#American Chinese Cuisine and Recipes

[pupkou]

can we come together as a community and be honest with ourselves .. because i’m tired of seeing everything turned into an egg roll. not everything needs to be an egg roll

[avaantares]

...you fail, recipe blog. You fail THE MOSTEST.

(highlighting and compression for length mine)

[hannieehaee]

Svt & learning to cook food from s/o’s homecountry (aka not korean food). A different culture & food for each member would rlly cool

making you a meal from your country

content: established relationship, fluff, foreign reader (non-korean), etc.

wc: 872

a/n: this was such a cute concept omg!! i picked the food items and the home countries at random btw sorry if i got some dishes wrong pls lmk if there's any corrections i should make 😭

masterlist

seungcheol -

he wouldn't be able to stand your homesickness for even one second, feeling too sad at your sadness and deciding to do everything in his power to make you feel better. he'd ask around for traditional south african dishes leading him to make you some chakalaka while you were at work. the hours of trial and error wouldve been worth it the moment he saw the happiness in your eyes at his efforts.

jeonghan -

being quite used to simply ordering takeout whenever he so pleased, jeonghan was not used to cooking at home too often. however, if his sweet s/o wanted some homemade tom yum soup, then he'd deliver! after a quick call to mingyu (and an hour or two of messing around in the kitchen), he'd be ready with your food. he loves thai food, so this would be a win-win situation for him.

joshua -

he knew you sometimes missed australia and were unable to go back and forth as you pleased, so josh would occasionally indulge you in making meat pie for you, following a recipe you'd once made for him early in your relationship.

jun -

he'd had indian food before and loved it, so it did not take any convincing for him to decide to make you some indian street food. he'd do it out of his own volition pretty often, actually. by now, he had mastered the art of various dishes, specially panipuri, which he would frequently make for you, and sometimes he'd even share some with his members.

soonyoung -

if he sensed you growing homesick and missing your usual chinese cuisine, he'd go out of his way to seek out jun or minghao to ask what food may make you feel a bit better. he'd then take on the task of making you the most delicious street breakfast, jianbing, knowing it wasnt too difficult a task for him and that it was a meal you'd often have in your youth.

wonwoo -

wonwoo was quite known for his lack of ability in the kitchen, but that would not stop him from making you some laksa whenever you were feeling particularly homesick. despite not knowing how to make any other singaporean dishes, he'd have specifically mastered at least one in order to take care of you in such a domestic way whenever the opportunity arose.

jihoon -

never having been one to cook much (he'd much rather stick to washing dishes), he'd struggle a lot through making you some pastéis de nata for your anniversary, deciding to make a korean-portuguese fusion of meals to celebrate your relationship. ok, maybe he called mingyu over to help, but the joy in your eyes as you shared the meal with him had made it worth all of mingyu's nagging as he followed his instructions to the letter.

seokmin -

he's never been to spain, but he's had a few spanish meals throughout his life, so he'd quickly understand why you'd often complain about the lack of authentic spanish food near your shared apartment. would take it upon himself to learn how to make paella in the most perfect manner imaginable just to see a smile on your face.

mingyu -

making a pizza from scratch was easier said than done, but mingyu had taken on the task the moment you let him know of the fomo you felt at seeing him and his best friends explore your country of origin, italy. you'd watched nana tour happily, but still felt a bit off at knowing you couldn't be there with your boyfriend. but fear not! mingyu was about to bring the authentic italian experience to your door!

minghao -

he's been to the united states so many times by now that he just knows american food by heart. wouldnt even need a recipe to know how to make you some classic barbecue on a sunny afternoon. would even make an entire day out of it, grilling under the sun while you sunbathed next to him.

seungkwan -

seungkwan has always thought himself to be quite a good cook. or at least he was quite good at making korean food. japanese food was another story. he knew how badly you missed homemade sushi, never enjoying any from your nearby restaurants. he'd have to ask for your help at some point, but the end result would be the two of you sharing a nice moment making a meal together, so it all went according to plan.

vernon -

he doesnt know how to cook neither korean nor american food, but you best bet he'll try his hardest to make you traditional vietnamese food in the form of bun cha and bánh xèo. it looked easy and like it tasted good, how hard could it be? would try his bestest but eventually need to ask you for help completing the task. a+ for effort, though.

chan -

he already loves mexican food, so making it for you wouldnt even be something you'd have to request from him – he'd just do it on his own! he'd already mastered all types of street food, eventually opting to make you menudo, knowing how much you enjoyed that meal as a child.

