#with a little truffle oil [old stock] | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kelyon · 4 years ago

Text

Golden Rings 7: A Salad

The Storybrooke Sequel to Golden Cuffs

Rumple makes dinner for Mrs. Gold

Read on AO3

Cooking was a skill Rumpelstiltskin shared with Gold. In the old world, the women who’d raised him had shown him all their tricks of brewing and baking and making the most of anything on hand. They told him that a boy needed to be able to do for himself just as much as a girl would. When he’d married Millah, he’d known more recipes than she had. They’d laughed about that--during the brief time when there had been any laughter between them. Even before she left him and Bae, the task of feeding them had often fallen on him.

Once he’d gained the powers of the Dark One, Rumpelstiltskin had been able to conjure up feasts beyond imagining. He’d delighted in pulling food out of the air, grand dishes he would never have tasted as a poor spinner. But Bae had insisted that he liked the old meals better, the food his papa had made with his hands. So he had tried not to use magic for a while. For Baelfire’s sake, he had tried.

For Gold, cooking had been a necessary art. There weren’t many restaurants in Storybrooke, and their menus quickly grew tiresome. Though he could easily afford a private chef, Gold disliked the invasion of allowing another person into his home. Why should he trust some stranger in his kitchen, handling his food? Gold took pride in the self-sufficiency inherent in creating his own menus. Cooking required patience, preparation, and a deft hand--all traits he valued in himself.

And, as with most things, it was a way to flaunt his wealth. Not everyone had the time and resources to master the art of haute cuisine. Gold could spend hundreds of dollars on a set of copper crepe pans or custom-forged knives. And he would only bother with the rarest ingredients--the freshest vegetables, the leanest cuts of meat. The style of this world was to present individual bites of food on plates large enough to hold a whole dinner. At fine restaurants, a three-bite portion could cost more than a family’s weekly grocery bill.

Disparities like that amused Gold to no end. His cruel, spiteful nature liked wasting money as much as he liked having it. He would season his food with costly saffron and white truffles--and then throw half of it away, uneaten. No one in Storybrooke knew about that, of course. But Gold knew. It gave him a twisted satisfaction to compare his own extravagant asceticism with the panicked thrift of every working-class parent who looked with grateful eyes at the 99 cent kid’s meal at Chicken Little’s.

Because of course Gold had no actual appreciation for fine foods. Bastard didn’t take joy in any of his possessions or his privileges. He just liked having things that other people couldn’t afford. Things that other people wanted, and envied him for having.

Mrs. Gold came into the kitchen through the door that led out from the patio. Relying on his cane, Rumpelstiltskin had only been able to carry the box that held his dagger and the chipped cup. But his wife held a bag of groceries in each arm.

“I’ll set these down and go get the rest!”

She flounced off, an impressive feat considering the height of her heels. Belle had had difficulty the first time she’d worn shoes like that. It had been his task to teach her how to walk, how to dance. They had come to love dancing together in the ballroom of his castle. On the day of their wedding, they had danced for hours.

But in this world he was crippled again. On the night Mr. and Mrs. Gold had wed, she had danced with every man in Storybrooke except him.

Small as she was, even hobbled by her footwear, Mrs. Gold was capable of mundane tasks that would cause him agony. Whether Gold liked it or not, his life was easier with her around.

Perhaps that was why Gold liked to make her life so difficult.

When she came back to the kitchen, Mrs. Gold busied herself with the groceries and Rumpelstiltskin began to make dinner. Without thinking about it, he pulled out a drawer for a cup into which he could measure out chicken stock and wine and something called arborio rice. Gold had already planned to make risotto, and Rumpelstiltskin had no reason to object. He let Gold’s knowledge guide him through the process. On his own, he didn’t know where ingredients were or how to operate the massive hearth--no. Gold’s kitchen had no hearth, just a stove. It was powered by something called natural gas.

A twist of a knob, and Rumpelstiltskin summoned up a circle of blue flame. On top of the flame, he placed a heavy, enamel-coated saute pan. It was so clean it looked like it had never been used. But he knew it had been. This pan was one of Gold’s favorites.

Into the pan, he drizzled a stream of oil. The bottle said it was imported from Italy. Rumpelstiltskin assumed that was a marker of quality, or at least expense. He felt Gold in the back of his mind, offering up exactly how much the best extra virgin olive oil cost per ounce, not to mention the price of shipping directly from Tuscany.

