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babbushka · 4 years ago

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Reunions

Clyde Logan x Reader

3k ; Minor angst (Military past/reuniting with military buddies) it’s really very fluffy I promise

(originally posted on AO3 12/28/2018, cross-posting here for my tumblr friends)

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Most Monday mornings found you in the front lawn, tending to the flowers you had planted there before the heat of the day set in, and this particular Monday was no exception.

The birds were chirping brightly, your watering can was full, and the day just seemed glad to see you. Clyde was back in the small house the two of you shared, and was just waking up.

He always slept in late after the weekends when Duck Tape was at its busiest, so you had taken up this routine as a way to be productive while letting him get some much needed rest – on days where he let you out of his python grip, that was.

A bonus to being outside early was you got to greet the neighbors and various people passing by your property. People walking their dogs or taking their kids to the nearby school all got a friendly greeting from you as you tended your garden, and the mailman was no exception. You usually had a small token of appreciation for him on Mondays, as a way to start the week off nicely.

“Good morning ma’am! Only a couple letters for y’all today.” The mailman said as he pulled up in his truck outside your house.

You brushed your hands off on your gardening pants and took the small stack from him with a smile. You knew you were the last house on his route, he had told you as much one morning a few months ago, and so you didn’t worry about the fresh loaf of homemade bread getting squished or damaged in his care. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with butcher’s twine like it was every week, with a small paper tag on it that you wrote down this week’s flavor – roasted garlic and rosemary.

“Thank you Patrick, here’s something nice for you and Shelley. Have a good day!” You handed him the loaf and he didn’t hesitate to take in a big sniff, the garlic was pretty strong but he grinned like it was Christmas morning.

“You’re always so kind (Y/N), thank ya! It smells delicious, you have a good one.” He gave you a small wave before driving down the block.

Heading back towards the house, you started leafing through the letters. One was the cable and internet bill, another was a weekly newsletter of the local community that you had subscribed to, but the third was addressed to Clyde specifically.

It was small and rectangular, and a little dinged up, but it looked like it had traveled a long way to get to Clyde. His name and address was inked in blue pen that had gotten a little smudged, and you could only wonder how many times it had gotten delivered to the wrong place before it finally arrived to your humble home.

“Clyde honey, something came in the mail for you today.” You said as you walked through the door. Your boyfriend was fully awake and munching on some frosted flakes at the kitchen table, reading through a new book he picked up at the library.

“Just put it in the pile, I’ll sort through it later.” Clyde responded sweetly, making you giggle.

“It’s not a bill, someone sent you a personal letter.” You leaned over the table and gave him a morning breath kiss, placing the letter on the table next to his book. “Return address is from Utah, do you know anyone from there?”

You had thought all of Clyde’s family was here in West Virginia. Well, now with Jimmy across state line that might no longer be true, but still you had never heard your man talk about anyone from all the way across the country.

“Can you get me a butter knife?” Clyde asked, his voice gone quiet as he stared at the letter.

“Sure thing honey.” You said with a slight frown, grabbing one from the drawer and handing it to him.

Clyde didn’t respond, using the butter knife as a makeshift letter opener to tear through the envelope carefully. Inside was a single sheet of paper, folded into thirds, and was completely covered in more blue ink. From your angle you couldn’t make out the writing exactly, but Clyde’s reaction to it was more concerning to you than the contents.

“Is everything okay? You look a little pale.” You asked, sitting down next to him and hugging yourself close to his arm, the scarred one. He hadn’t yet put on his prosthetic since he had just woken up, but you didn’t mind in the least. You liked that he trusted you enough to be comfortable around you.

“I’m okay.” He said with a deep breath, folding the letter back down and tucking it under his book.

You didn’t want to press the issue, so you just gave him a kiss and moved to the cabinet to get a bowl so you could have some breakfast with him and spend the rest of the morning together.

The next day, Clyde came home early from work and surprised you with takeout from your favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. You had been watching TV, waiting for him to come home, and at the sound of the front door unlocking you were already running across the house to jump into his arms and cover his face with kisses.

“Honey you’re home!” You grinned, laughing as he lifted you and spun you around.

“Yup, I felt like spending the evening with my favorite lady.” He smiled back at you, giving you one long kiss before releasing his hold on you.

You giggled, still dizzy from the spinning, and took the heavy takeout bag from him. He followed you into the living room where you laid out the spread of containers, and you caught him fidgeting with the buckle on his belt – a nervous habit of his that you picked up on pretty early on.

“(Y/N)?” Clyde said, and you frowned slightly at the apprehension in his voice. “I was wonderin’…if you wouldn’t mind accompanyin’ me to a function this weekend.” He finished, and you were relieved that you didn’t have to prepare for dreadful news.

“You know I’ll always join you wherever you want me to.” You said, sitting on the couch and inviting him to his favorite spot: his head in your lap. “Is this about your friend from Utah? Are they going to be in town?” You asked, thinking about the letter.

“Yup. It ain’t just Tony either, it’s…” Clyde trailed off with a sigh, and your chest tightened for him. You knew there were a lot of things in Clyde’s past that you didn’t really know about, because he had had such a hard time living through them. The last thing you wanted to do was to make him deal with something he wasn’t ready for.

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s hard Clyde.” You said, stroking your fingers through his thick and luscious hair.

“I want to tell ya because it’s hard.” Clyde said, sitting up and taking your hand. He took a deep breath and looked you in the eye, something he was trying to be better at when he was nervous. “I know I don’t talk about it a lot, especially with me losin’ m’ arm and all, but I made some good pals overseas in the special forces. Some of them are having a bar-be-cue, a reunion of sorts, and I’ve been invited to go.”

He looked at you almost like he was afraid you’d say no, but you couldn’t help the smile that crept onto your face, and he felt a little more relaxed.

“Do we need to bring anything? I can whip up my famous mac n’ cheese.” You said, wanting him to know that you accepted every single part of him and his history.

“You don’t mind bein’ around a whole bunch of tough military types for the day?” Clyde asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

“If they mean a lot to you, they mean a lot to me.” You said, leaning in for a kiss.

Clyde’s heart soared, grinning against your lips as he kissed you back. He hadn’t spoken to his army buddies in a long time, at least since he had gotten a phone – otherwise he would have given them his number to call instead of having Tony send him a letter as the only way to reach him. He was nervous showing you more of that side of him, the side that had gotten injured and all the baggage that came along with it, but you had always been supportive and understanding, willing to listen and to help him through all the other bad parts of his life, he should have known you would be there for him during this too.

For the whole week leading up to the BBQ Clyde was nervous with excited energy. He had done a fashion show for you of different outfits he might wear, wanting your opinion on how he should wear his shirts. Should he shave? Should he cover his arm? Hat, or no hat?

You were patient and glad to help, giving your honest thoughts, like he should wear his shirts how he always does; tucked into his trousers and buttoned all the way up. No he shouldn’t shave, he looks handsome with the scruff he’s got, and no hat, it’ll get too hot.

You were an angel, and Clyde kept telling you that on the three hour drive up to Pittsburg, where Emmanuel lived and was hosting this whole thing. Before you two got out of the car, he gave your hand a firm squeeze, and you simply brought it to your lips and kissed the knuckles with a warm smile.

“Clyde Logan, you gentle giant how are ya?” A stocky man emerged from the front of the house when Clyde’s car beeped locked.

“I’m doing alright Emmanuel, it’s good ta see ya, you’re lookin’ pretty fit.” Clyde said, his demeanor immediately lightening up as he was crushed in a bear hug. The man, Emmanuel, ducked his head in a mock shy manner, before flexing and showing off his muscles.

“Thanks buddy! I’ve been spending a lot of time at the gym; they say swimming helps the back.” He shrugged, and Clyde just laughed. It was the first time he had laughed at something other than a corny joke you had made, and it made you grin.

“Clyde you never told us you had a smokin’ hot girlfriend!” Another man stepped out onto the front lawn, he was taller than Emmanuel, but not as tall as Clyde. You were pretty sure Clyde was always going to be the tallest man in the room, even among these guys.

“Shut up Mick,” Clyde teased without any real malice.

“Come on out back and come meet everyone!” Mick said, and the two of you followed him and Emmanuel through the house to the backyard, where it looked like a picture perfect scene out of a movie.

All the guys who were able rushed over to Clyde, and you couldn’t help but get emotional at how they all pulled him into a hug. It was clear to you that they hadn’t been together in a long time, and it warmed your heart to see them still caring about your man.

He managed to push through their wall of affection, and held out a hand for you, which you happily took.

“Everyone, this is (Y/N). (Y/N), this is Mick and his wife Kayla, Tony and his wife Anna, Ozzie, Emmanuel, and Reuben.” Clyde introduced you, and you shook hands with everyone, leaning over to give them kisses on the cheek like you had known these people your whole life.

“It’s so nice to meet everyone.” You said truthfully.

“I bet Clyde’s told you nothin’ about us!” Ozzie laughed, giving a playful elbow to Clyde’s side. “He still the strong silent type we knew back in the day?” He asked with a grin.

“I’m afraid you’re right. But I wouldn’t have him any other way.” You said, making Clyde blush scarlet. He kissed your cheek and the whole group of men wolf whistled, but you didn’t mind, you liked showing off how in love you were with this handsome man. “I brought mac n’ cheese, I hope that was alright.” You suddenly remembered the huge tinfoil covered tray you were holding.

“Damn Clyde, she’s gorgeous and brings food? You got yourself a keeper.” Tony winked, making Clyde wrap his good arm instinctively around your waist.

“You keep your hands to yourself now Tony.” Clyde warned, but he still had that smile on his face.

You stuck by Clyde’s side the entire night. You didn’t say much, but you didn’t have to. It was the men’s night to reconnect with one another after all these years away. Clyde wasn’t the only one to have gotten injured in the roadside mine that took his arm; it took Reuben’s right leg, and had caused Tony to go deaf in his left ear, and partially blind. None of them paid any attention to anyone’s prosthetics, unless it was to comment on how nice Clyde’s arm looked, with how high tech it was.

As the day progressed and more beers were consumed, they started to reminisce about the days when they were together overseas, each one having a different version of the same story. You couldn’t help but laugh at how Clyde seemed to be the mediator whenever two men bickered over minor details in a story, he had always been the calm and collected one in the group, that much was easy to tell.

Emmanuel brought out his tripod and camera, and they set up a timer to take a couple big group photos right when the light was golden, and you offered to take some photos of just the men. Tony had taken the camera from you afterwards, and told you to go stand over by Clyde, and he snapped a couple pictures of the two of you, grinning at one another like the love sick fools you were.

Everyone talked about what they were up to in life. Mick and Kayla were starting to try and have a baby, Emmanuel was the regional manager for a real estate firm in the area, Ozzie and Reuben were both working on memoirs of their time in the war, and Tony had just gotten married to Anna not five weeks earlier.

Clyde was very humble about his life with you, only saying that he was the owner of a bar back home, and that he spent every minute there or with you. You felt like the luckiest lady in the world with the way he smiled down at you, all you could do was sing Clyde’s praises and tell them about the wonderful things he does for the folks back home.

With the evening came s’mores and the passing around of old photo albums. You couldn’t help but snuggle close to Clyde on Emmanuel’s couch as you tried to get a good luck at a young Clyde with nearly shaven hair and a boy’s face. It struck you then just how young all these guys had been, but how young Clyde was in particular. He looked like he joined right out of high school. Clyde’s grip on your hand tightened as they flipped through the pages, some a little older, one in particular of Clyde showing off the tattoo he had on his forearm. You simply put your other hand on top of his, and squeezed back, silently letting him know you were there for him.

Not so long after that came the somber goodbyes, seeing as you and Clyde had three whole hours to drive back home. It was bittersweet, no one knew when they would all have time to coordinate like this again.

“I’m real glad you came.” Tony said, as he held out his hand for a goodbye shake.

“I’m glad y’all invited me.” Clyde said shyly.

“Are you kiddin’? I went through hell tryin’ to find out where to mail that letter! You’re not an easy man to find Clyde Logan.” Tony laughed, deep and scratchy, like he had been smoking a pack a day since the war.

Clyde released your hand for the first time all evening, to pull out a piece of paper from his pocket.

“Here’s my phone number, I want you to give it to all the guys. In case y’all ever want to call or something.” Clyde said, addressing the whole small party.

As Clyde started to say his goodbyes to the folks he had missed, you went around the room and hugged everyone goodbye yourself. As you pulled away from Mick he discreetly slipped the photo of a young Clyde Logan into your hand.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to him,” Mick started with a hushed voice, “But you’ve lit a fire in him like I’ve never seen before. I’m glad he has you.” He said.