[ronycore]

recipes/photography via Souped Up Recipes

After graduating from college in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, with a major in Chinese herbology, Mandy Fu first worked for a medicine company and then a food ingredient supplier. Inspired by her boyfriend (now husband), an American fascinated by Chinese cuisine, she decided to share her passion for cooking with others via YouTube in English.

(article via South China Morning Post)

[fixfoxnox]

We’ve seen the 141 react to southern food but what about Roach and Jacksons reactions to british cuisine?

Gonna say a quick thank to the anons who have sent questions involving Jackson y'all know I love him and I love getting to include him

Also before we start I should just say that I'm an American, so my knowledge of British cuisine literally extends to what I've seen in tiktoks and tv. So my apologies if this is horribly stereotypical or wrong, but also I'm an American so it's kinda a national like expectation to make fun of the British, just know its all in good fun.

How Roach and Jackson React To British Cuisine

First of all, before they've even tried anything I know these two are making fun of British food just based on what they've heard.

Roach jokingly replies "fish n chips" in a terrible British accent any time Ghost asks what he wants to eat. Soap lowkey thinks its hilarious but tries to hide his laughter.

(He always fails and Ghost always gets mad at them)

Jackson sends random ass like wack foods he see's online to Price and Gaz like "was this something you ate as a kid?"

One day sends Gaz the recipe for like raisin meat salad or some shit and is like "reminds you of home huh"

So its obviously only a matter of time before Jackson and Roach are forced to actually try some British food by the British.

The first time that Gaz or Price or Ghost looks one of them in the eyes and says "thats it, I'm making you try a Chinese" I think they die a little inside.

Both of them sitting patiently at a table as the boys debate on what to make them. Ghost suggests beans and toast and I think both Roach and Jackson have a little southern heart attack when they're brought out beans on plain bread.

Roach literally can't eat it because of a texture thing with the soggy bread (me too babes) but Jackson tires to power through it

He tries it and Roach swears up and down that Jackson actually starts to cry but Gaz swears that they were tears of joy (they weren't)

They try some other things, and that goes a bit better, but overall Jackson and Roach generally aren't impressed by most of the foods.

Jackson asks at what point which seasonings they used on the food and when Gaz answers back "salt" he dies a little inside (the poor man is from Louisiana you know he's sobbing)

Eventually the British Boys are just like "okay well you know what, fuck them what could we give them to make them gag."

They try black pudding

Immediately disappointed when, upon hearing what it is, Roach and Jackson don't flip out and instead try it perfectly fine

"This isn't bad. Could be a good way to use more of the animals during hunting season"

"Wonder how hard it is to make"

At the end of things, Jackson and Roach decide that the best of the dishes was the full English breakfast and they invite the boys to make it for them again, though Jackson warns he'll be adding more than salt the next time they make it

Then, Jackson, ever the evil man, suggests that he should share some Cajun food with them next.

Roach, despite knowing it may kill them, doesn't say a word

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Updated: November 18, 2024

How good is the Iron Eclipse cast at cooking?

I got inspired by a friend asking me how good OG Tarma might be at cooking. I left out a few characters because they don't require sustenance to survive, lack culinary skills, and/or aren't significantly featured.

Marco: Although he's a capable cook, his go-to options often involve ordering takeout, barbecuing or enjoying meals prepared by his friends.

Tarma: He's a skilled cook who specialises in traditional Japanese and Mexican cuisine, cooking only when the mood strikes, but he's always happy to assist others in the kitchen.

Eri: She's better at cooking traditional Japanese dishes, but has a tendency to burn them.

Fio: She's incredibly talented at baking and whipping up tasty lunches!

Trevor: He's okay at cooking, but gets somewhat sloppy when under the influence.

Nadia: She's a skilled cook and baker, but often lacks the motivation to do so.

Ralf: He's a good cook, but his tendency to be a bit careless in the kitchen means he frequently gets help from others.

Clark: He can cook and grill, but typically opts for his friends' homemade meals or healthier takeout.

Tequila: He's not the greatest cook, but grilling is where he truly shines!

Gimlet: His culinary skills are lacking, so expect him to opt for takeout instead.

Red Eye: Her cooking skills are average (as Ruoxi), she's amazing at making Chinese food (as Shufen), and she either makes traditional Dutch dishes or dines at high-end restaurants (as Liddy).

General Morden: He excels at cooking North American, European, and Middle Eastern cuisine!

