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hyuneytoast · 3 years

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Stray Kid’s Cafes || OT8

Summary || Stray kids if they were to own cafes!

Genre || Fluffff

Word Count || 1.7k

Note || I wrote this at 2am. (And nervous as hell to post this) I thought it was a cute idea (cause my love fore cafes u know & longing to go to one but covid-) buuuuut... if you think it’s written poorly, my excuse: my half awaken mind and questioning sleep schedule. It’s also because I’m used to writing formally rather than this. Enjoy though ヽ(ヅ)ノ

⤑Bang Chan

Inside/Theme: Dark, moody, and very spacious. Plants in macrame and outlets everywhere. Grey concrete tables with chairs of dark wood and black iron. Either lofi or jazz plays in the background. Flooring patched with large black and white honeycomb tiles. Wood of deep and mysterious browns are made for walls. Glass pendants dangle from above. Perfect for relaxing or studying. Even more perfect to visit on rainy days.

Hours: 9am - 2am

Menu: Cinnamon rolls, espresso, frappes, omelets, sandwiches, croissants (plain or chocolate), salads, raspberry scones, hot chocolate

It’s like your presence just sparked something in Chan. You were a frequent customer, so not only Chan, but other employees recognize you. It just so happened that this day was the day Chan felt braver than others. When you went up to the counter and ordered a hot latte, it was the beginning of an endless exchangement of (cringey) pickup lines. And they were all based on coffee... “If you were coffee grounds, you'd be espresso 'cause you're so fine.” (oh dear god-) The both of you realizing you don’t have all the time in the world, you finish your order but Chan refuses you to pay with money. “Giving me your number sounds like a fairer trade.” And also, starting from this day, would always be some note or saying written on the cup sleeve of your coffee.

⤑Minho

Inside/Theme: Cat Cafe! Small white stools and square tables. Windows as the walls with window sills where cats sleep. Cat toys scattered everywhere. Mini houses with beds and staircases hung on the walls. Like an indoor cat community. In the center is a giant wooden structure in the shape of a tree for cats to climb. Each one has a name. You receive a free slice of cake if you remember each cat’s name. 50% of the treats on display are just for the cats. (And of course, every cat there is up for adoption!!)

Hours: 8am - 10pm

Menu: Shortcakes, blueberry muffins, fruit sandwiches, cookies, lattes (with latte art of cats ofc), mochas, bagels, banana bread.

Scenario || You find a cat wandering the streets and get a hold of it, calling the number displayed on its tags. You eventually return it to the cafe. As a thank you, Minho freely gives you a treat off the menu and a free session with the cats. You two make time fly with endless conversations of your guys love for cats and his opinion on why cats should rule over humans and the entire world. When you're at home later that night, it’s 2am. Turns out Minho saved your number when you called for the loose cat earlier because he sent you photos of his own 3 cats. Many photos. And one with him and a funny/weird filter.

⤑Changbin

Inside/Theme || Open and welcoming, very convenient. A cafe kiosk placed in a park, sheltered by the tall swaying trees and surrounded by the small patches of blossoms. The kiosk is made of tan wood, outlined and roofed with black. The cafe space has a stretched out wooden platform next to it. Above is a wooden frame wrapped in string lighting. Iron benches and long tables. The experience is even more enjoyable during spring.

Hours || 9am - 11pm

Menu || Iced tea, matcha crepe cakes, sandwiches, mocha bread rolls, raspberry lemonade, cappuccinos, ice cream (of many flavors).

Scenario || You should’ve known it was going to rain today. It’s like the huge grey clouds were trying to warn you through the whole morning. Before the pour, though, you strolled through the park and saw the cafe kiosk and let me tell you, those mocha bread rolls sounded good (especially on a chilly day). While sitting on the benches next to the cafe enjoying the mocha rolls, you feel the sky spitting on you and it only gets more aggressive. You look around and see everyone has an umbrella. Except you. Changbin invites you to wait out the rain inside his cafe kiosk (which you gladly accept). He also notices your joy from the mocha bread rolls and decides to show you how he makes it. It was messy (since your lack of baking skills were definitely no help), but fun for the both of you.

