nothing. Also when Akoya Wants Attention but Atsushi is spending time with his friends.

IoRyuu

Romantic, adventurous, stylish, attractive, rich and stable: Io and Ryuu are two complimentary halves of the Ideal Boyfriend. Ryuu's energy is just at the right level for Io: enough to excite and motivate him into being spontaneous, but not so much that Ryuu becomes overbearing. Io meanwhile gives Ryuu the stability he craves: a constant boyfriend who cares about him for his playfulness and his personality, not just his looks. They joke about Io being Ryuu's sugar daddy, but Ryuu doesn't care about Io's money, he cares about Io himself. They both admire and respect each other a lot for their opposing skills, and over time learn a little of them from each other.

Problems arise when: They argue over who is more awesome. It's one point they can never agree on, and it takes the combined efforts of the Defence Club and the Student Council (who will have peace in their school kthx) to get them to make up.

IoYu

Yumoto would get Io to take a break from his trading now and then, whilst Io would probably get tired of Yumoto having no money, and do something to turn his 500 yen pocket money into 500,000 yen in a Cayman Islands bank account, purely because he's concerned about Yumoto is going to do in future if he has no money behind him. Yumoto would thank him with a million cuddles, though would likely not understand half of what Io had just told him, only the fact that he has more money now. Somewhere.

Problems arise when: Yumoto becomes too overbearing with his cuddling when Io is trying to work, and Io is too cold towards Yumoto because he's waiting for the perfect moment to snap up some bargain price shares.

IoKin

A relationship that seems like an arranged marriage at first--beginning as a mere business alliance formed for mutual profit (Kinshiro's contacts and Io's financial savviness equal one hell of a profit). But their respect of each other's work ethic goes deeper, and through working side by side they find they actually like each other. They're a quiet couple and fairly inactive on the dating front, as they both work hard, but they're also both competitive so their sundays (when the offices and FX are closed) usually begin with an intense game of squash, or a jog around a park that becomes more like a race. This lifestyle suits them both, as they can stay fit and healthy whilst keeping up with work. Affection and intimacy tend to happen as a second thought; neither are particularly displeased by it, but their emotional distance does make the occasional moment of romance feel extra special

Problems arise when: they're both too busy working to actually pay attention to each other, and when they clash over decisions--both want to be in control.

IoIbu

A rich man and his eye-candy butler. Ibushi is eager to please the people he cares for, and Io takes as much advantage of that as possible. However, Ibushi knows where to draw the line, and will make Io work for his favours (be they sexual or otherwise) if he feels Io isn't giving back as much as he's taking. In general, Ibushi is content to leave Io to his stocks, but is capable of peeling him away from the screen now and again for some aforementioned 'favours'. Io has lost a few good deals that way, but Ibushi has always made it more than worth it.

Problems arise when: Ibushi walks around shirtless and distracts Io, leading to Io missing out on some trading. This usually happens with Io has been too sidetracked to pay Ibushi much attention, and has been treating him more like a butler than a boyfriend.

[1 / 2]

#boueibu #that magical boy anime #that magical boy headcanon #all the boueibu ships

[wooju-lee-blog]

I had a dream a couple weeks ago where I was at a butcher shop—and before I continue, I know this is all severely superfluous; being subjected to hearing other peoples’ dreams is the social equivalency of being shown your friends’ baby photos when you never asked. But hear me out... because I really could not think of any other way to start this blog post otherwise. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a fever dream, obviously because I wasn’t sick, but the ambiance of it all: the ominous droplets of water echoing from a leaking facet somewhere, the red-tinged, Lynchian hue of the entire dream, the fact that no one was actually there but me. All of it made it just so unsettling. I didn’t see the butcher or any staff for that matter. But the meats were lined up neatly behind the glass partition and was priced in what seemed to be Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Why do I mention this? Well, I recently made a blog post that went over the matter of me officially starting the process of trying to de-vegetarian (not a word, I know) myself in the past few months. To avoid reiterating myself in full detail, it has been a tad bit of a challenge. But is it really that serious to warrant an entire dream about it? I don’t think so. I didn’t get caught up over decoding just what that dream was supposed to symbolize, I just found it funny that I would be doing something similar for school.

Now, to segue into what I should be talking about: I really don’t know anything about the specifics of meats—be it the cuts or how to handle and cook said parts. I look at one of those diagrams of a pig or cow where all the parts are outlined, and the only thing I can think of is 1. It looks cool, in a morbid way 2. I can’t believe consuming living animals has been reinforced/normalized in our society for so long to the point where we have identified every part and crevice of most if not all animals 3. A friend of mine used to have a poster of a pig diagram on her wall. I don’t know why because she’s studying physics right now. It could be the fact that she was a heavy metal fan. Something about a pig carcass is totally metal, it seems.

Truth be told, I was never fond of beef. Even before going vegetarian, the only instance where I would actually have it is if it was incorporated into a certain dish. With that said, I’m Korean. And yes, we love our pork—especially samgyeopsal (삼겹살). Fun-yet-semi-depressing fact: the whole pork belly and soju combo has more or less become a nightmarish touchstone in the hierarchical system of the South Korean office workplace (or just about any workplace in general). Forget calling it a tradition, it is more or less a mandatory ritual for all employees to go out together nearly bi-monthly: yes, that means the boss is there, as well, and they don’t even pay usually. Rookie employees are often peer-pressured in gulping down soju like water. They are then peer-pressured some more to do ridiculous things to entertain their superiors, like sticking a spoon in an empty bottle of soju and singing a song in front of the whole restaurant. Because refusing to do so means you will be remembered as the disobedient one. The rebel. Abuse of authority happens in just about any environment where there are striking imbalances in power, but it is more extreme over there.