Allen O'Neil: He's more skilled at preparing ingredients, such as chopping food and seasoning, than actual cooking.

Doctor Amadeus: She's great at crafting traditional Western European breakfast and lunch dishes, but when it comes to dinner and dessert, she prefers the convenience of takeout.

Ptolemaios: He prefers that his meals are prepared by his most loyal and trusted followers.

Walter: He's alright at grilling and cooking Mama's classic recipes, and enjoys helping others with meal prep.

Tyra: She's good at cooking simple Arabic and North American meals, and her favourite way to cook is with others.

Hyakutaro: He mostly relies on takeout and meals prepared by his friends, but occasionally cooks decent meals for himself, particularly when he's alone.

Allen Jr.: He's better at cooking and preventing food from burning than at meal prep.

Rumi: She struggles with cooking, often resulting in burnt or unappetizingly sloppy dishes.

Madoka: Her cooking skills surpass those of her younger sister, but occasionally her dishes can appear hastily prepared and lacking refinement.

Sophia: She's an exceptional cook, particularly when it comes to seafood.

Margaret: She's great at whipping up simple meals with fresh herbs from her greenhouse.

Leona: Although she's a capable cook, her busy schedule often leads her to prepare simple dishes or order takeout.

Heidern: Despite his blindness, he's a skilled cook, but often enjoys cooking with assistance or ordering takeout for added convenience.

Alisa Stewart: She's a decent cook, but barbecuing and baking sweet treats are her true specialties.

Nathalie Neo: Her cooking skills are limited, so she often relies on takeout, meals prepared by friends, and simple, low-effort recipes.

Roberto Nicola: He’s exceptionally skilled at baking pastries and cooking a wide range of recipes he’s learned during his time in Portugal and the Middle East.

Dilovar: He's a phenomenal cook, but truly excels when making Ukrainian, Tajik, Russian, and Taiwanese cuisine.

Sagan: She struggles with cooking traditional meals, but excels at crafting delicious desserts.

Logan: He's most skilled at preparing meals that are easy to make and require little prep work.

Torquil: He's a surprisingly talented chef, but he prefers cooking dinner.

Guilherme: He's a skilled self-taught cook who draws inspiration from his aunt's and great-grandmother's homemade recipes.

Ferdinand: He excels at meat preparation, specifically cutting and seasoning, but his overall cooking skills are mediocre, so he often relies on Guilherme's expertise.

[tastesoftamriel]

I'm sure you're entirely sick of talking about this bc that initial anon was... dumb as hell and I too would like to forget about it if I were you lol, so feel free to ignore this ask!! but I just wanted to throw in my two cents as a fellow non-white non-American fantasy writer. cause fantasy as a genre is so insanely whitewashed, and even in settings like TES that have multiple different fantasy-cultures that are meant to draw inspiration from lots of different real-world-cultures, they tend to be shallow and lacking and let's be real, TES isn't getting any awards for being politically correct. I for one always get insanely hyped when I see more diverse takes on fantasy, whether thats in original fiction or fanfiction, cause 1) it just vastly improves the quality of the world building and 2) it creates more welcoming spaces for other bipoc to create more cool stuff. and also, it's just fun as hell to project your own culture into dope fantasy settings. I do it all the time and I fuckin love when other people do it.

I feel like that anon was just looking for a fight and intentionally trying to interpret your comment in the most bad faith way possible (classic tesblr behavior ngl). and like I get it, orientalism sucks ass, but I've followed you for a couple years now and I've only ever known you to be a super chill, super respectful person who (like I said before) creates a welcoming space for other bipoc in the fandom.

tldr: anon is a clown, representation is fun, your blog slaps

❤ from @reachfolk

Yes yes YES I could hug you! Inclusivity and breaking away from whitewashed fantasy is one of my main goals with this blog! My recipes and worldbuilding have me neck deep in exploring global cuisine and culture, but as soon as it's a picture then people go off about cultural insensitivity. Because reading comprehension is low here so most people barely glance at the worldbuilding posts.

Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, as far as Asian actors in Hollywood went, you had Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan. There was that show about Imperial Chinese cats called Sagwa (傻瓜 shagua literally means "dumb melon" which is what you call a certified idiot). Mulan (forever my favourite). Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? But that's it. Seeing Michelle Yeoh winning everything recently makes me feel proud to be Asian. I cried when I saw Over the Moon.

If just ONE person looks at this blog and goes "cool, I learned something" or "cool, my culture is being recognised and represented as a form of inspiration", then I have done something right. Other Chinese/East Asian people in the past have applauded me for bucking the western "Asian" stereotype, simply because I express my love for my culture differently.

