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tamras-shieldmaiden · 3 years

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With the upcoming holidays, I envisioned in your Kuvirasami universe Kuvira and Asami inviting Korra and her girlfriend, Bolin and Opal, Mako, the whole Beifong family, and Tenzin and his family over for a traditional holiday get-together at either the Sato mansion or their estate in Ba Sing Se. Idk just something to increase the holiday vibes and good tidings. Pretty sure there's no Christmas in the Avatarverse but one can imagine. It'd be so nice🎅🎄🎆✨

Talk about a full house! Kidding aside, holidays are a great pretext to get the family and friends together. Although the Avatarverse doesn’t have Christmas, there’s the Winter Solstice. The Dōngzhì Festival, or Winter Solstice Festival, is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians during the Dongzhi solar term on or around December 22, so the Avatarverse could have their equivalent of the festival, with traditions varying from nation to nation.

Asami having everyone at the Sato manor is a great idea but something tells me that one Suyin Beifong wouldn’t waste the chance to highlight/show off her city and her talents as hostess so I think she’ll invite everyone to spend the Festival season in Zaofu. Asami would welcome it because it would mean another opportunity for Kuvira to continue strengthening her bonds with her adoptive family, and for Asami to spend time with the in-laws. There would be plenty of food, games, music, and of course, lots of bending with the best metalbenders together in one place. Obviously, the mother of metalbending Toph Beifong would also be there, to Bolin’s delight (and Toph’s frustration). Korra would likely have her hands full making sure Ikki and Meelo don’t get to drill Nergüi with questions about her relationship with Korra. Luckily, Nergüi’s interest in Huan’s work would keep them far away from the airkids’ interrogation.

With the families all gathered, it’s quite possible the subject of children could pop up between our brides and I think Kuvira, seeing all the families gathered and her relationship with the Beifongs improved, might warm up more to the idea, to Asami’s utter delight. All in all, Winter Solstice festivities with the Beifongs would be quite unforgettable for everyone!

#the legend of korra #legend of korra #tlok #lok #asami sato #kuvira #kuvirasami #kuvira x asami #korra #suyin beifong #zaofu #headcanon #asks #holidays #winter solstice #festivals #choices series

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gen-is-gone · 4 years

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hello! i rlly enjoyed your atla post and was wondering if you could go into more detail about your "minor bugbear" about aang and vegetarianism. thank you!!

Happily! (I will note here: I am a mixed-race white person from the US, and culturally if not religiously christian. I am most definitely not an expert on Tibet, the Himalayas, or Buddhist traditions more generally, and these are just observations that could easily be total misunderstandings! Unfortunately a lot of my sources are limited to Wikipedia as it is close to hand and in English; I’m not thrilled at some of the tone the articles write in, nor with the fact that many of their cited sources are from visiting Westerners.) Also, ack, I’ve been away from my computer for a week and a half, and just saw this message now, whoops.

So, @star-anise has been prompting some really excellent discussions about medieval agricultural practices that started way back several months ago by pointing out that based on the canonical years-long seasons Westeros has, ASoIaF/GoT’s cultures really shouldn’t look anything like Wars of the Roses-era Europe. Essentially, the harsher your winters, the less food you can get and keep via any amount of agriculture, and the more has to come from other means, most frequently hunting, fishing, and animal husbandry.

In regards to AtLA, the Air Nomads are pretty heavily based on Buddhist monks, specifically Tibetan Buddhists. Now, Buddhism’s stance on vegetarianism and the ethics of eating meat is complicated, varies hugely by region, and goes back literally over a thousand years. Relevant to my entirely minor and ridiculous nitpick is the fact that Tibet, a country located in the northern mountainous region of Asia known as the Himalayas, is not by and large vegetarian, and Tibetan monks do not have a particularly strong tradition of vegetarianism, because it would be next to impossible to keep a strict vegetarian diet without significant outside trade of food grown at lower altitudes. Traditional Tibetan cuisine, when not suppressed by Chinese cultural colonization, focuses heavily on meat and dairy products (think the famous butter tea) as well as stews, dumplings, and other dishes made with tsampa (flour made from a type of barley), a winter staple crop that fares a lot better than other cereal grains at high altitudes and with long winters.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama (after whom two beloved Avatar-verse characters, both air bending masters, were named) encourages vegetarianism to those who are able, but does not wholly abstain from meat both for health reasons and to accept offered dishes in his role as a dignitary and diplomat to other countries.

Some more sources, though unfortunately two of these are pay-walled academic texts:

Himalayan fermented foods : microbiology, nutrition, and ethnic values by Dr. Jyoti Prakash Tamang

Food of Sinful Demons: A History of Vegetarianism in Tibet by Dr. Geoffrey Barstow

Tibetan political activist in exile Jamyang Norbu writes on food and restaurant culture in Tibet

Now, AtLA is fantasy, and the Air Nomads are not actually Tibetan, nor even exclusively based on Tibetan culture. The four Air Temples that we see in AtLA are all fairly mountainous, and the Southern (ie, Aang’s home) and Northern Temples are both close to their respective poles. However, there’s no reason not to assume that the Air Nomads simply live in a different environment than Earth. It’s easy enough to handwave an explanation as simple as: there are more staple crops that grow in the high mountainous regions where the Air Temples tend to be located; and/or up until their genocide, they had enough trade with outside cultures to sustain a vegetarian diet, hence Aang’s distaste for meat being so strong he’s willing to dumpster dive for vegetables in the Fire Nation (which honestly I feel like would be way more into seafood on their end, given the whole island-cluster thing.) But who knows!

