#do potatoes go well with tikka masala

[depresseddepot]

I have yet to make sourdough bread that meets my standards for bread BUT I love my sourdough starter like a son

[fleabagdiaz]

2 emotions looking through your page today

1. Oh 911 seems mixed past few eps, lots of Brad, Oh Eddie what? , WAIT MADDIE??? (Maddie is only thing I can count on for 8B).

2. What is going on with this OD3 business? Cute throuple? Do the guys get romantic aside from both liking the girl? (Iconic either way but I am curious)

oh this ask is such a gift. thank you.

1. definitely mixed. brad is actually my best friend. the copaganda is once again becoming morally unconscionable for me (it was a major factor in me dropping the show before and I’m really remembering why right now). eddie is losing it in a super fun way (buying a house in El Paso??????) which is awesome, but they made him have his two most important conversations of the season with 1) a hot priest and 2) brad hotshots which is really annoying to me. because all I want in the world is for him to have more FRIENDS!!!!!!! but buck is about to go absolutely apeshit in 8b so I guess that’s cool. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY ARE TRYING TO GET MY GIRL AGAIN!!!!!! has maddie han not suffered enough. I mean I’m excited for a maddie storyline but this will be like the third time she is kidnapped/held hostage. like can we think of something new for my girl PLEASEEEEE

2. well okay so. cute throuple absolutely. the boys are both in love with the girl (Avery) and have kissed/hooked up w her separately but they also definitely have their own super weird thing going on. the nurse dude reached for both of their hands (to hold for comfort) when he was sick and scared and also grabbed both of their hands and the three of them walked down the aisle at a (fake) wedding holding hands. ALSO they all had a threesome and the guys weren’t shown doing anything together before the network tv cut to black (actually cut to suicide hotline. separate issue.), but it was a really consequential thing and the girl brought up being in a throuple after and they were both interested (even though they both ended up saying no) and it was HEAVILY implied that the threesome was like. mutual between all three of them. and the boys generally have a lot of weird tension but also have their own close relationship separate from avery. oh and there was also this insane metaphor involving tikka masala potato chips. basically the boys have yet to address their feelings for each other textually but the subtext is very much leaning that way. I should not make guarantees bc ryan murphy’s mind is twisted and evil but like all signs are pointing to legit will-they-won’t-they throuple including a romantic relationship between the boys. real polyamory on network tv babyyyyyyyy

[edwinspaynes]

How often do you eat Indian food? What are your favorite dishes?

I love that this is Indian Food Discussion Hours.

Umm... I probably go to the local Indian restaurant about three times a month, and I get two meals from that. But I also make my own daal at home and have it a couple of times a week. Deep (brand) kathi rolls are also one of my at-home staples, and while I know they're just frozen food, I'll count them about 3 times a week. I go to my friend's house once-a-weekish as well.

So... 7ish meals weekly? That sounds correct.

My Top 10 Indian Food Dishes:

Chicken korma / shahi korma (I get it so rarely too)

Mutter paneer, the creamy kind (the other onions-and-jalapenos-but-no-cream kind is okay too, but I don't usually opt for it since I like pretty much everything on a given Indian restaurant menu and it's Just Alright to me)

Gudjarati daal with some onion kulcha

Chicken tikka masala

Paneer and/or chicken makhani

Saag paneer

Daal palak with some onion kulcha

Corn shaq

Eggplant shaq

Bhindi fry

Honourable mention to dosa malala with the little potato masala. 10/10. Also I didn't add pilau because it's such a broad term, but rest assured that it would be on here.

Give me a side of samosas and/or some jeera rice and I will be an even happier camper. Pakora is also always a good appetizer.

[androgymagnus]

tag game!

tagged by @amiharana

rules: tag 10 people you want to get to know better

relationship status: extremely single

favorite color: green, especially darker but more vivid shades--like leaning less army and more emerald/forest

song stuck in my head: earlier i had "dream" by imagine dragons stuck in my head for some reason!

last song i listened to: the rowdy three theme (extended) -- i'm doing an animated project set to it. this is some Wreckin Shit music and i love it

three favorite foods: any form of like, loaded potato, particularly fries. or just plain hand cut fries. or cajun fries. listen i really like fries. but okay to say something other than fries...... uhhh. well i don't actually like fish and chips that much but it has emotional significance so i might count it anyway. i've developed a taste for medium rare ribeye + mashed potatoes recently. chicken tikka masala and garlic naan. i'm sure there's other stuff but nothing's coming to mind... honestly i'm pretty basic taste-wise. i'll try almost anything but i tend to stick to the same basic shit, especially potatoes and beef. ah, burgers... strawberry milkshakes. does that count. bonus if it's the artificial sweet kind with no actual strawberry bits bc i love artificial strawberry flavor so much. it tastes so pink (affectionate)

last thing i googled: "field guide to memory". it's a video game thgat was mentioned in a video i watched. looks cool!

dream trip: i have genuinely no idea. ireland? tokyo? i'd only want to go if i was friends with either a local or someone very familiar/comfortable there though bc i'd hate going somewhere new alone. oh! or i'd go to where specifically one of my internet friends live. i won't list all the locations but unfortunately they're all scattered around the globe so i'd have to choose one and augh!!!

anything i want right now: energy to do things and a hug. also a plate of hand cut fries sounds so fucking good. i WILL actually be getting some tikka masala after class but not for another literal 2+ hours. im so hungry yall.

tagging: ohhhh i don't know. it's not like mutuals and friends it's people you want to know better and i'm BLANKING

uhhhhh @oflightningandstars @itsgoghtime @shineon-abrastone @sophieswundergarten @applemyjack ??? or if you just wanna do this feel free to count this as a tag

no pressure though!

[yvernal]

[Tuesday 19th]

I started the day with a shower, which is unusual as I prefer taking them in the evening. But Mom took her own the previous day and by the time she was done after diner, I was engrossed in what I was doing and just decided to do it in the morning. The funniest thing was having to blow dry my hair as to not catch a cold and ending weirdly straight hair, only for them to puff in an instant the moment I took a step outside due to the humidity.

Today was rainy and if tomorrow won't be, the temperature will start to dive. Can't wait to finally start the sickness season because gods knows libraries are the perfect ground zero for all sort of winter sickness. Can't wait to see our plannings get completely wrecked because ten people called sick the same day.

We did miss some people today thanks to french national sport : strikes. The children floor had to be closed for the first two hours of the opening due to the shortage, but honestly seeing how it's going, I more than understand the colleagues going on strike.

I was supposed to be on the children floor at 1pm and instead got sent into my least favorite floor, the music/movie one. After that, I had a quick formation on how to make notices for repurchased mangas since we have around 300 of them waiting to be put in the cycle again. Yay. The last two hours were a shelving shift and then a front desk shift.

I saw again that old American patron I helped during the election day. He had to fax his ballot and couldn't find a place to do it and since he didn't speak a lot of french, he had difficulties getting help. Lucky for him, I'm now quite fluent, and we did have a nice conversation today. I made him a library account so he could loan books to learn French, and he was delighted by the existence of our online resources.

I finished my shift just after he left and then promptly got back home. The buses were packed, as usual, but it was also raining, which added another layer of discomfort. Mom came back not long after me and settled in her bedroom to watch a series. She'll also have books to read, since I got her the crime novel she asked, as well as a new book for the literary prize she's participating in.

I played a bit of my game, then went to cook dinner (chicken with tikka masala sauce and Mom's mashed potatoes from last weekend). And after that, I kind of zoned out watching videos and daydreaming.

I'll try to write tomorrow, or at least working on the fanfiction bang I'm participating in.

Damn, how is it already 00:30, I swear—

[sofiahotelhuahin]

Asian Food Guide: Where To Find And Try These 6 Curry Dishes First! || SofiaHotelHuahin

Nothing screams comfort food like a bowl of warm, creamy, thick curry! Curries typically contain coriander, cumin, turmeric, and coconut milk, but virtually every nation in the world adds its own twist. They are instantly recognizable by their sensual aromas. While Cambodians slather on the shrimp sauce, the Japanese prefer their curry thick and sweet. This gorgeous stew is typically credited to India, but Europeans adore it so much that the UK named curry its national food! Travel to Asia to sample foods that are spicy, lemony, substantial, or soupy!

1. MASSAMAN CURRY | Thailand | Chiang Mai

When you tuck into this hearty stew of potatoes, carrots, and onions covered in an absurdly rich curry broth, you might not realize you're eating Thai cuisine. Although there is a minor (hundreds of years old) debate as to who first created the renowned dish for royalty in central Ayutthaya or whether Malaysians from the south introduced it, everyone is appreciative of the perfectly blended and filling soup! Take advantage of our fantastic savings on Thailand hotels, homes, airfares, and activities when you book your ideal vacation with SofiaHotelHuahin.com. go to the sofiahotelhuahin website!

2. RENDANG | Bali, Indonesia, Ubud

Consider yourself lucky if you find yourself devouring a platter of beef rendang while traveling in Indonesia. Someone worked very hard to prepare that meal just for you! This succulent coconut beef stew is typically served at ceremonies and to honored visitors because preparation requires a lot of perseverance. Even though the meal is made with tamarind pulp, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and toasted coconut, rendang is considered a delicacy because chunks of beef are simmered in the broth for hours on end.

3. CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA | India, Chandigarh

Most people are familiar with the tikka masala's hearty flavors. It is a favorite because of this all over the globe, including Scotland, which has claimed it as its own. Of course, Punjabis in India vehemently differ, but it is impossible to dispute the popularity of this orange and creamy pub food anywhere in the world. The spicy marinade for the chicken pieces came from India, but the British, who like to smother their foods in gravy, added masala sauce as a compromise, according to food fablers.

4. AMBUL POLOS | Galle, Sri Lanka, a young jackfruit curry

Perhaps it's not appropriate to call this meal "the fruit that tastes like meat," but we're going to anyway! And that's totally fine because everyone adores this veggie favorite. A major component of amble polos, young jackfruit has a texture similar to cassava or potato, and for this Sri Lankan favorite, bite-sized chunks of the fruit are boiled in a flavorful broth until they are tender enough to melt in your mouth. Some claim it could be mistaken for meat. You can layer it on top of some rice and make your own decision.

5. KARI AYAM | Malaysia, Gombak

There is a genuine risk of becoming addicted if you consume Malaysian chicken curry in any way. The combination of coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, and garlic is amplified by the inclusion of regional chili peppers. The meaty chicken parts are then soaked in the base broth and simmered there until they are completely tender. With a large serving of white rice or heated roti, sop up every last bit of liquid.

6. Chicken Samla Curry in Khmer, Siem Reap, Cambodia,

Chicken Samla Curry is distinguished from related dishes in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Thailand by the presence of shrimp paste. The most well-liked curry in Cambodia, also known as Khmer curry, can be found in neighborhood eateries and on the streets, but dining at a table with a welcoming Khmer family is the best way to consume a dish of this velvety lemongrass deliciousness!

To reach us out in offline mode do not forget to visit

Sofia Hotel Huahin        

100 / 3 - 6 Poonsuk Road Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand 77110

Email: sofiahuahin@gmail.com

Visit Our website — https://sofiahotelhuahin.com/

[marueonmain]

Not Risking You ~ WillNE

Summary: Y/N is not aware just how much she and Will have in common. Will takes care of slightly injured Y/N.

Pairing: willne x reader

Warning: Fainting.

Word Count: 1.2k

Everyone is unique; that is not to mean everyone is special, but more literally, everyone is unique in at least some small aspect or another. Some have wisdom teeth, while others do not. Some have a normal temperature higher than the average thirty-seven degrees, while others run colder. And Y/N? Well, Y/N had an irregular heartbeat and lost consciousness if it spiked too high too quickly.

But it did not happen a lot. She could count on one hand – two hands if she were honest – the number of times it had happened in her adult life. So why bother telling anyone about her condition? If it was unlikely to happen, then it was not like anyone needed to know, right? Right?

It was early afternoon, and Y/N was late to the shooting of the second Eboys bake off. Y/N slipped into the large room, hugging the wall until she found a clear enough spot for herself. While getting her camera from its case and screwing on the correct lens, she thought she could feel eyes on her, but everyone was focused on the four boys at the front of the room when she looked up.

Y/N got to work as the sole photographer on the shoot – taking still shots for the thumbnail and, far more important, for promos on the boys’ individual social media and the group channel accounts. Everything was going fine; the video was not exactly a bake off as all the production emails she received had implied – it was a cook off. James again assigned the meals: chicken tikka masala for George, a shepherd's pie for Alex, toad in the hole for Will, and for himself, a traditional full English breakfast.