I'm no less Chinese for being fluent in English (which is actually my mother tongue btw thanks colonialism), or being a goth, or an author who happens to be atrocious at math. I just am. And I want everyone to just be too. To embrace their otherness, to rejoice in the diversity of the human experience, and to learn to live together. And most of all, I wanna see more awareness in writing (especially fantasy) about non-Global North cultures and the people who represent them. I'm sick of being a media cliché.

If you're a POC and you're looking for your sign to delve into fantasy worldbuilding, this is it. Go write. Create. Destroy. Build the world you've always wanted to see through the lens of your heritage, use your history as a lesson, use your language as a weapon. ~Tal

[rabbitcruiser]

National Dumpling Day

Celebrate the joy and deliciousness of everything related to these tasty little balls of dough with National Dumpling Day!

History of National Dumpling Day

When people think of dumplings, their minds may conjure up a variety of images depending on where they hail from. Chinese filled dumplings such as dim sum or bao (which are steamed instead of boiled) might be what comes to mind. Other people might think of dumplings that are in soup, while still others might have their mouths watering of Czech dumplings that seem more like a slice of bread than a dumpling.

The origination of dumplings in China was probably by a medical practitioner during the Eastern Han Dynasty which lasted from around 200 BC to 200 AD. Not long after, the first written recipe for dumplings seems to have appeared in Roman culture in a cookery manuscript referred to as Apicus that is believed to have been written around 400 AD.

Made out of dough that is some sort of starch base, like wheat flour or potato starch, dumplings often act as a blank slate upon which other flavorful meals and tastes can be built.

How to Celebrate National Dumpling Day

Consider some of these ideas for getting involved with National Dumpling Day:

Enjoy Eating Dumplings

Head out to a restaurant and order a big pile of dumplings in honor of National Dumpling Day! The best bet for finding dumplings on the menu might be to choose a restaurant that offers Chinese cuisine. But they can also be found at American restaurants that serve southern-style home cooking, like Cracker Barrel.

Grab some friends to take along and order a variety of different types and styles of dumplings to compare and determine which ones are the best!

Try Making Dumplings at Home

Part of the fun of National Dumpling Day might be engaging in the process of making them. First, choose the style of dumplings to make and then search for a recipe. The easiest dumplings to make are probably the kind that are dropped directly into soup, but other options that include rolling, wrapping and stuffing might be an extra fun challenge.

Learn Some Fun Facts About Dumplings

Don’t forget to tell friends about National Dumpling Day! Perhaps it would be fun to work it into conversation with some of these clever bits of trivia about dumplings:

More than 25 styles of dumplings exist. While many people think of Asian dumplings, most cultures in the world have some version of this, including Indian, Italian, Korean and more.

Dumplings can be savory or sweet. While many people think of dumplings as a main dish, they can also be filled with delicious sweet flavors like grated coconut, cane sugar and even chocolate.

Chinese legends say that dumplings were originally formed in the shape of little ears by a doctor who created them for people to eat to prevent getting frostbite on their ears.

Dumplings can be prepared in many ways: frying, boiling, steaming, baking and simmering are all methods used for making them.

Source

[beautybidevastation]

What is one of my passions? Cooking for myself and others. A few of my favorite culinary cultures to create recipes from would be Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisines. As well as recipes from other cultures like German, North American, and a few that are not culture specific.

[irithnova]

it’s my headcanon that mongolia may have once conquered china, but china knows that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

so china begins cooking (let him cook)

and mongolia becomes addicted to chinese cuisine lmaooo (and mb even the cook himself)

Hahah interesting headcanon, I quite like it myself.

Historically, Yuan Dynasty court food was still mainly Mongol/Mongol influenced! Contrary to what some may believe, the Mongols of the Yuan were not sinicized, and this is seen even through the food they ate.

When the Mongols conquered China, they established their own court cuisine as a demonstration of power and authority. This aligns with the long-standing tradition across Chinese and other court societies of using food as a symbol of respect, dominance, hierarchy, and power.

It is reasonable to assume that the Mongols cuisine their pre-imperial ventures were similar to other central Asian trends .

Historical records mention feasts among Central Asian "barbarians" and their use of food in state ceremonies and hospitality. Rather than adopting China's classic cuisine, the Mongols built upon their own traditions, incorporating diverse international influences while also maintaining their steppe eating customs and foods.

