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felinisnoctis · 1 month ago

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Chaos Prime: Fucking Around

The chaos trio meets @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan's Emperor's Child and Slaaneshi disaster marine, Zaarius

CW: Smut, blood, mechadendrites and various other appendages... look it's chaos space marine porn, you have been warned.

Tags: @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @egrets-not-regrets @sleepyfan-blog @kit-williams

“I did say I’d introduce you to some of the other regulars at the base here,” Hura explained to the three primaris newcomers following him around the chaos base. “This is Zaarius, who despite his occasional dramatics is a very good chemist.”

“Well hello there handsome.” Zaarius smirked at the younger marine, giving his usual somewhat flirtatious greeting. Sure the last young primaris he’d used that on had nearly strangled him, but this one didn’t look quite as jumpy. Then again it was hard to get jumpier than a young Black Templar.

The former ultramarine looked Zaarius up and down for a long moment. “You look like you’d snap in half if you followed up on that thought.” Zaarius grinned back at him “I assure you I’m stronger than I look, young one.” Hura managed to glare at both of them.

“So you’re the one who makes those little candies. Hoping to put that theory to the test?”

“I make delicious goods that others Desire and Crave. Care to have a bite?” New customers were always good, even if he wasn’t supposed to be promoting addictions or whatever.

“Sure, but I think Hura might actually vomit if I gave you one here.” Oh.

“If you are going to continue please do so somewhere in private.” By this point Zaarius had learned that particular smooth tone meant Hura was getting slightly irritated. Felix meanwhile had a very shark-like grin going. “Oh, but I need to call my brothers in first!”

“Wait-wait-wait, how many brothers are we talking here?”

“There's two more to our little band here. You sure you don't break, my dear little firstborn?”

“Three? Ok, just be gentle.” The cheeky smile was back.

Hura put his hand to his face before looking at Zaarius. “If they kill you, I want your organs for research purposes.” He turned back to Felix “I do actually need this idiot alive and intact and able to do his chemist duties. He does have use and value to me, despite his..tendencies. That means all limbs and brain matter intact. Also read these before you do anything too stupid.” He handed Felix a couple of pamphlets. The top one was entitled Safe Pleasure and Gifts from the Gods. Underneath another bore the title Protecting your Partners from Slaaneshi Poisons and Nurglite STDs. The last one was Safe, Sane, and Consensual - Boundary Negotiations for Unusual Physiology and Psychology. “There’s also a stockpile of assorted condoms and other coverings for different appendages in the hall closet.”

Felix slipped the pamphlets into a combat pouch. “We’ll look over them, I promise.” Hura simply glared meaningfully at both of the marines. Felix started to protest and changed course. “I’ll look them over while I wait for my brothers.”

Hura glared at him one more time. “Please do. And please take any further slaaneshi nonsense somewhere private.”

Zaarius grinned up at the pair. “Want to take it to one of the practice rooms, big boy?” Hura gave an exasperated sigh and walked off. A minute later Felix and Zaarius headed down to the practice rooms, his two brothers finding him and falling in behind him.

“You didn’t mention you had a techmarine,” Zaarius commented, seeing Mic’s mechadendrites come into view.

“That a problem?” Mic queried, one camera scanning up and down the firstborn’s body.

“Not at all, darling. Specialists are so rare these days though, I didn’t know we had a new one in town! And so well endowed.” Zaarius gestured at the variety of mixed flesh and machine mechadendrites sprouting from the techmarine’s back.

“Usually people ask about Batsy’s wings,” Mic grunted, looking up at his towering bat-winged companion.

“They are very nice wings. And very large.” Batsy’s wings twitched at the commentary as they entered the sparring chamber. All three primaris looked like they were ready for a fight in full armor. Zaaruis’s smaller size was enhanced by his chemist’s garb of a bright pink scrub top covered with images of small heart shaped candies, and matching purple scrub pants.

“Quick ground rules before we get started. Hands only and be gentle on restraints, pain is ok but don’t take it too far, got it boys?”

The three nodded assent. Mic added on “Mind the claws. Poison.” Felix added in response “And stay away from Batsy’s fangs, you’ll get sick.” Zaarius nodded in his turn in response, then blew a kiss at Felix as the other two finished leafing through the provided pamphlets. “Ready to go yet?”

“Nah, I think I’ll wait a little.” The ultramarine crossed his arms over his chest and gave a small signal to the other two, grinning at the firstborn. Batsy reached in to grab under Zaarius’s arms, pulling him down and back against the bulk of the large primaris. “Gotta enjoy the show after all,” Felix finished.

Mic reached a couple of mechadendrites in, deftly slicing through the seat of his pants. One mechadendrite, thick with oil, began to tease him open as others finished tearing his pants apart and ran bites up and down his thighs. A delicate little manipulator mechadendrite flicked pieces of fabric away and wrapped around his cock with a small whirr.

“You’re so pretty” Batsy whispered into his ear as he cut a line across Zaarius’s hand and pressed the wound to his mouth. Small hot pink dams covered his fangs, keeping the poison away, as he licked the blood from the wound. “You taste so sweet too, it’s like having cake for dinner.”

Zaarius leaned into the armored chest behind him. The armor felt oddly soft, likely fusing and merging with the skin of the occupant within it, as was common in chaos marines. Batsy’s gauntlets were off though, and one hand rubbed small circles on Zaarius’s shoulder through his shirt. “Aww you're sweet. And very good at shoulder rubs too. Mmm”. Felix was, so far, standing off to the side observing, arms folded across his chest. Zaarius grinned over at him. “Enjoying the show, big boy?”

Felix just looked at Zaarius, before slowly pulling a bag of chocolates out of one of his combat pouches. Specifically a bag of Zaarius’s excessive delights. “Hey, where did you get those?” Zaarius demanded. Felix didn’t respond, just very slowly pulled his helmet off. “You know those have slaaneshi poison in them right? Highly addictive drugs?” Felix grinned at him before opening the bag and popping one of the chocolates into his mouth.

Zaarius looked back at the ultramarine. “Suit yours….oh” his statement was interrupted as the other two lifted his hips up and pushed him back onto Batsy’s lap. The primaris marine had his codpiece off and his cock already pressing into Zaarius’s back. “Ready, beautiful?” Zaarius wiggled his hips back in response, still giving a cheeky grin at Felix. “Of course, handsome,” he murmured back at Batsy behind him.

Batsy’s hands guided Zaarius’s hips slowly down onto his erection, nuzzling at his neck and running his tongue over the pulse points. Another of Mic’s mechadenrites wrapped around Zaarius’s cock, squeezing it as he rocked back onto the cock pressing inside of him. “Fuck.” He leaned back as his orgasm left white cum over the mechadendrites. “That all you boys got?”

“Hmph, mouthy little bitch aren’t ya?” Felix growled at him from the sidelines, smooshing a second chocolate in one of his hands.

“You gonna do something about it, big boy?” Mic’s mechadendrites pulled back as Batsy’s arms and wings wrapped around Zaarius, holding the firstborn marine to his chest while working his way deeper inside him.

Felix rolled his eyes and pulled the codpiece off his armor in response, wrapping a chocolate covered gauntlet in Zaarius’s hair with one hand and unzipping himself and pressing his half-hard cock into Zaarius’s mouth with the other. Zaarius licked at it teasingly, arching his eyebrows and murmuring something that was probably rude but not intelligible enough to confirm.

