#turkish simmer

[allaboutnayeli]

Omg fic idea I NEED but can't do

Reader is a teacher in a kindergarten and elisa comes and surprises her with lunch. She introduces elisa to the class and the little girls go crazy all over elisa because they have a crush on her 😭😭

(I really need to study ap bio 💔)

kindergarten painted hearts [e.de almeida x art teacher!reader]

prompt: elisa surprises you by bringing your forgotten lunch to your job and it seems some kiddos gained their first crush.

author notes: this plot is actually so cute tho like ugh elisa with kids>> anyways hope you like this bestie! (and you need to lock in on that studying fr).

you and elisa met nearly fourteen years ago. with you both playing at the same youth club in y'all's hometown. football at the time was just a way for you to fill your schedule after school and on the weekends. you were an energetic kid, so your parents decided you needed to work out some of the energy with athletics. meanwhile, you could tell football was an passion for elisa. the first day you saw her show off her defensive skills at practice, you just knew she would go far; and that she did.

you two became best friends after a while of playing together. getting ice cream after practice or games, sleepovers that one of you always begged your parents for, being separated at practice because y'all distracted each other, and more became a part of you two's blooming friendship. eventually that friendship turned into something more. with elisa being the one to ask you out at your highschool graduation party. it was nearing the end of the party with elisa laying on your bed. her eyes half focused up at the ceiling and half focused looking at you sitting beside her. you were looking at some turkish telenovela on your tv.

"uh, y/n?" she murmurs, barely audible. still you hear her, looking down at her with a smile.

"yeah, eli?" she bites down slightly on her lip as you speak out the words. god her heart was racing and she swear she could feel her palms starting to sweat. "not that it matters or anything, but.. do you like girls?" elisa asks. closing her eyes in slight embarrassment the moment you narrow your eyes at her.

the embarrassment fades once she hears you say, "yeah. do you?"

elisa feels a string of confidence go through her as she sits up. scooting back so she is shoulder to shoulder with you. "you already know the answer to that," her head is turned so her nose is touching the tip of yours. "mhm. i just wanted to confirm.." you say softly. your eyes looking into hers. the nervousness elisa was feeling is so evident in her eyes that it almost makes you giggle.

"i hope i'm not reading this all wrong, but.. can i kiss you?" she asks, licking her lips. you don't even give her a response back. just pulling her into a kiss as your hands go to hold onto the back of her neck.

yeah, that was elisa and yours first kiss. that kiss led to you two now being a loving, committed relationship.

after graduation you proceeded to forget about your soccer days and put all your energy into your university. long days filled with studying in an elementary education major with an art minor. being creative was a passion that had been simmering inside of you for years, it was your calling so after getting you college degrees, you went and became a kindergarten school art teacher. that entire time elisa was by your side. supporting you in your studies. and you were supporting her too. elisa went into professional women's football just like you thought. the defender spent some time at different clubs before eventually landing a contract with paris saint germain, her current home away from home. you were there the entire time; coming to games, bringing her snacks to practice, and massaging elisa's body after a long day of training.

now you two are happily engaged and planning a wedding. your relationship is known to the public, but is kept quite private in general with you just wanting things to be kept simple.

your students at your school obviously knew you were engaged to someone. the decently sized diamond ring on your finger is an automatic attention grabber for a bunch of five year olds. all they know is that you have a pretty ring and sometimes mention how your wife is sorta chaotic like them sometimes & that's it. you did plan to introduce elisa eventually since some of your students loved football. you felt it would be such a cute moment, but with elisa's busy schedule it was hard to find a good time for her to come in. unknownst to you that moment would come sooner than you thought.

all because you forgot to bring your lunch to work one day.

it was an wednesday which was usually the most chaotic and messy day of the week. it's the middle of the week so the kids are already feeling tired from monday, but excited for the upcoming friday. those two emotions together make for rowdy students who can't seem to focus on anything.

the first half of the day before lunch is exhausting to say the least. one of the newer students, léa, kept refusing to sit next to her bestfriend ameila over "such a big problem." in reality, the little French girl didn't want to sit next to her bestie because ameila shared her breakfast apples with another girl; typical kindergarten friendship jealousy. resolving this problem required you to stage a mini intervention. five year olds are surprisedly stubborn when it comes to apologizing, but it ends well. with the two bestfriends going back to being their usual clingy selfs to each other.

then another problem was a little boy named samir who has been your student since the beginning of the school year. the boy was tall for his age with him reaching your hip and he took advantage of that too many times to count this morning. grabbing toys out of his classmates hands then holding them up above his head, touching things he shouldn't like the glass heart you have on the top of a shelf near your desk (it was a gift for your birthday from your fellow teachers), and constantly taking out toys that would usually be out of someone of his age range's reach. an absolute pain in the ass; even with his adorable big brown doe eyes and little afro. still, an absolute pain.

by the time lunchtime comes around you are wondering why you even picked this career. kindergarteners eat in their classrooms at your school, so you couldn't even escape the little rascals for a single moment but it's all good. usually the students are more quiet and focused on eating than doing something they shouldn't.

you pull out the cart of lunchbags from the closet. calling up the tables by number to come grab their lunchbags. once all the little kiddos have their lunch it's finally time for you to sit down at your desk and enjoy the lunch you packed.

you start to search through your bag, looking for the lunchbag you always bring. remembering that you cooked and packed some fried chicken with fried brown rice with vegetables makes your stomach growl. yeah, you need to find that lunchbag right now.

