#Green Chicken and Dumplings

[askwhatsforlunch]

Green Chicken and Dumplings

Heart-warming and flavourful, these lemon-y Green Chicken and Dumplings make good use of chicken carcasses and a comforting dinner on a cold Autumn night!

Ingredients (serves 3):

2 raw (preferably free-range) chicken carcasses, with meat on the bones

2 fluffys sprigs Garden Rosemary 

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tablespoon coarse sea salt

1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

2 1/2 litres/10 cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion

1 large lemon

9 beautiful Garden Green Beans (I have grown more fat deep purple Blauhilde beans this year, which turn green once cooked!)

3 "cubes" frozen spinach

1 1/2 cup plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

1 heaped teaspoon dried oregano

a pinch of salt

about 3/4 cup water

Place chicken carcasses in a large pot with Rosemary and thyme sprigs, bay leaves, coarse sea salt and black pepper. Cover with the water, and bring to the boil over a high flame.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer, one hour and a half, until you have a beautifully fragrant broth.

Lift carcasses from the pot, onto a cutting board and allow them to cool completely. Filter chicken broth through a fine mesh sieve; set aside.

Rinse and dry pot.

Heat olive oil in the pot, over medium-high heat.

Peel and finely chop onion. Add to the pot, and fry, about 3 minutes, until softened, stirring often.

Remove the meat from the cooled chicken carcasses, chop roughly, and stir into the pot. Cook, a couple of minutes.

Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the whole lemon, to deglaze, and add the emptied lemon halves to the pot.

Stir in reserved chicken broth, and brig to the boil.

Rinse, top and tail Garden Green Beans, and stir them into the pot. Cook, 5 minutes. Add frozen spinach "cubes", and cook, 5 minutes more.

Meanwhille, prepare dumplings. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, dried oregano and salt. Then, gradually stir in water (you may not need all of it) until you have a smooth batter.

Spoon heaped tablespoons of the dumpling mixture into the pot. You should have about 9. Cover with the lid, and cook, a further 5 minutes, flipping dumplings half-way through.

Serve Green Chicken and Dumplings wery hot!

[daily-deliciousness]

(@foodf_an23)

[yummyfood620]

Food I’ve made lately, the last pic is a wrap from Red Robin

[justshutty]

Soup Recipes

This Hot and Sour Dumpling Soup is the ideal winter comfort food. The tangy vinegar, spicy chili paste, and savory chicken broth combine to create a deliciously complex broth that complements the hearty dumplings perfectly.

[whatthepatrick]

Soups, Stews and Chili - Wonton Soup Recipe This recipe for wonton soup includes homemade dumplings floating in a gingery chicken broth with chopped scallions and filled with spiced pork.

[ravenclawinthetardis]

Soups, Stews and Chili - Wonton Soup This delicious wonton soup recipe features homemade dumplings filled with seasoned pork floating in a gingery chicken broth with chopped scallions.

[dawdger]

Wonton Dumpling Soup with Green Onions

This Wonton Dumpling Soup with Green Onions recipe is a delicious and simple soup that is ideal for a cold evening. The soup has a flavorful broth, juicy pork dumplings, and fresh green onions on top. Made from Green Onions, Green Onions, Minced Garlic, Cornflour, Sesame Oil, Ground Pork, Soy Sauce, Chicken Broth, Wonton Wrappers, Ginger.

[sophrosynesworld]

Black and Blues (Pt. 2)

Part One:

The elevator ride feels suffocating in its silence. Izuku stares ahead, his normally bright demeanor dulled by the weight of everything happening. It’s just like high school all over again—losing him the first time nearly broke me. How am I supposed to survive this again?

The chime of the elevator interrupts our last moments of quiet, and the doors slide open, unleashing the chaos of DynaCorp. Assistants scramble like ants, buzzing around us with frantic energy.

“Can someone please find Mrs. Bakugo an appropriate outfit?” One assistant barks orders while others scatter. My fingers fidget with the hem of my shorts as camera crews set up equipment, flashes already going off in every direction.