“There, that’s a better use of that whore mouth of yours” Felix’s hand dropped down to rest under Zaarius’s chin, stroking a finger along his windpipe. “I’m going to make sure by the end of this you can’t do anything but whimper onto someone’s dick.” Zaarius made a somewhat obscene gesture in response. Felix pushed himself in deeper in lieu of a reply, closing his eyes as Zaarius continued attending to the cock in his mouth as the bat-winged marine underneath him pressed deeper inside, hands crossing over Zaarius’s chest and lingering around his nipples, holding him still for each thrust inside his ass. “Mmph, good” Batsy mouthed into Zaarius’s shoulder, pulling Zaarius closer into his chest as he climaxed inside the emperor’s child. Zaarius’s own wings fluttered lightly at the sensation.

Felix cuffed one of his ears lightly. “Focus, slut. We’re not done with you yet.” The ultramarine was close himself, the poison in the chocolates speeding his reactions. He pulled away just as he finished his own orgasm, suddenly picking Zaarius up and carrying him over to one of the benches before laying the firstborn across his lap. “In fact, we’re just getting started. I’m going to make you beg, you little slaaneshi whore.”

“Aww, you’re such a tease” Zaarius wiggled himself into a more comfortable position, propping his head up in his hands on the bench. Batsy came over and sat down by his head, a bright colored condom contrasting nicely with the yellow-gold of his armor. Very carefully he reached out and ran one finger along Zaarius’s wing, drawing out a shiver from him as Felix pressed down on his hips.

“Mouthy whore at that,” the pinning ultramarine faux-grumbled at his captive. “Oh, but I’m your whore for tonight, boy,” Zaarius snarked back, reaching a hand out to tease at Felix.

“Hmph, ought to teach you some manners.” A primaris-sized gauntlet smacked down onto Zaarius’s ass, driving the breath out of him for a moment. “Should’ve brought a whip.”

“Maybe…next…time…darling”, Zaarius managed to choke out between hits. Batsy knelt down beside the bench and started running his tongue up the edge of a wing, causing the diaphonous wing to vibrate in excitement. Felix shifted his approach as well, cold metal gloves tracing lines along Zaarius’s ass and thighs and ever so briefly brushing over his dick. One gauntleted finger worked its way slowly inside his ass as a large claw protruding from one of Batsy’s wings wrapped around Zaarius’s wrists. Zaarius kicked a little at the sensations, pulling him back towards the edge without ever quite letting him reach it. Mic ambled over and wrapped large hands around his ankles to still the motion, mechadendrites flicking up against Zarrius’s bruised thighs.

“Oooo. Meanie.” Zaarius whined at the trio. “True sons of chaos, torturing your prisoners. I shan’t beg for mercy though.” He did his best to stick his nose in the air in a dignified manner, given the position. A thin mechanical tendril flicked up against his cock. “Mmmph.” His voice started to be come breathless. “Still no.”

Felix and Batsy pulled back from him, leaving just the sensation of being pinned down as a toothed mechadendrite nipped into the very top of his thigh. That was going to leave a mark. Zaarius whimpered a little at being pulled back from so close to his climax. “Fine, fine. Please?” He made the saddest puppy dog eyes he could manage at the trio as Batsy leaned in and cut a long line across his shoulder, lapping up the oozing blood hungrily.

“Mic, shut him up,” Felix ordered. The codpiece on Mic’s armor hinged open as he stepped back and pulled out a part-metal dick, somehow already covered in a specially reinforced condom. “Here!” He pressed himself into Zaarius’s open mouth as Felix straddled the marine on the bench. “Naughty little slut,” he mocked as he inserted himself into Zaarius’s ass. Zaarius raised one hand with the middle finger extended in reply. Such a charming gesture that he’d learned from the baseline humans around here. He keened as Batsy returned the attention to his wings as well, bringing him up to a shuddering finish under the combined unwavering attention of all three primaris and leaving him moaning as they continued until their energy was expended as well.

As they finished, Batsy scooped Zaarius up in his wings, enclosing the smaller marine entirely in the warm skin. “Aw, we’ve gotten your clothes all ripped up,” he crooned as he settled down against the wall with Zaarius in his lap.

“It’s fine, love,” Zaarius crooned back as Batsy started to comb out Zaarius’s long silver hair. “Can someone get some shorts from my quarters? The sparkly purple ones, I think.” He leaned back against the wing behind him, tired and slightly woozy from blood loss. Somewhere off to the side, Mic pressed a glass of orange juice into his hand. “Drink,” the techmarine commanded as he picked clothing scraps and discarded protection up from around the area.

“Thank you dear,” Zaarius said as he slowly drank the juice down, endeavoring to keep his head still as Batsy began to braid his hair and tie it in place with ribbons. “You’re quite creative, Batsy,” he said between sips. “Aww, thanks,” the lamenter sounded almost shy in his response.

Felix returned with the requested pair of hot pants and a primaris-sized t-shirt, which draped over Zaarius’s body, leaving a trail of bite marks and bruises running up his legs and a healing cut and several more visible through the wide neck. “Well then darlings, are you going to buy me dinner after all that?” After a second of thought, Felix burst out laughing as Batsy scooped Zaarius up in his arms and carried him up the stairs.

Somewhere in the medical wing, Apothecary Hura felt an unexplained headache coming on.

#chaos triad #space marine husbandry #space marine husbandry sentience #warhammer 40k #does this count as marine meat monday?#marine meat monday #cw: smut

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kinglazrus · 5 years ago

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Make Tacos, Not War

Phic phight 2020

Submitted by @nocturna-starr: Why did Sam Manson choose to be a vegan? Sam explains to Tucker why she refuses to eat meat and why his diet bothers her.

Summary: Sam, tired of Tucker constantly ragging on her for her dietary choices, challenges him to go one week without eating any meat. If he succeeds, then maybe she'll finally tell him why she went vegan in the first place. (A montage of Tucker's first, and only, week as a strict vegan)

Word count: 5339

Monday – The Bet

Monday morning, Sam and Tucker sat down at their usual lunch table without Danny. They were used to him skipping out on quality friendship time because of ghost stuff, but this week, it was his family that had him occupied. Danny had been on edge lately, acting paranoid, and maybe even hallucinating. Danny's little stint on the Spin-o-Matic definitely didn't help.

Sam and Tucker blamed it on lack of sleep because of all the ghost hunting, not that they'd tell the Fentons that. Maybe a little time away from Amity would do him good. Until then, it was just them holding down the fort until Danny got back. This meant that Sam knew exactly what Tucker was going to ask when he opened his mouth after they sat down.

"So, really, why do you–"

"No," Sam said, cutting him off. Ignoring Tucker's bewildered look, she popped the lid off her pasta salad. It was a new recipe she was trying out, with a spicy almond butter sauce rather than her usual vinaigrette. She was looking forward to it.

Tucker reached across the table, covering Sam's salad with his hand, forcing her to look up at him. "You don't know what I was gonna ask," he said.

Sam glared at him until he moved his hand. Gathering up a forkful of fusilli and red peppers, she took her time savouring the bite, chewing slowly. The sauce could use a bit of a stronger kick, but overall, she liked it. Only once she was satisfied that she had gotten a good taste did she swallow and answer. "Actually, I do, because you ask it every time Danny goes away."

Tucker scowled and folded his arms, unable to argue that point. "Okay, maybe I do. Answer me and I'll stop asking."

"Stop asking and maybe I'll answer."

"That... doesn't make any sense."

Sam jabbed at Tucker with her fork. "Neither does you being obsessed with why I'm vegan."

"I'm not obsessed! I just want to know, there's nothing wrong with that," Tucker said.

