#I also like sour dough bread

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

hey so i finally wrote more witch au!

enjoy, friends!! though it's significantly shorter than the first part

pairing: steddie | word count: 2,004 | rated: T

Mama thinks that Steve’s had a love spell on him this whole time.

“Since when?” He’d asked.

“I don’t know, my dear, maybe since before you were even born.”

“What?! How?! I thought you said there was no such thing as love spells!” He knows that’s not true.

“There are none that are worth the pain.” she repeats, trying to placate him.

“Yeah, well.” Steve huffs, dropping his hands to his hips and heaving a sigh.

“But there are some that are rumored to be true love spells, soulmate spells.” She continues on when she sees the look on his face. “Rumored, Steven, only ever rumors.”

“Okay, so what do the rumors have to say about them?”

“Every spell like that I’ve ever heard of of this nature is specific to each caster.”

“So I’ve had this spell on me for possibly my whole life, and there’s no way to know anything about it or about the caster.”

“...I’m sorry, honey.”

“Maybe there are clues in the words you have.” Robin cuts in, reaching for the notepad and sliding it in front of her.

Steve huffs, “I need to know the whole thing; there’s definitely words missing.”

“Should you eat more bread?” Robin asks, already sliding the previously abandoned plate of bread towards him.

“You shouldn’t overwhelm yourself.” Mama says, pushing the plate back. “We don’t know if there’s a trigger to the spell, or if you and the caster’s paths will just cross one day, maybe they don’t even know they cast it.”

Steve blinks at her. “So I have a true love and they might not even want me?”

“No!” Robin belts out immediately.

“No, of course not,” Mama says, continuing on. “The one known thing about any spell like this is that they only work on those who are receptive to it.”

“So some weirdo can’t put you under their spell?”

“Yes, exactly Robin; Steve, whatever this is, whoever this was, they love you with all that they are. And you them.”

“I don’t even know who it is! How can I?”

Mama doesn’t have an answer besides saying “Your soul must know them already.”; Their conversation was over soon after that.

Steve spends the next couple days silent and brooding. He can’t stop thinking about how he’s what, marked to love someone he doesn’t even know? How’s that fair?

It could be any random person on the street that thought he was hot, some weird old guy or a lovesick middle schooler..He only just turned 25 the day before the bread incident, but he’s saddled with this huge unknown that isn’t going to get better any time soon?

Okay, apparently not just some weirdo according to Mama, but still. Un-fucking fair all the same.

He’s also pissed that he can’t give anyone all the baked goods he’s made within that time. Each and every one of them ending up with a sour aftertaste. 

“Damn witch bullshit…” he grumbles to himself, only half serious, as he scrapes another batch of sour sugar cookies into the trash.

He’s salty, okay? Pun intended. If he hadn’t ever learned the truth about the powers over food his grandmother (and now him too, apparently) has, he could’ve just excused the batch after batch being off on bad butter, or old flour.. Something other than his mood being what’s ruining his cookies.

That’s what he’d done every other time something he’s made tasted off, now he knows it was him the whole time.

Mama comes in then, he doesn’t have to look up to know the look she’s giving him.

Steve leaves the bowl of leftover dough on the counter, mumbles out a “I gotta go.”, then tromps out the back door and into the woods behind his grandparents’ home. 

He supposes it’s good that they live just outside the city, really, having the trees to escape under like this has helped him before, and he’s hoping will help him now.

Meandering through the underbrush, he strolls along until he reaches the small clearing he’d claimed for himself when he was what, 8? 9? Doesn’t matter. It’s his spot to get away from anything he needs to.

He sits down against the big oak at the edge of the clearing and tips his head back toward the sun filtering down on him through a gap in the canopy above him. He breathes in the fresh air, focuses on the warmth hitting his face, and just exists there for a while, slipping in and out of a soft snooze.

Suddenly, he’s shocked out of his dozing by the sound of twigs snapping underfoot.

If it were coming from behind him, he’d expect it’d be Robin coming to find him here, but it’s not. It’s coming from ahead of him across the clearing.

Steve stands and presses back into the trunk of the tree, wondering if there’s bears in these woods when a person stumbles through the tree line.

The man is thin, about Steve’s age if he were to guess, and covered in dirt, his light wash overalls and his boots are caked in it. His hair is long, pulled half-back away from his face and full of bracken from the forest.

He also seems to be in a daze, staring with dark eyes at Steve with an unfathomable expression. 

It shifts soon after, though, warming into a watery smile. “I’ve come home to you.” he says, clear as day, then collapses onto the grass.

“Oh, shit!” Steve rushes forward, kneeling down beside the man and quickly checking him over for injuries. 

Steve presses his fingers to the man's pulse confirm it's still there (it is) and there don’t seem to be any bruises or breaks in his limbs, so he goes to his head, feeling quickly under the tangles in his hair for any blood, any knots.

Nothing. There’s nothing apparently outwardly wrong with him.

“Hey, hey, wake up! You gotta stay with me, man.” he says, shaking him lightly. 

The other man’s head lolls to the side and his eyes open a crack, his lips quirking up into a smile. “M’love…”

“What is your name?” Steve insists in a slow, clear voice.

Instead of answering, the man raises his hand slowly to cup Steve’s cheek. “...v’wait’d so long..” he slurs, then goes limp again, his hand dropping to his chest.

“Oh no you don’t,” Steve gets his feet under him and gathers the man up into his arms in a bridal carry. His steps falter when he feels how light the man is in his arms, how much more thin he is than how he’d looked.

Steve adjusts his hold on him, making sure not to let his head hang backward over his forearm, and rushes back toward the house.

“Mama!” he shouts as soon as he clears the treeline into the yard.

She’s at the back sliding door as soon as he is. “Steve, honey, what—”

He pushes past her, hurrying to the spare room on the first floor with her on his heels. “I found him wandering the woods, I couldn’t just–I don’t know what’s wrong with him, Mama.”

She gestures him forward to the bed, “Put him there, on top the covers,”

He does, setting him down as if he’s made of glass.

As soon as the man is out of his arms, Mama takes his place. “Nothing seems broken, but he’s so light, he needs food, he needs water, should I call 911? I don’t even know his na—” he rambles on, not even realizing he’d started to pace until his grandma stops him in his tracks.

“Steve, listen to me.” she says, pulling at his wrists gently, removing his hands from his hair. “He will be fine. Now, go get a bowl of warm water and a washcloth and come straight back here.”

He nods dazedly, stumbling backward out the doorway and spinning to the kitchen.

Steve slides to a stop on the tile floor in front of the kitchen sink at the same time Robin gets home from her classes that day.

“I have a date!”

Wait, he needs the bowl first. He scrambles to the opposite counter for the large mixing bowl Mama uses for her damn bread and fishes it out with a clatter of everything that that had been in front of it on the shelf tumbling out to the floor.

“Steve?”

Should he put soap in it?

“Steve!”

No, Mama just said ‘warm water’, not ‘warm soapy water’. He nods to himself and turns on the tap, reaching under the sink next for a washcloth.

“Steven Otis Harrington.”

“Oh, hey Robin, you’re home.” The bowl’s almost full.

“Steve.” She spins him to face her, holding tightly to his shoulders.

He tries to twist back around futilely, “The bowl–”

“Steve. What. Is. Happening.”

He blinks at her a couple times. “Robin!” He pulls her to him in a tight hug. “Holy shit, you’re not gonna believe–”

“Steve, the bowl?”

“Shit,” It’s nearly full when he shuts off the tap, so he dumps a bit out and picks it up with both hands, “C’mon, he’s this way.”

“He? Who’s he?”

“Dunno, I found him in the woods.”

“Aw, Steve, you can’t just take in any ol’ stray dog you happen to find out in the wood—-” Robin cuts herself off as they get to the bedroom door. “Ohhkay…so..not a dog.”

“He looks to be dehydrated, but I don’t think he has any injuries.” Mama says in lieu of a greeting when they return. Steve sits down on the opposite edge of the bed that she is, and carefully passes over the bowl of water without looking at her.

The stranger immediately takes in his attention. His soft features, dark brows…Steve starts to pull the bits of brush out of the man’s hair, untangling twigs, leaves, and he can already see one of those pesky prickle things twisted into the hair next to his ear.

Mama sets the bowl on the sidetable, and gets to work immediately, wiping the dirt and grime from the man’s face and arms. “Robin dear, can you grab one of those sports drinks Pa loves so much outta the fridge? And a bottle of water.”

“Of course!” she says, darting back into the kitchen.

“We’ll need to get some food in him too,”

“We should make him scones.” Steve states apropos of nothing. “With chocolate chunks.”

“Maybe after he’s a bit better, sweetie.” Mama scoffs, wringing out the washcloth. “He needs healthy fats first, butter, oatmeal, avocado, things like that.”

“I can do that!” Steve says, jumping up excitedly. His former task forgotten, he rushes out of the bedroom and to the kitchen, nearly bowling Robin over in the process.

He gets to work on simple eggs and toast for their houseguest, avoiding Mama’s lucky bread in favor of his own store-bought stuff for now, he can make him his own later. 

As he scrambles the eggs, he focuses everything in him on the stranger, on getting him better, making him healthy again. He’s not exactly quite sure how to do what Mama does, but the sour cookie dough says he’ll do it without thinking about it…kinda.