"what the..?" you mumble to yourself as you come up empty handed. you swear you remembered packing the lunch in your bag the night before, but apparently you didn't.

you stand up, planning to just go ask ms. janie who is the first grade math teacher to come watch your class while you go out and buy some lunch. just as you open the small closet next to your desk to get your coat here comes a knock at the door.

"someone's at the door, ms l/n!" shouts out manon. she's one of the loudest and chaotic kids in the entire class, so you knew the moment she said that all the other little rascals would get hype too. all the kids are not very interested in the door. the knock from before made some of them perk up earlier, but their food and whatever kindergarten level conversations they were having were way more interesting then some knock at the door.

léa and ameila are now gossiping about who could be at the door. "i bet it's mr. walker or ms. bernard!" ameila speculates loudly. her ponytail wearing bestfriend shakes her head in disagreement. "nope. it has to be mr. martin. he said he would bring candy on friday, but maybe he wanted to do it early," léa says.

you just ignore the conversations going amongst your students as you open up the door.

standing there is elisa with your lunchbag in hand. a mischievous smile sitting on her lips, "forgetting something, babe?"

the surprise that comes over makes you stay silent for a moment before fully processing that your fiancee was standing in front of you at your work place. "what are you doing here?" you ask with a smile as you take the bag out of her hand. opening it to look inside and see if it has the right contents inside. "practice was cancelled and when i came home i noticed you left your lunch so i decided to bring it to you since i missed your face," she says. her words make you roll your eyes lovingly.

you can hear your kindergarteners (barely) whispering about who is at the door. with your body covering up most of elisa's as you stand in the doorframe, they couldn't make out who it was.

"that doesn't look like mr. martin," léa says as she tries to sit up more in her seat to catch a glance of who is at the door. ameila does the same thing, "i think it's some boy. maybe that's ms. l/n's son! i knew she had a kid and just wasn't telling us."

you hear everything clearly since kindergarteners are a least good at projecting their voice unlike with whispering. "well come inside and come meet my children away from home," you turn and come more into the classroom. going back over to your desk real quick to set your lunch aside. elisa walks inside and closes the door behind her. the french player's smile grows wider as she look at all the eyes on her.

your students look at her in half confusion and half curiosity. you just know they're going to ask way too many questions. most of which are going be a little too personal. "alright you guys.." you say as you come and stand next to elisa in front of the class. "meet my fiancee, elisa. she's a footballer," the moment you say that the boys in the class look more hype. a few girls as well. especially gabriela who sits with her ronaldo jersey on in the back of the class.

samir is the first to raise his hand. you sigh before signaling him to speak. he smiles as he says, "have you played with mbappe?" the question is innocent enough but it makes elisa laugh. you give her a light slap on the arm and she stops. clearing her throat before saying, "no. girls and boys don't play together at my age," elisa says.

that one question and answer makes all the other little kindergarteners in the classroom want to say their own questions too. with it being only ten minutes left of lunch, you allow elisa to handle all the questions while you go munch on your lunch.

those ten minutes pass quickly as you chew happily on your food. you finish half of it by the time class is supposed to start, so you pack it back away and leave the lunchbag on your desk. a warm smile graces your lips as you look over to see elisa sitting at the back of the classroom with a small group of the girls in the class.

the conversation they are having makes you almost laugh, but you stop yourself. you come over, saying, "it's time to go put your lunchbags up in your backbags girls."

gabriela is the first to groan. pouting as she looks at elisa. "you look strong, elisaaa. can't you put it up for me?" she whines as she pouts at the french player. the sight is adorable but makes you question a few things since gabriela is probably one of the most independent kindergarteners you have ever since. now she wants elisa's help? elisa just smiles at the compliment. patting the five year old's head.

manon and ameila who were also at the table pout at elisa too. five year olds can be quite impressionable at the worse moments. now you have three kindergarteners who don't want to get up and put up something themselves.

"girls, those are your lunch bags not elisa's" you say, but still five year olds are stubborn at times too so the three just continue looking at elisa.

"it's fine, babe" the french player says before standing up. you sigh at her; she was basically going against your words in front of your students and now you just know for the rest of time elisa is here, those three will be listening to her not you. still elisa just shrugs as she grabs the three lunchbags laying on the table. "which backbags are y'all's?" you hear elisa say as you walk back to the front of the class.

you can see the puppy lovesick smile on all three of those kindergarteners faces and knew the rest of class was probably going to be more difficult than usual.

and you were completely right. the whole rest of the class ameila, manon, and especially gabriela trailed behind elisa.

when it was time for math and you were going to hand out the materials, those three wanted elisa to instead. same thing when it was time for science and you were helping everyone get on their experiment gear. gabriela clung to elisa's side and asked her with a pout to help her out. ameila stood on elisa's other side and asked the same thing. both blushing once the french player finished helping them. it was very cute to see and what happened at the end of the day was even cuter.

it was the last few minutes of the day with the kiddos finishing up their art projects. the assignment was to draw something that represents love. gabriela was hyperfocused on hers. making sure to make it way more beautiful than she usually does for art projects.

at the end of the class as you were telling the kiddos goodbye as they one by one got picked up by their parents, gabriela walks up to elisa who's sitting at your desk. Chewing on some gummies you had laying around (they are for children but she really doesn't care). the little girl shyly taps on elisa's thigh. "hm? what is it, gabs?" the french player asks as she sits up a bit, smiling at gabriela.

the little kindergartener's heart was racing so fast as she holds out her little card. It's pink construction paper with a red heart on it. on the heart it says my favorite footballer. "before ronaldo was my favorite but now.. i think i want a elisa jersey," gabriela says. elisa smiles as she accepts the card and pulls the five year old into a small hug. "this is so cute, thank you!" elisa says as she pulls away.

you just smile as you see how happy gabriela looks. she gives elisa a shy wave before grabbing her backbag and coming to the door. you pat her head as you say, "have a good evening, okay, gabs?"

she smiles up at you and shakes her head as her mother approaches the classroom. you speak to her for a few minutes before letting gabriela go. closing the door once she was fully gone. thankfully all the parents were on time today and all the little rascals were gone.

you turn to elisa and smile, "she's totally crushing on you." elisa just shrugs with a smug smile, "can't be helped i guess?"

you come over to your desk, still smiling as you ruffle elisa's hair. she pouts slightly. not enjoying the feeling of her hair being all messy. "always knew she was sorta into girls. i think she has a little crush on ameila," you say.