They glared at each other. By now, this was all routine. They weren't actually mad at each other, but their conflicting views meant they got annoyed with each other sometimes. It was fine, because they were always friends in the end, but sometimes Sam wanted to eat without someone questioning her dietary and moral choices.

Setting her fork down, she steepled her fingers and fixed Tucker with a calculating gaze. "Fine. I'll tell you. If you go one week with a vegan diet.

"Um, what?"

"One week, no animal products, and I'll tell you. I know that would be practically torture for you, but–"

"Okay."

Sam faltered, "Wait, what?"

"Okay. I'll do it."

Leaning forward, Sam scanned Tucker's face. He looked completely serious, grinning at the challenge. Sam never thought she'd see the day where Tucker Foley would be excited about eating vegetables, but she wasn't about to toss away such a golden opportunity.

"Okay. It starts tomorrow, goes until next Tuesday. No cheating. I've got a binder of recipes at home that Anna uses. I'll bring it to your place tonight," Sam says. She makes a mental note to talk to Tucker's parents about the bet, knowing how much they love their barbecue nights. With any luck, they will make Tucker stick with the diet. Tucker's mom should. Sam knew how much she liked to cook, and some of her vegan recipes might interest Angela.

"Cool. Wait, who's Anna?"

"Our maid."

"You have a maid?!"

—

Surprisingly, it took Tucker a few hours to regret accepting the bet. He spent most of the afternoon feeling smug, knowing that Sam would finally divulge why she was vegan. And then, when he got home, opened the front door, and was hit by the glorious smell of roasting ribs, he realized just what he'd agreed to.

"I'm going to die," Tucker moaned. Swinging his backpack off his shoulder, he tossed it into the living room and trudged over to the kitchen. Inside, his mom was working on dinner. They often ate early since she worked the nightshift at the twenty-four-hour pharmacy. Dinner for Tucker and his dad was usually breakfast for his mom.

"What's wrong, baby?" Angela asked, glancing at Tucker over his shoulder.

"I'm going to starve from lack of meat this week," he said.

"Oh, is this about that bet?"

Tucker lurched upright, slamming his hands on the table. "You know about that? How do you know already?"

Angela laughed. Tucker always thought his mom was really pretty when she laughed. "Sam called me not too long ago. I think it's a great idea! We should all try it for the week. As a last hurrah, I'm making your favourite food tonight."

"Cajun ribs?" Tucker asked, earning a nod. "Marinated steak bites?" Another nod. "Beer-braised Szechuan chicken wings?"

"All of it!"

"Mom, you're an angel, I love you so much," Tucker said, practically drooling over the table. If he died this week from lack of protein, at least he will have had one last good meal to remember.

—

The doorbell rang halfway through dinner. Tucker, sticky-fingered, mouth covered in Szechuan sauce, went to answer it.

Sam stared at the orange sauce staining his lips. "Nice, Foley. That's a great look for you."

"Oh, shut up," Tucker said. He quickly wiped his mouth on the paper towel he'd brought with him. "Thanks for calling my mom, by the way. She's making all of us vegan for the week. I won't even get to come home and smell the sweet, juicy scent of steak and burgers. For a whole week!"

"You can't tell, because it's on the inside, but I'm weeping for you right now," Sam said, deadpan.

"Yeah, whatever. Just give me the book."

Sam passed him the binder. It was surprisingly heavy, filled to the brim. Tucker was impressed the rings managed to hold all the pages. Didn't stop him from holding the binder away from his body like it was a feral animal, though.

"These are all vegan?" Tucker asked, gaping at the pages.

"How many recipes were you expecting?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know. Ten? It's vegetables. How much can you do with vegetables?"

Sam shook her head, sighing in disappointment. Clapping a hand on Tucker's shoulder, she leaned and said, "I really pity you, Tucker."

"Hey!" Tucker shouted, indignant. "Rude."

Sam, unswayed, rolled her eyes. "Suck it up, it's not that bad. Just look at a few of the recipes. You might actually like them."

"I am going to die," Tucker moaned. Opening the binder, he flipped through a few pages, his grimace getting deeper with each one. "Veggie burgers? A travesty. Zucchini noodles? Do I have to say it?" He paused halfway through the book, pointing to a stained page. "Fried bean tacos?"

"I use that one a lot," Sam said, explaining away the stains. She wasn't the neatest cook.

"Okay, that one actually sounds kind of good." He snapped the binder shut and tucked it under his arm. "I still don't get why you can't just tell me why you're vegan."

"I could, but it's a lot more fun this way."

Tucker disagreed.

—

Tuesday – Day One

In the morning, Tucker had a smoothie for breakfast.

"Sorry, baby. I need to go to the store and get some groceries to make most of the really good recipes," Angela said. She sipped at her own smoothie, bags under her eyes. This was her dinner before she would go to sleep. "I don't work tonight, so I'll pick some stuff up later. For now, your lunch is in the fridge."

Tucker shrugged. He liked smoothies, although he wished they were more filling. Downing the glass without complaint, he grabbed his lunch from the fridge—a single container, which didn't bode well—before setting his empty cup in the sink.

"Later, Mom. Have a good sleep!" he shouted over his shoulder before heading out the front door.

—

Tucker stared in dismay at his lunch. Tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onions, sliced and diced and tossed into a cheap plastic container with a strong-smelling dressing. And some weird little green stuff scattered all over it.

"That's oregano. It's a pretty standard herb that your mom probably uses all the time. Don't be such a baby," Sam said. She tore into her bean burrito with gusto, smirking at Tucker from across the table.

"It's just... vegetables..." Tucker says.

"It's vegan."

"There's no cheese!"

"It’s vegan. And there's dressing. Just shut up and eat it."

"As soon as Danny gets back from his road trip, I'm going to tell him you tortured me. Tortured!"

Sam ignored him, instead savouring her burrito and silently delighting in what a nice day it was. Sunny, but not too warm, with a cool breeze. The perfect day for lunch outside. They weren't the only ones who chose to sit outside instead of in the cafeteria, but everyone was scattered across the lawn, so it wasn't too crowded.

Tucker groaned. "I gave my mom the whole binder, and she chose to make this?" Looking across the table, he stared forlornly at Sam's burrito. "That at least looks like something I'd eat. This," he gestured to his Greek salad, "is just plant stuff!"

"Congratulations, you know what vegetables are." Sam rolled her eyes as Tucker groaned again. "It's not going to kill you. You didn't have to agree to the bet."

"You didn't have to make it a bet. I just want to know why you don't eat meat, that's all."

Sighing, Sam put her burrito down. She folded her hands on the table and stared intently at Tucker. "I want to know why I have to explain my personal choices to you. Maybe I'm allergic to the preservatives people put in certain meat. Maybe I'm allergic to beef. Maybe I just don't like how meat tastes."

"I think we both know it's none of those reasons," Tucker says. Reaching into his container, he picks out an olive, grimacing at it, and pops it into his mouth.

"You're right. It isn't any of those reasons, but if it were, that would be my business. Do you get people constantly asking you why you eat meat?"

"Well, no, that'd be stupid."

"So why isn't it stupid for people to ask me why I make my dietary choices? I'm tired of having to constantly justify being vegan. Yeah, there's more to it than me just liking vegetables. But, quite frankly, I don't owe anyone an explanation, especially when they're just going to scoff in my face about it and act like it's dumb."

Tucker stared guiltily down at his salad.

Sam stood up, re-wrapping her burrito, and shoved it in her backpack. "If you want to know why I'm vegan, then you have to respect the effort it takes to be vegan first. So shut up and eat," she said before leaving.