Rumpelstiltskin pushed Gold away with memories of a time when even butter was an unspeakable luxury. From the time he was a boy he had learned to pour off grease and lard and meat drippings into a clay crock so it could be used again when needed. Fat had been a precious commodity in the old world. Animals didn’t have much on their flesh and people had even less. The idea of being choosy about what the grease tasted like--or even if it had gone rancid--was ludicrous.

Behind him, Mrs. Gold had the refrigerator door open and was putting away the food she had bought earlier.

“Can you hand me the chopped leeks?” Meticulous as a machine, Gold did the preparation for his meals days ahead of time. Half the glass containers in the refrigerator were full vegetables he had minced to a paste or diced into perfect uniformity.

“Yes, Mr. Gold!”

She bent at the waist to search for the container he requested. With obvious intent, she hollowed her back and stuck out her pert, round, arse. His hands itched to touch her. He wanted to squeeze that soft flesh or deliver a sharp smack against her pretty skirt. Nothing too severe. Just enough to make his wife yelp. Just enough to let her know that he was looking.

Instead, Rumpelstiltskin looked away.

Surprisingly quiet in her heels, Mrs. Gold set some food on the counter beside him.

“I got out the butterflied chicken breasts as well, Mr. Gold. Was that correct?”

“It was.” He said what Gold would say, made the menu Gold had planned. “And you’ll serve the same sauvignon blanc I’m using to make the sauce. It should all be ready in less than twenty minutes.”

“Wonderful!” She smiled like he had given her a gift. “After I put away the groceries, may I set the table for both of us?”

He heard the question inside her question. Every night, Mrs. Gold set a place for her husband at the head of the dining room table. Where she ate depended on how he felt about her on any given day.

“Yes, dear.” Rumpelstiltskin unwrapped the chicken from the butcher paper and added it to the sizzling leeks. “I want my wife close to me tonight.”

****

While Gold had control of the actual preparation of food, part of their routine was that Mrs. Gold had to plate the food and bring it to him in the dining room. It stroked Gold’s ego to be served by a beautiful woman, to have his wife at his beck and call. He got to use his power. Pretend that he was some kind of lord of the manor.

A sad little king of a sad little hill.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed as he sank into the carved wooden chair at the head of the table. Like everything else in this house, the table was an antique masterpiece, stately and dark. A red damask table runner spanned the length of it, breaking up the shine of the polished oak. Two thin tapers burned in crystal candle holders on either side of a centerpiece of silk flowers. Even with the candles, the room was an ocean of darkness.

They were soy candles. Rumpelstiltskin hated knowing that. Soy melted at a lower temperature than beeswax, so these candles were relatively cooler, more tolerable on bare skin. By the time the meal had ended, quite a pool would have melted down. Hot wax, ready to pour over a naked body, if that was what Gold decided he wanted for dessert.

He looked to his left, to the chair where Mrs. Gold would sit. Both places at the table were set with polished silver and gold-rimmed crystal goblets. Linen napkins were wrapped neatly into engraved napkin rings. The bone china plates were currently in the kitchen. Most people in Storybrooke only saw this level of grandeur at black-tie events. Like weddings.

“Here we are!” Mrs. Gold burst into the dining room with a plate in each hand. She was still wearing her high-heeled shoes. She had been wearing them all day. Didn’t her feet hurt?

Rumpelstiltskin almost stood to help her. But the second he put weight on his ankle he winced and sank back into the chair. His cane was leaning against the table’s edge. By the time he thought to grab it and stand up properly, Mrs. Gold was already placing a plate in front of him.

“Thank you for permitting me to join you, Mr. Gold. I hope you’ll find me pleasant company.” She poured some chilled white wine into his glass. Her voice wasn’t quite as bubbly as it had been earlier. She seemed more subdued, like she was trying to be seductive.

Rumpelstiltskin took a drink.

It was only when he set his wine glass down again that he noticed that Mrs. Gold’s glass was empty. She hadn’t poured anything for herself. Though she sat in a chair, her hands were placed palms-down on the table top, on either side of her plate.

Oh yes, that was a rule. She wasn’t allowed to start eating until Gold did.

“Well, then.” Rumpelstiltskin shook out his napkin and placed it in his lap before he cut into the chicken and leeks.

In the silent dining room, he heard the half-sigh that came out of Mrs. Gold. She was relieved, wasn’t she? Grateful that her husband hadn’t changed his mind about tolerating her presence.