"oh? so i wasn't her gay awakening?" elisa jokes. you roll your eyes before saying, "oh no you definitely was. you made her realize she may be a little into girls. i bet that tomorrow she will be showing her crush for ameila way more than usual."

and you were correct as the next day gabriela wore a jersey with de almeida on the back and was sharing her snacks with ameila. you caught the two giggling as ameila braided gabriela's hair. an obvious blush sitting on gabriela's face.

[najia-cooks]

Cranberry chutney

Sweet, tart, jammy cranberries evolve into the subtle aromatics of cumin, mustard, and bay leaf before rounding off into a smooth, even chili heat in this Anglo-Indian-style chutney. It's excellent in place of cranberry sauce on all kinds of roasts, meat pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, and charcuterie boards.

The cooked fruit-and-vinegar chutneys made by English cooks during the British colonization of India were inspired by the fresh and pickled Indian condiments that English traders and soldiers—including those in the East India Company's military arm—had acquired a taste for, but substituted locally familiar produce and cooking methods for Indian ones. "Indian" recipes began appearing in English cookbooks in the mid-18th century, inspiring and fulfilling a desire for the exotic and, effectively, advertising colonial goods. The domestic kitchen thus became a productive site for the creation and negotiation of colonial ideology: the average English housekeeper could feel a sense of ownership over India and its cultural and material products, and a sense of connection to the colonial endeavor desite physical distance.

This sauce, centered around a tart fruit that is simmered with sugar and savory aromatics and spices, is similar in composition to an Anglo-Indian chutney, but some Indian pantry staples that British recipes tend to substitute or remove (such as jaggery, bay leaf, and mustard oil) have been imported back in. The result is a pungent, spicy, deeply sweet, slightly sour topping that's good at cutting through rich, fatty, or starchy foods.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried cranberries (krainaberee), or 1 cup fresh or frozen

5 curry leaves (kari patta), or 1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (rai)

3 Tbsp jaggery (gur / gud)

1-3 small red chili peppers (kali mirch), to taste

1/2” chunk (5g) ginger (adarakh), peeled

1 clove garlic (lahsun)

1/2 red onion (pyaaj) or 1 shallot

1 Tbsp mustard oil (sarson ke tel)

1/3 cup (80 mL) water

Pinch black salt (kala namak)

Curry leaves can be purchased fresh at a South Asian grocery store. If you can't find any, Indian bay leaves can be used as a substitute (the flavor isn't per se similar, but it would also be appropriate in this dish). Indian bay leaves are distinct from Turkish or California laurel bay leaves and have a different taste and fragrance. They will be labelled “tej patta” in an Asian or halaal grocery store, and have three vertical lines running along them from root to tip, rather than radiating out diagonally from a central vein.

Instructions:

1. Pound onion, garlic, ginger, and chili to a paste in a mortar and pestle; or, use a food processor.

2. In a thick-bottomed pot, heat mustard oil on medium. Add curry leaves or tej patta and fry until fragrant.

3. Add cumin and mustard seed and fry another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant and popping.

4. Lower heat to low. Add aromatic paste and fry, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

5. Add cranberries, jaggery, black salt, and water. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring often, until thick and jammy. Remove from heat a bit before it reaches your desired consistency, since it will continue to thicken as it cools.

Store in a jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

[frownyalfred]

do you have the link for the mandalorian coffee? That sounds delicious

This is the recipe I was working off of! It’s from a Mando fic I can’t remember the name of, sadly.

I used Turkish coffee to let the spices come through a little louder. After some finagling I also omitted the black pepper since it was way too easy to add too much by accident. Conversely, you can add more cloves if you want a richer flavor.

I simmered the water, spices, and ground coffee together until combined and put it through a fine mesh sieve. Serve it and drink it while it’s hot, otherwise it gets grainy.

Use coconut milk if you want it creamier/more decadent. It really soaks up some of the heat from the cayenne without sacrificing the spice too much.

[therewasabrowncrow]

The British Poem

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures And let them settle, Then overrun them with Roman conquerors. Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years Add lots of Norman French to some Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously. Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans, Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese, Vietnamese and Sudanese. Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians And Pakistanis, Combine with some Guyanese And turn up the heat. Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians, Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese And Palestinians Then add to the melting pot. Leave the ingredients to simmer. As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish Binding them together with English. Allow time to be cool. Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future, Serve with justice And enjoy. Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste. Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.

Benjamin Zephaniah

RIP 🕊️

[foreskinniest]

write down all your knowledge about Turkish cock I need an in-depth review FAST

Zero foreskin and zero pubes, because turkish men LOVE waxing/shaving everything, despite being naturally hairy. Idk, those poor people haven't quite been the same since they stopped being Constantinople. Great simmering homoeroticism, though

[bakingtherapy]

Just Keep Baking #42 Baklava

Sul Sul, Gerbits. Today we are making a recipe, just because I picked up the wrong thin at the grocery store. I thought I was picking up Puffy Pastries, but instead I picked up Phyllo Dough. I already knew that we had some walnuts in the freezer, so I knew what I was going to make with this, Baklava.