It was not a surprise to anyone that after the fiasco with the jam tart, Alex was given extra help for his meal in the shape of pre-made mashed potatoes. He picked up a knife to start chopping the carrots and onions, but before attempting a single cut, he looked out toward the cameras.

Alex asked, “Can someone cut this? It’ll take me ages.”

The other boys continued working on their own meals; there were no objections to Alex having made the request nor shouting that he was trying to cheat.

“I could,” Y/N piped up; she did not consider herself the speediest chef in the world but thought anyone would probably be faster than the inexperienced cook. Setting her camera back in its case, Y/N moved behind the counters at the front of the room, washed her hands, and took the knife from Alex.

About five slices into the first onion, she misplaced her hand and dragged the knife across her finger. Blood sprung from the cut and mixed with the small amount of remaining water on her hand to create an effect like she was bleeding more than she was. Y/N paled and stilled.

And it was not the blood – she was not afraid of blood. It was the accident's unexpectedness; the sudden onset sting of a cut splashed with onion juice sent her heart rate jumping. There was just a millisecond of wooziness before she lost consciousness.

~

Will had been stunting all afternoon in hopes of attracting the attention of the recently hired photographer. His posture was impeccable as he pushed his shoulders down and his chest out to appear more muscular. Not once did Will allow himself to slip into his resting face, as he plastered on his most handsome smile the entire shoot. He even attempted a spatula flip – which did not end as he planned.

A dream-like haze clouded his head, and weakness overtook his limbs each time his eyes caught hers. Like many men, he did not think he had a specific type; he did not consider himself picky in most situations. Women were women. If he could get with one that was good enough for him. But Y/N. Sweet Y/N, she was his type; she was everything he did not know he looked for in a woman. And it was…wow.

Therefore, Will was extremely jealous of Alex when Y/N stepped out from behind the camera to assist the shorter man. Will was upset that he had not thought to ask for help – that could have been him standing shoulder to shoulder with Y/N. Amidst his anger, Will heard Alex ask, “Are you ok?”

Will looked up from the sizzling sausages in his pan just in time to see Y/N drop quickly and heavily with her whole weight. Stuck in shock, no one moved – no one except Will. It was not even three seconds, and he was crashing to the floor himself to kneel at her side. Y/N was again conscious, that much was clear as, despite her closed eyes, a weak groan escaped her lips and her head rocked toward Will. All his experience with fainting, Will had never been on the other side, and it was terrifying. Y/N was not his, but he was scared like she was; he was hurt like he failed her in not protecting her from something he did not understand or even know about before that single fear-filled moment. 

Around the fallen pair were both whispered and raised voices expressing shock and confusion. Someone mentioned calling 999 until James commanded, “Hold on. Will, what do we do?” 

“Give me a minute,” Will replied, not looking up. 

Y/N was conscious but not fully awake. It was uncomfortable, and Will could not help feeling like a bit of a creep, but he knew what people had done to wake him up from his fainting episodes in the past. He reached a hand towards Y/N, apologized in his head, and began rubbing a circular pattern on her sternum. It had hurt (in the best sense) when other people did it to him, so he was not alarmed but actually relieved when Y/N let out a hissing groan at the contact. He spoke to her in a soft voice.

“It’s alright, Y/N. You just gotta wake up. All you gotta do is open your eyes. Can you do that?” Will bit his lip, contemplating his next move, before adding, “Open your eyes Y/N, please, for me?”

After about ten seconds, Y/N’s eyes fluttered open then closed. She pulled her arm up and covered her eyes. “Everyone is looking at me.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s ok.” Y/N moved to push herself up to a sitting position. “I’m alright, really.”

Will stopped Y/N from getting more than a few centimetres off the ground. He pushed her back down with gentle force. “No. Don’t jump up because you’re embarrassed about having attention on you. I’ll tell everyone to leave – I will – just don’t push yourself. I’m going to get you water and you’re going to drink as much as you need and we’re going to stay here as long as you need. I’m not risking you.”

Y/N felt her heartstrings being struck with each word out of his mouth, and as her eyes focused on Will, she thought she never before felt so understood. She never before felt so calm and confident being basked in the full attention of another. It was nice. It was something she wanted to get used to.

[griefpersevering]

the ripples they cause

read chapter twelve now!!

A/N: I was originally going to hold this chapter until Tuesday, but then the announcements started rolling in... congrats, everyone!! I can't wait to still be thinking about some really good lawyers in 2024 :D

Here's a snippet:

The shrine on Peter’s desk is beginning to grow. Ned’s Lego Palpatine and a months-old coffee cup stand next to a framed photo of him and his aunt. Above it, he pinned the fake certificate he got from his ‘internship’ with Tony. And now, in prime position, is MJ’s drawing.

Stephen’s spell was supposed to make the entire world forget who Peter is, and so far, there’s been no evidence to suggest it hasn’t worked. MJ, Ned, Happy… none of them recognised him.

So how has MJ drawn a scene that she shouldn’t remember?

Peter shakes his head, walking over to the fridge and staring at the lone bottle of ketchup and nearly empty jar of strawberry jam inside. He sighs, giving into his hunger and wandering over to the front door, grabbing his wallet, a well-worn jacket, and shoving his feet into his trainers without unlacing them.

The nearest Target is six blocks away, so Peter puts his earphones in as he’s walking. The sidewalks are still icey from the cold January weather, but Peter doesn’t slip. Thinking about MJ’s drawing is only giving him hope, and that’s a dangerous thing to have, so he steers his thoughts in a different direction.

Last night’s embarrassment is enough to distract him. Daredevil is different from the other superheroes he’s met. The Avengers — and all the other people who helped them fight Thanos, like the Guardians — are great for huge battles where the universe is at stake. For the short years he knew him, Peter’s greatest (and only) grievance with Tony was that he didn’t understand the importance of helping ordinary, everyday people.

Yesterday, during their conversation on the rooftop… Peter felt like Daredevil understood him. They were both doing the same thing, after all: putting their own lives and health on the line to help vulnerable people, and doing it without the fame and reward that comes with being an Avenger. In fact, both of them are painted as the villains, when all Peter wants to do is help people.

The automatic doors to the Target slide open and Peter grabs a basket. He wonders if Daredevil has a day job, or if he also gets paid minimum wage at a shitty job with an equally shitty boss.

He tosses two boxes of bandages into his basket, followed by a tub of burn ointment. Daredevil probably doesn’t have to change his own bandages every day. Peter can only imagine him having full medical insurance, taking his injuries to a discreet doctor every time he gets hurt on patrol.

Shaking his head, Peter wanders over to the next aisle and picks up a box of Lucky Charms. In the entire time she had looked after him, Peter doesn’t remember Aunt May successfully managing to cook anything. The plastic tray of the ready-made chicken tikka masala would melt in the oven, or she would forget to put water in when boiling potatoes. Once, she managed to burn herself cooking a frozen pizza. They either relied on takeout or forced down the cold-in-the-middle meatloaf, but neither of them ever learnt to cook.

Peter taught himself how to bake when he was thirteen, but he was starting to realize that humans can’t live off banana bread and double chocolate cookies alone.

“I bet Daredevil doesn’t have to cook his own dinner,” he mutters.

He also picks up a loaf of bread, a jar of nutella, a bag of penne pasta, and three random ready meals before heading to the checkout. As he joins the end of the queue, he notices a sign advertising a discount above a pile of bean bags.

He looks both ways, but there’s no one looking at him. It must be a side effect of the spell; even stranger’s eyes tend to glide over him these days.

Maybe he doesn’t have a lot of money. But he also doesn’t have anywhere to sit that isn’t his rickety bed, and it’s only five dollars…

[scone-lover]

Simon Snow’s Guide to the Best Diwali

AKA, all the delicious Diwali food that Simon would love. ❤️ 

Here’s a teaser... 

And the rest is below the cut!

Let’s start off with an overview of Diwali! (Pronounced Di-VAH-lee.) Celebrated on the night of the new moon, usually in late October or early November, Diwali is the festival of lights and a commemoration of the triumph of good over evil. During this holiday, people decorate their houses with festive colors, light hundreds of candles and oil lamps, and set off firecrackers into the night. It is the largest and most widely celebrated holiday in India, with a variety of colorful customs.

Rangoli are colorful designs crafted at the entrance of homes to welcome the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, and usher in the New Year. Rangoli features in my zine fic for Let it Snow!

Diwali has its origins in Hindu mythology with the story of the Ramayana. Rama (Rahm) was a great king and warrior who completed a hero’s journey and returned home after a 14 year exile. However, there was no moon that night, so the villagers set out thousands oil lamps to light the path home. 

Diwali is celebrated over 5 days; Diwali itself is the 3rd day, and the 4th is the Hindu New Year! Read more about Diwali here.

Alright, now for the fun part.

Simon Snow would love Diwali because one of the core traditions is exchanging food and sweets as gifts with your family and friends. Every year, we spend a few days making mithai (milk sweets) or baked goods, and then it’s like the world’s best secret santa. We receive platters of assorted sweets and savories throughout the entire week leading up to Diwali! 

Let’s start with the sweets. The main desserts eaten during Diwali are mithai, various milk sweets that usually include gram (chickpea) flour and nuts or coconut. They are vibrantly colored and usually arranged beautifully on platters! There is a huge variety—here are some examples of arrangements.

Most are simply a combination of condensed or powdered milk, sugar, and gram flour or nut flour. In addition, they’re flavored and adorned with ingredients like rosewater, cardamom, saffron, and even pounded silver. 

Here are some of the more popular types!

Kaju Katli: Cashew mithai, always cut in diamond shapes, and topped with real thin-pounded silver. A classic!

Ladoo: Chickpea flour or semolina condensed milk sweets, rolled into balls. They’re amazing, and the texture is unrivaled. Chickpea flour is fine and gritty, so it’s like biting into a ball of kinetic sand... but actually edible. When I was a kid, we used to make ladoos with coconut and use food coloring to make the Indian flag! Here’s the mix we received this year from a friend:

Barfi: Milk squares that can be made with various flavorings, like coconut, almonds, walnut, etc. So soft. So delicious. Sometimes they’re bright pink.

Soan Papdi: chickpea flour squares that flake away in strands when you bite into them, like if you condensed candy floss into a bar. 

Peda: I don’t even know what’s in these, they’re just fucking delicious. 

Alright, onto the other sweets!

My personal favorite: gulab jamun. Soft, perfectly round dumplings made of like, magic. Basically. They’re sweet, fried, flavored with cardamom, soaked in a sweet rosewater syrup, and served warm. If you haven’t tried these, you’re missing out—Indian grocery stores, and certainly some normal ones, sell them in big cans and you can heat them up on the stove. 

Rasmalai: my other favorite. I don’t know how to describe these—happy spongy dumpling disks served cold in a sauce that’s basically ice cream, but better. Pistachios, delicate rosewater, and sweet creaminess. It’s basically heaven.

Two photos, because they’re that good. (These are definitely Baz’s favorite, by the way.) 

Jalebi: Essentially, batter is piped into pretzel shapes, like how you make a funnel cake, and then fried, and then soaked in sugar syrup. You bite into it with a satisfying crunch, and then the syrup floods out and it becomes chewy. It’s a dentist’s worst nightmare. I mean, look at this shit:

Who even came up with this? I don’t care, I love it. Tis the season for tooth rotting.

Kheer: Indian rice pudding... or sometimes it’s made with vermicelli. With almonds, and saffron, and... agh. I dream about it.  

Last but certainly not least, gajar ka halva. 

This stuff could build a cult following if it wanted to, I swear. It’s like if carrot cake one day said fuck it and stopped pretending it was healthy. It’s ground carrots, sugar, ghee, milk pistachios... so good. 

I almost posted this without even going over the savory foods. Who even needs them? 

...Okay, fine. 

Diwali food is traditionally vegetarian, and it’s pretty standard fare: naan, rice, samosas, daal, paneer makhani, etc. The appetizers are top notch. It’s literally all fried.

That spiral thing is a chakli, jalebi’s savory friend. Just... a fried spiral. Various crispy things are eaten. It’s great.

Brb, might actually cry from how hungry I am right now. 

Simon would love aloo tikki, a north Indian specialty... imo, the best way to make potatoes.

Pakoras, too: mixed vegetable fritters served with chutney.

Pani Puri/Golgappa: The best street food. You take a baby puri shell. Crack the top. Fill it with a spicy potato mix, and then add mouthwatering tamarind sauce.

Paneer Makhani (butter paneer) would be Simon’s favorite veg dish. Soft cheese in butter sauce... sounds right up his alley. 😂 

There are a ton of other different dishes made with various vegetables and sauces and spices, like four types of daal, and if I continue this will go on for ages. So I’ll just do a special shoutout to chicken tikka masala, the national dish of the UK lol. ❤️ 

Shoutout to Penelope Bunce as well for being half-Indian and thereby giving me a totally valid reason to write a thousand-word rant about Indian food on Tumblr and claim it’s fandom. Shoutout also to Simon Snow for his canonical love of Indian food. 😂 

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you enjoyed, found this educational, and most of all... I hope you’re really hungry now. 😂 Go eat some Indian food to celebrate. I know you want to. 

Happy Diwali, everyone! ❤️❤️❤️ 

[msmarvelouswinchester]

Lost In Translation - 2

Summary - Jensen comes to India and falls in love with a fan who accidentally sees him while he's lost and saves him cause she knows Hindi.

Pairing - Jensen Ackles x Indian!Reader

Warning - Fluff, fluff and fluff.

Word Count - 2.4k+

Square filled - Date Night ( @spndeanbingo )

A/N 1 - I finally decided to add a second part to this fic! I had fun writing in Hindi and English in Indian dialect and I am incredibly happy at how the fic turned out.

Spn divider by the talented @talesmaniac89

A/N 2- For all the non-Indian readers, a little info on some of the food names used in the story -

Rosogolla - It is also called Rasgulla. It's a famous sweet of India which is a speciality of Kolkata (West Bengal). It's a spongy, white, ball shaped dumplings made from chhena (An Indian cottage cheese)

Pulao - It is a famous one pot rice dish made by cooking fragrant basmati rice with aromatic spices, herbs and sometimes stocks.

Butter Chicken - It is an Indian dish made by marinating a chicken overnight in a yoghurt and spice mixture. The chicken is then roasted or baked. A sauce is made from butter, tomatoes, almonds and various spices, usually including the famous tandoori masala spice mix, and sometimes cream.

Vada Pav - Vada pav, alternatively spelt vada pao is a vegetarian fast food dish native to the state of Maharashtra. The dish consists of a deep fried potato dumpling placed inside a bread bun (pav) sliced almost in half through the middle.

Part 1

“Y/N! Listen to me, beta!” your mom exclaimed over the phone.(child)

“What is it, Ma? You know I can't cancel the date with him,” you told your mother, as you gave your makeup some final touches.

“Aise kaise tu us ladke ke saath ja rahi hai? Acche se pehchanta hai usko? How come you are going on a date with an absolute stranger?” your mother asked. (How are you going out with that boy? Do you even know him properly?)

“Ma, he is a really good man. Stop worrying about me now,” you tried to assure her.

“Lekin tere baba ko kaun samjhayega? It doesn't feel safe. What if he is a-” (Who will convince your father?)

“Ma! You know what, I will call you later! I am getting late and I don't want to keep Jensen waiting,” you said and went to your room to get your purse.

“Just call me when you get home. Call me if anything suspicious happens. Call me-”

“Ma!” You let out a defeated sigh, “Bye!” You said and disconnected the call. You shook your head at your mother's outburst even though you knew she would behave like that but you weren't going to cancel on Jensen just because your Mom didn't agree. You weren't a little girl anymore who needed her mother's permission for every single matter.

You groaned when you felt your phone buzzing again in your hands, interrupting your train of thoughts. You didn't want to talk to your mother again but you looked at your phone only to see Jensen calling you.

“Hey sweetheart,” your heart fluttered in your chest as soon as you heard his voice.

“Hey,” you greeted, “I am waiting for my Uber and-”

“No uhm..I'll pick you up,” he said.

“You don't know my address.”

“Uh-yeah,” he chuckled, “you can text me your address and Clif will drive over and I can pick you up.”

“It's okay, Jensen. I know my way-”

“No, just text me the damn address, y/n,” he said and you heard a muffled voice over the phone.

“Okay, if you insist,” you said, making him chuckle.

“I insist, sweetheart,” he chuckled, “see you in a little while.”

You disconnected the call. Texting him your address, you hoped that he doesn't get lost.

You spent the next hour checking your makeup and dress, trying to look perfect and occasionally going through your phone. You smiled as you saw the pictures from the con, as you scrolled through the gallery of your phone. You thought back to the day before the con, when out of pure luck Jensen had bumped into you, looking like a lost puppy. Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of your doorbell. You walked towards the door and opened it.

“I thought you got lost,” you giggled, “again.”

“That was one time,” Jensen groaned, making you laugh.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he said, flashing you his signature smile.

“Thanks. You don't look bad yourself,” you blushed.

“Ready to go?” He asked.

“Haan, one minute,” you said. (Yes, one minute) You went back inside and retrieved your purse and phone and approached the front door again. You stepped out of the door and felt Jensen hands snaking across your waist. Biting your lower lip, you locked the door to your house.

“After you,” he whispered and guided you to his car. He opened the door to his car and you slipped inside it, Jensen climbing into the seat beside you.

“Where to, Miss-” Clif asked, trailing off at the end.

“Call me Y/N,” you said and told him the name of the restaurant as he set the GPS.

You looked to your side and saw Jensen watching you with a soft smile on his face. Your breathing hitched as he entangled his fingers with you. The car ride was filled with a comfortable silence only to be broken by Clif’s voice as he pulled the car to the side, announcing that you had arrived.

Jensen climbed out of the car, and waited as you got out of the car. He took your hands into his and started walking towards the restaurant.

“Table for two,” you said and the waiter guided you both over to a table.

“About that sudden change in plans,” Jensen said, as you both took a seat at the table, “Jared insisted that I take Clif with me because he was worried that I-”

“You would get lost again?” You giggled.

“....not really.” He cast his eyes down, as he spoke softly.

“What is it?” You asked.

“Jared-he is….uhm-he's a little wary about you, it's nothing, he is just looking out for me….you know,” the actor hesitated.

“I-I totally understand,” you said, making him look up to you, “I do. He doesn't know me, you are in an unknown country. I would feel the same too but I won't kidnap you.”

“I was hoping you would,” Jensen tsked, a smile slowly spreading on his face.

“I can but who will finish the show then?” you smirked.

“Now I think you only agreed to go on a date with me because of the show,” He feigned hurt.

“What can I say? I need to know what happens to a certain hunter.”

“A certain hunter, huh?” He smirked, as a waiter approached your table handing you guys a couple of menus.

“Yeah.” You saw his smile getting bigger, “those luscious locks of hair of Jared are really captivating and his hazel eyes.” You saw as his smile dropped and you couldn't help yourself as you laughed but he quickly recovered.

“Well I can't really blame you, I also tend to get lost in those eyes,” he joked, making you laugh harder.

“If I'm not wrong, this is your first time in India. Are you enjoying yourself?” You asked.

“Not gonna lie, I'm slowly starting to fall in love with India,” he replied.

“She is beautiful,” you remarked, and looked down to see the menu in front of you.

“Beautiful indeed,” Jensen said, only for you to look up to see him staring at you with fondness in his eyes. Your cheeks turned pink under his gaze and you gave him a soft smile. He dropped his gaze and started to skim through the menu.

“Considering this is my first time here, what Indian cuisine is a must have for me?” He asked.

“I like it that you are willing to try an Indian cuisine,” you smirked.

“When in India, do as the Indians do,” the actor said.

“Okay but do you think you can handle the spice?” You smirked.

“Are you challenging me sweetheart?”

“I'm not but I don't think you can handle our spicy dishes,” you said, raising an eyebrow.

“Bring it on. How spicy can it be?”

“Oh you have no idea but I'll go easy on this one with you and I would suggest you order Pulao which is a rice dish and Chicken Tikka Masala,” you said as he nodded.

“Have you ever been to the US?”

“Nope.” You shook your head, “But I want to. I really want to see the Grand Canyon.”

“That's a good choice,” he said.

“And maybe catch a show on Broadway-” your words were cut off as a waiter approached the table and you had to give him your food orders.

“I would gladly be your tour guide when you come to the US with a special tour around Texas,” he winked, making you smile.

“Maybe I'll call you up when I visit the US."

“I do want to ask you one thing. A lot of fans here recommended me something….a sweet, maybe-uh….something called Ros-roso-”

“Rosogolla. It's a sweet which is a specialty of my state. You have to try it. Tell me something, did you try the Vada Pav, considering you had a con in Mumbai?”

“Vada-what?”

“Vada Pav. You didn't try that? Really? Not even Jared?”

“No because we were always on the go go go and finally tonight we got some time off since Kolkata is our last pit stop before I have to fly back to Texas,” Jensen replied.

The night went on as you two got to know each other better. Your cheeks had started to hurt by how much you were smiling at his words. You were quite surprised at how well Jensen handled the food at first but you completely lost when he reached for the glass of water as soon as he had taken one bite of the chicken dish.

“Son of a bitch, why is this so damn spicy?” He jad exclaimed, making you burst out in laughter.

The rest of the night was filled with conversations about casual subjects about friends, family and work life. You didn't even realise how the time flew by and the time with him came to an end. As you two were leaving the restaurant, Jensen took your hand into his, entangling your fingers with his.

The car ride was filled with silence except the occasional small talk between you and Jensen. After sometime, the car came to a halt in front of your house.

“I am flying back tomorrow morning,” he whispered as you approached your house.

“I enjoyed a lot tonight Jensen. Thank you.”

“No thank you. You made this weekend a really special one,” he smiled, making you blush and look down to the ground. He put a finger under your chin, prompting you to look up at him.

“Can I?” He asked and you nodded.

He cupped your face with his hands and tilted his head, slowly leaning into you. He pressed his lips onto yours. The kiss was slow and passionate and he took his sweet time to explore your mouth. You gripped onto his biceps to keep yourself steady. You closed your eyes, feeling yourself get lost in the kiss. Growing up in an Indian household meant you had strict parents and a nonexistent dating life. You always used to dream about that perfect man in your life, the perfect date, the perfect kiss - would it it be like the scene from your favourite Bollywood movie “Jab We Met” when Geet realises her love for Aditya and runs after him to profess her love or would it be like the last scene from “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge” where Simran gets the happy ending with Raj?

But that moment, at your doorstep, when your lips met with Jensen's, all those thoughts had left your mind because now you knew everything - the perfect man, the perfect date and the perfect kiss.

“Hi,” you said as he finally let go of your lips. Caressing your cheek with his thumb, he placed a kiss to your forehead.

“I want to make this work, Y/N/N,” Jensen spoke, his voice barely a whisper.

“But you will be in Texas and Vancouver, I will be in India. How- ”

“Long distance sucks but….come to the US with me,” he said.

“W-what?” You asked, slightly surprised at his wish, “I have my whole life here, Jay. I can't move to the US just like that. It's not a change between two cities. It's literally a change between two countries.”

“Yeah, yeah I get it. I-I shouldn't have made such a stupid suggestion.”

“No. It's not stupid. I just need some time before I move to America. I can't move there immediately.” You said.

“Till then we will try to make this long distance thing work. I am willing to try if you are, sweetheart,” he said.

“I am,” you said and gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek.

“Come to the airport with me tomorrow. I wanna see you again before I fly back,” he said, “I'll pick you up on the way to the airport.”

“Okay but-”

“Nuh-uh.”

“I was gonna say what will happen if you get lost on the way to your airport?” You asked with a straight face.

“I am never gonna live that one down, am I?” Jensen grumbled before laughing loudly.

“Nope,” you giggled.

“I am kinda glad I got lost. I found you,” he said, dipping his head to kiss you again.

“I think you should go now. You have an early flight. I don't want you to miss it,” you mumbled.

“What if I want to miss it?” The actor asked.

“Jay,” you frowned.

“Fine. I just don't want to let go of….this moment.”

“Hey you said it yourself. We'll work through this,” you tried to assure even though your own heart was breaking at the thought of him flying back to Texas. He gave you a quick kiss before making his way back to the car, leaving you standing at your doorstep. You stood there till you couldn't see the car anymore. You felt your phone buzz in your hand and you saw a text from Jensen about when he would pick you up the next day and a good night.

You felt yourself getting teared up. Being in a long distance relationship sucks. It was going to be a tough thing for both of you but you were both willing to work through it and maybe it wouldn't prove to be so hard.

“We'll make it work,” you whispered to yourself while standing at the doorstep like a mantra just like you whispered to Jensen the next day at the airport, as he kissed you one last time.

“I think I'm falling for you,” he whispered back, bumping his nose with yours.

“I am falling for you too, Jay,” you said, your hand fondling his shirt collar.

“Ackles!” The said man looked up and saw his best friend, Jared beckoning to him.

“Call me when you reach Texas,” you said.

“I will,” he said, “Goodbye, sweetheart.”

“Goodbye, Jay,” you said, your voice strained as you tried to keep your tears at bay. You watched as he walked with the other actors, glancing back at you one last time. You smiled at him and waved him a goodbye.

“I think I love you,” you whispered, sighing aloud as he turned around the corner and disappeared. You knew the con weekend would be the best experience in your life but you could have never guessed that it would change your life entirely. Life surely is unpredictable, isn't it?

Let me know how you liked this fic!

Feedback is appreciated!

[lailyn]

Sugar & Spice

For @ubiquitous-girl

"We have frozen naan bread at home."

"We have water at home," Loki countered, tipping his chin at Stephen's glass. 

"Loki, we can't not drink water when eating out."

"And yet you're arguing the soundness of eating bread, a staple of your diet." 

"You're the one who keeps saying we Earth people need to expand our palate beyond the conventional," Stephen grumbled. "I’m all for supporting the local food scene, I just don't see the point of ordering something we can make at home."

"Oh I doubt that very much," Loki said dryly. "You burned my toast this morning."

Stephen's lips twitched as he tried not to smile. Finding himself on the verge of failing, he held the menu closer to his face to hide his failure. "It wasn't my fault. I got distracted."

"Really? By what?" Loki asked innocently.

Stephen shrugged. "I'd rather not say. Can't play favourites."

Loki's eyebrows rose to meet his hairline. "Favourites?"

"With all your...endowments."

At the extremely pleased look on Loki's face, Stephen braced himself for Loki's natural confidence to start singing self praises but to Loki's credit, none came forth.

Whenever Loki's silence lasted long enough for his smile to turn sad like that, Stephen knew that was his cue. 

"Let's order. I'm starving." Stephen picked up the menu again and flipped through it hastily. "What's our protein of choice for tonight? Chicken tikka again?"

Loki made a face. "We could have made that at home, helped ourselves to one of Wong's frozen dinners like we did last week."

Stephen froze. "That was you?"

"He didn't seem to mind."

Stephen set the menu on the table with a laugh of disbelief, "Loki, that's stealing."

"I replace everything I take," Loki said with a flippant shrug. "Your underdeveloped palates just couldn't tell the difference." 

He closed his menu with a loud clapping sound. "I'm not in the mood for meat." 

"We can go somewhere else?" 

"No, no. I know what I want." Loki was about to scratch the air to catch their server's attention when he paused. "Do you?"

Stephen allowed his shoulder to relax, relieved for once that he was spared the burden of ordering. Half the things on the menu he could not even pronounce. "Surprise me."

“It’s your funeral, Strange.” Loki raised his hand. “Excuse me, Miss?”

A server approached the table, grinning from ear to ear. “Are we ready to order?”

Loki gave the young lady his most charming smile in return. "Yes. We will have the chana masala, paneer tikka, aloo gobi and...naan. Lots and lots of naan, please."

"Plain, butter or garlic, Sir?" 

"All three?" Loki looked to Stephen for affirmation but before Stephen could give it, Loki had already made up his mind. "All three."

"Anything else? Drinks?"

"Masala chai for me, please. Stephen?"

"Anything that isn't spiced?"

"Mango lassi?" Loki suggested. 

"Anything that isn't sugary?"

"Salted lassi, then."

Stephen doubted such a drink existed and hence looked at the server to be sure, but she was already writing the order down. 

"This is going to be interesting," Stephen muttered once the waitress was well on her way to the kitchen with their order. 

"You're not going to ask what I ordered?" 

"Something chickpea-y, something cheesy, something potato-ey."

Loki chuckled. "I've never seen you this unimpressed by a meal you haven't eaten yet."

"I trust you," Stephen said. He glanced around at the tables of hungry patrons still awaiting their food. "Just not the waiting time."

"I have a feeling we won't be waiting for very long," Loki said mysteriously.

Stephen blinked a few times. "Don't tell me. I don't want to know."

"I can't let my enchantment skills go rusty, Stephen."

Stephen held his hands up in the air. "I don't have a problem with it. I'm used to getting dirty looks from people everytime we eat out."

"People give us dirty looks?" Loki's eyes darted nervously around the crowded restaurant. "Why?"

"Loki, I was just kidding."

"You don't think they recognise me, do you?"

Stephen reached across the table for his lover's hand. "Loki, hey. Calm down."

Loki retrieved his hand rather forcefully to fist clumps of his hair at his temples. "I shouldn't be seen with you."

"Loki…" Stephen groaned.

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. 

"Do you mind? We're having a private conversation here," Stephen growled.

"You...don't want your food?" The server asked uncertainly. 

Like a mask sliding into place, Loki’s face was once again a facade of charm and joviality. "Of course we do." 

The server began unloading her tray, and with each dish placed in front of them, the enticing scent of spices and aromatics rose in clouds of steam that had Loki’s mouth watering.

"That was fast," Stephen said, surveying the lavish spread in front of him suspiciously.

Loki rolled his eyes. "There is no pleasing you, Doctor."

"The website said this was a fine-dining establishment when I made the reservation," Stephen said, beginning to sound cross. "They'd better not serve us reheated curries, you know how sensitive you are."

"Norns, give me strength..." Loki groaned. "Stephen, the cushions you're sitting on are vintage Mughal-era cushions." He lifted his dinner plate and flicked the edge of it with his fingernail. The ring it made was unmistakably clear. "And this is real bone china."

"Okay. I will reserve my opinions until after I've tasted the food."

"As you should. Everything has to be evidence-based with you, doesn't it?" Loki sassed. 

"You know me so well," Stephen said coolly. Being the methodical and safe man that he was, he decided to start with the dish that appeared the least threatening: the aloo gobi, a classic potato and cauliflower dish.

The curry tasted heavenly, hitting all the right notes with its strong turmeric and coriander game against the equally heavy ginger and cumin aftertaste. 

"They actually made it to order," Stephen said, pleasantly surprised at how fresh and vibrant the dish tasted.

"Poor Stephen," Loki murmured. "You need to go to more restaurants where the chefs aren't quite so lazy."

"Those kinds of restaurants are expensive." 

Stephen ripped into a piece of bread and groaned in pleasure at the first mouthful. It was the fluffiest, butteriest naan he had ever tasted, but when he reopened his eyes, the rapture dissipated. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't make that face," Stephen said, his voice low, his tone flat. "Don't feel sorry for me. I've lived the jetset lifestyle before. I don't miss it."

"I am not feeling sorry for you. If anything, I feel sorry for myself." Ignoring his steaming chai, Loki filled his own glass from the water decanter and drank almost half of it in one gulp. "And just to make things clear between us, I don't miss it either."

Stephen took his time, but when he next spoke, his eyes were a lot kinder. "Sometimes I forget you're a prince."

"Was," Loki corrected. "I am a nobody now."

"Don't say that," Stephen rebuked.

The restaurant chose that exact moment to begin playing music, a soothing, melismatic sitar recital that tugged on the strings of Loki’s heart. He forced himself to smile. "I misspoke." 

He scooped some of the chickpea masala onto a triangle of naan bread and held it out. "Here, try this." 

Stephen saw the chance to salvage the night and opened his mouth to gladly accept the offering, regretting his decision almost instantly.

Loki watched in fascination as Stephen spluttered and changed the colour of his face several times. 

Midgardians were such wondrous, colourful creatures.

“Are you alright, Stephen?” he asked curiously.

Stephen lifted a finger as if to say 'hold on', but Loki was having far too much fun to stop.

"You look very flustered. Not many things can do that to you."

"Only the spiciest pepper on this planet " Stephen gasped. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Oh, very much,” Loki agreed, marveling at the gorgeous flush of Stephen’s face. “Red is a good colour on you.”

“What?” Stephen wiped the sweat out of his eyes. 

“You’re breathtaking.”  

And before Stephen had the chance to react, Loki's lips were already on his.

Just like magic, the burning in Stephen’s mouth and throat receded. 

"Thanks," he mumbled, touching his fingers to his mouth to see if he could still feel them.

"Are your lips still numb?" Loki teased.

"More from the kiss than the spell," Stephen murmured. "Not that I'm complaining, but I thought you said no PDA?" 

"I got distracted," Loki confessed. "You are making it very hard for me to behave in public."

A lascivious grin slowly spread over Stephen's face.

"What?" Loki asked.

"Look around you," Stephen urged.

Loki caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of a familiar iridescence. "The Mirror Dimension? So naughty, Doctor." 

"My lips are still numb. It's going to take a lot more than a kiss for me to recover." Stephen grabbed Loki by the waist and hauled his lover into his lap. "Care to help me?"

"What about dinner?"

"We can always get back to it after dessert."

"Hmm," Loki mused.

"Unless...you're not feeling it?" Stephen asked hesitantly.

Loki continued to play idly with Stephen's hair.

"Loki, I won't force you." 

"No, Doctor. You wouldn't."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No." Loki shook his head, his eyes shining. "By the Norns, no. You protect me, and you respect me. Now I don't know why, but..."

Loki held the tip of his finger to Stephen's lips to keep him from interrupting.

"My whole life had me thinking I was not right the way I am." He gazed into the kindest pair of eyes he had ever seen. "You're the first who made me feel differently."

"I don't know if that's enough.”

Loki sighed and touched his forehead to Stephen's. "You make me feel . That is enough."

"You deserve more than enough." Stephen drew in a shaky breath. "You deserve to know how I feel."

"No, I don't - I don't want to know."

"Too bad. You have no choice."

Loki clasped his hands to his ears. "Shut up." 

"You're not a nobody, Loki. You are a somebody who means a lot," Stephen said quietly. "To me."

"Shut up, Stephen."

"I love you, Loki." Stephen's voice cracked. "I love the hell out of you."

"I love you too," Loki said thickly. "So much."

Stephen's heart soared, but there was still something he needed to say,

“So you gotta let me take care of you, okay?" He cupped the sides of Loki’s head. "Will you give me that?”

Loki nodded, wiping his hand across his eyes, but Stephen’s attention was already elsewhere, focused on sliding the first piece of paneer tikka off its skewer. 

Stephen then placed the cube of grilled cottage cheese between his lips, ignoring the spice rub that was already burning holes on his tongue.

“You are going to feed me, aren’t you?” Loki asked, sounding more excited than he had the right to be. 

“Every damn piece,” Stephen promised through a lipful of cheese, and set to work. 

[catsaar]

hii hope you're having a nice day!!🥰from one vegetarian to another do you mind sharing your favourite recipes? mine are pesto pasta (yumm😋), lentil soup and chickpea tikka masala, oh and mexican quinoa

Hello there! Ooo this is a fun question! I also love all the ones you named, you just made me very hungry haha.

I looove pasta, my favorite for pasta is that avocado pasta mentioned before (which you would like too since it is basically fresh green pesto but with an avocado added to the mix -you do have to spice it up more because the avocado mellows it out- and you make it more fluid with some of the cooking water of the pasta, mix it under the pasta, add halved cherry tomatoes and I love finishing off my plate with a lot of Parmesan cheese). I also make a mean tomato based sauce with onion, garlic, mushrooms, yellow pepper and zucchini that even my non-vegetarian parents are a big fan of. (it’s all in the spices and order of the veggies). 

Some other favorites are cocos milk risotto with mushrooms, green asparagus and peas; oven baked sweet potatoes cut in half to fill with a mix of steamed carrots/avocado/pine nuts topped with a type of salad that according to google translate is named lamb's lettuce (no clue if that’s correct, it’s a very common type of lettuce here that has a more nutty flavor); anything with Falafel (wraps, bowls, with a stir fry); talking about stir fry add those to the list as well as they’re easy and versatile; as a Belgian I love fries so for the cheat days I’ll make fries with a veggie burger. Love veggie burgers and they’re fun to experiment with. My absolute favorite soup is zucchini soup (onions, leeks, zucchinis), but I love all soups. Ooo now I’m craving a good meal noodle soup.

*Looks at length of answer* Okay I’m going to leave it at those cus when it comes to food I can go on and on. There are way more dishes but then again I pretty much like anything. One of the things I love about being a vegetarian (besides the obvious ecological reasons etc) is that it’s just very easy in general. Sure you can go all out when you have company, but I live alone so I rather not spend hours in the kitchen. Just got to make sure you add enough green veggies, legumes and nuts to your diet, but you probably already now that lol.

Sorry for the mess that is this answer haha. Stay safe and have a great and delicious weekend!

[mikauzoran]

Marichat/Adrienette: To Waltz Among Shades: Chapter Four

To Waltz Among Shades: Chapter Four: Recalibrating

An hour and a half flew by in a flash as Chat and Marinette studied together.

“See?” Marinette snickered, giving Chat’s bell a flick. “You’re not as hopeless as you made yourself out to be. You’re smart, Chat Noir. You’ve got this. It’s probably just Professor Keller’s teaching style or her accent or something.”

“I’m betting on ‘something’,” he snorted as he finished writing down the mnemonic she’d taught him on one of the pages of loose-leaf she’d given him for taking notes. “and that ‘something’ is the fact that I’ve been a little busy trying to recover from a mental breakdown this past year,” he joked…but then realized that that wasn’t funny.

The spell between them broke as they were both reminded that they weren’t just Minou and Princess anymore. There was Adrien whose family was dead or in jail and Ladybug who had helped them all get there. There was Chat Noir who accidentally caused his father’s death and Marinette who couldn’t do anything as her friend’s life spun wildly out of control.

“Sorry,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure why he whispered. It just felt like the right tone of voice for the fragility of the word, the way he was feeling.

“It’s okay,” Marinette reciprocated down to the volume level. “Me too. I’m sorry too. I—”

“—Marinette!” Sabine called up from the bottom of the stairs. “Dinner!”

The two blinked at one another for a minute, completely thrown by the interruption.

Chat looked away first. His gaze dropped to the notes he’d taken as he stood and began to fold them up. “I should go. Thank you for letting me take up so much of your time.”

Marinette rose to her feet, reaching out to rest a hand on his forearm. “Chat Noir…I…It was no trouble. I enjoyed studying with you. We should…do it again next week?”

He looked up at her in complete bafflement. “What? Really?”

She withdrew her hand, looking down and to the side and blushing madly. “If that’s something you’re comfortable with. I’d be happy to have you.”

“You would?” Chat gaped at her, still caught up in total astonishment. “You’d be comfortable with that?”

She nodded shyly, forcing herself to look him in the eye. “You don’t make me uncomfortable. Not truly. I mean, awkward and frazzled, yes, but…not actually uncomfortable…. Do you feel uncomfortable around me?”

He shook his head. “Just…nervous. A little out of my element, but not uncomfortable.”

“Oh.” Her face lit up in a dazzling smile as her cheeks supplied contrast in a warm, rosy hue. “Good. That’s…I’m really, really glad to hear that.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled giddily, a grin forming on his own lips. “Me too. I thought that that was why you’d been avoiding me. I thought…”

“No!” She shook her head violently, waving her arms too for good measure. “No! Not at all. I was trying to stay out of your way because I thought that I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, Princess,” he assured in a soft, verbal caress.

“Oh,” she whispered, eyes slowly tracing over his facial features, letting herself truly look at him. “…Oh, Minou…”

“Marinette!” Sabine called again.

“Stay for dinner,” Marinette blurted out, catching Chat by the hands. “Have you eaten?”

He froze, trying to recollect.

His stomach let out an audible gurgle, and Chat winced as he remembered.

“Not…today, actually.”

Marinette’s eyes went wide in concern and surprise.

“I had dinner with Nino last night, but today…” He looked away. “Today is Wednesday—fend for myself day—and I was kind of worked up about coming over to talk to you tonight, so I just…didn’t feel like eating.”

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” she inquired gently, trying not to pressure him.

He bit his lip and shrugged. “I mean…kind of? I sometimes have dinner with the Couffaines, and that’s usually okay, but…it might be a little overwhelming. I don’t know what Luka and Nino have shared with you about my current emotional state, but sometimes I burst into tears, so…I don’t want to make you guys uncomfortable if it turns out it’s too much.”

“Chat Noir, it’s fine,” she protested. “My parents and I wouldn’t mind. I don’t want to say we understand because we probably have no clue, but…we won’t be uncomfortable or think less of you for crying. So…Unless you feel uncomfortable crying in front of people.”

He shook his head and looked up to smile at her sadly. “I’ve kind of gotten used to looking ridiculous in front of other people. I’m not really self-conscious as much as I’m afraid of making other people feel uncomfortable and for that discomfort to push them away.”

Marinette nodded, giving his hands a squeeze. “You don’t have to worry about that here. I’ve had to forbid them from bothering you, otherwise they would have been in your face, making a nuisance of themselves from day one,” she snorted. 

That statement struck Chat to the core. He realized that Marinette probably thought she was helping by giving him space and keeping her parents out of his way as he had struggled to pick himself out of the rubble that had been his life when it collapsed on top of him, but…the truth was, he could have used the help and support. Tom and Sabine had always been like surrogate parents to both Adrien and Chat Noir. To lose them and Marinette AND Ladybug all at once while simultaneously trying to make sense of a world that had turned upside-down in a matter of minutes had been crippling. 

“They mean well,” Marinette continued, not noting his heavy silence. “but they’re a little intense. I mean…you remember when my father thought I liked you. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that it’s fine. No one is going to care if you start crying. My parents would be happy to have you if you want to have dinner with us.”

Chat bit his lip. “Do you happen to know what you’re having?”

She nodded, breaking into a smile at the indication of his interest. “The main dish is shrimp stir fry. The side dishes are all meatless. How strong is your stomach feeling today? Do you think you can do shrimp? I seem to remember that being something you actually liked before…uh…” Her face blanched as she trailed off.

“…The accident,” he tentatively supplied, waiting for her to scoff and accuse him of killing his father.

She nodded, eagerly latching onto the expression, relieved that he hadn’t couched it in terms such as “the day you let my father die”.

“Or, if you can’t do seafood right now, Luka and I have been cooking together a lot. We’ve been working on healthy, balanced, vegetarian dishes, and I have plenty of leftovers from our experiments in the fridge: cashew tofu curry, veggie tikka masala…I’ve got dal, kidney bean and sweet potato stew…”

Chat’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open in shock. “Wait…. You…You’ve been cooking for me? I thought it was just Luka.”

Marinette bit her lip and shrugged. “Well…at first it was just Luka and Nino working together to try to keep you fed, but…Luka was getting really stressed about you not eating, so…I started researching and talking with Mylène—you know, she’s studying to be a pediatrician, so she’s taken a lot of courses in nutrition—and I kind of worked to come up with some recipes Luka and I could make together for you, so—oh!”

Marinette gasped as Chat Noir pulled her into a crushing hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her hair, voice weak and wavering as he fought back tears. “Thank you for still caring about me.”

Marinette quickly got over her surprise and wrapped her own arms around him. “Oh, Chaton…. Of course…of course…. You’re my partner and my friend. I’ll never stop caring about you…if that’s okay?”

He nodded, too choked up to reply at first. “…Yeah. More than just being okay, I think I really needed to hear that. This whole time I thought—”

A loud knock came at the trapdoor, startling the two apart.

“Marinette? Did you hear me, Honey?” Sabine called again, concern in her voice.

“Sorry, Maman! I had my music on,” Marinette called back. “Down in a minute.”

Then she turned to Chat and lowered her voice. “Would you want to join us?”

Chat swallowed and nodded.

“Hey, Maman?” Marinette raised her voice once more. “I’ve actually got a friend over to study for Business. Can he stay for dinner, pretty please?”

“Of course, Dear,” Sabine chuckled. “Hurry down before it gets cold.”

“Thanks, Maman!” Marinette turned back to Chat. “Ready?”

Chat bit the inside of his cheek. “Do you think it’d be better to go as Chat or Adrien?”

Marinette pursed her lips. “Whichever way you feel more comfortable…but…I’m sure they’d be relieved to see Adrien doing well. It’d be easier to explain if you got overwhelmed too. It’s your decision, though.”

Chat’s brow creased as he weighed the pros and cons. “I kind of feel safer as Chat. It’s kind of like—well, it literally is—armor…but…I guess I don’t need armor here after all.”

Marinette shook her head. “You’re safe, Minou.”

Chat closed his eyes. “Detransformation.”

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath as the transformation dissipated, leaving her long-time crush in baggy cargo pants and a Kitty Section band tee.

She barely noticed as Plagg flew off to find Tikki.

The kwami’s magic had hidden how washed out Adrien’s complexion had become, and the mask covered the reddish-purple smudges under Adrien’s eyes. He looked sick and faded.

Adrien opened his eyes, and the once-shiny peridot pools looked dim.

She could feel her heart cracking in her chest, breaking for the pale shadow of his former self that Adrien had become. She resolved then and there to do more for him now that she knew her actions wouldn’t be entirely unwelcome, now that she knew he wouldn’t spurn her and push her away.

“Hi, Marinette,” Adrien whispered self-consciously.

“Hi, Adrien,” she giggled, a warm smile settling onto her lips and sinking into her voice. “It’s good to see you.”

He let a watery laugh escape as he looked away and raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck. “Glad you think so. I’m still debating whether or not it’s good to be seen. I know I look awful.”

Marinette reached out and gave his arm a companionable brush with two of her knuckles. “You wear ‘awful’ pretty well. It’s like back in the eighties and nineties when it was fashionable to look like a heroin addict.”

Adrien let out a snort of surprised laughter. “Well, I didn’t think I looked quite that bad.”

Marinette covered her face with a hand and groaned, “I didn’t mean to say that you look like a heroin addict.”

Adrien smirked, snickering, “I see that you still suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome, just like back when you had that massive crush on me in collège.”

Marinette smacked him on the arm as she looked away, her shoulders rising to her ears. “Geez. Stupid cat.”

Adrien placatingly put up his hands. “Sorry. Low blow, I know, reminding you of your past bad judgment before you met Luka.”

“That wasn’t bad judgment, Adrien,” Marinette sighed, meeting his gaze.

He shrugged, avoiding her eyes.

“It wasn’t,” she insisted. “…Bad judgment is you wearing a jacket like that in summer.”

Another bout of laughter caught Adrien by surprise.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and pretended to whine, “Well, I wasn’t planning on detransforming, was I? I was just going to be here for three minutes. The jacket is like a security blanket, so sue me.” He stuck out his tongue.

Marinette rolled her eyes, inspecting the fluffy, cotton jacket with its fake fur lining the hood and collar. “Well, it’s a nice jacket, even if it is too hot to be wearing one that heavy. I picked out one just like it for Luka when he retired his old one.”

Adrien tensed.

Marinette’s brow furrowed as she caught sight of a slight defect on the right sleeve. She seized Adrien’s arm and brought the mended tear in the sleeve closer for inspection. “This is from the time I stole Luka’s jacket and accidentally got it snagged on my sewing machine. This is Luka’s jacket.”

Adrien grimaced. “Is now a bad time to mention that I occasionally steal your boyfriend’s clothes?”

Marinette gave a snort, releasing Adrien’s arm and rolling her eyes as she replied wryly, “And I bet he really gets off on seeing you in them.”

“It’s not like that between us,” Adrien rushed to assure. “He’s not cheating on you. We’re just friends. Close,” Adrien clarified, “but just friends.”

Marinette laughed again, halfway between amused and annoyed. “You are still as oblivious as ever, Beau Gosse…and Luka’s not cheating on me because he has my permission.”

Adrien’s mouth dropped open. He tried to formulate some kind of response to those assertions, but she cut him off with a kind smile and a tug on his arm.

“Come on. Let’s head downstairs so that my parents can fuss over and feed you.”

With a nod, Adrien silently followed, pushing down all the thoughts that were swirling around in his head to consider later when he was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep in the wake of all the discoveries of the past two hours.

“Maman, Papa, look who’s here,” Marinette called as they descended the narrow steps into the living/dining/kitchen area.

Tom’s eyes went wide, and Sabine gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth. Both of them broke out into wide grins.

“Adrien!” Tom reached him first, scooping him up and spinning him around, all while crushing him in a fierce hug. “Good to see you, Son. You’ve been missed around here.”

“Th-Thanks,” Adrien croaked out, partially due to the force behind Tom’s hug but mostly due to emotion. “I’ve…I’ve missed you guys too.”

“Tom, put him down and let the rest of us have a turn,” Sabine scolded impatiently.

“You’re just jealous that I got to him first,” Tom guffawed but set Adrien down gently and released him regardless.

“You better believe I’m jealous,” his wife scoffed, taking an unresisting Adrien by the hand and tugging him over to the couch. “Sit,” she instructed. “You’re too tall.”

Adrien obeyed easily and found himself pulled into Sabine’s arms, his head coming to rest on her shoulder as she pet his hair and held him tight.

“Oh, Sweetheart,” she cooed. “We’ve missed you so much.”

Adrien wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder as he burst into tears. “S-S-Sorry,” he choked.

“No,” Sabine soothed. “None of that, Darling. You go ahead and cry. It’s all right. Isn’t that right, Tom?”

Tom came over to rub a meaty hand up and down Adrien’s back. “You go right ahead and cry, Son,” he urged in the gentle tone he had used when Marinette was little and woke up from a nightmare. “We’ll be here when you’re done.”

At that, the floodgates opened, and Adrien began to cry all the harder. It only lasted a little less than five minutes, though, and Adrien came back to himself and pulled away.

“Thanks,” he whispered, voice thick.

Tom gave him an encouraging pat on the head while Sabine took his face in her hands, wiping away tears with her thumbs.

“Oh, Xiao Mao,” she sighed. “We only wish we could do more for you.”

Adrien smiled bashfully, making eye contact with Tom and then Sabine. “I’ve really appreciated the care packages you’ve sent with Nino and Luka. Just knowing that you were thinking about me, that you cared…that was really big for me, so thank you.”

“Marinette said you needed some space,” Tom broached the subject warily. “and that we couldn’t come storm your apartment. Has that rule changed?”

“Because I’ve been on her for a year now to let you know that we’d be happy to help with whatever you needed—help with laundry or cleaning your apartment or cooking or anything at all really, if you just wanted people to eat meals with,” Sabine paused to cast a meaningful glare at her daughter.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Maman.”

Adrien couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m…good for the most part. Luka and Nino helped with the practical stuff to keep me alive. Between those two and Chloé, there’s usually someone storming my apartment, so I think I’m covered on those grounds—Not that I don’t seriously appreciate the offer.”

Tom and Sabine both nodded, assuring, “Of course. Of course.”

Adrien bit his lip. “Though…I think I would like to join you for meals sometimes…if that’s okay?”

Sabine squealed in delight, clapping her hands.

Tom gave Adrien a solid thump on the back. “You’re welcome whenever you want, Son. Our door is always open to you.”

Adrien apprehensively turned his gaze on Marinette over in the kitchen. “Is that something you’d be okay with, Marinette?”

Her eyes widened, and she put down the scraps of paper napkin she’d absentmindedly been shredding. “Adrien, I want you here whenever you want to be here. Like, I don’t even have to be home, if you ever want to just stop by. I’m so sorry that me trying to give you space made you think you weren’t welcome here.”

Adrien opened his mouth to respond, but only a stunned, “Oh” came out.

“…Well,” Sabine spoke up after the silence had stretched a bit too long to be comfortable. “At least we’ve got the misunderstanding sorted out now. Adrien is welcome here whenever he likes. Now, let’s hurry up and feed this poor boy. He’s too skinny.”

Before Adrien could really regain his mental footing, he was being marched over to the table by Sabine.

 Dinner was actually a pleasant affair. After his initial emotional moment, Adrien didn’t feel as overwhelmed by the situation. There were certain points that made him feel sad or had him longing for a family like Marinette’s, but it was far more manageable than Adrien had originally anticipated.

After the meal, Adrien and Marinette helped with cleanup so that Tom and Sabine could get to bed at a decent hour to be up to open the bakery the following day. They said their goodbyes, and Adrien received round after round of hugs as Sabine and Tom admonished him to take care of himself and not be a stranger.

“Your phone numbers are still the same?” Adrien verified.

The Dupain-Chengs all nodded.

“I had to change mine after the…” Adrien’s face went ashen. “…uh…death threats, but…”

The Dupain-Chengs collectively gasped.

Adrien waved his hands. “Chloé and Luka and Nino took care of it. It wasn’t… Well… It wasn’t not a big deal, but…” Adrien shook his head. “But I’ll call you guys maybe next week sometime, and maybe we can have dinner together again?”

“Definitely,” Sabine assured.

“Whenever you want,” Tom added.

“And maybe you could come over a little early and we can all cook together,” Marinette suggested hesitantly. “Only if you want, though. No pressure. Luka mentioned that you like to help cook, so…”

Adrien nodded, a thrill of excitement going through him at being included. He’d always enjoyed helping out at the Couffaines’. “That would be fun, actually…. Maybe when I’m having one of my good days. Sometimes being around other people is too much, but…that would be nice.”

“We are always happy to have you,” Sabine insisted, giving Adrien another hug before she and Tom headed down to their bedroom to turn in for the night.

Marinette and Adrien finished cleaning up and then headed back to Marinette’s room so that Adrien could collect Plagg.

Adrien cleared his throat, feeling awkward as he watched Marinette offer Plagg a cheese tart and Tikki a chocolate chip cookie. “I should get going…but thank you for everything tonight. Helping with Business and having me for dinner and everything.”

“Of course! It was really great to see you,” Marinette exclaimed, turning back to face him with a brilliant smile. “Please do call when you feel up to it. I’d like to study with you and have dinner again…maybe be friends again? Hang out?” She hopefully put the suggestion out there.

His eyes widened. “I…uh… Yeah. I would like that…if that’s something you want?”

She nodded, expression earnest. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Adrien didn’t understand. Did she just pity him, or…? Did Marinette really want him back in her life? She didn’t hate him? Had she forgiven him for what had happened? Did she believe that he hadn’t known about his father? Had she really been avoiding him this whole time solely because she didn’t want to remind him of the accident? Was the past year only a misunderstanding after all?

“I…I’ll think about it,” Adrien decided. “I don’t…I’d like that, but…I mean, I’m sure Nino and Luka have told you what a mess I am. Some days I’m fine. Other days I…I can’t function. I’m not able to be around people, and…”

Adrien looked down at his feet. “Things are kind of complicated with you.”

Marinette nodded, biting her lip and forcing herself to accept where he was and what he felt able to do. “Okay.”

He shook his head. “I mean…I really loved you for a long time.” He peeked up at her, and Marinette couldn’t contain a small gasp.

“Both of you,” Adrien clarified. “Even after Marinette started dating Luka and even after Ladybug told me to stop hoping because she had a boyfriend, so…I have a lot of complicated feelings I need to untangle about you. Sorry.”

He looked down at her feet, his cheeks beginning to blaze grenadine. “I want to say yes, but…I don’t know if I’m healthy enough for things to go back to the way they were before—if that’s even what you want. I need…I need to talk to my therapist about all this. I’ve been so busy dealing with-with—you know—this past year that I haven’t really gotten to…dealing with my feelings for Marinette and Ladybug much.”

Marinette hesitantly stepped forward and took one of his hands in both of hers. “It’s okay. Do whatever’s best for you, okay? I’ll…I’ll be here…if and when you’re ready. …The most important thing is for you to be healthy and happy, Adrien.”

He looked her in the eye, studying her expression, trying to read the truth. He found only sincerity in her features. He nodded. “Thanks.”

She squeezed his hand and let go.

He gave her a small, uncertain smile and then called on Plagg to transform him.

“Thanks again, Princess,” Chat chuckled with a wink, feeling much more secure with his mask on. “I can see myself out.”

He turned to head up the ladder, but she caught him by the tail.

“W-Wait!”

Chat let out a startled, “Gck!” and then a groan. “Marinette, you have got to stop doing that.”

“Sorry!” she yelped, letting go of the belt. “Sorry. I just…remembered that you said you came here to ask me a favour. What was it?”

Chat tensed, swallowed, and steeled himself for her rejection. “So…this chain of events is going to sound a little odd, but just go with it. My therapist has been trying to work with me on letting go of some of the emotional baggage from my past, and Luka brought over a keyboard the other week because he thought it would help if I started to play again because I want to, and, I mean, music therapy is a thing, so…I was thinking, music has always helped me work out my feelings in the past, so maybe it would be good if I had a private piano recital where I played some pieces about the things I’m working through,” Adrien spit out in one breath and then pushed onward before she could interrupt. “I know just playing songs isn’t going to fix things, but maybe getting some of that emotion out will finally help me find some peace with my parents and what happened and-and me and all of that, so…I think doing the recital will help me feel better, so I want to do it. For the first time, I really want to do something just for me.”

He stopped and looked at her, still feeling coiled like a spring.

Marinette slowly began to nod. “That’s… Yes. Yes. You should definitely do that if you think it will help. I’m really happy you feel so passionately about this. This is really good, Minou…. What do need my help with?”

He gulped. “The Fox Miraculous.”

Marinette blinked several times, confusion slowly flowing over her face. “The Fox Miraculous?”

Chat winced. “I’d kind of like it to be more than just me playing the piano. If I could use Trixx’s illusionary magic to add a visual component…kind of like those multimedia light shows they do at Disney,” he explained. 

Marinette kept nodding, her mouth forming a little “o” as understanding came into her eyes.

Chat rushed to add, “I know it’s a little over the top, but… And I know my family has a bad track record regarding abuse of Miraculouses, so I’d understand if you don’t trust me.”

“What?” Marinette choked.

“But I swear I won’t do anything bad. I promise I didn’t know anything about what Father and Nathalie were doing, and I would never—”

“—Adrien!” Marinette cut him off, taking him by the shoulders. “Look at me.”

He did, his eyes full of confusion and anxiety, borderline fear.

Her expression, however, spoke of distress and determination with a good dose of compassion. “I know. …I know what kind of person you are, Adrien.”

He blinked, not certain he’d really heard her. “You…do?”

“Yes,” she responded vehemently. “Adrien, yes.” She paused, confusion turning to clarity. “…You didn’t hear the speech I gave the other day, did you?”

He gaped at her, feeling completely off balance. “Speech?”

Marinette shook her head. “Ladybug. The other day at the…the anniversary celebration.”

“O-Oh. No, I…” He forced himself to swallow and take a breath. “I was kind of hiding out with Luka, trying to pretend that I didn’t exist.”

With a wan smile, she gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe, if you feel up to it sometime…look it up. I’m sure it’s on the Ladyblog or YouTube.” Marinette released her hold and went over to the phonograph set on top of her trunk. 

At the press of some buttons, the phonograph opened up to reveal the Miracle Box.

In a series of quick, succinct movements, Marinette retrieved the Fox Miraculous and shut the whole thing down again. She was back by his side in less than thirty seconds, holding out the octagonal box.

“How long do you think you’ll need him?” She tried to make her tone light and friendly, as, obviously, Adrien still had some misgivings about where the two stood in relation to one another.

Chat took the box with shaking hands and carefully tucked it into his left pocket. “A week…maybe two at the longest,” he informed. “I promise I’ll let you know if it will be longer than two weeks. I’m kind of hesitating right now, trying to get up my courage to just do it, but…”

She nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his upper arm. “It’s okay. Take as long as you need. Just give it back when you’re ready…or give it to Nino to return, if that’s easier.”

Chat frowned. “Not Luka?”

Marinette winced. “He doesn’t know about Ladybug.”

The lines on Chat’s forehead deepened. “You told Nino but not the guy you’re in love with?” His tone was more puzzled than accusing, but there was definitely some judgment in his voice.

Marinette shrank, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest. “Nino figured it out when we were fifteen; I didn’t tell him. And Luka doesn’t need to know. He’s safer if no one knows that they could get to Ladybug through him. I know we were never on the same page about identity reveals, but I love him too much to put him at risk.”

“The threat is gone, isn’t it?” Chat asked uncomprehendingly.

Marinette met his gaze once more. “There are still crazy fans and regular bad guys. There are people out there who could get it into their heads to try to use my powers to cause harm, and if someone like that were to try to use Luka against me…”

Chat shuddered, imagining himself in that hypothetical situation. “Okay. I get it. I don’t think it’s fair to have a secret like that from him, but…I can understand your line of reasoning, Milady. …Besides, it’s none of my business.”

Marinette bit her lip. “Not completely. I wouldn’t say it has nothing to do with you, but…thank you for keeping an open mind, Chaton.”

He smiled weakly, giving her arm a companionable pat before turning once more towards the ladder. “Thanks for hearing me out, and thank you for all your help.”

“Of course,” she repeated for what felt like the dozenth time, knowing she’d repeat it as many times as he needed to hear it. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?—But only when you’re feeling up to it. No pressure.”