Swallowing his first bite, Rumpelstiltskin opened his mouth to speak. But what could he say? What could he offer this woman? How could he undo the damage of twenty-eight years of living like this?

But he had to try.

He looked up at his wife. And for the first time, he paid attention to what was on her plate. There was nothing but green leaves. No chicken in white wine sauce. No pan-fried leeks. Not a single grain of risotto.

“What are you eating?”

He heard his own voice come out in a thin, deadly whisper. He gripped his fork, too tightly to be natural.

Mrs. Gold saw that. She dropped her own fork onto her plate and looked over at him with wide eyes. “I--it’s a salad, Mr. Gold.” She lowered her gaze and sat with her hands in her lap. If he concentrated, he could see her trembling.

A salad.

Of course it was. He had seen her bring it in with the other groceries, a plastic tub of pre-washed baby spinach. Cheap and easy, just like her. It was part of their routine, one of Gold’s rules. Every night for dinner, all Mrs. Gold was allowed to take for herself was a plateful of salad greens, with no dressing. Anything else she ate, he would have to expressly permit or give her himself.

Sometimes Gold liked to make her beg for every bite until she cried.

He took a breath. He didn’t speak. He willed his pulse to slow down to a reasonable pace. He kept his voice controlled. He couldn’t frighten this poor woman any more than she already was.

“I cooked two portions of chicken,” he said carefully. “I wanted you to have some as well.”

“I-I-I’m sorry, Mr. Gold.” She kept her head bowed, her whole body tense. She expected an attack, verbal if not physical. “I thought you wanted the other piece for your lunch tomorrow.”

“I want to provide for my wife.” He tried to explain, tried to keep calm, tried to keep from crying. Buried memories crashed into his head and he had to raise his voice to hear his own thoughts. “I want you to have more than just fucking leaves!”

In one instant, a thousand memories assaulted him all at once. Year after year--first as a child, then as a young man on his own, then with his son beside him. When the hungry months came upon the land and winters wore on and on. The stores left over from harvest grew smaller and smaller. And Rumpelstiltskin never had much to store away even in good times. Year upon year, he waited as the winter ebbed, but the hunger remained. Waited as they days grew longer, but the trees stayed bare. Waited until the first hints of green began to bud and grow, signalling that spring was coming and there would be something to eat again.

He had shown Bae what his father had shown him. He had taught him the ways of the woods. They had so little land for a garden, but there was always something in the Duke’s forest. He had bundled up Bae in his shawl and his cap, to go out in search of food. And every year they had found mushrooms and ramsons and Jack-by-the-hedge--anything to flavor water enough so they could call it soup. Anything to keep them going for one more day.

Bae being who he was, he had thought it a grand adventure. He had wanted to know what else in the forest could be eaten. And Rumpelstiltskin had shown him violets and wood sorrel and taught him to boil stinging nettle. But Bae was a growing boy and all the adventure in the world couldn’t fill his gnawing belly. He began to eat anything that was green, any leaf, except for those he knew were poisonous.

One day, Rumpelstiltskin had found his son in the pasture with the sheep, his mouth stained green from eating grass and clover.

To his shame, he hadn’t stopped him. He hadn’t said a word. Because Rumpelstiltskin--spinner, cripple, coward--had nothing better to give him. Because Rumpelstiltskin--useless, penniless, worthless--could not fill the belly of the child he would give his life for. The person he loved most in the world had nothing to eat except fucking leaves!

Taking his cane, he stood up quickly. Mrs. Gold flinched at the sudden movement. Rumpelstiltskin bit back a curse that would have burned down the house around them if he had any magic at all.

She started to rise, but he hobbled over to her. Plate in one hand, cane in the other, Rumpelstiltskin slid his dinner onto Mrs. Gold’s raw spinach.

“Sit down,” he ordered through clenched teeth. “Stay here. Eat that.”

“Yes, Mr. Gold,” She answered like an automaton. What was the word in this world? A robot. A toy programmed to have the same responses no matter what the owner said or did to it. Mrs. Gold was nothing but a thing. And not even a thing Gold valued enough to care for.

“Thank you, Mr. Gold.”

He went back into the kitchen without a word. He didn’t trust himself to speak.