I hope that sort of addresses your curiosity! Honestly, it’s a very minor detail indeed, and I mostly find it interesting and a little funny, rather than an impediment to enjoying the show. Stuff I’m really potentially interested in, if we are going to assume the Air Nomads are all universally culturally vegetarian, is Aang’s culture shock while traveling with two people from the Southern Water Tribe, (an Inuit-based culture that is most definitely meat-centric) and how their early camping trips must have played out when Sokka’s primary practical role in the early days was hunter/food provider. Stuff like that is always fun to headcanon about.

Also, there are very sad headcanons to mine about Aang being the only person left who knows how to make butter tea, and him missing it, esp if as implied they got their milk from flying bison rather than yaks, given Appa is male, and there don’t seem to be too many other sky bison still around either.

#atla #aang #avatar the last airbender #megan whines into the empty abyss of cyberspace

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jackalopingintothevoid · 6 years

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AKTJD? Part 3

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 TBA

Sampoorna had been alerted by Tenzin that their guest was awake and, despite Alouette’s fretting, had poured out a nice, big bowl of soup and put together a few sandwiches (he was a big, big man, he’d need a lot to eat!) and headed over. The door was open, and the stranger’s eyes snapped to her form as he jerked up from where he’d been propped against the pillows.

“No, no, it’s okay!” Mochou’s voice was gentle but she looked exasperated, and Sampo realised she’d probably been trying to get the poor man to relax for the past twenty minutes. “John, this is Sampoorna, like I told you? She’s got soup-- ooh, and sandwiches!”

Indeed, John’s eyes had fixed on the food almost immediately before going back to her face. She smiled her most reassuring smile.

“Hello, John. It is nice to meet you. I hope you are feeling better now you are warm and have slept. I have made much soup, so eat as much as you like, and there is medicine for your cold.” Sampo approached, and he watched her but didn’t respond. Slowly, so he could protest if he so desired, she placed the tray in his lap before activating the antigrav and stabilisers.

(She’d learned recently that when trays were first invented hundreds of years ago, people just put them on their laps and kept them balanced by themselves. It seemed a logical progression of development, but it still sent her reeling to think about how difficult and dangerous things were back then. A conscious balancing act would always be subject to human error; one wrong move and you’d covered yourself in hot food or drink. Not safe at all!)

“Now,” she carefully took his hand, slowly moving to take his pulse, “how are you feeling? Blocked sinuses?” His sinuses certainly sounded blocked, but his pulse was strong and steady. He winced slightly as she tested the lymph glands in his neck-- swollen, as expected-- and she grimaced apologetically. Alouette didn’t like hands at her neck either. “Do you have a headache at all?”

John seemed conflicted. He’d been calm so far, but he noticeably hesitated at her questions. That hesitation was telling; he didn’t feign indifference or puff up in pride. He seemed nervous, almost shy, like he didn’t want to be a bother or feared getting in trouble. Taking a calculated risk, Sampoorna took his hand loosely in hers, gently rubbing her thumb over the odd surgical scars on the back. “We just want to help you. You do not need to suffer.”

There was movement out of the corner of her eye, and she turned to see Mochou sweetly squeezing his other hand, smiling that earnest smile of hers. John had looked to her as well, and when he turned back to the Indian woman his eyes were wide and overwhelmed.

The poor thing. She dreaded to think what he had been running from.

He didn’t know why this was affecting him so drastically. Sampoorna’s cursory medical checks had been unexpected, but he was familiar with them even if he had no memory of it. It was the gentleness of it that struck him dumb, the soft concern rather than the brusque and businesslike bedside manner of... whoever had given him medical checks before, he supposed. It was even more difficult, somehow, to face this nebulous knowledge lacking in anything resembling useful context when these two civilians-- these two people were being so-- so kind to him.

You do not need to suffer.

That sentence had landed like a gut punch and John had to bite back the reflex to dispute it. Yes, he had a pounding headache, and what felt like every muscle in his body ached as well, but that was fine. None of his limbs were hanging off, his organs were all still inside him; he could endure this pain. And after a second, that confused him too. Why would he think he did need to suffer? Where did that immediate, thoughtless rejection come from? Why did hearing it make his insides squirm uncomfortably?

On the subject of his insides, he was starving, and there was food literally right under his nose, but both of his hands were being held. He could pull away effortlessly, but their skin on his was an incredible sensation. Since waking up here John had found that every time the gentle touches ceased, it left a greed in his skin that clamoured impatiently for the contact to return. It was a selfish feeling and he didn’t like it, but he couldn’t deny that their hands seemed to (mercifully) quiet his thoughts and soothe something in his chest.

On his left, Mochou’s hand moved to his upper arm, squeezing his bicep (oh, that was nice) and he took the opportunity to start in on the soup.

“John?” Mochou again. She waited until he glanced at her in question. “Do you need painkillers?”

That sealed it. John shook his head; he didn’t need them.

“Just the cold medicine then.” Sampoorna was already preparing it for him. Most of him felt certain he didn’t have a choice in the matter and was resigned to that fact, but a small, niggling part of him said if you tell her no, she’ll stop. That was a thought both frightening and comforting. John elected not to think about it.

He swallowed the drugs without comment and kept eating. It was good, really good, and again he was struck with the strange sense that he shouldn’t be having it. This was too much, it tasted too good. He was hungry enough that he didn’t debate it much but it left him unsettled all the same.

He finished off the soup quickly (it would be selfish to ask for more) and started ploughing through the sandwiches. He honestly had no idea what was in them, but he liked it.

He’d just about demolished those when Sampoorna spoke again, having finished whatever silent conversation the pair had been having with their eyes.