Whatever. 

All he knows is that he’s telling the fuck outta these eggs to make his love better. Make him whole again.. Make him—

Wait..

Did he just refer to the random man laid up in the other room as his love?

Is…

The fugue state he’d been in since first laying eyes on the man crackles away just long enough for him to think.

What did he say before he collapsed? "I've come home to you."?

That..sounds right....why is that so famili—

Steve's eyes leave the pan of eggs in front of him and snap immediately to the scrap of paper he'd scrambled for a few nights ago.

Is he…?

And of course, as if the words weren't already plastered permanently onto his grey matter, there they are, plain as day.

tagging those that were interested on the last part!!! @mugloversonly @kittydeadbones @maybequizas @queenie-ofthe-void @newtstabber @angeldreamsoffanfic @eyesofshinigami @sunflower-trashbaby @perseus-notjackson @kaspurrcat @quinns-shadowy-arts

also, idk if this counts for it, but one of february's songs for @steddiesongfics is work song! which is what this fic is based on! 😊😊

[petermorwood]

Flammkuchen / Tarte Flambeé / "German pizza"

This evening I found a slab of Speck (strong-smoked bacon) in the freezer that I didn't know we had, there was half an onion and a tub of Lithuanian sour cream in the fridge, so @dduane decided to try Flammkuchen.

Originally, so the story goes, it was made by bakers as a pre-thermometer way to check the temperature of their wood-fired ovens (and provide a quick snack at the same time).

Tarte flambée is the French name, but "German Pizza" or indeed any sort of pizza it certainly isn't; there's neither tomato sauce nor cheese, and no yeast in the dough.

Whether it's German or French depends on who you ask, since it originates from the province of Alsace, an area which has changed hands a lot in the past couple of centuries and whose ownership has been A Source Of Friction Between Guess Who for almost as long.

To stay neutral, the recipe DD used is Swiss. ;->

Here's the translation:

*****

Alsatian tarte flambée

This delicious speciality from Alsace is also ideal for an aperitif. Thinly rolled bread dough with sour cream, onions and bacon cubes!

350g flour (12½ oz) 1.25 tsp salt 2 dl water (6.7 US fl oz / .42 US pt) 2 tbsp olive oil 200 g crème fraîche / sour cream (7 oz) 2 onions (we had less, so used less...) 120 g farmer's (thick, well-smoked) bacon in slices (4¼ oz) a small grind of pepper

And this is how it's done:

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in water and oil, mix and knead into a soft, smooth dough. Form the dough into a ball, cover and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 240 degrees (464 F). Halve the dough and roll it out into an oval shape about 3 mm thick (1/10 inch) on a lightly floured surface. Place the dough on two baking sheets lined with baking paper.

Spread the crème fraîche / sour cream over the dough, leaving a border of approx. 1 cm (½ inch) free all around. Peel the onions, cut them into fine rings, cut the bacon into strips, spread both over the crème fraîche / sour cream and season.

Baking per tray: approx. 12 minutes each on the bottom shelf of the oven.

*****

Since this was our first time making Flammkuchen, we baked them one at a time to check for errors. There were none (Swiss recipe!) and 12 minutes was exactly right to produce this result both times:

DD needs to be careful because of IBS so they were made with mostly bacon on one side, mostly onion on the other, and with a glass of cool white wine they made an excellent Sunday supper.

Next time, now we know how well this recipe works, we'll be more generous with the toppings. :->

Incidentally, rather than baking-trays or the pizza stone we need to replace (ceramic utensils, tile floors and gravity Do Not Mix Well) we used the cast-iron griddle which in summer often goes on the BBQ...

... and gave the oven a thorough pre-heating, then transferred the Flammkuchen in and out with a peel, all of which worked splendidly.

That tip about using baking paper is excellent, BTW: no sticking, no spillage, no washing up. I bet it'll work with other things as well.

Like, for instance, more Flammkuchen... ;->

[jokeroutsubs]

SLOVENIAN CUISINE: EXPLAINED

Extremely confused by Joker Out’s recent post? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

KRANJSKA KLOBASA:

Carniolan sausage is one of the most recognisable Slovenian culinary products. Since January 2015 it has been protected with geographical indication by the European Union. It originates from the historical region of Kranjska, once the Duchy of Carniola, a crown land of the Austrian Empire. The sausage is a reddish brown colour on the surface and bears a faint scent of smoke. Each pair is held together with a wooden skewer.

Preparation: It contains at least 75 to 80% pork (aside from bacon) and at most, 20% bacon. It may contain up to 5% water, sea salt from the Sečovlje salt pans, a little garlic, saltpetre and black pepper. No other ingredients are permitted. It has to be cooked before consumption. It is usually eaten hot, together with sour or cooked cabbage or sour turnip.

Perfect for: folk village parties called ‘veselice’, where they are a common choice alongside wine or beer. For that occasion, bread, mustard, and sliced onion are mandatory accompaniments.

IDRIJSKI ŽLIKROFI:

Žlikrofi is a traditional Slovenian dish, originating from Idrija a small town in the east of Slovenia. Idrija is mostly known for its lace and now-closed mercury mines. Žlikrofi were the first Slovenian dish registered as a Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG).

Preparation: Žlikrofi are made using pasta, filled with a mixture of potatoes, onion, pig lard, chives and other spices. They are best served with ‘bakalca’ (a sauce made out of lamb and vegetables).

Perfect for: Žlikrofi are eaten all year round and can be served either as a starter, side dish or a main course. Alongside restaurants in Idrija, tourists can also try them at the Idrija Lace Festival or at the Idrija Žlikrofi Festival, where žlikrofi are prepared in more than 35 different ways. The žlikrofi festival is held at the end of August, this year it is taking place on the 24th of August.

POTICA:

Potica (a Slovenian nut roll) is the number one traditional holiday pastry in Slovenia. It has been registered as a Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG) in the European Union since April 2021.

Preparation: It consists of a rolled pastry made from sweet yeast dough, most commonly filled with walnuts, but there are variations with hazelnuts, tarragon, poppy, cottage cheese and others. Its ingredients are quite basic, but achieving the right balance of filling and dough is challenging. Traditionally it is ring-shaped, baked always in the special shaped potica baking mould (ceramic, glass or tin one), called ‘potičnik’, which has a conical protrusion in the middle.

Perfect for: All holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. Slovenian housekeepers are happy to bake it even outside the holiday season to pamper their loved ones.

PREKMURKSA GIBANICA:

Prekmurje layer cake (literal translation: Over-Mura moving cake 😂) is a special cake originating in eastern region of Slovenia, Prekmurje. The name ‘gibanica’ comes from the dialect expression güba and refers to a fold. Since March 2010, prekmurska gibanica is protected in the EU as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed.

Fun fact: If you are visiting Prekmurje, you can swing by The House of Gibanica, where you can enjoy the full gibanica experience which includes tasting handmade gibanica, made in the traditional way using a protected recipe.

Preparation: The preparation of this layered cake is quite complex and expensive, which is why it is only served on special occasions. Each layer is topped with plenty of sweet cream, eggs and butter. The dessert requires crumbly and rolled dough and four types of filling, made up of cottage cheese, poppy seeds, walnuts and apples.

Perfect for: special occasions like Christmas and Easter. As it is very filling, it’s not ideal to eat (or prepare) in hot weather.

BOGRAČ

Bograč is a hearty dish, consisting of many meats. It is typical of the Prekmurje region. It is a festive dish, as it is never cooked for just one person. It is best when cooked in a kettle over an open fire. In Hungarian this kettle is called 'bogrács' , hence the name of the dish.

Preparation: Sweat onions in lard, then add a different type of meat to the dish at the end of each hour of simmering: first the beef, then the venison, and finally the pork. Season with paprika and add a splash of white wine. Finally, add the potatoes and cook until they are done.

Perfect for: large family gatherings.

Fun fact: Every year, Lendava* organises the international 'bograč' cooking competition called ‘Bogračfest.’ The municipality of Lendava also holds the Guinness World Record for the largest bograč ever prepared (1,801 kg) since 2021.

* A Slovenian town near the Hungarian border.

Content prepared by: @kurooscoffee, @weolucbasu, drumbeat

Graphic design by: X pastellibianchi, anonymous JOS member

English proofreading by: IG GBoleyn123, @flowerlotus8, X klamstrakur

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A plate of light brown bumpy flatbread with blackened spots, surrounded by za'tar and green olives. End ID]

خبز طابون / Khobz taboon (Palestinian flatbread)

Khobz taboon ("taboon bread") is a soft, chewy Palestinian flatbread. It may be eaten with olive oil and za'tar, but it is best known as the base of مسخن (musakhkhan), where it is topped with spiced aromatics and perhaps chicken.

Khobz taboon gets its name from the vessel it is traditionally cooked in—an outdoor, shallow conical oven with an opening at the top and a clay or metal cover to trap heat. Taboons may also have an opening at the side through which the fire can be stoked, especially in the east of Palestine. These ovens were historically made from a mixture of local clay and hay, but have more recently also been constructed from clay treated to be sturdier, or from metal.