This blog post is getting dark real fast, so let’s get back on track. You may say that I’m already familiar with pork so writing about it seems obsolete, but that’s really not the case. I mean, if I really think about it, the only cut of a pig I’ve tried is the belly. Now, I haven’t had pork in a long while, and I’m still not really sure if I’ll ever wake up one morning and get a craving for it. But I also proclaimed in that aforementioned post that I want to gradually lessen the lifestyle I chose solely for the purpose of going somewhere in this industry. Because whether I like it or not, I’m going to have to cook all sorts of animal flesh. Pardon me if that sounds morbid, but so it goes!

My choice of pig part (there really is no eloquent way in phrasing this) is the shoulder blade, or if you will, the top portion of the front leg of the hog. According to Pork Be Inspired, a website that is apparently dedicated to pork lovers, the terminology for pork shoulder can vary widely depending on the region. The lower ‘arm’ portion of the shoulder is most commonly called the arm pork roast, while the upper part is often called the blade roast, stemming from the area near the loin. The blade is known for its well-marbled cut, making it ideal for pot-roasting it whole, or dicing it up into pieces for stews, or even cooking it over moist smoke to make a classic pulled pork barbecue. Honestly speaking, I don’t know what any of this means. Vegan meats generally just come in chunks, or less commonly, a block (think Spam); the more expensive brands are usually pre-seasoned and don’t really require any other additional cooking other than heating it up.

Some of the most popular methods of cooking this cut are braising, grilling/barbecuing (is that even a word?), roasting, using a slow cooker, or stewing. The shoulder or shoulder blade cuts are also rather inexpensive; it can also be purchased with the bone intact (averaging to about six to nine pounds) or boneless (averaging four to seven pounds). Pork shoulder is also used for making ground pork, which sounds… interesting, to say the least.

My initial plan was to go to the St. Lawrence Market for some exploring, some sight-seeing (because, hell, the last time I was there was on a school trip in high school). Maybe get a smoothie or something. It’s crazy: I always walk by it, and every time I do, I keep telling myself “Hey man, you have the privilege of living in semi-poverty in one of the most diverse cities on earth. Why can’t you get off the bed and explore?”. But alas, I went there after-school this past Monday only for it to be closed. So note to self: do your assignments early next time. Also maybe use Google for the hours of operation. Because Google is free and it’s in the palm of your hands.

So, what to do next? I had to compromise. My option was either the Loblaws near Church-Wellesley (I personally call it the Loblaws Dome, because that’s literally what it is) or the Metro near the Ryerson Rogers Communication Centre. Honestly, that Loblaws makes my anxiety go haywire: it’s too bright (the entire building is one big sensory overload), the lighting makes me look like I spent a month drinking Vodka in a hole, and there’s always too many people there. And thus I ventured over to the Metro instead. I know what you’re thinking: you’re wasting time and energy, Wooju. So what if it’s further? I barely exercise so I could really use this. I need this, man.

Unrelated-but-sort-of-related-note: The assignment asked us to take photos with a personal belonging for the sake of preventing plagiarism. That’s why my keys make an annoying appearance. You have no idea how much of a challenge it was for me to find the right timing to take a photo of this on the cold, hard floors of Metro.

The recipe I chose is a Korean dish called bossam (보쌈), less commonly just called sooyook (수육), which literally translates to “water-meat” and sounds just as unappetizing in English as it does in Hangul. Bossam is cooked through a wet (moist-heat) cooking method that is essentially just boiling the meat in flavoured brine. Aside from the obvious, this is done to remove excess fat, grease, and blood from the meat, resulting in tender mouthfeel. If I remember correctly, pork sometimes has a very distinctive odour that varies in severity depending on which packet you buy at the groceries; it’s kind of like an innocuous game of Russian roulette. The good news is that this unwanted smell can be removed by boiling the pork with an assortment of things, such as onions, garlic bulbs, bay leaves, and, yes, instant coffee mix. Some higher-end restaurants will bump up the price tag just because they use ginseng or other medicinal herbs, but that can be reserved for yuppies.

So why did I choose bossam? Despite being recognized as one of the more popular comfort foods in Korea, bossam is actually a pretty healthy dish (well, as healthy as pork can get), care of its wet cooking method. There’s no cooking oil or any additional trans-fat involved, making it healthier than, say, bokkeum (pan-fried) or twigim (deep fried) type dishes.

Truth be told, I haven’t actually had bossam since I was about 12 or so, but it is generally served with a side of napa cabbage leaves and perilla leaves. The Korean way to eat any meats, grilled or otherwise, is to wrap it in the aforementioned vegetables with a smattering of ssamjang (쌈장)—a traditional Korean sauce made of gochujang and doenjang. Some prefer to just dip it in saeujeot (새우젓), a fermented food made with small shrimps. It’s all up to personal preference!

This post has been unexpectedly lengthy, so I’ll cap it off with the recipe. I found this rendition through a YouTube cook by the name of Maangchi. She is a Korean-Canadian ahjumma who apparently started her YouTube channel out of sheer boredom. What an icon and a queen! I adore her attitude, and the fact that she single-handedly built a brand for herself is pretty incredible. It goes to show that women should never feel the need to be held back or withhold their passions, just because this patriarchal society reinforced the idea that marriage should be their ultimate end-game. it is not, and it never will be.

Fun but hedonistic fact: It’s socially acceptable to drink in public in South Korea. It’s like a watered-down version of the infamous North legalizing (and possibly advocating) the use of an assortment of illicit drugs. As for us South, we really love our alcohol. Hell, soju now comes in little juice box containers with the straw and everything.

Ingredients:

3 lb pork shoulder, shoulder blade, or pork belly, rinsed and drained

1 large onion, cut into quarters or sliced

2 tbsp ginger, sliced thinly

12 garlic cloves

2 tbsp Korean fermented soybean paste (doenjang)

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee or any ground coffee

10 cups water

1 lb napa cabbage leaves, washed and drained

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup white vinegar

1 tbsp salt

¾ cup water

Method:

Add the pork, onion, ginger, garlic, soybean paste, brown sugar, coffee mix, and the water to a large pot. Cover and cook for 1 hour over medium-high heat.