“Now, John, I know this may be a difficult question for you right now, but... can you tell us how you ended up on the street?”

His chewing slowed. It was fair of her to-- correctly-- assume that it was a recent development, as evidenced by her not asking when, since he’d been clearly ill-equipped. But he loathed the question all the same, simply because he’d have to admit that he couldn’t answer it. Even after he swallowed his mouthful, he didn’t answer immediately. Mochou squeezed his arm again (he didn’t notice himself listing slightly towards her) and made further meaningful eye-contact with Sampoorna.

Eventually, he composed himself. “I don’t know. I don’t... remember.”

“You don’t remember?” The thick Chinese accent seemed thicker in her incredulity. Sampoorna shot her a Look but she didn’t see it in her periphery. A fundamental flaw in spectacles. Why didn’t she just get her eyes fixed? “What about before you were on the street? And what’s your family name? En, your last name?”

John struggled for a moment, then shook his head. Not even a last name. There was just-- nothing. He had to fight to keep his voice even. “... I don’t remember that either. Or anything else.”

There were several seconds of dead silence. He could feel their eyes on him, but he stared at the empty soup bowl instead of Mochou’s rounded face or Sampoorna’s angular features.

“I am sorry to hear that, John.” Sampoorna’s voice said more than her slightly stiff words did, but he didn’t know how to respond or even accept her compassion.

The bed dipped and arms just about wrapped around his shoulders. He froze, alarmed, but he managed to restrain himself from reacting more than that. Mochou had become the only remotely familiar thing over the past half hour or so and she continued to be very small and soft.

She muttered something in Mandarin, which he couldn’t decipher, and then said, “We will help you, John.”

She didn’t let go, uncaring of his nakedness, and he was embarrassed to realise he was starting to melt a little bit into her embrace. Sampoorna had started kneading his knuckles in a way that was easing the tension in his hand (which wasn’t helping) and he sighed softly, selfishly hoping she wouldn’t stop.

“Why not get some more sleep for now?” The soft Indian lilt gently pressed through the haze of sensation. “We will help you piece things together when you are ready.”

Warm and full with the congestion and headache easing, John was sorely tempted to surrender to his body’s demands for rest. Even the unexpected physical contact seemed to be dragging him closer to relaxation now, and Mochou squeezed him firmly in a most pleasing way. Of course, Sampoorna picked that moment to really start work on his extensor tendons, and the combination forced a tiny sound from his throat.

The arms around him squeezed again, more firmly and for longer, and another sigh slipped out. He found himself being guided back to the pillow, while his hand was turned over and warm, small thumbs started smoothing the tension from his interdigital pads.

Sampoorna spoke again, softly, “It is alright, John. You are safe here. You are among friends. You can sleep without fear.” She kept talking, her voice low and soothing, and the weight pressed against him seemed to cause him to sink down further into the (too comfortable) bed.

His eyes had closed. He briefly thought to open them, then idly wondered why. His thoughts drifted, slow and inconsequential.

Everything was soft

and

warm

and

safe

and

#halo #anyone know this john doe?#john 117 #master chief

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theberryleavesgroupofindustries · 4 years

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Watch KHATIBAH REHMAT in conversation with Executive Sous Chef-Tenzin Losel, Eros Hotel, New Delhi and the topic is: PROS OF HAVING CHINESE AND CONTINENTAL CUISINES! Watch us LIVE on FACEBOOK, at REFT Today's special Talk Show: GREAT CHEFS, GOOD FOOD, from 12:00 NOON until 12:30 PM, on Sunday, March 21st. 2021. Our viewers may feel free to ask any question in live comment box. https://www.facebook.com/refttoday #refttoday #greatchefsgoodfood #chefs #fivestarhotel #restaurants #30minutesshow #foodtalkshow #fandb #eroshotel #delhi (at Eros Hotel New Delhi) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMgfSl4hotC/?igshid=4ne4vh03y8q1

#refttoday #greatchefsgoodfood #chefs #fivestarhotel #restaurants #30minutesshow #foodtalkshow #fandb #eroshotel #delhi

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unlikelyyou · 4 years

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📸: #LiuXiaobo in 1999; taken by his wife #LiuXia from her photography series - ‘Ugly Babies’ Liu Xiaobo (刘晓波) was a writer, critic, human rights activist and philosopher who called for political reforms and end of communist one-party rule in China. Liu was a visiting scholar at several overseas universities but returned to China to support the 1989 #TiananmenSquare protests. He was imprisoned multiple times for inciting subversion of state power, because he wanted to call for more #freedom of expression, #humanrights and #democracy He was arrested again in 2009 and sentenced to eleven years of imprisonment. In 2010 in prison, Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." China is known for repression and ill-treatment of political prisoners. Tibetan lama Tenzin Delek Rinpoche who was denied medical parole, died in a Chinese prison while serving a life sentence. His family was refused permission to view his remains or death records. Chinese prisons are notorious for poor healthcare, food and abusive conditions. “Given his influence and his massive following, it’s possible that Beijing does not want him to return to society healthy, physically capable and energetic,” said Hu Jia, a political dissident. On 26 June 2017, Liu was sent to a hospital after being diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer and died two weeks later on 13 July. His wife Liu Xia was put under house arrest for eight years for visiting him in prison. Bao Tong, a former high-ranking Communist Party official said, “So long as you are living as a Chinese citizen, you are in a constant state of defending your rights, because your rights are in a constant state of being infringed upon.” President Xi Jinping has expanded crackdown on anyone who speaks ill of China worldwide with the enactment of the Hong Kong national security law on 30 June 2020. Anyone deemed a threat by the #Chinese Communist Party who is passing through #China or its claimed territories - #HongKong #Macau, can be arrested and extradited to China. #monday #humanity #art #inspiration #instagood #politics #society #culture #FreeAssange #UnlikelyYou https://www.instagram.com/p/CClqzgXhbvQ/?igshid=sh5u1dw09ht4

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irismigraine-blog · 7 years

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More Pati Less Migraine

The only thing i was ever sure of was that I’d be in pain. Most big events turned into stress knowing at some point I’d start melting and throbbing from pain.

