#Food Stuff

[aniseandspearmint]

POTATOES

OP mentions carrots and squash and onion and turnip, but you can also toss in chunks of raw potato and they'll cook and absorb that delicious juice and be delightful.

Green beans are good too, and halved brussel sprouts. Whole or chopped mushrooms.

A peeled and chopped apple or pear can add a nice flavor too!

Also, for a gravy, take a packet of low sodium gravy mix (this is cheating, you CAN do it the hard way with flour etc if you wanna) and use some of the juices from the roast in place of the water the packet calls for. Try to minimize the fat, and top it off with a little water if you need to.

If you don't have Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce works!

I'm trying to make a good pot roast in my crockpot, but after I take it out it gets dry. It's on "low" (whatever that means) for 8 hours. I've tried searing it before and still dry. It's submerged in plain water with some herbs and spices for that time. Am I over/undercooking it? It's a cut with low fat %, is that why?

I love you. I think you learned how to make pot roast from someone on Opposite Day, or perhaps April 1st. The only thing you got right is 'low heat for 8 hours'.

Choose a fatty cut of tough meat. Look for lots of fat marbling on a Chuck roast or Shoulder roast. Tough meat has a ton of flavor, and the fat keeps the meat from drying out. The long cook time on low heat, plus acids will make 'tough' meat into a pull-apart, melt-in-your-mouth glory.

Make sure the meat is completely thawed, NOT frozen.

Plain water and nothing else except herbs/spices is.... not what I'd do. A lot of flavor can come into the broth when you add whole carrots (minus the carrot top!) and quartered onions in there. I'm a fan of adding some big chunks of pumpkin or butternut squash and chunks of turnip as well.

I think using red wine for part of the liquid base, and adding a hearty helping of worcestershire sauce will also help the flavor and making the meat 'melty.' The acid and alcohol will draw more, and different flavors from the meat and vegetables that water alone cannot do. Makes it richer.

For my very best pot roast recipe, which had my wedding guests fuckin' clamoring to get the recipe; I cheat. I'm not ashamed of that fact. For the richest, most face-punchingly meaty tasting broth, go to an asian market (or online) and find a mushroom hot pot soup base. It'll be a thick liquid inside a bag, which you then dilute with water. Use THAT as the liquid base (remember to dilute it!), and add your wine and wocestershire sauce to it, along with those herbs & spices. Your whole face will be blown off with flavor. It's the best.

[aniseandspearmint]

This is something people with sensory issues will have Keen Opinions on, but everyone is welcome. If you vote maybe give it a reblog too so it gets around! Feel free to explain why your vote is obviously the worst in the tags!

[158590]

[chronivore]

[frownyalfred]

Completely off topic ? Ish but how do you meal prep? Followed for batfam but also love your gym and fitness talk? How exactly do you work out? I want to start going to the gym but I don't know how to get a membership and how to use all the machines?

I usually do meal prep Sunday nights. I prep a meal that can be used for lunch and/or dinner, and then some breakfast items I can grab and go with. I do a high protein meal prep so it takes some thought but I’ve gotten into a good groove the last few years.

Working out is a little trickier. I started out going maybe once a week, and slowly started going more over time to build a routine. Now it’s habit, since I like to get moving in some way every day. I do weightlifting with cardio days and yoga in between, though recently I’ve been doing more yoga since it’s lower impact.

Most gyms will do an intro/trial membership and will be happy to show you around! A lot of them also do intro to the machines as a free session, which I highly recommend. If you’re brave enough, you can also go up to people (in between sets) and ask them how the machine works — I’ve done this before, and usually they have good tips on form. And they might spot you!

I use the Strong app for keeping track of my lifts. It also has videos and diagrams of proper form with instructions. I track my food intake on a calorie app to try and optimize for my goals, but that can be triggering for some people.

If you’re afab, weightlifting especially is such a good habit to get into. You feel better, you feel stronger, and you aren’t as likely to get stuck in a weight loss/gain cycle. I lost 40+ lbs and countless inches around my waist and chest, but recently my focus has been more on what my body can do and what it looks like, and less on how much the scale reads. I eat the foods I like and have room for treats because you need to eat to fuel exercise! It’s so different from eating the tiniest possible and hitting cardio endlessly.

[geek-22]

[fatlinz]

Feed Me More

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep6 Musings - Dead Blood, a retcon(?)

Plenty of posts state that vamps can't drink Dead Blood, and I just wanted to touch on something Madeleine & Claudia discussed:

Now, I've discussed how frikkin delicious (human) blood is to vamps:

ANY blood can feed vamps--including animal blood, as we all know from book!Loustat eating rats & cats (even birds in the movie), and especially Gabrielle & Mekare, who hunted animals in the wilderness, far away from human civilization. Vampires ARE blood-drinkers after all; it's what they DO. Claudia's right: It's FOOD; even junk food can get you by.

But the fandom's been hung up/confused/misled about Dead Blood for decades, thanks to the IWTV movie.

A big problem with the Alphabettery's that its entry on Dead Blood (and Claudia's Murder Plot vs Lestat) directly contradicts what's in the effing BOOK--instead, it's following the MOVIE, too.

First off: the Dead Blood wasn't what sickened/paralyzed Lestat, it was the poisonous absinthe & laudanum she laced the boys' food with--Les guzzled down a frikkin horse tranq.

Second: the book explicitly shows more than once that the boys were still alive when Les drained (& sexually molested *cough*) them:

In TVL, AR's second book, she already contradicts the whole Dead Blood thing when Lestat is tortured by Armand in the Theatre before the Trial.

Les was starved, and raving mad, and Armand fed him corpses to drink from. (I discuss the effects of vampire "starvation" here.)

The whole thing about drinking from the dead was tied to the anathema of vamps (as dead things) drinking up Death, to stay alive.

Les explained to Claudia that drinking after the heart stopped made vampires "SICK to death."

Magnus told Lestat explicitly that NOTHING can kill vampires except the sun/fire (which is only 75% true--the BRAIN is what really matters, as I've explained). But he did warn Les not to drink dead blood--

--cuz Magnus assumed that newborn fledgling Les wouldn't be "strong enough to feel that great moment" of drinking in death, the way an older vampire could--and we know that the Children of the Millennia love to drink dead blood--eating their victims' heart & BRAIN after they were already dead--cuz those organs are where the best/strongest blood is--more on that in my Cannibalism post.

But Les almost immediately broke this rule--cuz Lestat is THE rule breaker (hence why him raving about the Great Laws makes no effing sense).

Fledgling Les kept drinking his victims' blood after they were dead, and it didn't kill him--he felt a "wallop," as he couldn't move in his "rolling delirium."

The Alphabettery described the side effects of Dead Blood as getting "sick...to the point of paralysis," corpse-stiff with rigor mortis. For WEAKER vamps, yes, it can make them feel "sick to death," and even Les' was bowled over, delirious & immobile. But this isn't cuz Dead Blood is inherently DEADLY, like poison (a la the movie); but cuz of the overwhelming affect of FEELING that "great moment" of death--it's psychological as much as it's physical.

Most vamps can't HANDLE the GUILTY FEELING of killing--they can't handle what death feels like. Hence why they're always running from their OWN death, by drinking the blood of the living just to FEEL alive again.

Vamps are inherently SCARED of death--they AVOID being around it, and even being around their own dead victims.

It's the same with tasting death. Magnus said only vamps who are STRONG enough can drink Dead Blood, and FEEL death without themselves wanting to curl up and die with their victims. Tasting death paralyzes them--makes their limbs heavy, tense, & lock up; forced to reconcile their (im)mortality & unnatural body--just like how Pandora & Lestat wept when they first used the Cloud Gift, hating how inhuman it made them feel. Being a vampire is HARD--it's a blow to the human conscience; and drinking death wallops them.

The horrible treatment of the Replimoids/aliens like Derek was cuz their bodies provided limitless amounts of blood vamps could gorge themselves on, as Replimoids never die from bloodloss--they don't NEED blood to live.

We see Rhoshamandes experience feeling death "pass into" him in PL, when he eats Khayman's brain:

He seemed to swoon, either from ecstasy or nausea isn't clear--eyes fogging up and heart racing. But the Dead Blood in Khayman's brain was still "delicious."

In PLatRoa, Rhosh was instructed by Roland that drinking from the aliens was the perfect buffet, cuz there's no Death to drink or feel "pass into" a vamp, if the victim can't ever die from being drained.

The issue of vamps drinking immortal/Deathless Replimoid blood brings me to another point. When drinking Armand's corpses in TVL, Les said something important about "sucking up what was left."

As AR developed her lore, it becomes clear(er) that what vamps are sucking up is not actually blood, but MAGIC--the spiritual life force within blood, that AMEL (as a spirit/ghost) feeds on in order to live.

Maharet explains it in QotD:

Amel, a "spirit of the air" that served as Maharet & Mekare's familiar in their witchcraft, was addicted to blood--not just the magic in it, but also the "taste;" that he "fed" on.

The GOAT Mekare explained that even invisible spirits are still material bodies--they have matter, that can absorb & experience things through our 5 senses--inc. taste.

AR contradicts herself in TVL when first she says Les drinking Dead Blood tasted so "exquisite" that he forgot to stop when the heart did; he just kept going. But then in the Trial, Les said drinking dead blood from the corpses Armand gave him was "cold, nauseating, the worst." I suspect that for fledgling vamps, who're much closer to Amel at the moment of creation, they can't discern the difference between living & dead blood--blood is just blood--"it's FOOD, I need it;" and as a baseline ofc it tastes good--cuz ALL blood tastes good to Amel, too. Khayman's Dead Blood was "delicious" to Rhosh. But as they settle into their vampiric bodies, drink more blood, and age over time, their attitudes/sensitivity towards different blood types gradually changes, too--cuz we see this in Amel, too.

Amel drank the blood of the living AND the dead--from people, and from blood sacrifices (which he would "slurp up" (I assume from the altar floor & whatever bowls were laid out on them)). The animals/people and the blood itself would be "dead." Drinking any blood made Amel feel "slow"--as in heavy/more material/physical/CORPOREAL--ALIVE again.

When Amel took possession of Akasha, and revived her corpse from death (thus becoming the Sacred Core of the mother of all vampires), Amel used Akasha (and all vamps spiritually linked to her through the Silver Cord, luracastria, magic, etc), as conduits to feed his bloodlust.

Amel's called "the spirit of the vampiric Blood." But although corporeal/alive inside Akasha, as more blood-drinking vamps were made, Amel's Sacred Core/"rootness" became stretched too thin.

As a (former) spirit/ghost, Amel's "etheric self" was trapped in Akasha's body; similar to how (former) spirit/ghost Gremt was trapped in the synthetic(?) body of flesh & blood he created after witnessing Amel take Akasha's body; made "too solid, separate and individual."

Gremt's corporeal body appreared so real/complete/alive that Lestat could drink Gremt's synthetic(?) "sweet, luscious" blood just fine--

--cuz blood is blood; and Les couldn't tell the difference between this former spirit/ghost's fake(?) blood; and a real humans' blood. Cuz Gremt is pure SPIRIT--and vampires drinks SPIRITS/life forces/magic in the blood.

But interestingly, when Les drank the Replimoid/alien Kapetria's "extraordinary, rich, irresistible, sweet" blood; it was like he started tripping on acid.

Upon drinking Kapetria's blood, Les started hallucinating his worst triggers--the Witches Place, Memnoch, and Claudia's Murder Plot, screaming "Put me in my coffin."

It was so bad he had to be carried out the room--the effect so bad it was like he HAD drunk Dead Blood. Which is odd, cuz Rhosh & Roland never experienced this with Derek. But then again, neither of them held the Sacred Core when they drank from a Replimoid.

I reckon Les was so badly affected cuz--with Amel's Sacred Core in him--he was too close to the Repolimoids to feed on them; it's cannibalism in a too-literal sense. Although "every cell in me was satisfied and upheld by the blood"--cuz there's still a spirit/soul in Replimoids--Les was still overloaded with Kapetria's luracastria. It hit him like Dead Blood would to a weak vamp--cuz luracastria's what makes old vamps turn to stone, like TWMBK--their bodies go heavy, stiff, rigor mortis.

He's not drinking Death with Kapetria; he's drinking life itself (and thus is faced with HIS old life); similar to how vamps drinking vampire blood from the Elders/CoM gives them a better "high" than drinking from regular fledglings--let alone humans.

When Les drank Rhosh's Dead Blood from his brain, it was "so sweet and strong," lighting him up like he was on fire/warm like he'd "never been cold"; "beatific, grand beyond imagining." When Les recovered from the swoon (ecstasy, NOT nausea), Rhosh's blood was "a fine scaffolding of steel supporting me."

Les encouraged his Vampire Court to cannibalize the rest of Rhosh's corpse, and drink his "powerful" Dead Blood to suck up the vitality/strength/power in the life force still lingering in Rhosh's corpse.

As such, here, I disagree with AMC!Claudia's insistence that "life's mystery" isn't in the Blood. I think this is her downplaying just how much she loves/needs blood (just like she downplayed her dreams/nightmares); esp. considering what Louis said about her being afraid she "can't stop" if she takes "a sip" of Madz's blood--knowing what happened to Charlie & her inability to perform the Little Drink like an older/stronger vamp can. You see the raw THIRST on Claudia's face as she fights not lunging at Madz! Cuz at the end of the day, for vamps ("hungry ghosts" in other cultures), ALL BLOOD IS LIFE.

[bokettochild]

there's something so refreshing, freeing, about being ale to eat fruit by just tearing into it

no cutting, no peeling, just eating

gosh I missed this!

*has been stuck with braces for two years*

[toxicpudge]

I was supposed to make bars but I didn’t have the pan size I needed 🫠

So slices it is

[aniseandspearmint]

POLL because apparently doing this makes me weird, and i wanna know if it really does

i drink it if the liquid is something drinkable. I'm not gonna sip soy sauce or oil, but water? milk? Why in the WORLD would i pour them in the sink, or back in the container? I have been informed this makes me a weirdo (fond).

please give it a reblog if you vote, i wanna get this around!

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

A) The everything burrito:

B) Kitchen sink ice cream sundae: three sliced bananas, scoops of your choice of up to 8 flavors of ice creams, 8 servings of toppings, mounds and mounds of whipped cream, chopped toasted almonds and cherries. It’s called the kitchen sink because it’s literally big enough to fit a kitchen sink.

(Side note: none of these are made up. I’ve seen all of these food items before)

[animefoodwhore]

FOOD.

Burger , but animated.

Hungry yet ?

[princess-unipeg]

Darwin’s favorite Potato dishes

[aces-to-apples]

Extremely random question that you can ignore! So as a cook, when you work somewhere does that place like, give you specific recipes to follow? Because I always figured that they'd want their food standardized, but also it made SUCH a difference when the cook at my favorite breakfast place left, but if they were following the same recipes shouldn't it have been the same?? Or is there just a massive level of skill difference that can happen there?

Most places have a certain level of standardization with regards to recipes and ingredients, yes, but also how you cook something, and for how long, and what else you may add can make a massive difference. Cooking something on the flat top vs. a grill vs. the oven vs. the fryer vs. a steamer can all massively change how something comes out, and yeah it's sometimes a skill thing too. Some people don't put oil down, or drench everything in it even when that's a crazy thing to do; some people don't season, or massively over-season; some people (especially older cooks) kind of go by vibes and don't, for instance, actually temp the fucking meats they're cooking; some people never even look at the fucking recipes and just vibe their way through everything based on previous training, making all of their food taste different than everyone elses'.

Adding to that, there's also the matter of who's doing the prep: depending on the place, some (a lot, really) line cooks are also part-time prep cooks and that'll have an effect as well. If your favorite cook all did all the prep work for the specials, or made sure everything was flipped and stocked on the line, or had a special recipe for sauces and marinades that wasn't written down, or was the person responsible for proper rotation, or always timed and temped their cooking properly, etc. etc., then them leaving likely had ripple effects and left holes in the system that nobody had thought to fill yet.

And on top of that, yeah, skill and experience make a big difference too. New cooks for instance often learn everything on the line and piecemeal across different jobs, which will affect their cooking each time they go somewhere new. My very first job was at a fucking Subway, but since it was all fresh ingredients and no actual cooking, the main thing I was taught to focus on was proper rotation (FIFO: First In, First Out), accurate labeling (contents, date made, use-by, initials), and keeping everything stocked, which is literally always the first thing that new bosses compliment because of how, uhhhhh, lax a lot of line cooks can be about all that; on the flip side, I've been a line cook for several years and just learned at this latest place to check the internal temp of steaks to determine how cooked they are (rare: 120ish, mid-rare: 130ish, medium: 140, mid-well: 150, well done: +155) simply because I never worked anywhere that did a lot of steak work.

So yeah it's sort of a grab bag in kitchens of where the disconnect may be lol, very much an art rather than a science, especially in kitchens that aren't terribly fussed about having everything exactly the same every time. Plus, not gonna lie, some "official" recipes are absolutely wack and everyone in the kitchen just tacitly agrees that We Are Not Doing That and does their own thing.

[booksbeansandcandles]

Kitchen Witch Recipes: Balsamic Glazed Porkchops

Not only are these chops delicious, the ingredients are magical too. First the recipe then what the ingredients do

2-4 large pork chops

1 large zucchini, sliced thinly

4-6 red or Yukon potatoes

3-4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cups balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450°

Wash and dice the potato's and the zucchini, finely chop the garlic

Toss the zucchini and potatoes in the oil, salt and pepper, cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes/ checking after 20 minutes to not over cook

Pat pork dry, salt and pepper both sides, heat the oil on medium heat, cook chops for 8 to 10 minutes, turning half way through. Do this while the vegetables are cooking

Remove the chops, then add the chicken broth, garlic, brown sugar and vinegar to the skillet, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer till reduced by half, add the chops back, cook for a few minutes so they absorb some of the glaze if desired.

Cut the chops up, add vegetables, coat with sauce, serve while hot

Now the magical portion:

Pork: Element is fire, used for strength, fertility, and luck

Garlic: Planet is Mars, zodiac is Aries, Goddess is Hekate. Good for bansishing, protection and breaking curses. Good for lowering cholesterol, cardiovascular health, and stabilizes blood sugar

Zucchini: This veggie is ruled by Jupiter, helps with abundance, honor, and prosperity.

Balsamic vinegar: Is ruled Mars, this is a fire energy, good for protection, purification, and renewal

Potatoes: Ruled by the moon, it's element is earth, this vegetable is part of the nightshade family and was once considered poisonous. This is good for grounding, protection and stability.

Salt: Ruled by Venus and the moon. Good for protection, absorbs negative energies, and prosperity

Pepper: This is a fire element and is ruled by Mars. Use it for protection, cleaning, energy and passion