“Mrs. Dynamite, you need to issue Plan C42. Sign here.” A clipboard and pen are thrust into my hands without warning.

Izuku snatches it out of my grip before I can even register what’s happening, tossing it aside. “She’s not signing that. He’s been gone less than 48 hours. Kacchan’s taken spontaneous trips to Spain that have lasted longer than this.”

“What’s C42?” I ask, tugging on his jacket to refocus him. Izuku’s gaze softens momentarily as he gently takes my wrist, pulling me away from the swarm of demands closing in on us.

Before Izuku can answer, an assistant with a phone rushes over. “Mrs. Bakugo, the shareholders’ meeting is about to start. They need you on the call now.”

“Wait, I—”

“Mrs. Bakugo, the PR team needs a statement about Mr. Bakugo’s absence,” another voice cuts in.

“One thing at a time!” I snap, feeling my head start to spin.

Izuku squeezes my hand reassuringly, leaning in so his green eyes are level with mine. “C42 hands over control to the board of directors,” he explains, voice low and steady, trying to anchor me. “Katsuki’s smart. He knows what he’s doing—he’s a shark when it comes to business.”

“Then why are they all acting like he’s already dead?” I mutter, my voice cracking under the pressure.

“Katsuki owns 65% of DynaCorp,” Izuku explains, keeping his focus on me. “As the majority shareholder, he can’t be outvoted. They can’t act without your approval.”

“Mrs. Bakugo, please, the meeting,” the assistant with the phone urges again, sounding panicked.

“I’ll be right there,” I say, still looking at Izuku. “What do I do?”

Izuku steps closer, his large hand resting on my bicep.

“Do you know why Katsuki’s the boss?” he asks me quietly. “It’s because he’s a bully. He doesn’t take orders from anyone. His employees don't tell him what to do—they wait for him to make the call. And today, you’re in charge. You decide when things happen. Everyone waits on you.”

I swallow hard but nod, feeling a small spark of confidence stir inside me.

Just then, another assistant rushes up with a tablet in hand. “Mrs. Bakugo, the legal team needs your approval on these documents.”

Before I can even react, Izuku grabs the tablet out of the assistant’s hands, shooting them a sharp glare. “We’ll review everything later,” he snaps. “You've done things way scarier than this. Bakugo is going to love hearing about this.”

The rest of the day is a whirlwind. Meeting after meeting, phone call after phone call, every second brings new demands, new emergencies. My head is pounding, a constant hum of tension swirling behind my eyes. By the time we finally leave the office, the city has long since gone dark, and exhaustion weighs heavily on my shoulders.

I never realized how much Katsuki dealt with on a daily basis. The pressure, the decisions, the chaos—it’s no wonder he always seemed stressed. I should buy more plants.

Izuku and I sit in my apartment, surrounded by takeout containers from our favorite restaurant. The scent of fresh rice and fried chicken bites fills the room as we go over stacks of documents spread across the coffee table.

Izuku picks up a dumpling with his chopsticks, his eyes soft with concern as he glances my way. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I let out a heavy sigh, leaning back against the couch, my head tilted toward the ceiling. "I don’t know… I’m not even hungry." My gaze drifts over to the counter, where my cold pancakes still sit, syrup congealed and untouched.

Izuku lowers his chopsticks, setting them aside. “What would Katsuki say?”

A bitter smile tugs at my lips. “That I’m going to get a headache if I don’t eat some protein.” I mumble, rolling my eyes even as I take a small bite from my plate, forcing the food down despite the knot in my stomach.

“Thank you, Izuku,” I say quietly, the weight of the day pulling down on my shoulders. “You didn’t have to stay.”

He gives me a soft smile, his voice equally gentle. “We stick together. Your husband has every pro hero in Japan looking for him. He’d want me here with you.”