Before I made this recipe I didn’t know that there were SO many different varieties of Baklava. The one with honey is typically Greek Baklava, while Turkish Baklava has a sugar syrup. 

Because I didn’t have any honey and honey is WAY too expensive, I am making a Turkish Baklava. 

We are going to make the simple syrup first. This is super easy, and you can make it if you have leftover biscuits from biscuits and gravy. 

In a saucepan you are going to combine some water, sugar and lemon juice. 

Heat the saucepan oven medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring it occasionally. Until the sugar has completely dissolved. 

Continue to simmer the sugar mixture for  more minutes. 

Remove it from heat, and let it cool completely. 

Now you are going to preheat your oven to  325℉.

In a large bowl you are going to combine your chopped walnuts, the sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon, and set it aside. 

Brush the bottom of a 9x13 pan with some melted butter. 

Unroll your phyllo sheets, while you are working with the phyllo sheets, make sure to keep them under a damp towel. That way it does not dry out. 

And you can cut the phyllo dough if it is too big. 

Place  layers of the phyllo sheets into the prepared baking pan. With each phyllo sheet brush melted butter between the sheets. 

Place 1 sheet, then brush with butter, then add the next layer. 

After you have placed 10 layers, sprinkle about ¾ cups of the walnut mixture over the phyllo.

Continue to layer 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter. 

After the 5 layers, add another ¾ cup of walnut mixture.

Continue this routine 4 more times. 

Brush the top with more butter. 

Using a knife, cut into diamond or square shapes, all the way through to the bottom. 

Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top of the Baklava is golden and crisp. 

Remove the Baklava from the oven and pour the cooled sugar syrup evenly over the entire pan. 

Let the Baklava cool completely in a dry and cool place. 

I had it a few hours after it was done cooling, and the next day. And they both tasted good, however, it did taste the best the next day.

I am so glad that I picked up the wrong thing at the grocery store. If that didn’t happen then I wouldn’t have been able to make this recipe. 

I hope that you enjoyed this recipe. Feel free to check the recipe out in the description down below. Vadish, Dag Dag!

Show the original author some 💖💖💖 Diethood

Printable version of this recipe: on the blog

Feel free to support me on:

🐥Patreon 🐥 Kofi 🐥 Facebook 🐥 Pinterest 🐥

[nolita-fairytale]

living on a remote island with sirius & raising baby harry together (remote island au)

au headcanon where you and young!sirius black flee the country to live on a remote island and raise baby harry instead of going to azkaban

pairing: sirius black x fem!ravenclaw reader

warnings: none.

a/n: ok so hear me out: i thought that this is the last part. but then. i had some ideas of how this remote island au would fit into the storyline of hp so i may write two epilogues (one where it lines up with the hp storyline and one fluff happy ending).

thank you again to all who have read, liked, reblogged, and commented. there's an instagram account called @aendthesea and this is what i feel reader, sirius, and harry's lives are like on the island. check it out if you're a visual person like me.

part one | part two | part three |

there's a letter in the kitchen of the cottage from your father that explains that it's not safe for you to meet up with your parents yet. you must wait a full two weeks to make sure that you haven't been followed and you're sure that you destroyed the armoire correctly.

when sirius finally comes to a few days later, he's expecting to wake up in azkaban. boy, is he surprised to find himself overlooking the mediterranean as he makes his way out onto the back porch.

"what did you do?" "sirius, i couldn't let you go to azkaban for a crime you didn't commit. remus helped me. he wasn't the traitor, sirius he-." "i know. it was peter. the traitor. that bloody rat."

your conversation is interrupted by the sound of a baby crying. as you emerge from the house with baby harry in your arms, sirius falls to his knees in grief, the events of what happened coming back to him. he knows that it means james and lily are dead.

there's so much grief but sirius grieves more openly than you. he grieves for his best friends. for baby harry. for the life he was almost condemned to.

waking up in the middle of the night to sirius having nightmares.

sirius has major survivor's guilt.

about a month after you settle in, you receive a letter from dumbledore. remus has gone to him for help. he will keep your secret and help cover it up, as long as you agree to let harry come back for school. you both oblige willingly and figure, it's a problem for future-you-and-sirius.

moving from the safe house to a home inside of your parents' villa. while not pleased that they've practically become grandparents overnight, it takes one look at harry for them to fall absolutely in love. and they make great babysitters.

adjusting to life on the island takes time but sirius is beginning to warm up to being only a short walk from the beach.

roaming the island sirius in his animagus form (he is a wanted fugitive afterall) and becoming known around town as the girl with the black dog.

giving in and finally marrying sirius because, you know, for the diplomatic immunity, of course.

having a competition of who can learn the native language fastest, then competing with each other who can learn the rest of the languages that line the coast of the mediterranean.

once it's safe for you and sirius to venture into more mainland territories, sirius begins exploring in his human form. sirius continues increasing his new language skills by reading sleep training books in the native language, after baby harry regresses and refuses to sleep through the night.

sleepless nights because you two have a freaking baby.

sirius really brings a whole new meaning to 'speaking in tongues.' think: sirius speaking french in bed and then all of a sudden he switches to greek, italian, or turkish. he's got a real knack for it too.

baby harry is bilingual, that is, until sirius begins teaching him french. can you imagine a harry potter raised in the mediterranean?