“I’m glad to have him.” You said back, with a heartfelt smile, as you hugged him again.

A week or so later, the mailman brought you a small package from Utah, and some postcards from all over the country, no doubt sent by the other members of Clyde’s group. This time you happily recognized Tony’s handwriting and left it for Clyde to open, as he hadn’t come down for breakfast yet.

You had gone to work, but when you came home you noticed a few additions of décor to your kitchen; framed photographs of Clyde and his friends from the BBQ. One of the group, one of just the men that you had taken, and one of the two of you, smiling down at each other.

Clyde’s arm and tattoo was on full display, but so was the love you two had for one another, and that outshone anything else in the world.

#clyde logan #clyde logan x reader #clyde logan/reader #clyde logan x you #clyde logan/you #clyde logan fanfiction #adam driver fanfiction #adam driver character #adcu #my writing

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ourchelseakitchen · 4 years ago

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White cheddar mac n cheese with lemony truffle sourdough breadcrumbs

Comfort, but make it fancy. And not so heavy. This is mac n cheese for the sensible-ish adult in us.

Mac and cheese is probably my favourite food in the whole world. Growing up as a vegetarian in North Dakota was a perennial challenge when it came ot meal time, and Kraft mac n cheese was an absolute staple. There were some periods of growing up where I probably had the stuff for every other meal. Erm, unbalanced adolescent eating habits aside, I still stand by homemade mac n cheese as the best food ever.

To be honest, though, mac n cheese has been a pretty scary food in my books since I unfortunately and inevitably started thinking of foods as 'scary'. Despite how much I love it, I will almost never order it at a restaurant, because it's almost always so heavy that indigestion is nearly guaranteed, and most recipes for the homemade stuff are incredibly indulgent, laden with heavy cream, multiple types of cheeses, butter, etc etc. Now, to be clear I'm no way a 'scary food' shamer. But there are some things that are just too much to be enjoyable. Most homemade mac n cheese recipes are that. It's overkill. My recipe is not. Look, mac n cheese is supposed to be indulgent, comforting. It just doesn't need heavy cream and four cheeses to be that.

There are several different types of bases for mac n cheese out there. Some rely on cream cheese or other combinations of soft cheeses for creaminess, but I go with a roux base. Contrary to popular belief, it's entirely possible to make a rich, creamy mac n cheese using a couple tablespoons of butter, a bit of flour, semi-skim milk, and a cup or two of good quality, sharp grated cheddar.

You can use any kind of pasta that you like. My favourites are rotini, farfalle, or shells because their shapes catch the sauce so well.

*Note on the bread crumbs: We always slice our bread and freeze it at the end of the first day that it's bought. That way the bread keeps its freshness and we can toast individual slices as and when, relieving ourselves of the pressure to terminate a whole loaf before it goes stale (which, trust me, is way too easy to justify doing).To make sourdough bread crumbs from scratch, you could use stale slices of bread, but since ours is always fresh from the freezer, I just throw them into the oven at 160 degrees until they're dry, crisp and golden, but not charring. Let the slices cool, then crumble them up and you're good to go! No need to spend money on store-bought cans of old crumbs.

**Note on truffle powder: You’ll fairly easily find truffle products like salt, paté, infused oils, honeys, etc, but we found this brand of truffle powder that we swear by for our everyday cooking. With the powder, you can add in as much truffle flavour as you like without it coming in an oil or salt vessel.

Ingredients:

For the lemony truffle sourdough bread crumbs:

1 C bread crumbs (see note above)

Juice of 1 lemon (about three Tbsp)

2 tsp truffle powder (see note above) OR truffle oil

1 tsp salt or truffle salt

1 Tbsp melted butter (less if using truffle oil)

For the mac n cheese:

250g pasta (rotini, farfalle or shells recommended)

2 Tbsp butter

3 cloves minced garlic

50g (1/3 C) all-purpose flour

1 pint semi-skim milk

150-200g sharp white cheddar

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 C and butter the edges of a baking dish.

Mix bread crumbs with truffle, lemon, salt and melted butter in a small bowl. Set aside.

First make the roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about a minute. Add the flour, stirring so it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom, for about four minutes. Add the milk and continue stirring until the mixture begins to thicken, being careful that it doesn't start to simmer and curdle. You may need to turn the heat down. In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.

When the roux is thick enough that it starts to stick to the back of the spoon, add the cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Continue stirring until cheese is melted and sauce is thick. Add salt to taste (you’ll probably need more than you would think - taste as you go!). Remove from heat and stir in the pasta, making sure that there is ample sauce in the sauce to pasta ratio since it will become slightly drier in the oven. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on top of mac n cheese. Place in oven and bake uncovered until edges start to turn golden and crispy, about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with a side of green vegetables - broccoli goes great!

#serves: 2-4 #time: 1 hr 20 min #macncheese #macaroni and cheese #pasta #dinner #comfortfood

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toddlazarski · 5 years ago

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The Best Bites of 2019

Shepherd Express

2019. The year before, hopefully. The prologue to 2020’s change, maybe. God or Kali or whomever you wish to charge with these sorts of responsibilities, willing. The end of the beginning of the end of discord, the endless fire, the storms and dread, the corruption of soul we’ve all learned to live with over the past few years that feel like a lifetime.

In Milwaukee, 2019 was the year we were rewarded the Democratic National Convention, and the year we immediately tried to grapple with how we would handle hosting the Democratic National Convention. It was the year, as if we were Austin, as if we were Portland, as if we were ourselves a plucky place of progressivism and forward-thinking, our very own food truck park opened. And, at the same time, it was the year it became impossible to log onto any social media without being inundated by hems and haws and shouting-at-cloud mewls that the city suddenly had legal electric scooters on the street. It was the year Syrian civil war refugees opened a Mitchell Street gem of kefta and baba ghanoush and good nature at the most destination-worthy restaurant in town. And it was the year a racially-charged acid attack occurred against a Latino man entering a southside taqueria. It was the year Sherman Phoenix rose, literally, out of the ashes of the 2016 Sherman Park riots. An opening that barely preceded Milwaukee becoming the first city to name racism a public health crisis.

For me, calorically, it was also a calendar stretch of one step up and one back. It was a time of too many fancy burgers, of swearing off fancy burgers, and then reading about The Diplomat’s Diplomac, and then the Birch & Butcher happy hour special, and then the other one with the ampersand (Glass & Griddle). It was the time of swearing off meat entirely, tempering that to limiting meat, trying to go “Impossible” meat, then realizing my daughter had never been to Sobelman’s. A frigid Monday, empty dining room, impossibly cheery waitress and a jalapeno and three cheese-smashed double patty was all that it took to fall back off the wagon. Or is it on the wagon? Either way, it was also the summer that felt like I spent half of, at least, inside a car with intermittently functioning AC, pit-sweating, contemplating which tiny to-go plastic container of bright green or dark red or burnt orange sauce to douse on yet another pastor taco. I ate at every taco truck in the city in ‘19, or tried, or got close, maybe. Out of curiosity. Out of assignment. But as much so out of moral obligation, as some kind of personal corrector to the current tenor of division, of strife, of unease. And as a reminder of comfort, of the spicy, dangerous, gaseous whiff of hope.

Here are some of the other ways I’ll remember ‘19.

13. Italian Beef - Rosati’s

I grew up in the hyper-regionally-specific sandwich heaven of Buffalo, NY. There a “beef on weck” order from near any corner bar or grocer or butcher will yield a horseradish-spiked roast beef stack piled within a crusty German baker concoction known as a kimmelweck—a roll topped with caraway seeds and coarse salt grains of the likes you might use on your sidewalk in February. Whether it’s a little bit drippy or dry, it will likely singe sinuses, bloviate with beefiness, finish with unnecessary and addictively enjoyable sodium-ness. Everywhere that isn’t there, you can find Western New York ex-pats gathered in some corner of some bar, Bills hatted, commiserating, whispering of favorites from places with foreign-sounding names like Schwabl’s, bemoaning the wonder of why it’s so hard. But there’s a difference between hard and unknown.

Here, Chicago’s Italian beef is another simple, but under-served regional sandwich delicacy. Offering even an apt representation of the au-jus-dripping bombs that can be found on every other corner in our big city neighbor to the south would be itself somehow singular. Rosati’s is a Chicago chain that serves just such a purpose.

Of course, aesthetically or on paper, there’s not much list-worthy about a soaked Italian hoagie roll, barely holding it’s earthy contents, leaking greasy debris all over wax paper like it was an old Saab who’s main attribute was character. But then you get closer: it’s a living sandwich form of a closeup on an Arby’s commercial, with infinite folds of beef wedged like an overfull linen closet, so bursting with folded towels you’re afraid to open the door. The thin rug of plasticky, half-melted mozz is optional. Though the glossy, shimmering hot giardiniera should be mandatory, with its oil-slickening and bright, peppy pickled punch.

But this is still a package of lizard brain enjoyment, of Ditka-esque machismo, with an essence and soul that is all two-fisted, garclicky pigout. It’s the perfect brown meal when you’ve had too many, when it’s too cold, when football is on, when it is followed by a slice of either thin or deep dish—both also apt Chicago representations here. Enjoy life and don’t be ashamed. You can love an Italian beef and still, later, after you swallow, sing along to “the Bears still suck.”

12. Sloppy Johnny - Boo Boo’s

A 6-buck price tag and a name that harkens cafeteria appetites and Adam Sandler jams doesn’t really inspire notions of much other than a nostalgic budget lunch.

But then you see one on the table in front of you, alongside the inspired rotating roster of obscure hot sauce bottles, and ideally next to a steaming bowl of creamy onion-cheddar soup. The sandwich, which derives from a New York City bodega specialty known as a chopped cheese, comes in a fresh-baked, beautiful baguette—crusty outside, pillowy inside—which houses barely visible meat, all the scrags seductively tucked under blankety rivulets of piping white cheddar and pickled peppers and rumors of mushrooms. While I used to come to this address for whiz-spattered ribeye, the Johnny is a bit perplexing in its polish. It is fat guy food all cleaned up, as button-down and put-together a presentation of chopped beef indulgence as might exist in town.

Giving the flat-topped package a second to cool off is the only challenge. Along with the lack of alcohol to wash it down, or assuage said wait. But there seems to be no other shortcomings to the lunch, or anything about the quirky, aggressively friendly spot that replaced and immediately made us all forget the Walker’s Point Philly Way. The sister biz of nextdoor Soup Brothers, Boo Boo’s shows the Milwaukee Soup Nazi’s comfort food flavor rigor and peculiar touch extends neatly to the realm of sandwiches.

11. Carbonara - Zarletti

It’s hard to balance summer in Milwaukee. There’s an at-once need to makeup for six months of living in a place where it hurts your lungs to breath natural air with an overwhelming roster of stuff to do. Of stuff to do outside. One solution might be doing something of calendar noteworthiness with a level of relaxed removal. For me I’ve found an annual tradition of attending Bastille Days’ nighttime 5K. Yet instead of stretching and putting on too-short shorts, I park myself at a table on Milwaukee Street, sip a Negroni, spoon roasted lamb and perperonata onto charry bread, and await a big, hearty pasta while watching the more ambitious sweatily charge toward a finish line and away from their true appetites.

Zarletti’s sidewalk cafe on a summer night can feel very European, very sophisticated, well-heeled. But the carbonara is at it’s core quite basic. Yes, it is the embodiment of those aspects of Roman food anyone recently back from the Old Country will annoy listeners with: simplicity, freshness. Egg, Pecorino Romano, garlic, onion. Here too there is a vomitorium-like abundance of sauteed pancetta. And a reminder of how that perfect deep bowl of al dente can somehow hit all the comfort points of all the different life epochs: childhood mac n’ cheesiness, first apartment spaghetti nights, that trip to Italy. And now, in the night’s growing darkness and fanfare, it’s a special new tradition to feel apart from the race, and part of a different one—finishing every last salty morsel of piggy meat before my stomach says to stop.

10. Tacos de carbon, desebrada, chorizo, pescado - El Tsunami

I’m not entirely sure the silky, sour creamy, Serrano-based light green emulsified salsa found about so many southside taquerias is homemade—such is the ubiquity. And, at this point in our relationship, I’ve gone too far to ask. So, I will continue to happily, ignorantly, scoop and spurt over every possible meatstuff served between National and the Airport, from 35th to the Lake.