—

Tucker picked at his quinoa cakes, watching them crumble under his fork without actually eating them. Sighing, he stabbed at a chickpea and dragged it through the balsamic sauce decorating his plate, drawing meaningless swirls.

"Something wrong?" his dad, Maurice, asked. Hiding his mouth behind his hand, he leaned toward Tucker and whispered loudly. "Not a fan of the quinoa either, huh?"

"Maurice, you are going to eat every little seed on that plate or else I'm never making you ribs again. You need less red meat," Angela chastised.

"Oh, man," Maurice grumbled, but dutifully went back to eating.

"But your father has a point. What's up, Tucker?"

"I think I made Sam really mad today," Tucker said, lowering his fork. "I didn't think she really minded me asking about being vegan, but she got all huffy talking about respect and stuff."

"Do you respect her?" Angela asked. Her stare was intense.

"I mean, yeah. She's my friend. She's cool, and smart, and stuff." Tucker shrugged. "We wouldn't be the same without her." In a lot of ways no one else would ever realize.

"So, show her that. She wasn't 'huffy,' she was upset, and probably didn't think you were respecting her and her boundaries. Even if it seems like a small thing to you, it could be incredibly personal to Sam." Angela reached across the table and squeezed Tucker's hand. "Apologize to her tomorrow, and then everything'll go back to normal."

Tucker squeezed back, smiling. "Thanks," he said. Feeling better, he finally dug into his dinner. It wasn't half-bad.

—

Wednesday – Day Two

Catching Sam outside science class, Tucker grabbed her backpack and stopped her from going in. He had seen her from the other side of the hall and sprinted all the way down to intercept her.

"What do you want, Tucker?" Sam asked, shaking him off.

He held up a finger as he caught his breath. For someone who ghost hunted on the regular, he was really out of shape. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was kind of an ass yesterday."

Sam pursed her lips. "Yeah, you were."

"You're one of my best friends, and I respect you, even if I don't always act like it. You don't have to go through with your end of the bet if you don't want to," Tucker said.

"You just want to eat meat again."

"Obviously I want to eat meat again. It's only been a day and I can feel myself wasting away." Sam started walking away. Tucker scrambled to stop her, latching on to her sleeve and saying, "But! But I want to make it through the week. Even if you decide not to follow through, I will."

Sam's pursed lips softened into a smile. "I respect you too, Tucker. I may not like that you're practically a carnivore, but you're a decent guy."

Tucker grinned. Letting Sam go, he straightened up and reached into his backpack. All that honesty made him hungry. He pulled out his snack for the day, homemade fruit roll-up, and took a generous bite.

"You think we could have that exact same conversation in front of Melanie from calculus?" he asked Sam. "She said she really likes guys who respect women."

Sam hummed, like she was actually considering it. "I don't know," she said before walking into the classroom.

"Is that a yes?" Tucker shouted after her, mouth full.

"See you at lunch, Tuck."

"Sam, is that a yes? Come on!"

—

Thursday – Day Three

A solid block of tofu was not Tucker's idea of a good meal. A solid block of tofu marinated in a Sriracha-soy sauce, grilled, and stuffed into an English muffin was an okay meal. He licked a line of sauce dribbling down his fingers, enjoying the taste of turmeric.

"Is your mom only making the spicy recipes?" Sam asked. A victorious grin overtook her face at the way Tucker devoured his lunch.

"No, she made that fruit stuff, too. Tomorrow's pancakes for breakfast, apparently," Tucker said. He took another bite, chewing happily, and swallowed. "Tonight is some kind of pilaf thing?"

Sam frowned and asked, "Is it the one from the front of the book or the back?"

"I don't know. Why does it matter?"

"There are still a few recipes in there from when I was just vegetarian. My parents wouldn't let me go full vegan when I was younger because they were worried about protein intake," she explained. "Some of those recipes have eggs, milk, and cheese in them still, and maybe some fish. Most of them are at the front."

"Wait, wait, wait." Tucker lowered his sandwich. "Fish?" Last time he checked, fish was meat, which meant it definitely shouldn't be in a vegetarian recipe.

"I had a pescatarian phase before they let me go full vegan. Those recipes have blue circles in the corner. Make sure you warn your mom about them."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. But what the hell is pescatarian?"

A familiar glint entered Sam's eyes. It was the look she gave right before she was about to lecture someone. "I am so glad you asked," she said sweetly.

"No, I take it back," Tucker said, shaking his head vigorously, but it was too late.

"There are actually a few different variations of vegetarianism. Lacto-vegetarians can eat dairy products, but no other animal products. Ovo-vegetarians allow eggs. Lacto-ovo is both dairy and eggs. Pescatarians, on the other hand, usually have no dairy or eggs, but they do eat fish," Sam said.

She was brimming with excitement, eager that Tucker was actually showing interest in her lifestyle for once. In all their arguments about food, never once had he shown genuine curiosity for vegetarianism, only disdain.

"Isn't that kind of hypocritical?" Tucker asked. "Fish are animals. That's meat. That's exactly what being vegetarian is against."

"It depends on why they're vegetarian. It could be for dietary reasons, not because of a concern about animal cruelty. Fish has a lot of health benefits, especially for your heart, while too much red meat is bad for you. Or, they can be using fish as an alternative protein source. While mass fishing isn't without its issues, it has a lower environmental cost than raising livestock."

Tucker stared at her blankly.

Realizing she had lost him, Sam sighed. "Basically, there's a lot of reasons," she said.

Tucker nodded, finishing the last bites of his lunch. Even if he didn't really get what Sam was saying, she appreciated that he tried. Maybe Tucker wasn't a hopeless carnivore after all.

—

Long after Tucker was meant to be asleep, he sat at his desk, a bowl of Cajun-seasoned popcorn in his lap, and stared intently at his computer. The glow of his screen washed him in pale blue light, glinting off his glasses as he shoved handfuls of popcorn in his mouth.

Opening his browser, he typed into the search bar: what makes vegetarianism better?

—

Friday – Day Four

"Ha!" Tucker shouted, slamming a piece of paper down on the picnic table as soon as he reached it.

Sam tried to read it, but his hand covered most of the text. Lifting her eyes to Tucker's, she asked, "How were the pancakes?"

"Aggressively mediocre," Tucker said, flopping into his seat. He swung his backpack up onto the table and pushes the paper toward Sam. "I found out your secret," he said in a singsong voice as he reached into his backpack.

Sam snatched up the paper, sparing Tucker an annoyed glare, and scanned it. "Did you print out a page from a discussion forum?"

"I needed evidence," Tucker said. Digging around in his backpack, he searched for today's lunch, eventually pulling out his burger. Portabella mushroom, carrot and cucumber slaw, avocado spread, and a tangy sauce stuffed into a rye bun. He was actually looking forward to this, but he'd die before telling Sam that.

"Evidence of what?" Sam said, giving the page a more thorough read.

"You vegans aren't so great."

"First, I never said we were great. Second, what the hell, Tucker?" Sam's gaze halted halfway down the page.

Tucker grinned smugly, knowing exactly what she had found. "Most of your precious vegetables are farmed using exploited labour. It's practically slavery. At least raising livestock doesn't have that."

"You think big corporations deadest on producing as much meat as possible are against exploiting workers?"

"Well, no, but–"

"And you're forgetting about local farmers. I get my produce as local as I can. I have a greenhouse so I can grow my own food year-round."

"Maybe you do, but I was just–"

"And just because the produce industry isn't 'pure,' that doesn't make certain livestock practices better."