A taboon is used by packing flammable material, such as hay, fabric, animal dung, wood, and charcoal, around the outside of the oven and letting it burn overnight; the fire transfers thermal energy to the clay, and to the river stones, sand, glass, or flint stones (صوان, "ṣawwān") that form the base of the oven. The ash is then brushed away, and the flattened dough is placed on the stones or stuck to the walls of the oven to cook. The clay and stones will continue to release thermal energy and cook things throughout the day. The clay and ash give a distinctive flavor to anything cooked inside the taboon, making this method a source of nostalgia for many people who have transitioned to cooking in indoor ovens.

Khobz taboon was traditionally made with whole wheat flour. Most people today use a blend of around two parts white flour to one part whole wheat, or else all white flour; they may even add milk or milk powder to ensure a very soft dough. This recipe uses a blend of flours to combine the nutty flavor of whole wheat dough with the pliancy of white dough. It also begins with an optional pre-ferment to mimic the traditional Palestinian method of including a piece of dough from the previous day's bread into each new batch (like a pâte fermentée) giving a rich and slightly sour flavor to the final bread. It calls for the use of rocks to imitate the bottom of a taboon; the rocks give the khobz its distinctive dimpled texture, and ensure that no interior pocket forms in the bread.

In the years following 2007, the siege Israel had imposed on Gaza caused a shortage of cooking gas that led to a resurgence in the use of taboons. The ovens were used to bake bread and to grill sweet potatoes during the time of their winter harvest. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli military forces repeatedly destroyed taboon ovens and assaulted villagers who tried to defend them, as Israeli settlers from nearby villages complained about the smoke that the ovens produced. Some of these ovens had been used to bake bread for entire families of 40 or more people. Palestinians continue to build, use, and defend these ovens, despite the fact that Israeli law de facto forbids Palestinians in the West Bank to build anything.

Today, Israel is deliberately targeting and destroying bakeries in refugee camps that had been supplying bread to tens of thousands of people in Gaza, continuing a long campaign of starvation of the Palestinian people.

Support Palestinian resistance by calling Elbit System's (Israel's primary weapons manufacturer) landlord; and donating to Palestine Action's bail fund.

Equipment:

A large, shallow mixing bowl, like a Moroccan qus'a

A large (12"), shallow clay cooking vessel, such as the bottom of a Moroccan tajine (one that is rated for very high temperatures), or a large baking tray

Assorted smooth river rocks of varying sizes, from 1 to 3" in diameter.

Make sure that your rocks have been thoroughly cleaned, and that they do not contain any fissures, cracks, or veins that could contain water (this water, once heated in the oven, could cause the rocks to crack open). Instead of river rocks, I used lava rocks designed for use in a clay tanoor. You just need something to provide thermal mass and give a bumpy texture.

Ingredients:

Makes 3 large breads.

For the pre-ferment:

140g whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

140g water

You may also use a pâte fermentée that you already have (just adjust the ratio of white to whole wheat flour added later accordingly), or a sourdough starter. The hydration of the starter doesn't matter, since you will be adding water by eye later.

For the bread:

330g bread flour or all-purpose flour

30g whole wheat flour

5g salt

Water

If you skipped the pâte fermentée step, add 170g (rather than 30g) of wheat flour at this stage, as well as 1/2 Tbsp of active dry yeast. I have not tested the recipe this way.

Instructions:

For the pâte fermentée:

1. Mix flour and yeast in a small mixing bowl. Add water and stir to combine. Cover and leave out at room temperature for a day, or in the refrigerator for up to three days. At the end of the rising time, it should be about one and a half times its original size.

For the bread:

This recipe makes a high hydration dough that will need techniques such as slapping and folding to knead effectively.

1. Mix flours and salt in a very large, shallow mixing bowl. Add your pâte fermentée and mix to combine.

2. Add water until the flour comes together into a soft, sticky dough and continue keading. Have a bowl of water on your workstation. Every time the dough starts to stick to your hands or the sides of the bowl, wet your hands and rinse down the side of the bowl with some water. This will gradually add water to the dough.

3. You will notice the dough growing smoother and laxer. At this point, start kneading by repeatedly folding the edges of the dough in towards the center. Do this by occasionally wetting your hands, then running a hand along the side of the bowl and under the edge of the dough to unstick it from the bowl; then fold. You will get stuck less often if you try to touch the dough as lightly and briefly as possible. Every few folds, dimple the surface of the dough all over with your fingertips. You will have been kneading for about 10 minutes at this point.

The dough should become more smooth and less bumpy—you will notice it holding its shape and becoming more stretchy as gluten forms. It should form into a ball when you fold the corners in and hold its shape for a minute, but then gradually expand to take the shape of the bowl. I added about 2 1/2 cups of water total (in dry conditions) during steps 2 and 3.

4. At this point, the dough is wet enough that the slap and fold method is the best way to knead. Wet your hands and again unstick the dough from the sides of the bowl. Hook your hands under the dough and quickly pull it all up into the air; fold the hanging bottom part of the dough under, and plop the dough back down, folding it on top of the part you plopped down earlier. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this continually for another few minutes.

5. When the dough is very smooth and lax, smear some olive oil on the sides of the bowl and under the dough, and pat some oil on top.

6. Cover the bowl and bulk ferment the dough at room temperature for 8 hours, or for 16-24 hours in the fridge. At the end of the rising time, you should see bubbles beginning to form on the surface of the dough.

To shape and bake:

1. Place a layer of rocks at the bottom of a clay cooking vessel or baking sheet. Put the sheet in the top third of the oven and preheat your oven to 550 °F (290 °C), or as hot as it will go.

2. Meanwhile, fold the edges of the risen dough over into the middle a few more times with damp hands. Pinch off a large piece of dough (about the size of two fists), and fold the sides over into the middle to make a neat packet.

3. Drop the packet of dough onto a heavily floured surface, and flip to flour both sides. Pat the dough flat, then throw it back and forth between your hands, catching the edge each time as you spin it through the air, like a pizza crust, to stretch it into a circle about 1/4" (1/2cm) thick with a diameter of about 10" (25cm).

You may also stretch and pat the dough out on a flat surface.

4. Remove the tray from the oven. Flip the dough circle over the back of your hand to transfer it and lay it down over the hot rocks. Re-stretch it into a circle, if necessary.

5. Place the tray back in the oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the top of the bread has golden brown spots. Repeat with each piece of dough, leaving the rocks in the oven for a few minutes between each one to allow them to come back up to temperature.

6. (Optional): Hold each flatbread directly over a gas flame for a minute or two to blacken a few spots and mimic the flavor that a wood-fired oven would give to your khobz.

You may also use a method similar to the dhungar technique to smoke your bread. Place each piece of bread one at a time into a large vessel with a closely fitting lid, alongside a small bowl. Light a piece of wood on fire and drop it into the bowl; then cover the vessel with the lid as you allow the wood to smoke for a minute or two.

[palladiangossip]

haggis  befstock,  dorm  supervisor  and  certified  body  rocker 28th  april,  2025. title:  lol  check  this  out

kittens  &  lambchops,

thanks  a  lot  for  checking  in  when  i  was  in  the  infirmary  with  MONO  you  SICK  FUCKS!!!  i  let  you  keep  your  weird,  non  -  service  pets  (  looking  at  the  teacup  pig  being  hosted  in  the  lavender  suites  -  you  know  who  you  are  ),  let  the  janitor  know  when  you've  clogged  the  pipes  with  your  non  -  biodegradable  toiletries  ...  i  only  snag  one  joint  per  room  check  as  my  lordly  tax,  and  you  can't  even  send  a  little  get  well  soon  message?  balloons?  what's  a  guy  gotta  do  to  get  some  fucking  FLOWERS  OVER  HERE!

anyways.  anyways.  i'm  not  mad.  i'm  not  bitter.  my  therapist  and  i  already  worked  through  this.  i'm  beautiful,  i'm  hung,  i'm  going  to  pass  my  midterms,  the  sexy  medieval  linocut  theory  TA  is  going  to  text  me  back.  affirmations  are  important.  make  sure  you're  doing  yours!  some  of  you  need  them.  bad.

anyways,  again,  because  i'm  not  mad,  and  i'm  not  bitter,  and  i  know  none  of  you  look  at  the  campus  fliers  unless  they  feature  pawprints  and  a  sad,  flared  -  nostriled  baby  -  man  (  did  they  ever  find  him  btw?  anyone  have  his  number  lmao?  )  -  i've  taken  the  GREAT  LIBERTY,  the  KINDNESS,  etc.  etc.  to  forward  the  local  activities  &  events  happening  this  week  and  going  into  may.  they're  all  in  bath  &  the  cotswold,  and  some  are  even  ON  CAMPUS!  wow!  yippee!  i've  also  looked  deep  into  the  depths  of  my  slow  -  thawing  heart  and  decided  to  let  you  guys  in  onto  some  of  our,  like  ...  less  recognized  events.  functions,  if  you  will.  wink  wink,  nudge  nudge.  don't  be  fucking  loud  about  it!

for  our  lea  micheles,  i've  attached  an  additional,  audio  -  only  operatic  rendition  of  the  events  already  attached  below.  they  don't  call  me  the  next  lin  manuel  miranda  for  nothing.

hugs  and  kisses  xx

hi  lovebugs  !  with  the  current  &  upcoming  busyness  of  both  our  admins  &  members,  i  thought  it'd  be  a  good  idea  to  host  a  few  mini  events  while  we  wait  for  our  beloveds'  returns.  these  have  no  time  frame,  no  start  or  end  date  (  yet  ),  and  are  fully  optional  !  these  are  just  meant  to  serve  as  settings  &  potential  plot  points,  fun  activities  to  switch  things  up  for  your  muses,  etc.  below  the  read  -  more  will  be  everything  featured  this  "month".  enjoy  and  have  fun  !