I assumed my pain was different but normal. Why ? Oh why do we tell ourselves the pain is normal? Or that it must be made up, or at least exaggerated. That in the end, medicating ourselves and pushing through the pain is the best we’re going to get. That all the painful side effects are needed because “now i have one less headache a month”.

I was always uncomfortable with people’s reactions to my pain. If they were sympathetic I started to feel bad and try and convince them it wasn’t so bad. If they told me to take a Tylenol and move on I’d be grumpy and then question if i was making it seem worse than it was. Migraines and anxiety feed off of each other constantly. So I usually hid it. Hid the physical pain and definitely the emotional pain. Hid it from family. Friends. Even from myself.

One day at work my cooworker, Mike, looked at me as I was holding myself up with the desk and trying not to shake.

“ You know, Its not normal to be in that much pain, and not at all to have it that often” - Mike

“ Thank you, I appreciate your concern but I’m aware, thanks” - Me

“ You say that, but are you really aware ?” - Mike

I’m not sure if his concern was different from the usual, or if it was just the one that clicked in my head. All of a sudden I remembered all the times someone had shown real concern. All the different suggestions and ‘cures’ became attempts to help from people who were just as lost as I was.

I realized we all wanted a cure but no one had any clue, so in the end we assumed i was incurable. I would have given anything for a pill to cure my migraines, but what if my issue wasn’t froma medication deficiency?

Mike introduced me to his wife, Carleigh Tenzin. She sat down with me to really understand me and my migraines. She reinforced that the way i felt was not normal and should not be accepted. She took time to understand me as a person not only as a migraine. She asked about what pain mattered the most to me, and how my pain and life style affected each other. I started thinking of the pain not as a separate entity or gremlin running around inside me, but more as a signal from my body.

She explained the 3 causes of illness. Chemical , Physical and Stress. How everything in our body is interconnected and having an imbalance in one area can affect all the others. She found several imbalances in my body and started working on counteracting them with acupuncture and herbs. At first I was amazed at the way one treatment could reduce my symptoms. How with one application I felt my head and neck break out of the pressure mold they lived in. But only through more sessions did we realize that the healing was acting on a much deeper level. The more we worked the better my entire body felt. I knew I had to share the knowledge when i forgot the constant neck pain and when i started to be able to differentiate muscle soreness due to activity from the constant pain that I was in.

I had forgotten what it was like to have a constant headache! After the treatment I had another one of my previous migraines that stuck around for 2 days. After feeling better for so long and suddenly having this pain back I immediately ran to the ER. I was hydrated and drugged and the pain only went away for a day. I went to see Carleigh the next day and she gave me an acute migraine Chinese herb to take at home. I slept the whole afternoon and woke up migraine free.

After this episode we realized we had more work to do. We took a more in depth look at my diet, stress level , emotional state , water intake, and trigger points, to name a few. I knew I had no food allergies but we found several food triggers. We also found ways to eat them in balanced meals to reduce the pain. We added Yoga poses to work on my tightness. And found meditation exercises to get myself to eat when I get headache nausea.

This experience has changed my life, hugely by getting rid of my horrible debilitating pain and also by changing the way work with me. By learning that sticking to a program with Iris Migraine can basically eliminate my pain, I learned I really can do anything I set my mind to.

#chronic pain #chronic migraine #migraine #personal #story #irismigraine #seattle #pnw

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anujtikku1974 · 6 years

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Men in Bhutan wear a robe called gho which is tied to the waist by a belt called the kera. Chicken, beef and fish are part of the staple diet. You will also find Chinese food and traditional dal, sabzi and rice for the Indian plate. Bhutanese enjoy beer and love walking. I guess these walks on the hilly slopes keeps them fit and their lungs fresh and reinvigorated. Bhutan is a land of bizarre and ancient rituals. All have the phallus as the central deity and is worshipped. In the ritual of the Black Zambala, an urn filled up with a tiny phallus is carefully sealed and kept in the altar. This is to evoke the deity of wealth.

There is a tradition of the naked dance called Terchhaam or the Secret Treasure Dance performed by the Barokpa community. It has its roots in ancient Tibet where Bon originated. Naked dancers from the age of 18 to 60 perform this dance once every three years on the 15th and 16th day of the 5th month of the Bhutanese calendar.

The famous procreation ceremony is when the head monk wearing a mask blesses all the women using a wooden phallus. He does this by touching their head with it. You can see the great phallic stone sculpture called the Tharpaling Giant. It is so big that you can sit on the erect penis stone structure.

The phallus symbol is dressed up as a scarecrow to ward away the evil that plagues the crop and to bless the harvest with divine powers. It is seen as the embodiment of the three protectors – the head of wisdom, the trunk of commission and the base signifying power.

Tiny phalluses are worn by children as a talisman to ward away evil and bad luck. Here, again, the phallus is the symbol of purity, birth and fertility. The Shiva Lingam as a black phallic symbol is carved on the roof of houses named as the Wangchuk Chhenpo and is associated with the Hindu God Shiva. The phallic paintings are the street art or graffiti of Bhutan and they are experts in it. These paintings are, however, off-limits to most temples and monasteries where celibate monks reside.