"I didn't say that."

"And I agree with you completely," Sam finished.

Tucker's next protest died on his lips. "You what?"

"I agree," she repeated. Folding the paper Tucker gave her in half, she slid it across the table back toward her. "No mass industry like that is perfect. That's exactly why I try to grow my own food and buy local as much as I can. But one person isn't going to affect much, so I protest, too. I speak out in the hopes that these practices will stop."

"Oh." Tucker deflated, his righteous indignation leaving him in a flash. "At least you know," he added weakly.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Sam enjoying the very same tacos Tucker had pointed out the first time he opened her recipe book. Tucker chewed thoughtfully on his burger—which he decided was only okay because he didn't like the texture of the mushroom—and turned Sam's words over in his head. He specifically thought about her callout of big industries, something her family was deeply involved in.

"So, does everything you just said have anything to do with why you're vegan?" Tucker asked.

"Three more days, Tuck," Sam said, smirking at him over her taco.

"Ugh." Tucker groaned but let it go. Three days. He could wait three days.

—

Saturday – Day Five

Standing at the counter, Tucker flipped through Sam's recipe binder, giving it a more thorough look through. He easily found the recipes his mom had already tried, marked with green stick notes. A few more were marked in green. He figured those were ones she wanted to try.

Angela shuffled into the kitchen, yawning.

"Morning, Mom," he mumbled. After a moment, he blinked, frowning in confusion, and looked up. "Didn't you work last night? Why are you awake?"

"Anderson asked me if he could take my shift, needed the extra money. I don't work again until Sunday night, which means you have to suffer through me all weekend, baby," Angela said, giving Tucker a quick hug and ruffling his hair.

"Ugh, Mom, nooo," Tucker whined half-heartedly.

"What are you doing?" she asked, seeing the recipe book laid out before him.

"Well, one of the reasons Sam wanted me to do this was so I could appreciate the effort being vegan took. Or something like that." He waved his hand dismissively. "But just eating the food doesn't take a lot of effort."

A proud small graced Angela's lips. "Do you want to help me cook today?"

Going back to the binder, Tucker showed Angela a page he had marked with his thumb. "Sam's got a couple snack recipes here. Appetizer stuff, like mini-tacos, stuffed peppers, assorted veggie bowls, stuff like that. I thought it might be fun to make a bunch of them."

"That sounds fantastic!" Angela said, giving Tucker another squeeze. "We can pick out which ones you want to make and go to the store. I'm going to tell everyone we run into what a considerate young man you are."

His cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"We should have breakfast before we go. Anything in particular you want?"

"Um, actually..." Tucker trailed off. Blushing even more, he pointed toward the table. "I tried making the lettuce wraps, but, uh.... yeah."

The lettuce wraps were more like lettuce massacres. The iceberg lettuce wouldn't peel neatly off the head and Tucker ended up ripping most of the leaves in half, resulting in wraps that couldn't wrap around anything. Unevenly chopped vegetables spilled off the cutting board into the table. Off to the side, a ramekin filled to the brim, with sauce dripping down the sides, was in the process of staining the tablecloth.

"You are so lucky I'm here," Angela teased.

"Mom," Tucker lamented, but he actually sort of liked it.

—

Sunday – Day Six

Tucker rocked back on his heels, cradling his chin in his palm, as he scanned the Nasty Burger menu. He finally understood what Sam was talking about every time she complained about how there was nothing to eat her. For Tucker, who loved big, sloppy burgers, there was an abundance of options. But for vegans? Or even vegetarians? It was woefully lacking.

Which made sense, because it was a burger place. But Sam said she couldn't get a decent vegan meal anywhere in a five-block radius around the Nasty Burger, which meant whenever she, Tucker, and Danny went to eat there, she couldn't pick food up somewhere else and bring it over.

Tucker hummed, looking over his limited options, and almost missed Valerie walking in front of him, heading around the counter to start her shift.

"Hey, Tucker," she said, pulling on her hat. She gave the acne-riddled teen currently at the register a wave. "You can go on your break, I'll take over."

"Thanks, Val," the kid said.

"So, Tuck. Might Meaty Melt with extra meat?" Valerie asked, already punching it in.

"Actually, no," Tucker said. He couldn't decide between the veggie burger or one of the salads. The kitchen probably didn't have a separate grill for the veggie patties. Would the meal not count if it touched beef juice? It wouldn't be the same as eating a beef burger, but Sam always said it made her uncomfortable knowing the veggie patties might have been grilled in raw juices.

"We've got a new meaty burrito, with sausage stuffed beef." Valerie waved to the promotional sign on the menu board.

"Sausage stuffed beef? How does that even work?"

"No idea, want to try it?"

"Not today. What kind of fryer oil do you use?" Tucker asked, finally looking away from the menu.

"Uh..." Valerie frowned. Glancing back at the kitchen, she squinted at the fryers. "I think we just use canola, why?"

Tucker nodded, finally settling on his order. "I'll get the veggie burger, but can I get the patty deep-fried? And no mayo."

Valerie didn't make a move to punch it in. "What?"

"What?"

"You want a veggie burger?"

"Yeah." Tucker shuffled his feet, feeling awkward. "Why?"

"You. Tucker Foley. Carnivore of Casper High. You want a veggie burger. With no mayo." Valerie looked like she just saw her dad petting the ghost dog that ruined her life. She looked like the world had turned upside down.

Immediately, Tucker realized he could have fun with this. "I'm vegan," he said.

Valerie's face went completely blank for one glorious moment before she screeched, "What?!" Leaning across the counter, she grabbed Tucker. "Since when?"

"Uh, for a while now. Geez, where have you been, Valerie? Don't you know meat is murder?" Tucker asked, tutting and shaking his head.

Valerie, looking like she had woken up in another dimension, slowly punched in his order. Her shocked expression had Tucker giggling all throughout his meal. He made sure to look extra pleased with his burger whenever Valerie looked his way.

—

Monday – Day Seven

Tucker popped the last bite of his burrito into his mouth. It had been an absolute monster full of three kinds of beans, guacamole, salsa, and a wide range of vegetables. His mom specifically saved that recipe for Monday night because she knew it would be his favourite. Chewing fast, Tucker didn't even take the time to savour, instead swallowing as fast as he could and throwing his arms in the air.

"I did it!" he cheered. Pushing away from the table, he leapt to his feet and whooped. He pranced around the room. "I did it, and I didn't cheat, and nobody can ever say I can't appreciate a good vegetable ever again!"

Sam, who had joined the Foley's for dinner that night, shook her head as she watched Tucker. She still had half her burrito left, as did Tucker's parents, because they didn't try to inhale it like they hadn't eaten in a week.

Tucker skipped around the table and stopped beside Sam's chair. "Now you have to tell me."

"I thought you said I didn't have to?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tucker went completely still, his face falling.

Sam laughed. "I'm just kidding. But I'm going to enjoy my dinner first. We aren't all heathens," she said.

Groaning, Tucker returned to his seat. For the rest of the meal, he kept motioning for Sam to hurry up and finish eating. It only made her chew slower. When she finally finished, Tucker eagerly stood up.

"Okay, let's go," he said, grabbing her hand.

Sam pulled back. "Mr. Foley, would you like some help with cleaning up?"

She and Maurice shared sly, conspiratorial grins as Tucker protested loudly.

"That sounds lovely, Sam. Thank you for offering!" Maurice said.

Twenty minutes later, when the dishes were clean, the kitchen was spotless, and the floor was swept, Sam turned to Tucker and said, "Okay, let's go."

"Finally!"