enjoying a slow life filled with simple pleasures: walking to the beach, eating slices of melons & fruits under the warm sun, and sunday sauces that simmered on the stovetop all day long to pure perfection.

keeping an herb garden, pulling lemons straight off of the trees and making lemonade for the three of you.

family beach trips with lots of sunscreen involved. baby harry absolutely loves the water and as he grows older, you practically have to pry him out of the ocean to get him to come to dinner.

while you take up photography as a hobby, sirius finds an old piano that someone's just left on the street and takes it in. he takes up his old hobby, playing the piano and humming along. singing and playing lullabies to harry omfg.

having a long conversation when harry first calls sirius 'dada,' and deciding how you'll tell him about his parents. debating whether or not you let him call the two of you mum and dad and questioning what lily and james would've wanted. you decide to let him choose when he gets older, what he'd like to call the two of you.

sirius has a phase where he wants nothing more than to give harry a sibling to play with, but you know it'll be too complicated with him being a wanted man. he's fallen head over heels for harry and for being a father, but you feel it would be irresponsible to bring your own child into it.

"gods, you're so beautiful. c'mon, just think about it. harry and a little brother... or little sister." "sirius, i-, we're barely twenty two! i love being harry's godmum more than anything and i just-, i don't know." "bet you'd look so good carrying our baby too, love." "sirius... damnit. we can practice if that's what you're getting at." "always, my darling. always."

also, does anyone think about how the marauders would've only been 30-32 when harry began hogwarts, yet they were played by grown ass adults in the movies? just me? ok, cool.

taglist: @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy

[timetraveltasting]

MINUTAL MATIANUM (ROMAN PORK WITH APPLES, 1st c.)

It's a been a tougher week than usual - my husband broke his leg and had surgery, and I'm dealing with some dental pain - but amongst it all, I thought it would be a good idea to treat ourselves with a Tasting History dish that is especially hearty and comforting: Minutal Matianum (Roman Pork with Apples). From the quintessential Roman source by Apicius from the 1st c., De Re Coquinaria, this meat dish is made using ingredients that would have been available to Roman soldiers in Britain, near forts in the area of Hadrian's Wall. This hearty dish was probably closer to what the officers of the Roman army would have eaten rather than the foot soldiers, however. I decided to make this dish because my husband and I have enjoyed most of the Roman recipes I've made so far, and Max exclaimed this was the best Roman dish even he had made so far. We hope this dish provides us with the fortitude of a Roman soldier on the frontiers! See Max’s video on how to make the dish here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

As usual for me with Roman recipes, I struggled to compile all of the specific listed ingredients, but I did my best! I sourced a pork shoulder from our local butcher, and for the ground meat, I used a mix of 60% beef and 40% pork (a very common mixture here in Germany). For the pork roast rub, I used oil, a bit of salt, lots of pepper, and a tablespoon and a half of linden tree blossom honey. For the meatballs, I didn't use any egg to bind them, as I didn't have any on hand. Instead of garum, I used an Asian fish sauce (which Max suggests as a substitute). For the apples, I used some sweet Pink Lady apples (which I definitely snacked on while I was cooking). Instead of the long pepper Max used, I used the tablespoon of peppercorns. I decided to omit the asafoetida completely, as I couldn't find it at 4 different supermarkets, including the bio-supermarket and the Turkish supermarket. I've recently learned that I should look instead at an Indian supermarket, so now I'm on the hunt for one! I reduced grape juice myself to make defrutum, as Saba seems a little expensive. Instead of starch/cornflour, I used regular white flour, since I think they would function fairly similarly.

First, I set out making the rub for the pork roast. Nice and simple with olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey, I loved that I could customize this part to my tastes (give me that sharp pepper taste!). Next, because I didn't have a roasting rack, I made one myself out of tin foil by taking a large sheet, rolling it into a snake shape, and curving it into a zig-zag pattern on top of a layer of tinfoil at the bottom of my pan. It fit the pork perfectly, and then I added the rub and tossed it in the oven. My pork shoulder was just over 2 pounds, so I roasted it for just over 2 hours. While it was cooking, I rolled my meatballs (sans egg), ground my spices for the sauce in the mortar and pestle (which took awhile), and chopped and portioned the ingredients for the next steps. When the pork was almost done cooking, I began cooking the meatballs in olive oil, also adding in the leeks. I added in the chicken stock and garum, stirring to get any bits from the bottom to release their flavour.

While this cooked on the stovetop, the pork roast was ready to take out of the oven. It looked wonderful and smelled delicious! I let it sit for a little bit, then chopped it into cubes and added them to the pot with the meatballs. I added in the cilantro, then a little bit more chicken stock so the pork and meatballs were 3/4 submerged and sizzling nicely in the juices. I simmered it for 15 minutes, then added the apple chunks. I simmered it further, but for less than the 20 minutes in the recipe (more like 15). I portioned the meat and apples into our serving bowls to cool a little while I prepared the quick sauce, being sure to leave some of the juices in order to provide the base to the sauce. I added the juices, defrutum, white wine vinegar, garum, and honey to a pot, added the crushed spices/herbs, and brought it to a light boil, stirring often. I made a roux with some flour by mixing a bit of water into it, then added it to my sauce to thicken it. By the looks of it, I think I ended up thickening it a decent amount more than Max did, but I like a thicker sauce, so I wasn't too upset about that. I took it off the heat once it was combined and thickened, and drizzled it over the pork, meatballs, and apples. It looked absolutely scrumptious - the sauce added a nice silky shine to the meat, the leeks added a pretty green, the peppercorns some texture, and the apples a beautiful yellow and red pop of colour. I served the Minutal Matianum with a side Greek Salad to balance the heaviness of the meat.