I nod, comforted by his presence as we work in silence. The world outside feels distant, almost surreal, until our phones begin to buzz, lighting up with a flurry of notifications. Message after message floods in, urging us to turn on the TV.

Izuku grabs the remote with a frown, switching to the local news channel.

And then everything stops.

“Oh my god.” The words fall from my mouth, barely audible. My hands fly up to cover my face as I stare at the screen, frozen in horror. My legs feel weak, but before I can collapse, Izuku is up, his arms pulling me into a tight cocoon, shielding me from the unbearable images flashing on the screen.

“Recently released footage shows ProHero Dynamite hours after he was reported as MIA. The following footage contains graphic images that may not be suitable for viewers.”

My body thrashes against Izuku's hold as I desperately try to turn around and see the screen. But he holds me firm, locking me in place.

"Katsuki!" I scream, heart racing in my chest. But then I hear his voice, faint but unmistakable through the television speakers.

“Bluejays are born to fly. Are they not?”

I stomp on Izuku’s foot, using his moment of surprise to break free from his grip. I whip around, my eyes locking onto the screen just in time to see the horrifying scene. An assailant with an electricity quirk sends a painful jolt into Katsuki’s body, his face twisted in agony. His lips part again.

“Bluejay...”

My heart shatters at the sight of him—broken, battered... confused. I move toward the TV without thinking, my trembling hand reaching for him.

“Stop! Please!” I cry, my fingers grazing the glass, feeling the cold surface that separates us. Izuku yanks me away, wrapping his arms around me and rushing us toward the door.

“What are you doing?!” I shout in confusion, my voice choked with emotion as our apartment door slams behind us.

“We have to go—now,” Izuku mutters under his breath, his usual calm composure unraveling as he pulls me down the hallway. This isn’t like him. We usually take the elevator, but this time, he pushes open the stairwell door, his eyes scanning for danger.

"Stay low, come on," he orders, and we descend the stairs, our hurried footsteps echoing in the narrow space. The sense of urgency fuels my panic, my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

When we reach the parking garage, he grabs my hand and pulls me toward a car, practically shoving me inside. He slides into the driver’s seat, his movements fast and calculated, the car roaring to life as he locks the doors and tears out of the garage.

“What the hell is going on?” I demand, my voice rising with fear and confusion.

Izuku’s knuckles tighten on the wheel, his jaw set. “You’re in danger. We need to move you somewhere safe.”

“What? Izuku, what are you talking about?” I ask.

He spares me a glance. “I don’t know everything yet. But I’m not going to let anything happen to you. We’re going to figure this out—and we’re going to get Kacchan back. I promise.”

The city blurs past us, the streets illuminated by the dim glow of streetlights as we speed into the night, leaving everything familiar behind. All I can think about is Katsuki’s broken face on that screen, and the overwhelming fear that we might not make it in time.

Part Three:

[antiquepearlss]

Southern Headcanons

Old Corona lowkey gives off southern small town vibes so here’s some southern Varian + Quirin headcanons because I’m not projecting at all.

Starting off strong with a classic- Varian loves sweet tea. He makes it homemade and it’s 90% sugar and it’s most of what he drinks. Quirin isn’t a big fan, but he’ll drink it occasionally when Varian makes it. Same with Lemonade; Varian loves it, Quirin is neutral.

If Quirin isn’t working, he’s relaxing in a rocking chair on his front porch.

Varian is the type of person to watch tornadoes instead of seeking shelter. Quirin has to physically pick him up and drag him to the basement.

There’s a creek in Old Corona that the children all frequent. 

Most of Quirin’s diet is biscuits and gravy. It’s the southern old man meal. And southern fried steak. And fried potatoes with gravy. Also coleslaw, and fried green tomatoes, because again, old man.

Varian likes fried chicken and waffles, peach cobbler, pulled pork, chicken and dumplings, and cornbread. He ate coleslaw once and died a little inside.

Neither of them are big fans of catfish or shrimp, they’re just not big on seafood. Ulla was a fan, however.