⤑Hyunjin

Inside/Theme || A neat and cozy atmosphere dipped in traveling dreams. Walls displayed with plants draping to its heart content and photos of sceneries and dogs (which Hyunjin gladly took and displayed himself). Low tables painted with faint hues of grey, placed against the walls. Linen lounges and small glass vases of baby breaths. Large windows with window sills lined with fuzzy pillows. Towards the back, a small staircase leading to a wooden platform holding up bookshelves.

Hours || 10am - 12am

Menu || Americanos, strawberry crepe cakes, savory crepes, honey toast, fruit tarts, fresh strawberry milk, paninis, strawberry mousse.

Scenario || You’re roaming the section where the bookshelves are. Hands drifting across the aligned books and head pondering what to read. You look next to your side, taking note of Hyunjin suddenly talking to you. He asks about your favorite genres to read. He also recommends you some of his favorite literature (which you eventually discover that majority of them are poems/stories of romance) and says it be fun to read them together, along with his treat of fresh strawberry milk. Reading sessions and strawberry milk became a weekly routine for the two of you.

⤑Jisung

Inside/Theme || Shelves of pastries for you to grab and put on a tray. Filled with an aroma of sweet coffee. Simple tables and benches made of deep browns. White counters tiled with a large honeycomb pattern. Walls are of a light grey. Next to windows are woven hanging chairs with cute cartoon animal characters. On the counter is a jar of stick props for photos ‘cause why not.

Hours || 9:30am - 10pm

Menu || Cheesecake (of many different flavors), chocolate cake, iced americanos, croissants, cake rolls, custard bread, cream puffs, egg tarts, tirimisu.

Scenario || You ordered a few slices of cheesecakes after asking Jisung which ones he recommended. It was quite obvious he loved cheesecake more than anything and of course you couldn’t order just one flavor! Along with the few cheesecakes, You also ordered an americano. After receiving your drink (and cheesecake), you found a small note taped on the cup: “If you want more cheesecake suggestions, ask me anytime!” Below was a doodle of a squirrel and his phone number. AND maybe... just maybe... You take a photo of your cheesecakes to show your friend and Jisung ends up photobombing half of the photos you took (with some of the props from the counter). And of course you don’t notice until your friend starts spamming you about the guy in the background.

⤑Felix

Inside/Theme || A video game cafe, sells mainly bubble tea. Very homey with couches and bean bag chairs. A few TVs hooked up to the Switch. Simple patterned rugs and walls of a faint blue. Cute cartoon stickers displayed on walls and concrete counters. White shelves of board games.

Hours || 8am - 11:30pm

Menu || Bubble tea, brownies, cookies (of many kinds), bubble waffles, banana pudding, toast (sweet & savory), pancakes.

Scenario || You enter the cafe when it’s empty. You order a treat of your choice and make your way to play the Switch. With no other customer around, Felix decides it won’t hurt to take an extra break and play with you. (To beat you in a game or more of Super Smash Bros to be specific.) 1 game turned into countless that you both even lost track of your scores. And perhaps he got too distracted and almost missed the growing line waiting at the counter. But! Weekly video game tournaments between the two of you became something to look forward to. And maybe the two of you decided to play UNO one day and boy did the game put the two of you in a pit of raging hell.

⤑Seungmin

Inside/Theme || A comforting, more on the minimalistic side cafe. White brick walls, light grey flooring, and high beamed ceilings. Black pendant lights hanging, painting the cafe in light hues of honey. Long high tables with tall iron stools. Small potted succulents aligned on the table. White marble counters and pastries displayed in glass cake stands.

Hours || 7:30am - 10:30pm

Menu || Lattes, croissant sandwiches, chocolate mousse dogs, crepes (sweet and savory), lemon poundcake, biscuits with peach jam, homemade soups.

Scenario || Lets just say your day has been extremely hectic. For a cure, a treat from your favorite cafe sounds like a good plan. Though, you end up entering the cafe five minutes after closing hours. Great. Seungmin, who is inside cleaning up one of the tables, notices (and also recognizes you’re the frequent customer he has gotten to be friends with over his shifts). He unlocks the door and happily lets you stay after hours. You have latte (which Seungmin actually draws a happy face on the cream) and a chocolate mousse dog while chatting with Seungmin. Thanks to Seungmin’s constant invitations, late orders and chats ended up becoming regular.