Of these, the fare at El Tsunami holds a special sort of siren song sway, pulling me past La Canoa, away from my beloved Chicken Palace. In fact, of the two locations of Tsunami, this is the one without alcohol. And the fact it is still somehow preferred should be all the endorsement necessary. The petite counter-focused diner always feels like a happier, spicier Edward Hopper vision, especially with snow falling and cozy smoke plumes billowing about from the flattop that seems to be always full of approaching-happy meat.

In taco form, an order of carbon yields smoky, charcoal-forward, tiny-diced and juice-spurting nodules. The desebrada is a chocolatey, shreddy deep-stewed beef, with the depth and earthiness of the kind of thing grandma might cook when it’s cold out, when she hasn’t seen you in a while, when she got up real early, even by her standards, to start. The chorizo balances salty, greasy, satisfying pork bombast with foodie subtlety—what is that? Cinnamon? The pescado makes fish fries seem benign, lacking abundantly in tortillas and salsa.

There are other routes—the diablo sauce, a color only seen in dangerously fast and tiny sports cars, is a special coat for any fish dish. But it is the tacos, cilantro-y and satisfying, that remain the supreme vessel for green salsa dousing. And, either way, I’m leaving with some to go: a few containers of verde, just enough to carry a little Tsunami with me back home, to the fridge, enough to pull me through the far too many non-taqueria meals of life.

9. Any pizza - San Giorgio

Maybe it’s because I’m not a car guy, and get no thrill from “peeking under the hood,” and not enough of a cook to have much interest in “seeing how the sausage is made,” but I’ve never cared a great deal about the concept of “open kitchen.” They wear aprons, can handle industrial-grade pans, are comfortable working close to a flame—I get it.

But then I found myself for the first time at San Giorgio’s “pizza bar,” contemplating how beautiful a concept, how perfect a term, when I heard one pizzaiolo, upset about peel placement or arugula quantity or something or another say to the other, “I’ll kill you.” Huh, I thought. They really care.

While few inside the scene seem to put any stock in the VPN certification (the official delegation delineating true Neopolitan style pizza, regulating everything from oven type, to temp, to how much your dough balls must weigh—yes, it’s a bit ridiculous, and, yes, it’s a cost), all aspects of the pizza pedigree of San Giorgio show just such immense, aggressive, sure, threatening, pursuit of craft. In the Sopranos sense of the word, all ingredients, all dishes, seem to be worthy of respect.

Try the Quattro Formaggi, a delightfully oily meld of mozz, provola, fontina, and gorgonzola. Or the San Giorgio, bright with arugula and fennel, salty with crispy pancetta, topped, almost unnecessarily, somehow cohesively, with a sunny side egg. Pay plenty of appropriate focus on anything featuring San Marzano tomato carnage. As a gravy it goes well with anything from basil to spicy soppersata. As Instagrammable goopage, it is bright and popping, with no need of a filter, reminiscent of all things you picture of Italy in your mind.

It all still ties back to the beating heart. And by that, I mean the 900 degree Stefano Ferraro oven, hand-crafted, of course, in Italy. It is a muscular, room-dominating hulk, a ravishing blue-tiled beauty, fire-kissing, turning doughiness halfway to toast, letting the Maillard Effect do its enzyme action work, warming, blackening, making a messy marriage of tomato and cheese. Airy corpuscles form around the crust edge, yielding heartening bites of carb char. It is quick cooking, piping hot delivery for all satisfaction points. What pizza was for us as children, pizza can be for us again, here, downtown on a classy wine-soaked date night or pre-Giannis show.

On subsequent visits I’ve found myself, while pulling away the first slice, lifting the edge and checking the undercarriage to admire the cooking and note the sweet char. Each pizza pattern is unique from the last, like the spots on a Jaguar. So, maybe I am into looking under the hood afterall.

8. Burger - Foxfire

The last thing anyone needs from the internet is another burger list. Or even a list with burgers on them, ranked, in some kind of personal application of rules and regulations that strives toward objectivity, scientific method, a justification of juiciness pontificating.

Yet, in 2019 arriving on a listicle is the only validation. And the burger at Foxfire, served Thursday’s out of the back of Hawthorne Coffee, deserves to make listicles that aren’t even covering burgers. So, while Palomino griddles the best sit-down double-digit-dollar burger in town, and Kopp’s remains the heavyweight of gluttonous eat-in-your-car, American Graffitti old-school comfort and mouthfeel joy, Foxfire strikes the perfect balance between craft and simple. The double patty package is reasonably affordable, is cooked basically to temp, is coated with unfussy American cheese. But the availability is limited, enticingly so. It is topped with only pickle and onion. But the counter is suggestively stacked with esoteric hot sauces. It is what to have for workday lunch, generally, in a coffee shop. But the meat crust and luscious give are worthy of foodie discourse, elevated terms like elevated. The duality in a microcosm: the fries here are reminiscent of the stringy, crispy spuds found at McDonald’s; but they can be topped with little-seen Aleppo pepper.

My grandfather used to say that it is impossible to declare a “best,” that such distinction has to be qualified. He lived in the innocent era before internet lists. And, unfortunately, before being able to try the burger at Foxfire.

7. Chicken 65 and Garlic Naan - Cafe India

My wife often jokes that I only want to eat food in taco form. And they say all good jokes are based in truth. So it came in handy that my natural instinct for bread-as-vessel kicked in when, aggressively, irresponsibly, I ordered my Chicken 65 “extra hot” at the Bay View Cafe India. Within two fork bites it became clear something, anything, more than water, was needed to extinguish, to buffer, to assuage boiling buds. Garlic naan was handy, was originally used like a starchy tongue sponge, and then, somehow inspired, I packaged all subsequent chicken bites within the cozy, garlicky, craggy confines of the bendable bread. Thus my version of Indian tacos was born. Built out of necessity, maintained out of deliciousness.

The Chicken 65 has long been my Indian deep-menu go-to. Huge-bite, deep-fried chunks of tender boneless chicken, bathing in fiery, oily, red-orange stew chocked with hunks of pepper and onion and curry leaf. With its shimmering finish and intense afterburn, it’s a dish that often feels like a turmeric-laced Southern Indian version of Nashville chicken.

Apparently nobody really knows where the dish name came from—some claim the number just refers to the birth year. Others, to either the number of chile peppers or the number of pieces of chicken. It doesn’t matter, historians likely have just had too difficult a time stopping eating, or slurping water, or fanning the mouth. But now at least we all have documentation of the dawn of the Chicken 65 taco.

6. Chicken Shawarma, Kufta Kabob Sandwich - Pita Palace

Sometimes go-to’s are made by convenience, sometime laziness, maybe it's economics, every now and then it just comes from plain exceptional, ceaseless taste, of the kind you never tire of, week after week, appetite after appetite. When I became Iucky enough to stumble into a house purchase a pita toss from this sprawling Layton Ave chateau of Mediterranean comfort food, the “go-to” calculus began to spin endlessly, like a slowly turning vertical rotisserie.

From hummus to arayes to lentil soup, all of the counter service spot’s dishes ring true. But it’s the sandwich section that brings me back, never wears out, with cheap, voluminous meat torpedos nestled inside tender, stretchy shrak bread. They are made of tight, but ambitious construction, braced by pickle buttons, onion and tomato wedges. The chicken yields variable cubes and scrags of spitted meat, some crisp, some soft, velvety garlic sauce making the bundle swim, sing. Or there is the kufta kabob, two skewers-worth of beefy, grainy-textured links, slicked with creamy tahini, the whole deal rife with mint, parsley, sumac, and the kind of otherworldliness that you watch Bourdain for a taste of. Kick either up with a side of the piercing, pungent Thai chile garlic sauce, a sauce with a confrontationally acidic spice profile, a flavor reminiscent of little else at all, just this side of a manageable amount of mother-in-law spleen.

It’s the kind of place you spot from the air on approaches back to General Mitchell, a giant red neon glow of ‘Welcome Home;’ the kind of place your realtor might not mention, but you find it and know your property values will sustain, that it will also salve rote Mondays of yawns and kitchen ennui for years to come. It’s the kind of place you are endlessly happy to live near by, for when you don’t know what to cook, or, really, even when you do.

5. Xiao Long Bao Dumplings - Momo Mee

“Eat with care” the menu warns, an enticing challenge, like something you might find on a waiver from a restaurant you learned of from “Man vs. Food.” To me it reminds of an internet-learning wormhole of food blogs and Youtubes on where to find the Shanghai delicacy in a back alley shop in Chicago’s Chinatown. And then, more challengingly, more importantly, how to actually eat a dumpling filled with soup. As an experienced Xiao Long Bao taster—twice—I can state the process is mostly so: Put a drop of soy sauce in your soup spoon, lift the dumpling from the top, place in the spoon, nibble a tiny hole in the top as a steam valve, slurp some broth out, and then, when the temp feels right, shoot it like an oyster. Then you sit back and feel worldly, self-satisfied, sated.

But as long as you don’t puncture and spurt, or, really, as long as you “eat with care,” you are bound to end up happy, letting umami zest and warm salty pork wedges in hand-crafted dough baste the tongue. The disparity of eating this, here, in the base level of a building seemingly still warm from the factory, hits with the arrival of the steaming bamboo basket. Or, really, with the Schezuan wontons, or the Cantonese claypots—anything you can order amidst the plasticizing Walker’s Point condo sprawl. As the neighborhood loses its soul, it’s character, one more hastily constructed Millennial molehill at a time, Momo Mee more than holds the line.

4. Alambre - La Flamita

Certainly one of the buzziest events in town this winter would have to be a recent Ash Kitchen takeover, featuring James Beard-nominated Minnesota chef Jorge Guzman. The spot, an open hearth concept from Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite, is the new restaurant of the Iron Horse Hotel. The event spotlighted Mexican street food. Yes, at one of the priciest hotels in town. Black beans were $6; rice, a cool $5. And while probably delicious, probably well-intentioned, it sounds a bit like paying Fiserv prices to see a really great high school team: gimmicky at best, condescending at worst, and to any that spend time contemplating what and how we eat, a bit puzzling. If you want taco truck fare, why don’t you go to an actual taco truck?

That very same Sunday night anyone with the hankering could have taken a short cruise west, on National, and subjected their appetites to La Flamita’s weekly special of one-buck pastor tacos. Cut by a big man with a large knife, direct from the trompo—one of the few of the Lebanese-rooted vertical spits in town—greasy, salty, piggy turns of earthiness are spiked by pineapple hunks, upped by arbol salsa that pokes through each bite like it has something to prove. Or, even better, it being Sunday and a day of fun after all, you could have an alambre. Mix your pastor with asada and with chorizo and with gooping, melting queso, the whole thing congealing into a warm, grandmotherly embrace of a taco mix mash, everything punctuated by peppers and onions. Plopped on top is a steaming baked potato, because they want you to be happy, full.

It is the ideal meal for someone who can’t decide, yes, but also who wants it all, who won’t settle, who wants to soar, like Costanza on the wings of Pastrami, to an Epicurean taste fete of grease and meat sweat pleasure. But you can also stay comfortably on the street, barely 12 bucks in the hole, with leftovers certainly, alone in the car, beyond judging eyes or the formalities of waiters, to ponder life and appetite decisions, and wonder how many more you have room for.

3. Tlayuda - La Costena

If you have little kids you probably go to the Domes 300 times or so per year, or so it seems; and because it’s there, you probably go to Honeydip Donuts across the street maybe just a few times less. Heading south then, passing La Costena and it’s beckoning redness, the HGTV optics of an A-frame mini house-cum-taco truck is refreshing, promising in its cutesiness, alluring if only for the hope of something different.

And different it is. Start with a pastor, my personal barometer of a taqueria’s worth. So often simple scraps of salted pink pork do the trick, but here it is decidedly less piggy, moister, deeper, somehow more seasoned and cheffy. Or try the asada, a 100-level taco order, but here redolent of butcher freshness, liberal salt, flattop love. Really you can tell from “hola,” by the friendliness, by the slowness, by the perfectly-quoted wait times from the counter man: Costena may well be the premier taco truck in town.

Then, working your way through the menu, you get here, to a Mexican pizza, a NYC-slice-consistency, corn-shelled ship of salty flavor. The tlayuda is basically begging for you to take a picture, posturing with the bright allure of the flag of our neighbors to the south, popping with the reds of tomato and chipotle salsa, the greens of lettuce, avocado, the whites of queso, svelty sour cream, it all kept grounded by a swab of creamy refrieds, topped by a generous smattering of your carne of choice. Objectively, that choice should be chorizo, the grease-running ground sausage bits so rife with garlic, so equally charry and wet, that it makes any other kind of meat cover seem a bit tepid, a bit too-healthy.