Neither of them have thick accents, but with certain words it shines through. It also shines through if they talk fast, or for Varian, if he gets really excited. Or it comes out at random moments. Eugene and the girls make fun of him for it, Rapunzel thinks it’s cute, Lance thinks it sounds cool

Quirin has Bible verse decor in his house. He’s not even religious. Those just kind of materialize on your walls the first time you say y’all.

Quirin and Ulla had an apple themed kitchen.

Quirin absolutely has said “bless your heart”

Ulla wore gingham, a lot.

Varian has mason jars. Everywhere. And also reuses those butter containers. He managed to get them to contain acid.

Old Corona has a lot of potholes.

Varian’s favorite place to go as a kid was with his father to Rural King. He loved looking at the machinery and the baby chickens.

Varian knows how to use a riding mower and is quite skilled at it. He tried to teach Eugene (his city kid cousin) and he crashed into a tree.

There is little to nothing to do in Old Corona except for the occasional festival.

Oktoberfest goes hard there.

Quirin isn’t the most social but he does have the southern hospitality down. He’ll invite you in for lemonade or tea. He’ll just, barely talk. (He strikes me as the type to be quiet and awkward in small/intimate settings.) He also brings new neighbors homemade food.

Neither Quirin nor Varian care about sports, but they watch football to feel included. Sometimes they’ll root for opposing teams just for the fun of a playful rivalry with eachother, even though they have no idea what they’re talking about.

Quirin likes old country music. Varian claims to dislike country music, but listens to it sometimes. He never heard the end of it from the girls when they found out he loves Cary Underwood. Ulla had a collection of Dolly Parton vinyl that was passed down to Eugene for….some reason.

Quirin also likes some bluegrass and very much enjoys the blues.

Again, Quirin is not religious, but church on Easter used to be a must. Mostly because it was the only time he and Ulla could get Varian to wear a suit, and he looked adorable in one. (Now all Quirin has to do is ask Rapunzel to make Varian nice clothes and he’ll wear them gladly.)

Ulla planted a lot of magnolias in their garden. And hydrangeas.

Old Corona has a lot of block parties and just, spontaneous potlucks. 

If Varian wasn’t with his parents he was probably with the resident Old Person in Old Corona. He didn’t have many friends growing up, but older people loved him.

Quirin watches Andy Griffith.

Old Corona has one gas station and it has the best slushies. Whenever Rapunzel visits they go there.

Eugene kinda hates Old Corona. He’s a city boy. Rapunzel likes the open-ness.

Old Corona is the prettiest in the Fall.

Varian conveniently spills acid on nearby confederate flags.

[hallowpen]

Before we get to episode four... I forgot to mention something in my previous post about episode three. We were introduced to a new character:

เจ้าเอื้องฟ้า (Jao Uangfah) - Lady Uangfah holds the title of หม่อมเจ้า ('mom-jao' abbreviated as M.C.) as a daughter of a non-successive sovereign prince. Anil's father being closer in line to the throne grants her the title of "Secondary Princess", while Uangfah's father being a further descended prince affords his daughter the lower-ranking title of "Lady". (I know it can be confusing as M.C. is used as a title for several different ranks within the hierarchy, so it's important to know its distinctions)

I spoke about ช่อม่วง ('chor muang') when it made a brief appearance in episode two. However, I'm glad that the series highlighted the process of how to prepare and make the dish... as it is a very detailed and intricate process. The filing is prepared first. The savory filling can vary between pork and chicken. Next follows the making and steeping of the dough (for color). The filling is wrapped in the purple dough where special brass tweezers are used to create a floral shape. The dumplings are then steamed and served, topped with fried garlic. The dish is plated with green leaf lettuce, cilantro, and Thai chilies.

ส้มฉุน ('som chun') is a Thai dessert typically eaten during the hot season. It is made from lychee soaked in cooled sugar syrup (flavored from pandan and orange peels) that is topped with shaved ice, julienned green mango, thinly sliced ginger, and deep fried shallots. The dessert is known for being incredibly fragrant, as well as its sweet and sour flavor.