⤑Jeongin

Inside/Theme || Low platform seating and low round tables. Small jars of fairy lights and daisies. Background music is either lofi or indie. Walls of a comforting dark green and floors of dark wood. Framed cute doodles and warm signs decorate the walls. High ceilings with gold lamps hanging.

Hours || 7:30am - 9pm

Menu || Milk bread, milkshakes, taiyaki (with different fillings), taro crepe cakes, fruit tea with popping boba, soufflé pancakes.

Scenario || You know that broken or no internet connection running dinosaur game (if not look it up and it’ll literally change ur life.)? Well, you brought your laptop to study but surely a game or two won’t be a big deal. And maybe playing also lended time to mentally prepare yourself just to ask for the wifi password. When Jeongin came to serve your cake order (a taro crepe cake or any crepe cake is a must try in life), he places the plate next to you and begins to speak as he notices your screen (where you keep running into pterodactyls and failing). And no, he wasn’t giving you the wifi password. “Can I try?” Beating each other’s high scores, still no wifi, and chatting. That’s how the rest of the afternoon went. (With Jeongin taking a break every now and then to help the customers of course.)

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coconutseaways · 7 years

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July 10, 2017. Back in Horta. Crazy party weekend!

Sorry it's been a little while! Ok July 5... It was another great Airbnb experience. We had a lovely Italian couple, Cristina and Andréa, who are campers and hikers. They have spent a few days in the Azores already, camping for a couple days and then finding an Airbnb to take a break. We picked them up in Horta and took them across to Madalena, Pico. We anchored and had a nice sleep except the church bells ringing every hour. And then the ferry first thing in the morning blaring his horn quite unnecessarily haha. But they said they had a great sleep. They brought sardines to bbq for supper and they were delicious. I made a salad and we had some coleslaw left. Add a bottle of wine and we had a lovely meal. The next morning we just had jam and fresh bread rolls for breakfast with a a glass of orange juice...after our coffees first of course lol. They just wanted something light because they had another busy day of hiking and camping ahead of them. We took them to shore and said our goodbyes. They were awesome. Very sweet and intelligent. Mike and I went for a snorkel shortly after they left. I tried to get some footage but the water wasn't very clear. We did find a couple "Venus Ears" which have the mother of pearl inside and little holes that go around the edge. It's in the shape of an ear of you hadn't guessed. I will post a pic of our collection. Then we decided to sail out of Madalena and head for Velas. The guys in Horta port authority told us there was a race from Horta to Velas on Saturday (July 8) and that is was gonna be a big party. The weekend was the 30th annual cultural festival and was going to be a huge celebration. We had a great sail over, perfect wind strength and a beautiful sunny day. My heat rash has finally cleared!!! I can actually be in the sun without feeling like I'm going to scratch my skin off. Now I am still dealing with about 8 mosquito bites on my feet which are lasting longer than I would have hoped. But still yay! We arrived in Velas and checked in. I really like the harbour master here in Velas. He's a cheerful guy, very nice and speaks very good English. He's always smiling and helpful. It makes our experience so much more enjoyable. I think It's my favourite place so far. Anyways he reiterated the festivities that we heard about and we went out that evening. Thy were doing a cultural song and dance performance in traditional clothing. It reminded me of folklorama. But folklorama is pg rated. These guys know how to party. A row of beer shacks, selling sangria, beer and shots for €1. Everyone has a drink in their hand as they wander through the streets. We went to the "Bamboo Bar" and I had a real caipirinha, not the watered down stuff I've had at folklorama. This drink tasted like tequila and was strong. I only needed one haha. As we were walking around we saw all these pieces of paper scattering the road. They were little blank white squares. We came upon a Dutch woman who explained that you buy 50 rolled up papers for 1€ and then unroll them hoping to win a prize. They do it as a fundraiser for local groups like the church choir and other things like that. Such a cool idea, although I'm not big on the littering. Like everyone throws their garbage on the ground and in the water. It actually kills me to see it. Even in the harbour, they are throwing cigarette butts left right and centre. And smoking is so popular here, so there's a lot of butts. But It was still a great night. We retired early compared to everyone else who i could hear still going around 3 AM when I woke up. Friday we went for an awesome hike up the island. Sao Jorge is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We walked up the steep roads and got the best views down toward the water. Wow. I took a picture of Mike and I and couldn't believe how tanned my face was. I posted a comparison of us from 2 months ago almost exactly...wow! My face is so brown. I love it. I wear 60 on my face all day but that sun is strong. Anyways we made it up to the big grocery store that we didn't know was there. They had a lot better fruit selection then we were able to get in Horta before we left. I got more peaches and my red plums. And huge red peppers. Like 2-3 times the size of the ones we have at home. And they are so cheap. It's