This display of cultural preservation, despite the availability of Chinese alternatives, is seen as a testament to their determination!

Further, the Mongols established their capital in North China, which had already been under non-Chinese rule for over a century and had its own distinct cuisine. The Chinese food in the north was already influenced by Central and West Asia since the Han Dynasty.

Even before occupying China, the Mongols had vast imperial ventures and so they had opportunity to absorb culinary traditions from various regions.

Because or this, they didn't feel the need to adopt Chinese cuisine of the time, which was based on ingredients not readily available in the north. The Mongols were influenced by their Turkic officials and the cuisine they encountered in Beijing had already been influenced by previous dynasties.

Mongol feasts became increasingly diverse with the foods as the Mongols conquered more land, thus gaining access to more typed of foods.

The historian George Lane shares what a meal at the Mongol imperial court might have included:

"Appetizers might have included momo shapale with sipen mardur sauce, delicate steamed Tibetan mushroom ravioli smothered in a creamy, spicy yoghurt sauce. A salad of Bhutanese chilli and cheese might have followed. The main course, shabril with dresil, comprised Tibetan meatball curry with nutted saffron rice, honey, and currants. Himalayan steamed bread with turmeric and barley beer with honey would have accompanied the main food, and also as a dessert, Chinese chestnut mound with cream and glazed fruit would have found favour. "

The Yinshan Zhengyao is a 1330 CE book written by Hu Sihui, which served as a guide for the Mongol imperial court. It contains various recipes and cooking techniques. Some of the dishes include:

1) Roast Wolf Soup

2) Mountain oysters

3) Detoxifying Dried Orange Peel Puree (for hangovers)

While the Mongols definitely retained their cuisine (and culture), I do think Mongolia definitely did try traditional Chinese cuisine! There's no way he stayed there for (almost) a century and didn't try it.

He most likely then tried Song Dynasty food! The last Chinese dynasty to the South before the Yuan completely took over.

During the Song dynasty, Chinese cuisine reached new heights in terms of variety and nutritional value.

In fact, in 1998, the American "Life Magazine" listed the top 100 influential events of the past 1,000 years. One of them was the rise of restaurants and snacks during the Song Dynasty, which came at 56!

During the Song, people started eating three meals a day instead of two. This change gave them more time to explore and experiment with different cooking methods and flavours.

In Hangzhou, the capital of the Song Dynasty, cooks tried out a variety of herbs and spices brought from different parts of Asia. The noblemen hosted banquets that would last for days, serving dishes named "Dragon Meets Phoenix" and "Seven Stars Encircle the Moon." Hangzhou impressed Marco Polo so much that he described it as a place of abundant pleasures, akin to paradise!

Some song dynasty foods that China might have prepared for Mongolia (to prove this his cuisine is ~superior~)

1) Orange stuffed with fried crab

2) Plum blossom soup

Here's a website I found which talks more about Song Dynasty food:

The Song popularised foods that are even loved to this day like ham, braised pork, hotpot, fried bread stick, rice dumpling, and popcorn. It was a truly revolutionary period for food.

So I speculate that Mongolia tried Song Dynasty food, and yes, he was very impressed by it!

[dustteller]

Eating sesame chicken in New York and its reminding me that my first culinary stop once I get back to Puerto Rico is going to be getting chinese food. Puertorrican Chinese Food>>>>>> american chinese food by far. Our chinese food slaps so hard chinese immigrants in PR really did just give it their 110% when adapting recipes and developing new ones.

If any of you guys ever visit PR please don't forget to go to the Chinese places they're an indispensable part of PR cuisine to the point where several traditional Puertorrican dishes are not at their peak unless you get them at a chinese place. Tostones from Criollo places? Great! Tostones from the Chinese restaurants? You ARE going to experience heaven, and it's not optional. Istg they put crack in that shit.

[chocochipbiscuit]

10, and potentially 3 for A Most Edible Thistle if you like 😊

10) What is something you really want to write but haven't written yet?

I always have more ideas than time!!! The current longfic idea that has been sitting in outline form for a while (and which I'm continually plinking away at) is a FONV/FO4 crossover where the Legion's destroyed Jacobstown, leaving Keene to flee across the wasteland with the rest of the nightkin and mutants. He's the last survivor, holed up by raiders...and then Preston Garvey and the Minutemen come blazing in for a rescue.