My experience tasting it:

I made sure my first bite was with pork, apple, and some sauce - it was very tasty! The pork was tender enough, but I might have overcooked it just a little. Luckily, the tougher, hearty texture was balanced by the crisp and light flavour of the apple and the acidity, sweetness, spice-infused, and herbed flavour of the silky gravy-like sauce. Like Max mentioned, the sauce first tastes a bit sour due to the vinegar, but it melts into a sweetness from the defrutum and honey. It is still a very 'Roman' flavour of sauce - I could taste hints of the previous Roman sauces I have made in other dishes in this one, but this one was more like a gravy, and maybe more in line with the modern palate. In terms of herbs and spices, I found that peppercorn and cilantro were the most forward in the sauce - the mint and cumin were just barely there. I decided to make my next bite a meatball with some sauce, apple and leek: an absolute winning combo! I don't always have time to make a pork roast, so I can't see myself making Minutal Matianum often in its complete form, but I will most certainly make the sauce with apples and meatballs again in the future. Like Max, my husband and I both agreed this is our favourite of the Roman dishes I've made so far. This is a great meal for late fall/early winter, and I will probably make it again as the weather gets colder this fall. If you end up making this dish, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Long Pepper

Flor de Garum

Colatura di Alici (Garum substitute)

Saba (Defrutum)

Asafoetida

Minutal Matianum (Roman Pork with Apples) original recipe (1st c.)

Sourced from De Re Coquinaria by Apicius, 1st century.

Put oil, garum, stock, chopped leek and cilantro and small ground meatballs in a pot. Chop previously cooked shoulder of pork with skin into cubes. Cook all together. Half-way through cooking add cored and diced Matian apples. While it cooks, grind pepper, cumin, cilantro and coriander seed, mint, and silphium root, pour in vinegar, honey, garum, defrutum, and some of the cooking liquid. Adjust the flavors with vinegar. Bring to a boil. Add broken tracta to thicken. Sprinkle pepper and serve. 

Modern Recipe

Based on De Re Coquinaria by Apicius (1st c.) and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

Roasted Pork

Pork shoulder

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Honey

Pork and Apples

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 lb (340g) ground pork or beef, shaped into 1” balls

1 cup chopped leek

1 cup (235ml) chicken stock, plus extra as needed

2 teaspoons garum*

Small handful chopped cilantro

1 lb (450g) roasted pork, cut into cubes

1 lb (450g) sweet apples, cored and cut into about 1” pieces

Sauce

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp chopped mint

4 long peppers or 1 tbsp of peppercorns

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1/4 cup (60ml) white wine vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp garum*

1/4 cup (60ml) defrutum**

1/4 cup (60ml) cooking liquid from the pork and apples

2 tsp starch or cornflour

*Garum was a fermented fish sauce that was used in a lot of ancient Roman cooking. You can buy a modern equivalent or use an Asian fish sauce.

**Defrutum was a 1/3 reduction of grape must. Today, Saba is pretty much the same thing. It can be expensive, so you can reduce some grape juice instead.

Method:

For the roasted pork: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a roasting rack on top of it.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. There should be enough to coat the pork roast. Adjust the amounts to your liking.

Brush the olive oil mixture onto the pork, then roast for 15 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 275°F (135°C) and cook for about an hour per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C).

For the pork and apples: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the meatballs and leeks and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they start to brown.

Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and garum. Toss in the cilantro and roasted pork. Add enough additional chicken stock so that it covers the bottom of the pot.

Simmer for 15 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.

Add the apples, then cook for another 20 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked.

For the sauce: Grind the spices and herbs with a mortar and pestle, then put them in a saucepan with the liquid ingredients. Stir together and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Mix the starch with a little water, then add it to the sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens.

To serve: Dish the pork and apples into a bowl, drizzle with the sauce, and serve it forth.

[sanstemptation]

Luskus Delph Tulips lips oh Luskus Delph  Your baking breath breeds body 'x'  With silken measures try to gauge  The inside sweetness of your cave

Peach preserve your simmering jewel  Hid away like orphans' gruel  Help me find the widow's crack  Make me stick like sealing wax 

Almonds eyes my Turkish pearl  Burn me up sweet oyster girl  Shove me in your steaming vat  Make me split like chicken fat - Keith Reid (19 October 1946 – 23 March 2023) Photo: Nude study, Alice Wells ca. 1968 Listen to the song Luskus Delph by Procol Harum This post was inspired by my wonderful follower @shy-girl04

[mariacallous]

More than a million Moldovans will cast ballots on whether to join the EU on Sunday in a referendum that could pave the way to becoming a member of the bloc — or see the Eastern European nation pulled back into Russia’s orbit.

A victory for the pro-Western government would be a blow for Moscow’s influence in the region, but would also increase pressure on Brussels to move ahead with the accession process despite serious practical concerns.

“This is a historic decision for us, maybe the most important one since we gained independence from the Soviet Union,” said Cristina Gherasimov, Moldova’s deputy prime minister and EU integration chief, in an interview with POLITICO.

“For us, EU membership is existential. It’s the only way to consolidate our democracy. There is no plan B — Russia and the future it wants for us is no alternative.”

Moldova’s gravitation toward the West has increased in recent years, with the war in Ukraine raging just across the border. Officials warn that Russian intelligence is actively trying to disrupt the EU membership referendum, as well as a simultaneous election in which President Maia Sandu is seeking a second term.