so cheap I love it. I just want to have a fridge full of fruit and veggies. Yum yum. We made our way down back to Velas, down the steepest road I've ever seen. A road that cars actually go up and down. It was bloody steep as Mike would say. That night we got to see some live music. A group of about 5 guys and they all sang. They were great. Again we called it a night before everyone else. I guess we are not partyers like the Portuguese. Saturday July 8. We see the start of the SUP race that is from Sao Jorge to Pico Island. Probably about 10 miles. What a crazy distance. They had a couple escorts in motor boats in case anyone needed help. The wind was crazy gusty and our anchor had dragged a bit. Then some guys came out and told us they were setting up for a jet ski race and we needed to move the boat for a few hours. Mike and I probably lifted anchor like 6 times on Saturday. We had a hell of a time getting a good bite in a spot that was out of the way with the crazy wind. It was a pretty exhausting day and we weren't able to get on land all day. Finally after the competition was over we moved into our final spot and dropped anchor for the last time that day. Then I remembered that they were doing a bull run at 6 PM. it was now 7:30. I felt bad that we missed it because I knew Mike really wanted to see it. That was the whole reason we were coming to Velas this weekend in the first place, before we found out it was a festival weekend. We went to the centre of the festivities and watched a parade of nice old cars, and then motorcycles and then quads. It was loud but good. Then a marching band came through and we chomped down hamburgers from one of the food trucks. Oh it was so good. We came back to the boat and I heard the party going all night. Today was another sunny hot day. The wind wasn't as bad thank goodness. We went for a nice walk to the beach area and got a few nice pics. We came back to the boat pretty soon and hung out. Mike went to spear us a fish because we had yet to catch a fish for us to eat. Even though we ran a line all the way across the ocean and I fished in Nova Scotia. I did catch a tiny thing in Horta about a week ago but we threw it back and stopped fishing because we were just catching the same little guys. He did spear us a nice junk of a fish, and he put it on the rocks for a minute while he went back into the water. Well not two seconds later a bird came and stole his catch. Haha bad luck. I picked Mike up in the dinghy and rowed is back to the boat. Then we had cucumber, cheese and mayo sandwiches, since we had no fish haha. We were just hanging out when I noticed a lot of people were gathered on the pier. It wasn't the bull run, but it was a bull fight. Mike and I rowed over and had a great view from the water, along with a bunch of other boats. 4 bulls in total. The first and the last one were the best. They would chase people toward the edge and the people would jump off the pier into the water to dodge the horns. The more people that had to jump the louder the crowd cheered. They were trying to get the bull to run in the water and they almost got one of them, but it managed to keep its footing on the edge. I'm glad none of them ended up in the water. I felt bad for the bulls already and that would have been worse. But the crowd enjoyed the show and it was nice to partake in the festivities. Although, I really don't get the point. Clearly a macho guy thing haha. We enjoyed seeing the bulls nonetheless and I was happy Mike got to see his bulls lol. This evening we have had major progress! We caught our first meal! Haha. Mike pried off a few limpids off the rocks and we used heir meat as bait. We ran our two fishing lines off the dinghy while one of us rowed. I caught one of the cute blue and yellow fish and we let him go right away. They are small skinny fish. Then Mike caught a flat bony fish and we let that go too. I figured we would just end up catching and releasing because we were having no luck. Mike caught a small silver fish and let it go. Then he caught a nice size brown fish. This was a keeper! I was getting no bites while Mike kept getting strikes. He caught another silver fish and this time we kept him. I'm glad we did because I think the silver one had more flavour then the brown one. But the brown one had a lot more meat. Before we finished I had caught 2 brown and one silver and mike had 1 of each. We had 5 fish for supper. Mike gutted them while I prepared a sauce to coat them in before BBQing. I started the rice and we finally had our first free meal! It was delicious! Like I said I enjoyed the smaller silver fish more. But the brown guys had a nice chunk of meat on them. I think we both feel very accomplished and satisfied. The more fish we can catch and eat the better. Meat is cheap here but it's not free compared to the fish. Anyways it's the wind down of the festival and we are heading back to Horta tomorrow to pick up our next guest. A family of 4 from Belgium. These guys were our second booking and I think we are going to have a great time with them. They want to do some sailing which means a little extra cash in the pocket. I might even be able to sell a couple keychains or bracelets since there are two kids 11 and 13. It all adds up. We have had our hot chocolate night cap and are off to bed. Loving these islands more and more everyday. The more familiar we become with them the more I enjoy it. Knowing where the best fruit or baked goods are. It's a nice insider feeling. It's been a month since we've left Nova Scotia and I'm not looking back haha. I'm staying with the sunshine as long as possible. Don't forget to follow our Facebook Page at Coconut Seaways and our Instagram @coconut_seaways.