BATH & PALLADIAN.

RABBITHOLE — battle of the bands. may 30th & 31st.

at  the  end  of  the  month  is  rabbithole's  annual,  local,  and  highly  anticipated  battle  of  the  bands,  where  musicians  from  all  genres  step  forward  to  show  off  their  very  best.  it  isn't  a  career  -  changer  by  any  means,  but  the  prizes  range  from  a  hefty  sum  of  cash,  a  night  of  free  drinks,  and  -  this  is  just  a  rumor  -  a  bottle  of  real,  genuine,  authentic  absinthe  from  rabbithole's  secret  cellar.  the  first  band  bracket  will  perform  friday  evening,  and  those  who  make  it  through  will  battle  in  the  final  saturday  night.

CAFE MARTA — how to sour your dough. april 30th.

this  upcoming  wednesday  is  cafe  marta's  very  first  sourdough  baking  class!  intended  for  beginners  but  bound  to  be  overtaken  by  so  -  called  experts  wishing  to  peacock  their  talents,  this  is  a  simple  class  that'll  start  by  teaching  you  how  to  feed  your  own  sourdough  starter,  and  end  with  you  baking  your  very  first  bread!  all  doughs,  ingredient  additions,  and  baking  tools  will  be  provided  by  cafe  marta.

BOOK STEW — comedy & tragedy night. may 16th.

in  a  sick  attempt  to  overtake  rabbithole's  poetry  night,  book  stew  is  featuring  their  own  night  of  laughter  and  misery,  of  heartache  and  ear  ...  ache.  fully  intended  to  be  a  night  of  poetry,  of  dramatics,  of  earnest,  heart  -  wrenching  confessions  of  love  ...  naturally,  amateur  comics  were  bound  to  step  forth  and  use  the  present  crowd  as  their  own  test  subjects.  this  is  the  happy  medium  -  you  will  laugh,  you  will  cry,  sometimes  you  will  do  both  -  and  you'll  wish  you  took  that  other  half  of  the  edible.

THE AMPHITHEATRE — drunk ( musical ) theater. may 10th.

hark!  the  musical  theater  majors  have  taken  over  the  amphitheatre!  starting  at  a  strong  5pm  and  lasting  well  into  the  night,  is  one  -  step  above  karaoke.  students  are  welcomed  down  to  the  amphitheatre  to  demonstrate  their  musical  prowess  as  the  theater  department  leads  several  musicals  (  and  even  a  play  or  two!  )  into  absolute  madness.  buckets  are  supplied,  liquid  iv  is  passed  around  -  and  designated  drivers  are  on  -  call.

ST. CUTHBERT AUDITORIUM — school - wide safe sex assembly. may 5th.

you  naughty  naughty  lambs.  open  to  all  students,  not  just  langston  and  not  just  palladian  -  but  every  student  studying  beneath  st.  cuthbert's  roof  are  required  to  attend  this  school  -  wide  assembly  on  safe  sex  and  sti  prevention.  free  (  as  always!  )  testing  will  be  provided  immediately  after,  and  each  student  will  receive  a  goodie  bag  featuring  condoms,  dental  dams,  and  informational  pamphlets.

THE COURTYARD — meteor shower viewing & party. may 20th.

every  student  is  invited  tuesday  night  to  view  a  once  -  in  -  a  -  decade  meteor  shower  in  palladian's  courtyard.  every  light  on  campus  will  be  turned  off  for  full  visibility  of  the  stars,  and  it's  highly  encouraged  that  students  bring  their  own  blankets,  chairs,  drinks,  and  snacks.  please  keep  in  mind  it  is  a  school  night,  and  that  professors,  TAs,  etc.  will  be  invited  alongside  students  as  this  is  a  highly  anticipated  event  for  our  astronomy  lovers.

PALLADIO & HOLLAND HALL — dormitory party & following consequences. may 3rd.

the  prophecy  is  as  follows:  on  friday  night,  four  dorm  parties  spread  between  palladio  and  holland  will  turn  floor,  no,  building  -  wide.  the  walls  will  shake  with  the  vibrations  of  bass,  the  stench  of  liquor  will  drift  beneath  every  door,  an  emergency  meeting  between  professors  will  occur  the  following  monday  to  discuss  the  party  -  culture  that's  overtaken  campus  -  and  the  dormitories  will  flood.  a  great,  trembling  wave  will  burst  from  the  pipes,  old  and  outdated,  and  course  down  the  corridors.  for  the  next  week,  students  will  be  camping  out  in  the  courtyards,  solarium,  the  forum  -  castle  fell  itself.

THE COTSWOLDS & CASTLE FELL.

FRIDAY PRODUCE MARKETS & DAIRY SHOP — cow - takeover & impromptu petting zoo. may 23rd.

today,  nature  fights  back.  what  starts  out  as  a  regular  morning  at  the  market  becomes  a  cow  -  stampede  as  old  man  cabbersley's  fence  breaks  down  in  the  middle  of  night  and  wickham-on-heath  is  overtaken  by  livestock.  mostly  cows,  and  then  sheep  -  and  then  goats,  oh  god,  the  goats  ...  of  course,  the  townsfolk  will  call  it  a  happy  accident  and  sell  their  produce  to  passing  students  to  feed  to  the  animals.

THE LAMB AND THE FLAG — traffic - light party & speed dating. may 11th.

sunday  evening,  students  are  welcomed  to  the  lamb  and  the  flag  to  partake  in  a  single's  mingle  night,  split  into  two  segments.  one  half  of  the  pub  will  be  dedicated  to  speed  dating,  a  quick  two  -  minute  rotation  of  singles  (  or  perceived  single  )  as  matchmaking  cards  are  filled  out.  the  other  half  will  be  dedicated  to  a  less  -  intense  stoplight  party  where  bracelets  will  be  passed  around  to  indicate  relationship  status.  green  for  single  &  looking,  yellow  for  it's  complicated  or  they're  not  quite  opposed,  and  red  for  taken  &  disinterested.

DOGWOOD BLOSSOMS — stolen flower cart quest. april 30th.

it  is  a  misty  morning  as  you  approach  dogwood  blossoms;  the  light  is  still  on,  a  blurred  thing  in  the  fog.  it  is  warm;  and  the  scent  of  gardenias  is  near  -  overwhelming.  there;  the  door  opens  -  and  out  hobbles  lillian  hayes,  a  crunch  of  leaves  beneath  her  cane  and  a  fire  in  her  eyes.  those  goddamn  hooligans.  those  no  -  good  kids.  those  damned  students.  someone  has  stolen  lillian  hayes'  flower  cart  -  and  it's  up  to  YOU  to  find  it.  students  may  assemble  small  teams  to  look  high  and  low  for  the  cart.  the  reward  is  a  secret,  not  -  to  -  be  sold  item  from  her  shop.

FRANKLIN & BROWN ANTIQUES — weekend oddities pop - up. may 13th.

thanks  to  the  oddities  &  curiosities  expo  happening  in  bristol,  franklin  &  brown  is  happy  to  announce  their  very  own  pop  -  up  for  locals  &  students  who  are  interested  in  the  morbid  and  macabre.  featuring  wet  specimen,  taxidermy,  and  haunted  items  -  especially  dolls!  -  there  is  something  for  everyone,  if  everyone's  a  little  bit  ...  weird.

WICKHAM-ON-HEATH PARK & BEACH — local regatta. may 25th.

featuring  historically  -  accurate  boats  from  the  regency  era  comes  wickham-on-heath's  annual  regatta.  everyone  is  invited  to  partake  in  the  event;  a  competitive  rowing  competition  that  will  span  the  length  of  local  lake.  there  will  be  finger  foods  and  tea  provided,  as  well  as  encouragement  to  bring  your  best  picnic  blankets  &  baskets.  after  the  competition,  swan  boat  rides  will  be  provided  as  the  sun  sets.

THE RUINS — secret "beltane" celebration & bonfire. may 1st.

you  receive  the  invite  beneath  your  door  in  the  middle  of  the  night;  a  coffee  -  stained  parchment  meant  to  resemble  something  old  and  ancient.  it  smells  of  dirt  and  fire;  it  promises  music  and  dance,  drinks  and  merriment.  when  you  arrive  -  it's  just  that.  an  imitation  of  beltane,  on  a  much  smaller  scale;  a  great  bonfire  roars  in  the  middle  of  the  ruins,  with  tinier  fires  on  the  outskirts.  shrooms  are  encased  in  palm  at  entrance.  the  students  are  barely  clothed,  stripped  down  to  their  underwear  as  they  run  and  dance  and  drink  and  laugh.

CASTLE FELL — castle takeover. may 26th.

how  dare  langston  students  encroach  on  their  territory?  on  their  college  -  on  their  classes,  their  common  rooms?  enough  is  enough.  today,  palladians  storm  castle  fell.  today  -  castle  fell  ...  will  fall.  students  from  the  arts  college  come  in  waves  towards  the  langston  dormitories,  with  balloons  of  water  and  paint,  with  honey  and  feather,  with  eggs  and  ladybugs  by  the  thousands.  may  26th  parks  the  beginning  of  the  prank  war  between  langston  &  palladian.