We were, once again, treated to some very nice social class dynamics featuring Anil's relationships to those around her. She is willing to do whatever it takes in order to obtain what she believes is rightfully "hers". It's extremely notable to point out that Anil continues to view Pin as some kind of possession, even while genuine in her feelings toward her. Anil is using Uangfah in her plan to make Pin jealous, and she is openly cold toward Kuea... with no regard for any consequences. After all, she can do what she wants and manipulate whomever she pleases because she is a highly ranked princess. Anil is used to getting her way... and having people move heaven and earth to help her get it.

There were also some very important scenes between Anil and Prik that reminded the audience that, regardless of their friendly dynamic, Prik still exists to serve.

I also like that the series is integrating the western influences that exist within Anil's family, given that she and her siblings all spent time abroad. The tennis matches (and the wardrobes) were super fun to see, Anil's dinner that she prepared for Pin, even the kissing lesson...

As always, I am very much looking forward to the next episode!!!

[spidervee]

in which jake is your roommate and ruins all your dates. accidentally. accidentally, right?🌻 18+ only!

Jake Seresin isn’t an ideal roommate. He sings in the shower at 5 a.m., he can’t load a dishwasher to save his life—seriously, who puts mugs on the bottom—and he has a habit of walking around shirtless that is beginning to interfere with your love life.

Of course, he’s got a lot of good qualities. He’s a surprisingly good cook, with a recipe for chicken and dumplings you’re pretty sure is the best thing you’ve ever eaten. He’s also got that Navy-mandated tidiness, so the apartment you share is always vacuumed and dusted. And he has a habit of walking around shirtless, which, as appealing as it is for your eyes, is…

Yepp. Starting to mess with your love life.

Because guys see Jake making a smoothie in the kitchen or getting back from a run or literally doing anything and decide they have to have some stupid pissing contest with your roommate, who remains, you think, entirely oblivious to how threatened he makes the men you bring home. Because why would he see them as a threat, right? He’s so far out of your league that your dates have nothing to worry about. Jake Seresin could pull any girl he ever wanted so why would he want you?

You’re almost grateful he’s deployed—despite your usual worry for his safety—when you bring a new guy home from the bar. No Jake means no weird energy and maybe a chance to actually let a relationship get off its feet.

Until he comes out of the bathroom and you’re smiling at your phone because Jake sent you a text, a photo of the two of you at the beach from last year. One of those iPhone memories that apparently made him think of you.

This came up on my phone yesterday. Miss you, sweetheart. Don’t burn the place down. Oh and I’m safe in case you couldn’t tell.

Your date isn’t thrilled to see the photo, even though he asks to. Tells you it looks like you’re a couple—as if—and that Jake seems really comfortable touching you—he’s just a touchy person.

The night ends with some mediocre sex and, despite his words to the otherwise, your date never calls you back.

You try not to blame Jake, but it’s hard not to see him as the root of all your woes in love. And if you’re not mad at him, you’ll have to analyze why he’s accidentally ruining every date you’re on and maybe you’ll have to admit that it’s because none of these guys actually measure up to Jake.

You’d have to have the startling realization that you are hopelessly in love with your roommate.

So when Jake comes back a few weeks later maybe you’re cold. Maybe you’re quiet. Maybe you’re keeping to yourself and maybe you tell him to fuck off when he keeps asking what he did wrong.

You move to storm out of the apartment and it’s all very dramatic, but Jake stops you with a hand grasped firmly around your wrist. It’s not rough, but determined, and he pulls you gently closer to him, his green eyes burning with confusion under furrowed brows.

“What was that?” His skin is sun-kissed and he can’t tell you where he was deployed but you know it was somewhere warm from the way the few freckles that dot his nose are more prominent than usual.

“Fuck. Off.”