An important character is the Atsara who wields the phallic symbol in his hands. He speaks obscene words laced with sexual jokes to bring laughter to the people gathered in festivals. He waves the phallic symbol in his hand to remove shame and sexual taboos. He is seen as an enlightened master mixing religion with humour and jokes.

Refuge: A Poem

I take refuge in an old man’s chastened penis, withered at the root, fallen like a dead tree

I take refuge in an old woman’s flaccid vagina, collapsed, impenetrable and sponge-like

I take refuge in the verily young tiger’s thunderbolt, rising proudly, indifferent of death

I take refuge in the maiden’s lotus, filling her with rolling bliss waves, releasing her from shame and inhibition.

(Verses of initiation coined by Drukpa Kunley for Apa Gaypo Tenzin who attained nirvana by reciting it.)

Poem in Phallus by Karma Choden

Bhutan and the Ritual of Black Zambala Men in Bhutan wear a robe called gho which is tied to the waist by a belt called the kera.

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tonyduncanbb73 · 7 years

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Boston’s Top Restaurant Standbys of 2017: Waypoint, Chilacates, and More

Local food writers discuss their regular haunts of this past year

As is Eater’s annual tradition, we’re closing out 2017 by surveying local food writers (including our own staff and contributors) on various restaurant-related topics, and we’re publishing their responses in these final days of the year. Readers, please feel free to chime in with your own thoughts in the comment section below.

Keep an eye on the Year in Eater archive page for other stories in this series.

Today’s first question: What were your top restaurant standbys of 2017? (See the 2016 responses here.)

MC Slim JB, restaurant critic for The Improper Bostonian:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Banh mi at Little Donkey

“With 24 full-length Improper Bostonian reviews and a big chunk of the Boston’s Best food/drink and bar/club awards to write up every year, I don’t get to my favorite restaurants as much as I’d like, but I still dined widely outside of my professional research this year. I had the opportunity to do a lot of daytime exploring of Boston’s northwestern suburbs, an undersung culinary treasure trove.

Woburn has incredible Shaanxi hand-pulled noodles at Gene’s Chinese Flatbread, good fast-food Coney Island dogs at WuBurger, nice-priced Brazilian barbecue at Tuda Na Brasa, fine vegan Asian at Bayberry Café, and quality pork gyros at Olympia Grille.

Burlington has the awesome Sichuan Gourmet, the bargain-deluxe H-Mart food court, delectable Korean barbecue at New Jang Su, terrific vegetarian South Indian at Ritu Ki Rasoi, and for celebrations, the new Island Creek Oyster Bar.

Arlington has great sushi at Toraya, brilliant Thai at Thana, amazing tacos at La Victoria, lovely Persian kababs at Sabzi, and creditable Turkish at Pasha (love their döner).

Lexington has great Punjabi at Royal India, solid Taiwanese at Taipei Gourmet, and terrific French crepes and imported groceries at MA France.

In Waltham, I hit the genius Moody’s Deli, Taquería El Amigo, and Gustazo Cuban on the regular.

Weather permitting, I like the lakeside Fred’s Franks truck in Wakefield for a shnurble (charcoal-grilled hot dog and Portuguese chouriço with slaw on a good bun) al fresco.

At night back in the city, I kept returning to hallowed haunts like Erbaluce, Estragon, J.J. Foley’s Café in the South End, Dumpling Café, Peach Farm, The Hawthorne, Drink, and Backbar, as well as newer favorites like Bar Mezzana, SRV, and Little Donkey.”

Marc Hurwitz, founder of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants and Boston Restaurant Talk, restaurant critic for Dig Boston, and more:

Facebook

Cheddar and bacon tots at Cagney’s

“As always, I try so many places that it’s sometimes hard to have any real go-to spots, but this year I did frequent Joe Sent Me in Cambridge (great wings, burgers, and fries), Cagney’s in Quincy (a dive/not dive that has outstanding pub grub and lots of local beers), and Massimo’s in Wakefield (friendly people, excellent pasta dishes).”

Jenna Pelletier, food editor of Boston Magazine:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Yellowtail crudo at Bar Mezzana

“Yvonne’s, Bar Mezzana, Waypoint, Sarma, Uni, Hojoko, the Table at Season to Taste.”

Jacqueline Cain, associate food editor of Boston Magazine:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Sausage pizza at Brewer’s Fork

“Parlor Sports is, as ever, the little sports bar that could. Watching several uninspiring U.S. men’s soccer games there in 2017, with a fellow regular’s F*** TRUMP soccer scarf hanging prominently under the ‘Refugees Welcome Here’ sign, made not qualifying for the World Cup ever so slightly less painful.

But I also moved away from Camberville in the fall — sob! — so my new local is the lovely Brendan Behan pub. My move has been picking up a burrito at Chilacates —another 2017 standby — but I just learned Eat More, Mexican! pops up there regularly with El Paso-style burritos, so I’ll be taking more advantage of that in 2018.

I also absolutely love Vee Vee and have been by several times to take advantage of their top-notch beer list and snacks liked deviled eggs and manchego potato croquettes.

Flour’s newest location on Dalton Street location is the BEST work lunch option. Love Parlor Ice Cream Co. popping up with frequency in Allston all year. Other perennial favorites are Brewer’s Fork, Row 34, and Render Coffee.”

Catherine Smart, contributor to the Boston Globe and cast member of Milk Street TV:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Cafe Sushi

“Waypoint is my favorite any-time dinner spot right now. It’s fun, and festive, and open late. Do not miss the addictive crab fries or clam pizza. Close your eyes and point at the cocktail menu; you’re bound to pick something wonderful.