Her flustered rush finally got a genuine fond smile out of him. “Take care, Meinu. It was good to see you.”

“Likewise,” she hummed happily, warmed by his peaceful expression as he bounded up the ladder and leapt through the skylight, making his way back across town to his apartment.

 Chat hopped down from his window into the great room. Removing the box holding the Fox Miraculous from his pocket and setting it down on the coffee table, he called off his transformation, and Adrien Agreste sank onto the couch face down.

Plagg landed on top of Adrien’s head and gently began to run his paw back and forth over Adrien’s hair, purring softly in an attempt to comfort his kitten.

They stayed like that for nearly twenty minutes, allowing Adrien time to attempt to assimilate the knowledge he’d gained and try to adapt.

“Kid?” Plagg softly broke into the silence. “You should probably call somebody.”

“I don’t want to bother Nino. He’s with Alya,” Adrien mumbled, raising his head a bit so that his words wouldn’t be garbled into the couch cushion.

“All right,” Plagg agreed, flying in to pull Adrien’s phone out of his back pocket. “Let’s call Luka.”

“No,” Adrien groaned, rolling over onto his side and reaching for the phone. “He’s probably with Marinette now that I’m not monopolizing her.”

Plagg gave a snort, setting the phone down on the coffee table and unlocking it, pulling up Adrien’s texts with Luka. “You don’t know that.”

“Do too,” Adrien grumbled.

Plagg rolled his eyes, typing out, “Hey, Orpheus. What are you up to?”

“Plagg,” Adrien hissed.

“Hush,” the kwami chided. “I’m not typing mushy stuff like you do. I’m soliciting information. The use of the nickname lends my message the feel of authenticity.”

Adrien blew out a snort and rolled back over, pillowing his arms and resting his forehead on top. “He’s busy.”

“Oh?” Plagg snickered. “He says that the bar he usually plays at burned down last night, so he has the whole night off.”

Adrien’s ears perked up. He raised his head, blinking in confusion, eyes filled with hope. “Really?—Hey. What are you typing?”

“I’m writing suggestive messages inviting him over so you two can finally work out the sexual tension between you,” Plagg replied matter-of-factly.

“Plagg!” Adrien lunged for the phone.

On the screen, Adrien found only: “Could you come over? I’m having a rough night, and I need you.”

Adrien glared at Plagg.

Plagg shrugged. “I never said that the messages were explicit. I mean, I didn’t specify what you needed him for, but, to my understanding of human courting rituals, ‘needing’ someone could imply ‘need to mate’. …I’m not sure he’s read that meaning into the words, though.”

Adrien’s phone dinged with Luka’s answer: “b there in ten angel”.

“You’re welcome,” Plagg huffed, going off to fetch a wheel of Brie from the fridge. “It’s up to you now to get his pants off.”

“Plagg!” Adrien hissed again, despite knowing his protests were useless.

 True to his word, Luka was at Adrien’s apartment ten minutes later.

“Hey, P5,” he cooed, caressing Adrien’s face as his eyes skimmed over the boy he adored, assessing the damage. “What’s up?”

Adrien grimaced, picking up on the anxiety thinly coating Luka’s voice. “Sorry. I’m fine. Plagg was the one who texted you.”

Luka’s carefully neutral expression shifted into a frown. “He must have had some reason to text me, right? He doesn’t usually interfere unless he feels like he needs to.”

Adrien pulled Luka into a hug so that he could hide his expression. He didn’t feel capable of keeping up a good poker face at the moment.

“I’m fine. Just a little confused and overwhelmed,” Adrien whispered into Luka’s shoulder.

“You should take him into the bedroom so you can snuggle and groom each other,” Plagg suggested helpfully from the kitchen island where he had an assortment of cheeses spread out around him like subjects paying homage to their lord.

“Plagg,” Adrien groaned. “Humans don’t groom one another.”

“Do too,” Plagg snorted. “You forget I’ve been around for thousands of years, Kid. I’ve lived with plenty of humans. I’ve witnessed humans licking each other all over before.”

“Plagg, that’s not grooming,” Adrien hissed, burying his face further into Luka’s shirt.

“Oh?” Plagg played dumb, doing his best not to smirk impishly. “Well, whatever it is, maybe you two should go do that. My previous holders have always been so happy afterwards, and Adrien could definitely use some cheering up and affection.”

“Shh,” Luka comforted, lightly rubbing a hand up and down Adrien’s back. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t bother me.”

Luka looked back into the kitchen at Plagg. “Plagg, why did you think Adrien needed me?”

Plagg shrugged. “Kid, tell him who all you just had dinner with.”

Luka pulled back slightly to look Adrien questioningly in the face.

Adrien shrank, his gaze dropping to the floor. “…Marinette and her parents.”

Luka sucked in a breath. “O-Oh? How-How did that go? Are you okay? What happened?”

Adrien shook his head. “I’m just…feeling a little messed up. It…everything was totally fine. It was…like…” He pressed his lips together, trying to force his thoughts into a cohesive sentence. “Like you were right. Like everything was just a big misunderstanding and nobody hates me, nobody blames me, and…”

He pulled Luka back into his arms, curling his fingers into Luka’s shirt.

“Angel, of course no one hates you,” Luka sighed, nuzzling Adrien’s hair and squeezing him tighter.

“I didn’t believe you,” Adrien choked, tears finally beginning to fall as his whole body trembled. “I…I couldn’t believe you. And even though Marinette doesn’t hate me, she still abandoned me when I really, really needed her, so it’s not like things are okay now.—Or am I being stupid and petty? Should I just get over it? I can’t just…” Adrien shook his head, looking to Luka for guidance. “I’m not okay. I feel better now that I talked to her, but I’m not okay. I can’t force myself to just forgive and forget and be okay. Is that ridiculous?”

“No, Angel,” Luka cooed, giving Adrien another squeeze. “Nothing that you’re feeling is ridiculous. It’s okay to feel whatever you feel,” he assured.

“Sorry.” Adrien rested his head back on Luka’s shoulder. “I…I’m not okay. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, Perfect Fifth,” Luka whispered, making gentle shushing noises and carefully rocking Adrien from side to side. “It’s fine. Hey, let’s go get in bed so we can snuggle and talk about it…or maybe just snuggle and watch Disney movies until you feel better. What do you think? Rapunzel? Frozen? Both?”

“Both,” Adrien mumbled into Luka’s neck. “Tangled first.”

“All right, Angel,” Luka acquiesced, giving Adrien one last squeeze before beginning to guide him to the bedroom. “It’s going to be all right.”

[underthewingsofthblackeagle]

The Murderess from the Grunewald (14): Getting Closer (1)

(”Katze” by rihaij)

Previously

Six months ago -  Some hours after Jamie’s Second Attorney’s Visit to Prison

         4 pm. Jamie drove his car into the parking lot in front of Claire's house. Finally alone. Finally, time to think about everything without being interrupted. A few minutes later, he carefully opened the door to Claire's house and when Adso didn’t show up he entered. First, he went into the kitchen, pulled up the window blind and looked at the two bowls on the ground. Both were empty. He rinsed out the drinking bowl and filled it with fresh water. Then he opened the cabinet containing the cans with the cat food. For fun and to see if the animal would really eat it, he chose a can of ‘Veggie Royal’. He reached for the can opener and started to work. Only seconds later he heard the kitchen door, which he had only ajar, open with a strong push. Immediately after that, the claws of four paws stitched themselves into his pants. In surprise and because of the sudden pain, Jamie dropped the can opener.          "Ah! Let go of my pants you wee beast!" 

         He reached for Adso, who was sticking his whole body to Jamie's right leg and slowly started to work upwards. With some difficulty, Jamie was able to release his leg from the cat. He put it down on the ground and held it by the neck for a moment. Then he looked at his pants. Adso's claws had pulled some threads that were now sticking out of the fabric.          "Look at what you have done, you greedy something! That was a whole new pair of pants. I will bill your mom for it. Then you will get vegetables for the next six months and you can forget about 'Sea Fish Royal'."          The cat looked grumpy and made growling noises. Jamie released Adso and sighed.          "Yes, you are right. I already sound like a judge. But I am the lawyer of your mom Claire and not yours ... "          Adso let out a bloodcurdling 'meow'.          "Yes, I understand.”

         Jamie sighed.          “I miss her, too, although I saw her two hours ago. Come on, let's eat."          After emptying the contents of the can into Adso's bowl, Jamie searched the kitchen cabinets for a plate. He grabbed the sandwiches he had bought on the way. Then he reached for the bottle of Pepsi Light he had taken with him from the trunk of his car. He sat down at the kitchen table and started to eat his first sandwich. While doing so, he watched as Adso chewed on his 'royal vegetables'.

         "Well, if it were 'Chicken Royal', you would have eaten it all out by this time, wouldn't you?"          Adso did not pay any attention to Jamie but made a grumbling sound.          The cat was still chewing on the vegetables when the red-haired can opener had already devoured his second sandwich. After finishing his meal, Jamie wanted to dispose of the paper bags into the bin. But when he opened it, he realized that he was already full. He took the bag from the bucket and while doing so, he noticed various food packages. Two blue boxes of the "Azora" type of biscuit from Bahlsen fell out of the bucket. Claire must have a weakness for that kind of biscuit. He tied the garbage bag and put it in front of the kitchen door. Then he began to open one cupboard door after the other. The packages he'd seen in the trash had made him curious. Behind the first door, he found cleaning equipment and a roll of garbage bags. Under the sink stood cleaning agents, sponges, small brushes and shoe polish. He didn’t open the second door under the sink. There was the cat food. He already knew that. Then he turned to the small cupboards above the sink and the oven. One of these cabinets contained a large number of little cans with loose tea. 

(”Tee” by Tomasz_Mikolajczyk)  

         In another cabinet, he found muesli varieties, crispbread, muesli bars, ready-made soups, mashed potatoes powder, dumplings, and baking ingredients. The third small cupboard contained a number of tiny glasses with different spices: white and black pepper, salt, sugar, cinnamon, anise, ginger, paprika, tikka masala, cardamom, turmeric, cumin, caraway. curry. In the upper compartment of the long cabinet on the other side of the counter, he found cans and jars of fruit and vegetables. Under this compartment was the refrigerator. He opened it and found nothing except some apples, a packet of butter and three packs of different cheeses. He decided that he would take a closer look at these cabinets when he had more time. Then he also would make a list of all the foods. It would certainly be useful to know which foods she preferred. 

(”Lebensmittel” by RitaE) 

         After he had provided the garbage can with a new bag, he left the kitchen. That was the moment, he noticed that Adso had disappeared. Jamie went to the first floor and entered the bathroom. A disgusting smell rose to his nose. He remembered, that he had noticed it the day before, but now it seemed to be even more penetrating. Then his eyes fell on the cat toilet, which stood in a corner of the bathroom.          "Uhh. No!"          Another thing he would have to take care of from now on.          "Irfrinn."

         Jamie pulled up the shutters of the bathroom window and opened it.  The rush of fresh air was a blessing. Now he noticed the plants that stood on the windowsill and beside the bathtub. It dawned on him that he would have to care for these too.          "One more job," he sighed.          Jamie left the bathroom and walked over to Claire's bedroom. He had no words for the chaos that displayed itself in front of his eyes. Claire had told him about her arrest and how rude the police had dealt with her, but he had not expected that. In front of a dressing table, he saw an antique-looking white chair that had been broken into several pieces. Besides the bedside table lay a broken porcelain vase. The mattress of the bed had been raised and then only provisionally laid back on the bedstead. Pillows and blankets were scattered all over the room. The doors of the wardrobes stood open. Apparently, they had been searched. No effort had been made to return the garments to the compartments from which they were pulled out. It would take several hours of time and effort to restore order to this room again. He cautiously climbed over some of the things lying on the ground. Then he opened the window blind and the window. Letting in the fresh air would be the first step. When he was on the way back down to the living room, he noticed a hatch embedded in the ceiling leading to the loft. What would it hide? He hurried down to the kitchen and opened the cupboard in which he had spotted the cleaning equipment. Between broom and scrubber, he found a pole with a born hook.          "That's what I was looking for," he said quietly as he pulled the pole out of the closet.         Back on the first floor, he led the born hook through the small eyelet, which was attached to the attic hatch and pulled at it. The hatch opened and slowly an extendable staircase glided towards him.