Jake blinks, undeterred. And then he stares at you, gaze so focused you feel like you’re a target in one of his stupid training exercises. You want to shy away, but when his other hand comes up to wipe away the tears you hadn’t realized we’re gathering in your eyes it all comes out. All your weird and messy feelings that will certainly ruin everything and make it so you need to find another place to live.

But when you’re done talking, Jake just frowns. He pulls you impossibly closer and rests his chin atop your head. “I’m sorry, sweets,” he mutters, “But I’m glad I scared those guys off.” He doesn’t add that he was totally doing it on purpose as often as he could—things are still too fragile for that. One day he’ll tell you. And on that day, he’ll receive a face full of chocolate cake as punishment.

But for today, he just lets you sniffle in his arms, holds you close as you put a wet spot down the front of his t-shirt. “They’re not good enough for you,” he continues, “I just helped them realize that sooner rather than later.”

“Jake,” you complain, “You can’t keep doing that. I need…I want to find someone.”

His frown deepens and he places his hands on your waist, tapping your hips lightly to warn you that he’s going to pick you up. Carrying you into your bedroom, he sighs. “Fine. I’ll stop, if you give this guy I know a shot.”

“I’m listening.”

“He’s Navy,” Jake continues, “And he’s got a killer body.”

“Definitely listening,” you laugh, but try to ignore the pang of hurt that is Jake setting you up with one of his friends.

Jake rolls his eyes and takes a spot beside you on your bed. “He’s a great pilot, some say the best. And he’s a gentleman, Texas-raised so he knows his way around a kitchen.”

Oh. Oh.

“Jake…”

He holds up a hand, not willing to be interrupted. “And he’s shit at loading the dishwasher, sweets, but I know he’d be willing to learn.”

[strawberry4milk]

spring rolls/green beans/crab wontons/edamame/chicken dumplings/yum yum shrimp

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

Breakfast foods in China

Since arriving in China my typical breakfast has changed quite a lot (hello baozi and mung bean paste!) so I decided to explore some common local breakfast foods eaten in China!

包子 - Bāozi (my love) These have been an almost consistent (excluding the lunar new year when the canteens and most cafes and restaurants closed) staple of my breakfast ever since I arrived in China. They come with several fillings such as veggie, pork, seafood etc. and they can cooked in different ways such as being steamed, fried etc. Here's a more in-depth post about the types of dumplings and bāo.

粥 - Porridge (zhōu) I sometimes have porridge for lunch instead and it's a really filling meal. I get the Century Egg Congee with Chicken - 皮蛋瘦肉粥 (Pídàn shòu ròu zhōu) and it's one of my all time favourite meals.

煎饼 - Egg pancake (jiānbing) Popular also as a street food, this is a thin crepe type pancake with an egg, veggie, spice, sauce and sometimes meat filling. The actual filling varies as you can customize what veggies and spice level you'd like and whether or not you want meat.

热干面 - Hot and dry noodles (règānmiàn) I honestly had no idea about this dishes existence until a while ago, probably because it's a regional dish originating from Wuhan which is kind of far away from my location. These are spicy and dried noodles which are actually eaten without a broth unlike many other noodles. They seem pretty interesting so if anyone tried them before do share your experience!

桂林米粉 - Guilin Rice noodles (guìlín mĭfĕn) This appears to be another regional dish from Guilin, Guanxi as I had no idea that this was a also a pretty popular breakfast dish. Apparently it's not the noodles but rather the broth that they're cooked in that makes them special, with the actual recepie varying across the region. Someone should do a long weekend trip vlog (pondering on this) to Guilin where they just go from store to store trying these noodles and trying to determine the differences.

葱油饼 - Scallion oil pancake (cōngyŏubĭng) A tasty but heavy-ish pancake imo. These pancakes are cooked with scallions (green onion) and pan-fried to give it that crispy and chewy texture. Very tasty, but it's a little too heavy on the oil for me so I save these pancakes for special occasions instead.