When it boils vigorously, turn the pork over with a wooden spoon or tongs.

After 1 hour of boiling, turn down the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.

Take out the cooked pork and let it cool down until ready to serve.

Combine sugar, vinegar, salt, and water in a large bowl. Mix well until it turns into a clear pickle brine.

Add the cabbage and mix well by hand.

Let it sit for 15 minutes, then mix well and turn it over so the leaves pickle evenly. Repeat this every 10 to 15 minutes for 1 to 2 hours until the cabbage gets soft and withered.

Squeeze out the excess water and refrigerate until ready to serve.

[Logo design by me; bossam image courtesy of Fooding Me]

#i wrote this on my phone #pardon me for some typos and such

[instantdeerlover]

Our Three Favorite Spots For Everything (During Quarantine) added to Google Docs

Our Three Favorite Spots For Everything (During Quarantine)

In the beforetimes, when Corona was just a beer, we launched a recurring feature called Our Three Favorite Spots For: Everything, where we wrote about the very best spots for very specific dishes - from gluten-free pastas to big ol’ chicken parms, and everything in between.

Well, things have changed a bit since then, but even during quarantine, we still get cravings. Luckily, most of our favorite dishes can now be delivered right to our doorsteps. And as restaurants shift to takeout, we’ve discovered even more meals to obsess over. So here’s a brand-new, shelter-in-place version of our Three Spots guide. We’ll be updating it regularly, so check back often. (And let’s be honest; it’s not like there’s much else going on).

All restaurants featured on The Infatuation are selected by our editorial team. Our Three Favorite Spots For: Everything (During Quarantine) is presented by Uber Eats. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, supporting our local restaurant community has never been more important. Uber Eats customers can now give directly to the restaurants they love at checkout. 100% will go to the restaurant. Order now to support. See app for details.

THREE SPOTS FOR: TACO TUESDAY (SINCE EVERY DAY IS TUESDAY NOW)

Listen: LA Editor James Montgomery has come unstuck in time. If you got that reference, yes, he’s spent quarantine re-reading Slaughterhouse-Five. (Also, how’s that English degree working out for you?) If you didn’t, you can at least understand the sentiment: Every day is the same. So you might as well lean into the monotony - and discover some of LA’s overlooked gems - by making every day Taco Tuesday.

Los Cinco Puntos $ $ $ $ Tacos ,  Mexican  in  Boyle Heights $$$$ 3300 E Cesar E Chavez Ave 8.3 /10

Quite possibly my favorite taco spot in all of LA, this deli and market in Boyle Heights is known for their carnitas (for good reason), but my favorite things here are the crispy, crackly chicharron tacos. Though, to be honest, their thick, chewy tortillas are the perfect vessel for just about anything.

 Jakob Layman My Two Cents $ $ $ $ Southern  in  Pico Robertson $$$$ 5583 W Pico Blvd 7.8 /10

An Infatuation reader (Hi, Mallory!) let us know that this fantastic Southern spot has turned to tacos during COVID, opening a side hustle called Tacos Negros. And I’m glad she did - their turkey tacos (smoky, spicy, and served in a deep-fried shell) are fantastic. Don’t worry, you can still order their stupendous shrimp and grits, too.

 Order delivery   Jakob Layman Coni'seafood $ $ $ $ Mexican ,  Seafood  in  Marina Del Rey $$$$ 4532 S. Centinela Ave. 8.5 /10

Yeah, it made our Best Tacos In LA list last year, but IMHO, there may not be a more underappreciated taco in town than the marlin taco at Coni’Seafood. Stuffed with smoked marlin spread and cheese, it’s simple, savory, satisfying, and certainly not the kind of thing you’d see on your Instagram feed - but what good taco is?

THREE SPOTS FOR: CURED MEATS

Since quarantine started, Staff Writer Brett Keating has been unabashedly riding the sourdough train, and now that he’s perfected his loaves (or so he says), he’s been eating a lot of sandwiches. Here are his favorite places to pick up cured meats to put inside of them.

 Roma Market Italian Deli $$$$ 918 N Lake Ave

Roma Deli in Pasadena serves my favorite sandwich in LA. It’s an Italian cold cut sub on crispy bread, it only costs $5.50, and it’s perfect. But they’ve also got the city’s best Italian cured meats, from prosciutto di Parma and capicola to mortadella, salumi, and bresaola. I always pick up some Calabrian chili and fresh bread, too, to make an extremely professional-looking (amateur) cheese board.

 Jakob Layman Gwen Butcher Shop $$$$ 6600 Sunset Blvd.

Gwen in Hollywood makes all their charcuterie in-house, resulting in some excellent (and occasionally surprising) cuts, like cold-smoked duck speck, coppa secca cured with garlic and chilies, and incredible duck and pork ’nduja.

Sahag's Basturma $ $ $ $ Sandwiches ,  Armenian  in  East Hollywood $$$$ 5183 W Sunset Blvd Not

Rated

Yet

This Armenian market in East Hollywood is my go-to when I’m making basturma sandwiches. Their basturma - salty cured beef - is sliced so thin it literally melts in your mouth, and goes great in a sandwich with some pickles and tomatoes.

THREE SPOTS FOR: WHEN YOU MISSED OUT ON THE N/NAKA KAISEKI BOX (AGAIN)

There are two types of people in this world: Those who have tried the n/naka to-go box, and those who haven’t. Editorial Assistant Kat Hong is, unfortunately, the latter. Here’s where she orders from when she (inevitably) fails to snag one the prized bentos.