And sometimes this is how traditions are born, out of a need to get a little person out of the house, out of a desire to let them sleep off dreams of cacti and sausage fruit trees from Namibia in the backseat while dad sates creeping hunger and insoluble curiosity. Such is the joy of family, when you realize even proximity to Sobelman’s, to Oscar’s, can be beat, by this, a whole new world of car-meal, of pizza-esque joy, of something different. Long live the Domes.

2. Brisket Burger, Hot Chicken Sandwich, Pimento Cheese, Cheese Curds - Palomino

It’s hard to keep track: Where are we all now on Palomino? Are we still mad they raised prices? Disappointed that it’s less bar and more restaurant? Stuck in a provincial mode that makes us yearn for cheap frozen tots and Bingo? Are we upset that they took a look in the mirror, didn’t coast, made an effort, and made their food much, much, much better? Or have we all just kind of forgotten it?

Maybe I shouldn’t question. Just appreciate the fact I can walk in on a Friday night at 8, find whatever table I want, or a spot at the bar, and order any one or combo of my favorite things to eat in Milwaukee.

There’s no better way to ruin an appetite and a doctor’s wishes than starting a feast with the curds. Elongated oblong bricks of a battered, sheeny shell, barely housing liquefying magma ooze, seem to get almost transported from fryer to wherever I’m sitting and leaning forward. Such is the temperature, the still oil-shimmering, post-bath promise. Stretchy and rich, airy and crispy, endlessly goopy, it’s a snack only matched in Southern-leaning decadence by the pimento cheese. This is piquant-popped velvetiness, the dream of what grown-up grilled cheese can embody, when plopped atop the accompanying charred toast.

It takes will, recklessness, irresponsibility to keep going at this point. The hot chicken thigh, barely saddled inside a buttery brioche, is helped by two things: greasy slicks of mayo and house hot sauce aid gullet passage; also the heft is constructed so that if you put it down, it might fall apart. One must push forth, in delicious punishment. Then there is the brisket burger. No other burger in town is so good at avoiding overtopping, overhyping, overpricing, a balance of kitchen art and pleasure. Like it is no big deal: fresh ground meat, American cheese, onion, pickle, silky mayo-y special sauce. Here is what it would feel like if you could sit down at a Bay View bar and eat a Kopp’s masterpiece sided by an IPA on a chill Friday night, where you can also remember your growth-spurt 16-year-old appetite, even while pushing 40.

If there were ever a case to be made for it being OK to find a rut, to never stray or explore, to find your caloric Cheers and never think about going anywhere else, Palomino would lead my argument.

1. Bahn Mi - Pho Hai Tuyet

There’s rarely a person that borrows my phone that doesn’t make the comment, the note: “You have a Pho Hai Tuyet app?” It’s there, near the front, proudly prominent, a bit out of place near Lyft and Instagram because it’s a by-the-airport dive in a converted fast food shack with endless out-of-commission fish tanks, and, for some reason, a stage. It is also known, has garnered a bit of a cult following for a fat guy sandwich of near-perfection. Or, it was, actually.

Pho hai shuttered quietly, but inevitably, to anyone who’s been recently, sometime between this past spring and the future of our discontent. Still there was shock to those of us who thought the sandwich would always be there: the big French baguette bed, crispy, succulent pork scrags, garlicky mayo, heaps of cilantro, crispy jalapeno punches.

To write about it hurts, like a eulogy, where you need to remember the bad and mix it with the strange to paint a picture. As it happens I have a friend who informed me that, once, while eating inside, he could hear something audibly scampering in the ceiling panels. Out of loyalty, out of sandwich-love, I practiced willful ignorance. I have another friend, a writer sort, who sports a Pho Hai polo shirt in his author bio pic. It seems like some sort of hipster ironicism, unless you know how much he loves—loved—the sandwich. And, really, what are we but not physical manifestations of our past meals and meal memories? A collection of those calories and reminisces.

Even as we look ahead, to more eating, to big city, big event pedigree, to maybe ending the national embarrassment, to 2020, to a promise of new vision, as we yearn for responsibility and reason, to, well, to... who knows? Whatever happens, whatever is next, I will never delete my Pho Hai Tuyet app.

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rmg91 · 6 years ago

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The Woes and Antics of Living Together-7

Here is chapter 7 which despite being one of the scene's I was most excited to write, decided to be a little difficult to do. The muses didn't want to focus. It is done now however and Semi-Bonding Fluff is among us!

Also Branch is a softy.

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter; AO3/FF.Net

@writerofberk Chapter 7 is here! And with it some fluff and pining. ;)

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was one of those overcast, cloudy days that found Poppy flopping onto the couch after being at school all day. She heaved a giant sigh as she clutched a large, orange stuffed cat closer to her chest and flipped through TV channels without paying attention. Fuzzbert 2 could be a great substitute most days but he still wasn't the same as his warm and purring name sake who was back in Trollington with her father. She hoped he didn't miss her too much and that her dad played with him with his favorite mouse toy. And thinking of her dad just made Poppy sigh more as she buried her face in the plush's fur.

She didn't feel homesick often but when she did, it hit hard and made her almost as mopey as her roommate. It made her feel off and sad and she hated feeling sad because it made all her friends sad too. She always tried to hide it from them, or at least always downplayed just how much she missed their hometown whenever they asked what was wrong. And she knew there wasn't a problem with feeling the way she did! It happened to everyone, she just didn't like being the person to bring others down when she usually brought them up. But right now, she was home alone and could mope all she wanted about how much she desperately wanted some of her dad's mac n' cheese and to get one of his bear hugs that always made her feel better. If there was one person better at giving hugs than Poppy, it was Peppy Meadows.

Whining quietly, she tossed the remote onto the coffee table, not really caring about whatever show she landed on and hugged her stuffed animal tighter as she curled up. Maybe she could convince Branch to make the dish she was craving for dinner because she wanted comfort food but didn't want to make it herself. Sighing again, she cuddled her toy and buried her face in it's fur, wondering if maybe her dad wouldn't mind a fourth video-call...assuming he wasn't in some late meeting.

She was still debating with herself over how much she really wanted to call her dad -not that he'd mind either way- when the door jiggled. Her roommate came in then, arms laden with groceries and grumbling to himself about something. Kicking the door closed with his foot, he wobbled slightly before shoving the bags onto the counter, “Yeah, just lay there and don't help.”

“Hi, Branch. Sorry, didn't know you were going to store.”

Branch looked over to where Poppy was laying, immediately in protect mode because that was not a normal response from her. Going over to stand near the couch, he watched her hug the stuffed cat as she avoided eye contact with him, “What's wrong?”

“Nothin...”

“Poppy,” He sighed, “You only bring out Fuzzbert 2 when something's bothering you. What is it? You...you can tell me, you know?” He hoped she wouldn't make some comment about how he never told her what was wrong when she asked.

She continued to stare blankly at the television, inwardly surprised he remembered her go-to comfort plush, before replying softly, “I'm just a little homesick, is all. Nothing to worry about, Bud.” She flashed him a poor excuse for a smile, “Thanks for asking though.”

“Ah...” He wasn't quite sure what to say to that. “Well, uh...” Quick Branch, think of something, anything, to say that could cheer her up! “Is there...anything I can do?” Did he really just ask that?! What in the world could he do to cheer her up?! Branch couldn't believe he had really just offered to do something for her! But, then again, this was Poppy, who was homesick and looking so sad and if there was some way he could bring back her bright smile he'd very well try because he was head over heels for this girl. Not that she'd ever know that because there was no way in the hell he was telling her that.

While Branch was mentally freaking out, Poppy finally looked over at him after his question, “Well...I know it's kind of silly but I really want some comfort food and my dad always made mac n' cheese to make me feel better. So...could we have that for dinner?”

Branch blinked, still thrown slightly off by how subdued she was, “...Sure. No problem.” He then turned back to the kitchenette.

“Thanks. There's a box in the cupboard.”

Branch scoffed as he shuffled the groceries away, “Please, that stuff tastes like cardboard. Homemade is better.”

“Wait...” She sat up slightly and watched him start to gather things together, “You're gonna make it from scratch? Really?”

“Yep.” He popped the 'P' sound as he grabbed butter and cheese from the fridge.

“Oh...” Poppy couldn't believe he would go through all that trouble just for her, she really would have been fine with the boxed stuff. She smiled gratefully even if he didn't see it as he faced the stove, “Thank you.”

Listening to Branch work in the kitchen was almost therapeutic to Poppy, she only wished he'd hum or even maybe sing a little as he worked. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't wanted to hear his beautiful voice again. But she knew pushing him to do something would only make him close up and he was finally after almost two and half months opening up just the littlest bit. It wasn't much, but considering he offered to do something to help her feel better and was going though all the trouble of cooking a real meal vs using a boxed version, it was a win in her scrapbook.

As Poppy lied on the couch, Branch started melting the butter for the roux as he waited for the water to boil. He mentally ticked off and went over the steps for his grandmothers recipe, memories of the two of them cooking this whenever he felt down playing though his mind. Shaking his head so he wouldn't get lost in them and lose track of what he was doing, Branch sprinkled flour and garlic into the butter and continuously stirred it until it combined.

He had just poured the pasta into the boiling water and was about to add the milk for the sauce when Poppy spoke up again, “Hey, Branch?”

“What?”

“Could you not bake my portion? Please?” She couldn't be serious, it was best baked!

“What?! It's better baked.”

“But I want it all gooey. Please?”

Branch mentally groaned because he knew he'd respect her request, “I'll think about it.” But she didn't have to know that.

He could practically hear her pouting and was honestly a little surprised she didn't try harder to push him into agreeing like usual. She must be really be feeling homesick if pushing his buttons wasn't enough to snap her out of it. Hopefully dinner would help because a mopey, not willing to annoy him to death Poppy was something Branch wasn't used to and it freaked him out a little. It made him want to hug her and hold her close while he told her it would be okay but he was Branch he didn't do things like that! No matter how much he wanted to.

Squeezing a few tablespoons of spicy mustard into the milk mixture, he quickly stirred the macaroni before mixing cheese into the sauce. Once satisfied with it, he turned off the burner and topped it with a lid before focusing on making sure the pasta cooked correctly. A few minutes later, Branch drained it and began pouring the cheese sauce into the macaroni. Portioning off about half into a over safe dish, he sprinkled bread crumbs on top before popping it into the warmed oven for about ten minutes.

“Braaaanch!” Poppy whined, “Are you really baking it?!”

Rolling his eyes, Branch spray water into the empty cheese pot, “Don't worry, it's just my half. Yours is boringly unbaked. Ten minutes and we'll eat.”

“Oh...Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He ignored the way her soft thanks made his cheeks feel warm and his heart flutter.

Branch busied himself with rinsing a few utensils as he waited for the timer to beep and when it did, he carried two heaping, steaming bowls over to the couch. Poppy sat up and eagerly took her bowl, thanking him again before digging in. She couldn't help the surprised noise that escaped as she ate her first bite.

“Oh, gosh-” She swallowed before smiling at Branch, “This is really good. Where'd you find the recipe for it?”

He lightly toyed with his food before he swallowed his own bite, “It...It was my grandma's. She taught it to me.”

“Oh...” Poppy couldn't believe he did something so special, knowing how much he had loved Grandma Rosie. She rested her head on his shoulder since she couldn't hug him right now, “Thank you again...It's means a lot to me.”

Branch turned his face away, cheeks flaming, before gently shaking her off his shoulder, “Yeah, yeah, whatever, you're welcome.” He stuffed a spoonful into his mouth before gesturing to the TV, “Why don't you find something that's not whatever this weird documentary?! And eat before it's cold!”

She giggled lightly and did as she was told, “Okay~”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Branch woke to the light pitter-patter of rain and the glow of the television in offline mode, the logo saying to press start floating across the screen. He wasn't quite sure how he feel sleep on the couch, the last thing he remembered being Poppy turning on some spy movie marathon. Yawning, he made to adjust but felt something warm and heavy on his chest. Blinking open his eyes, Branch tensed at what he saw.

Poppy, sleeping soundly and snuggled into his chest, with his traitorous arms wrapped around her waist, holding her close.