Cafe Sushi. It’s embarrassing how long it took me to get here, and now I dream about their pressed oshi-zushi and sparkling mackerel. This place is like a black cashmere sweater that’s always the right fit; it’s equally good for a casual weekday lunch or dressed up for date night.

Cantina La Mexicana has been a standby since my husband and I moved to Somerville a decade ago back when it was a small taqueria. This year they’ve really improved their cocktail game, while the food has remained delicious and affordable. Plus, they are super kid-friendly, and my toddler loves the refried beans almost as much as I love the rellenos and margaritas.”

Sam Hiersteiner, contributor to the Boston Globe and more:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Ramen at Little Big Diner

“For when no one is looking: Wegman’s Chinese food hot bar.

For uproarious good warm times: Alden & Harlow, Waypoint, Sarma, Smoke Shop, Row 34, all of Portland, Maine.

For quick and casual: Chilacates, Saloniki, Bon Me, Mei Mei.

For lil’ toddler CJ’s pleasures: Little Big Diner, Clover Food Lab, Eventide Fenway.

For every time my wife goes out of town: Sichuan Gourmet House.

For long boozy lunch: Coppa.”

Dan Whalen, blogger at The Food in my Beard and author of upcoming cookbook Tots!:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Paella at Toro

“I think I answer this question the same every year, but for me it will always be Toro and Coppa. In September I moved walking distance to Toro, which is a dangerously awesome thing. Island Creek Oyster Bar will also always be a standby for me, and I even went to their Burlington location this year and was happy to see the formula remaining strong in the suburbs.”

Dana Hatic, associate editor of Eater Boston:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Bialy from Bagelsaurus

“I’m a creature of habit, so some of my 2016 responses hold true this year, including Punjabi Dhaba and Lamplighter Brewing/Longfellows, along with Bagelsaurus. I’ve expanded my standby burrito places (from El Pelon in Fenway and Olecito in Inman Square) to include Habanero on Brighton Avenue in Allston, and I will make the trip to Washington Square for some comfort food at Stoked any time.”

Alex Wilking, contributor to Eater Boston:

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A brunch option at Burro Bar

“I have quickly become a regular at Burro Bar’s new-ish weekend brunch in Brookline. It’s incredibly inventive and affordable food, with top-notch service to boot. At this point, I’m always ordering either the smoked salmon eggs benny or the stacked chicken milanese sandwich.

I still can’t say enough kind words about Coreanos Allston, either. I probably order from there at least once a week.”

Rachel Leah Blumenthal, editor of Eater Boston:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Pear pavlova at Cafe ArtScience

“Most of my standbys are right in my neighborhood (Union Square, Somerville) — which I guess is unsurprising, considering the very nature of a ‘standby.’ I often find myself at Juliet, Ebi Sushi, Backbar, and, increasingly, the new and fantastic Field & Vine. And Casa B, always a favorite spot, has entered into even more frequent rotation now that the street-level dining room has been revamped into a cocktail bar. Taso Papatsoris and his crew are doing magical things at that bar. And for an easy weekday lunch, a quick stop into Capone Foods for a sandwich does the trick.

Just a little beyond Union, Highland Kitchen will always be on my standby list, and I’m also loving its new sibling, Highland Fried.

Over in Kendall, Cafe ArtScience is my go-to for cocktails — Tenzin Conechok Samdois a genius. Dessert’s great, too. Tip: Grab a drink and a snack (some duck fat fries, perhaps?) at Commonwealth, followed by a drink (or two) and a dessert (or two) at ArtScience, a very short walk away. Solid night. And the other side of Kendall is making me happy these days, too. I fit in a number of visits to Mamaleh’s, Smoke Shop, Cafe du Pays, and The Automatic this year.

Nearby, the Central Square edge of MIT is on fire these days, and I squeeze in visits to Pagu, Saloniki, and Abide as often as I can.

Elsewhere in Cambridge, there are a few spots that I wouldn’t call standbys yet just because I haven’t been there enough times, but I see them easily becoming standbys in 2018: weird and wonderful little basement haunt Upperwest, which I’m ashamed I didn’t try until late this year, over a year after it opened; Pammy’s, which mixes stellar hospitality with a really pretty space and outstanding Italian-ish food; and Momi Nonmi, which has totally won me over in Inman Square in its first few months. Especially for late-night sake and snacks.

I don’t really cross the river with enough frequency to get in regular visits to many Boston proper spots, but I do have a few tried-and-trues up my sleeve, such as Haley.Henry and Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe.”

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tibetfoodandculture-blog · 7 years

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Tibetan Food Background

New York can often times be described as a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. In the past decade, New York City has experienced a large growth of the Tibetan migrant population as well as Tibetan owned restaurants, particularly in Queens and Jackson Heights. The boom of Tibetan restaurants and businesses can be attributed to the Tibet U.S. Resettlement Project, which brought 1,000 refugees from Tibet and gave them asylum in the United States. It is now estimated that more than 7,000 Tibetans live in the New York and New Jersey area. Now, numerous restaurants in New York City represent the rich culture and history of Tibet.

As is characteristic of ethnic cuisine, the food of Tibet is largely characterized by its geography and topography. Tibet is very mountainous and the highest region in the world (around 4,500 meters), and winter months can be frigidly cold, thus it lacks the space and adequate environment to cultivate vegetables other than hardy greens and root vegetables. Rice, a staple crop in many other regions in Asia, cannot be grown on the Tibetan plateau. Tibet’s climate and rugged landscape makes farming livestock difficult, so it’s traditional cuisine reflects these difficult conditions. A typical Tibetan diet focuses primarily on dairy, meat, and hardy vegetables. The staple meat in Tibet is Yak as it is the most readily available form of meat and dairy in Tibet. Modern technology such as greenhouses, coupled with imported goods from China has expanded the realm of ingredients possible in Tibetan cuisine, and it is possible that restaurants in New York have had to adapt their cuisine to better align with the western palate.