 Jakob Layman Holbox $ $ $ $ Mexican ,  Seafood  in  Downtown LA ,  South Los Angeles $$$$ 3655 S. Grand Ave 8.7 /10

If Tock refuses to let you ball out at n/naka, then it’s time to console yourself with some of the best Mexican seafood in the city. Holbox’s new at-home taco kits come with three different kinds of tacos - Baja-style fish, octopus, and scallops - as well as their excellent mixed ceviche, black beans, rice, and pico de gallo. Sure it’s “meant for two people,” but just like my continued, naive optimism, that really means nothing.

 Jakob Layman Tokyo Hamburg $ $ $ $ Japanese ,  Bar Food  in  Koreatown $$$$ 600 S New Hampshire Ave. 8.0 /10

Why the hell are there such a limited number of sets available? Can’t they just... Anyway, if it’s incredible Japanese food you’re after, I can’t recommend this little spot in Ktown enough, specifically their chicken katsu curry plate, which comes with an Olympic pool-sized container of thick, gravy-like sauce.

 Order delivery   Jakob Layman The Tam O'Shanter $ $ $ $ American ,  Steaks  in  Atwater Village $$$$ 2980 Los Feliz Blvd 7.8 /10

Sometimes the highest form of self care is to just say f*ck it and order a quart of creamed corn. The Tam O’Shanter gets it. The Tam O’Shanter always gets it.

THREE SPOTS FOR: DISCOUNTED SUSHI OMAKASE

As restaurants started to pivot to takeout-only a few months ago, Editorial Lead Brant Cox figured he’d have to put his love for sushi omakase on hold for a while. He was wrong. Some of LA’s best sushi bars have reopened for takeout - many for the first time ever - and are offering their iconic omakase at prices that won’t completely terrify you.

 Jakob Layman Sushi Note $ $ $ $ Wine Bar ,  Sushi  in  Sherman Oaks $$$$ 13447 Ventura Blvd 8.8 /10

Over the weekend, I picked up Sushi Note’s Half Note omakase - one of my favorites in town - and it was almost as good as eating there. Eight pieces of premium sushi (including their legendary gravlax), two appetizers, and a roll for only $45. I’ll be back this weekend.

 Order delivery   Holly Liss Sushi Park $ $ $ $ Sushi  in  West Hollywood $$$$ 8539 W Sunset Blvd #20 9.5 /10

The fact that Sushi Park is doing takeout at all is monumental. The fact they’re doing a ten-piece omakase for only $65 is borderline insane. I was worried it might not be that much food, but I was quickly proven wrong. The sushi is huge, the variety is immense, and I was extremely sad when it was over.

 Jakob Layman Matsumoto $ $ $ $ Sushi  in  Beverly Grove $$$$ 8385 Beverly Blvd 8.7 /10

I’m quarantining fairly close to Matsumoto, so it’s become a biweekly pit stop for me. There are several different omakase options on the menu, ranging from $55-150, so whatever you (and your wallet) are in the mood for tonight, they’ll have you covered.

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-takeout-delivery-la-quarantine-covid Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

Created May 20, 2020 at 11:42PM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

[charllieeldridge]

How To Eat Your Way Through South Korea On A Budget

Korean food doesn’t have as high of an international profile as some other national cuisines, so once you arrive in South Korea, you will have plenty of new food to try.

Fortunately, the food price in Korea is exceptionally low (and the food is delicious), making the cost of traveling in South Korea a pretty good deal.

Here are a few tips to keep your food budget low, delicacies to look out for, and things to keep in mind while you’re travelling in South Korea.

1. What You See (on the price tag) is What You Pay

In South Korea, taxes are already included in the price of everything you purchase. There are no tips or delivery fees, regardless of where and how you acquire your meal.

From street food vendors to major restaurants, the price of food in Korea is exactly what it says on the bill. If the price listed for your food is 10,000 won (₩), a 10,000₩ bill will cover the whole cost.

This is especially important if you’re going to remain in the country for a while; when you’re in an urban area, every place is going to deliver – even McDonald’s.

As a result, you’ll see most prices rounded off to the nearest 1,000 won – the smallest paper bill, roughly equivalent to a U.S. Dollar (or, more specifically, 90 cents at the time of writing). In other words, making change in Korea is really easy!

2. Eat Lots of Local Street Food (and keep the price of food in Korea at a low)

Some of the best and most unique foods you’ll stumble across in Korea will be from street vendors, and they’re often sold at very reasonable prices.

Look out for tteokbokki (떡볶이), a type of spongy rice cake boiled with fish in a spicy red (gochujang) sauce. It’s a common snack food in Korea, and can often be bought by the cup for 2-3,000₩ ($1.75 – $2.60).

Egg bread (think sweet cornbread with a fried egg baked inside) and hodduk, a donut-like confection filled with chopped peanuts and honey, are common finds.

Perfect for travelers who have a sweet tooth, these treats will typically run you about 1,000₩ ($0.87) — these street snacks definitely keep your food budget at a low.

Other things to look for are foods on sticks or skewers.

You can get fried fish cake, corn dogs encrusted with actual French fries, and even whole, fried squid. The fried squid tends to be a little more expensive, often priced at around 7-8,000₩ ($6 – $7), but it’s a huge portion that you can split with a couple of friends.

Check out these tips for eating healthy while traveling abroad!

3. Brace For Spicy Food – Even Where You Least Expect It

Korean food is spicy — and Koreans are proud of it. Most foods you’ll get will come in different levels of spiciness, and there is a widespread assumption that foreigners are extra sensitive to spicy food. For this reason, salespeople and wait staff will often know enough English (or gestures) to ask how spicy you want your food.

If you love spicy food, then you’ll fit right in!

Oftentimes, the locals will be impressed if you can tolerate the heat, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to show off. After all, you can hardly walk a block in Seoul without seeing a place advertising a food surrounded by flames.