豆浆油条 - Soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks (dòujiāng yóutiáo) I have tried the dough sticks, and I have tried soya milk but separately so far. The dough sticks are these long deep-friend dough sticks, reminding me slightly of breadsticks but more lighter and chewier.

茶鸡蛋 - Tea eggs (chájīdàn) I adore these, my canteen serves them along with regular eggs for breakfast and the tea eggs are usually the first to go. They actually don't really involve tea, instead these eggs are cooked in a mixture of chinese five-spice powder (pepper, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and fennel seeds), soy sauce, and black tea leaves, although some recipes leave out the tea leaves. They have a relatively strong smell so I usually grab some for breakfast on the weekends or in the canteen at lunch if there are any leftover after breakfast. They are also quite cheap, one egg is around 2 yuan so around 0.30 euro, making them a pretty filling and affordable breakfast food.

If there are any other common or specific breakfast foods that you know of, do share them please as I love trying out new things!

[petermorwood]

Follow-up, as promised...

Further to this post, I went rummaging.

My stars, it turns out we've got some serious goodies at the back of the cupboard.

They've all been here long enough that @dduane and I will eat well this next week or so, but the first of them, mentioned often by Dracula Daily...

...“We left in pretty good time, and came after nightfall to Klausenburgh. (Cluj) Here I stopped for the night at the Hotel Royale (AFAIK, fictional) I had for dinner, or rather supper, a chicken done up some way with red pepper, which was very good but thirsty. (mem. get recipe for Mina.) I asked the waiter, and he said it was called “paprika hendl” and that, as it was a national dish, I should be able to get it anywhere along the Carpathians.”

...is this one.

This is a standard bung-it-in-the-microwave ready meal (3 mins / 700w, wait 3 mins, eat) but there's no reason why it can't be prettied up a bit.

Taste report: the flavour was creamy, buttery, paprika-y, and entirely pleasant (if there were more of these I would scoff them) and the Nockerl (mini dumplings) were properly al dente and excellent, but it was by no means "thirsty", by which I assume spicy-hot. Okay, it wasn't labelled as such, but it was even milder than any Paprikahendl I've eaten in a restaurant.

I suspect that, like most ready-meals of this kind, including curries and chili-con-carne, its spice level has been dialled down to Avoid Shocking The Customers, though TBH most German / Austrian dishes labelled Scharf, Feurig or Würzig (all meaning spicy or hot) have been lacking in the oomph department, at least for me. (Some haven't, which is always a pleasant surprise.)

I'm going to make my own Paprikahendl in the next while because I got some sweet and hot paprikas from Polonez in Dublin, and right now, DD is in the process of making Paprikaente, based on several Paprikahendl recipes and a couple of duck breasts found at the back of the freezer. I don't know if that's authentic or not, but it smells great and I don't care. :->

*****

I've suggested in another post why Jonathan Harker found this dish "thirsty".

It wasn't because he he had a wimpy English palate unaccustomed to spicy food - the Edwardian era was familiar with fiery curries from Raj India, and even featured cayenne pepper as a table condiment, complete with its own caddy and (often devil-topped) spoon...

My opinion was that Paprikahendl (Austrian) / Paprikás csirke (Hungarian) was a peasant dish, with the main part of the meal a big dish of noodles or dumplings. Those would be perked up with a sauce based on some elderly chicken which had stopped laying, well-spiced so a little could flavour a lot.

Those noodles have lots of names - nockerln on the packet I posted, also nokoldel, csipetke, spaetzle, tarhhonya and so on - and were what filled people up, with the meat accompaniment more of a relish or seasoning. In the same way, for instance, Yorkshire Pudding used to be served with gravy as a first course, so the second course of meat would go further.

Rice / bread / couscous/ pasta / mian / potatoes / fufu / polenta etc. did the same; many of these are served alongside rich, spicy, buttery etc. dishes and are now suggested as fire extinguishers for "over-hot" foods because the proportions of bland vs rich / spicy have shifted.