Ancient Tibetans used the milk from Yaks and mountain goats to make dairy products. Chura Loenpa and Chura Kampo are both cheeses that are unique to Tibet, the former being a soft cheese made up of curds and the latter a harder cheese that Tibetans eat as a standalone snack. The most famous dairy based dish is Tibetan yak butter tea. The tea is consumed daily in Tibet by nomadic people living in harsh climate. The tea is high in fat, energy, and calories and helps Tibetans sustain an active life outside. The tea is by adding a large amount of butter made from young yaks to black tea and churning the tea in a dingo (colander) to create the end beverage. Certain regions of Tibet add salt to the tea, as opposed to sugar, and butter tea has become the national beverage of Tibet.

Tibetan yak butter tea has inspired diets in America, specifically the popular “bulletproof diet” of David Asprey. Instead of using tea however, Asprey uses coffee for his diet. It is said the the fats in butter can boost energy and increase cognitive function, as well as being high in butyrate, an anti-inflammatory. The bulletproof diet and coffee is heavily marketed in the U.S., and uses examples of the type of butter tea consumed in Tibet to substantiate its curative and healthy powers.

Perhaps the most famous Tibetan dish is the momo. There is even a Tibetan pop song by rapper Tenzin Seungyi about momos! The first time I ate momos, I was reminded of the Chinese soup dumplings xiao long bao, as they are similar in shape and the filling tasted similar. This could be due to the fact that they are usually stuffed with beef in the U.S. instead of the traditional yak meat. Momos are labor intensive as each dumpling takes time to make by hand, thus they feature at many Tibetan special occasions and parties as a dish.

Tibetan culture is closely linked to religion and Buddhism. Donating food during ritual is a way Tibetans manifest their spirituality and connection to Buddhist deities. During rituals which include meditation, singing, and prayers, Tsampa (roasted barley flour) are thrown in the air. It is customary for Tibetans to offer food and beverage to guests, and offering butter tea is an important part of hospitality in Tibet.

#tibet #food #culture #momo

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wogaimshik · 2 years

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Day 5: Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen

Our second meal of the week was a traditional lunch at the restaurant Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen. This is what we ordered:

Though this restaurant offered momos as well, we decided to try another classic Tibetan dish Sephaley or Shapale instead. Sephaley in Tibetan literally translates to “meat bread”, which is the best way this dish can be simply described. It had a crunchy exterior with a chicken filling.

We also had another Tibetan dish known as tingmo, which are these soft pillowy buns. (Tenzin was a little surprised to see the tingmo served in a long vertical shape instead of their usual round bun, but nevertheless they were still delicious and buttery) The tingmos came with a side of some surprisingly spicy spinach.

The chole bhatura, which was the chana masala and bhatura together, was flavorful and filling. The bhatura bread was crispy and thick and paired very well with the curried chickpeas of the chana masala. We also received a side of rice with it.

Of course, we had to order lassis again! Loren and Kara ordered two mango lassis and Tenzin ordered a plain sweet lassi that arrived in a very festive cup. Loren’s favorite dish from today was the tingmo and Tenzin and Kara’s was the shapale.

Now, here’s some further historical information on the dishes Tingmo and Chole Bhature:

Tingmo Tingmo is a traditional steamed bun popular, similar to Chinese flour rolls, as they have a pillowy, soft texture. The name stems from a combination of the phrases “tinga,” meaning cloud, and “momo,” meaning dumpling. Tingmo is typically eaten with phing sha (stir-fried glass noodles) or with shapta (sliced meat stir-fried with gravy). Overtime, tingmo recipes have developed from using only flour and yeast to also using turmeric or cilantro.

Source: https://www.eater.com/22444632/tingmomo-recipe-tibetan-steamed-buns

Chole Bhature Chole Bhature is a popular dish in North India, and originated in Delhi during the 1940s. It consists of chana masala (white chickpeas in a spiced sauce) and bhatura, a fried bread made of white flour. Chole bhature is typically eaten for breakfast, but can also be accompanied with other dishes.

Sources: https://foodhistory.opened.ca/chole-bhature/ https://amritsruae.com/blog/chole-bhature-why-everyone-loves-this-punjabi-dish/#:~:text=Who%20Invented%20Chole%20Bhature%3F,food%20joints%20in%20Northern%20India.

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tonyduncanbb73 · 7 years

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Boston’s Top Restaurant Standbys of 2017: Waypoint, Chilacates, and More

Local food writers discuss their regular haunts of this past year

Keep an eye on the Year in Eater archive page for other stories in this series.

Today’s first question: What were your top restaurant standbys of 2017? (See the 2016 responses here.)

MC Slim JB, restaurant critic for The Improper Bostonian:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Banh mi at Little Donkey

Arlington has great sushi at Toraya, brilliant Thai at Thana, amazing tacos at La Victoria, lovely Persian kababs at Sabzi, and creditable Turkish at Pasha (love their döner).

Lexington has great Punjabi at Royal India, solid Taiwanese at Taipei Gourmet, and terrific French crepes and imported groceries at MA France.

In Waltham, I hit the genius Moody’s Deli, Taquería El Amigo, and Gustazo Cuban on the regular.