If you can’t handle spicy food, there are still plenty of things for you to try, but you need to be vigilant; sometimes a spicy flavour will creep in places you’d least expect, like in fried chicken or pasta.

While it may not be what South Koreans deem spicy, there might still be some undeniable heat there. It’s totally feasible for you to get a plate of spaghetti that’s too spicy for you to finish!

☞ Can’t decide on a good neighbourhood in Seoul? Check out Where To Stay in Seoul

4. Gimbap is a Miracle Food

It doesn’t look like much — kind of like a huge sushi roll stuffed with items other than fish. But gimbap (or kimbap, 김밥), is a very unique dish, and you’ll have a hard time finding another food with the same combination of nutrition, a low price, and pure deliciousness.

A roll generally costs about 2-4,000₩ ($1.75 – $3.50), depending on the ingredients, but it eats like a full meal. 

Gimbap is the same concept as sushi, with a seaweed wrapper (gim) and rice (bap) surrounding several other ingredients. But, unlike sushi, those ingredients can be anything — not just seafood. Most rolls of gimbap come pre-sliced and include between 8-12 pieces.

Some common ingredients include carrots, spinach, pickled radish, cucumber, egg, and some sort of meat. This may be beef, ham, sausage, crab sticks, or even Spam! (Incidentally, Spam is frequently eaten in Korea and is actually something of a delicacy.)

There are restaurants specializing in gimbap, but you can also find them at stalls and your average convenience store.

5. Don’t Snub Convenience Store Dishes

To Westerners, the concept of buying sushi from 7-Eleven is probably deeply unsettling. Don’t assume Korean convenience stores are the same, however. Freshly prepared food is commonplace in most of these stores. While it isn’t exactly restaurant quality, it will be tasty and will help keep your food costs in Korea at a low.

If you’re just looking for a filling snack, you can usually purchase gimbap or rice balls for a couple thousand won. But if you’re looking for a full, multi-course meal, you can often find a whole boxed-lunch set for just 4-6,000₩ ($3.30 – $5). While it won’t be a three-star meal, it will taste better than you’d expect for the price you pay.

Speaking of cheap food you can buy in a convenience store, if you’re into the instant noodle scene, you may be overwhelmed by the selection here. Entire aisles of “ramyun” in countless flavors can be found in any store, and usually for between 1-2,000₩ ($0.87 – $1.75) each.

While that’s more than you might expect to pay for instant noodles in the U.S., the flavouring is also much more sophisticated.

Instead of getting one flavour packet, you might get a seasoning packet, a packet of sauce, and some oil. As a result, the flavour is very strong and can emulate a lot of different noodle dishes. Keep in mind that while it tastes good, it’s still instant, so temper your expectations.

6. Western Food is Available, But Expensive

Generally speaking, every kind of Western food can be found in Korea if you’re really craving it. Hamburgers, pasta, pizza, fried chicken, and even steaks have made their way into Korean culinary culture.

However, if you’re on a budget, Western food generally isn’t your best bet.

Pasta dishes at a restaurant can go upwards of 20,000₩ ($17.50) per plate. A single pizza can cost as much as 30,000₩ ($26.10), especially if you go for one of the tricked-out Korean-style pizzas with shrimp, potatoes, mayo, corn, and about five other toppings. Korean pizza can be complicated, to say the least.

Beef is very expensive in Korea, so a sirloin streak is hard to find for less than 50,000₩ ($43.60), and hamburgers can cost between 10 and 15,000₩ ($8.75 – $13). Fried chicken is more manageable and is definitely something you should try while you’re here.

Korea has a number of different takes on fried chicken, so you can try a variety of flavours. If you have a friend or two, it’s way more cost-effective to get a set and share it between you (a 15,000₩ / $8.75 set of chicken with fries and drinks can usually feed two people).

It shouldn’t be too hard to find — fried chicken and beer is a famous Korean comfort, believe it or not.

If you’re not sure what to try, give gangjeong chicken (닭강정) a go. It’s served in a sweet and spicy sauce that’s sticky like honey and topped with chopped almonds. 

7. For The Extra Hungry or Extra Curious, Find a Buffet

Buffets and all-you-can-eat places are big businesses in Korea, and they can be a great place to try a lot of different foods at once. If you’re the type of person who wants to be adventurous, but still likes to try a bite or two before you dive in, a buffet is the perfect solution.

There are a number of different ways to go about finding a buffet. There are some buffets that focus on Western foods, some on sushi, and some on traditional foods. There are even barbecue restaurants that, for 10-12,000₩ ($8.75 – $10.50), will keep bringing you pork belly to grill up until you pop.

Buffets are going to be more expensive than most of your single-serving meals.

Generally speaking, the price for buffets run between 15-30,000₩ ($13 – $26), depending on what you get. That’s a steep price compared to most of the other things on this list, but it’s the best way to try a variety of foods all at the same time.

It’s possible to find cheaper buffets, but quality varies widely.

What’s interesting about buffets in Korea is that even chain buffet restaurants like Ashley will vary broadly from one location to the next. Even in the same town, two different Ashley locations will charge different prices.

The difference is mostly that you get what you pay for; the higher the price, the more selection and the higher the quality. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but it’s pretty reliable. Some buffets will also impose a time limit (usually around 2 hours), so be on the lookout for that.

Like any buffet, this isn’t something you’ll want to do every day, but it can be nice to do early in the trip so you have an idea of what you’ll like. That way, you know which foods to look for on a budget for the rest of your time in Korea!

So, Is Korean Food Expensive?

As you can tell after reading this post, I think it’s safe to say that the food prices in Korea are pretty low. The cost of travelling and eating your way around South Korea may not compare to that of its more inexpensive neighbours in Southeast Asia, but there’s some great value for money to be had. 