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meredithannebull · 7 years

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Strange Magic Tumblr Contest entry

It was November 2014, and I was folding laundry at my dad’s house when I first became aware of Strange Magic’s existence. I saw a TV spot for it during a commercial break and…

I was not impressed.

There wasn’t a single thing I found to be the slightest bit interesting. I was never into fairies to begin with, and what looked like a swashbuckling Tinker Bell movie without Tinker Bell did not appeal to me on any level. Not even George Lucas’s name was a draw. It just seemed boring, and every time I happened to see another TV spot over the next few weeks, I just rolled my eyes and ignored it.

Until February of the following year, I had forgotten all about it, but then one day, I came across something that caught my attention. It was a leaked screencap of Bog and Marianne with a spoiler caption: they had kissed at the end of the film.

That gave me pause.

I did remember seeing Bog and Marianne dueling in the TV spot, but due to the editing, there had been no hint to a romance between them. Suddenly, my interest was stirred. Beauty and the Beast tropes were my bread and butter, so I decided to do a little research. Sadly, I found that the film had done terribly at the box office and had been torn apart by the critics, yet my curiosity persisted. I was freshly out of school, so I used part of my new extra time to finally see Strange Magic for myself.

It was a Wednesday matinee, and I had the whole showing to myself. And boy, was it something. Can I honestly say I loved it after my first viewing?

Eh, no.

The pacing, some of the dialogue, the sometimes-awkward song placement, etc. It had me sinking down in my seat.

But when I left the theater and sat in my car, I got to thinking:

Good Lord! After not even two minutes in, it dawned on me just how badly this movie was marketed. I quite literally had NO IDEA that it was a musical, let alone a jukebox musical, until the opening scene! The TV spots were the ONLY advertising I’d seen for it! And the ‘teases’ they gave in those spots were not even close to the actual plot! (e.g. Bog wanting to take over the forest? Say what?) I had not been prepared for this film!

Then I took a step back and thought about the things I actually liked about it. The animation? Gorgeous! The characters? Enjoyable! The setting? Cute and creative? The humor? When it was on point, it was on point! The music? The songs choices were great and all sung very well. The story? A bit rushed, but intriguing and sweet. My favorite part?

Hands down, Bog and Marianne’s romantic flight!

For the life of me, I just could not get that scene out of my head! It was just…flawless! The cover of ELO’s Strange Magic gave me chills! And that’s coming from someone who grew up listening to the original version; ELO was my dad’s favorite band in high school. Plus, Bog and Marianne’s enemies-to-lovers relationship was just beautiful! So beautiful in fact, I had to see it again.

And again.

Believe it or not, I saw the movie sixteen times on the big screen, twice at full price, the rest at the dollar theater over the next two months. I had never EVER gone to see a film that much before. And I couldn’t really explain why. It was as if I under a spell! All I knew was that the more I saw it, the more I liked it; the more of those things that initially made me cringe began to disappear altogether. I soon got the soundtrack and was singing along to it in my car, I preordered the DVD, I took my friends to see it with me…

But it wasn’t enough.