Tucker dragged Sam into his room, closing the door. He took the beanbag chair in the corner of the room while Sam claimed his desk chair.

"So, the reason?" Tucker prompted.

"When people get rich, the first thing they want to do is make more money," Sam started.

"What does that have to do with being vegan?"

"It's relevant! My great-grandfather invented stuff, and he was good at it. Made a lot of money doing it. By my grandfather wasn't as savvy. He took over the company, but he wasn't as innovative. To keep the money coming in, he looked to other industries," Sam said.

"Like farming," Tucker said. "You've mentioned that before."

"Yeah. When I was eight, before he passed away, my grandfather took me to one of his industrial farms. He knew I liked animals and he thought it'd get me interested in the family busy."

"When you were eight," Tucker deadpanned.

Sam nodded. "When I was eight. I saw how horribly the animals were treated there, and it honestly scarred me. I couldn't stand eating meat after that, not after knowing that's how they're treated."

"And that's it?" Tucker asked. He frowned, a little let down. The way Sam built it up, he thought there would be some big reveal. Maybe a deep, dark secret she never shared with anyone before. But it wasn't. She had just been a little girl who loved animals and hated to see them hurt.

"Sorry it wasn't worth the wait," Sam said with a wry grin.

Tucker shrugged. "Eh. My fault for building it up so much." He paused. "Are you going to take over the family business one day?"

Sam lowered her cheek to Tucker's desk and frowned. "I don't know. I don't want everything to be handed to me on a silver platter just because my family has money. I want to work for it. But..."

"If you take over," Tucker said, realizing where Sam was going.

"I can change the way they do things. There are lots of ways to farm ethically. Small local livestock growers? I support them wholeheartedly. They care about their animals and make sure they have good lives before they're killed. I want the Manson Company to be like that," she said. "And until I can make that change happen, I refuse to eat meat.

"Huh. Well, if anyone can do it, you can. I don't think I know anyone as stubborn as you are," Tucker said.

Sam smiled softly. "Thanks, Tuck. That means a lot."

"Now will you talk to Melanie from calculus?" Tucker shot finger guns at Sam. "You never actually said no."

"Oh my god, you're unbelievable." Leaning over, Sam snatched a pillow from Tucker's bed and whipped it at him.

"Hey!" he rolled away, jumping to his feet, and hoisted the beanbag over his shoulder. "Was that a threat, Manson?"

"You think you can beat me, the reigning pillow fight champ since our first sleepover in third grade?" Sam asked, snatching up another pillow.

"I can damn well try!" Tucker pounced.

Sam immediately beat the stuffing out of him. But he wasn't too choked up about it. He made good on the bet, after all. Thanks to that, he now understood Sam a little better. Tomorrow, Danny would be back, and everything would go back to normal. There was no way Tucker would give up his food arguments with Sam, even if they had an understand now. They were just too much fun.

Lying on the floor, panting and wondering how Sam could bruise him with pillows, Tucker hoped Danny had fun this week. Tucker certainly did.

#phic phight #phic phight 2020 #danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #phanfic #phicc #tucker foley #sam manson #tumblroneshots

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vacationsoup · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/where-to-rent-baby-gear-pack-less-play-more-gulfport-treasure-island-st-petersburg/

Where to Rent Baby Gear – Pack Less Play More - Gulfport, Treasure Island & St Petersburg

When Freshness Really Counts

As any chef or good cook will tell you, one of the keys to cooking success is to start with the freshest ingredients.

And I think there's nowhere where that's more important than fresh seafood..

We've all taken that stroll through a supermarket reeking of questionable seafood products and bleach, only to find our appetite and enthusiasm taking a dip. Or nosedive. No pun intended.

Well worry not, we've got you covered! Read on for how to buy fresh fish and where to buy it in the Gulfport, Treasure Island, St Pete Beach and St Petersburg area.

Mary Oliver

" Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?"

How to Buy Fresh Fish

Step 1: Go to a local and reputable seafood shop. See the next section "Where to Buy" below.

Step 2: Ask what the freshest fish is or what the catch of the day is.

Step 3: If you decided to buy anything other than what they tell you is freshest or the catch of the day, make sure what you're buying isn't "previously frozen".

Step 4: Make sure the flesh is firm and shiny. It should provide resistance when touched. Don't go poking it with your uncovered finger, however. I saw one source that said the fish should look as if it might jump up and swim away. If only, the fish is thinking. If only...

Step 5: Sniff it. Yes it's ok. Fish isn't supposed to smell fishy. It should smell fresh.

Step 6: If the poor creature still has its head intact, check the eyes. They should be clear, not cloudy. (You know, so he can see better...)

Step 7: Gills if present should be bright pink and wet. No slimeyness. Ever.

Step 8: For fillets or steaks, make sure the meat doesn't separate from itself. If it does it isn't fresh.

Step 9: If the fish still has its skin, make sure the skin is not discolored. No brown or yellow edges. Mostly this means even, consistent coloring.

Riding on the road is not necessary - we have safe trails and pathways!

Where to Buy #1 - Key West Shrimp Company

We get it. You're not in Key West. And no, I don't know why. But I do know that the entire business is a family affair, with their own boats and own stores. One shop is located in St Pete Beach and the other in Madeira Beach.

"Most of our fish was swimming less than 24 hours ago." Says it right on the website. You'd have to fish for it yourself to get it any fresher. Like them on Facebook to find out what their specials and fresh catches are.

Read about their dedication to sustainability here. And check out products available in their online store here. (Fish Spread fans will find some things to love here!) You can even ship some home if you'd like.

10 am to 6 pm every day. St Pete Beach location is 7217 Gulf Blvd Ste 13 (727) 873-3913. Madeira Beach location is 215 150th Ave. (727) 592-1885

Perfect Salmon

Where to Buy #2 - Mid-Peninsula Seafood

Both a restaurant and a full-service fish market. Looking for something special? Call them! They just may be able to deliver.

Not sure which fish to buy? Visit their Fish School for tips on cooking and information on origin.

Mid Peninsula Seafood's restaurant is one of my faves. Soups, sandwiches, dinners and big orders to feed a gang. Fish Spread is available and something you don't see just anywhere - hushpuppies! They call them Cornpuppies!

Find the full menu of prepared foods here.

Follow them on Facebook.

They're gone fishing on Sundays. Just keep that in mind. Open Monday - Saturday 11 am - 9 pm. 400 49th St S, St Petersburg, FL 33707

insider tip: the seafood watch app

Download the app for your phone. Sustainability at your fingertips!

Where to Buy #3 - Gulf Coast Seafood

Gulfport has two outstanding places to buy seafood. "Fresh From the Boat".

Gulf Coast Seafood began by providing products to stores, resorts and restaurants over a large part of Florida. In response to repeated requests over the years, they are now selling to the public with their own retail shop!

Fresh fish in display cases. Frozen products are vacuum packed). Head on over and catch tonight's dinner.

Follow them on Facebook.

4921 9th Ave S, Gulfport (727) 321-1068 Open from 10 am - 6 pm Monday through Friday. 10 am to 4 pm Saturday

Chance are they have what you fancy

Where to Buy #4 - Don's Dock & Wild Seafood Market

Don's Dock has a wonderful fish market in addition to provide bait, ice and other gear you need to go fishing.

You can call 727-391-3223 for the Catch of the Day, see where your sustainably-caught seafood is coming from "Track Your Fish" and more.

Sauce and seasonings available too. Online seafood market coming soon.

Check out the photo gallery for sample wares. Those babies look ready to go home with you.