Plus, eating is always a fun adventure — best had with a couple of friends, and a couple of beers. Enjoy eating your way around South Korea.

Interested in Food? Check out the Goats On The Road Cuisine Section!

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[katrinratto]

Branding a Ghost Kitchen: How to Build Credibility for an Invisible Restaurant

Ghost kitchen, virtual restaurant, cloud kitchen…

Whatever you’re calling your venture, you’re a part of a new food business experiment.

Ghost or cloud kitchens (also known as virtual restaurants or virtual kitchens), are an evolution of the traditional restaurant model. These spaces focus solely on food preparation (and sometimes delivery) and have no on-premises dining facilities.

The rise of third-party delivery services like DoorDash, Grubhub, and UberEats has facilitated the public’s desire for tasty food delivered right to their door.

And, a new breed of a delivery-only restaurant has evolved to be their symbiotic counterpart.

Together, these cloud restaurants and delivery services are taking the dining world by storm.

Whether you’re preparing your delivery-only fare in the kitchen of your own restaurant as a side gig, expanding into new territory using a commercial kitchen like Kitchen United, or renting kitchen space from an existing restaurant, you’ve got a unique opportunity ahead of you.

The food delivery industry is showing substantial growth. According to Statista, food delivery revenue in the U.S. was around $30 billion in 2015. Forbes predicts that by 2025 – a scant 10 years later – the industry will be worth $200 billion.  That’s a jump of 567%.

And virtual restaurants can ride the wave of food delivery popularity.

But, with no storefront or dining room, building a credible brand identity can be tough. And, with delivery fees, service fees, and tips to factor into the cost of their meal, people want to make sure they’re spending their money with a restaurant that’s worth it.

This makes branding an important differentiator for your business.

So, here are 4 design and branding tips for developing a successful virtual restaurant or ghost kitchen.

1. Choose the right business name and logo.

Logo concepts and design by crowdspring creative Ramonagliga

When you’re trying to establish credibility for a restaurant that people can’t actually visit, it’s no time to be coy.

You must be straightforward and set clear expectations. Failure to do so will make your venture seem shady. And your new virtual restaurant will fail before it ever gets off the ground.

Just like any other online (intangible) business, your first objective is to establish yourself as trustworthy. Then you can convince people of the individual merits – healthiness, food quality, superior taste – of your restaurant.

As the key identifiers of any business, your name and logo will be essential in setting proper expectations and building trust.

Let’s take a deeper look…

Business Name

A business name is the first impression any business makes. People look to business names to tell them what that business does.

Since your customers will find you on DoorDash, Grubhub or UberEats, they’ll already know that you serve food. However, your name should make it very clear exactly what kind of food you provide.

Many cloud kitchens produce a narrow line of foods designed to use up surplus food stock.

If your business model is ultra-specific, too, make sure your business name reflects your specialty. This tells customers exactly what to expect. And, then you can deliver a positive experience along with their food by meeting that expectation.

Think about it from your customer’s perspective… You’re hungry and you’re craving ramen. Not sushi, not pho – ramen. No other dish will do. As you scroll through your options on your favorite delivery app, the name “Bird’s Nest RAMEN” leaps from the list.

A customer may have scrolled past any number of restaurants that also serve ramen. But, most people will choose the option that clearly specifies that you have what they want – with no guesswork.

This doesn’t mean that you should be lazy and literal with your business name – a business name should always be unique, memorable, and on-brand. But, you’ll be best served by a name that also clearly communicates what it is you offer.

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Logo

Every reputable business has a logo.

Think of it like the signs outside of roller coasters that say, “You must be this tall to ride.”

A logo is the basic, bare minimum price of admission to the world of professional business. If you want to run a business that has a real chance of success, you must have a logo.

And, that’s true for all businesses. But, a logo becomes so much more important when your business doesn’t have a sign or storefront by which customers can recognize you.

People are visual creatures. And they need some way to visually identify and remember your business.

On top of that, a logo gives your business professional credibility that will reassure people that it’s safe to buy from you.

But, we understand that you probably don’t have a ton of money to sink into a logo design at this stage. So, hiring a professional design agency for thousands of dollars, or even a freelancer who will only deliver one or two concepts to choose from, may not be the best fit.

We recommend that you consider a crowdsourcing design platform like crowdspring. You’ll be able to choose the logo that best captures your brand from dozens of designs – all custom-created just for you, at a fraction of the price you’d pay using a traditional agency or freelancer.

However you choose to acquire your logo, you must have one. And, like your business name, it should be memorable, unique, and effectively communicate your brand. For more information on how to create the perfect logo for your virtual restaurant, read this article.

2. Set up a website.

It’s not enough to appear on a delivery app.

It’s not even enough to appear on all of the delivery apps.

People expect real businesses to have websites. And, even if you’re not a traditional restaurant business model, you are a real business.

So, don’t think for a second that potential customers won’t be looking you up outside of their delivery apps. Restaurant Insider reports that, 90% of guests research a restaurant online before dining there. And, of those researchers, 57% visit the restaurant’s website.

As a diner with food allergies, I can assure you that I don’t dine at or order from any restaurant without taking a trip to their website first.

And, here’s another secret – this is where you can really sell people.

A website provides more real estate to establish your brand credibility and build a case for the awesomeness of your food than a delivery app ever will. So, do not skip out on this opportunity.

Showcase your brand personality in visual design and writing. And, include a gallery of food photography (more on that below) to visually support your menu.

To get the most from your website, be sure to feature your logo prominently and use it as the central visual inspiration for the website’s appearance.

As we explained previously:

Your website’s color scheme should be informed by your logo. The fonts you use on your website should relate to the fonts in your logo. Your website’s visual style should be inspired by your logo. Got it? Good.

