#and described it as ‘a new shrimp fried rice’

[thebookofbill]

Stanford Pines? Yeah he sure does

[rabbitcruiser]

Southern Food Heritage Day

Every year, Southern Food Heritage Day is celebrated on October 11. The Southern Food & Beverage Museum celebrates the culturally rich and delicious food of the Southern States in America. The cuisine deserves to be recognized and celebrated officially because it is a testament to American history and legacy. Southern food also represents the essence of America — the coming together of a variety of people from all over the world, each bringing with themselves their own ingredients and recipes to create a unique cuisine. Iced tea, pickled shrimps, and fried chicken are some of the most loved Southern foods throughout history. Along with the cuisine, the day also celebrates the racial and ethnic diversity in America.

History of Southern Food Heritage Day

Southern Food Heritage Day celebrates the best that Southern food and beverages have to offer. The South’s cuisine in America can be found in the historical regional culinary form of states generally south of the Mason-Dixon line dividing Pennsylvania and Delaware from Maryland, along the Ohio River, and extending west to southern Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The most notable influences on Southern cuisine are African, English, Scottish, Irish, German, French and Native American.

The food of the American South displays a unique blend of cultures and culinary traditions. The Native Americans, Spanish, French, and British have contributed to the development of Southern food, with recipes and dishes from their own cultures. Food items such as squash, tomatoes, corn, as well as certain cooking practices such as deep pit barbecuing, were introduced by south-eastern Native American tribes such as the Caddo, Choctaw, and Seminole. Many foods derived from sugar, flour, milk, and eggs have European roots. Black-eyed peas, okra, rice, eggplant, sesame seed, sorghum, and melons, along with spices, are of African origin.

Southern food can be further divided into categories: ‘Soul food’ is heavily influenced by African cooking traditions that are full of greens and vegetables, rice, and nuts such as peanuts. Okra and collard greens are also considered Soul Food, along with thick stews. ‘Creole food’ has a French flair, while ‘Cajun cuisine’ reflects the culinary traditions of immigrants from Canada. ‘Lowcountry’ cuisine features a lot of seafood and rice, while the food of the Appalachians is mostly preserved meats and vegetables. Southern food is partial to corn, thanks to the Native American influence.

Southern Food Heritage Day timeline

1860

Southern Diet Expands

Following the emancipation from slavery, the Southern diet becomes versatile.

1916

The Great Migration

African Americans travel from rural communities in the South to large cities in the North and West — they carry their cuisine with them.

1940s

Southern Foods in Restaurants

Southern foods start appearing on restaurant menus and appeal to a diverse clientele.

1964

Soul Food

This term, describing everyday Southern food, first appears in print.

Southern Food Heritage Day FAQs

What is the difference between Southern food and soul food?

The difference between soul food and Southern food is rooted more in class than race, and what families were able to afford to put on the table. 

What is a typical Southern meal?

A traditional Southern meal is pan-fried chicken, field peas, greens, mashed potatoes, cornbread or corn pone, sweet tea, and a pie for dessert. 

Why is Southern food so unhealthy?

The Southern diet is commonly high in processed meats, which are high in salt and in nitrates, which are in turn linked to heart risk. The high sugar content of the diet may also lead to negative effects, like insulin resistance and inflammation.

How To Celebrate Southern Food Heritage Day

Organize a cook-off: Gather all your friends and organize a cook-off on Southern Food Heritage Day. Revive old recipes or add a twist to create something new.

Go out for a meal: Enjoy the best of Southern foods at your favorite Southern foods restaurant. Don’t forget to enjoy the classics like fried chicken, hush pies, and pies.

Set up a barbecue: Barbecues are an integral part of the Southern food heritage. It is also one of the most popular styles of cooking. Barbecue your favorite meats and vegetables, and serve them with sauces and seasonings.

5 Facts About Southern Foods That Will Blow Your Mind

Redeye gravy has a unique recipe: Redeye gravy is made with pan drippings and leftover coffee.

It is more calorie-dense: Southern fried chicken breast typically has more than 400 calories in an ounce.

Peanut butter is an essential: Half the annual crop of peanuts is used to make peanut butter.

Collard green has been around forever: It’s been a part of our diet for more than 2,000 years.

Black-eyed peas are also good luck charms: It is believed that black-eyed peas bring good luck on New Year’s Day.

Why We Love Southern Food Heritage Day

A day to indulge: You cannot celebrate Southern Food Heritage Day without enjoying a hearty meal of your favorite foods. This is truly a day of indulgence!

Try something new: The best thing about Southern food is that it has something for everyone. Use this day to try a new food item or the cuisine of Southern heritage. Who knows, you might just discover your next favorite dish!

It is historically significant: Southern foods have a rich cultural and historical significance. Learn more about the origins of your favorite foods on Southern Food Heritage Day.

Source

[castletown-cafe]

Castletown Café Episode 23: Fried Pipis

“HEY EVERY !! IT’S ME!! SPAM-  SPAMTON G. SPAMTON! [Back by popular demand] W1TH [[AN ALL-NEW]] VERY SPECIL PRODUCT!! Y0U [Want it? Need it?] MORE [[PIPIS]]? YOU [GOT IT]!! EAHEAHEAHEAHEA!!”

Another Spring, another pipis recipe!

If you’ve played a certain...alternate route in Chapter 2, you’re likely familiar with the FriedPipis action you can take during the final battle. This action implies that pipis may be edible. This wouldn’t be too surprising, since they resemble eggs and are described as “an invasive species of freshwater clam”.

Which gave me the idea of a scotch egg with a shrimp filling instead of sausage.

While I mostly stick to plant protein, seafood was the one meat I just couldn’t give up, so I still eat it from time to time. I thought a Scotch egg with shrimp sounded delicious (especially with soy sauce), though unsurprisingly, finely minced shrimp doesn’t hold together as nicely as ground sausage, beef, or plant-based protein. I solved this problem by making a “shrimp batter” by mixing together the minced raw shrimp with beaten egg, panko, and flour in order for it to hold together. Minced scallions, ginger, and soy sauce were extra ingredients added to give the batter even more flavor. The eggs were coated in this batter before breading them.

If you’re either allergic to shellfish or just don’t like seafood, you can always make a traditional Scotch egg instead with ground sausage, turkey, or impossible sausage. I bet it’ll be easier than a shrimp batter.

The hardest part, of course, is step one: soft-boiling the eggs. In order to prevent the eggs from overcooking during the frying stage, the eggs are soft-boiled as opposed to hard-boiled.

Soft-boiling eggs is tricky. There are a lot of variables involved that can get in the way of perfect eggs - even professional chefs can’t always get it 100%! Things like the altitude you live in, or the size or freshness of an egg, all play a role in whether or not the shell will stick to the egg. Although the eggs you buy at a grocery store might have aged enough for the shell to slide off without a hitch after boiling, it’s recommended to buy your eggs at least a week in advance, just in case.

For soft-boiling, the trick I was shown (thank you, roomie) is to, for one, reduce the heat from high to medium high shortly before adding in the eggs. Do it carefully with a slotted spoon. Immediately, once the eggs are all in, set your timer to 8 minutes. Since I use the timer on my phone, I set it to 8 before the eggs are submerged, but don’t hit start until after they’re all in there. Soft-boiling the eggs for a full 8 minutes should help prevent the eggs from sticking to the shell when it’s time to peel them.

While they’re boiling and your timer’s ticking, fill up a bowl of cold water and add plenty of ice. Do not skimp. The eggs will go immediately into that ice water once they’re done. This will stop them from continuing to cook. Be sure to remove the eggs off the heat first because you will be adding them one at a time into the bowl of ice water.

You can let ‘em cool for however long you like, and you could stick ‘em in the fridge once they’re done, but since you’ll be dyeing the eggs next, I suggest keeping them at room temperature after they are done cooling.

Next, it’s time to peel and dye the eggs. Hopefully you got lucky and your eggs slid out of their shells just fine. If they’re a little messy, no worries - they’ll be coated in shrimp batter and fried anyway. For the dye, simply make a solution using water, rice vinegar, and a mix of blue and green food coloring.

PIPIS TRANSFORMATION POTION:

2 cups water

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

24 drops blue food coloring

10 drops green food coloring

The longer you leave the eggs in, the more vivid the color will get. Once done, remove the eggs from their dye bath and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb some of that excess dye. Blot them with another paper towel to dry them off a little so that the flour and batter will stick to the eggs better. Finally, it’s time to make the shrimp batter.

