#Especially the cuttlefish chips

[donuts4evry1]

i finally got around to making gọi sứa :D, it was really tasty

[galaxyseclipse]

it is once again splatoon oc loredump time

Ika’s the only one left for now, let’s go!

-around 15 years old as of splat3. they don’t know exactly how old they are, they just go off of what others around their age say

-if they spoke English they’d have an American southern accent

-are trilingual; they can speak Salmontongue, Octarian, and Inklish; learned in that order

-will eat just about anything you put in front of them, and a lot of it

-have eaten sand on more than one occasion. and power eggs

-they were never given a proper(non Salmonid) name, they just started calling themself Ika because the guys who taught them Octarian did(it's literally just the Octarian word for squid though, they know this but don't care)

-parents? what are those?

-they were essentially raised by a tribe of Salmonid that lived in/frequented the area of the desert they lived in

-their design is based off of the whip-lash squid, so they're tall and lanky. when they're an adult they are the second tallest official member of the NSS, coming in at about 5'8"(172 cm)

-they've got a lot of scars from various things

-main stringers, specifically the Tri-stringer. they had a Hero Stringer(design pending) made for them after defeating Mr. Grizz. they aren't terrible at other weapon types, but they are the most comfortable with the stringer

-like to keep their distance during fights. very agile despite their weapon of choice

-tend to be distrustful/borderline rude to new people, especially when they're on their turf(the only reason they got roped into the zapfish fiasco was because they were telling Cuttlefish to get out of their zone and he misunderstood their intentions)

-get along pretty well with Four. both are pretty chaotic and build off of each other's shenanigans. they also have quite a bit of respect for them, not just because they're older Four is definitely a bit of a bad influence tho

-they have a lot of respect for Tsunami. mostly because she's the captain/former agent 3. she also helped them get better with their own abilities, so she's been a pretty big mentor to them as well

-doesn't interact with Ivory all that much she said they were adorable the first time they met and they didn't like that, they're respectful when they do though, even if slightly out of fear

-tries to be all emotionless and mysterious and confident, but inside they're pretty lonely and are grateful to have had a bunch of potential friends thrown into their lap

-pretty good at video games, almost all free time not spent doing inksports or sleeping is spent playing

-they have a little shack out in the desert where they lived until they moved in with Four. after that they just used it as a place to be alone and/or cool off a little bit

-their Salmonid friend/little buddy is named Chip(I don't talk about him much at all lol). they have a more friend-like relationship as opposed to him being their pet

-they still work as a scrapper("why would I stop? ain't harming anything")

-they actually had a couple run-ins with Deep Cut before RotM(they stole stuff from their base and sold it themself). when they were fighting in Alterna, all three said something along the lines of "hey wait a second you're the little shit who keeps stealing from us!"

-never actually received a formal education. they have basic reading and writing skills, and that's about it. Four is working on this with them, but they don't like it

geez I started writing this one thinking it'd be the shortest, guess there's more than I thought lmao

[h2whoalvr]

new pinned post because the old one disappeared???

hi, i'm sepia/z, either of those names are fine! i use he/she/xe/ze pronouns

i am a MINOR!!!!!!! i might be stupid!! and say dumb things!!! because i am a teenager!!!!!!!! please be patient with me if i dont immediately perfectly understand something!!!

i really really like side order, octo expansion, and all of the agents (but especially eight)

my fav bands from splatoon are h2whoa (kinda obvious lol), yoko and the gold bazookas, chirpy chips, dedf1sh, and ofc all the idol groups !!

sometimes i post art

i am a big fan of cuttlefish (the animal, not the captain)

[astrolotte]

Seeing as I just made a post about how people should make more non-'ling OCs, I figured it might be a good idea to make a list of all the various species included so far in Splatoon!

All species with only a few members are listed with those examples next to them, including where they're from. This is so it's easier to look them up and find examples of the species on Inkipedia, so you can get a guide faster :p

italics = in-game/3D model

bold = especially humanoid

Band and Shop

Sea Anemone (Annie [Cooler Heads], Harmony [Hotlantis, Chirpy Chips], Mayaya [Ink Theory]) Crab (Shikaku [Chirpy Chips]) Double Lined Fusilier (Taka [Hightide Era]) Herring (Nishida [Hightide Era]) Stonefish (Kuze [Hightide Era]) Sea Urchin (Murasaki [Squid Squad], Aachin [Ink Theory], Kitamura [Ink Theory], Spyke, Murch) Betta Fish (Fin Bottom [Bottom Feeders]) Seaweed (Tangle Bottom [Bottom Feeders]) Yesso Scallop (Murata Bottom [Bottom Feeders]) Shark (Fuka Bottom [Bottom Feeders], Master Mega [Shiver's shark]) Globefish (Blow Bottom [Bottom Feeders]) Cutthroat Eel (Tsumabushi [Wet Floor]) Candy Crab (Kazami [Wed Floor]) Nautilus (Karen [Ink Theory], Gnarly Eddy [Naut Couture]) Scaly-Foot Gastropod (Karla [SashiMori]) Koi Carp (Ryu-Chang [SashiMori]) Largehead Hairtail (Taichi Sawaberu [SashiMori]) Cuttlefish (Cuttlefish Idols) Bivalve (Unknown Front Roe Member) Horseshoe Crab (Sheldon [Ammo Knights], Ammoses Shellendorf) Japanese Tiger Prawn (Crusty Sean [Shrimp Kicks]) Sea Slug (Flow [Headspace]) Spider Crab (Bisk [Shella Fresh]) Goldfish (Staff/Marigold) Coconut Crab (Mr. Coco [Crush Station])

Deep Sea Metro

Sea Angel Ping-Pong Tree Sponge Deep-Sea Jellyfish Predatory Tunicate Gulper Eel Flashlight Fish Birdbeak Dogfish Siphonophore Blobfish

Main Creatures

Inkling Jellyfish Manta Ray Octarian -Octoling -Octotrooper -Twintacle Octotrooper -Octoball/Octodisco -Octo[sniper/commander] -Octostamp -Tentakook -Octohurler -Octoballer -Octocopter -Octobomber -Octomissile -Octozeppelin -Octopod -Octorpedo -Octostomp -Octonozzle -Octowhirl -Octomaw -Octo Oven -Octo Samurai -Octo Shower -Tentacle Salmonid -Chum -Smallfry -Cohock -Snatcher -Steelhead -Flyfish -Steel Eel -Maws -Stinger -Drizzler -Scrapper -Fish Stick -Flipper Flopper -Big Shot -Slammin' Lid -Chinook -Griller -Goldie -Mothership -Mudmouth -Cohozuna

Other Creatures

Clownfish (hover around anemones - Moe [Cooler Heads], Harmony's Clownfish [Hotlantis, Chirpy Chips]) Emporer Shrimp (similar to clownfish but with different species - Craymond [Headspace])(Great) Zapfish (energy resource) Cat (only Judd and Lil Judd) Bear (only Mr. Grizz) Bird (various) Butterfly Nudibranch Turtles (mentioned) Eel (Frye's eels) Human (extinct) Dog (extinct)

Sunken Scrolls

(my apologies, but this part will look different. The above was made in my notes app and copy pasted, while this is added in edit)

Airborne Microbes (Sunken Scroll 14, Splatoon 2)

Clams (Clam mochi mentioned in Sunken Scroll 1, Splatoon 3. Also the dead clam graffiti)

Fiddler Crab (Glen Fiddler, Sunken Scroll 6, Splatoon 3)

Plankton (mentioned in Sunken Scroll 12, Splatoon 3)

Pond Snail (okay technically I should've included it in the Band and Shops section, but I can't edit it now. Nails, Naut Couture/Sunken Scroll 13, Splatoon 3)

Once we finally get information about the members of C-Side, Damp Socks, etc., I'll be sure to update this properly. Until then.