I’d never really delved too deep into online fandoms. Sure, I would read my share of fanfics and bookmark fanart, and I had written some fiction for Labyrinth, but for Strange Magic, I just had to see if there were other people out there who felt love for this film the way I did.

And thankfully, there were.

The tiny, but strong and loving Strange Magic fandom was nestled on Tumblr, and for several weeks, I scrolled through the tags, reading all the amazing fanfiction and head canons, looking at fanart and gifs, getting more and more hooked, until one day, I took the plunge and joined the site close to a month before the DVD release.

I was even further amazed at how my desire to write came back. I hadn’t written any fanfiction in over a year, but suddenly, I was inspired again, and remain so to this day! Not only that, but I taught myself how to use simple editing software and was soon making my own gifs and even music videos!

As for the fandom, my God. What can I say? What a blessing it has been to get to know so many kind-hearted, accepting, supportive, talented, incredible people! To be able to call them friends! I love each and every one of them. And even though I only use my blog for Strange Magic content, this fandom is my virtual home away from home. We may be small, but we’re a family, and slowly but surely, we’re growing every day.

So, here we are in April 2017. After all this time and all these changes, why do I love Strange Magic?

Well…because Strange Magic is love. I don’t just mean the story or the message. I mean that its very existence represents love itself better than any other movie I’ve ever seen.

1.) Intentional or not, the fact this film wasn’t marketed well made it seem more honest. Just a fun, innocent romp, rather than a Hollywood cash grab.

2.) Though I know the flaws are still there, I don’t even notice them anymore when I watch the movie today. They don’t matter. They’re part of what makes the movie what it is.

3.) The film reawakened and is still sustaining my creativity. It prompted me to try new things, to learn, to reach out. And not just me! So many others in the fandom could say something similar for themselves!

Strange Magic was a simple, unassuming movie that nearly passed under my radar, but all it needed was one fair chance. It has the qualities that I believe one would look for in, to the quote the movie: “real love”:

Love isn’t about perfection, it’s not gaudy, and it’s not trying to sell you something. Love is about accepting imperfections, about bettering yourself, opening up to others. And lastly, love is…just something you can’t thoroughly explain. It’s magic! I couldn’t possibly go through scene by scene and describe what makes Strange Magic so great to someone who hates it or has never seen it before. Some people see it, others don’t. Understanding love is different for everyone. That’s life. I’m just glad that my fandom friends and I all fall into the first category!

On a final note, I’m happy that the film is gradually getting more attention. Whether we show it to new people ourselves, or the Disney channel keeps airing it, that exposure is priceless. Some reactions will be negative and rude, but that’s not important. It’s the positive ones that make it all worthwhile because it means we’re ‘spreading the lofe’. And anything that spreads the most powerful force on earth, is a forever and true masterpiece.

--- magically-strange

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sudanhelp53-blog · 5 years

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How To Make Wild Mushroom Stuffing — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

Every year after Thanksgiving dinner, when the guests are gone and we're scrubbing the last of the dishes, my family and I go over the meal in detail. What did we all scoop up seconds of, and what did we push to the sides of our plates? What would we make again next year, and what needs to go back to the drawing board?

At this point we've pretty much got the turkey (grilled), mashed potatoes (garlicky), and dinner rolls on lock. But every year, we're not entirely sold on our sweet potato recipe, the vegetable side dish, and, most importantly, the stuffing. Why can't we seem to master the perfect stuffing?

Honestly, I think we play it too safe. Switching to cornbread is too sharp of a pivot, and with so many vegetarians in our family, sausage is out of the question. But unlike the mashed potatoes and the dinner rolls, it feels like stuffing is a place where we can have a little fun.

That's why this year I'm proposing a wild mushroom stuffing, which I'm confident will please both the stuffing purists (there's still celery and parsley and thyme!) and the adventurous eaters alike. It's so good, you won't want to wait until Thanksgiving to eat it.

Why You Should Make This Mushroom Stuffing All Throughout the Fall

It's kind of an arbitrary rule that we only eat stuffing at Thanksgiving. Really, stuffing isn't much different than a strata or a savory bread pudding, which I'll happily whip up any time of year.