FRIED PIPIS:

Batter:

1 and 1/4 cup finely minced raw shrimp (pre-prepared: headless, tailless, deveined and peeled)

1 to 2 beaten eggs

About 4 finely minced scallion whites

1 thumb freshly minced ginger

2 teaspoons soy sauce (you can add a little more to taste if you’d like)

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons panko

1/2 cup four

Assembly:

4 soft-boiled eggs, cooled, peeled, and dyed

Shrimp batter

1 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup panko

Wash and dry both your scallions and ginger. Peel and cut off about a thumb of ginger and mince it into tiny pieces. Mince your scallion whites likewise, and add both into a mixing bowl.

Since you will be mincing raw meat next, grab a different cutting board if you have one to keep your main one clean, and chop a couple heaping handfuls of shrimp into small chunks, enough to fill a measuring cup up to 1 and 1/4 cup. Add to your mixing bowl, then thoroughly wash your hands, knife, cutting board, and work surface afterward!

Next, beat eggs in a small bowl and pour it in. Add in your soy sauce, panko, and flour, then mix it all together until your batter has formed.

Re-use the bowl you beat your eggs in to beat two more eggs for the outer layer of panko coating.

Get two more bowls, one for flour, and one for panko. Pour a cup of flour in one bowl, and a cup of panko in the other.

Grab your eggs and begin the assembly! First, coat your eggs in flour so that the batter can stick to the egg easier, then coat that sucker up in the batter. Roll your battered egg in the flour once again, then the beaten egg, and finally the panko. Repeat this process until all of your eggs are battered and breaded.

Heat a pot with plenty of oil for frying. With the use of a candy or deep-fat thermometer, keep an eye on the temperature so that it reaches at least 375 degrees F. Once your oil is hot enough, it’s time to fry!

Fry your [PIPIS] until the panko is golden brown and the shrimp is fully cooked on the inside. It may be hard to tell when they’re done, as the outside will cook the fastest. The microwave is your friend if the shrimp hasn’t cooked all the way.

Enjoy! And....don’t manipulate your friends into freezing everyone in sight......

[inviewadventures]

Southeast Asian Cuisine: Culinary Delights

Let’s go on a journey through Southeast Asian Cuisine, where each dish tells a story of tradition and flavor. This guide unveils the culinary treasures of Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and beyond. Southeast Asia serves hundreds of culinary delights for those wanting to try new foods and experience different tastes. Exploring the diverse cuisine in Southeast Asia allows people to better understand the history and people of the region. So, if you’re considering visiting the area any time soon, there are certain dishes you certainly will want to take advantage of! Let’s jump in and look at the highlights of some of the essential dishes in the region.

A Foodie’s Journey Through Southeast Asian Cuisine

Indonesia 

Indonesian cuisine is less famous than other regions like Thailand or China internationally (a situation the Economist attributes to varying factors like politics and prejudice). But there are incredible dishes using rich, flavorful ingredients and spices. An Indonesian staple is rice. It may be served steamed, slightly cooked, or wrapped in leaves. Other popular foods include soup, noodles, and dishes like Nasi Goreng and Rendang.

Rendang is a traditional Indonesian dish originating from Padang. It consists of tenderized beef marinated in coconut milk and traditional species. It certainly is a favorite among people visiting the region. Other notable mentions include satay lilit in Bali. This is a grilled minced meat dish seasoned with chili, lime, and lemongrass. Siomay, a street snack consisting of fish dumplings, sliced potatoes, cabbage, and tofu, topped with a tasty peanut sauce is also great.

The Philippines

Filipino cuisine is more like a fusion of various cultures and influences from Malay, China, and Spain. Some of the more popular choices for those visiting the region include Lechon (roast pig), a staple in Cebu. Don’t miss out on chicken inasal (a charcoal-grilled chicken dish). If you have the chance, enjoy the authentic version in Bacolod. Other tasty meals include adobo (which is marinated meat), and morcon (made from beef, poor, sausages, onions and eggs).

If you’re visiting Davao, take advantage of the opportunities to try durian. There’s also numerous varieties of durian fruit (consisting of candies, cake, flavored coffee, and more). If you are looking for a new taste sensation, the Philippines is definitely the right choice for you.

Southeast Asian Cuisine – Thailand 

The history of Thai food interweaves ingredients and cooking methods from various cultures. The result is a culinary experience that attracts people from around the world. If you’re looking to participate in it, Thai street food is a perfect choice. While visiting, definitely don’t miss out on the roadside stalls where you can try out some delicious options like moo ping (grilled pork), tom yum goong (hot and sour shrimp), Khao man gai (chicken and rice), Khao niao mamuang (sticky rice), grilled skewers and Pad Thai. Head out early in the morning if you want a comforting bowl of jok, a rice porridge featuring pork topped with ginger and onions. Street food allows for a truly immersive experience for those visiting Thailand and wanting to get a unique taste of their culture. 

If you want to explore Thailand, remember that each city and region features something unique. In Chiang Mai, stop and enjoy Khao Soi, a curry soup made with coconut milk served over egg noodles and topped with layered crispy fried noodles. Heading to Northeastern Thailand? Try Som Tam, a mash of tasty vegetables, Larb, and Nam Toke, and salads of meat, rice, lime, and fish sauce. Staying in the central region of Thailand? Well, many describe Bangkok as a “”food lover’s paradise, ” so don’t miss out on everything the city has to offer. If you’re heading South to the beautiful islands, try Sataw (prawns with a unique flavor), Massaman curry, or Khua Kling.

Vietnam

Southeast Asian Cuisine and Vietnam! If you’re traveling in Vietnam, you’ll encounter a range of dishes and flavors that change from North to South. Those in Sagon enjoy bánh xèo (crispy pancakes) rolled with greens and dipped in sweet-and-sour fish sauce, while Hai An Cao Lau noodles are a popular snack. Don’t miss out on the fantastic street food options like banh mi (a sandwich featuring pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, pork belly, pork floss, and cucumber) or pho (featuring flat rice noodles with beef or chicken cooked in a hearty stock, spiced with clove, and cinnamon and anise). 

Bánh Xèo, emerging from the Mekong Delta and popular in south and central Vietnam, features a batter made from coconut milk and rice. The filling contains pork, bean sprouts, and shrimp. If you still have room, try Che, a dessert sometimes served hot or cold and topped with fruits like bananas and longan. The unique combination of sauces, herbs, and spices creates a memorable experience that captures Vietnamese cuisine.

Singapore

We have to talk about Singapore if we are talking about Southeast Asian Cuisine. Singapore’s cuisine combines influences from China, Malay, and India. Some staples include Hainanese chicken rice and chili crab. Suppose you’re looking to check out some fine dining. In that case, several Michelin-star regional restaurants offer a promising taste sensation.

Laos

Laos’ amazing scenery and deep cultural legacy makes it a popular choice. The food is also worth trying out. Laotian cuisine is not as well known in the West. The dishes may seem simple, but it’s quite flavorful, frequently combining fermented pork and fish with chilies and fresh herbs (think mint, cilantro, makrut lime leaf, ginger, garlic, etc.).

Cambodia

When we talk about Southeast Asian Cuisine, we have to talk about Cambodia. The use of different herbs and spices, together with the addition of tropical fruits from the area, define the cuisine. The region’s most popular dishes include lok lak, a stir-fried beef dish; fish amok, which is fish made with banana leaves; and amok, a stew made with kroeung and fresh coconut milk. The cuisine of the area combines a variety of tastes, from spicy to sweet, to produce a flavor profile that is sure to please. You might want to try kangkep baob if you’re feeling more daring. It’s a frog that’s been roasted over hot coals packed with peanuts, chiles, pork, and different spices like garlic and lemongrass.

Southeast Asian Cuisine: A Feast for Foodies

Southeast Asian Cuisine is delicious. Whether you want to visit the numerous street vendors or immerse yourself in an exciting culinary experience by visiting a more upscale restaurant, you will be very content with Southeast Asian food. There are an infinite variety of flavors and dishes worth exploring. Hopefully, this article has pointed you toward some of the more popular ones you wouldn’t wouldn’t-would want to take advantage of. Also, please check my other article on Discovering the Wonders of Southeast Asia Travel: A Comprehensive Travel Guide.