[gaydiation-poisoning]

Oh, yes please ramble about anything that's on your mind rn. :o

Thank you so much ;; This is going to be a very scattered and directionless ramble so please forgive me

Right now my brain is still VERY much hyperfocused on Splatoon lmao, particularly my girl Amp still

(once again shown here with the art done by my dear friend @redginaldusrooiakker thank u fren I love u)

I love this girl so much okay, she's a disaster. Very friendly and sweet! But hyper, easily angered, impulsive, loud, brash, headstrong, prone to the world's worst tunnel vision while in dangerous situations, will probably bite, etc. Also her only friend is a baby fish.

I don't know what possessed Cuttlefish to put an actual gun in this child's hands, but he did and now everyone has to fucking deal with it I guess. Something about that 'look in her eyes' and I, as her creator, couldn't tell you what the hell that means. Like what 'look' are you looking for, you rickety old coot? Rabies??

Either way, this child is armed and dangerous now, and god help the Octarians set up against her. Not to say that she's particularly skilled of course, especially at the start. She's not the type to bother with such fancy things as 'precision' or 'aiming' or shit like that, she's more the 'Shoot-Wildly-Cus-They-Can't-Hurt-You-If-They're-Atomized' sort. She runs out of ink a LOT

And like there wasn't enough she's also being hunted down like a dogfish through Alterna by her old shift manager from work, a fella named Mono who I've mentioned before, he belongs to the friend who made the art you see, and he's an extremely high ranking member of Grizzco under strict order to kill her Salmonid companion Sammy. And Amp if necessary!

Dw tho, she'll beat the shit out of him and they'll become friends eventually. As you do.

She's a tiny trash gremlin armed with an actual real gun made for actual real cephalopod combat, all while living on miso instant noodles and wasabi chips, sleeping on the couch in the Lobby, and only owning like three pairs of underwear. She will commit arson if left unsupervised, and I should be cast down for inflicting her upon the world of Splatoon.

Anyway I love her somebody hug this child. And help pay for her therapy.

[giomagnetism]

After Cuttlefish gives her the hat, she stays there for awhile.

Well, he doesn't really give her the hat. He takes it back with him, but they both understand it to be hers, now. She isn't holding it, but she's wearing it. It doesn't make sense to her either, but she can feel the weight of it.

She stays in the Valley. She's used to it. He gives her the hat in the morning after a night spent in the domes. It's cold and misty on the surface, the air thick and dense with the humidity of an impending storm, just the way she's used to, just the way she likes it. It's that reason she ever fell in love with the Valley to begin with—it reminds her of the forests she grew up in, the hideaways nestled in natural formation. A place to be wonderfully, blissfully alone.

It's an old haunt. Where the world slowed down and stopped for awhile. Nothing else had to matter, here—just the gnarled old trees and the chipped concrete and Octavio's fractured globe, still with the stickers on it, to keep her company.

('Keeping an eye on those Octarians?' the Captain'd asked her.

'You could say that,' she'd answered.

It's the clean way of not telling him she's trying to sleep with the one next in line for the headdress.)

He gives her the hat in the morning and she stays in the Valley. She likes to sit in Octavio's old dome. It still dwarfs her, and the glass pokes and prods into the soft thin skin of her basal form, but there's a kind of poetry in it.

He gives her the hat, without really giving her the hat, and she stays in the Valley. Even after all this time, and everyone moving to Marie's cabin in Canyon, the shack still needs its upkeep. There are still Zapfish plushes and old photographs, all of which she'd taken for archiving and replaced, which Cuttlefish had never noticed. There are canisters of power eggs she'd never used and the corner where she'd put on her Agent uniform both quilted with dust. She wipes it off.

She used to spend days in the Valley. She used to watch the sun rise and the mist vanish. It got warmer as the days wore on, especially in summer, when it got suffocating in the cabin. The air lightens. Outside there was almost always a breeze blowing off the sea, and the scent of rust and salt hung in the air in the aftermath.

That kind of weathering was inevitable in an outpost as old as this. She polishes the railings and drags the frayed electrical cables back into piles, her steps echoing on the grates and blacktop. Sunlight glitters off the metal. No sound comes out of the kettles anymore.

She used to watch the sunset with her back to the tree and her notebooks in her lap, occasionally watching Octavio twist his limbs around themselves in the globe. She could never exactly get right the colors of the red-gold sunset and how it glowed off his headdress.

He doesn't really give her the hat—not literally.

She stays in the Valley till nightfall.

Octavio liked the stars. He didn't get to see them underground. He had an interest in astronomy, she'd learned; the stars in the domes' sky were his design. She used to sit on his saucer, almost a mile into the air despite her fear of heights, to try and figure out what he saw in the space between. It was cold and quiet up there, just the way she likes it; a place to be wonderfully alone.

The Valley had become a hideaway. It was the place to run from itself, if that wasn't weird.

It used to be that after it got dark, she either went underground or left. Sometimes, moreso in the later days, after she left Rome, she would make a pallet on the shack's floor and sleep there.

('Don't you have anything better to do?' Octavio'd asked her, gruff and annoyed.

'Nahhh,' she'd said.

It was the kind way of not saying she'd miss him otherwise.)

As old as she is by now, jumping to the saucer is too much trouble. She folds herself in humanoid form into the remnants of his globe, even still swallowed in the cavern of broken glass, and stares at the stars. She isn't holding anything, but she can feel the weight of it. She stares at the infinite space between.

The funny thing about the Valley was how it existed in its own pocket of space. It was a place where the world slowed down and stopped for awhile. Nothing else had to matter here.

She tucks her worn, scraped knees to her chin and starts crying.

On all sides of her, the ground drops away into a void. The night is wide and endless, reaching far over the black ocean and the warm distant lights of the city. There is not a single other soul for miles around—she is wonderfully, horribly alone.

She doesn't know the last time she cried. She screws her face up, makes it ugly, and sobs like a child. She presses her broad shoulders back into the curve of the dome and the calloused pads of her fingertips into her calves until it hurts and it still doesn't hurt the way it has to. Her face is sticky, the saltwater smudged on her nose and chin itchy, pressure built thick and distracting behind her eyes.

Octavio's globe is heavy and hard against her shoulders. Her hands are empty. After Cuttlefish gives her the hat, and doesn't even really give her the hat, she can't find it in her to leave. She spends everything she has left to do and she's still left with her empty hands and the weight of it.

He'd asked her: Don't you have anything better to do? No, of course not. She had never wanted anything else but that fucking captain's hat.

That's the funny thing. She'd started to want something else.

Now there is an infinity in the space between that she can't reach. There's a place anywhere but here. She blinks back tears to watch the flickering light of an airplane as it makes its way from Inkopolis, and remembers too well the dim blue-and-white cabin of the one that brought her here. It's starting to get cold again, and the first thin haze of rain begins to fall. Her skin is thin enough that a downpour poses an actual threat, but she doesn't care right now.

She loves the Valley. She loves the smell of rain and the translucent fog that gathers at her feet. She loved the long autumn days during monsoon season when she listened to the rain on the corrugated roof and spent her time studying the begrudging appreciation in Octavio's expression.

She drags the back of her hand against her dripping nose and swallows a sob.

She hasn't cried like this since she realized her brother wasn't coming home.

She loves the Valley. It's the last place that ever felt like home. Where nothing else in the world mattered or held weight, a place suspended in time and ephemeral childhood nostalgia, despite the thick blood on her hands. She could always come back just as she left.

Cuttlefish gives her the weight of it and leaves her on her own. He gives her a place no one in the city so much as knows about and tells her, in so many words, to keep her mouth shut. He gives her a place where she is alone and he leaves and he doesn't think twice.

(Octavio watches her warily, but he still listens.)

Cuttlefish all but fucking shoves her off a ledge into that beautiful void.

(She knows it's still her fault, of course. She sniffs and grins sardonically to herself.

And chokes out another sob.

It's pathetic. It makes her feel like a child coming home to her ma with scraped knees and wildflowers, scolded for staining her best white dress. She kind of misses it.)

She's kept the shack stocked with tissues for a few years now. Even after all this time, the rain still stings against the old scars on her ankles. She braces herself against the wall, levering herself down onto the crowded bench, flanked by vacant-eyed Zapfish plushes. Her head is pounding. Ever since the sanitization episode, her ears haven't stopped ringing.