Basically: a prickly and traumatized asshole slowly learns to deal with survivor's guilt, grief, and learning to trust again. He ends up BFFs with Marcy Long (another survivor of a massacre) and falling in love with Preston. There's some specific scenes I have in mind for it (like accidental sex pollen while exploring a vault, because I desperately want to write them fucking WHILE pining!) and eventually culminating with Preston getting kidnapped and Keene rescuing him at the end. Something something. Raiders. Guilt. Grief. Recognition that we can always change for the better. Red Tourette blaming the Minutemen for her sister Lily's death. Keene blaming himself for grandma Lily's death.

...basically it's a big emotional stew right now and I need more time to figure out the narrative chain that links to the final scene. I'm confident I'll write it eventually, but it's still in the planning stages. Gotta get my writers' mise en place...well, en place.

3) What is something you learned/researched while writing a fic?

For A Most Edible Thistle, most of the lore was stuff I already knew! I listen to a lot of podcasts about food and love reading stuff, so I was already thinking about food as a way of showing culture, trade, and political influence, so most of the 'research' was just refreshing things I had already aware of.

I was trying to lean into Thedas food cultures, and that Antiva was inspired by Spain, while Rivain was inspired by Morocco, which was my thought process in having halva and preserved lemons as part of Rivaini cuisine, and the shift from the broad cultural feast at the beginning of the book to something more specific to what would be Josephine and Vivienne's home cuisines. (Even if Vivienne doesn't necessarily remember this as a child herself, it's more about her being willing to eat this in front of other people rather than making herself as Orlesian as possible.)

And while this wasn't research for this fic in particular, I was also listening/reading a lot about Chinese-American food traditions and the way 'American Chinese' food is as much as distinct cuisine based on historical immigration trends as well as more 'traditional' Chinese foods, and how inheritors of 'tradition' still end up adjusting to locally available ingredients and tastes. (Ex: my mother made chow mein with spaghetti while growing up. I still do it sometimes even when I have access to 'real' chow mein noodles because it's a taste of childhood. Just the other night I made a cacio e pepe variation using Korean chili flakes and gochujang instead of black pepper because it was what I had in my pantry and I liked the flavors, never mind that I'm not Korean or Italian.) Except I decided that having Chef Robin explain all this over cooking lessons or discussing recipes would be far too anvilicious and distract from the actual romance arc or food crime plots!

And not 'research' as in reading a how-to per se, but I did read a lot of romance novels, and was thinking in terms of commonalities and beats I wanted to hit in this fic. So in that sense, reading romance novels was research for writing my own romance novella!

Thank you for asking, I had a lot of fun answering! :D

(Self-indulgent asks from this ask game!)

[docholligay]

Do you have a dish or recipe you're very traditional about? Like "it was good 200 years ago, it's good now, no notes"

OHHHHH man. This question is actually harder to answer than you'd think!

Because CONCEPTUALLY, no. I am a person who believes in, mostly, culinary boundaries being pushed, being fucked around with. I am not one of those people who believes that for something to be adapted is to be inferior or fake--I think American Chinese food, Tex-Mex, and British Indian food are all FUCKING BANGERS, they just happen to be different from what I'm going to call their "source cuisines" (I am not even going to go into how saying they aren't 'real X food' erases the efforts of immigrants in a different country, and also ends up flattening, in the above examples, EXTREMELY fucking diverse countries. Like I am not super up on China or India in a culinary sense, only in a passing one, but I do in fact know quite a bit about Mexico and uh there are absolutely places in Mexico that use dairy jesus fucking christ) but they are heroes in their own right.

I also think that tweaking something comes from a place of interest, usually, and desire to make something interesting, or to make something work, or to push your neighbors and family. So, like, I know everyone lost their minds about GBB's smores incident, but, even as a protector of the idea that American Culinary Traditions are Valuable, I think it's really annoyingly precious to be like "A digestive is nothing like a graham cracker" oh ffs shut up I have told people in the Uk to sub in digestives a zillion fucking times they are like 2% different you are being a fucking weirdo. (In the same way the internet LOSES IT when I say most scones are essentially US cream biscuits, but if I put them both on a plate and said "One of these is a scone recipe and one is a cream biscuit" most people couldn't do better than 50/50 quit being stupid who do you think BROUGHT IT OVER HERE)

So, again: Conceptually I do not necessarily believe in culinary sacred cows.

CONCEPTUALLY.