(”Attic Stairs, pulled down”by Scott Arneman [CC BY-SA 3.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 - from Wikimedia Commons)

         Carefully, Jamie climbed the stairs. When he stuck his head through the hatch, at first he saw nothing. Then he felt a kind of railing to the right and left of the hatch. At the right post of this railing, he felt an attached remote control as he knew it for radio-controlled sockets. He pressed all four buttons and immediately different lamps went on in the room.

         "Clever!"         Jamie got out of the hatch, entered the floor and looked around in surprise. Instead of a dusty and cobwebbed loft, he found a kind of combined living room and study. As he looked around, he suddenly remembered a conversation with his former colleague Marcel. When Jamie was housesitting the apartment of a friend when Marcel came along for a visit. As he entered the apartment, Marcel looked around and said: "Every house speaks a language. Every house tells a story. And if we look closely, the house will tell us its story." Jamie was ready to watch and to listen carefully. He wanted to hear Claire's story. The story she hadn’t told him yet. Her story. Who was she?          “What story are you telling me, Claire? Talk to me, I'll listen ... attentively." 

         On one of the gables of the roof stood shelves with books and other trifles. Framed black and white photographs hung on the other gable wall. He went to the pictures and looked at them closely. One showed a middle-aged man with a beard and topee in front of an ancient building. Jamie knew instantly what place it was. It was the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Luxor. The man in the picture had to be Claire's uncle Lambert. Another photo showed him with a young girl beside the feet of a colossal statue. Jamie suspected that this photo showed Claire and her uncle in front of the foot of one of the Ramses statues at the Great Temple of Abu Simbel. Another picture showed her and her uncle riding on camels. Jamie started to giggle. He would give a lot to see something like that with his own eyes - Claire on a camel. Before he came to look at the other pictures, he suddenly noticed how Adso stroked his legs.

         "How did you come here?"          He bent down and stroked the cat.          "Will you at least behave yourself?"          The cat gently squeezed his head into his hand.          "Hm. Seems so."          Jamie stretched and looked around the room. Seen from his right side was a large wooden box with metal fittings. He walked over to it and saw that a lettering had been placed on the upper side of the box: "Q. L. Beauchamp." Apparently, the box once belonged to Claire's uncle. What would it contain? Jamie resisted the desire to open it. Right next to the box stood a small black leather sofa. A beige pillow and a dark red rug lay on top of it. In front of the sofa stood a coffee table. On it, he found Claire's laptop in front of a flat screen. Again, he resisted his curiosity to open the laptop. Then he remembered the second gable wall, the one where the bookshelves stood. Most of the books were older books dealing with archaeological topics and countries where Lambert Beauchamp had been active. But there were also some newer publications. Among them, Jamie discovered Tim Jeal's book "Stanley - The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer," as well as various books by the British Archaeologist and Egyptologist David Rohl. He immediately recognized the spine of ‘A Test of Time’. Next to it stood ‘The Lords of Avaris’ and ‘From Eden to Exile’.

(Picture: Private)

          Several times he tapped his right leg with the palm of his hand, whispering:

         "Claire, Claire, Claire, Claire. Undeniably, your uncle was a very unconventional man."

         Jamie smiled and turned to the other side of the roof. In the middle, there was a modern tilting window with a sunshade. Underneath stood a simple wooden desk with a modern desk chair. The desk was tidied up. On the left side, he saw some books and notebooks. Each of these notebooks was bound in leather. Year figures were printed in golden letters on the spines. He picked up the notebook closest to him and opened it. At the sight of the lines, he realized that it was a diary. Claire's handwriting was beautiful, bright and consistent. He closed the book without reading and put it back in its place. A modern desk lamp stood on the right side of the desk. Like the floor lamp next to the couch and the floor lamps next to the bookshelves it lightened up when he had touched the remote control at the post of the railing. Next to the books on the desk, he noticed an open calendar in front of it a pen tray. Everything was clean and orderly. Then his eyes fell on the writing pad. There was a book wrapped in a leather cover with a silver fountain pen in a loop at the right edge of it. It was probably Claire's current diary. 

(”Traveler’s Notebook” by AnnaBetlejewska) 

         Jamie gently stroked it with his right hand. No, he would not open it. He already felt like an intruder. This was obviously Claire's personal refuge. He was glad that the police didn’t cause disorder or damage here. He knew from other cases what traumatic consequences a house search could have for the people affected. The unimpeded invasion of a person's privacy always had consequences. For most of the people who experienced such a search, their sense of security was damaged for many years. Had the police even discovered this room? He doubted it because he could not believe that otherwise, they would have left behind Claire's most personal records. Especially her diaries would have been of great interest to the prosecutor. Also, her laptop would have been confiscated. 

         He went back to the little black sofa and sat down. Then he took the pillow and then the blanket and smelled it. Was that Claire's smell? He wasn't sure. Suddenly Adso crawled out from under the coffee table, jumped into the seat next to him and scrambled onto his lap. Jamie sighed. Then he started to scratch the cat. Meanwhile, he let his eyes wander carefully around the room again.

         “This room tells me a lot about your mom, old boy. She is a very disciplined and organized person, right?  That doesn’t fit into the picture of the act she was accused of. If she wanted to kill a person, she wouldn’t cause as much chaos as the person who killed Frank Randall. No, that’s not the way she thinks and works.” 

         The cat purred under his hands.

         “Besides, your mom is a smart woman. With her medical knowledge, she would undoubtedly have found other ways to get rid of the old crook. If she had really wanted to kill him, she would certainly have done so in a way that no one could have proved it to her. No, the bloodbath in Grunewald does not suit her at all.”

         Adso stretched. The cat climbed from Jamie's lap and walked over to the pillow. Like Jamie just before, he smelled it. Then he looked questioningly at Jamie and meowed.

         "It seems we both miss her."          The cat answered with some more meows. Jamie didn't know how long he'd sat on the sofa with Adso. But when his stomach started to growl, he knew it was time for dinner. He set the cat carefully on the ground.          "Come on, we have to go."

         He got up and looked around the room again. Then he went to the desk. He gently stroked the backs of Claire's diaries. Finally, he put his left hand on the book that lay on the writing pad and stayed that way. Then he broke free and headed for the stairs.

As always: Thank you for reading and the comments you left. If you have questions, just sent me a DM or put it in the comments. You are very welcome :) - Next time, read: “Secret Whitsun Holidays on Rügen (6): Sharing Joy and Sorrow (4)”

[regalkitchenfoods]

Ready to eat food

Top Ready To Cook Meals That You Need To Try Right Now

Who isn’t love eating tasty food? We all do right, but we all hate the long cooking process which typically takes up to two hours. In contrast, instant food ready to eat meals can be cooked in less than 20 minutes. Save your precious time and enjoy these ready to eat meals.

Imagine, you are watching your favorite India-Pakistan match and Virat Kohli is all set to hit his another century but you need to switch off the TV and go to the kitchen because you need to prepare food, scary? Well, this scenario can become reality anytime. Only ready to cook meals can be your savior. There are so many brands offering ready to eat meals that it can be difficult to choose which ones to try first. Regal Kitchen is one of the places where you can get the vast range of the tastiest and healthiest ready to cook food at the best price. On that note, check out these top ready to cook Meals and order your favorite instant food. 

Brown rice

“I” in rice stands for irreplaceable. This ready to eat instant food is quite easy to make. Regal kitchen has a vast range of instant food that includes different types of foods such as brown rice, jasmine rice, lime & coriander rice, long grain white rice, and whatnot.

Dal Makhani

What could be the perfect ready to cook food to talk about after rice than our favorite Dal Makhani? In Indian curry, there are plenty of various types of foods but nothing can beat the wholesome Dal Makhani. The best part is, now you can easily skip the long cooking time as this ready to eat food is easily available at instant food RTE stores.

Rava Dosa

This popular south Indian food is indeed an instant food. Rava dosa is crispy, and reedy crepes are made with semolina, cumin, green chilies ginger. If you have nothing in mind for dinner on next Sunday order Rava dosa instant food and enjoy India Pakistan match with peace.

Chaap Tikka Masala

The process of cooking Tikka masala or chaap is quite long and tedious yet, you can make it simplest one with Regal Kitchen’s chaap Tikka masala ready to cook food. So what are you waiting for? It’s the perfect time to ditch your favorite Panner and try Chaap Tikka Masala instant food.

Sarson ka Saag

Have you ever tried this delightful dish? If not then you are really missing the most delicious classic Punjabi dish. The winter is here and Sarson ka Saag is one of the best winter delicacies. This instant food is often served with Makki ki roti.

Aloo Matar

Aloo Matar AKA potato & peas is very popular and every foodie’s favorite instant food.  As the name suggests this ready to eat food is made from potato (Aloo), and green peas (Matar) in slightly spiced smooth tomato based gravy. 

End note

These are incredibly easy to make and require minimum time for cooking. Tempting? What are you waiting for? Just Head to the online website or offline store and get your favorite ready to eat instant food.

[cal-is-a-cuddlefish]

Similar sizes/colors/textures can always be substitutes. Don't have sour cream? Use plain yogurt. Don't have cream? I use milk and mozzarella. I cannot count how many times I've managed to make something tasty out of nothing because I look up a recipe, discover we have maybe two ingredients, and substitute whatever is closest.

Need spinach but only have frozen broccoli? Fucking go for it, just account for the size difference.

Recipe calls for potatoes but you only have frozen tots? Do it.

ALSO!! If something is "missing" try adding acid! People always say food needs salt but it also might need some acid! Wine/vinegar/pickle juice/lemon juice/sharp cheese. It brightens the flavor of your heavier dishes. I personally use the juice from my pickled jalapenos in my chili! Tastes great! Experiment! (Just don’t curdle your alfredo lmao)

Frozen/canned is just as fucking good as fresh and can cost way less if you're like me and rely on your spoons to be able to cook. Stock up on canned veggies when they’re on sale. Add them to your dishes LAST bc they’re already soft! If cooking with frozen, account for the water content (they will be wet!). If all else fails, most frozen products now just steam in the bag. 5 minutes in the microwave and bam. You’re done. Don’t have a steam bag? Just chuck those veggies on a plate and microwave for about 3 minutes, then in 1 min-30 second intervals until they’re hot. Add some form of oil to them (we like butter! Some people don’t!) and salt and pepper. Delicious!

When working with spices, get a working knowledge on what areas of the world they’re used in and what those cultures pair with them! Learn what everything tastes like! An easy way to do this is to make a little bit of plain rice, add some form of oil (for coating), then sprinkle with a single spice. You know, if you’re not a nut like me and just wholesale stick your finger into your spices to taste them by themselves. That way if you’re staring down some plain chicken you can just kinda go: “Paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, garlic would taste good” and go from there (honestly that combination works for literally any meat if you want a tasty, easy way to spice your meats).

RECONSTITUTE YOUR DRY SPICES!! They will taste better. Add them first, let them absorb the moisture of your dish! That avoids weird dry flecks of oregano in your spaghetti! People hate on dried spices but honestly they are JUST AS GOOD as fresh and are MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE!!

Pastes work good as well. I don’t like powdered ginger. I have a tube of ginger mash that cost me I think $2.50. A little more expensive but it lasts forever.

ANY LEFTOVERS can be pizza. Yes. Any. If you are tired of that gallon of spaghetti you made, stick that shit on a tortilla, or naan, or pre-bought pizza dough, or whatever. Add cheese. Maybe pepperoni! Life is short and hard! Oven to 400, heat until cheese is brown and bubbly. It can stretch your leftovers and is filling if you have to split it among your family. I have turned some WEIRD SHIT into pizza. Tikka Masala, orange glazed pork, chicken alfredo, chili, the list goes on. It makes a good lunch for the kiddos if you are pressed for time and just stick it on a single serve tortilla. It might be the curry from three nights ago that you made in bulk, but will feel different so you don’t just Not Eat it.

Lastly (bc I could talk all day about food lol): experiment and don’t be discouraged! Sometimes you’ll make a bad dish, and that’s okay! Maybe it’s ugly, but tastes good. Maybe it smells amazing, but the texture is off! It’s okay. It happens to the best chefs in the world. Just. Keep. At. It. You will get better.

My friend asked how I learned to cook and the answer is I didn't. I know like 5 things about cooking and they are:

Always use more garlic than the recipe calls for

"Ehhh fuck it close enough" is a great measurement tool

Find like 5 recipes that you like, adjust them how you like them, make them until you hate them

Clean as you go

If a recipe is from a mommy blog, you will need more spices

If anyone wants to add, please do