Don's Dock Wild Seafood Market is located at 215 Boardwalk Place E, Madeira Beach, Fl. (727) 391-3223

insider tip: sustainable seafood?

View the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Consumer Guide here.

Recipe Suggestion: Perfect Salmon

Note: This cooking technique can be used on other varieties of fish too. Just use your seasoning of choice!

Ingredients

Salmon filets, not steaks

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Maple Syrup

Spray or rub a small amount of olive oil on the bottom or skin-side of the fish. Massage soy sauce into the top of the fish. Place the fish skin side down on a small metal tray. (Sizzle platters are perfect for this.) Pour a modest amount (approximately 1 T) of maple syrup over the top of the fish and spread it around.

Place the salmon in a COLD oven. Now turn the oven on to 400 degrees and set a timer for 25 minutes. Your fish will be moist and flaky and the soy sauce maple syrup on top provides a slight crunch.

Enjoy!

Chance are they have what you fancy

Disposing of Fish Parts - How to be a Good Neighbor!

No matter how fresh that fish is when you get it, eventually it won't be. If you have leftovers (or leftover "parts"), please don't just toss them (bagged or not) in the trash can and let them marinate until trash day. Please help keep the trash cans clean and smelling the best they can by refrigerating your excess in a plastic bag and tossing out the morning of trash pickup.

insider tip: Visit Allrecipes.com

For an amazing assortment of delicious seafood recipes!

Sandy Gingras

" At the beach, treasure is what we find, not what we buy." - from How to Live at the Beach

#holidaystreasureislandflorida #vacationgulfport #VacationInFlorida #vacationintreasureisland #whattodo

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longislandweekly-blog · 5 years ago

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International restaurant chain Fogo de Chão recently opened in Carle Place.

Traditional steakhouse culture is one that is a carnivore’s delight, where the clientele is extensively made up of white male businessmen and the idea of greens is generally limited to a wedge of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing and a tomato slice if you’re lucky. Diners seeking more than that count themselves lucky if they can order a side of steamed broccoli or creamed spinach.

Turning that concept on its head is Fogo de Chão, a fine dining, full-service churrascaria which uses a rodízio style of serving, which involves roving waiters toting barbecued meats on large skewers that are brought table side. The international restaurant chain recently opened its first Long Island location in Carle Place. The 10,000-square foot space boasts 110 staff members scurrying around, serving guests and providing exemplary customer service in ensuring no requests are left unmet. The mood is set by bossa nova music, welcoming you into a warm atmosphere marked by high ceilings, a dark wood decor and a large main dining area with private and semiprivate rooms on the perimeter. It’s a culture of hospitality that is a Fogo hallmark and enabled this unique dining experience to continue growing 40 years after it was founded in the Brazilian countryside community of Porto Alegre by a pair of siblings, Jorge and Alexio Ongaratto and Jair and Arri Coser. But optics alone are not the sole reason for Fogo’s success. It’s the quality, quantity and variety that also welcome guests whose dietary needs are gluten-free and meatless. All this at a restaurant whose name translates to “ground fire” and reflects the traditional gaúcho method of roasting meats over an open fire. It’s something Fogo CEO Barry McGowan is rightfully proud of.

“I’m a healthy eater so I don’t have much time. I can walk right into a Fogo de Chão and have lunch for $15 and order anything I want at the Market Table, which includes smoke salmon and prosciutto. I eat whole foods a lot because of the whole trans-density of it so I eat a lot of beets, broccoli and quinoa. Our menu has a pretty diverse offering for somebody who is vegetarian or vegan,” he said. “We’ve got a vegan cauliflower steak that’s awesome. We are much more than a steakhouse. We’re really accommodating to anyone’s dietary needs and that drives the occasion why you want to come back. But one thing that we’re adamant about is the high quality of food with a lot of flavor. We really pour on the southern Brazilian hospitality and that’s really what we like to do.”

The aforementioned Market Table is a cornerstone of this all-you-can-eat experience and is inspired by the grand kitchen tables on the farms of southern Brazil. It is nearly 100 percent gluten-free and has boatloads of raw fruits and vegetables along with specialty salads (lentil quinoa, quinoa tabouleh, apple salad), seasonal recipes (butternut kale salad, butternut and sweet potato soup, pear and endive salad) and a wide selection of antipasti (pickled onions, Peppadew peppers, marinated artichokes, mixed olives with citrus herbs, sundried tomatoes). Protein options include extensive charcuterie options of cured meats (Calabrese salami, Parma ham leg, imported prosciutto, Spanish chorizo) and aged and imported cheeses (manchego, smoked provolone, baby Swiss, Monte Caputo—semi-hard Brazilian sheep and cow’s milk cheese) along with assorted accompaniments (whole grain mustard, fig jam, caper berries, cornichons). Not to be missed is the smoked salmon, black pepper candied bacon and fogo feijoda, a traditional black bean stew with sausage served over white rice. It can be seasoned with fresh orange, hot sauce and farofa or baked yuca flour with bacon.

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Fogo de Chão’s Market Table

Councilwoman Viviana Russell (fifth from left) and CEO Barry McGowan (fifth from right) at the Carle Place location’s ribbon cutting.

Skewered meat is served tableside. (Photo by Cyndi Zaweski)

But lest you fill up at the Market Table, be sure to leave room for an endless onslaught of beef, pork, lamb and chicken. Every table is a chef’s table at Fogo; the gaúcho chef who carves guests’ fire-roasted meat tableside is the same chef who butchered it, simply seasoned it and grilled it from start to finish. Part of the fixed price system is making use of a tabletop card, green to indicate the diner wants more meat and red signaling that guests have had enough to eat for the moment. Tableside is where non-beef selections include cordeiro (lamb), costela de porco (pork ribs), frango (chicken), lombo (pork loin), linguiça (spicy pork sausage) and pork picanha. But beef is Fogo’s culinary bread and butter. Top cuts are used, preparation is minimal with the delectable outcome partially attributed to the expert way heat is applied throughout the grilling process. Costela (beef ribs), fraldinha (bottom sirloin), alcatra (top sirloin), beef ancho (ribeye) and filet mignon are go-tos but it is picanha (prime part of the sirloin) that is Fogo’s signature steak. Lightly seasoned with rock salt and sliced thin, it is tender with a robust flavor.

Just as diverse as the menu is the clientele.

“Forty percent of our clientele is female and 16 percent are actually family,” McGowan said. “We’re heavily millennial and next generational.”

It’s a big part of what the father of three enjoys when he takes his family out to weekend brunch after church back home in Texas.

Fogo de Chão

“I tell everyone that we’re more than a steakhouse. I think when you discover Fogo, you experience that, especially when you’re with other people. I tell everybody to look around the dining area and see who else is enjoying Fogo. It’s very diverse. We’re not your normal steakhouse where it’s normally people in suit and ties and no family,” he said. “We also have more ethnicity—more people of different races and colors. I’ll just say this, what I love about Fogo is that it’s a very international brand. It’s representative of the people that dine with us because you start to hear the different languages and you see the experience. So really, when you pull back to what separates us when you walk in, it’s not just the experience but the idea that you can have a filet or a rib-eye in any steakhouse. But you can’t go in any steakhouse and have a filet, a rib-eye, lamb chops, fraldinha, picanha, palmittos—all of this is included. But really, it’s just accommodating to anybody that you’re with.”