She doesn't think she's leaving, tonight.

('Ha-ha,' Ness says flatly, the next morning. She's invited him out for coffee just to get his roommate off her back and he's halfway through a coffee and his third pastry. 'Unfortunately, I know. He got to me first, being that I've got the title now, and had no idea who I was.'

He picks at the lid of his to-go cup. Glances at her out of the corner of his eyes. She puts on her best innocent grin.

He frowns in that worried way of his, brows knit and eyes closed for a moment. It's spring. He's wearing a yellow t-shirt with the Firefin logo and pastel-purple jeans. His hands are pressed flat against the plastic tabletop.

'Don't look at me like that, Marlo,' he mutters, 'I know it doesn't change anything. But I'm so sorry.')

[lindoig7]

Sunday/Wednesday, 9-12 August

Sunday

We were in the van almost all day.  Neither of us felt all that well when we first got up. Heather’s vertigo was bothering her, probably from the rocking and rolling in the car yesterday; and I was quite woozy too.  I suspect I had accidentally taken a double dose of my blood pressure tablets.  I am cutting them in halves at present and taking them on alternate days, but maybe I didn’t cut one of them and I felt quite dizzy and unstable until late morning.

At least, feeling like this gave me the perfect opportunity to tick off one of the things I said I wanted to do during lockdown. I lay on the bed and read for 2 solid hours.  I have been reading much more than usual, mainly late at night, but it is many years since I sat and read for pleasure during the day.  It was great and I will try to do it again soon.

I wrote a bit for my blog and posted it with some photos in the afternoon – first time (ever?) that this of any of my other blogs have been right up to date.

We then went for a slightly longer than normal walk, just in local area across the creek and then drove to Drouin for another fish and chips dinner.  Each time we have gone there, we have ordered a little less than last time, but even so, we had delicious fish sandwiches for lunch next day and chips with our home-made pie for dinner at night.

Monday

We spent a somewhat exhausting day at Phillip Island – but it was really great. We set off for the south coast confident of our interpretation of the Stage 3 rules for non-Melbourne residents.  As it turned out, we perhaps needed to know our rights because quite close to The Gurdies, a Police roadblock was set up and every vehicle was stopped for questioning.  We had to say where we were coming from, where we were going, what we intended to do there and our reason for it all.  Our answers prompted the cop who was questioning us to remind us that we were more than 5 km from home and didn’t we know the rules?  I said that we had been ‘trapped’ in Warragul since before the lockdown and that the limit didn’t apply to us.  He immediately apologised and said he had just come from a roadblock in the city and had forgotten that we were in a Stage 3 area rather than Stage 4.  He was very nice and wished us a happy day as we drove away.

We were quite pleased that it had happened because it confirmed our understanding of the latest rules.  We didn’t have masks on when we were driving, but we put them on before I wound down the window.  A good job too because I heard that some people were fined for winding down their windows to speak to the cops before putting their masks on.  On the other hand, when we were in the Cape Wollomai Surf Club carpark later in the day, a cop car came through and spoke to numerous people who were watching the surf without masks.  As far as we could see, nobody was fined, but they were all required to put masks on.

It is amazing how many people are NOT wearing masks.  They all wear them in the shops, but anywhere else, at least a quarter of them don’t, maybe even more.  Almost all of them are young people who think they are bulletproof and don’t care who they might be infecting – basically the vulnerable (old farts like us).  So many of them don’t wear masks, and there is rarely any social distancing within groups of 4 or 5.

We did a long (10 km) walk at Cape Wollomai. It was great and quite varied.  It was hard work walking on the beach, but that was only for the first and last kilometre.  Up on the cliffs, there were wide areas of low scrub, virtually all low shiny-leafed plants, often smothered in little white snails, but also frequently covered in divine-smelling honeysuckle.  It pervaded quite large areas and we first noticed it while we were still hundreds of metres away on the beach.  There were a couple of other wonderfully aromatic plants there too and we just loved the ‘perfumed garden’.  In the wooded areas (all low stringy trees, rather than the giants we have seen so much in the past few weeks) with quite a few birds. There were several lookouts and regular seats along the way for the weary and at one, we saw a Peregrine Falcon.  It was quite close, riding a thermal up the side of the cliff about 30 metres away and it circled us a few times before drifting away.  We saw it several times in the distance, very high, but I will post some pics I took when it was nearer to us.  There were lots of Ravens, quite a few Pipits and six Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos that kept us company for a while - but were hard to photograph through the branches, particularly because it was all in low light.

An important birding milestone for this trip was a Singing Honeyeater we saw early in our walk.  That marked 100 unique species we had seen since leaving home.  The Peregrine Falcon and a few Gannets late in the walk increased our trip tally to the current 102.

Walking back the last kilometre on the beach, we saw thousands (krillions?) of tiny dead creatures along the highest line that the waves had reached.  We imagined that they were krill (as they had been in similar circumstances in the Kurils a few years ago), but a close examination showed that they were tiny transparent cuttlefish: tens of thousands of them, all about half a centimetre long.

We were pretty zonked after the walk, especially from trudging along the loose sand on the beach, so we ate our mid-afternoon lunch in the car and then made for home.  I wanted to check out another wetland not far from Cape Wollomai so we detoured there and Heather sat in the car while I reconnoitred the area.  I only walked about 2 km, but went as far as the very small wetland.  It was no great shakes but there were other walks there too, including one across the island to a couple of Westernport Bay lookouts that may be worth visiting if we decide to revisit the area in the next few weeks.  Then it was home via Wonthaggi and a somewhat circuitous, but very scenic, route to the west of the roads we have used on our other excursions.

Tuesday

We stayed in and around the van all day.  We did some hand washing (clothes – our hands are almost worn away from constant washing) and cooking.  I reorganised the back of the car and we did some tidying and cleaning in the van. We sorted and edited photos, updated our bird lists, read, and wrote more for my blog and I persuaded my wonderful hairdresser to cut my hair.  We did that outside the van to the amusement of numerous passersby, with me wrapped up in plastic sheeting because we left the hairdressing sheet at home.  I was in desperate need of a cut and feel so much lighter now the shearer has completed her work.

Wednesday

Another rest day in the van.  It was supposed to be raining overnight and all day, but it is now early afternoon and the rain is yet to arrive.  We are still a bit worse for wear after our Cape Wollomai walk so decided to stay in and recuperate for another day.  Heather has cooked and we have both made a few phone calls and generally pottered around. I finished another book last night so I think I might spend an hour of two reading on the bed again this arvo. It would be great to be on the road again, but we are certainly making the most of our forced residency (do we need to change our electoral roll registration?) and quite enjoying it.

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Sunday, 14th July 2019 – The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia

Sunday night was the blow out meal of the weekend, a 2 Michelin-starred tasting menu in what might be the best hotel in the area, the Yeatman. First, however, we stopped off for a drink in Porto before getting a taxi across to Vila Nova de Gaia. In our search for a good place to get a drink, we stumbled upon the Livraria da Baixa, another of the ex-bookshops that have become other things over the years. There seems to be quite a bit of that going on in Porto. We had yet another porto tonico, and this one was different again. The barman asked us which one we liked best, but they were all good in their own ways.

After we’d finished our drinks we headed to the Intercontinental and asked the concierge to find us a taxi to the Yeatman. It didn’t appear, after all, to be the sort of place we wanted to fetch up in looking all sweaty and dishevelled! Also, we wanted to get there a little early so we could have a second round of drinks in Dick’s Bar up there. We’d heard it had excellent views. The taxi pulled up and several uniformed doormen appeared to hold doors open and point the way for us.

It’s very nice! We were escorted in, shown to the restaurant, and asked if we could start the evening in the bar. We were soon installed in a table on the terrace overlooking the river and it is certainly reasonable to say they have a view. As well as the river, and Porto opposite, you get a view of the gardens and the swimming pool – the latter appeared to be full of seagulls using it as a giant birdbath. Perhaps they have a better class of seagull at the Yeatman. Who knows!

Armed with a port cocktail each we dragged our attention away from the seagulls, and towards the view. The weather was not as clear as we might have liked, but the vista is still pretty impressive, even without sunshine and blue skies. I rather imagine in fine weather it would be gorgeous.

The port cocktails were pretty good too!

We decided it was best not to have a second round, and instead moved across to the restaurant to start dinner. There is only the tasting menu (at €170 per person), but if, as we did, you reserve online, this is emailed to you along with your confirmation so you can let the restaurant know if there is anything you don’t eat. In our case it was the pork option, so we let them know and then relaxed into the evening, knowing we’d be well looked after. I should also say that the restaurant has great views, but we weren’t on a window table (I assume those probably go to people actually staying at the hotel), so I only got a photo at the end of the evening.

The first thing that happened, given the Yeatman is part of the Taylor’s port group, was that we were offered a glass of white port as an aperitif while we looked at the menu to make sure it was still to our liking, and we checked the wine list and decided on that or the matching wines chosen by the restaurant for an extra €75 for 6 different wines).  The wines in question can also all be bought through the Yeatman Wine Club so it was really easy to establish what we’d had for once. The aperitif was a glass of Churchill’s Dry White which is rather more sweet than the name implies, though it still has a good, dry finish and peppery notes that would probably mean it’s good with cheese too. It worked very well in the heat, well chilled as it was, even if taking a good sniff of it left condensation all over the glass!

Before the first course of the tasting menu arrived, our first glass of wine was delivered, a Filipa Pato 3b Rosé (https://www.theyeatmanwineclub.com/en/espumante-filipa-pato-rose-3b) or more precisely perhaps Filipa Pato & William Wouter 3B Metodo Traditional Rosé, Bairrada, Beiras, Portugal, fresh, elegant, sparkling and just the thing with the parade of amuse bouches that arrived next.

First up, however, was a pair of cool towels for us to freshen up with, which were much welcomed.

The first morsels of food started to appear! And they were good! The first items was described as a Cocktail of apple, spinach and kale (manzana, espinacas y col) and was served with a very fresh bowl of oyster, jalapeños and apples with was fresh from the apples, tasted of the sea and packed a lively punch from the jalapeños.

It was soon joined by a tiny selection of “fish and chips” with two tangles of thinly chipped potato, and a piece of batters fish each. It was both fun and fabulous, and it was quite clear that the kitchen and the chef know what they are doing and have a sense of humour.

The cocktail was delicious (and may be the only way to deal with kale in a way that makes it palatable rather than like trying to eat crispy cardboard)! It was also a slightly alarming shade of green, with sweetness from the apple overlaying a slight cabbage-y bitterness.

The next round was barbeque chicken, and again demonstrated both humour and skill with a chicken sandwich, a smoked chicken oyster in panko breadcrumbs, and a chicken liver mousse, and superb even to those of us who normally avoid chicken (mostly for fear of how it might have been raised, though I rather suspect that the Yeatman is as concerned about provenance as Lynne and I are).

The final round of amuse bouches was tuna-based with a bonito “nitrogeno” that was tartare-style…

And a tuna “sandwich”, with fish roe and mayonnaise wrapped in a nori seaweed sheet. It was a fun thing, full of flavour and it came with its own little dramatic reveal from inside a scroll of paper that the waiter then opened at the table. I was liking this place, because although there is a formality to the Yeatman, there is also a great deal of playfulness, and the staff could not be friendlier.

The sommelier brought the next wine, an Ilha do Pico Arinto 2017, from the Azores and fermented in oak vats for 6 months. The result is incredibly drinkable, especially with seafood, which is where the menu started. It doesn’t look as if it often escapes from the Portuguese speaking world, which is a pity because I really enjoyed it and would like to drink more of it.

It went brilliants with the Gamba Blanca (crayfish) with crab and clams. The crab and clams were in the form of a neat little beignet, and we were encouraged to use our hands to eat it rather than being wussy and using cutlery, neat though the cutlery was.

There was a sauce with it that needed to be scooped up and smeared on the beignet, and it was a positive pleasure to do just that. The dish was described as including chawanmushi, a traditional Japanese appetiser of steamed savoury egg custard and usually full of things like prawns, fish cake, mushrooms and so on so I assume that was what was holding the crab and clam mix together.

The crayfish came separately, carrying on the egg custard theme but being decorated with what the French would probably call mimosa style eggs, coriander and a traditional broth. It was a most excellent portion of shrimp, prawn, crayfish, whatever you want to call it.

We had moved, oenologically, onto a new white wine, this time a glass of Anselmo Mendes Parcela Unica 2016, made from Alvarinho grapes. We got the expected peach, citrus and minerality from it, which went well with the shrimp, and also with the cuttlefish that was brought out next. These were tiny cuttlefish served  two ways, with fried rice and with a gloriously unctuous spicy Hollandaise sauce. The first pieces were served an a plate possibly made from a dried cuttlefish, which just made me laugh…

It also tasted good, especially dredged through the spicy Hollandaise sauce.

The other pieces came on a plate decorated with octopus shapes. It seemed a lot of trouble to go to, but then it’s that sort of place.

We knew we’d moved on from fish when the waiters brought us some butter in a very stylish box…

There was also a dish of olive oil, the oil a lovely shade of golden yellow that instantly made me want to dunk some bread in it.

That was made possible when the loaf of sourdough was put in front of us.

We had reached what would usually be the suckling pig course, but the restaurant swapped things round and served us the national beef first. It was a small but perfectly cooked piece, the iron of the rare meet working brilliantly with the roasted spring onion, the Jerusalem artichoke puree, and the rich, deep civet sauce. The meat would probably have fallen apart with just the application of a spoon, but we used our knives, cutting small pieces to try and make it last as long as possible. With it was drank a mighty fine, deep Maria João Private Collection 2008 from the Dão, and made possibly from Alfrocheiro, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, and Jaen grapes (at least the 2010 was), with notes of chocolate, toasted cocoa, spices and dried red fruits that I definitely picked up.

If the beef and wine combination was good, the replacement for the suckling pig, which came next was sublime. It was the same accompaniments or mango, coconut and chilli, but served with two perfectly cooked pigeon breasts, the skin beautifully seasoned and crsip. We drank a Boavista Reserva 2015. I’ve seen the wine described as “deep ruby colour. Complex, deep, intense and seductive hints of both red and black fruit, plus tobacco, spices and dark chocolate”. I see no reason to disagree with that assessment.

The last of the pigeon was gone, and it was on to the home straight for a dessert or two, starting with wild strawberries (in different textures), including a soup served in a wonderfully complicated drinking vessel. This definitely was essence of strawberries in all their wonderful forms, and it was a brilliant way to complete an excellent meal. Especially with a glass of Adega de Favaios Moscatel Colheita 1999, a sweet white moscatel instead of a port, but made with much the same levels of care, commitment and, dare I say it, obsession to create an ideal dessert wine. The Moscatel Galego grape produces a clear, bright, golden coloured wine, with citrus freshness and honeyed sweetness that matches fruit as well as chocolate. It’s a wonderful wine.

There was also São Tomé chocolate (with toasted corn, toffee, and whipped cream) which came along with the terrifyingly well-stocked petit fours trolley. We resisted the temptation of an offer to let us have a piece of everything on the trolley because I think we’d have needed to be put of trolleys to be taken out to the foyer if we’d done that.

I did weaken and have a tiny doughtnut, and a pastel de nata though, along with a cute little meringue.

We turned down the offer of infusions or coffee and were presented with a copy of the menu each in a lovely sealed envelope, along with a list of the wines we’d drunk. It was a lovely evening, and we were more than happy to get a taxi back to the Intercontinental instead of trying to walk to the metro (which would be doable, but who wantes to after a meal like that, right?)

Food 2019 – The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia Sunday, 14th July 2019 - The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia Sunday night was the blow out meal of the weekend, a 2 Michelin-starred tasting menu in what might be the best hotel in the area, …

[vriedi]

Splatoon Headcanons

Just for funsies you know

under the cut

Inklings and Octolings blush blue, due to real life cephalopods having BLUE blood

Callie and Marie are partially Cuttlefish, and Capn Cuttlefish is full Cuttlefish 

(The previous headcanon comes from the fact that the Squid Sisters’s and Capn Cuttlefish’s ears are very different from other Inklings’ ears we see, especially Capn’s.)

Cuttlefish are also called Inklings due to being quite similar to squids.

Pearl and Marina are GFs. (Yes.)

Cephalopods are the only creatures that have TRANSFORMING humanoid/ling forms. 

Agent 3 is around 16 as of Splatoon 2, Agent 4 is about 18, Agent 8 is 16ish.

Callie and Marie are both 19.

Pearl is 21. Marina is 18ish.

Callie’s birthday is May 28th, while Marie’s is July 7th.

DJ Octavio, and noncanon male Agent 8, are the only male Octolings.

All of the Agents are female.

Pearl’s lesbian, Marina’s pan, Callie’s lesbian, Marie’s lesbian.

Marie and Agent 4 are GFs.

Agent 3 and Agent 8 are GFs.

Callie and the ABXY/Chirpy Chips Anemone Girl are GFs.

Inklings/Octolings reproduce by cutting tentacles off.

(i cant think of anymore stuff)

[lovemychinchilla]

Why Are My Chinchilla's Teeth Orange?

Almost all pet chinchillas have orange, even red teeth, which can be shocking for a new owner. But is that healthy, or is it a sign that your chinchilla is deficient in something?

Why are my chinchilla's teeth orange? Deep yellow, orange or orange-red teeth are healthy for chinchillas while lighter yellow or white teeth are unhealthy. Deep orange or orange-red teeth occur because your chinchilla's tooth enamel contains lots of calcium, iron and phosphorus. Lighter shades indicate that your chinchilla has a nutritional deficiency. To fix calcium deficiency, mix fresh alfalfa hay with your chinchilla's regular timothy hay, or switch to a high-calcium pellet. You could also provide a cuttle bone for gnawing. If nothing helps, talk to a vet and they may prescribe supplements.

The guide below first looks at what color chinchilla teeth should be, before detailing why they might be orange or white. We'll also cover exactly what you should do if your chinchilla's teeth are the wrong color.

Should a Chinchilla's Teeth Be Orange?

Chinchillas, in fact all rodents, have teeth that are different to ours. If you ever look into your chinchilla's mouth, the first thing you would notice—provided that it's healthy—is that its teeth are orange. This is normal, natural and healthy. A chinchilla's teeth should be deep yellow, orange or orange-red in color.

This can be quite shocking to see. We're so used to thinking that lighter teeth are healthier that to see such dark teeth strikes us as a sign of ill health. But in chinchillas, it's the opposite that's true: darker, deeper orange teeth are healthier while lighter teeth mean something's wrong.

What Makes a Chinchilla's Teeth Orange?

What makes rodent teeth darker than ours is the enamel.

Enamel is the outer layer of a tooth, and it's the hardest tissue in your chinchilla's body. It's thin, but it's very strong; it both provides a solid surface for cutting and grinding, and protects the tooth (with all its nerves) underneath. That's why when your enamel is worn away, your teeth become sensitive.

In people, this enamel has lots of magnesium in it; but in chinchillas, the enamel contains lots of iron and calcium, which gives it its dark yellow or orange hue. They can even border on orange-red, which is the natural color of iron. You can see the same difference in other rodents such as beavers or rats.

Should My Chinchilla's Teeth Be White?

If your chinchilla's teeth are a light yellow shade, or even verge on white, that's a bad sign. It indicates that your chinchilla isn't getting enough of certain micronutrients, particularly iron and calcium. Chinchillas should be able to get all the nutrients they need from their hay, but yours may not, due to:

You buying a low quality hay brand

Hay that has gone bad or stale during the production process

Hay that has gone bad or stale after you bought it

Hay that was grown in adverse conditions, e.g. drought

Your chinchilla is not eating because dental disease makes doing so painful

One of these issues, or all of them combined, could be causing your chinchilla's white teeth.

What Happens If My Chinchilla's Teeth Are White?

Nutritional deficiencies have a direct impact on your chinchilla's health and should be corrected as soon as possible. While the specific effects of calcium deficiency in chinchillas hasn't been studied, there are several ways it's likely to affect your pet:

Calcium deficiency may cause brittle bones. Calcium is one of the building blocks of bones, and without it, they can become weak. This is especially relevant if your chinchilla is still growing.

Calcium deficiency may make malocclusion more likely. Calcium deficiency is likely to make teeth weaker, and more prone to chipping. For both of these reasons, deficiency would make malocclusion occur.

Calcium deficiency may impair organ/body function. Calcium is needed by the body for muscle contraction (e.g. in the heart), as well as blood clotting and enzyme function.

These issues won't necessarily occur all at once, or as soon as your chinchilla's teeth turn yellow rather than orange. But if you'd like to avoid them, you should take steps to combat your pet's calcium deficiency.

How to Make a Chinchilla's Teeth Orange Again

If your chinchilla's teeth have changed from a dark shade to a light shade, or even white, you need to take action. Otherwise, your pet's health is at risk.

Fix Your Chinchilla's Diet

The likely issue is that your chinchilla isn't getting the nutrients it needs from its food. As such, if you take steps to provide your pet with a better diet, you can fix the problem.

The first thing you should do is stop giving your chinchilla snacks. Chins don't need anything aside from hay and hay pellets. While snacks like shredded wheat or rose hips are healthy enough, you should focus on improving the core of your pet's diet before including anything else. This ensures that it only eats the things that's right for it.

Since the likely issue is that your chin isn't getting enough calcium, your next step is to give your chinchilla alfalfa pellets or fresh alfalfa hay. Alfalfa contains far more calcium than timothy hay, so much so in fact that if you feed your pet nothing but alfalfa, it can develop health issues from having too much. So, give your chin fresh timothy hay mixed with 1/3 alfalfa until its condition improves; or, get rid of your old pellets and feed your pet some that are high in calcium instead.

Provide a Cuttle Bone to Gnaw On

If your chinchilla is already eating what seems to be an adequate diet, there are further changes you can make. One is to provide something called a cuttle bone for your chinchilla to gnaw on.

A cuttlebone, which you might also know as a 'cuttlefish bone', is an internal shell that all cuttlefish possess. It's made of a mineral called aragonite, which is a kind of calcium carbonate, which means it contains lots of calcium. Cuttle bones also happen to be the perfect consistency for chinchillas to gnaw on.

These cuttle bones therefore kill two birds with one stone. First, they provide your chinchilla with the calcium it needs for strong enamel. And second, it helps your chin keep its teeth from growing overlong. We don't recommend offering them if your chinchilla gets lots of calcium from its diet, because too much calcium causes bladder stones. But if your pet clearly has a deficiency, they're a good choice to combat it.

Talk To a Vet

If you don't notice any improvement, you should talk to a vet. That's because calcium deficiency can have a serious impact on health if it continues for an extended period of time.

The vet can make recommendations on how you can change your chinchilla's care for the better. This might be related specifically to your chinchilla's dental problem—they might, for example, recommend a particular kind of alfalfa hay pellet that they find effective—or, they might make general recommendations. If your chinchilla has several health problems, they will treat all of them.

The vet can also prescribe supplements. We don't recommend the use of supplements as a rule, since chinchillas should get all the nutrients they need from their hay. But if your chinchilla is deficient in something like calcium, calcium supplements will help. Talk with the vet about appropriate dosage.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

#chinchillas #chinchillacare

[petsultan]

Sultan parrot

The cockatiel is a homegrown cockatoo with yellow, white, and gray colors that belong to the cockatoo family. They are distinguished by orange hairs on the cheeks in the ear area. These are usually female when pale, and male when dark. However, there are different methods for determining gender definitively. Generally, the eyes of males are covered with yellow hairs and females with white and gray hairs. The male cones are very popular because they are made to talk. They do not like to be closed in the cage, but they like to be in the crowd.

Sex discrimination in the cockatiel

There are two different ways to discriminate between the Sultans. Although there is no solution in every mutation, sex distinction can be made by looking at the feathers of the parrots. However, the sultan's age should also be taken into account while doing this. Since the colors of the feathers do not fit completely in those who do not age, wrong gender prediction can be made. According to the other way, the crowing is followed by the age of the sultan. While the female ones are short and single singing as cork, males can make sounds similar to canary singing, whistle, and have speech features. So whichever color it is, whistling and singing long are men.

Age estimation in the cockatiel

It is very difficult to predict the age of the Sultans. Although the methods do not show their age precisely, they can provide information about the period of time.

Eyes between 0-1 years old are round, beak is smooth and toes are thin.

Those between the ages of 1-8 are bigger than the puppies, their feet are thicker and lumpy. Layers have formed in its beak. Sultans in this age are quite flashy. The roundness in his eyes disappeared, and the hairs around him decreased.

Mature sultans between the ages of 8-16 move more slowly and become stagnant. The roughening of the feet and beak has increased and thickened.

Old sultans over the age of 16 experience health problems. They sleep at least 18 hours a day and prefer soft foods.

The behavior of the cockatiel

Sultans show more unity of behavior than other birds. Most of them tell the same things with the same behaviors they do. This is because they live in flocks and love sociality. They learn a lot of things by looking at each other, they can communicate comfortably. Therefore, especially men learn to speak, can use the ability to imitate.

Beak squeaking: Sultans make a sound by moving their lower beak to the right and left side. Only sultan parrots can do this movement. This means that everything is fine. Happy ones usually take it out before sleep. The sultan who makes this sound should not be disturbed.

Repeating your own name: Men of the Sultans can learn some words. Sometimes they constantly repeat their names, which are included in them. This means that he wants attention, to be loved, to talk to him, to want to go out if he is released from his cage.

Removing the feeders: If the sultans are trying to remove their feeders, they want to see you with them. He may need you or he is bored.

Flapping wings inside the cage: Sultans are flying birds. Those who live in natural areas can fly for a long time. Since those in cages cannot find this opportunity, their wings become numb and there is an accumulation of blood. As this causes pain in the wings, it will whisk inside the cage. If you have the opportunity, you should take out the cockatiel and fly it.

Screaming: If they are not satisfied with their location, they will scream straight and loud. You must solve the reason for this.

Hissing by opening its wings: It is a movement made by the sultans with the motivation to protect themselves. When he does, you can understand that he is afraid and wants to be protected.

Beaking: This is a behavior that indicates the desire of the sultans to mate. He strikes his beak into the wires of the cage or into the nest.

High and low crowing: This is the rate that male sultans made to females before mating. As the female is enchanted by the voice, she accepts the male's willingness to mate.

Biting feet in double birds: This is a behavior made by female sultans. Stretching forward, he slightly warms the feet of the man and goes into the mating position. In this behavior, it specifies the willingness to mate. Females living alone pass the bite of the foot, lie forward, wait for mating by dropping their wings to the side.

Reaching upward and opening the beak: This is a natural behavior to ensure that the crop is emptied. Normally it is not done too much. However, if your sultan does this frequently, check the bird's sand, if there is enough, check the quality.

Itching: It is a natural behavior that is performed regularly before sleep. When he does this, the watering parrot should not be disturbed.

Gathering feet: Sultans feel cold when the ambient temperature is below 25 degrees. Especially since there are no hairs on his feet, his feet are cold first. Since the foot vessels are effective in blood circulation, they try to warm them by putting them under their feet. They can be considered normal when they don't do this frequently. However, the temperature of the environment should be adjusted.

Nutrition of the cockatiel

Sultans feed on seeds, greens, and plant roots in natural environments. For this reason, the sultans who are looked after in the cage should be offered a diet suitable for their natural life. It should contain bird feeds. These meet 75% nutritional needs of the sultan parrot. Feeds can be mixed feeds prepared for sultans or you can also benefit from the feed that budgerigars eat. However, you should add unsalted kernels and cracked hazelnuts. Apart from the feed, you can give a parrot to your parrot. But try not to overdo it. Otherwise, you will cause the bird to become fat. You should give fresh vegetables and fruits for your vitamin needs. Vitamin supplements should be made for birds who do not eat them. In an element that you should not forget, you should definitely keep the bird sand in the cage. In this way, sultans can digest and grind what they eat. If you don't give it, your sultan will have serious digestive problems. Bird sand can be added to each dish half a spoon or kept in a separate container. You can give the sultans with honey crackers and egg food. For calcium needs, you can put the cuttlefish bone in its cage.

Foods harmful for cockatiels

Excessive fatty, sugary and salty foods should not be given to waterers. Apart from this, they should not eat foods such as chocolate, alcoholic beverages, coffee, carbonated drinks, onions, dried fruits, apple seeds, mushrooms. Butter, margarine, potato chips, cake, ice cream, canned foods, cookies should not be given. It should also be kept away from toxic foods.

Sultan parrot

Sultan parrot

Sultan parrot

Sultan parrot

https://petsultan.com/sultan-parrot?feed_id=997&_unique_id=5f1b918645662 #bird #breeds #sultanparrot

[foodgemsg]

https://ift.tt/2n0H1Lo Read on our visit to SONS Restaurant | New Menu Curated By Michelin Star Chef Beppe De Vito by FoodGem

Media Tasting at SONS Restaurant

SONS Restaurant is nested at China Square Central. This is our first visit and we had some difficulties locating SONS restaurant. It is not located at China Square Central but at the shophouses nearby. Expect classic modern Italian food and also spot Italian Charcuterie cured in-house such as meats, salami and cheese in a curing room right besides the dining area. SONS Restaurant has introduced the new menu curated by Michelin Star chef, Beppe De Vito and some of the Signature dishes.

The Signature homemade salami platter comes with four types of salami (Smoked Kurobuta Pork Lonza, Capocollo, Guanciale and Pancetta) made from pork and flavoured with herbs giving a nice aromatic. Honestly, I’m not a fan of salami as my impression of salami is heavy on saltiness. However, this super thin salami changed my mind! They’re not overly salty, meeting my light tastebud requirements.

Homemade Salami Platter at S$22.

Slice open moist and fluffy squid ink breadcrumbs to reveal premium salted cod and mashed potato. Never thought of this combination goes pretty well. The soft mashed was relatively light but soft and creamy sea urchin sabayon filled in all the savoury flavours.

Baccalá Cakes with Sea Urchin Sabayon at S$18.

I’m impressed with this new dish! Triple meat sausage all made in house with pork, beef and lamb, seasoned with only herbs and pepper. This dish created a flavour profile that hits our taste buds in all the right ways and moist inside! It tasted as good as it is or dip into tangy mustard cream sauce for the extra kick.

3-Meat Sausage, Broccoletti & Mustard Sauce at S$29.

Hands up if you can’t resist to those lovely slices black truffles! If you can’t get enough of the sliced truffles, there are more truffle paste spread on house-made rustic bread alongside with melted smoked cheese, sauteed shimeji mushrooms and finished off with earthy micro herbs. The combination of smoked cheese and sauteed mushroom might be a little salty to some.

Mushroom & Truffle Bruschetta with Smoked Scamorza at S$15.

Lovely colours of zebra lines painted on ravioli is made from housemade beetroot. Each pieces of ravioli is generously filled with kale and spiced Nduja and tossed in creamy butter sauce. Nice chewing of the ravioli with a spicy underground taste.

Kale & Nduja Ravioli with Capers & Garlic Butter at S$22.

This housemade squid-ink tagliolini sits smack on the ocean (no views, though) with wild cuttlefish strips and housemade squid ink pasta tossed in briny seafood sauce.

Squid-ink Tagliolini, Wild Cuttlefish & Orange Salmoriglio at S$24.

Creamy cheesecake in contrast with a lighter twist on fruity tropical mango and calamansi bite. Sink your teeth into the decadent tiramisu with chocolate chips. Each creamy and moist bite gave an indulgent pampering that you can give yourself especially after a long day.

Mango & Calamansi Cheesecake at S$12.

Dolce Tiramisu with Chocolate Chips at S$12.

*Service charge(10%) and GST(7%) applicable.

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Budget Per Pax

S$30-S$50

How to go SONS Restaurant

Operating Hours

Mondays to Fridays:

11.30AM to 3PM (Last order 2.30PM)

6PM – 11.30PM (Last order 10pm for food and 11.15PM for drinks)

Saturdays: 6 -11PM

Sunday: CLOSED

Address and Contact

20 Cross Street #01-19 China Square Central Singapore 048422

Tel: +65 6221 3937

Reservation is allowed.

Travel and Parking

Nearby parking available at Great Eastern Centre / China Court (China Square Central) / Far East Square.

Travel via public transport.

From Telok Ayer Mrt Station (Downtown Line)

Exit B; Walk 198 m (about 5 minutes) to China Square Central.

The post SONS Restaurant | New Menu Curated By Michelin Star Chef Beppe De Vito appeared first on foodgem: Food & Travel.

[andpigandpanda]

Great dinner at Leong Ji zichar, (量記海鮮豐食館). At Punggol Settlement at Punggol Point Park. Kudos especially to the crispy take on a traditional dish of kang kong and cuttlefish.

[thehungrykat1]

Philippines Holds Sustainable Seafood Week on February 20 to 26, 2017

We all love to eat seafood. The first section that I attack at buffets is usually the tempura station followed by the sashimi area. Let’s not forget about the crabs, lobsters, oysters, and my favorite sweet and sour lapu-lapu. But do you know that the world’s seafood supply is actually quietly diminishing? When we eat seafood, do we even stop to think about where and how the seafood on our plate was caught and sourced? Marriott Hotel, along with other prominent hotels and restaurants in Manila, have partnered together to make sure that we do not further this decline by holding the second Philippines Sustainable Seafood Week from February 20 to 26, 2017.

The Sustainable Seafood Initiative is growing with even more participants joining this year’s activities. The media launch was held last January 16 at the spectacular Marriott Grand Ballroom in Resorts World Manila. Different competitor brands will one again show their solidarity and commitment to improve the health of the oceans by pursuing responsible business practice in sourcing seafood products from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. The sustainable seafood week will also serve as a launching point for many other activities like educational seminars in culinary schools, government programs, workshops and many more. What’s remarkable about this initiative is that it brings together the executive chefs of all the major five-star hotels and restaurants in the city, so expect to see some of the most creative and appetizing culinary presentations all in one event.

A short presentation was led by Chef Meik Brammer, Executive Chef of Marriott Manila who had made the five-star hotel one of the best premium dining spots in the country, especially with their award-winning restaurants like Cru Steakhouse, Marriott Cafe, and the newly opened Man Ho Manila. This is the second year for the Philippines Sustainable Seafood Week and they aim to continue to educate fishermen and government officials about topics such as habitat and marine protection, pollution and waste management, water use and supply management, climate change, environmental and social impact modeling, plus land and sea use zoning. More importantly, they should be taught how to avoid overfishing, illegal fishing and destructive fishing methods.

Participating hotels and restaurants include some of the biggest names in the industry like Shangri-La Hotels, Raffles Makati, Conrad Manila, Marco Polo Hotels, Hyatt COD, CCA, Enderun and many more. The media launch was a gathering of the biggest names in the local culinary world which really makes this a landmark event. All the participating establishments will be featuring their own highlights and activities in their restaurants during Sustainable Seafood Week so watch out for their individual promotions and announcements.

The media launch is meant to be a small preview of what to expect from the participants during Sustainable Seafood Week. After a toast to open the dining area, Marriott Manila started dinner with a dramatic entrance of their buffet table which was slowly lowered from the roof! This is the kind of spectacle I have come to expect whenever I attend an event at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, especially from my first-hand experience during their Grand Opening in 2015.

Marriott Manila featured their Prawn Cocktail using Vannamei Shrimp which is known for its white color. These are native to the tropical marine habitats of the Eastern Pacific. The prawns were accompanied on the table with different variations of homemade dips, dressing and organic fresh mesclun. These fresh prawns simply pop in your mouth whenever you bite them.

The opening event and signing for Sustainable Seafood Week will be held on February 20, 2017 at the Hyatt City of Dreams Manila. Each participant will be promoting their own special seafood dishes and menus for the week as well as chef collaborations, workshops, cooking shows, beach cleaning events and others. Hyatt City of Dreams Manila Executive Chef Michael Leudtke was here to show off some of their highlighted seafood dishes.

The Tuna Niçoise is a dish from their sister hotel Grand Hyatt Singapore. This salad is prepared with tuna and seafood sourced responsibly. In the Philippines, tuna is caught by local fishermen in small-scale fishing communities using single-hook handlines which result in minimal impact to the habitats. This is their man source of livelihood and is the most responsible and sustainable means of fishing. I guess that means we should all eat more tuna!

They also presented their Sous Vide Mackerel with artichoke purée, pickled vegetables and beetroot chips. Mackerel is also another important source of livelihood for many Filipino fishermen living in coastal communities.

The Shangri-La Hotels group also came with their seafood creations. Makati-Shangri-La offered their Marinated Mackerel in saffron, orange juice with fennel seed plus smoked piquillo guacamole vinaigrette with local oyster, pink peppercorn, lime caviar and basil oil.

Edsa Shangri-La featured a couple of seafood dishes starting with the Ceviche using Mahi Mahi with chili, calamansi, and cafe lime leaves. They also used recycled paper for their holder to complete the sustainability cycle.

The Black Tiger Prawns in Sambal sauce was a popular item during the media launch. It uses Selva Shrimp which are naturally farmed in traditional mangrove-forest shrimp farming areas in Vietnam. These do not need any feeds or fertilizers as the mangrove provides the natural habitat and ecosystem for the shrimp. This unique production system combines the preservation of the mangrove forest together with low-impact shrimp farming. Another interesting dish was the Stuffed Baby Squid with Laing Black Rice Risotto. Squid are another species which are highly resilient to fishing pressure due to its fast growth and high reproduction potential.

I also found a very familiar sight at the event. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is also supporting Sustainable Seafood Week and they have brought out their gigantic paella bowl.

Named as The Best Paella in Town, Marco Polo Manila’s signature paella comes loaded with prawns, mussels, squid and mahi-mahi which also has a high resilience to fishing pressure because of its early maturation and fast growth. I never get tired of eating this very flavorful paella and the name does speak for itself.

The Peninsula Manila’s booth was highlighted by two of my most favorite dishes that evening. The Curacha Toasties comes with spanner crab meat topped with salted egg and bacon. Spanner Crabs or curacha are usually found in the coasts of Zamboanga and are most vulnerable to fishing pressure when the minimum fishing size limits are not respected. The crabs should be allowed to grow and reproduce naturally so it is important that fishermen be educated properly and that they follow sustainable and correct procedures.

Another popular item was the Seared White Snapper with Textures of Aubergine. The fish was just so tender with just the right amount of saltiness to go with its perfectly seared texture.

New World Hotels and Resorts also had a few oysters up their sleeves. Fresh Crystal Bay Oysters were laid out on a bed of ice, and they are best eaten with a few drops of spicy vinegar. These oysters are brackish-water species which are self-sustaining as they feed on microorganisms in the water. The Calamansi Martini with Oyster was also a revelation as this is the first time I have seen a cocktail with an oyster inside. They also had the Oyster in Ponzu Sauce with Quail Egg shooters which you just pop in your mouth in one go.

The Discovery Leisure Company contributed their own creations which include the Texas Shrimp Straw Hats made with chippy wrappers and the Shrimp Rolls.

Culinary schools like Enderun Colleges are also part of Sustainable Seafood Week. The Black Rice with Cuttlefish has rice made with cuttlefish ink then garnished with chorizo, tomato confit and sprouts.

On February 22, Vask Modern Tapas & Gastronomic Cuisine will be kicking off a series of seminars to promote and educate participants for Sustainable Seafood Week at the Vask Gallery in Bonifacio Global City.

They presented their Rice Crackers with Crab and Seafood Mousse using purple rice sourced from Ifugao. I remember encountering purple-colored rice during my trip to Sagada trip and this is how their prepare their rice in the north. This was topped with black bean and jalapeno paste plus cilantro flowers. 

Another dish from Vask was the Arroz Caldo with Mahi Mahi, also using purple rice which makes this a one of a kind arroz caldo.

The Grind Bistro also came up with some very colorful and delectable dishes during the event. 

The Fresh Tuna Roll with Foie Gras Mousse was probably the best item for me. This tuna comes with a creamy foie gras mousse inside and is topped with mango, green apple and salmon roe. I enjoyed this so much that I kept coming back for more. Just as colorful was their Tuna Taco Salad.

Agos by Chef Tatung Sarthou at SM Mall of Asia brought out their fierce-looking Mahi Mahi with Tausug Black Curry which is actually made from burnt coconut. I ate so much during the entire event but I don’t feel guilty because it is all seafood. That’s one more excuse to support the activities and special menus that the participating hotels and restaurants will be launching during Sustainable Seafood Week.

Marriott Manila did not let everyone go home without desserts. This massive round structure with a fisherman figure on top is actually a giant chocolate cake! I am always amazed with the cake designs from Marriott and this one is no different. We all enjoyed devouring the cake including the overflowing beverages and wine that were provided in the venue.

Watch out for all the exciting activities and special dishes that will be coming out during Sustainable Seafood Week on February 20 to 26, 2017. Let’s all be more conscious and aware about how the seafood we see on our plates are sourced. Thank you Marriott Manila for hosting such a wonderful event!

Sustainable Seafood Week

February 20-26, 2017

www.facebook.com/pg/sustainableseafoodweekph

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Why Are My Chinchilla's Teeth Orange?

Almost all pet chinchillas have orange, even red teeth, which can be shocking for a new owner. But is that healthy, or is it a sign that your chinchilla is deficient in something?

Why are my chinchilla's teeth orange? Deep yellow, orange or orange-red teeth are healthy for chinchillas while lighter yellow or white teeth are unhealthy. Deep orange or orange-red teeth occur because your chinchilla's tooth enamel contains lots of calcium, iron and phosphorus. Lighter shades indicate that your chinchilla has a nutritional deficiency. To fix calcium deficiency, mix fresh alfalfa hay with your chinchilla's regular timothy hay, or switch to a high-calcium pellet. You could also provide a cuttle bone for gnawing. If nothing helps, talk to a vet and they may prescribe supplements.

The guide below first looks at what color chinchilla teeth should be, before detailing why they might be orange or white. We'll also cover exactly what you should do if your chinchilla's teeth are the wrong color.

Should a Chinchilla's Teeth Be Orange?

Chinchillas, in fact all rodents, have teeth that are different to ours. If you ever look into your chinchilla's mouth, the first thing you would notice—provided that it's healthy—is that its teeth are orange. This is normal, natural and healthy. A chinchilla's teeth should be deep yellow, orange or orange-red in color.

This can be quite shocking to see. We're so used to thinking that lighter teeth are healthier that to see such dark teeth strikes us as a sign of ill health. But in chinchillas, it's the opposite that's true: darker, deeper orange teeth are healthier while lighter teeth mean something's wrong.

What Makes a Chinchilla's Teeth Orange?

What makes rodent teeth darker than ours is the enamel.

Enamel is the outer layer of a tooth, and it's the hardest tissue in your chinchilla's body. It's thin, but it's very strong; it both provides a solid surface for cutting and grinding, and protects the tooth (with all its nerves) underneath. That's why when your enamel is worn away, your teeth become sensitive.

In people, this enamel has lots of magnesium in it; but in chinchillas, the enamel contains lots of iron and calcium, which gives it its dark yellow or orange hue. They can even border on orange-red, which is the natural color of iron. You can see the same difference in other rodents such as beavers or rats.

Should My Chinchilla's Teeth Be White?

[caption id="attachment_1164" align="alignright" width="300"] Poor quality hay can be low in nutrients like calcium.[/caption]

If your chinchilla's teeth are a light yellow shade, or even verge on white, that's a bad sign. It indicates that your chinchilla isn't getting enough of certain micronutrients, particularly iron and calcium. Chinchillas should be able to get all the nutrients they need from their hay, but yours may not, due to:

You buying a low quality hay brand

Hay that has gone bad or stale during the production process

Hay that has gone bad or stale after you bought it

Hay that was grown in adverse conditions, e.g. drought

Your chinchilla is not eating because dental disease makes doing so painful

One of these issues, or all of them combined, could be causing your chinchilla's white teeth.

What Happens If My Chinchilla's Teeth Are White?

Nutritional deficiencies have a direct impact on your chinchilla's health and should be corrected as soon as possible. While the specific effects of calcium deficiency in chinchillas hasn't been studied, there are several ways it's likely to affect your pet:

Calcium deficiency may cause brittle bones. Calcium is one of the building blocks of bones, and without it, they can become weak. This is especially relevant if your chinchilla is still growing.

Calcium deficiency may make malocclusion more likely. Calcium deficiency is likely to make teeth weaker, and more prone to chipping. For both of these reasons, deficiency would make malocclusion occur.

Calcium deficiency may impair organ/body function. Calcium is needed by the body for muscle contraction (e.g. in the heart), as well as blood clotting and enzyme function.

These issues won't necessarily occur all at once, or as soon as your chinchilla's teeth turn yellow rather than orange. But if you'd like to avoid them, you should take steps to combat your pet's calcium deficiency.

How to Make a Chinchilla's Teeth Orange Again

If your chinchilla's teeth have changed from a dark shade to a light shade, or even white, you need to take action. Otherwise, your pet's health is at risk.

Fix Your Chinchilla's Diet

The likely issue is that your chinchilla isn't getting the nutrients it needs from its food. As such, if you take steps to provide your pet with a better diet, you can fix the problem.

The first thing you should do is stop giving your chinchilla snacks. Chins don't need anything aside from hay and hay pellets. While snacks like shredded wheat or rose hips are healthy enough, you should focus on improving the core of your pet's diet before including anything else. This ensures that it only eats the things that's right for it.

Since the likely issue is that your chin isn't getting enough calcium, your next step is to give your chinchilla alfalfa pellets or fresh alfalfa hay. Alfalfa contains far more calcium than timothy hay, so much so in fact that if you feed your pet nothing but alfalfa, it can develop health issues from having too much. So, give your chin fresh timothy hay mixed with 1/3 alfalfa until its condition improves; or, get rid of your old pellets and feed your pet some that are high in calcium instead.

Provide a Cuttle Bone to Gnaw On

If your chinchilla is already eating what seems to be an adequate diet, there are further changes you can make. One is to provide something called a cuttle bone for your chinchilla to gnaw on.

A cuttlebone, which you might also know as a 'cuttlefish bone', is an internal shell that all cuttlefish possess. It's made of a mineral called aragonite, which is a kind of calcium carbonate, which means it contains lots of calcium. Cuttle bones also happen to be the perfect consistency for chinchillas to gnaw on.

These cuttle bones therefore kill two birds with one stone. First, they provide your chinchilla with the calcium it needs for strong enamel. And second, it helps your chin keep its teeth from growing overlong. We don't recommend offering them if your chinchilla gets lots of calcium from its diet, because too much calcium causes bladder stones. But if your pet clearly has a deficiency, they're a good choice to combat it.

Talk To a Vet

[caption id="attachment_2933" align="alignright" width="300"] You should talk to a vet any time your chinchilla experiences a health problem.[/caption]

If you don't notice any improvement, you should talk to a vet. That's because calcium deficiency can have a serious impact on health if it continues for an extended period of time.

The vet can make recommendations on how you can change your chinchilla's care for the better. This might be related specifically to your chinchilla's dental problem—they might, for example, recommend a particular kind of alfalfa hay pellet that they find effective—or, they might make general recommendations. If your chinchilla has several health problems, they will treat all of them.

The vet can also prescribe supplements. We don't recommend the use of supplements as a rule, since chinchillas should get all the nutrients they need from their hay. But if your chinchilla is deficient in something like calcium, calcium supplements will help. Talk with the vet about appropriate dosage.

Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!

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