While you can purchase mushrooms year-round, most wild mushroom varieties are at their peak in the fall and winter seasons. This stuffing is the perfect way to celebrate the start of chilly weather — it's packed with in-season wild mushrooms (a mix of cremini, shiitake, and oyster) and an earthy blend of herbs, and is so cozy and comforting it will warm you right up. Plus, if you are thinking of making it for Thanksgiving, it never hurts to do a practice run.

Serve it as a hearty vegetarian main during the fall and winter seasons, then enjoy leftovers topped with a fried egg for breakfast. If you're not serving a crowd, divide the mixture into two smaller casserole dishes (such as 8x8), bake one immediately, then freeze the other for later enjoyment.

3 Steps to the Best Mushroom Stuffing

1. Use a mix of wild mushrooms. This stuffing is packed with rich, savory, umami flavor, thanks to a whopping 1 1/2 pounds of mixed wild mushrooms. While you can use all cremini or all shiitake with great results, a blend packs in the most interesting medley of flavors. Some grocery stores sell a pre-packaged sliced wild mushroom mix, while others sell their mushrooms in bulk bins. Either is perfectly fine.

2. Cook the mushrooms until the liquid is almost evaporated. As mushrooms cook, they shrink in size and release a lot of liquid. When you first add them all to the skillet, they'll be heaped in a giant pile, but they'll quickly cook down into a manageable amount. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until they're tender and most of the liquid has evaporated — about 15 to 20 minutes. A little liquid is okay (it's packed with mushroom flavor, and will soak into the bread), but too much will make the stuffing soggy.

3. Pack in the fresh herbs. Mushrooms are delicious, yes, but they don't exactly add a pop of color to any meal. A variety of fresh herbs — sage, thyme, and parsley — not only add quintessential stuffing flavor to this recipe, but they also add a welcomed pop of color that will make this stand out on the table, whether it's Thanksgiving Day or not.

Serves 8 to 10

Prep time: 40 minutes ; cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes

What You Need

Ingredients

loaf sourdough bread (1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (10 to 12 cups)

6 tablespoons

unsalted butter, divided, plus more for the baking dish and foil

medium leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

medium celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 1/2 pounds

mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, and oyster, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 12 cups)

1/4 cup

finely chopped fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons

fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon

freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons

kosher salt, divided

1/4 cup

finely chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems

2 1/2 cups

low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

large eggs

Equipment

rimmed baking sheets

Large skillet

9x13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish

Mixing bowls

Instructions

Heat the oven and prepare the baking dish. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat to 350°F. Meanwhile, coat a 9x13-inch or other 3-quart baking dish with butter and set aside.

Toast the bread dry. Divide the bread cubes between 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into a single layer. Toast until the bread is completely dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cook the leek and celery until tender. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and herbs. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms, sage, thyme, black pepper, and 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt. Cook until the mushrooms are golden-brown, tender, and any liquid released is almost evaporated, 15 to 18 minutes.

Mix the bread with the mushroom mixture. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a very large bowl. Add the bread cubes and parsley, and toss to combine.

Whisk the eggs and broth, and mix in. Place the broth, eggs, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup and whisk to combine. Pour over bread and mushroom mixture and use your hands or a large spoon to gently toss until all the bread is evenly moistened.

Transfer to the baking dish and top with butter. Transfer to prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and dot the top of the stuffing with the butter.

Cover and bake. Cover the baking dish tightly with a lightly buttered piece of aluminum foil. Bake until warmed through and slightly puffed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Uncover and bake at 425°F until crispy. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Uncover and bake until the top is golden-brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more. Sprinkle with more thyme leaves before serving.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The bread can be dried out in the oven a few days before and stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or just left out on the baking sheets overnight to dry at room temperature instead. The stuffing can also be completely assembled, topped with butter, covered tightly with buttered aluminum foil, and refrigerated overnight. When ready to bake, let the baking dish sit out on the counter as the oven heats. Bake for the same amount of time.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days of frozen for up to 1 month.

Source: https://www.thekitchn.com/mushroom-stuffing-recipe-261115

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