Part of that dining flexibility is Bar Fogo, which does more than just serve cold adult beverages. Its Monday through Friday happy hour is where patrons can tuck into a sizable $8 picanha burger and wash it down with a caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, which consists of cachaça (sugarcane hard liquor), sugar and lime. Equally delectable are the free servings of pão de queijo, Brazilian cheese dinner rolls that are a delicious staple.

If variety is the spice of life, it’s also the lifeblood pumping through Fogo de Chão and what McGowan says is key to his company’s success.

“The food is delivered in a way that is customized to the individual. Something we say is that your first bite of every dish is the best. At Fogo de Chão, every bite is your first bite. The flavor, the craveability and the experience are all high,” he explained. “The hospitality is high and I’ll say this—all that equates to very strong value for your money. This is where I think we compete well and this is why we have a 40-year longevity. We really focus more on the guests in front of us. Unlike most places around today, we’re pouring more into that.”

Fogo de Chão is located at 235 Old Country Rd. in Carle Place. Visit www.fogodechao.com or call 516-588-7100 for more information.

Fogo de Chão is redefining steakhouse culture. Long Island Weekly's Dave Gil de Rubio chats with Fogo CEO Barry McGowan about the new Carle Place restaurant. Traditional steakhouse culture is one that is a carnivore’s delight, where the clientele is extensively made up of white male businessmen and the idea of greens is generally limited to a wedge of iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing and a tomato slice if you’re lucky.

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guthealthglasgow · 5 years ago

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Hair

My hair is my favorite accessory, which is why I’ve been obsessed with finding the best vitamins for hair growth. I don’t take my supplements in vain; I take them because I’m vain — and because Lady Godiva locks are my goal. Every morning after I eat breakfast, I swallow a handful of pills that would rival Valley of the Dolls’ Neely O’Hara’s daily allotment.

After testing many combinations, I’ve found a hair growth hack that, I swear, makes my hair grow two inches each month. I take one Viviscal Extra Strength pill (the daily dosage is two), one biotin pill (7,500 mcg), and one folic-acid pill (400 mcg). To make sure I won’t become immune to their effects, I switch out my regular Viviscal cocktail with supplement stunt-doubles like Keratin Booster, MD Nutri Hair, or Phyto’s Phytophanere every few weeks.

Two years ago, I was only taking Viviscal’s original formula in its recommended dose: two pills per day. Since then, a half-dosage (one pill) of Viviscal Extra Strength has become integral to my supplement cocktail. Before incorporating this pill into my daily routine, my hair never grew more than a few inches beyond my shoulder. Ever. In my entire life. No matter what happened. No matter what I changed in my various hippie white-meat-and fish-focused, gluten- and dairy-free diet. Thanks to Viviscal’s aminomar marine complex, in addition to its blend of vitamin C, niacin, and biotin, my hair’s grown much longer, glossier, and thicker.

Viviscal does, however, make my roots a bit oily when I take the full dosage and I’ve also noticed my hair growing faster everywhere. In the case of my suddenly robust eyebrows, this news is well received. In the case of my five-o’clock leg-hair shadow, which I’ve since remedied with a few laser-hair-removal sessions, not so much.

The next pill I throw back is biotin, a water-soluble version of vitamin B. In my informal lab experiment of cutting my Viviscal dosage in half in favor of adding a biotin pill, I found that the oily roots problem became a non-issue and my hair now boasted a bounce I’ve seen Orlando Pita create for Michael Kors ads. It yielded the same effect as an application of root-lifting spray and backcombing at the root — and people have noticed.

However, Dr. Dennis Gross notes, “[Biotin is] a more popular hair-growth vitamin, but I am skeptical about the clinical data out there. Biotin supplements show best results if you’re already deficient. You can naturally find biotin in nuts, eggs, and leafy greens.” Perhaps my diet wasn’t rich enough in biotin.

Gross recommends topical supplements, ingredients applied directly to the skin. “These are the most effective means of preventing aging and treating existing conditions. Consider how much volume and surface area an ingested vitamin supplement must cover as it’s diluted by the entire bloodstream and then covers the entire body,” Gross explains. “For instance, the math analysis shows that a 2 percent vitamin C gel applied directly to the face is 200 times more potent than consuming a 600 milligram vitamin C pill.”

His hair-care suite includes a shampoo containing salicylic acid, which helps in “reducing the number of pore blockages in the skin. For your hair, it helps to exfoliate the scalp — ridding it of oils, dirt, and debris — allowing for optimum hair growth.” The line also includes peptides, retinol, azelaic acid, adenosine, and procyanidin-B2.

Lastly, Gross says to be cautious: “Don’t take more than recommended by the FDA or what is written on the labels. Be sure not to take more than the label tells you to. More is not better when it comes to this.”

His own supplement cocktail includes GLA, which stands for gamma linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. “It is considered an essential fatty acid since it is necessary for human health, but the body cannot make it itself — you must get them through food or supplements. GLA helps to stimulate skin and hair growth among other things. It’s a good supplement to take in the wintertime,” he notes.

If you’d rather score your biotin from your food directly, nutritionist and wellness expert Cathy Wong, notes that “Biotin is found in a variety of foods such as milk, bananas, cauliflower, cooked eggs, legumes, nuts, sardines, and whole grains, and it can also be produced by bacteria in the large intestine.” Bottom line? Biotin isn’t dangerous if you stick to the recommended dosage and clear it with your physician before taking it. However, topical supplements and nutrition represent an alternate route to lengthy locks, if you don’t have a penchant for pills.

Prenatal or folic-acid pills have long been recommended, even for those who aren’t with child, for thick, healthy hair, but Wong says to beware. “While they contain folic acid, they do also have larger amounts of iron, which I don’t recommend, unless there is documented iron-deficiency anemia. There is no evidence that they can help, and generally, I am cautious about recommending iron because it is a pro-oxidant (the opposite of an antioxidant) and may contribute to diseases of aging such as atherosclerosis and diabetes.” That said, folic acid influences biotin metabolism, according to a study conducted by the University di Bologna. “After an injection of folic acid, biotin-deficient rats showed greater alterations of the urinary excretion and liver storage of folate derivatives than did control rats. On the basis of these results, it was hypothesized that biotin influences folic-acid metabolism and particularly for the utilization of the biosyntheisis of coenzymatic derivatives.” In short? My addition of folic acid keeps me from pissing away, literally, the benefits of my biotin.

Pill poppers who want to save time in the most Mealprep Mondays–inspired way can invest in three large, seven-day pill cases, available at Amazon, and fill them up once every three weeks. You’ll feel like an octogenarian, but an efficient one. Or invest in one of the many hair-care supplements now on the market. The cocktailing is already done for you, occasionally in gummy form and with specific mixes of ingredients to suit a variety of hair-care needs in addition to boosting overall growth.

If punctuating your sentences with strategic hair flips is your ultimate goal, I maintain that it’s what’s inside that counts, and these six hair vitamins for growth will help. Just be sure never to take any of these on an empty stomach — no matter how lengthy your locks, looking nauseated is never chic.

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vacationsoup · 6 years ago

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Where to Buy Fresh Seafood – Gulfport, Treasure Island & St Petersburg

When Freshness Really Counts

As any chef or good cook will tell you, one of the keys to cooking success is to start with the freshest ingredients.

And I think there's nowhere where that's more important than fresh seafood..

We've all taken that stroll through a supermarket reeking of questionable seafood products and bleach, only to find our appetite and enthusiasm taking a dip. Or nosedive. No pun intended.

Well worry not, we've got you covered! Read on for how to buy fresh fish and where to buy it in the Gulfport, Treasure Island, St Pete Beach and St Petersburg area.

Isak Dinesen

" The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea."