#huzzah me not rendering skin for once?!

[bvckbiter]

happy halloween from the titan army demigods! <3

[blogofholding117]

The gentle fog of Plague rolls into the lower district of the village, but luckily for my Liege, the palace stands above the haze of sickness.

He has requested a comforting dish for dinner this evening to bolster his spirits amidst the death of his people. Therefore, I shall cook Gumbo

Heretofore, the blistering plague was a distant whisper to us. We heard tidings of the sickness ravaging the cities bordering our village, but thus far we have been spared any symptoms.

I did dictate to my Eunic a letter that I sent to the Abbey on the morning after my spaghetti triumph, asking for recipes from my youth. I thought that I might further share the foods of my past with the Lord, Lady, and young Master.

But i did wait with baited breath for naught. It it was six days hence from my correspondence before I heard word from the Minstrels who raised me, and their tidings were grim indeed.

In their letter, they explained that the reason for their delayed response was because they have been inundated with victims of the plague. Day and night they tend to the dying, covered crown to foot with their holy garb as they play music, share jokes, and read to those who are not long for this world.

Fear did grip my heart as I read, but to my eternal relief, Sister Harps didst inform me that not one of my beloved siblings in the Abbey have shown ang signs of sickness, despite them being on the front lines of this Plague for the past week. Surely Novanon has smiled upon his wonderful Minstrels who so tenderly lead the children of the world to his arms of death.

And! The parcel with their letter contained a whole scroll of recipes from the kitchen! Huzzah!

I did intend to make a delightful casserole for My Liege, but then the Herald announced grim tidings from the village at the foot of the palace.

The post master has fallen ill! With black pustules at his neck and groin, a hazardous cough and weaze. The skin upon his nose does wither like a corpse, and he is a ghoul to look upon! Tis the plague!

Egads!

Lord Zamforos didst spring into action! The Herald was cast out of the palace, for he did cone to us directly from the village below. He sealed the gate and lifted the draw bridge from over the moat, and did command his guard to station archers upon the parapet.

Then he issued a command that all who do not live within the palace or didst visit the village in the past two days were to take a bath in a communal vat of vinegar, sliced onions, and boiling water. Their clothes were then collected and cast into the furnace, then he didst clothe them all in robes of canvas fashioned from old body bags.

We all are forbidden from leaving, even those who's families do live in the village. Cells in the dungeon have been converted to rough approximations of living quarters.

The postmaster daughter does tend the gardens...

Nevertheless, Novanon shall preserve us. For surely the Lord's leadership among the villagers is essential for our survival of this looming disaster...

And surely Ilky services shall render great aid by extention, for a hungry mind cannot craft slavation...

My Eunic and I go to work...

Twas gumbo that stilled my sickened heart when I fell ill as a child. The Mother Treubador did make great vats of it on cold Winter nights, and I remember fondly those days of recovery, clutching a warm bowl in my cold hands, drinking in the spice and savor of the dish. I admit, even in the thick of such ill times, I am excited to try my hand at the dish and taste it once again.

Start by mincing a yellow onion, green bell pepper, and a few stocks of celery. You want this lovely Trinity of vege chopped very small.

Then, aquire sausage of the anduli variety. I do prefer to cut them into half disks, to better fit upon the spoon. Cook the sausage in a hot pan with black pepper until they do begin to darken significantly, and then set aside

In that same pan so as not to waste the wonderful pool of flavor produced by the sausage, add chopped chicken breast and cook until just done, and set asside.

Now do not cast that pan into the wash tub just yet! For a lovely mixture of flavors still remain in the bottom. Turn off the heaf and add as much chicken stock to the pan as will fit, and allow it to sit and deglaze while we do move on to the next step of our recipe.

Now is the time to build upon a skill I have already began cultivating! Remember the rue we didst make last week? We shall make another! A reminder, you mix one cup of oil with one cup of flower, and cook on a constant stir over medium high fire until it reaches a color of glorious godly bronze. It is important to remember that you must work quickly from this step forth! Do not idle in thine stirring or your rue shall burn and all will be for naught.

Then, after your diligence and tender care, you do add your Trinity of chopped veg.

At this point, I didst remember that I am a master of merry making, but a novice at the stove! Alas, in an effort to prevent burning the lovely spice, i did forget to prepare the garlic! And I dared not stop stirring, lest I burn my delicate mixture!

But in the midst of my sorrows my good Eunic did spring into action, and he did begin to finely grate two peeled cloves of fresh garlic into my veg and reu mixture once the onions did become transparent, and the smell didst "bloom" gloriously!

Heretofore, the mixture was thick. Therefore we didst add our chicken stock. The entirety of the pan as well as the rest of the container. Then my Eunic did kindly fill the box with water and we added most of that as well. Once mixed, the meats did go in, and jubilation! What glorious smells did caress my nose!

Twas at this point that I did lower the heat to low, and began to add spices. Included in the parcel from the Abbey was a packet of seasoning of the creole. A heavenly combination of the god's most delicious spices. We didst add it to the mixture as generously as Novanon when he deems to preserve your loved ones from plague.

We did then add salt, more pepper, and nearly two table spoons of a hot sauce that My Liege does love deeply, as well as a can of beans.

Mix all of this together until we'll combined, then comes the test of patience.

Place a lid upon the gumbo, and set a candle mark for fourty minutes. Return and stir it every now and again.

Whilst that does stew, prepare a crock of white rice. Mother Treubador does reccoment that you clean thine rice, and drop a cube of chicken bullion as well as a generous helping of lemon juice to your rice while it cooks.

Then, after all this toil and work, and fourty minutes hence from the time of covering, it shall come to pass that your gumbo is ready for consumption.

We did serve generously over fresh rice, plate the Lord's family meals upon a fine tray, and deliver it to the butler to take away.

The Lord and his family now enjoy their meal high above us in their marble tower, heavily guarded so that none may tread upon their evening or health.

Down below, the serve quarters have never been so full, nore have they been so quiet. We are packed in here, practucally shoulder to shoulder, and all Eunuch and I hear is the bubbling of the pot and the wind as it whips and whispers about the buttresses.

I care not to listen closer, because I swear that I do hear weeping upon the wind as it climbs up to us from the village.

Eunuch and I have decided, much to the head butler's chagrin, that we shall feed the excess food to the servants. For Lord Zamforos doth refuse to partake in food after it has gone cold. So long as me Liege dost not hear of this generosity, then only good can come from this choice.

May Novanon preserve your health until I cook again.