Trying to keep his breathing even so she wouldn't wake up, Branch racked his brain on how he could get out of this situation without making it even more awkward. He couldn't just sit up and make a break for it, his first choice, as that would definitely wake her up. He couldn't stay and just watch her sleep, as adorable as she was as her eyelids moved and she smiled at whatever dream she was having, because that would be even more awkward if she randomly woke up. Why did she have to be so cute and charming even when she was asleep?! And why did he have to be so damn captivated by her?! If Branch was being honest with himself, and he hated to do that, he really, really wanted to stay and just watch her dream or, if he was bolder and wasn't certain she'd hate him for it, maybe even adjust so he could lean over and kiss her awake and give her that damned Disney Princess moment she's always wanted. But no, he wouldn't and couldn't do that, so he'd have to go with Plan C; somehow move from under her as slowly as possible and pray that the universe would be nice and she wouldn't wake up.

Taking a deep breath, Branch carefully started to scoot off the couch. Going as slow as he could, he gently shifted to the side only to pause as Poppy sighed and tried to cuddle deeper into his chest with a hum. Staying as still as he could, Branch waited for a few tense seconds as his heart hammered roughly before settling her on the cushions and finally extracting himself from her. Sighing in relief, Branch took a moment to gaze at her in the light of the TV, she was just so beautiful.

Groaning to himself then, he knew he couldn't leave her on the couch to wake up with an ache in her back. Bending back over her, he carefully slipped his arms under her knees and around her back and lifted her up. Poppy made a small noise before she settled against him and muttered something about high fives. Shaking his head at her, Branch carried her to her room before placing her in bed. She hummed and cuddled into her pillow and he had to resist the urge to kiss her again before he slipped out the door.

Taking another deep breath now that it was over, Branch made a trip back to the living room to turn off the television and place their bowls in the sink before returning to bed himself. Hopefully Poppy wouldn't question too much how she'd gotten to her room in the morning.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Poor homesick!Poppy, good thing she has a softy of a best friend to take care of her XD And Branch, buddy, you will one day give her a Disney moment, just wait XP Hope you enjoyed!

#Dreamworks Trolls #Branch #Poppy #Broppy #Fanfiction #Human AU #Modern AU #Roommate AU #dreamworkstrolls

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rositawindsor-blog · 6 years ago

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This New Italian Vegetarian Meals Will Make Depart In Awe

The first challenge we have faced in our restaurant is that how to differentiate the vegan foods. When vegan food is new to the market it is easy to place and capture the fame of Italian restaurants with a vegan. When a new cuisine is being introduced that too in Italian cuisine people surely welcomed it and it is a great success among the customers. Without any specialist being taken we gave only common dishes with having a hint of vegan. The main ingredient used in Italian dish is its meat and pork combined together with extra sauces and creamy milk products. The dishes like Salami, Prosciutto, and pepperoni make the Italian dishes to be remembered all the way. Pepperoni makes a major hit with a combination of meat and pork and various sauces. But for a try, a vegan cuisine made the most trending dishes with green peas. Nowadays there is a number of restaurants for vegan people and they can enjoy their variety. Dishes like cappuccinos, buggets and gelato are served in a vegan friendly manner. Garlic - Are you a hatter for the smell of Garlic? Garlic breath gives you more benefits and it is also being used a medicinal value product. It makes you enhance blood vessel and can destroy cancer cells. This is very useful for relaxation and contradiction control and helps in reducing blood pressure. So , diabetic person before avoiding garlic think twice. When you think about vegetarian the only thing that comes to your mind is the boring concept. But when it comes to our restaurant the idea simply changes and the process over it step forward out of your mind. Dome of the vegan dishes that we have like Vegan lasagne soup, vegan rose sauces served with roasted veggies, Pesto spaghetti with vegan meatballs, Fettuccine with caramelized onion green and vegan feta, vegan garlic past with a hint of roasted cajun cauliflower will surely make your mouth water. Four Cheese Pasta - This will make your heart flow! With some cheesy look and an epicure version of mac n cheese. Four cheese pasta will make you in a daze with parmesan, Emmental a kind of Gruy�re, brie and our loved cheddar. It can't get more cheesy. To make our customers more fond of this, we add a hint of rosemary and thyme which will extra flavour and aroma to it !. Let�s go ahead with Mushroom Risotto - No one can beat the exotic flavour of porcini mushroom which is dried to make this Greenwhereabouts.Com dish. This classic risotto is just made with plump Arborio rice. If you want to pamper yourself then go ahead and ask us for some additional parmesan and butter layer. This will surely make your heart and mouth watery! To end this dish we will also pour a glass of white wine so godere! Four Cheese Pasta -Yes, here comes the best combination of cheese for the customers who have a fondness for cheese. As the name predicts the combination involves Parmesan, Emmental a flavor of Gruyere, brie and also the yummy cheddar cheese. If you need a customization we have given with a chip of Rosemary and thyme which adds extra taste. Now we jump to Mushroom Risotto - The name itself depicts it has something done with mushroom. The smell of exotic mushroom and plump Arboric rice makes you flattered. Even you are not satisfied then ask us for some additional parmesan and butter layer. We assure that it will surely make fall you down and ask again for our dish . If you have even a little space in your stomach area here comes to a glass of white wine to cheer up. Caprese Salad with Pesto Sauce - The mind-blowing flavors and freshness of tomatoes made our dish as most created and a needed dish in our restaurant. They make you think that there is even such an excellent dish. The canned tomatoes even have a sleek structure being combined with mozzarella and basil leaves . They even add a drip of balsamic vinegar or more according to your customization. Sum up! We dine you with the final touch of this flavor by planting an Italian flag over it. This remembers the real taste of Italy. Next one is the Eggplant Parmigiana which has a pottage with parmesan cheese. The real need of this dish being served will make you forget the taste of meat. Yep! The cheese is covered with bright reddish tomatoes and being served to the customers. Finally, it is being served with some garlic bread which very goes with the salad and its cheese. Although the term vegan seems good there are still people who are fond of meat and pork cuisine and they cannot get rid of it. Many cuisines are left out with meat and they cannot able to rejoice the taste of original vegan products. This seems too good as of now. B ut Italian products have more wonderful individuality to make the customers happy and to be felt deserved. The only thing is that your customers have to change over the nutrition content. Our restaurant will surely help to change the view of vegans for this who has not tasted the vegan. Even now you have more questions to be answered? Take a visit to o ur restaurant and taste you will never forget the taste . Bon a ppetite!

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lashydsdomain · 6 years ago

Note

1-154. you wont

bitch

bet i will

1: Full name

lashy. das all you get

2: Age

3: 3 Fears

stairs, glass breaking, not being able to get ahold of someone

4: 3 things I love

my ocs uwu, my friends, my fucking tablet goddamn

5: 4 turns on

not comfy sharing on tumblr

6: 4 turns off

ill say ill come back to this one then leave this in the post

7: My best friend

rn i would say it’s probably blitztrolls

8: Sexual orientation

pan uwu

9: My best first date

ahh.... i havent had an in person first date still ;u;

10: How tall am I

5′5″

11: What do I miss

not being stressed eue;;;

12: What time were I born

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

13: Favourite color

pale blu

14: Do I have a crush

ye u//w//u

15: Favourite quote

you know these things are asked and my mind goes blank

16: Favourite place

the woods just after it’s rained

17: Favourite food

im a basic bitch and just gonna say mac n cheese

18: Do I use sarcasm

no absolutely not. nope.

19: What am I listening to right now

ambles playlist- it’s on ocean eyes by billie elish rn

20: First thing I notice in new person

prooooobably like. their face? typing style if it’s online

21: Shoe size

uhhhhhh i think like a womens 10?

22: Eye color

blue/green

23: Hair color

dark brown

24: Favourite style of clothing

loose and baggy because if i cant be comfortable what’s the point

25: Ever done a prank call?

HELL YEAH

27: Meaning behind my URL

lashyd was one of my first fantrolls and i liked the way it sounded

28: Favourite movie

mmmmm either labyrinth, princess mononoke or annihilation

29: Favourite song

no clue my friend im bad at picking

30: Favourite band

same as above sweats

31: How I feel right now

excited but tired

32: Someone I love

passivetrolls u//w//u/

33: My current relationship status

in a relationship!

34: My relationship with my parents

love my dad, kinda dislike my mom

35: Favourite holiday

christ mass

36: Tattoos and piercing i have

none, im so scared of needles ;u;

37: Tattoos and piercing i want

mmmmmaybe something stupid and simple on like my ankle?? i dunno what tho sweats

38: The reason I joined Tumblr

another fandom and i got bored with homeschooling lmao

39: Do I and my last ex hate each other?

i dislike them but they have tried to contact me a few times before i blocked them

40: Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?

not usually

41: Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?

i dont text so ill go w discord and no i have not the last person i messaged was you shenk gdi

42: When did I last hold hands?

the 2nd ;u;

43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?

7ish minutes

44: Have You shaved your legs in the past three days?

hellllllllllll no

45: Where am I right now?

room

46: If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?

prooooobably my bf or my dad. hate alcohol tho

47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?

loud but only w speakers

48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad?

only da

49: Am I excited for anything?

absolutely motherfucker im making new friends left and right

50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?

i got two uwu

51: How often do I wear a fake smile?

:))))))) irl most of the time tbh

52: When was the last time I hugged someone?

last night

53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?

i would probably cry ugnfldkjfgslfdjg the last person i kissed was my bf wheezes

54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?

i mean probably.

55: What is something I disliked about today?

ehhhh nothing bad has really happened today

56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

probably my friend from serbia uwu

57: What do I think about most?

ocs probably sweats

58: What’s my strangest talent?

burping on command? i dunno

59: Do I have any strange phobias?

glass shattering ouo;;;

60: Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

beh ind

61: What was the last lie I told?

calling myself a basic bitch lmao

62: Do I perfer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

phone probably? video calls make me nervous

63: Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

hell yeah to both

64: Do I believe in magic?

hell yeah i yell tossing salt on all my rocks

65: Do I believe in luck?

yeee

66: What’s the weather like right now?

uhhh clear i think

67: What was the last book I’ve read?

Shibuya Goldfish

68: Do I like the smell of gasoline?

nop

69: Do I have any nicknames?

lash, lashy, gremlin and then stupid relationship nicknames gldsfgjfgs

70: What was the worst injury I’ve ever had?

prooobably almost falling down some stairs at a con and chipping my shin and probably partly pulling my shoulder out of the socket

71: Do I spend money or save it?

i try to save but end up spending it ouo;;;;

72: Can I touch my nose with a tounge?

nearly

73: Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me?

there are some half customized MH dolls so i guess yeah

74: Favourite animal?

cat uwu

75: What was I doing last night at 12 AM?

drawing ambles trollcall pick

76: What do I think is Satan’s last name is?

satan stan obviously

77: What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?

Here - Ancient Magus' Bride OP

78: How can you win my heart?

art of my ocs ngl

79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone?

fuck if i knew

80: What is my favorite word?

probably fuck if you would ask my phone lmao

81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr

passivetrollsblitztrollstavvys-trollsfilibusterfrogwe-are-the-legion

82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?

hey fuckers lets rumble

83: Do I have any relatives in jail?

not that i know of

84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?

teleportation ngl

85: What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

probably 87

86: What is my current desktop picture?

87: Had sex?

sweats how about we move on

88: Bought condoms?

89: Gotten pregnant?

hell no

90: Failed a class?

i think yeah

91: Kissed a boy?

yeeeeeeee

92: Kissed a girl?

nop

93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?

does it count if we were indoors

94: Had job?

not yet wheezes

95: Left the house without my wallet?

96: Bullied someone on the internet?

i dont think so i mgiht have when i was younger

97: Had sex in public?

n o

98: Played on a sports team?

ye!

99: Smoked weed?

ye.

100: Did drugs?

only weedles

101: Smoked cigarettes?

nop

102: Drank alcohol?

yes and i hated it

103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan?

nop

104: Been overweight?

105: Been underweight?

nop

106: Been to a wedding?

nop

107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight?

every day p much

108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight?

nop

109: Been outside my home country?

ye!

110: Gotten my heart broken?

;;;; yeah

111: Been to a professional sports game?

112: Broken a bone?

possibly?

113: Cut myself?

if this is on accident then ya

114: Been to prom?

prom is a waste of time ngl just go to arbys

115: Been in airplane?

yeye

116: Fly by helicopter?

n o

117: What concerts have I been to?

blueman group and the 4th of july ones that play around here

118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex?

yeeee

119: Learned another language?

bits and pieces

120: Wore make up?

yeah

121: Lost my virginity before I was 18?

nop

122: Had oral sex?

lets just skip the sex questions

123: Dyed my hair?

yeee

124: Voted in a presidential election?