[alpaca-clouds]

Baking Bread

Keeping up with the food theme this week... Can I just talk about bread? Like, I love baking bread, though I do it too rarely. But I love doing it.

I grew up rural enough to have learned how to make my own bread pretty early on. I was still in primary school. While I just learned to do it with special flour back then - something with yeast in there from the beginning - and only learned stuff like making sour dough later on... I just knew how to use the rising times, how to mix stuff into the dough and such.

And I really like it. Like, when you knead your bread, it feels so very natural . And it is kinda silly... If you make bread you turn at times just two super simple ingredients - water and flour - into something way more complex. And it is kinda crazy, right?

When I am kneading my bread, I also think about how this is an activity humans have done for thousands of years. Because we humans kinda always love our bread.

Not many more thoughts here. I just think that more people should learn how to make bread. Because it is cheap and simple and it will keep you fed for quite a while.

[mariacallous]

From Turkey to Armenia, Uzbekistan to Ukraine, manti are a popular comfort food found in Jewish and non-Jewish communities across Central Asia and Eastern Europe. As an ancient form of dumpling, some trace manti’s origins back to the 1300s during the Mongol Empire in Turkey, while others credit the dish as a gift of the Silk Road; notably, Uyghurs from Northwest China have been making a version of bread prepared in steam known as “mantau” for centuries. Regardless of their origin, manti traveled East toward Korea, West towards the Caucuses and everywhere in between. 

While their popularity spans continents, their shapes and styles differ by region. In Turkey they’re often formed into small pyramid-like pouches, sometimes baked and simmered, sometimes boiled, often topped with yogurt, and served in a tomato-based broth or sauce. On the other hand, the ancient Bukharian Jewish community in Central Asia are known for large intricately shaped manti, generously filled with meat and always steamed — never boiled. There’s also a dairy version of Bukharian manti that’s filled with cheese and served with yogurt. 

Like many celebratory old-world foods, these hand-formed dumplings take a bit of time and effort to prepare, making them ideal for calling a helping hand into the kitchen. Historically, this dish was even a communal activity. While making homemade dumpling dough can be deeply satisfying, you can simplify the manti-making process by using store-bought wonton wrappers – a tip I happily discovered in Gabrielle Hamilton’s “Prune” cookbook. Given the labor, whether it’s with store-bought or homemade wrappers, when I make manti I often double the recipe, freezing extras for future enjoyment. 

Let me preemptively warn you, this manti recipe may not look or taste like the manti you’re familiar with. After exploring different shapes, sizes and toppings, my preference is for smaller-sized manti shaped into pouches. I serve mine in a Turkic-inspired brothy tomato sauce topped with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of lemony sumac; the sweet and sour savoriness of the caramelized tomato complements the heartiness of the delicate beef-filled manti. I’ve provided directions for steaming or boiling your manti, depending on your preferred technique. If you find yourself hoping for a larger-sized manti, the dough can be filled and shaped according to your family’s custom. Whether you stick to the recipe as written or try something more traditional to you, the joy of manti lies not in their size or shape, but in their pillowy soft tenderness, and the inherent comfort they bring to every table.

Notes:

This recipe makes 48 dumplings. 

I use Diamond brand kosher salt for this recipe, if using Morton’s or sea salt use ⅓ less.

The tomato broth (Steps 4-7) can be made several days in advance and reheated as needed. 

You can freeze your shaped manti (homemade or with wonton wrappers) before cooking on a baking sheet. Once the manti are frozen, transfer them to a Ziploc bag or airtight container. They can be cooked from frozen the same way as they are from fresh.

[peachdues]

omg I MUST know about the hobbit feast??!?!!!

YES OK so we do our yearly marathon of the extended editions of LOTR and we commit to eating like hobbits the whole time!!

I’ll give you a break down of what we did for Fellowship — tonight is two towers.

To clarify: we snacked all day on stuff, and shared lots of the meals!! It was a mix of typically British foods and southern foods lmao

Breakfast — toad in hole and sage sausage (patties tho, the links in the US are not great imo).

Second breakfast — grapes and scones with marmalade, earl grey tea

Luncheon — ham and biscuits (American biscuits). More fruit (blackberries and grapes)

Afternoon tea — snack plate of salami, goat and white cheddar cheese, olives, more grapes, and these little crème biscuits. More earl grey tea

Dinner — (I skipped this) but Sam and my dad ate some pâté on sour dough rounds

Supper — left over bbq from Christmas Eve. Smoked brisket and mutton on little rolls, fried po-tay-toes.

(Bonus dessert): huge slice of orange drizzle cake and more tea!

I also snacked on shortbread with my tea, as well as these delightful crisp molasses cookies my dad made.

We usually try to do a full themed menu (one hear my mom made lambas bread and it was so good) but we were all recovering from being sick all Christmas, so we mostly ate stuff we already had. Like a giant clean out the fridge event!

Tonight is two towers, and I am attempting to make honey spiced mead cakes while my dad makes “meat’s back on the menu boys” pasta 😭. If you want to see menus years’ past, let me know!

[veevz-drawz]

DoaHD | Entry 4: I Felt a Spark

A/N: Hi again, I've been gone for like… Almost two months now? Sorry about that lol, a lot has happened. I got a boyfriend! And turns out when you're in a relationship you don't have a lot of free time to do what you want… So I broke up with him! (jkjk I just wasn't as into him as I thought)

Anyways I started pharmacy school so updates will probably halt for the time being :/. I plan to slowly write portions of the next chapter (which will be 100% more interesting than this one I swear) throughout the semester, but I'm probably not going to publish it until the end of my first clinical rotation in the winter, so I apologize in advance for the wait.

Taglist: @minecraftninjerkid @ryctone @shipperlewaterkitty | Google Form to be added to taglist

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She didn’t come up with anything.

Strawberry Tea Cookie stared at her sketchbook in silent disappointment, the pages looking more like the aftermath of the Dark Flour War than the meticulous planning of a seasoned fashion designer. The rising sun’s cold rays swam across the pages, searching for any sort of golden lining in this mess, yet all it did was confirm that her glory days were long gone.

Crumbs, she’s hopeless.

The designer sighed and slammed her book shut, tucking it out of sight between two couch cushions. She reached for her cup in order to take another sip of tea, her frustration growing upon realizing her cup was empty. Tiredness dissolved each speck of flour in her dough, arms weighed down by thick molasses as she tried picking up the teapot, which was, disappointingly enough, also empty.

Strawberry Tea Cookie turned to watch the sun slowly climb its way up the sky, displacing the inky blue she got accustomed to with shades of periwinkle and orange, stinging her already hardened eyes. She let her head fall within the comforting darkness of her arms, hoping to get some rest before they land in the Crème Republic.

.

.

.

“Ohhhh, I’m so nervous,” a cookie whispered to her friend. “What if I don’t get an apprenticeship?”

Hundreds of cookies crowd around the small bulletin board that stood in the center of the academy’s lounge. On it was a long piece of paper printed with students’ names and their mentor for upcoming term.

Amongst the anxious chatter were loud cheers as students found they had a match, or quiet sobs from those who didn’t quite make it on the list. Yet all decrescendoed into curious whispers when a certain freshly baked designer, glazed in shades of scarlet, stepped into the atrium.

“Did you hear..?”

—Pierce the fabric, loop the thread.

The sea of students parted for her, stepping into line with every click of her tempered chocolate heels to form a straight path towards the bulletin board.

“What!? There’s no way!”

—Pierce the fabric, loop the thread.

She stopped in front of the board, quietly scanning through the long list of names. Despite her aloof demeanor, the uncertainty within kept rising like bread dough as the alphabetical list trickled closer and closer to where her name would be.

All these apprehensive whispers… That can’t be a good thing.

Sangria Cookie…

Sapodilla Cookie…

Sour Cherry Cookie…

Star Apple Cookie…

“Well, it’s a given…”

—Pierce the fabric, loop the thread.

Strawberry Tea Cookie…

She perked up at the sight of her name, eyes immediately darting across the dotted line to see…

…Blueberry Raisin Cookie.

A small smile cinched up her lips, that overwhelming nervousness washed away by excitement and pride. All those years working her dough off at this school— the countless all nighters, the constant stream of harsh critiques, the seemingly endless assignments— finally paid off.

“Wow Strawberry Tea Cookie, congrats…” her classmate whistled, standing beside her. “Bet you’re excited to get to work with Professor Blueberry Raisin Cookie…”

To apprentice under the Hollyberry Kingdom’s most renowned fashion designer—who hailed from the very family that first established oat couture—was an opportunity that not even the most esteemed alumni of the Royal Berry Institute of Design could imagine receiving.

And it had just been bestowed upon her.

“Yeah…” Strawberry Tea Cookie’s smile grew wider. “I am.”

Her classmate chuckled, which caught the young designer’s attention. She turned and shot them a quizzical expression.

“Sorry, sorry.” They looked away bashfully. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen you smile like that.”

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime, it’s only natural that I would smile.” Strawberry Tea Cookie replied matter-of-fact-ly, still confused on what was so funny. 