“We are seeing the classic hybrid toolbox Russia uses to influence elections, but the magnitude is really unprecedented,” Gherasimov said. “We see hybrid attacks on public institutions responsible for critical services like the post office and the airport. We see vote-buying. We see the use of local corrupt proxies and political parties — they’re given cash to destabilize the situation on the ground.”

The country’s police force told POLITICO earlier this month that over $15 million in Russian funds have been funneled into the bank accounts of more than 130,000 Moldovan citizens in the lead-up to the election. Sandu’s pro-EU government faces opposition from a handful of pro-Russian parties, and the EU has imposed sanctions on Ilan Shor, a prominent oligarch accused of working on behalf of the Kremlin.

The bloc has also stepped in to support Moldova by deploying a civilian advisory mission designed to help the fight against disinformation and covert influence.

A draft statement to be issued by EU leaders following talks on Thursday, seen in advance by POLITICO, condemns “Russia’s persistent foreign information manipulation and interference to attempt to undermine democratic elections and the choice of the Moldovan people for a prosperous, stable and peaceful European future.”

A country divided

Moldova’s accession talks with the EU began in June this year, moving forward in the process at the same time as neighboring Ukraine. However, as with Kyiv’s application, the country faces significant hurdles to actually being admitted to the club of 27 countries.

Since the fall of the USSR, a frozen conflict has simmered over the breakaway region of Transnistria, where Russia has stationed troops despite objections from the Moldovan government. The existence of the unrecognized state presents Brussels with a dilemma — with few European leaders relishing a repeat of the decision to admit Cyprus to the bloc while almost half of the island remains occupied by a Turkish-backed separatist government.

Last year, Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan, chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to Moldova, warned that “Moldova cannot become a member of the EU with Russian troops on its territory.” According to him, the issue needs to be solved “before membership.”

However, Gherasimov insisted that negotiations were moving ahead despite the dispute. “We have not seen any mentions in official documents to the Transnistria region, which for us is a clear signal that there is not going to be special focus on the region,” she said.

According to Sandu and her ministers, the referendum to enshrine Moldova’s European dream in the constitution will prevent future governments from undermining its Westward trajectory. However, the high-profile vote will also be used to convince Brussels to move ahead with the membership process.

“We hope this rare window of opportunity, where there is interest to talk about enlargement, will continue,” Gherasimov said. “We’re working on a domestic deadline to be ready for accession by 2030 — we want the EU to reciprocate because we need a credible commitment.”

[seulvgi]

Hi :) I love your blog--thank you for such wonderful content! My grandparents were Turkish so excited to see such a talented Turkish simmer :) If not a bother, I was wondering if the adorable cat in your beautiful post seulvgi/738367139056091136/cant-forget-the-most-important-family-member?source=share is a personal creation or from the gallery by any chance? I also was wondering what hair and makeup your gorgeous sim in that same post is wearing? Thank you so much!

hello! güzel sözleriniz için teşekkür ederim 🧸 the cat is a personal creation yes. i hardly play with pets i just made her quickly for the gameplay. as for the other details; you can find the hair here, the eyeshadow here (caesarsimseyegloss), the lip liner here, lipstick here and the gloss here. you're most welcome!

[najia-cooks]

[ID: First image is a large, shallow dish filled with a bright yellowish orange soup filled with red cabbage and green onion and drizzled with coconut milk. A halved samosa sits in the soup and a plate of samosa is visible in the background. The second image is a close-up on the samosa resting in the soup, showing its deep brown filling. End ID.]

Samusa thouk (Burmese soup with split chickpeas, tamarind, and samosa)

Samusa thouk is a bright, savory, slightly spicy soup often eaten with leftover samusa. The samusa are broken and placed in a bowl, and the soup is then spooned over them.

My recipe makes Burnese samusa that are flavored with turmeric and black mustard seed and made richly sweet with the addition of jaggery—they play beautifully against the tartness of the tamarind in the soup. You may also use Indian samosa from frozen or from take-out.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

Ingredients:

8 Burmese samusa

1 Indian bay leaf (tej patta)*

2-3 dried Indian red chilis, broken in half

2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1 tsp brown mustard seeds (rai)

1/3 cup neutral oil

1 red onion, diced

8 cloves garlic, minced (3 Tbsp)

1-inch chunk ginger, minced

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp sweet paprika (optional)

1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

1/2 tsp black peppercorns, toasted and ground

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup besan (chickpea flour)

1/2 cup water

8 cups (2 liters) vegetable stock

1 Tbsp tamarind paste

1/2 cup chana dal (split chickpeas), soaked in cool water for an hour**

1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)

Salt to taste (about 1 1/2 tsp)

Shredded red cabbage, mint, green onion, cilantro, and lemon or lime to serve

*Indian bay leaves are distinct from Turkish or California laurel bay leaves and have a different taste and fragrance. They will be labelled "tej patta" in an Asian or halaal grocery store, and have three vertical lines running along them from root to tip, rather than radiating out diagonally from a central vein. Omit if you don’t have any.

**You may substitute toor dal (split pigeon peas) for chana dal, or use moong dal (yellow lentils) in a pinch. These grams would not need to be soaked. If you have not soaked the chana dal, the cooking time will increase by about 20 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Heat 1/3 cup of a neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola, in a large pot on medium.

2. Add bay leaf and dried chilis and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they are fragrant and popping into the air.

3. Add onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (15-20 minutes).

4. Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add chickpea flour and toast, stirring often, for a few minutes until fragrant and several shades darker. In a mixing bowl, whisk chickpea flour with 1/2 cup water until smooth.