In the real world, in which I am forced to square with my belief structure and its consequences, I was once served an Old Fashioned in Scotland with SELTZER WATER in it, and despite Glasgow being King of the Scottish Mainland I GASPED AUDIBLY but the woman at my hotel (that I highly recommend to anyone staying in Glasgow, which I actually preferred to Edinburgh) was so kind and sweet and delivered it to my room so I DRANK IT, and I have since discovered that there are some people who actually think this is a correct way to make an Old Fashioned and unless you are using the rotgut they made in the South during prohibition you have no business and no right and I hope you know you are unraveling the fabric of society.

[arborealhivemind]

Improved Market Stalls 1.0

Over time, EA added a variety of regional recipes and market stalls — except they didn't care to integrate any of them.  This mod fixes that.  Initially, this mod was just going to focus on the missing recipes, but as there are multiple market stalls (even non-food ones) that could use improving, this mod was built from ground-up to be expansible.

The first release of this mod focuses on the above problem. Dishes that were added via SDX and updates were added to their respective food stalls, as well as recipes from other packs (looking at you, Weddinhg Stories).

[*] indicates that the recipe module is required

DOWNLOAD

City Living

Wedding Stories provided us with new Chinese and Indian recipes and, while City Living recipes were available at the Tartosa food stalls, Wedding Stories recipes were not. Additionally, the developers seemed to have missed the Vegetarian Butter Chicken recipe and the Lunar New Year SDX recipes were nonexistent.

Snow Escape came with a wide variety of Japanese recipes.  For the sake of brevity, I only added food types that are not already repesented in the menu (Maki, Onigri, Yakisoba) and a vegetarian option for one already represented (Ramen).

The Mexican food stall has some recipes from Jungle Adventures and the Latin American cuisine SDX.  As I am not Mexican, I had to do research to confirm if a recipe was in Mexican cuisine and I welcome feedback from more knowledgable Simmers.

Similarly, the Morrocan food stall has recipes from Discover University and the Arabic cuisine SDX.  I welcome feedback from anyone more knowledgeable on Moroccan cuisine.

Chinese

Chicken Stir-fry*, Minced Pork Noodles*, Rice Cake*, Steamed Fish*

Wedding Stories: Mud Carp, Roast Duck, Sweet Buns, Vegetable Dumplings

Indian

Vegetarian Butter Chicken*

Wedding Stories: Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani, Gulab Jamun, Palak Paneer

Japanese

Snowy Escape: Avacado Maki, Tuna Maki, Onigri, Miso Ramen, Beef Yakisoba, Veggie Yakisoba

Mexican

Chili, Chips and Salsa*, Elote*, Pan de Muerto*, Fish Tacos, Tofu Tacos

Jungle Adventure: Bunuelos, Empanadas Verde, Platanos Fritos

Luxury Party: Ceviche*

Morrocan

Knafeh*, Zaatar Manaeesh*

Get Together: Pita and Hummus Tapas*

Discover University: Fattoush Salad, Tabbouleh Salad, Shish Kebabs, Beef Wrap, Chicken Wrap, Falafel Wrap

Discover University

As the kebab stall seemed to be more of a pan-Arabic cuisine, I did not add the Moroccan dishes from City Living.

Kebabs

Knafeh*, Zaatar Manaeesh*

Get Together: Pita and Hummus Tapas*

Snowy Escape

City Living's selection of Japanese recipes is heavily limited in comparasion with Snowy Escape's, so there weren't many recipes added to the menu.  For consistency's sake, I only added recipes already represented on the menu.

In addition, the Festival of Light has Pufferfish Nigiri.

Traditional

City Living: Dango, Nigiri

Mountain Food

City Living: Dango, Ramen

Festival of Light

City Living: Dango, Nigiri, Pufferfish Nigiri

Festival of Youth

City Living: Dango, Nigiri

Festival of Snow

City Living: Dango, Nigiri, Ramen

Jungle Adventure

The food stall for Jungle Adventure appeared to be pan-South American, so I included all the recipes from the Latin American cuisine update and the Brazilian cuisine update, including drinks.  It did not seem to include Mexican recipes, so only one recipe from City Living (Empanadas) was added.

As Sims tend to waste food when they get the "Overwhelming Flavor" buff, I suggest my Don't Waste Food mod.

Food

Acaraje*, Asado*, Brigadiero*, Chimis*, Chimichurri Skewers*, Chripan*, Churrasco*, Hallacas*, Pinchos*, Pollo a la Brasa*

City Living: Empanadas

Luxury Party: Ceviche

Drinks

Caiprinha*, Coquito*

Wedding Stories

As mentioned above, Wedding Stories stalls already integrated City Living recipes into their menu.  I only needed to add the recipes from the Lunar New Year update and the Vegetarian Butter Chicken.

Chinese

Chicken Stir-fry*, Minced Pork Noodles*, Rice Cake*, Steamed Fish*

Indian

Vegetarian Butter Chicken*

Growing Together

This one was slightly harder to choose for as it's essentially a sampling of multiple cuisines.  I didn't want to flood the menus with every regional recipe available, I decided to go with a recognizable recipe from each of these cuisines: Brazilian, Korean, Middle Eastern, and Polynesian.

I plan to update this stall continuously as EA adds more recipes.

Around the World

Aracaje*, Japchae*

Island Living: Poke Bowl

Discover University: Shish Kebabs

[bookclub4m]

25 Food/Cooking Non-Fiction Books by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Niqiliurniq: A Cookbook from Igloolik by Micah Arreak, Annie Désilets, Lucy Kappianaq, Glenda Kripanik, and Kanadaise Uyarasuk

New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian by Freddie Bitsoie

Cooking for the Culture: Recipes and Stories from the New Orleans Streets to the Table by Toya Boudy

Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations by Tabitha Brown

tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine by Shane M. Chartrand with Jennifer Cockrall-King

Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook by Sohla El-Waylly

50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant's Love Letter to the United States Through Pie by Stacey Mei Yan Fong

Modern Native Feasts by Andrew George Jr.

Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha

A Foodie's Guide to Capitalism by Eric Holt-Giménez

Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada's Chinese Restaurants by Ann Hui

Korean American: Food that Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim

Indian-Ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family by Priya Krishna with Ritu Krishna

100 Million Years of Food: What Our Ancestors Ate and Why It Matters Today by Stephen Le

A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia by Lara Lee

Eat, Habibi, Eat!: Fresh Recipes for Modern Egyptian Cooking by Shahir Massoud

The Mexican Home Kitchen: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico by Mely Martinez

Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in México by Rick Martinez

Food-Related Stories by Gaby Melian

Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System by Raj Patel

Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman

Plantcakes: Fancy + Everyday Vegan Cakes for Everyone by Lyndsay Sung

Chef Tee's Caribbean Kitchen by Chef Tee

Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes by Bryant Terry

Cooking with the Wolfman: Indigenous Fusion by David Wolfman and Marlene Finn

[ainews]

Recipes are a fundamental part of human culture, passed down from generation to generation and constantly evolving over time. They are an essential way of preserving and sharing culinary knowledge, allowing us to recreate dishes from different cultures and time periods. But did you know that recipes can also be a valuable tool for examining the existence of cryptids, creatures that have been reported but have not been scientifically proven to exist?

Cryptids, also known as “hidden animals,” are the subjects of many legends and sightings around the world. From the infamous Loch Ness Monster to the elusive Bigfoot, these creatures have sparked the imagination and curiosity of people for centuries. However, their existence is often met with skepticism and requires concrete evidence to be accepted by the scientific community.

This is where recipes come into play. Many cryptids are said to inhabit specific regions, such as lakes, forests, or mountains, and are associated with certain foods or ingredients. For example, the Almas, a legendary ape-like creature said to inhabit the mountain ranges of Central Asia, is often described as having a strong preference for wild onions.

By studying traditional recipes from these regions, researchers can gain a better understanding of the local cuisine and the ingredients used. This information can provide valuable insights into the diets and food sources available in these areas, which can then be compared to reported cryptid sightings.

In addition, recipes can also reveal cultural beliefs and practices associated with these creatures. For example, recipes for “dragon soup” in Chinese culture may shed light on the origins of the mythological dragon and its significance in Chinese folklore.

The use of recipes for cryptid research is not a new concept. In fact, the famed American zoologist Ivan T. Sanderson used traditional recipes as a means of gathering evidence for his theories on the possible existence of the Loch Ness Monster. He believed that the creature, if it exists, could be a species of giant eel that was caught and consumed by locals, resulting in the sightings and legends.

Furthermore, recipes can also serve as a way to preserve the cultural heritage and traditions of communities that live in close proximity to areas where cryptids are reported. By documenting and studying their recipes, we gain a deeper understanding of their way of life and how it has been influenced by the presence of these mysterious creatures.

In conclusion, recipes are an invaluable resource for examining the existence of cryptids. They provide information on local cuisines, cultural beliefs, and traditional practices, all of which can contribute to a better understanding of these legendary creatures. So the next time you try a new recipe, remember that it may hold secrets about the hidden animals that continue to capture our imagination.