And as always, don’t forget to follow to be in the loop. 👍

[your--isgayrights]

WIP Word Search Tag Game

@phrazmur Thanks for the tag! :D✨✨✨ I like the words you chose ^^

Silence

Once upon a time, a 12 year old boy stood in front of a news stand, reading a book he would never be allowed to buy.

That was when I knew I had to kill my husband.

The story was fictional, of course.

The knife is so much bigger than the hand holding it. At first, it cuts up smooth like butter. Then, it gets stuck on something. Like it won't go in any further. Another, larger hand makes to grab the knife. But the small hand pushes harder. For a moment there is so, so much noise.

Then there is silence.

All the boy can hear is the sound of his father's blood dripping down his fingers.

Ice

He yanked open the freezer door, only hesitating between the cheap icepops he had for the kids and the half-filled ice cube tray for a moment before grabbing the tray and pressing some of the cubes directly against the point of impact.

Dry

He only stopped when he had become too tired to continue like this. All of his emotions had been fried out to the point where he could wipe his face down with his sleeves.

When he looked up with dry, tired eyes, he wondered how long it had been.

Yoo Joonghyuk was still looking at him. There was something about his expression, as if he was being faced with something difficult.

Dawn

TB - 台明霞 - Tai Mingxia - bright dawn clouds - under the name - 阿霞 - 小霞 - little cloud - SHRIMP 小虾

Open

The feeling of 心魔 driving into his heart is described as familiar. Depression and the feeling of "all of this isn't enough, it'll never be enough, you need more," the giant hole it opens in him.

I feel like I only know for sure that 1 or 2 of my mutuals have WIPs rn and I feel awkward about putting them on the spot? If you want to do this, feel free to tag me w/ your WIPs with these words:

Eyes, blood, water, different, & rice <3

[gcldfanged]

@crimson-elegy

“You’re going to disappear, Jae.”

A fun new game to play, ones that always involved sweat and blood and screaming.

Except his mentor was cradling a rifle to his chest, fingers reverent on the grain of the stock and fondling the cold blue steel. Slid a brassy round into the chamber, snapping it closed before bringing the scope to his craggy face.

Verdot’s eyes never blinked, like a walking corpse. Like death, himself.

“Run.”

The recruit took off like a spooked gazelle, flying across the hillocks and the dead, fallen trees. Dust kicked up from his boots, river water splashed around his ankles and oozed inside and soaked his woolen socks to the bone.

“You have five minutes.”

What can he do in five minutes? Keep running? Hide? Piss himself?

The rocks beneath his feet gave way and Yoon sank chest-deep into the water, shivering and grimacing as he fought the current.

The thunderous crack of a gun shot rang out into the clear, dry air. The bullet whizzed by his left ear, embedded itself into the bone-white bark of a birch tree on the muddy bank he was swimming towards.

There weren’t even words to describe the feeling.

“That was a warning shot, try harder.”

He’d crawled onto the grass and rocks before dirt flew up into the air mere centimeters from where his hand had just been, shaking and trembling in the mire. Jae ran until his lungs burned, the pulse of his neck so heavy and hot, it was almost painful to feel.

He found a small warren beneath the roots of a skeletal, rotting tree and hid for a time, waiting until the sun began to dip low on the horizon line and turned the sky radioactive orangeish-pink. He kept moving, even when each step felt like knives in his soles and the cold night air threatened to turn his wet clothes misty with hoarfrost. Until days had passed and Veld finally came for him with fresh clothes and food, began teaching him fieldcraft and the art of camouflaging.

He remembered the grainy footage of a tall, taciturn man with dark hair. The quiet confidence of a trained killer in his element, hands a blur as he assembled a gun from so many pieces and mechanisms spread out along the ground. The neat little ring of holes where someone’s heart should be, their brain. So handsome and terribly deadly. He was everything Jae wished he could be and aspired to become.

His Sous produced the lighter with a conjurer's grace, a gentle flame licking at his cigarillo with the same easy elegance. The room was warm with spices, smoke, and savory aromas that were enough to make anyone salivate. 

Jae wore fragrances light, subtle, the way it would grace someone’s nose and disappear like a sigh in the breeze. A drop inside each wrist, between his collarbones. The aroma of his skin an iconoclastic marriage between zesty pink pepper, almond, neroli oil, rum absolute and tobacco. His cigarillo was woodsmoke and burnt sugar, swirling like incense around him in a hazy halo.

“I must say, this is a surprise,” he admits, sliding a spotless and gleaming plate of braised brisket, rice, and stir-fried water spinach across the table. The sauce was rich with cloves and star anise, shrimp paste and brown sugar. Jae’s lips closed around a silken spoonful of egg custard and stewed chicken, salty-sweet umami coating his tongue to lavish effect.

“To what do I owe the honor?”

[moreawesomethantheaveragepossum]

This is how I got my boyfriend to eat new food. He said I was the only one who took the time to describe new foods to him so he had some understanding of what he was getting into. I love describing food to people. It never occurred to me not to explain what a food tastes like to somebody who hasn't eaten it before, but I made a big effort to give him even more detail than I normally would because I loved the way he looked when he was trying something for the first time.

I made fried pork cutlets. He hadn't eaten pork other than bacon since we was 8. I told him it tasted like a dark meat chicken nugget got run over by the roadrunner and deep fried. He loved it.

I made shrimp fresh rolls. He hates pasta, but I said rice noodles are more like really long rice than spaghetti, and the taste is secondary to the other ingredients. And you love rice anyway! Honestly it's just like shrimp sushi if it was made with salad too. He loved it. He loved it so much he made me make it for him again. He told me he thought about fresh rolls at work.

I got him to try beef twice, and it is one of my greatest accomplishments.

He was so brave!! And he could have been eating these things so much sooner if someone else gently walked him through it too.

the problem with autism is sometimes you want to do something (brave) but you need someone to gently walk you through each step so you know what will happen. and people don’t like doing that

[romsaygordon]

Asian Food New Jersey: Top 6 Dishes You Must Try

Asian cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of flavors, textures, and traditions. From the spicy kick of Thai street food to the delicate balance of Japanese sushi, the variety is as immense as the continent itself. For those exploring the culinary landscape of Asian food New Jersey, the state offers a diverse range of options, thanks to its rich cultural tapestry. Here, we delve into some quintessential Asian dishes that you should try, whether you’re a seasoned food enthusiast or just beginning your journey into Asian flavors.

Dim Sum

Originally, dim sum is a Chinese cuisine, developed in Guangdong province which can be best described as the Chinese brunch. Components of dim sum are served in little steamers or in small plates with appetizers such as dumplings, buns, spring rolls, ribs etc. Some of the favorites are the har gow which is the steamed shrimp dumplings, siu mai which is the pork and shrimp dumplings and finally the char siu bao which is the barbecued pork buns. In New Jersey, a common method of service is the cart service, through which customers can taste many different dishes at once.

Ramen

A traditional Japanese soup noodle dish, ramen is made from flavorful broth, firm noodles and toppings which may include slices of pork, boiled egg, and green onions among others. There are, however, various regional variations of the same kind of ramen with different types of soup base; shoyu (soy sauce), miso, and shio (salt). If you want to try some genuine ramen in New Jersey, try to find places that serve flavorful and dense soup bases and freshly made noodles. Taking a hot bowl of ramen to the mouth is something that every lover of good food should try.

Pho

Vietnamese noodle soup, or pho, is a popular type of food that is believed to be defined by a perfect and aromatic broth, and the use of fresh ingredients. A traditional broth for pho is made of chicken or beef and aromatic perennials such as star anise, cloves, and cinnamon. This soup is taken with rice noodles, beef or chicken and accompanied by parsley, bean sprouts and lime juice. The overall taste which is achieved by the combination of the ingredients and seasoning could best be described as a harmony of salty, sweet, spicy and sour tastes. Many restaurants that serve Vietnamese food can be found in New Jersey and they all serve this warming and tasty dish.

Sushi

Sushi is arguably one of the most recognized foods from Japan among people within and outside of the country. Sometimes, it has vinegared rice served alongside fresh fish or any other type of protein. However, besides the classic nigiri where rice and fish are placed by hand, and sashimi, which is sliced raw fish, there are also various rolls like spicy tuna roll or dragon roll. New Jersey sushi parlors can vary from elegant to casual dining establishments, all serving this Japanese favorite in their own way. Visit your nearby Asian food New Jersey restaurants to have an unforgettable dining experience like no other.