5. Add ginger and garlic to the pot with the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, about 30 seconds until no longer raw-smelling. Add ground spices (turmeric, paprika, coriander, and black pepper) and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

6. Add lentils to the pot and toast for 2 minutes.

7. Add tamarind paste, vegetable stock, and chickpea flour mixture and stir to combine. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.

8. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the dal is tender and cooked through. Add coconut milk, if desired, and salt. Taste and adjust spices.

9. Serve warm over broken samusa. Top with shredded red cabbage and fresh herbs.

[smallsimplestars]

*Blessed* Turkish Eggs

I haven't posted a recipe in a while, but I can't stop making these breakfast eggs for literally all my meals. Adding intentions and blessings into your cooking (in my opinion) is the easiest way to incorporate magick into your daily like. As with anything you make, you can charge and bless the ingrediants with their metaphysical properties to make a more magickal meal. As you'll notice the ingredients listed below all have various properties, however the overall purpose of this dish is Healing, Energy and Protection.

Ingredients (and the properties I bless for)

2-3 Eggs (Rebirth and New Beginnings)

1 Cup of Greek yogurt (Healing and Balance)

Half of a Lemon (Clarity and Focus)

1-2 Cloves of Garlic (Protection and Purification)

10-12 Fresh Mint Leaves (Healing and Communication)

1 Tablespoon of Butter (Comfort and Healing)

Dash of Paprika (Joy and Protection)

Dash of Red Pepper Flakes (Strength and Confidence)

Dash of Cumin (Protection and Loyalty)

Bread with good crust (Abundance and Comfort)

Salt (Protection)

Pepper (Banishment)

Recipe

Start simmering a pot of water on the stove top, keep the temperature low to ensure it is more of a simmer then a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, begin mincing garlic cloves, and mint leaves.

In a serving bowl, combine greek yogurt, juice from half a lemon, minced garlic cloves, mint leaves and some salt. Set to the side.

In simmering pot, add however many eggs youd like, and poach for about 3-4 minutes. (note: do not stir water while eggs are cooking, also do not let eggs overcook, the yolk should be runny).

While eggs are poaching, in small shallow pan, melt the butter. Add paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes and a good pinch of salt. Allow to cook until butter has changed to a darker red color.

Remove eggs from simmering water and add to the mint greek yogurt base. Pour butter sauce on top of everything.

If desired, cut and toast bread in some olive oil or the residue butter sauce in shallow pan.

Mix everything together and enjoy on top of bread!

Note: This recipe is adapted from a few different 'Turkish Eggs' recipes I've seen. You can definitely add other herbs like dill or basil to the greek yogurt base, if you want to include different properties from the ingredients, or focus on one specfic ideal for your day you can! Kitchen magick is all about intentions, set yours as you cook or even before. The photo used for this recpe is not mine, (I eat mine before remembering to take a picture) it is from Eva Koper who also has a recipe for Turkish Eggs on her site. Thank you for reading :)

[manybcdthings]

abandoned facility

felix ranstrom and emine turkish surname @ofwrxth

Venturing out on runs or searches had become a rare occurrence for Felix, but he didn't particularly enjoy them. He hated the delicate balance he had to maintain between appearing competent but not former-soldier competent. He abandoned Emine's side fairly quickly to enter an office space, immediately searching through scattered papers and lifting one from an open filing cabinet. A familiar signature caught his eye, obnoxious, and oddly feminine. It was if Felix manifested a sign from Oskar, clutching the list with both hands. The flourishing O and R would be easily ineligible if it wasn't for Oskar Ranstrom in print underneath.

At first, a sense of betrayal simmered in his veins. But as his gaze shifted to the names listed above Oskar's, concern arrived. Emine's brother and Bella's sister were both listed and transferred to the camp in Burton. The realization hit him like a blow to the gut. And, Oskar's name appeared on every paper Felix checked next, signing off repeatedly on numerous transfers. Concern quickly subsided into survival and Felix emerged from the office space with a sense of urgency. He almost collided with Emine, quickly offering the paper to her as he stood there in an intense Mom I frew'd up pose.

"Your brother was with Pri..." he began, his voice barely above a whisper and he knew she needed a moment to settle with the information. But, he only gave her a second before he pulled her into the office space with him. And he gestured stiffly to the papers strewn everywhere. "We have a problem. Well...I have a problem. My brother's a fucking sociopath." he confessed quietly, lifting more papers. "But...that's your problem too because you're harboring the sociopath's brother." he gave her a shrug and despite his wish for dry humor, could only muster a defeated expression. "Help."

[victusinveritas]

The British Poem. Take some Picts, Celts and Silures

And let them settle,

Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years

Add lots of Norman French to some

Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans,

Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese,

Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians

And Pakistanis,

Combine with some Guyanese

And turn up the heat.

Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians,

Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some

Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese

And Palestinians

Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish

Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future,

Serve with justice

And enjoy.

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than

another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give

justice and equality to all.

-Benjamin Zephaniah

[nikatyler]

Fix Turkey Up Shell Reno

Turkish simmers came up with this challenge on twitter to spread awareness about the tragic earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria last month. You could create sims or renovate a shell and I chose the latter! Here's my take on the shell.

Please, if you can and have not already, consider donating to a trusted charity. Here's a good list from my friend, and I'm sure your country has something going too. For example, I'm Czech and I donated through Člověk v tísni. ♥

30 x 30 lot

CC FREE

Feel free to do whatever you want with this lot but don’t claim it as your own

Maybe let me know if you use it? I’d love to see it!

Download on the Gallery - my ID is veronika2212.

I also put #nikatyler in the description if that helps.

🎥 You can watch the speedbuild HERE!

Download (sfs)