125: Rode in an ambulance?

nop

126: Had a surgery?

nop

127: Met someone famous?

yeye

128: Stalked someone on a social network?

god no

129: Peed outside?

this question is weird

130: Been fishing?

hell the fuck yeah

131: Helped with charity?

prrrrobaby?

132: Been rejected by a crush?

yeah ;u;

133: Broken a mirror?

i dont think so

134: What do I want for birthday?

money

135: How many kids do I want and what will be their names?

136: Was I named after anyone?

i was named after two people uwu

137: Do I like my handwriting?

i can barely read it lmao i hate it

138: What was my favourite toy as a child?

my stuffed tigger uwu

139: Favourite Tv Show?

fuck i dunno probably cyberchase or fetch i dont watch tv anymore lmao

140: Where do I want to live when older?

somewhere quiet but convenient

141: Play any musical instrument?

flute and violin

142: One of my scars, how did I get it?

i have a scar on my knuckle from making garlic bread ;u; wasnt even good

143: Favourite pizza toping?

banana peppers

144: Am I afraid of the dark?

nah

145: Am I afraid of heights?

mmmm at times

146: Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad?

yeah >w>;;;

147: Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

all the mc fuckin time

148: What I’m really bad at

telling people when im not up for something

149: What my greatest achievments are

being alive you fuckers cant beat me i won over hundreds of other fuckers and im here

150: The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me

Lets Not, Kids

151: What I’d do if I won in a lottery

buy so much cosplay shit and helping friends get what they need

152: What do I like about myself

im getting better uwu

153: My closest Tumblr friend

passivetrolls or blitztrolls wheezes

154: Something I fantasize about

being able to help my friends out of the places they are right now QuQ

155: Any question you’d like?

more questions for amble and my other girls!

#mun chitters #you thought i wouldnt do it did ya fucker #shenktrolls #ask

2 notes · View notes

rabbitcruiser · 4 years ago

Photo

National Macaroni Day

You can buy a box of low-fat macaroni and cheese made with powdered nonsense. I’m not worried if I’m using four different kinds of cheese and it’s high in fat. It’s real food. That’s what’s more important. - Tom Colicchio

Macaroni has played a major role in the lives of so many people, from their first encounters with it as children served up as macaroni and cheese, with slices of hot dog or peas in it, to kindergarten when they started making macaroni art to take home to their parents. Pasta is delicious in all shapes and sizes, but there is something very special about that bent, elbow shape that brings so many people back to better days and fond memories of their childhoods.

Macaroni is just such an incredibly versatile little piece of pasta that it deserved its own celebration–and Macaroni Day is it!

History of Macaroni Day

So, a good place to start would be to trace back the history of this brave piece of pasta and the stellar role that it has played in the history of pasta. Made from durum wheat, macaroni is a small, curved tube of pasta that does not contain any eggs in its list of ingredients.

Although it might be hard to imagine, macaroni was not one of the first types of pasta to be invented. It’s probably a shame to burst that bubble!

In fact, there are tons of other forms of pasta and macaroni that most people are familiar with. Those little curved pieces that come in the blue box? Those are called elbow macaroni, but they aren’t the only kind there is! So now is the time to let everyone in on a little secret, and that secret is the origins of the word macaroni.

Makaroneia is the original form of the word, and it hails from the Medieval Greek.

But what does it mean? Well, most people (especially kids!) would agree that macaroni and cheese is a dish worth dying for, so is it at all surprising that the word Makaroneia means “dirge”, or specifically in the case of the pasta “funeral meal”? That makes so much sense!

Of course, macaroni isn’t just used in macaroni and cheese though. In fact, that’s a fairly recent expression of the dish. This elbow-shaped pasta is also used as the foundation of an American variety of goulash where it serves as the starch component of a heavily meat-laden dish. Macaroni Day encourages people to explore all the possibilities held in this tiny tube of pasta!

Now, it’s time to celebrate Macaroni Day!

Make your macaroni a masterpiece with these tips and tricks...

How to Celebrate Macaroni Day

Grab a box of Kraft Mac N Cheese

The best way to celebrate it is, in some people’s opinion, to head out and get that traditional blue box of macaroni and cheese that so many people enjoyed as a child. It’s hard to imagine that powdered cheese could be so delicious and tasty–but it certainly is. And this stuff is pretty easy to make. Just cook, add a bit of milk and butter, stir and enjoy!

Make a Pan of Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

After indulging in a box of nostalgia, it’s time to make that dish grow up a little bit! Making homemade macaroni and cheese is actually quite a bit easier than most people would think. Just take a bag of macaroni and boil up enough to serve the number of people who are eating. Then take four kinds of cheese and slowly melt them in a pot on the stove.

Start by putting a little milk in the bottom of the pan, and adding some flour to create a roux. Once it is bubbly and thick, then add Sharp Cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella cheeses that have been grated ahead of time. Stir this until the cheese forms a saucy texture, add more milk and stir thoroughly to get the right consistency. Some people like to throw in a little bit of butter, salt and pepper for flavor.

Don’t be afraid to add some spices in there! Garlic and onion powder, a little Italian seasoning. But to truly make it a masterpiece, don’t forget to finish it off by taking the mixed noodles and cheese sauce, top it with bread crumbs and bake it in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees F until light brown. Absolutely delish!

Fun with Macaroni.

For those kids in the family (or kids at heart), enjoy making some jewelry out of macaroni. Start with uncooked macaroni or penne pasta. Begin by dying the pasta (in vinegar water and food coloring) or painting it in a variety of colors. Thread onto string or twine or embroidery floss. Make into necklaces or bracelets.

Or instead of making it into jewelry, glue the colored pieces of pasta onto construction paper to create fabulous works of art.

Use Macaroni in Other Creative Meals

For those who want to go beyond simple macaroni and cheese, consider going on other interesting culinary adventures. Macaroni is a super inexpensive way to bulk up meals, especially when trying to feed a crowd!

Try these recipe ideas made with macaroni:

Chili with Macaroni. Chili is great on its own, but adding pasta gives it an interesting texture and flavor. Simply cook up a pot of chili, boil some macaroni noodles in a different pan, and add them in. It’s a delicious and filling way to feed a whole bunch of people.

Macaroni Pizza. Cook up some mac and cheese for the “crust”. Press down in a circle on a pizza pan. Spread red sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese over the top, then bake to perfection.

Macaroni Salad. Don’t forget that a cold pasta salad in the summer can be super delicious! Simply cook up the dried macaroni. Rinse under cold water and drain. Then add mayonnaise, white vinegar, mustard diced red peppers, diced onion and diced celery. Add salt, pepper and possibly a bit of sugar to taste.

Source

#National Macaroni Day #ationalMacaroniDay #Mac 'n' Cheese #food #USA #travel #vacation #restaurant #original photography #7 July #BBQ #national day #pasta #tourism

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365footballorg-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Five food items to try at LAFC's new Banc of California Stadium

Alex Dwyer

April 25, 20188:15PM EDT

LOS ANGELES — Whatever people choose to eat at LAFC’s new stadium, ideally, they won’t have to wait very long to do it.

Ahead of Sunday’s opening game at Banc of California Stadium, when LAFC host the Seattle Sounders (9 pm ET | FS1; Full TV & streaming info), the priority at the concession offerings around the new facility is to offer quality, a local connection, and to get food and drinks in a timely manner.

“We wanted to offer the ultimate fan experience when it comes down to technology with [wireless internet], getting people into the gates quickly, and fast lines at the concession stands,” said Benny Tran, senior vice president of development and strategy at LAFC on Wednesday morning during a culinary media day for Banc of California Stadium.

Tran, affectionally known as “Stadium Benny” to LAFC supporters and those involved with the club, referred to the culinary offerings at the new venue as one of the features he cared most about during his three long years researching venues across the world, the sport, and the league.

“We looked at how other stadiums did it,” Tran added. “We did not want to focus on what everyone got all the time, which was, depending on the stadium, okay food or junk food.”

Tran spoke to the club’s ethos of being authentic, young, and community-oriented, pointing out that none of the eateries at MLS’s newest venue were influenced by national chains.

“We ended up with great local partners,” Tran added. “Starting with Beer Belly, then everyone knows Bludso’s in this town, Chicas Tacos is a newer enterprise, but they have wonderful food right in downtown, and Seoul Sausage is German sausage meets Korean food.”

Media members embarked on a tour of those local eateries, as well as several in-house concessions stands created with the club’s hospitality partner Legends, before finally being invited to the Founders Club to sample the food on offer.

Ahead of Sunday’s home opener, here are the top five culinary items not to miss:

1. Beer Belly’s duck fat fries (with raspberry mustard and Three Weavers Expatriate IPA)

Alex Dwyer

Keep your peanuts. Keep your crackerjacks. Even the venerated local institution, Dodger Dogs, may not be able to compete with Beer Belly’s duck fat fries. Dunk one of the savory, crispy potato slivers in the biting raspberry mustard and relish a bite of brutal sweetness that only a Carlos Vela curler or the right craft beer can top.

Thankfully, owner Jimmy Han’s outpost of the restaurant that introduced craft beer to nearby Koreatown will also feature a rotating local beer menu with Three Weavers (Inglewood), Mumford (Downtown LA) and Eagle Rock Brewery all available for Sunday’s kickoff.

2. Seoul Sausage’s kalbi pork sausage (w/ kimchi relish, garlic jalapeño aioli & fried onions)

Alex Dwyer

After starting out making sausages in apartment kitchens, Seoul Sausage won season three of “The Great Food Truck Race” as Ted Kim and his co-founders set out to make a to-go version of Korean BBQ. As many Angelenos already know, with their kalbi pork sausage, they nailed it: a gushing, fresh-grilled link, cut with a distinctive kimchi buzz and smidge of jalapeño fire.

With their booth opening at The Banc, now the restaurant’s most famous item can travel easily with LAFC supporters whether they are bound for the 3252 North End, regular seats, or the club’s more exclusive spaces.

3. Bludso’s brisket sandwich (with mac ‘n cheese)

Alex Dwyer

Compton isn’t the first neighborhood visitors to Los Angeles conjure up when choosing where to grab a meal but for the last decade, native Kevin Bludso has produced the best Texas-style BBQ in Southern California, perhaps the whole state.

Their “slow and low” approach has achieved unreal flavors that taste like they took lifetimes to produce and their saucy brisket sandwich is among the South LA institution’s greatest victories. Paired with a couple scoops of gooey mac ‘n cheese, the meal reaches an echelon of soul food you’d never expect a fancy new stadium to feature.

4: Chicas Tacos barbacoa tacos (with chips & guacamole)

Alex Dwyer

While it’s true that you can essentially throw a rock from Banc of California Stadium and find a street vendor serving up $ 1 tacos that are tough not to love, America’s home for good Mexican cuisine doesn’t disappoint when the Angeleno staple is offered inside the confines of the stadim. Case in point: Chicas Tacos. In just a couple of years, the downtown Los Angeles restaurant has created an assortment of regional delights with one eye toward tradition and the other on evolution.

Their barbacoa tacos, especially when drenched in several stripes of red salsa, deliver without reinventing the wheel: what Angeleno wouldn’t be keen to scarf a quick couple tacos before the black-and-gold takes the field? All the better if you keep a bag of chips and guacamole at the ready for mid-match snacking.

5. The Roost’s pita nachos (with feta, tzatziki, and cucumber salsa)

Alex Dwyer

Apart from the local restaurants invited to open branches at Banc of California Stadium, the in-house concessions team created several eateries (with names like The Crest, The Press, and LA Rotisserie) but its Mediterranean-inspired booth — The Roost — which produces the most novel take on a basic stadium snacks, something Tran called “elevated fan fare.”

Pita Nachos feature lightly fried, unleavened bread piled with feta bricks, diced cucumber, and smothered in tangy tzatziki. I was skeptical the foray into a “healthy” alternative to the hand pumped liquid cheese would fall short of either goal but in-house Chef Matt Eland might be onto something stadium goers had no idea they always wanted — the creation is a fresh take on an old classic.

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MLSsoccer.com News

Five food items to try at LAFC's new Banc of California Stadium was originally published on 365 Football

#Banc #California #Five #food #items #LAFC&039s #Stadium

2 notes · View notes

mrs-entwistle · 7 years ago

Note

1-59

1. Selfie?

2. What would you name your future kids?If Stephen and I have a girl in the future, we plan to name her Emily, but as for boy names, we actually haven’t thought about it!