Bibimbap

Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish that is well stirred and mixed, colorful in presentation and tasty in taste. The name actually translates to ‘mixed rice’ and it commonly comprises steamed white rice served with side dishes like stir fried vegetables, cut meat and a fried egg. This is normally accompanied by a spoonful of gochujang (Korean chili paste) which has a spicy element. Thus, bibimbap can be described as a versatile and fulfilling dish, which would fit the preference of anyone interested in Korean food.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a classic Thai recipe and it is famous for its combination of sweet, sour, salt and spice. This stir-fried noodle dish may contain rice noodles, shrimp or chicken, eggs tofu and bean sprouts; flavored with tamarind sauce. Pad Thai topped with peanuts, lime, and fresh cilantro is an excellent dish to start the Thai cuisine journey. For anyone in New Jersey looking for Thai food, this dish is a good place to start.

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! JT couldn't decide where she wanted to have her farewell lunch, so we chose Ding Tai Feng because none of the attendees can say no to xiao long bao (soup dumplings). We ordered xiao cai (salad with fen si or glass vermicelli), duck pancakes, egg fried rice with pork chop and shrimp along with xiao long bao. JT, SW, JL and I feasted till we were stuffed. I barely stomached my coffee after lunch!

Lunch breaks are the bright spark of weekdays; for awhile, we can leave work where it belongs - in the office - and socialise over a meal. A new Vietnamese restaurant opened nearby, so SW and I made our way there. SW's beef pho was ok, but she raved about the meatball I let her try from my order of pho with shredded chicken and chicken meatballs. The broths were clear and flavourful and we finished every drop. We also loved the mini prawn pancakes, which were crispy on the outside and fluffy and soft on the inside.

The company had their annual bowling event this week. On Thursday, we worked as usual in the morning, then our catered lunch of nasi lemak arrived. My tummy wasn't feeling great, so I gave my meal to MZ and headed out for something less oily. After lunch, we changed into casual clothes and made our way to the event venue. It was fun and I caught up with SY and LP as well.

With all that's going on in the world, I haven't followed body positivity news or influencers for awhile, although from time to time I do watch some short Instastories or look at a few posts. Recently, I remembered this movement and read up on it. There seems to be dismay at the return of Y2K fashion and size 0. What do I think as a former size 0? Perhaps I'll share my thoughts in a future post, although, to be very brief, I'm not the least bit worried.

If we truly are comfortable in our own skin, our lives will revolve around our choices, not trends. Fashion doesn't dictate what we wear or what we eat; for the record, I didn't own any tent or trapeze dresses even when they were trending. Instead, we choose which parts of fashion we like and which make us feel confident, then we incorporate those in our daily wardrobe. If we wanna graduate from being girl bosses to take charge, grown up women, we take back control of our lives and mindsets, we decide what is best for us. 下次见!

[doanchaoc]

10 Vietnamese foods you need to try

Vietnamese foods you need to try

The cuisine of Vietnam is unique and distinctive. Vietnamese cuisine is typically served in high-end restaurants and by street sellers. It has a salty, sweet, sour, and fiery flavor profile. 

Vietnamese cuisine is some of the tastiest in all of Southeast Asia, so there's no need to wonder what the greatest food to eat in Vietnam is, whether you're in the mood for a midday snack in Hanoi or want to check out the top restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City.

Cuon Goi (spring rolls)

Translucent spring rolls called "Goi Cuon" are filled with chopped greens, coriander, and either shrimp or pork. A southern variant consists of grilled pork strips wrapped in green banana and star fruit before being dipped in a thick peanut sauce.

In Vietnamese restaurants, goi cuon is served cold as an appetizer before a main entrée. They could be referred to as Nem Cuon if you visit northern Vietnam. Whatever name they go by, they are wonderful!

Banh mi (Vietnamese/Saigon sandwich)

One of the most well-known street snacks in Vietnam is the banh mi, and after reading about its ingredients, you'll be itching to taste it for yourself. During the 19th-century French colonial control, the Vietnamese (or Saigon) sandwich was originally developed. French baguettes are used to make banh mi, which is loaded with a delectable assortment of ingredients.

Greens and various ingredients, such as paté and often pork, are included in the baguette sandwich. Other fillings include tofu, liver, meat, chicken, and soy. Since banh mi has inspired imitators in cities from London to New York since it is so delicious.

Banh xeo (sizzling pancakes)

These large, inexpensive, and delicious Vietnamese crepes include shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and an egg. Before consumption, they are fried, wrapped in rice paper with greens, and dipped in fish sauce (Nuoc Cham).

Ho Chi Minh City is the greatest place to try Banh xeo (or "sizzling pancake"). But it's also a snack you should stock up on if you're traveling by train or bus; it's the ideal companion for lengthy travels.

Bun Cha (grilled meatballs)

Bun Cha is a specialty of Hanoi. The city is filled with food vendors and street cooks serving bun cha. The pork is grilled over open charcoal and served on a bed of cold rice noodles with an assortment of greens and broth.

This sort of Vietnamese cuisine is typically consumed at lunch. It has been described as resembling meatballs or hamburgers, but its interesting combination of flavors makes it unique.

Pho (noodle soup) (noodle soup)

Pho is the national dish of Vietnam. This noodle soup may be had any time of the day, although it is typically consumed for breakfast. It originated in the northern region of Vietnam but is now the country's national dish. 

A bowl of Pho is composed of a light beef or chicken broth flavored with ginger and coriander, broad, flat rice noodles, and scallions. Then, thin slices of chicken, pig, or beef are added. The primary vegetarian choice is tofu.

Cao lau (noodle bowl)

Cao lau (noodle bowl) Central Vietnam does it well. Cao lau, a bowl of rice-flour noodles, bean sprouts, and pork-rind croutons in a mild broth, is one of Hoi An's delectable specialties. Sounds fantastic, right? It gets better. 

The Cao lau is then flavored with mint and star anise, garnished with thin slices of pork, and served with grilled rice-flour crackers or rice paper.

This traditional Vietnamese dish is served with a local salad and green beans. According to legend, true Cao lau is prepared using water from a certain locality; hence, Hoi An is the best site to sample it.

[ilyamatic]

Echoes Day 10: Cuisine

I am skipping a few days in the @arcana-echoes because this right here? This is what I was made for. I love food and all my OCs do too so let's jump right in shall we?

Ayitian food is based off of Haitian food, so you are going to see a lot of seafood, bold flavors, and quite a bit of French influence. Not to mention it is going to be spicy. They say that every Ayitian is born with a scotch bonnet pepper in their mouths. So if they offer you food, tread lightly.

Some dishes that my OCs grew up with:

Pate: Pate are a puff pastry with savory fillings. They are often filled with ground beef, shredded chicken, mori [moe-ree] (bacalao/dried salted cod), or aranso [ah-rahn-sew](smoked herring). Andrico and Jai prefers the beef, while Jasna prefers mori. Andrés and Marie-Carmel will fight over the chicken ones but everyone agrees that aranso is the best flavor hands down

Banan peze: these flatted, fried slices of plantain are often served with meals. They can be found with fritay (fried foods) or with something saucy. They can also just be eaten as a snack. Banan peze can be either savory or sweet, depending on the ripeness of the plantain.

Diri ak djon djon: It is rice flavored with a black mushroom native to the island. Its dark color is achieved by soaking the mushrooms and then cooking the rice in the strained liquid. It is a bit labor intensive so it is often seen on the weekends, holidays, or special events. It is Andrés' favorite and adores it when it is cooked with tritri (dried baby shrimp).

Legume: Jasna's comfort food of choice, legume is stewed eggplant and other vegetables often cooked with meat or crab. It is often served with red beans and rice or over white rice with sois pwa (pureed bean sauce). Hearty and filling, it is the perfect dish after a particularly hard day.

Soup joumou: a New Year's staple. Made with a pumpkin native to the area, soup joumou is a dish that symbolizes victory. Due to its ingredients, it was a dish reserved for the ruling Augustine family. But once the island was free of their rule on New Year's day, it became available to everyone. So on the first day of the year, every Ayitian everywhere is having a bowl. There is much debate amongst the friends on who makes the best but everyone knows its Marie-Carmel.

Lalo: Lalo is a dish made with jute leaves, meat, and crab. Much like legume, the ingredients are stewed together until they are tender and flavorful. The jute leaves can be temperamental and can be slimy with cooked improperly so it is not a dish one would see often. Jai could eat buckets of it when done right.

Poisson gwo sel: Named after the rock salt often used to season the fish, poisson gwo sel is baked whole snapper. It is often baked with other aromatics that further flavor the fish on top of the salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley. While she makes the best soup joumou, poisson gwo sel is her favorite.

Poul ak nwa: Stewed chicken with cashews. There are hardly words that can describe it. Juicy, flavorful chicken. Crunchy yet creamy cashews. Serve it on a bed of white rice with a side of sois pwa and these Ayitian will love you forever.

Akra: Oh, akra. The delicious fried taro fritter that hardly anyone gets right. Perfected it is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside with the right amount of spice. Andrico has gotten close and they hardly stay on the table when his friends are around.

Tassot kabrit: The one dish Andrico would refuse to share with anyone. Tassot kabrit are goat chunks marinated in sour orange juice and spices before being fried. It is juicy and salty and everything you need after too many nips of rum. Often served with banan peze and a spicy relish called pikliz.

Other common foods include:

Bread (Haitian style)

Hot chocolate (Haitian style)

Red beans and rice

Boiled plantains

Bouyon (soup made with greens, veggies, meat)

Griot (fried pork chunks)

Mais moulin (Haitian style polenta)

Fruits (mangos, soursop, papaya, coconuts, oranges, etc.)

[rabbitcruiser]

Southern Food Heritage Day

Every year, Southern Food Heritage Day is celebrated on October 11. The Southern Food & Beverage Museum celebrates the culturally rich and delicious food of the Southern States in America. The cuisine deserves to be recognized and celebrated officially because it is a testament to American history and legacy. Southern food also represents the essence of America — the coming together of a variety of people from all over the world, each bringing with themselves their own ingredients and recipes to create a unique cuisine. Iced tea, pickled shrimps, and fried chicken are some of the most loved Southern foods throughout history. Along with the cuisine, the day also celebrates the racial and ethnic diversity in America.

History of Southern Food Heritage Day

Southern Food Heritage Day celebrates the best that Southern food and beverages have to offer. The South’s cuisine in America can be found in the historical regional culinary form of states generally south of the Mason-Dixon line dividing Pennsylvania and Delaware from Maryland, along the Ohio River, and extending west to southern Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The most notable influences on Southern cuisine are African, English, Scottish, Irish, German, French and Native American.

The food of the American South displays a unique blend of cultures and culinary traditions. The Native Americans, Spanish, French, and British have contributed to the development of Southern food, with recipes and dishes from their own cultures. Food items such as squash, tomatoes, corn, as well as certain cooking practices such as deep pit barbecuing, were introduced by south-eastern Native American tribes such as the Caddo, Choctaw, and Seminole. Many foods derived from sugar, flour, milk, and eggs have European roots. Black-eyed peas, okra, rice, eggplant, sesame seed, sorghum, and melons, along with spices, are of African origin.

Southern food can be further divided into categories: ‘Soul food’ is heavily influenced by African cooking traditions that are full of greens and vegetables, rice, and nuts such as peanuts. Okra and collard greens are also considered Soul Food, along with thick stews. ‘Creole food’ has a French flair, while ‘Cajun cuisine’ reflects the culinary traditions of immigrants from Canada. ‘Lowcountry’ cuisine features a lot of seafood and rice, while the food of the Appalachians is mostly preserved meats and vegetables. Southern food is partial to corn, thanks to the Native American influence.

Southern Food Heritage Day timeline

1860

Southern Diet Expands

Following the emancipation from slavery, the Southern diet becomes versatile.

1916

The Great Migration

African Americans travel from rural communities in the South to large cities in the North and West — they carry their cuisine with them.

1940s

Southern Foods in Restaurants

Southern foods start appearing on restaurant menus and appeal to a diverse clientele.

1964

Soul Food

This term, describing everyday Southern food, first appears in print.

Southern Food Heritage Day FAQs

What is the difference between Southern food and soul food?

The difference between soul food and Southern food is rooted more in class than race, and what families were able to afford to put on the table. 

What is a typical Southern meal?

A traditional Southern meal is pan-fried chicken, field peas, greens, mashed potatoes, cornbread or corn pone, sweet tea, and a pie for dessert. 

Why is Southern food so unhealthy?

The Southern diet is commonly high in processed meats, which are high in salt and in nitrates, which are in turn linked to heart risk. The high sugar content of the diet may also lead to negative effects, like insulin resistance and inflammation.

How To Celebrate Southern Food Heritage Day

Organize a cook-off: Gather all your friends and organize a cook-off on Southern Food Heritage Day. Revive old recipes or add a twist to create something new.

Go out for a meal: Enjoy the best of Southern foods at your favorite Southern foods restaurant. Don’t forget to enjoy the classics like fried chicken, hush pies, and pies.

Set up a barbecue: Barbecues are an integral part of the Southern food heritage. It is also one of the most popular styles of cooking. Barbecue your favorite meats and vegetables, and serve them with sauces and seasonings.

5 Facts About Southern Foods That Will Blow Your Mind

Redeye gravy has a unique recipeRedeye gravy is made with pan drippings and leftover coffee.

It is more calorie-denseSouthern fried chicken breast typically has more than 400 calories in an ounce.

Peanut butter is an essentialHalf the annual crop of peanuts is used to make peanut butter.

Collard green has been around foreverIt’s been a part of our diet for more than 2,000 years.

Black-eyed peas are also good luck charmsIt is believed that black-eyed peas bring good luck on New Year’s Day.

Why We Love Southern Food Heritage Day

A day to indulge: You cannot celebrate Southern Food Heritage Day without enjoying a hearty meal of your favorite foods. This is truly a day of indulgence!

Try something new: The best thing about Southern food is that it has something for everyone. Use this day to try a new food item or the cuisine of Southern heritage. Who knows, you might just discover your next favorite dish!

It is historically significant: Southern foods have a rich cultural and historical significance. Learn more about the origins of your favorite foods on Southern Food Heritage Day.

Source

[youmightaswell]

Die!

I’d Rather Play with my Words than Eat Them

This week I spent my time at the pool reading the New Yorker’s food-themed issue. It is my favorite of the year. It included past essays written by famous writers (Zadie Smith, Nora Ephon, etc.)  about their memories of food and how it impacted their lives. 

It is no surprise that some of the best writing ever is about this topic. Our memories are so connected with our senses. Coincidentally (is it serendity? sychronicity?) then just this morning I watched an Instagram video by a street artist in which he talked about just that: he entered a place and he just “smelled outside New York.” He talks about how he was immediately transported back to a memory from his younger days. He relays how it was magical being able to relive this memory, the catalyst of which was a mere whiff of a certain scent. That of course the people he had been with when the original event had happened would also have this memory, but because of this chance whiff he got to experience it all over again as if he was really there, years earlier. They could not. 

This concept of our senses being able to act as almost a time machine for us is prevalent in so much art. 

My favorite essay in this issue of the magazine is called “The Year of Spaghetti”. It discusses how we, as humans, are hungry -- not just for food, but for love. The two are forever intertwined.

This got me to thinking about the first time I was asked to write about food. In eighth grade I had an English teacher who was loud, overbearing and a bit of a lech.  He looked and sounded like Rodney Dangerfield. I forget his name but not now nervous and upset me made me feel. He’d often raunchily comment on our teenage girl bodies, eye us predatorily, comment on the length of skirts, and talk about sex as if we were colleagues and not students. I was a very shy, quiet and awkward teen. I tried my hardest to avoid his gaze --everyone’s gaze for that matter. I was wearing thick welfare glasses, handmedowns, and was always the smartest kid in every class. In other words: the complete opposite of sexy. Even the word made me nervous. 

Of course the racier crowd like cheerleaders and burnouts loved him. He would even give some kisses on the mouth at the end of class or smoke a cigarette after school with the haughtier girls.  I am not sure why no one reported him, (It was 1983, so maybe things were just different back then) but he had a legion of sycophantic fans so no authority figure would have probably believed it anyway. 

I remember our assignment post-Thanksgiving break was to write an essay about our Thanksgiving dinner, the idea of which was for us to write very descriptive language about the food served. We were supposed to concentrate on being sensual. 

Most kids concentrated on describing the smell of warm apple pie, hearing the crackling of crisp turkey skin being cut and the sounds of football on in the background of loud family gatherings. 

I debated about whether I should lie and write a fictionalized version of my own day. I didn’t have turkey. I didn’t have a working oven. I didn’t have a functional family. Holidays have a way of highlighting the latter. 

What should have been a quick essay filled with adjectives and cheesy holiday vibes turned into a long weekend of sad rumination for me. 

I finally wrote the truth: we ordered in a modest meal of Chinese food. That was the most special meal we could afford.  And not one overflowing with tons of fun appetizers like shrimp toast, spare ribs, fried rice and Peking duck. I wrote a dull essay about the smells of Chinese tea, the sound of my fortune cookie cracking open and the way soy sauce glistened on matte white rice. It was embarrassing, but true. 

It was such a benign piece of writing, it should be odd that I remember it nearly 40 years later. 

But now matured, I am kicking myself for wasting that opportunity to actually write about how awful that childhood was. How that meal was symbolic of a way greater dysfunction. That essay should have been about how nerve-wracking holidays were when living with a schizophrenic mother who heard voices and who read our town’s daily paper’s horoscope column incessantly looking for clues and messages given directly to her from some omniscient force. Never mind that she didn’t have the vocabulary knowledge to actually understand the big words used in it. 

I should have talked about how the mere thought of watered down NJ Chinese food made me ache with sadness and longing to just be normal and experience normal holidays like everyone else who had the privilege of writing about theirs. 

That while other families were gathering around in matching pjs watching The Peanuts on big color tvs, I sat alone in my room under mismatched sheets watching a tiny black and white, smelling the constant wafting of Marlboro Red smoke in a tiny apartment with closed windows. 

Although technically full on white rice and wonton soup, I was hungry. I was starving for so much. 

[kingneptunesthinninghead]

How much do you weigh? what a weirdly personal question

If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? sitting in the shade reading a book

Do you think you can love someone without trusting them? yes but not in a way that will ever be truly fulfilling

What’s your opinion on people who go hunting for sport? i live in a very rural area so i grew up with hunting for sport extremely normalized but once i actually developed and used my critical thinking skills i realized how morally reprehensible it is. literally just begging these people to use their brains.

Do you have a fairly fast or slow internet connection? eh its pretty fast

Have you ever been someplace tropical? florida lmao

Are you sensitive to caffeine? somewhat. i dont really consume it that much

How do you usually get around? driving myself

Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? no bc i’m generally pretty independent unless i reallyyyy like someone

What do you think about Kim Kardashian? neutral

Can you speak any French? je parle un peu français

Favorite yogurt flavor? i’m lactose intolerant so i recently tried dairy free yogurt and i hated it sooo i guess none

How much money do you have in your wallet right now? i dont have any cash in my wallet rn lol

What bottled water brand do you like? deer park or aquafina

Your favorite way to eat chocolate? brownies

How often do you listen to country music? sometimes.

Linkin Park or Avenged Sevenfold? neither

Last surgery you had? my wisdom teeth surgery

Have you ever played guitar? no but i wish i could

Is there someone in your life whose career/life choices you find immoral/unethical? Have you ever told that person your views? Do you find it difficult to support them (emotionally or otherwise) because of their choices? um i dont think so

What trait do you feel you lack that you wish you possessed? a little more confidence

Have you ever considered writing your memoirs? maybe

Do you find it difficult to stay invested in online relationships? i dont have very many online friends anymore but when i had a bunch i loved talking to them

Are you the type of person who pays close attention to the release dates of movies, music, etc., and will, for example, go see a movie or buy an album on the date it is released? If so, when is the last time you did so? only for something i really like.

Do you have any stickers on your laptop? a bunch

Would you rather have a job for which you had to go in early in the morning or one you had to stay late into the evening at? early in the morning so then i have the rest of the day to myself when i get off

Do you use any apps to track your health or medications? i have a workout app but that’s it.

Whose opinions/recommendations do you value most? my mom, sister, and my 2 best friends

If you could’ve been at any historical event, which would you have liked to witness firsthand? probably the women’s suffrage movement or the civil rights movement

Is there something that you really want to do but are afraid of doing? If so, why are you afraid of doing it?i want to tell him how i feel but i’m afraid i’ll ruin the friendship

What is something society “expects” you to do that you don’t want to do and/or don’t plan on doing? wear a tampon i’m sorry but i can’t do it

Have Jehovah's Witnesses ever come to your door? no

Are you well-known by people in your area? eh somewhat

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? no and i dont want to

What's your favourite type of bird? owls!!

What tv show(s) have you been watching currently? i’m watching loki, hsmtmts, planning to watch s2 of never have i ever, and i started one piece but i haven’t watched in a while

Have you ever dated a smoker? no but that might change😳

Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? no

Have you ever been a member in a band? No.

Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No.

Do you have separate emails for personal and business? i have my school email and personal email

Have you ever missed a flight? no

Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? i think so.

Have you ever taken a ride in a convertible? i literally rode in my best friend’s convertible last night lmao

Why did you last need to use a band-aid? i dont remember

What fruit do you eat most often? bananas and clementines

Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? maybe my great uncle?

Has someone ever tried to start an argument with you over Facebook? What happened? no but i’ve been in a few on insta and twitter.

Have you ever had an unusual type of milk (eg. oat, rice, almond)? i don’t straight up drink milk but i love things made with almond milk.

If you could experience life as a Disney princess for a week, which princess would you pick and why? elsa i want ice powers

When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? sometimes but normally during the day i’m in the living room with my family

If you like to sleep in late, have your parents ever told you off for doing so? No.

Do you find piercings attractive? Yep.

Do you like potato chips? Loooove 'em.

What’s the most stalker-like/creepy thing you’ve ever done? If you don’t think you’ve done anything like that, what’s the most stalker-like thing someone’s done to you? i’ve looked up a few people’s houses on zillow in my day.

Do you think it’s a double standard that a woman can hit a man and expect to get away with it, but if a man hits a woman it’s assault? absolutely, you shouldn’t hit anyone

What’s your favorite old Disney movie and favorite new Disney movie? my top 3 are princess and the frog, tangled, and frozen 2. i also love the little mermaid

Name something “trendy” or popular that you dislike. idrk

“Dirty talk” in the bedroom…love it, like it, don’t care, dislike it, or hate it? it depends on what it is. it should also be mixed with some loving or praise talk imo

What is/are your favorite type(s) of ethnic food, and what’s your favorite food within that type? i LOVE italian food specifically fettuccine alfredo and i also love asian food such as general tso’s, sweet and sour chicken, lo mein, shrimp fried rice, LUMPIA 🤤

How would you describe your relationship with your hair over the years? i’ve always liked my hair color and thickness. i always go back and forth between growing it out long and cutting it short bc i can never choose which i like more also it has lots of red undertones so i’m thinking about dyeing it a deep red

How do you feel about your SO daily/regularly checking up on a couple of his exes on social media? hypothetically it would be a red flag to me. a clear sign they haven’t moved on from the past

Do you prefer your guy to wear cologne or not? a good smelling cologne on a man will quite literally make me bust a nut.

Ladies, how important is it to you that your SO wears/would wear a wedding ring? i’d want them to unless it didnt fit or something

What was the turning point that led you to decide for or against having children? i’m very close with my family so i’ve always loved the idea of having one of my own with my future spouse

Is having your “dream” wedding really that important to have? i definitely have ideas for my wedding and i would want it to go a certain way according to our plan but in the end if things go wrong or plans change it wouldn’t matter as long as i’m marrying the loml.

Do you consider it cheating if your SO goes to a strip club and then doesn’t tell you? i wouldn’t consider it cheating if he was just watching but i would be angry that he hid it from me

How old is too old for trick-or-treating? i dont think it matters unless ur posing a danger to little children

Do you sleep with your arms over or under the covers? depends but mostly under

Do you own any t-shirts of your favorite band? i have nsync and harry styles shirts but thats it

Fries or onion rings? Fries.

True/False: you’ve had an odd dream this week. all the time but most of the time i forget them right after i wake up

Do you find tattoo sleeves attractive? depends

Do you like carving pumpkins? Yeah.

What’s an animal you want to have as a pet but can’t? i think raccoons are adorable but its kindaaaa hard to domesticate them

Have your parents ever caught you drinking? no bc my parents let me drink in the house and i’ve told them abt every time i’ve drank at college

How would you react if your celebrity crush came to your door? i would absolutely piss and shit on myself.

Has your mom/dad ever walked in on you kissing or anything more with someone? no

The person you have a crush on is drunk and goes to kiss you, you know they don’t realize what they’re doing, but do you kiss anyways? i would stop it even if i want to bc i don’t want them to regret anything and i wouldn’t want them to kiss me if they don’t like me bc it would hurt too much.

What would you prefer to get from a guy/girl: flowers, a hand written poem, a picture he drew of you or a nice night out? i would love them all but something abt a guy taking the time to write a poem for me makes me melt

Do you any shirts with any kind of images of food on them? no.

Which holiday is the most fun to decorate for? halloween

What was the first website you had an email account on? gmail

Have you ever written a fanfic? YES AHSHDH.

Tattoos or piercings? tats for sure.

What’s the last gross movie/show/video you saw? the scene where alexei breaks the inmate’s wrist in black widow is SO GROSS i cringe every time

Would you rather live in a huuuge house or a little cozy one? definitely a little cozy one

Do you have a tutor for anything? No.

Who’s the best kisser you know? i’ve only kissed one person.

Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No. I'd like it to stay that way.

(If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you "shortie" instead of girl? no and i hope they dont

Do you have a deep voice? not really

Do you play games with boys/girls, like 'hard to get’? no thats dumb

Is there a Sonic where you live? yes i’m a whore for sonic

What do you like on your pizza? pepperoni or sausage

[ma-worm]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy fuck Columbus day everyone(fuck all colonizers actually but this is specifically pertaining to the Americas for the holiday and he’s the most glorified sob), in celebration I'll give some fun information I researched. Credit to @fuckyeahfoodfantasy​ for the edits of tequila, margarita, brownie, and chocolate, thank you for making these characters more accurate to their birthplaces and/or not grey. Chocolate: The word "chocolate" comes from the Nahuatl word chocolātl and the food/drink is made from the bean/seed from the fruit of Cacao tree native to southern Mexico and Central America. Chocolate was recorded to be important to the Aztec culture, they were said to believe cacao beans were the gift of Quetzalcoatl and they had so much value that they were a form of currency.

Originally prepared as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to give the drinker strength. Today, such drinks are also known as "Chilate" and are still made by locals in the South of Mexico. Only after it was imported to Europe did people start adding sugar and milk to chocolate.

Cacao was also used by other Mesoamerican cultures such as the Olmecs and the Maya people, and each culture had its own preparation and occasions for it that are certainly worth looking into further. Tequila: Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila and in the Jaliscan Highlands (Los Altos de Jalisco) of the central-western Mexican state of Jalisco. It is the most popular type of mezcal(distilled alcoholic drinks made from agave). Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Tequila was first produced in the 1500s near the location of the city of Tequila, which was not officially established until 1666. 

A predecessor to tequila is a fermented beverage from the agave plant called pulque. When conquistadors ran out of brandy, agave began to be distilled to create mezcal and tequila. Planting, tending, and harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how passed down through generations of farmers called jimadores.

Margarita: The margarita is a popular Mexican and American drink, the Daisy (margarita is Spanish for "daisy"), remade with tequila instead of brandy. This drink became popular during Prohibition as people drifted over the U.S./Mexico border for alcohol. There are many creation stories for the margarita although none of them can be proven for sure, partially because the drink may have been invented in multiple places around the same time period do to its simple concept and appeal.

In a classic margarita, you can expect to find tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. It can be served in many glasses although the most traditional would be the eponymous margarita glass. There are many variations on this recipe including things like flavored tequilas, different liqueurs, or even freezing and blending the margarita into a slush. Cornbread: Native Americans had been using ground maize as food for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. Corn, as we know it today, was actually the English word for any grain although maize was the one that retained the general term in modern times.

Native Americans, specifically the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek tribes gave recipes for maize dishes to the southern colonists and adapted as it became a southern staple food. there are many types of cornbread these days, baked, fried, pone, it’s an incredibly versatile recipe. Pozole, otherwise known as Hominy, which is swelled and softened kernels of maize can also be used in cornbread instead of cornmeal, as well as many other traditional dishes native to the Americas. Brownie: The brownie is a sheet cookie developed in the United States in the late 1800s. Originally it was most likely meant to be a more convenient type of cake developed by the upper class’s chefs. While this is a more European styled use for chocolate, recipes have been developed using more traditional means, such as the addition of chile, the removal of dairy and processed sugars, and/or using different cooking methods.

Turkey: Turkey meat has been eaten by indigenous people from Mexico, Central America, and the southern tier of the United States since before our records of those regions. Turkeys were once so abundant in the wild that they were eaten throughout the year, the food considered commonplace. Turkey with mole sauce is regarded as Mexico's national dish.

Turkeys were domesticated in ancient Mexico, for food and/or for their cultural and symbolic significance. The Aztecs, for example, had a name for the turkey, wueh-xōlō-tl (guajolote in Spanish), a word still used in modern Mexico in addition to the general term pavo. There’s plenty of evidence that Mayans and other Native American groups had been domesticating turkeys over a very long time as well.

The character in-game has many Eurasian elements despite this and I am not actually sure why, from his clothing to the apple in his basic art. It would be nice to see a redesign more faithful to Turkey’s roots but I did not have the time or funds to arrange for that for this project.

Popcorn: Popcorn is a way of processing maize that predates many if not all other forms, an archeological find known as Bat Cave finding samples of it that have been dated back to about 5,600 years ago. 

Popcorn, or momochitl, seems to have been both a religious element (art and accounts from conquistadors describing it being used for ceremonial headdresses, ornaments, components, and necklaces) and as a staple food. Zapotec, pre-Inca Peruvian, Pueblo, and Iroquois native Americans were all documented to have uses and recipes for and with popcorn, and it speculated that even more groups of people had access to it and simply didn’t record it since it was such a normal food for them. 

Popcorn would be given as a token of goodwill during peace negotiations and settlers were taught how to make it, it was almost exclusively American food since it would not keep during overseas trips. During the Great Depression, it became more popular in America as a snack food thanks to its low cost and has maintained that reputation.

 Popcorn’s in-game design reflects the more modern fanciful decoration and uses, due to the color of popcorn, the sheer range, and mostly the fact that the in-game Popcorn could just be albino I chose not to try to adjust his design to be more regionally accurate. Pudding: Pudding, more specifically Flan as I believe the game’s character is designed after, is a dish brought to the Americas by Europeans. However, Flan has become an incredibly popular dish especially in Central and South America, to the extent that there are varieties specific to regions. This is possibly reflected in part by the character’s bolo tie. 

While Flan is not a dish native to the Americas it has been raised to new levels and enjoyed greatly by the people so he was allowed to stay. Honorable mentions -

Turducken: Turducken is a dish invented and made popular in the United States. Her backstory does talk about the history of Mado, specifically, it’s colonization, but her role in everything is actually more related to dealing with the aftermath. She frees the trapped and suffering souls, she was summoned after the primary point of conflict. Similarly, the dish Turducken was invented post-colonization, in more modern times specifically by Paul Prudhomme in the 1970s in Louisiana. Additionally, the ingredients of a Turducken(Turkey, Chicken, and Duck) are not all American. While Turkeys and Ducks can be found in North America, Chickens are native to Southeast Asia and brought to the Americas by European settlers. Steak: While steak is a popular food in the Americas and a native bovine, bison, can certainly be used to make steaks, what we know as a steak is not a traditional food of the Americas. Furthermore, the character has many more European elements to his design, and his horns are definitely not those of bison, so I feel safe saying he doesn’t qualify for this specific list. Hotdog, Hamburger, B-52, and Cola: While these are accepted foods common in the Americas, they were invented in modern times and definitely aren’t traditional foods by any means. Regardless, they still get a mention Boston Lobster: While lobsters are a crustacean found on American coasts and there are accounts of Native Americans eating and using them, I do not believe this is the same as the food soul. Lobsters can be found all over the world and the name in the CN version of the game "麻辣小龙虾" translates to spicy crayfish which is going to be closer to the intended dish. While you can also find spicy crayfish in the americas it would be more accurate to assume it means the popular dish in southern China, considering his relations to Rice and Salt and Pepper Mantis Shrimp, rather than the Cajun style. Additionally, his clothing is definitely not designed with the Americas in mind. That's all folks, happy holiday, colonizers have no rights. this was pretty fun to make and a lot of research went into it, I wholeheartedly encourage looking more into these foods and the history of the original American people if you liked this.  Worm out

[anewkaiju]

Top Chef Los Angeles Recap: Episode 1

These are strange times. There has always been an element of the unknown to our day-to-day, but typically it's only ever discussed or thought about in terms of limitless potential and never-ending, never-ceasing possibility. Of course, there's also always been a flip side to that element of unknown. You know it. The dread-inducing one. The one no one ever wants to bring up, delve into, wrestle with, or even talk about really. It's hard to say for sure, but that may be where we are now. Or maybe it isn't, and all will be well eventually. This shit is so strange and is going to take time to figure out, but we all have to figure it out and our best chance at figuring it out is considering our community and working together. So, we got that going for us.

These are also strange times that require certain measures to be taken to keep everything hammered down and in place. Put another way, a little TV is needed in order to provide some sort of sense of stability. Put yet another way, it'll help keep shit together. Which is how, we have ended up here. For reasons that are not entirely clear to me (yet) an idea formed in front of me that this latest season of Top Chef (the 17th one) needs to be written about. So, here we are.

The first thing to note about the new season of Top Chef is that it is an All-Star season, which just means that these are all contestants who have been on the show before and have now been invited back. This raises immediate questions in my mind concerning how one becomes a Top Chef All-Star. On what basis exactly is a chef measured to make this sort of call? This doesn't feel like something we can compare to the NBA's All-Star selection process. There, they have the fans for the starters and then league coaches and members of the press vote for the reserves. So, with this cast, are we supposed to believe these are fan favorites or have these chefs been chosen because the people who watch food most closely believe them to be the best? Little of both?

One of the other things about Top Chef and watching Top Chef, at least for me, is that maybe that stuff doesn't matter. You could try to handicap this show and identify the frontrunner and the number one contender and track everyone's progress through that lens, but that grows old eventually. In my mind, the show is at its best when someone is dialed in and making what feels like the best food they've ever made in their entire life. A lot of the time this individual making what feels like the best food they've ever made is painted as the underdog, and that's fine. Watching an underdog zig and zag their way through a competition, defy the odds and then take the title makes for pretty good entertainment. It's also one of those things where there's a lot of talk about James Beard nominations and "features in Food & Wine magazine" and it all sounds really impressive, but what do those accolades actually mean, and more importantly for our purposes, what do those accolades mean for TV? Where's your resume when you're cooking in the snow on the side of a mountain? Also, what does pedigree matter when so often on this show the judges slam someone for cutting corners or ignoring fundamentals? It's also important to note that I know almost nothing about food aside from what I have discerned from watching this show.

How food is thought about and talked about on TV and the internet has changed considerably over the last few years. In the early to mid 2000s, 'good cooking' was more often than not presented and defined as all about splashy presentation, style and a million other things going on at once. The term "celebrity chef" originated around this time to describe someone who is now famous because they cook. Your signature could just be a wild looking plate. This isn't meant to put down food artists, but perhaps some passes were given that shouldn't have been. It's like if you could talk it up enough and find the right wrapping for it then, magically, no questions are asked and what you are putting out into the world doesn't have to be fact or quality checked. This all works on the timeline too as this was also a period in history were there lots of bad rappers at the top (50 Cent, Ja Rule, etc) and the NBA was mired in this weird post-Jordan funk.

It's almost as if things had to pivot back in on itself. These days, simplicity is celebrated. Or maybe it has always been essential and I am just dumb. Either way, let's call this foggy idea the Chef's Table Effect. Now, with chefs, you want to know about their approach to food and what their mindset is like. We want to know how they look at food and how they get it. We want to learn about real, living, breathing chefs and not just be told about someone who is now famous because they cook. In early seasons of Top Chef, there were more personalties, people who just wanted to rub elbows with celebrities and put their names on restaurants. Over time, that has subsided some and when it does happen it comes across as much more transparent. The good chefs emerge no matter what. Their personalties reveal themselves in their own time (call this the Kawhi effect if you must,) and because they are making 'good' food it's all that much more enjoyable/rewarding to watch. We are in this time where food is considered in more serious terms, and as a result, we get more grounded, thoughtful food TV programming. I like to think of it as more of an actual uprising. Everyone collectively all at once had one too many exploding shrimp cocktails bathed in brandy and bedded in dry ice and began asking questions about what we are doing here exactly. With that in mind,

The episode itself was fairly straight-forward. The chefs show up. They are asked to do a mise en place, which is like a prep work drill essentially but since this is a competition show there's a real emphasis on speed and accuracy. There were artichokes, oranges and almonds, and it was explained, that the first five chefs to break down their artichokes would form a team and be allowed to leave for a kitchen right away. When this happens, all remaining chefs would stop with whatever artichoke business they may have left and shift their attention to the oranges. Once five chefs had handled their oranges sufficiently they would then become the second team and then be allowed to head for the kitchen. Everyone left with the almonds would take on the mantle of the third team, and be allowed to move to the kitchen once they were all finished. This opening challenge served mostly as a shakeout session to get things moving and for viewers at home to see if anyone is trying out a new style, whether it be a cooking flourish or a new haircut.

After the mad dash mise en place, the chefs are once again sorted into teams, although, this time around, they go into five teams of three as opposed to three teams of five. For the main challenge of this episode, each team has been asked to make a cohesive, family-style seafood meal over a single open flame and an open flame only for a table of esteemed, established chefs and cuisine writers.  

here is what they presented:

Melissa: Grilled Swordfish with hot & sour sauce, ember grilled radicchio and fresno chiles

Karen: Grilled scallops, gingered plums, nuoc cham and nappa cabbage slaw

Angelo: West coast oyster with smoked bacon rice porridge

Bryan: Sea urchin, spot prawns with hibiscus ponzu and burnt avocado

Joe: Sesame and semolina flatbread with clams, fried garlic, sea urchin, pickled peppers and miso parmesan aioli

Lee Anne: Shoyu Tare Glazed Halibut with charred sweet corn and cabbage, sea urchin and uni miso beurre blanc

Gregory: Charred salmon with grilled peaches and roasted chili dressing

Jamie: Steamed mussels with ember scaled cream and toasted bread

Stephanie: Brined prawn with charred tomato sauce and roasted corn dressing

Jennifer: Spiced tuna loin over grilled kale with red pepper tahini sauce

Nini: Grilled scallops, carrots, tomatoes with charred brussels sprout & fennel salad

Kevin: Eye of swordfish braised in chorizo with coal-roasted onion, olives and peas

Lisa: Charred shrimp and scallop ceviche with candied squash, mushrooms and avocado

Bryan V.: Sablefish with corn porridge and charred leeks

Eric: Chesapeake boil with grilled prawn

It's striking looking at all of these dishes written out. Granted, this is being written from a position of hindsight, but it's so clear which dishes were a hit and which were not. Again, I'm not very bright so this isn't a food know-how thing. It's just a words thing. The most composed, concise dishes were the ones that elicited acclaim. This should maybe be a working rule. If the description of your dish runs over a line long, then you might be in trouble. (You might be looking at Lisa's dish and noticing that it runs over, but it's just barely. She's a great chef who is being oddly slept-on already. She went all the way to the final in her season and has a very no nonsense, quiet drive.)

Anyway, the judges loved Gregory, Jamie and Stephanie's meal with Gregory taking the overall win. Joe, Lee Anne and Bryan had far and away the least liked dish. The challenge called for a family-style meal, indicating that everything will end up on the same plate, so the two sauces made that one flatbread mad soggy. Joe went home for it. (Lee Anne ran into some issues on the grill, but these things happen and Padma said there was a lot to like about her dish. Lee Anne was also on the very first season of Top Chef and the last time anyone saw her was a few seasons back when she surprise-returned. In that episode, the challenge was to cook over an open flame in four feet of snow on the side of a Colorado mountain. Lee Anne was four months pregnant. After she knocked out her dish, she seemingly achieved clarity and announced to everyone that she was going home to prepare for the birth of her child.)

For whatever reason, it tends to take a few episodes before the show really starts moving. There will probably be a few more wild-sounding challenges under even more wild-sounding circumstances. Based off of the "this season on Top Chef" tease shown at the end of the episode, the competitors visit at least one museum and at least one stadium. The official title of this season is Top Chef: Los Angeles which would suggest that everything will be contained to the city of Los Angeles as opposed to the entire state.

There was also a moment in the tease where actor Danny Trejo, star of Machete, Machete Kills and the forever-stuck-in-development Machete In Space, can clearly be seen visiting the Top Chef kitchen which is wildly encouraging.