Weather permitting, I like the lakeside Fred’s Franks truck in Wakefield for a shnurble (charcoal-grilled hot dog and Portuguese chouriço with slaw on a good bun) al fresco.

Marc Hurwitz, founder of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants and Boston Restaurant Talk, restaurant critic for Dig Boston, and more:

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Cheddar and bacon tots at Cagney’s

Jenna Pelletier, food editor of Boston Magazine:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Yellowtail crudo at Bar Mezzana

“Yvonne’s, Bar Mezzana, Waypoint, Sarma, Uni, Hojoko, the Table at Season to Taste.”

Jacqueline Cain, associate food editor of Boston Magazine:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Sausage pizza at Brewer’s Fork

I also absolutely love Vee Vee and have been by several times to take advantage of their top-notch beer list and snacks liked deviled eggs and manchego potato croquettes.

Catherine Smart, contributor to the Boston Globe and cast member of Milk Street TV:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Cafe Sushi

Sam Hiersteiner, contributor to the Boston Globe and more:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Ramen at Little Big Diner

“For when no one is looking: Wegman’s Chinese food hot bar.

For uproarious good warm times: Alden & Harlow, Waypoint, Sarma, Smoke Shop, Row 34, all of Portland, Maine.

For quick and casual: Chilacates, Saloniki, Bon Me, Mei Mei.

For lil’ toddler CJ’s pleasures: Little Big Diner, Clover Food Lab, Eventide Fenway.

For every time my wife goes out of town: Sichuan Gourmet House.

For long boozy lunch: Coppa.”

Dan Whalen, blogger at The Food in my Beard and author of upcoming cookbook Tots!:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Paella at Toro

Dana Hatic, associate editor of Eater Boston:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Bialy from Bagelsaurus

Alex Wilking, contributor to Eater Boston:

Facebook

A brunch option at Burro Bar

I still can’t say enough kind words about Coreanos Allston, either. I probably order from there at least once a week.”

Rachel Leah Blumenthal, editor of Eater Boston:

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

Pear pavlova at Cafe ArtScience

Just a little beyond Union, Highland Kitchen will always be on my standby list, and I’m also loving its new sibling, Highland Fried.

Nearby, the Central Square edge of MIT is on fire these days, and I squeeze in visits to Pagu, Saloniki, and Abide as often as I can.

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wogaimshik · 2 years

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Day 3: Imperial Restaurant

We ended our week of Chinese cuisine by eating Cantonese food at Imperial Restaurant in Chinatown (a place we’ve been to four times in the past seven days… anyways…) We were most excited to have dimsum, another classic Chinese meal. It’s widely agreed that dimsum’s origins come from the Southern Chinese province of Guangdong in its capital Guangzhou. Weary travelers on the Silk Road would stop at Guangzhou teahouses for some dimsum. Source: https://asiasociety.org/reference/what-dim-sum-beginners-guide-south-chinas-traditional-brunch-meal#:~:text=According%20to%20food%20magazine%20Lucky,for%20a%20dim%20sum%20meal. This is what we ordered today at Imperial Restaurant:

Loren’s favorite dish was the sweet creamy egg yolk buns because she has a sweet tooth and enjoys trying traditional desserts. Tenzin’s was either the yummy barbeque pork buns or the sesame balls (again!) because of their crispy exterior. Kara’s was also the barbeque pork buns because they were the perfect mix of savory and sweet. Other group favorites were the egg tarts and the zhou; we appreciated the zhou’s hearty flavor that could cure any cold and the egg tarts’ unique filling and buttery crust.

Something else we appreciated was Imperial Restaurant’s speedy service (no robot this time sadly) Ordering here was a quick process: we were just handed a menu where we just checked off which dishes we wanted. The server came to pick it up and our food was delivered within minutes.

It’s been an amazing week of experiencing all kinds of Chinese cuisine. Loren and Kara’s favorite meals this week were at Lao Szechuan and Tenzin’s was Imperial Restaurant. Haidiliao Hotpot had to be the most fun meal of the week however. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next week as we try Tibetan and Indian cuisine! (Time for us to spend the weekend recovering from eating heavy Chinese food three days in a row…) But before you leave....

...here’s some further historical information about the dishes Bao, Creamy Egg Yolk Custard Buns, and Shumai:

Bao (Chinese steamed bun) The Bao stems back to the Three Kingdoms period in the third century, originating in Northern China. Overtime, the bao spread throughout many regions in China, and each region started to adopt their own version of the bao. The baos we ate were Hong Kong style, where people used rice flour as opposed to wheat flour, and the common filling was sweet barbeque pork.

Source: https://dumplingschool.com/2021/02/16/history-of-bao-buns/

Egg Custard Bun Egg custard buns are a Hong Kong specialty, consisting of a regular white bun exterior and a sweet, creamy custard interior. According to Lin Heung, a dim sum chef who has been serving custard buns since 1996, custard buns were most likely inspired by a combination of Japanese mochi and British custard. By the 1990s, custard buns became a popular addition to dim sum menus.

Source: https://zolimacitymag.com/hong-kong-creamy-egg-custard-buns-disappearing-why/

Shumai Shumai originated in Northern China, and has adopted many variations from region to region. According to legend, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, two brothers ran a baozi restaurant. One day, the older brother got married, but the wife was not happy with his small amount of income. Thus, she made him become the sole owner of the restaurant, while the younger brother was left in debt. The younger brother devised a plan to use ingredients from leftover baos to create thinly-wrapped baos in exchange for a share of the income. Soon enough, his creation eventually became the biggest hit in their restaurant.

Source: https://uchicagobite.com/blog/2021/2/13/food-myth-shumai

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