3. Do you miss anyone?Gotta admit, yeah. A person or two.

4. What are you looking forward to?The weekend, my packages coming in the mail, and Stephen and I’s one year anniversary! :’)

5. Is there anyone who can always make you smile?Yeah, Stephen for sure 😊

6. Is it hard for you to get over someone?It always has been for me, yes, regardless of the situation.

7. What was your life like last year?Absolute shit, I’ve got to be honest. Last year was one of the worst years ever. I’m just glad that 2017 made up for it tenfold :’)

8. Have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?I do that at least twice a week, ima be honest, lmao.

9. Who did you last see in person?Stephen and his brother.

10. Are you good at hiding your feelings?No, not at all lmao I’m pretty bad at it tbh 😅

11. Are you listening to music right now?Nah, I’m listening to my bf and his brother playing video games.

12. What is something you want right now?For my packages to arrive in the mail!!!!!!

13. How do you feel right now?Sleepy and content 😌

14. When was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?Hmm, about an hour ago?

15. Personality description?Bubbly, moody, giggly, always saying or doing something silly and dumb for laughs, unique and one of a kind, very open mindset, shy at times given the situation but loves to make friends and make people happy, very competitive, has times of high confidence and very low insecurities, loves to love and be loved.

16. Have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?Of course.

17. Opinion on insecurities.Everyone has ‘em! They suck a lot but you just gotta try to move past them.

18. Do you miss how thing were a year ago?NO FUCKING WAY lmao

19. Have you ever been to New York?Not yet! I’ve always wanted to go, though. Stephen and I might go next year around the summertime if we have the money.

20. What is your favorite song at the moment?Don’t Stop Me Now - Queen

21. Age and birthday?22; November 2nd

22. Description of crush.You mean my boyfriend? Lmao well he’s about 5’3”, has long, curly, dirty blonde hair, big beautiful blue eyes with super long eyelashes, a precious pointy lil nose that I love to plant kisses on, and the fullest most softest lips ever. He has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen and is incredibly smart. Stephen is so bright and kind and sentimental and he brings a million smiles to my face every day. He’s a goofy goober and a wonderful musician and an even better boyfriend, and I’m so gosh dang lucky to have him in my life!!! I don’t know where I would be without him :’) ❤️

23. Fear(s)? Insects, heights, and the possibility of all of my insecurities coming true.

24. Height? About 5’2” or 5’3”.

25. Role model? I don’t know if I have any actual role models but I rlly look up to Zendaya and Lady Gaga, and because they’re such wonderful people!!!

26. Idol(s)? Basically every musician I listen to from the ‘70s lmaooo

27. Things I hate?Being interrupted, being ignored, feeling insecure about my weight, having nothing to do/not being active enough, bad mental health days, when people assume things about me, rubbing my hands on certain materials/seeing other people do that, pulling on strands of hair until it squeaks omgjskshk that’s the WORST thing, and not feeling important/good enough.28. I’ll love you if…You respect me! All I ask for is respect and understanding!

29. Favorite film(s)? Spirited Away, Edward Scissorhands, and Girl Interrupted are my top 3 👌🏼

30. Favorite tv show(s)?Stranger Things, That 70s Show, Roswell, Always Sunny, Dawson’s Creek, and Degrassi are some of my faves!!!

31. 3 random facts?I can’t swim, I have a permanent baby tooth that will never grow into an adult tooth, and I cannot stand watermelon/watermelon flavored/scented things.

32. Are your friends mainly girls or guys? I don’t actually really have any friends… :/ I have a lot of acquaintances and “kind of” friends, but idk I guess I would typically say guys.

33. Something you want to learn?How to swim and how to drive!!!

34. Most embarrassing moment?Oh god, I have those nearly every day lmao there’s no way I could pick 🙈

35. Favorite subject?English.

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?Getting a place of my own with my love, traveling the world, and publishing my own book.

37. Favorite actor/actress?Winona Ryder 😻

38. Favorite comedian(s)?Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Ben Stiller, etc

39. Favorite sport(s)?Basketball and tennis

40. Favorite memory?When Stephen and I first met irl ☺️💕

41. Relationship status?In a serious relationship ⭐️

42. Favorite book(s)?I don’t really read much anymore honestly, which kind of sucks :(

43. Favorite song ever?That is a loaded question!!!

44. Age you get mistaken for?The youngest is probably 16 lmao

45. How you found out about your idol?Like I said above, all my idols are mostly musicians from the ‘70s so I have to say I found out about them mostly because my mom always played their music while I was growing up! Then as I got older I began to delve deeper into their musical catalogues 🎶

46. What my last text message says? “OK I LOVE U BB”

47. Turn ons?I don’t feel it necessary to answer this because I’m in a relationship

48. Turn offs?Rudeness, disrespect, inconsideration, disloyalty, etc49. Where I want to be right now?Nowhere, I’m right where I want to be.

50. Favorite picture of your idol? *insert literally any photo of John Entwistle here*

51. Star sign?Scorpio!

52. Something i’m talented at?Making art.

53. 5 things that make me happy?Stephen, video games, cats, antique stores, and cotton candy!

54. Something that’s worrying me at the moment?Nothing, really! :o

55. Tumblr friends?They know who they are 😌

56. Favorite food(s)?Anything having to do with chicken, potatoes, mac n cheese, pasta in general, and garlic bread!!!

57. Favorite animal(s)?Cats and bats!!!

58. Description of my best friend? Refer to question #22 !!!

59. Why I joined tumblr?I joined in the summer of 2012 back when I was going through a lot, mentally and physically, and I had no friends because I was house-bound because of an illness. I came across Tumblr while looking for photos of The Beatles (I used to be a HUGE Beatles fan lmao) and decided to join in hopes I could make some friends who liked the same things as I did without leaving my house. It worked, so here I am! Lmao. Lots has happened to this blog/me over the years I’ve been on here. It’s pretty wild! I’ve met a lot of people, and lost a lot of people as we had falling outs or as they simply deleted their blogs. I’ll probably be here forever, just posting my aesthetic ‘70s shit, haha!

Thanks so much!!! 🌸🌷⭐️

#about me

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irisplate9-blog · 6 years ago

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Spanish Rice from Vegan Meal Prep by JL Fields

[Spanish Rice is a great quick and easy side dish that’s vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut-free and yeast-free. Suitable for all stages on an anti-candida diet.]

Over the years, I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with meal planning. Of course, we all know that it’s better for your schedule and your wallet to plan meals in advance: that way, you buy only the groceries you need for that week’s meals, you always have the ingredients on hand that you need, and you end up eating better, too, since you don’t reach for the phone to order in from Hello Fresh.

This week, that’s all changed! And it’s all due to my friend JL Fields’s new book, Vegan Meal Prep: Ready-to-Go Meals and Snacks for Healthy Plant-Based Eating.

Since I started blogging in 2008 (!!), I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting JL Fields three times (we met twice when the HH and I visited New York City on two separate occasions, then again at a vegan festival near where we live in St. Catharines, Ontario).

In case you don’t know, JL is the Founder and Director of the Colorado Springs Culinary Academy, Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator, Food for Life instructor, chef instructor at the University of New Mexico Culinary program, personal chef, career coach and corporate consultant–as well as the author or co-author of 5 books, the host of Real World Vegan Meals and the Easy Vegan radio show, and columnist for the Colorado Springs Gazette.

<!–more Continue reading Spanish Rice from Vegan Meal Prep. . . –>

If ever there was a woman who fit the descriptor “powerhouse” in the best possible way, it’s JL!

Multi-passionate with a thriving vegan business in many sectors, JL is also personable, funny, sharp-witted and immensely talented when it comes to creating delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes that appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike. She proved her chops first with pressure cooking, then air frying, and now, in Vegan Meal Prep, how to save time and money and still enjoy varied and tasty meals all week.

If you’ve never done a menu plan, you might assume that meal prepping is the same thing. And if you have done meal plans, you’ll find that JL’s no-nonsense approach is much easier and allows for creativity during the week with ingredients and meals.

The concept is simple: prep major ingredients based on a theme each week, then prep in advance or mix-and-match throughout the week to create convenient, tasty meals when short on time. As JL says in the book’s Introduction, “So, yes, ‘I’m too busy to cook’ folks, this book is for you.”

After covering some of the basic of plant-powered prep, the book moves to Meal Prep Principles (“start simple,” “set realistic goals” and “experiment with vegan staples”), as well as tips for batch cooking, how to play with flavors that can transform simple ingredients into extraordinary recipes, and a list of JL’s favorite “Go-To Ingredients” so you can get started easily. Part One ends with tips on storage so that your prep can last you through the week and you won’t need to have major cooking time again until the following weekend.

Meal prep and recipes revolve around themes such as “Grain Goodness,” “Beat the Heat,” “Go Green,” “For the Love of Legumes,” “To the East,” “Fiesta Time,” “Beautiful Bowls” and “Back to Basics.” Each prep provides several ingredients that are batch-cooked for the week, plus a list of recipes that are made with those ingredients. You can prep most of the recipes in advance, then simply pull out of the fridge, reheat if necessary, and enjoy a healthful, ready-made breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.

As with everything JL does, the book is clear, informative, well organized, and engaging to read. The recipes range from basics like Caesar-style Dressing, Cashew Cream, Cinnamon and Spice Overnight Oats or Basic Baked Potato to easy yet tasty dishes like Tofu-Spinach Scramble, Banana-Nut Bread Bars, Tasty Mac ‘N Cheese, Not-Tuna Salad, Tortilla Breakfast Casserole or Cashew-Chocolate Truffles, and some of JL’s more “signature” recipes like White Bean Gravy, Savory Oatmeal Porridge, Risotto Bites, or Peppered Pinto Beans.

While some of the recipes do contain gluten or higher glycemic sweeteners (such as dates) or maple syrup), these are rare, and over 85% are gluten-free. Because the recipes are deliberately created so that you can add or adjust to your own taste, you’ll find loads of ACD-friendly recipes, as well as many nut-free, too.

A perfect example is this Spanish Rice. I made mine with additional jalapeno since the HH and I loooove spice, and it was fabulous. We used it as a wonderful side dish the first night, then added cooked black beans and some chopped chard the next for a full meal.

Print This!

Spanish Rice

JL says, “This is an easy way to make your brown rice a little more exciting. If you’re a spice-fan, consider adding a diced jalapeno! Serve with the Peppered Pintos or the Red Bean and Corn Salad.”

1 tsp (5 ml) extra-virgin olive oil or 2 tsp (10 ml) vegetable broth ½ cup (120 ml) finely chopped onion 1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic (about 1 clove) 1 cup (240 ml) short-grain brown rice 2-1/4 cups (540 ml) vegetable broth 2 tsp (10 ml) tomato paste 1 small tomato, diced 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground cumin 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) paprika 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) chili powder 1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Sauté the garlic and onion for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the rice and stir constantly, allowing the rice to brown just a bit. Add the broth, tomato paste, tomato, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes. 2. Remove from the heat but leave covered for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. 3. Divide the rice evenly between 4 single compartment storage containers. Let cool before sealing the lids. Makes 4 servings.

Storage: Place the airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, refrigerate overnight. Reheat in the microwave for 1½ to 3 minutes.

Tip: Make this fast in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker! Sauté the onion, garlic, and rice in the pot as in the direction, in the pot, add the rest of the ingredients (but decrease the vegetable broth to 1½ cups) and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes; use a natural release.

Per serving: Calories: 161; Fat: 2g; Protein: 4g; Carbohydrates: 31g; Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 3g; Sodium: 324mg

Suitable for: ACD All stages; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, vegan,.

Disclosure: Links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.

Subscribe for recipes and more about living well without sugar, gluten, eggs or dairy! Click here to subscribe to RickiHeller.com via email. You’ll receive emails sharing recipes and videos as soon as they’re posted, plus weekly updates and news about upcoming events. A healthy lifestyle CAN be sweet!

Source: https://www.rickiheller.com/2018/12/spanish-rice/

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hermitlibrarian · 6 years ago

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Babe’s got a viable side business working out of Busy Bean’s, the coffee shop in her hometown of Oar’s Rest, creating all sorts of tasty treats from sandwiches to baked goods for the people in her small beach town. Can sweets and savories heal hurt hearts, though, in a summer full of turmoil and new love? It’s hard to say, but in Lillie Vale’s debut novel readers will be treated to not only delicious dishes, but to a deliciously intricate story of friends and emotions, of the summer before the rest of their lives start, and a town that feels like home.