Use your website to discuss what makes your food unique, delicious, and worth ordering. Feature your complete menu with full, enticing descriptions of your dishes so that customers can learn exactly what they’re ordering. And, most importantly, create a consistent brand experience to reassure your potential diners that your business is reputable and should be trusted with their money.

3. Invest in mouth-watering food photography.

Three out of three top delivery apps in the country use food photos to visually identify your restaurant for their users.

Your avatar photo will appear in a list of enticing food photos for other restaurants. And, the most appetizing photos will win.

This is why the quality of your food photographs – along with how appealing your food looks – will make or break your business.

No one wants to order sad, unappetizing food. And, especially not when there are varying delivery fees, service fees, and tips thrown on top.

So, invest in a professional food photographer to shoot your menu.

These photographs will not only sell your virtual restaurant on the delivery apps. They’ll also populate your website with scrumptious images of your food, set customer expectations for what they will receive, and show that you are a real business with real food worth ordering.

Show your potential customers exactly what they’ll get with tantalizing professional food photography.

4. Don’t forget your brand.

All the trappings of branding – a business name, logo, website, etc. – mean nothing without a thoughtful brand to anchor them.

What values guide your business? Which personality traits describe your business? What kind of food do you make and why do you make it? How is your food unique from your competition?

Taking the time to answer these questions will help flesh out your brand and serve as guidelines for all of your branding decisions. And, it will help bring your ghost kitchen to life.

This is your most important step.

In order to communicate your restaurant brand clearly to your customers, you must know what it is.

  from http://bit.ly/34Gp1X6

#Marketing

[peacekaleandyoga1]

You may have made multiple attempts to start losing weight. You may have found something you liked, but then you quickly became disinterested and gave it up. Maybe at one time you have tried extreme diets or exercise routines.

Don’t keep junk foods in your home. If you do not bring home that tray of muffins, they won’t be in the kitchen to call your name every time you make a meal. For example, prepare an attractive arrangement of fresh vegetables on a tray to keep in the refrigerator or stock tasty whole-grain crackers to grab for a quick snack.

You don’t have to sacrifice taste while trying to lose weight. It used to be that weight-loss foods were bland food.There are now plenty of healthy sweeteners and other additives that mean improved taste without the need for extra calories or carbs. This can help you hope to still consume foods that taste good while continuing on your weight loss program while maintaining a high level of satisfaction.

TIP! Reducing your daily caloric intake is effective when trying to lose weight. Consuming just a few hundred less calories each day will lead to weight loss success.

Eat your largest meal in the afternoon instead of the day. If you usually have a sandwich during lunch, have a dinner-sized meal instead.

It is acceptable not eat everything on your plate. Taking food home with leftovers is quite acceptable.Don’t eat your plate.

A multivitamin may assist you in losing weight is to take multivitamins. When dieting, we sometimes eliminate foods rich in key vitamins. Taking multivitamins corrects this problem and ensures you get all the vitamins you need to stay healthy.

TIP! Weight loss is not only about eating less, it’s about eating healthy and exercising. Everyone should get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.

Rewarding yourself for good behavior on a diet is an essential part of dieting. Treat yourself to a new workout outfit, a message or a little trip to your favorite store.

Losing Weight

Focus on being a lot healthier and not just on losing weight. That sounds counter-intuitive, but focusing on health first, will put positive thoughts in your head. Focusing only on losing weight loss can lead to a fairly sure way to meet with disappointment. Many people fail on their diet because they try giving up eating what you like.Making small changes will help you lose weight.

TIP! Getting enough sleep is important when you are trying to lose weight. It is recommended for adults to get about 8 hours of sleep.

Some diets want you forsake carbohydrates completely. This is not ideal from a part of eating nutritiously. Carbs are very important to function the best.

Be sure you’re eating a wide range of different foods. Eating the same things often will bore you and cause you to crave unhealthy foods. You must eat a balanced diet balanced.

Your goals should be realistic. If your goal isn’t reasonable, it won’t be met. If you also try to drop a large amount of weight in an unrealistically short period of time, set smaller weekly goals to help stay on track.Instead of doing this, give yourself more time and set a goal that you may be able to attain for that specific week. Don’t look at the long run just yet. Think about your weekly weight you need to lose this week and nothing else.

TIP! When you dine out, split entrees with others. The portions served in most restaurants are way too big for a person to consume alone.

If you’re adhering to your diet, there is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself with a modest treat. Doing so does not mean you’ve fallen off the diet wagon. This means that you are sticking to your weight loss routine and meeting your goals. Of course this does not mean that you should give yourself a reward with each meal, don’t overdo it in the rewards department.

There are quite a few diets out there that won’t get you your desired results. Try to get a gym and try committing to an exercise program. You can’t just diet; you need to exercise too. This will allow you burn off the calories that you consume and more.

Do not eat foods. Condiments contain a lot of sugar and calories tghat are added to your meal. Only use a tiny bit if you need to give your food.

TIP! Carefully monitor you beverage choices when attempting to lose weight. All drinks, except for water, have calories.

While salty and fatty side dishes are common at many restaurants, there are some places where the people cooking are going to have more healthy options that cost just about as much.

Don’t approach your fork to capacity with each bite.When you are eating, focus on taking smaller sized bites until you get full. If you eat quickly, you are likely to eat a lot more because you are not giving your stomach a chance to tell you that you are full. It is not hard to lose weight if you apply a few tricks in mind.

Whatever the reason for getting into shape may be for you, it would benefit you to walk a couple of blocks each day. You can slowly chip away at that excess weight by burning a little faster with some walking. Park further away as you can from the doors of stores and realize faster weight loss.

TIP! When you begin losing a lot of weight, go through your closet and remove any apparel items that are too large for you. When you look back at your weight loss journey through your old clothes, you can see just how far you have come in your journey.

You will also feel more full while eating a smaller amount of food.

You must get plenty of sleep when trying to lose weight. A lack of sleep increase hormones that result in overeating.

Weight Loss

TIP! Do not hang on to the fat clothes that you have, once you lose weight. This will help you to remain on the right path, on your way to weight loss success.

When beginning a new weight loss program, it is always best to seek the advice of a diet counselor who can guide you towards the best weight loss plan for you.Everyone has a different body type, and therefore something that produced great results for someone you know many not do the same for you. Get help in order to create your body the best chance of losing weight.

If you have tried to shed weight and your diet plan did not work, do not think about quitting just yet. Give yourself some time to find out what works for you. Instead of giving up, try tweaking your plan to make it work better for you. Your goals need to be realistic. It is unlikely that you will drop ten pounds over the course of a weekend. So this should not be your goal. Why make it impossible? When you lose a pound or two every week, you will eventually reach your target weight over time. Keep at it!

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From Student Blogger, Ravi: *Ce n’est pas de la tarte!

In today's’ blog entry I talk about food but specifically my grandmother’s. Who doesn’t love food? Everyone does! (I hope …) When it is food that you’ve been eating your whole life and when it’s been cooked by someone you love it is very hard to describe the level of satisfaction especially when you eat that particular food after three years!

Three years ago I went back to France after graduating from TMCC. The minute I booked my plane ticket all I could think about was Appachi’s (my grandmother’s) food. I could feel the taste of her food at the tip of my tongue as well as the aromas coming right through my nostrils. After an 11-hour flight, getting cramps because of my long legs and eating crappy food on the plane, I finally arrived home! Appachi gave a me huge hug and I felt her tears of joy running down on the back of the neck and she finished her hug with a kiss on my forehead. Her first words were “Hurry, go take a shower, I will prepare your plate!” So, I ran upstairs, took the quickest shower of my life, ran back downstairs, jumped on the countertop, held the plate in the palm of my left hand and dove into the food with my right hand! I had my first bite and I instantly started to cry because I missed her and the food so much! There are no other words to describe that day!

Growing up, my parents, my uncle and my aunt were working hard to provide for the family and the only person they could trust to take care of us was my grandmother, so I grew up with my Appachi.Appachi is the toughest woman I know and the person that I love the most in this world! She loves to cook for others; no one can ever leave the house without being asked to eat or sometimes they are simply forced to eat. Yup, that’s my grandmother, she has quite a character!

We were six grandchildren growing up with her and we, besides cooking, meant the world to her. We would fight over each other to prove who loves her the most! That should give you an idea of how much Appachimeant to us.

Appachi and us six. From left to right: Prazanna (brother), Gavshi (cousin), Veena (my sister), Gavshal (cousin) Gavmy (cousin), Appachi and me.

I remember coming back home from school for lunch and each grandchild would have their favorite dish ready to eat. She would cook whatever we asked her the night before, we didn’t realize that it was a lot of work for Appachi so our parents would be angry at us for making her work a lot but she just loved it so much that she would tell us to ignore our parents. On a side note: I was a terrible teenager and one of my ways to deal with those emotions was by yelling at my grandmother when the food I expected was not there. After yelling at her I would run upstairs to my room and I’d be sobbing not because my favorite dish was not there but because I yelled at her. However, when I’d come back downstairs she would act like nothing happened, wipe my tears and she would serve the same food I rejected to eat. She knew that I would come back and eat because her food is awesome. I told you she is a tough woman and she knows each of her grandchildren like the back of her hand.

On the left is me crying with Appachi because I was jealous of seeing my sister and my cousin in her arm! The picture on the right is my brother, Appachi and me celebrating his birthday.

The only time we would make her miserable is when we would eat out. She’d get very angry and make that disgusted face when we’d tell her what we ate that day at a restaurant. Combine a disgusted face with her saying, “Why would you eat crappy food for money?” That face is the funniest face she makes every time she disagrees with something we’ve done.

So this is Appachi and Gavmy. She thinks that she loves our grandmother more than everyone else but we all know that it would be me!

After I came to the United States, I started to crave Appachi’s food and I’d call her and ask her for recipes. She would laugh at me and ask me, ”What recipe?” and say: “Just take a piece of paper and write down what I am telling you. So, oil, onion, mustard seed, fennel seeds, curry leaves, the curry powder I sent you, ginger/garlic paste, chicken, salt, no water, that’s it:  chicken curry!”

And now I’d have the angry confused face and I’d be like, what you just gave me is the ingredient list. How about the measurements? And she’d just laugh again and say, “Just feel it, taste it, and put more or less stuff, Mokka.” (Mokka means dumb in Tamil).

“What do you mean “feel it?” she told me. “If you remember the taste of my curry, you will eventually reach the taste by modifying the ingredients.” I was very lost at that point and I just told myself, Grandma’s always right, Ravi. Just feel it.

I kid you not that it took me another two months to feel the measurement and reach somewhat the taste of my grandmother’s curry. But hers is always better—cannot beat Appachi! “C’est vraiment pas de la tarte” is a French idiom meaning this is really hard work. But if you literally translate this phrase, it means: “This is really not tart!”

In France we have a lot of idioms involving food that aren’t necessarily linked to food in meaning. Being a foodie, it took me a while when I was a kid to understand what those idioms mean because I would look for the tart and be like, “Well, there is no tart, why are you talking about tart?” Plus the worst part is that it would make me hungry. Ce n’etais vraiment pas de la tartewhen I first tried to replicate my grandmother's chicken curry.

My first try at chicken curry rolls on the left. Puri “unleavened deep fried bread” and potato curry on the right.

*This idiom is a negative version of “to be a piece of cake”. You use it to say something is difficult. Literal translation: it’s not tart.

https://frenchtogether.com/french-idioms-food/

Ravi is an international student studying in the USA. He earned his associate of science transfer degree at Truckee Meadows Community College and transferred to the University of Nevada, Reno where he is studying international business.