“No, no, I’m just saying…” They laughed. “Ah, nevermind…”

A gentle shake of her shoulder pulled Strawberry Tea Cookie from her dream—back into the world where she was sore and barely cognizant of her own existence.

“My lady, we’re almost at the Créme Republic,” Strawberry Butler Cookie whispered. “Everybody’s gone outside.”

The designer groaned, tiredly lifting herself from the table and standing up. She stumbled on her first few steps, dragging herself across the cabinet like one of those jellywalker creatures.

“Lady Strawberry Tea Cookie, did you stay up all night?” Strawberry Butler Cookie inquired worriedly, though his tone also held a dash of annoyance. “You know very well that’s not healthy for you!”

“I…” The former heiress sighed as she grasped the doorknob. Of all the things that have changed in her life recently, her butler nagging about her less-than-consistent sleep schedule had remained… well, consistent. “...Thought I could create something meaningful.”

She opened the door and stepped outside.

A gust of strong, cold wind practically slapped Strawberry Tea Cookie awake before subsiding into a light breeze. Crisp, fresh air reinvigorated her very dough like she had been sprinkled with more life powder. As she made her way across the airship’s deck, the gales combed free the sticky knots tangled within her hair, alleviating that gross feeling.

Strawberry Tea Cookie leaned against the metal guard rail, scarlet eyes widening in awe as she took in the sight before her.

Amidst the azure blue sky decorated with cotton candy clouds shone a brilliant city piped in white. Grand mansions bordered the Republic’s edge, away from the main landmass through long, jutted platforms that made the city look like it was built on a shattered plate; each shard was held up by pillars rising from the sparkling sea. Lining the pristinely polished roads were blocks of small, condensed homes with roofs the color of the vibrant sky. Square bushes edged the vast maze of waterways, like the border of royal frosting the Great Witches pipe on a freshly baked cookie before filling them in.

Strawberry Tea Cookie’s eyes followed the canals deeper towards the city center, trailing up a tall waterfall before meeting its source.

“Wow…” The designer breathed, her voice so quiet that no other cookie could hear, only manifesting as a puff of condensed air lost to the sky.

At the heart of the Republic stood a giant, colorless murex shell that floated above all else—unfeeling and apathetic—immune to crumble like a timeless icon. Much like a roll of fruit leather pulled from the center, the shell was voluminously layered at the top, showing off its immaculately creased grooves that tightly cinched to an eventual fine point at the bottom.

Imposing spikes of all shapes and sizes decorated the shell’s head like a monarch’s crown, reaching for any fragment of light to capture and reflect back as a beautiful halo of white. Arched windows carved around the shell’s spire poured out fresh water, collecting in streams around the structure’s many grooves before gradually falling down to the city below.

To Strawberry Tea Cookie, it was like a unique hybrid between a polonaise skirt and a mermaid tail dress, two styles from vastly different eras and with even more conflicting construction methods. It would be a challenge to combine the two together. However, it was similar enough to Chocolate Bonbon Cookie’s everyday dress, perhaps she could reference its pattern and then add an additional layer for that polonaise look.

She’ll definitely need to visit that place the moment her schedule clears up. Not only is it important to see one’s source material up close, but a true artist must understand its purpose so as to not misappropriate its symbolism.

“You seem to have an idea, my lady.” The designer was snapped from her thoughts by Strawberry Butler Cookie’s comment. She turned to face him, his expression glimmering with wise joy.

Strawberry Tea Cookie glanced back to the brilliant view of the Créme Republic. Her breath hitched, stuck in her inhale as she truly took in the sight before her. A long lost excitement bloomed within as the ship descended, and the designer couldn’t help but let that exhilaratingly nervous anticipation spread up her lips in the form of a wide, genuine smile.

For the first time in forever—as cliché as it sounded—she truly realized how vibrant and beautiful everything was.

“Yeah,” she finally let go of her held breath, turning to face Strawberry Butler Cookie. “I think I finally do.”

He only chuckled in response.

.

.

.

Strawberry Tea Cookie and her butler were the last to leave the airship and join the others on the airfield. As they approached Hollyberry Cookie and Wildberry Cookie, the figure they were talking to turned his attention to the pair.

“Ah, you must be the guest Hollyberry Cookie was talking about~,” the stranger, with a voice full of smooth—oddly practiced—cadence, said. “Miss Strawberry Tea Cookie, yes?”

“Lady Strawberry Tea Cookie,” she corrected before dipping into a curtsy. “This is my butler, Strawberry Butler Cookie.” He nodded at the cue of his name.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you both, Lady Strawberry Tea Cookie and Strawberry Butler Cookie.” The cookie before her gave a courteous bow. “My name is Clotted Cream Cookie, consul of this fair city.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Consul—” Strawberry Tea Cookie cut off when a strong arm looped around her neck, yanking the rest of her words out with a strangled high pitch.

“Strawberry Tea Cookie, you’re being far too modest!” Hollyberry Cookie pulled the designer closer with so much strength that the latter was lurched forward, almost losing her balance. “Consul, this fine lass here is the future leader of House Strawberry, one of the most renowned designers in the Hollyberry Kingdom, and my granddaughter’s personal stylist~.”

Strawberry Tea Cookie felt the jam within her crystalize at those claims—the majority of which were now false.

The Consul’s eyes perked up, seemingly impressed by her obsolete feats. “My, I’m honored to be in the presence of such an esteemed guest, then~.”

“You’re too kind, Consul.” Strawberry Tea Cookie let out a strained laugh while releasing herself from the former queen’s grip, wanting to do nothing but escape this situation.

Make a good impression.

She froze in her place, those subconscious words pulling and posing her to face Clotted Cream Cookie once again. “...I should be the one honored to be in your presence.” She pitched her words higher at the end, hoping to sound more sweet but instead coming off as if she were choking on durian fumes.

An awkward silence ensued, with Strawberry Tea Cookie unable to think of what to say next.

“Well, tonight we are celebrating the reconstruction of the Crème Republic,” the Consul mentioned with a polite, charming smile. “You and Strawberry Butler Cookie are more than welcome to attend.”

Would she have enough time to go? Getting settled into her new home will most likely take the entire day. 

But she remembered the way her mother became the definitive head of House Strawberry. Through courting the eldest son of the Oolong Dynasty and conducting complex business negotiations, she was able to establish a strong tea trade agreement that worked in House Strawberry’s favor. These imported teas, combined with the refreshing selection of fruits found deep within the Cranberry Forest, quickly became a household staple throughout the kingdom. The economic prosperity that followed immediately convinced Goji Berry Cookie to select Strawberry Mousse Cookie as their next leader. 

If Strawberry Tea Cookie could continue expanding House Strawberry’s trading network, it would surely increase her chances of taking back her heirship. As far as she knew, all her cousin did was paint and nothing else. He was not exposed to the business side of House Strawberry like she was, and perhaps she could use that to her advantage to expand her feats beyond fashion.

“We’ll be sure to attend,” Strawberry Tea Cookie gave another curtsy. As she dipped, the tiredness that was temporarily lifted instantly came crashing down. While she absolutely despised entertaining strangers, it was something she must do in order to prove herself. “Thank you so much for extending this invitation.”

“It’s only natural to invite friends of Hollyberry Cookie and Wildberry Cookie,” Clotted Cream Cookie chimed. “I’ll be looking forward to your appearance this evening~.”

“My lady, the carriage is ready to take us to our accommodations.” Strawberry Butler Cookie announced.

“Why don’t we come along and help you unpack?” Hollyberry Cookie offered, her retainer nodding in agreement. “You have at least twelve full juice barrels worth of stuff, it’s going to take you until the next morning to go through everything, haha!”

Strawberry Tea Cookie glanced at the wagon with all her packed belongings, which seemed even more comically small compared to the carriage from the day before. 

“If you two wouldn’t mind,” Strawberry Tea Cookie turned back to answer them. “The help would be greatly appreciated.” Especially from two of the strongest cookies in the Hollyberry Kingdom.

“We would be more than happy to help,” Wildberry Cookie assured. “And I could give you all a tour of the Crème Republic afterwards.”

“Thank you, but we would like to decline,” Strawberry Butler Cookie cut in, interjecting before the designer could agree to Wildberry Cookie’s offer. “My lady had quite a… restless night, it would be best if she didn’t over exert herself before tonight’s party.” He shot her a finalizing glare, which Strawberry Tea Cookie matched with an annoyed one.

However another pulse of exhaustion struck her right after, and she found her initial irritation immediately transformed into gratitude for her butler’s intervention.

Perhaps she overdid it a little… But does she even have the luxury to take a break?

“Clotted Cream Cookie, why don’t you join us?” Hollyberry Cookie, who was in the process of boarding the wagon, asked. “The more hands, the merrier!”

“Thank you, but I’ll have to decline,” the Consul smiled as he took a step back. “I’m afraid there are other items that I must attend to before tonight’s celebration.”

“To the sharpest piping tip as usual, Consul,” the former queen teased. “Very well, that leaves more fun for us~!”

Strawberry Tea Cookie couldn’t help but feel amused at the fact that Hollyberry Cookie seemed more excited to go than she was. But perhaps it was another opportunity to spend time with cookies she deemed close.

.

.

.

.

The wagon, pulled by two cream coated cookie horses, slowly made its way down the azure streets of the Republic, gently rocking against the many bleached shells unevenly mixed into the pavement. Despite the wall of buildings blocking out most of the sun’s rays, a few slivers of brilliant light managed to weave its way through the thin alleyways, accentuating the road’s pearlescent shine that glimmered with prosperity and new beginnings.

As her friends chatted amongst themselves, Strawberry Tea Cookie settled into the ride by watching the cookies going about their daily lives. She observed as they greeted each other in passing, darting in and out of the many luxuriously decorated storefronts the street had to offer. Some stayed to chat, their conversations lost to the whims of the wind that lightly blew on hanged laundry and ruffled the newspapers cookies were reading. Others were more in a hurry, barreling past those who walked with leisure towards an unknown destination, their ambitious worry uncaring as the neatness of their clothes waned.

Each cookie here seemed to radiate an aura of nobility, both in the way they dressed and acted. Their clothes were timelessly dandy and darling, much unlike the more loose-fitting garments the Old Vanilla Kingdom was known for. Waffle cloaks and cotton robes were replaced with more form-fitting suits, its colors paled to the simple warmth of the past. Despite its origin, they were a perfect blend between the clothing upper and lower class cookies wore back in the Hollyberry Kingdom—which could serve to benefit Strawberry Tea Cookie when developing her new collection.

But for now, she should focus on studying Republic attire. She already pinpointed a few boutiques to visit once she had settled down, and tonight’s celebration should give her a better understanding of how cookies here dressed.

The wagon stopped in front of a house that was sandwiched between two storefronts. It was a double layered, rectangular building coated in white buttercream stucco; thick, flat white piping bordered the leveled roof and where the two layered floors met. The upper layer had a set of rectangular, blue double doors that opened to a balcony full of bougainvillea jelly cube flowers. Its vines crept down to the lower layer, surrounding the front door and the triple paned window adjacent to it, both of which were also framed in blue. Underneath the window was a stubby planter the same width as the sill, holding an assortment of lush green shrubbery.

This seemed to have been a shop converted into a residence.

Strawberry Tea Cookie was the first to hop off the wagon followed by Hollyberry Cookie and Wildberry Cookie, Strawberry Butler Cookie stayed behind to unload everything with the—albeit unwelcomed—help of the coachcookie.

“The owner said that the key should be here somewhere…” The designer mumbled as she sorted through the multitude of rocks found at the base of the planter. But with a bit of digging, she managed to find a bronze key taped to the underside of a medium-sized rock chocolate. She immediately dashed to unlock the door, just in time for Strawberry Butler Cookie to carry in the first bundle of luggage.

Upon entering the foyer, which was connected to another room, the four cookies were greeted with walls frosted in buttercream white and floors made of geometrically arranged brown sugar cubes. There was a set of stairs going to the second floor, and a corridor that led to the living room.

The living room was illuminated by a wide, arched window that opened into a quaint courtyard shared by other buildings. There was a tall lamp in the corner where two long, beige sofas met; marshmallow pillows dyed in various shades of red decorated each couch, matching the carpet’s color underneath. At the center was a short, ovalish coffee table with a few magazines neatly arranged across. There was a bathroom adjacent to the corridor’s entrance, right under the stairs.

The kitchen, only separated by a single counter from the living room, had wooden counters lacquered with melted sugar spanning the entire perimeter of the area; white cabinets connected the counters to the floor. In the middle of the kitchen was an island counter surrounded by four cracker stools. Above it was a crate-esque structure where various kitchenware hung from. There was another window above the sink that looked out to the courtyard, along with a door in the corner to exit.

“This isn’t as fancy as the kitchen back home,” Strawberry Butler Cookie commented as he inspected the stove and fridge. “But it’ll do,” he quickly glanced at the pots and pans provided, grimacing at their battered forms. “Good thing I brought my own supplies…”

Another small corridor, which doubled as a sort of pantry, connected the kitchen back to the seemingly empty room next to the foyer. Said room, as Strawberry Tea Cookie stepped into it, was completely flooded with natural light due to the curved windows that almost touched the ceiling. Maroon curtains, tied at the ends in a pretty bow, partitioned off each window panel. At one corner was a sugar lacquered desk and chair, and in the center was a long wooden table with a basket on it.

The basket had an assortment of dried fruit and chocolates, along with a note from the owner of the residence that read: “I cleared this room so you could have some space to work on your designs. I hope this and the new decor make you feel more at home!”

Strawberry Tea Cookie smiled, her host was so much nicer compared to her previous landlord, who kept raising the rent every month until her and Mont Blanc Cookie decided staying in that dingy shoebox wasn’t worth the coins.

Stepping up to the second floor led to a guarded landing made of hardwood, which curved in an L shape along the stairs. It had three rooms; a storage closet was at the backmost of the house, followed by two bedrooms.

The bedroom next to the storage closet had a curtained window overlooking the courtyard. It was quaint; unremarkable with only a simple twin bed, desk, and dresser. Strawberry Butler Cookie took that room.

Next to that room was what many would consider the master bedroom, given how it was the largest and in possession of the balcony. The room was furnished with a queen sized bed decorated in red pillows and blankets, it also had a small vanity that doubled as a desk, along with a walk-in closet. Given how her butler claimed the previous room, Strawberry Tea Cookie was left with this room—not that she was complaining.

“We should start unpacking,” Wildberry Cookie mentioned, watching the location of the sun from the balcony. “The celebration will start in a few hours.”

“I agree,” Strawberry Butler Cookie turned to exit the bedroom. “At the very least we should get the big ticket items set up, like my lady’s sewing machine.”

“Then let’s get to it!” Hollyberry Cookie exulted, raising her fist. “With the four of us, we’ll get everything settled in no time!”

[airbrushfather]

6, 11, 28 for you!

thank you!!! i love sharing trivial information about myself on the internet :)

6 - do you use a watch?

i do not, purely because i'd find it too annoying to have on constantly and would forget to put it on again after sleep/shower/dishes. i don't really rate the way they look either but that's a personal thing, no hate to any watch wearers out there

11 - anything from your childhood you’ve held on to?

i have my childhood stuffed animals!! they're a set of 3, two square ish bear ish creatures and a little floppy elephant. they're very very worn out and have many holes patched on them and they've gone from being pink and purple respectively to all being a shade of grey. i love them tho, they're called my colds. because they get really cold if you leave them out in the air for some reason (they always have, when i was little i used to wait for them to get cold and then snuffle them under my nose)

28 - last meal on earth?

if i could have anything i wanted and infinite stomach room, like a genie situation, it'd be this, off menu podcast style:

some bread to start. specifically garlic and olive foccacia from the bakery that sets up a stall at my uni every friday. i used to get one of these every week between classes but then i found a hair on one and got put off. i might start again next year if i'm ever on campus on a friday. they were so good, they had whole olives in them and the texture was lush.

starter: boneless lemon pepper wings with ranch from a place near me, but from before they changed the recipie. they used to be so juicy and the batter was so thin but so flavourful but now they're really hit and miss (i think the place is under new management)

main: cobb salad, but specifically the one i had in the rainforest cafe in disneyland paris when i was 15. it was about twice the size of my head and is, to date, the only cobb salad i've ever seen with all of the necessary components of the cobb salad on it. it was so delicious and i think about it every day and they've taken it off the menu now. but god it was amazing. literally everyone in my life knows about my love affair with this salad.

side: either: halloumi fries, breaded and fried how my dad used to do it -- with seasoned flour and golden breadcrumbs. preferably with a light garlicky herby dip

or, if the genie can't do that, because of the whole bringing back dead people thing: loaded curly fries with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and a little salsa. i had these at fright nights last year and i was obsessed.

dessert: this one is very difficult. weatherspoons cookie dough sandwich is a high contender. ben and jerry's phish food or caramel brownie party is another high contender. however i think my ultimate choice would be another fright nights food sadly -- caramel brownies from the brownie cart, as fudgy and cold as possible. like, borderline frozen. can i ask the genie to also take away my sensitive teeth for my last hours??

drink: i want several. i always ave at least 3 drinks on the go so i want at least one for every course. sorry to be indulgent but in this scenario i am about to die, so, yknow. i want one of ALL of the following:

-rose milk boba tea with lychee pearls, strawberry jelly, and tapioca

-crispy ice cold pink monster energy

-blue tango ice blast

-iced vanilla latte (hm: rodd's waffle iced latte. but i don't like oat milk enough to put it in my actual choices)

-starbucks chai latte with soy milk, caramel syrup, whipped cream, caramel sauce, and cinnamon on top (HAS to be starbucks unfortunately, we can get the genie to rob it from them. costa chai is too spicy for my liking)

-cold vanilla coke, from a bottle not a can

-volvic strawberry water

"ooh danny what about normal water" i drink normal water because i have to to stay alive and it's fine but i'm not wasting my time on that when i'm about to DIE.

sorry this answer was so long i just love food

thank you for the asks!!! :D

[kedreeva]

Hello, good day/evening/whenever you see this haha, I had a couple bread questions if that's alright?

I love the idea of My Own Infinite Bread Beast. But I've also had sourdough bread from like the store (never fresh though) and I don't really like it that much cuz it's too... sour. Does fresh homemade sourdough taste the same? Or if it does, are there things you can add or change to change it that you know of? I know you've made cookies with it so I'm hoping it doesn't lol, but I wanted to ask before getting too invested in a bread project

The short answer is yes, it still tastes sour.

The medium answer is that it doesn't taste AS sour because most mass-produced "sourdough" isn't made from fermented yeast, it's made with vinegar and ascorbic acid.

Which means the longer answer is it CAN taste sour but it doesn't taste AS sour and it's not the same KIND of sour. The cookies don't taste sour because there's a thousand pounds of sugar, butter, vanilla/almond extract, and chocolate offsetting any sour taste. Bread doesn't have that, it's usually just flour, water, starter (which is flour/water + yeast), and salt. Some breads may have milk, eggs, butter, or even sugar in them, but a plain loaf is just 4 ingredients so there's not a lot to disguise the flavor.

That being said, real sourdough is "sour" because the yeast you're keeping ferments. It takes about a day for it to ferment when it's kept appropriately warm. You'll notice the texture will rise from a thick kinda lumpy "pancake batter" consistency to an air-pocked sticky thick stringy gluten-y texture, and then down into basically a liquid again, as it ferments after feeding. When you make bread, you're supposed to mix the dough using "active fed starter" which means you feed the starter, and when it rises and becomes that air-pocked consistency, it's active. This process can take anywhere from 2 to 8 hours, depending on temp and your starter's general activity level, but if you use the yeast as it STARTS to feed as opposed to when it's STOPPING feeding, you may get a less sour loaf.

The wetter your starter, the less sour it will be (if you mix it to be more soupy than lumpy). The longer you let it ferment before feeding, the more sour it will become. The kind of flour you use matters, too- whole grain flours will make a more sour loaf, all-purpose (unbleached) will make a less sour loaf (I've heard adding a little oat flour can also help, but I wouldn't feed it on oat flour). If you lower the cold rise time (the longest rise, usually something like 10 hours, so most people do it overnight or even in the fridge, but if you let it rise in a warmer area it will take less time and ferment less), you'll get a less sour loaf. You can add honey to your loaf to cut the sourness. You can add baking soda, which will lower the acidity and make a faster rise time (so less time to ferment). You can feed more often, which will cause less ferment or at least divide it so there's less fermented leavings. If you leave it for too long and you get a clear layer on top, that's alcohol. Try to dump off as much of that as you can before feeding (I mix it back in, because Sark likes it sour). When you make bread, using colder water can lower the sourness since the yeast won't be as active.

There's a LOT of things you can try, and see what works for you. Ultimately nothing may work if you just don't like the flavor. BUT if you've only ever had storebought and aren't sure you've ever had actual sourdough, it might be worth a shot. The starter isn't expensive (in fact you can get some from Carl's starter for the price of postage for an envelope), and you just need any kind of glass jar to keep it in. I like having two, so I can pour it into a new jar every day instead of getting crusty dried starter on the side, since you have to discard half the starter every day, but you don't HAVE to have two jars. And it doesn't even have to be good jars or anything. You can go to the dollar store and get whatever small but tall-ish vessel (remember it rises), and just cover it with plastic wrap and a rubber band while you're experimenting. If you have a mason jar (or your parents do or a friend does) or a glass cup or something it'll work for an experiment in "do i like this?"

Anyway, I hope you try it. Having a bread beast is fun.

[zoeythegoodgirl]

Im picturing this on a cold winter night, where the meal is simply chicken friccasse (which is a chicken and vegetable gravy with chunks of chicken served over rice) and fresh sour dough bread (family's recipe). And yeah ♡ when folks have gone home id love to ride you within an inch of you breaking ♡

That sounds delicious, actually! It sounds silly to say it like this but I really like gravy dishes. And I loooooove sourdough! That sounds like a lovely dinner!

Also why not continue until I'm broken? 🥺🙏

[puckpocketed]

For the ask game: 5, 12, 20 💜

Allie!! <3 Ask game

5. How do you like your eggs?

Fried: extra crispy whites with a runny yolk <- there’s this membrane of egg white on top of the yolk and if you’re really careful you can go in with chopsticks/a fork and lift it off so that it cooks with the other egg whites YOU WILL NOT CATCH ME SERVING SNOTTY EGGS IN MY HOUSE!!!!!

Scrambled: with a big knob of butter. If you take a knob of butter and you think it’s big, do 50% more. OR a scoop of sour cream. scrambled gently into a custard, NO ribbon curds im sorry!! Served with sriracha on a toasted croissant. It’s butter on butter but idc why the hell am I denying myself the pleasure of buttery scrambled eggs.

Boiled: Jammy and occasionally marinated <- AJITAMA!!!

Poached: the best eggs benedict I ever had was served with pulled pork and chilli oil on this divinely soft milk bread and I still think about it sometimes

12. What's something about your best friend that you love?

My very favourite people in the world… My best boy ever is such a warm person, we catch up every once in a while for gaming online and chitchats, every time we talk I feel like I gain a new perspective and grow as a person. For my other two besties, I love how they’re willing to commit to the bit with me. We’ve always been those people that treat trips to the mall/dinners/movies as a chance to Play, but we got reaaally good at yes-and’ing with eachother when I ran a d&d group during lockdowns and we still lapse into silly/horny/juvenile roleplay to this day!!

20. What kind of math are you best at?

Ok it’s not like official real maths but I like to think I’ve gotten really good at substituting ingredients in baking - wet and dry proportions, replacing binding and leavening agents, sugar and seasoning… For instance, if I had molasses instead of sugar to use up in baking, I’m good at accounting for the sweetness + moisture content and leaving stuff out of the rest of the recipe so I can achieve the desired texture/moistness levels. Lately I’ve been eyeballing my flour in baking bc it’s been so humid where I am and exact gram measurements sometimes leave me with dough that’s quite wet!

I’m also getting good at estimating how big a gif will be and how many times I need to split up the frames to fit in closer to tumblr’s gif size limit before optimisation <3

[cherry-blossom-qf]

(all magos) pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?

💙: "Absolutely! Pineapple, Kiwi, Banana, you name it, I had it. Mostly cuz I grew a weird sense of taste throughout my childhood cuz of my street life. I had 'bread soup' a few times, which was just some flour, cut up white bread, all in a bowl of water collected from the puddles on the street.... It was hard times!"

🍏: "Oh, I think I had the same thing growing up!! Those were hard times indeed!! And to answer your question, I personally prefer gala apples on pizza~"

🦋: "I don't think I've tried pineapple on pizza yet. But I have tried sour cream and lettuce on pizza before!! So maybe I'll like pineapple pizza! I've also had the bread soup. Glad I don't live in those times anymore."

👑: "Oh my gosh the bread soup, I remember that. Those were some saaaaad times!! Anyways, I had pineapple on pizza! I totally recommend having it with blue cheese ranch on the side~"

🎩: "I never heard of pizza until my tamer Susie talked about it. So while she was feeling homesick for the human world, me and Marxamon tried to make it ourselves!!! Of course the dough was uncooked, the sauce was just crushed tomatoes, and the toppings were mostly meat, fruits, and veggies... but somehow we still got her smile because of our efforts!!!"

🚔: "All of you deserve to go to jail for crimes against pizza."

[burgerouppy]

burgerouppy baby journal

TODAYS PROMPT: yummy snacks

there are a lot of foods that i like to eat that my littles do not. sometimes, i don't like eating them when i'm little. usually it's a difference in preference, but sometimes it feels weird eating something "big." a huge bowl of hot and sour udon is not for baby me... so this list is snacks i've found baby me (and the littles) like + their recipes.

also adding the price ranges for anyone who may want to go shopping. i live in the states so all estimated price ranges are averaged from USA prices.

⌒⌒

jam and cream cheese pastry ($10-15)

pita bread (regular bread works too but it's not as good)

whipped cream cheese

your favorite jam :3

just take bread and put the cream cheese and jam inside... and then toast it until its yummy and warm! then u fold it over and it looks like a sweet dumpling 🥟 also yummy with chamomile tea

⌒⌒

fruit smoothie ($15-20)

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 sliced banana

fruit yogurt cup (chobani sized)

1 cup milk (almond, oat, etc)

as much ice as you can fit in the blender

all you gotta do is put all these ingredients into your blender and you have like... 2 days worth of yummy drink... #love

⌒⌒

yummy kibble 4 girls ($19-25)

1/2 cup honey nut cheerios

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

some scooby snacks

some pretzels

edible cookie dough balls

its called kibble 4 girls but its also 4 boys trust!!! one day i wanted to eat dog kibble that is yummy so i put together this potion and it was pretty yummy in my tummy 🦴

⌒⌒

banana peanut butter sandwich ($8-10)

blueberry oatmeal ($15-20)

chinese rice crackers ($7-20)

[hidanizm]

I like to think Kakuzu also really likes making his own bread. He has a sour dough starter he keeps in a safe dry place. He would have a bakery if he wasn’t so busy with finances. Then Hidan starts eating the bread he bakes and it’s one of the things healthy he’ll eat that isn’t just red meat.

Omg! That's really cute and something I can see! I imagine in public or restaurants Hidan sticks to meat, but he will NOT pass up ANY homemade meal by Kakuzu! Nothing else tastes the same! He definitely loves Kakuzu's bread (and buns) 🤭