I want to thank Vicky from Vicky Who Reads for facilitating this partnership & Lillie for her guest post today on the tummy rumbling food in Small Town Hearts and much more!

From Lillie Vale

Hi Harker! Thanks for hosting me on your blog today! So excited to chat about my YA debut, Small Town Hearts, all the yummy food Babe conjures up in her kitchen, and, of course, the foods that mean the most to us! Everybody else: Hi! I’m Lillie Vale, the author of upper YA contemporary Small Town Hearts. It’s a messy BFF breakup + found family novel taking place in the summer after high school, the last summer 19yo bi baking barista Babe thinks she’ll have before her friends Penny and Chad start college in the fall. She has a somewhat co-dependent relationship with the people she loves, and change has never been a good thing, in her experience, so she’s trying to hold on tight during a time when she has to learn how to let go. Matters are further complicated when her ex-girlfriend Elodie returns to their sleepy Maine village of Oar’s Rest at the same time as a mysterious summer boy shows up to rent Babe’s mom’s cottage on the beach.

“It’s hard to figure out if you want something to be a career. Like when people find out I’m not going to college, they get all awkward. They think staying at Busy’s and being a barista is . . . a stepping-stone job. And for most people, it is.” I shrugged. “But I’ve never wanted to do anything else in my entire life. Making people happy with food is something special.”

– Small Town Hearts (pg. 124)

Food plays a huge role in Small Town Hearts. Babe loves taking care of her found family with sweet treats, steaming chowders, fresh-baked bread, and experiments with flavors like goat cheese that her author is way too chicken to try! Nope, nuh uh, sorry, I have an adventurous palate but it does not extend to goat byproducts! 🙈

I joke all the time that Small Town Hearts should come with the disclaimer that it will make you really hungry, and I hear this A LOT from readers that they were craving snacks (or actually went out to get some!) while reading! Which, to my foodie heart, is top-shelf praise.

“The sweetness of a slice of cake has the ability to turn a bad day around. There’s a lot of memories in food, you know.”

– Small Town Hearts (pg. 225)

So I thought I’d chat with Harker about comfort food, and why it means so much to us!

I live on a steady diet of Asian food: khow suey, chicken biryani, shrimp/egg curry, vegetable korma, pad thai, thai basil chicken, and so many more. This stuff takes FOREVER to prepare if you are a turtle at chopping vegetables like me, and in general there’s a lot of prep involved with Asian dishes, and sometimes a very specific order in which to add ingredients, so all in all it can be time consuming.

My mom makes the best chicken gravies/curries. It reminds me of my childhood whenever I smell frying onion. Her butter chicken and chicken tikka masala is *chefs kiss*. Rich, smooth tomato gravy with lots of onion and garlic, oh my gawdddd. Paired with white rice or naan? THE BEST. Also, Indian recipes that require only one clove of garlic? DO NOT TRUST. Who doesn’t love garlic? It’s doing double duty! Not only is it making your food delicious, it serves a very medicinal purpose of keeping you safe from vampires (;

Crisp vegetables, tender meat (or your choice of protein! I often substitute tofu!), the bite of ginger and the sweetness of onions, crunchy bean sprouts and sugar snap peas, chewy re-hydrated mushrooms (my favorite!!!), flavorsome lemongrass and curry leaves, garlicky noodles and sauces, fragrant coconut milk mixed in a delicious, savory broth…I could wax poetic about this all day! Eating any of this is like being enveloped in a warm hug. I know how much time goes into meals, so I appreciate it even more when it’s made for me. It soothes me to a degree I sometimes didn’t know I needed. Sometimes, food can be love.

As a diaspora Indian-American, food is the best way I know how to connect to my heritage. I associate my favorite Indian dishes with stories my mom tells me of her childhood in India, of a world and a time and a place I have never known, yet still feel wistful for.

And when I don’t have the time/energy to cook for myself or can’t beg/bribe my mom to make me something? Nothing beats packet ramen with a ton of veggies and a fried egg (gochujang and pickled radish and greens if you’re feeling fancy)! Wendy’s chicken nuggets, fries, and chili! You haven’t lived until you’ve dipped fries in their chili. So. Freaking. Good. And…corn flakes. I just really like corn flakes.

Harker, what are your favorite comfort foods, and why are they so evocative? Any special memories you associate with food? (Also, I am really hungry right now!!! Why did we think talking about food was a good idea!!! I have no idea what to make for lunch!!! I JUST WANT ALL THE THINGS!!!)

From Harker, the Hermit Librarian

Oh Lillie, I don’t know! Just reading your post made me hungry all over again. Each dish sounded better than the last. 😀

I feel very basic in saying that two of my comfort foods is mac n cheese or Chef Boyardee, both of which are super easy to make when I’m feeling low energy. However, I also enjoy Asian food quite a lot, especially from my local restaurants: brisket ramen, bool go gi, takoyaki, and butter chicken. I haven’t made many of these dishes myself at home because, as you mentioned, these and similar can take a long time to prepare and I often don’t have the energy or the strength (my hands cramp easily when chopping/mixing). I’ve tried some jarred butter chicken sauce which I know isn’t the same as homemade but it suffices and it still quite delicious.

Reading Small Town Hearts made me ache to try some of the dishes that Babe was making. Whether it was the sweets or one of the savory dishes, pretty much everything she made sounded delicious, even if it had an ingredient I’m not partial to (blue cheese is apparently to me what goat cheese is to you, Lillie! *lol*).

Babe’s fare was a bit easier to replicate at home.

(Left to Right – Babe’s “Grilled Cheese” Toastie, Ham & Cheese, Dark Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies)

There was one sandwich that jumped out first: a grilled cheese that Babe made with blue cheese, arugula, and apricot jam. I made my twist on this by switching out the blue cheese for gouda and using an arugula/spinach mix. Omg, this was SO good! I’d never thought of putting jam on sandwich before! What a joy! This was supposed to be a grilled cheese and I kind of failed on that in all the iterations I made, so it became more of a toastie, but even only semi-melted the smokiness of the gouda was a real nice counterpoint to the sweetness of the apricot jam.

Since I had the apricot jam and the arugula/spinach mix already and I wanted to make something that Babe would be proud of, I tried to think of a sandwich that would utilize many of the same ingredients. I paired the aforementioned items with some deli ham and sliced swiss cheese to make another sandwich. If you’ve got the energy you can toast it, but if you want something quick late at night, this Ham & Cheese can also be enjoyed cold.

And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t try and recreate Babe’s dark chocolate chip pistachio cookies. In Small Town Hearts, Babe includes sea salt in her recipe, which I nixed because I thought that the pistachios would be a bit too salty in the cookies. Next time, though, I would include it and also put more pistachios on top. All in all they were quite tasty! The recipe is the one on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse bag with the addition of the nuts if anyone would care to recreate them for yourself. 🙂

Food is only one part of Lillie’s book, of course. There’s so much more to it, from setting to the characters. Check out the synopsis, purchase links, and my review for more on this debut novel.

Once again, thank you, Lillie, for joining me for this wonderfully delicious guest post!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads | Indiebound

Published: 19 March 2019

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Category: Contemporary/Young Adult/Romance/LGBT+

Rule #1 – Never fall for a summer boy.

Fresh out of high school, Babe Vogel should be thrilled to have the whole summer at her fingertips. She loves living in her lighthouse home in the sleepy Maine beach town of Oar’s Rest and being a barista at the Busy Bean, but she’s totally freaking out about how her life will change when her two best friends go to college in the fall. And when a reckless kiss causes all three of them to break up, she may lose them a lot sooner. On top of that, her ex-girlfriend is back in town, bringing with her a slew of memories, both good and bad.

And then there’s Levi Keller, the cute artist who’s spending all his free time at the coffee shop where she works. Levi’s from out of town, and even though Babe knows better than to fall for a tourist who will leave when summer ends, she can’t stop herself from wanting to know him. Can Babe keep her distance, or will she break the one rule she’s always had – to never fall for a summer boy?

Rating: 3 Stars

Rep: Bisexual MC, Black SC, biracial ex-LI, Chinese American SC

CW: manipulative friendship, mention of casual drug usage (weed, not shown on the page), alcohol consumption (on page), alcohol abuse (a character drinks and parties to the point of dehydration and sleep-deprivation; two characters get wasted and are too drunk to fully consent to sex with each other); in this edition use of a racist term (tr*be – “It always felt like once people had their tribe, they didn’t have a lot of time for new friends.”) during the included quote. Note: having spoken to the author, she’s accepted this note and while it’s too late to change the current edition, she mentioned correcting it in further print runs.

From the get go, Small Town Hearts had a great knack for setting. At the heart of it was The Busy Bean, the coffee shop where Babe sells her baked good and works as a manager. It has a certain eclectic charm that is illustrated well in the furniture from various patio sets and alternating lettering styles displaying the daily specials on a board.

Vale constructs a comforting setting. Oar’s Rest comes to the reader’s mind not only through visuals that she sets out for them, but through scents that are described and used to round out the image of the town. It almost makes it a 3D image and puts the reader that much more in the story than any other.

There were some characterization choices that I thought were interesting, such as when Babe & Penny compare Penny & Chad’s relationship to Rory and Logan of Gilmore Girls. Penny/Rory, in their respective works (book/show) don’t tend to notice what they’re asking of others, the demands that their actions place on others, and I found this a super apt comparison.

Penny did not end up being my favorite person. There’s some growth on her part, but it was difficult to read her interactions with Babe. There’s language she uses that’s subtly manipulative of Babe & Babe’s feelings as well as judgment toward Levi when “first meeting” him at a houseboat party and offering him weed/alcohol but also “water if you’re not into having fun”.

I wasn’t sure, at first, if the tension between Babe & Penny was casual friends depending upon one another or something else, but as one scene plays out (Penny asking Babe to, essentially, cement a breakup with Chad) it becomes clear that Penny knows what she’s doing. Events spiral from that one request, and from the past decisions that have happened between Babe, Penny, and even Chad, to create a whole mess that intertwines the entire narrative.

Babe & Levi had some sweet moments, despite the tension that was running between them for a variety of reasons. Their dates around town, their conversations, there were some truly lovely, intimate moments that bolstered the quickly formed relationship.

There is something I found slightly odd, maybe offputting, about the tone of the characters. Before their ages were explicitly stated, and perhaps even a bit after that, I would’ve said based on the way they acted, the situations they were in (living conditions, certain freedoms, etc.), that this was more a New Adult novel and that most of the main cast was in their early twenties rather than late teens. Like, there was a disproportionate amount of young people to older (late twenties and up) residents. These characters were all 17-19 and not quite acting like it. They had jobs, “houses”, and responsibilities that didn’t quite mesh with the personalities that had been presented on page.

There is a brief explanation given as to where Babe’s mother is (she works on a cruise ship most of the year) and why Babe is able to afford living in a lighthouse (given funds). It felt a rather convenient way, though, to avoid developing a familial relationship between Babe and her parents because both are essentially absentee what with her mother working on a cruise ship and her father being a relative unknown to the reader.

Overall, while the action seem choppy/repetitive at times, creating a sometimes rough reading experience, what was good was good and what wasn’t awful. I really could see Oar’s Rest in my head and sinking into a setting isn’t always easy. I wish that it was possible to visit such a place, get a picnic lunch at Lorcan’s seafood shack, and wander down to the beach. Small Town Hearts is a wonderfully atmospheric novel and getting to settle down with a snack and a good read is totally something to look forward to with this debut.

About the Author

Lillie Vale, upon discovering she could not be one of Santa’s elves or attend Hogwarts, decided to become a writer to create a little magic of her own. Enjoying the romantic and eerie in equal measure, she’s probably always writing a book where the main characters kiss or kill. Born in Mumbai, she has lived in many U.S. states, and now resides in an Indiana college town where the corn whispers and no one has a clue that she is actually the long-lost caps lock queen. She can be reached on Twitter @LillieLabyrinth and Instagram @labyrinthspine. Small Town Hearts is her debut novel.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Quotes included are from an advanced reader copy and may not reflect the finalized copy.

All media belongs to the respective owners and is used here solely for the purpose of review and commentary.

Yummy Read: A Guest Post with Lillie Vale, author of Small Town Hearts Babe's got a viable side business working out of Busy Bean's, the coffee shop in her hometown of Oar's Rest, creating all sorts of tasty treats from sandwiches to baked goods for the people in her small beach town. 2,668 more words

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