Back when, dinner would have been lots of name-the-regional-bland carbohydrate, along with a little bit of over-hot (or -garlicked or -herby or -smoked-bacon / sausagey) protein, which might have tasted excessive alone but would have given flavour to all that bland.

*****

Side-note: it's another possible reason, besides conspicuous consumption, for lots of spice in (rich people's) medieval dishes; in winter and spring, all that spice would have made smoked / salted / dried meat more interesting.

The business of "spices masked bad meat" is rubbish, and originated as recently as 1939 thanks to historian J.C. Drummond, who didn't know what "green" meant in food context. Green cheese = fresh cheese, green meat = un-aged meat.

Drummond assumed a recipe to change the flavour of "green venison" was to cover that it had gone off. It was in fact meant to tenderise it as if hung a few days in the cold store, but "medieval people were primitive" has always been more acceptable pop history than "medieval people were pretty smart".

*****

Harker, eating the chicken-and-sauce as The Meal (Stoker doesn't mention accompaniments or Bulk Carbs like noodles, spaetzle, etc. so you'll have to trust me), would have been like someone taking a swig of hot sauce or chomp of chilli pickle and then declaring the entire meal over-spiced or "thirsty", unaware of the proper proportions of What Goes With What.

A hotter, spicier, "thirstier" Paprikahendl would definitely go with a big mound of these little noodles, so I plan to see - and taste - how it'll work.

And how it'll look, too. :->

[wizzard890]

Hey guys I invented a soup to use up all the leftovers in my fridge last night, and it turned out insanely, blisteringly good, so I’m gonna call it Emily’s Vaguely Thai-Inspired “Oops Everything Is About To Go Bad” Soup, and tell you how to make it.

INGREDIENTS (note: don’t be precious about the amounts, adjust as needed, I’m not your mom. you’re an artist and the heavy-bottomed dutch oven is your canvas)

three cups of any hearty mushroom, sliced (I used white and baby bella)

a stalk of lemongrass, bashed to reveal the tender insides and cut in two inch lengths

five large carrots, diced in rounds

one knob of ginger, around the size of your thumb, minced

three garlic cloves, minced

one red thai chili, diced

one large yellow onion, diced

fresh cilantro

3 cups veggie stock 

3 cups chicken stock 

(you can use better than bullion in water for either of these in a pinch, and if you want to bulk up the veggie stock, add all the trash bits of the onions and garlic and carrots and ginger and the tough outer leaves of the lemongrass with some peppercorns and star anise and let that puppy simmer for like ten minutes before straining.)

two giant handfuls of any sturdy leafy green, like bok choi, kale, or spinach

three eggs

one lime

fish sauce

coconut or brown sugar

frozen dumplings of any kind

gochujang paste

INSTRUCTIONS

add a few tablespoons of neutral oil to a large soup pot over medium heat

once the oil is shining, add the garlic, thai chili and ginger and sauté until fragrant

add the lemongrass and the onions, and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent

in go the carrots, the zest of one lime, and three heaping tablespoons of your gochujang, stir stir stir until everything is tender and the paste has worked its way into all the nooks and crannies. 

pour in the strained veggie stock, bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. cover, and continue to simmer for ten minutes.

remove the lid, stir the reduced broth, and add your mushrooms and your chicken stock. make sure it’s all well combined. 

we’re going to start adjusting the flavor now: add two tablespoons of fish sauce, and a tablespoon of coconut sugar (brown will do if that’s what you have).

cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

add more gochujang plus the juice from your naked lime and chopped cilantro to taste.

now you add your frozen dumplings and your greens and just keep an eye on them until they cook through. 

meanwhile, break the eggs into a bowl and scramble them with a fork. pour them into the soup in an even, unbroken stream while you stir. this will give you those pretty egg-drop ribbons.

serve in deep bowls and garnish with more cilantro and lime juice.

NOTES: like I said above, nearly everything in this recipe can be substituted, save for the aromatics, and if you’re a vegetarian you can just double the amount of veggie stock, instead of adding chicken stock.