It took the last straining threads of his self-control to keep from throwing Gold’s fine china plate against Gold’s state-of-the-art refrigerator. He should take this wretched cane and smash in the glass-fronted cabinets, destroy everything inside. All of Gold’s crystal and porcelain and the plates so thin you could see light through them--he should shatter them into splinters and shards. Rumpelstiltskin should destroy all the things Gold held so dear. Objects that mattered to him more than the woman he had married. It would feel so good to reduce his wealth to nothing and his prized possessions into rubble.

But that wouldn’t bring Belle back.

It wouldn’t undo what had already been done.

With a single breath, all the rage escaped from Rumpelstiltskin’s body. He leaned against a wall and felt himself crumple into a heap. He had just enough presence of mind to cover his mouth with his left hand. Stifle the sobs so she wouldn’t hear.

That bastard! That monster! How dare Gold do these things to Belle! Rumpelstiltskin knew his share of evil, but he still had enough humanity to be appalled that Gold would treat her this way. His most precise cruelties were reserved not for his enemies or his debtors, but his own wife! The woman he had chosen to marry, the woman whose hand he had held as he vowed to cherish and protect and love her!

But instead Gold made her starve herself. The richest man in Storybrooke took it as a point of pride that his wife barely ate. In this palace of a house, he begrudged her every inch of space. He made her feel like an intruder in the only home she had. He degraded her and insulted her and treated her like she was less than human. Worst of all, he made her think that was how he showed affection.

“Gods.” He rasped out a prayer to powers he had never believed in, deities who didn’t exist in this world. “Gods, Belle. What did I do to you?”

Because as much as he blamed Gold, as much as he hated Gold, the truth of the matter was that this was Rumpelstiltskin’s fault. He had created the curse. He had wanted to come to this horrible world. He had planned and manipulated and twisted the path of fate to his will. He had worked so hard, for centuries, to get to where he was now. He thought he had arranged it all, so that the price of this magic wouldn’t fall on him.

But the very existence of this town was a punishment. According to the one who had cast the curse, Rumpelstiltskin was due the suffering he had lived under for twenty-eight years. Being Gold was a bleak and miserable existence. And he had taken out his anger on the one person who would never leave him.

He looked down at his hands, at his wedding ring, at the scar on his palm. He had made vows to Belle. He had promised to protect her, to belong to her, to trust her with the best and the worst of himself. Like Mrs. Gold, she had a mind-boggling capacity for loving even the most vile of men. And unlike Gold, Rumpelstiltskin could not punish a woman for loving him.

It wasn’t Belle’s fault, and it wasn’t Mrs. Gold’s. The persona of Gold didn’t exist anymore. As satisfying as it was to rage at a dead man, there was no way to take Gold to task for how he had treated his wife.

And Belle would say it wasn’t his fault either. He had come to her so many times, full of worries and guilt.

Sweetheart, how can you still love me? Knowing what I’ve done and what I’ll do?

Rumple, she had assured him. This curse is a powerful weapon, but it is not in your hands anymore. You are no more culpable for what happens than a swordsmith is responsible for a duel.

Part of him didn’t believe her. He could never look at himself with the grace and mercy of Belle’s kind heart. He had created the curse, he had wanted this weapon to be used. He had placed it in the hands of a madwoman, knowing it would destroy her, knowing it would bring misery to everyone--including himself and the woman he loved.

Still, perhaps Belle was right. And perhaps, somehow, he could find a way to redeem himself for his past. Even if he could never be good enough, perhaps he could use his evil for a good purpose.

Perhaps.

When he was ready, Rumpelstiltskin pulled himself to his feet, dusted off Gold’s fancy suit, and went back into the dining room.

Mrs. Gold was still at the table, her posture rigid but her plate empty. She looked up when he came through the door. For a moment, he saw her eyes--the perfect blue rimmed with red--and then she looked away.

“I finished everything, Mr. Gold. It was delicious.”

His heart broke anew at her voice. Belle was so strong, so sure of herself, even when she faced insurmountable obstacles. Always, she would stay brave. Always, she would do the best she could with the knowledge and tools she had. In that moment, Mrs. Gold seemed just like her.

“I’m glad you liked it.” Rumpelstiltskin stayed in the doorway, both hands braced on his cane. “From now on, when I make a meal, I expect you to eat your share.”

She nodded, still an obedient creature. “Yes, Mr. Gold.”

They were silent for a moment, then Rumpelstiltskin spoke. “I want to apologize, for earlier. I should have been more direct in my desires. And I shouldn’t have let my temper get the better of me. I’m sorry.”

Mrs. Gold blinked, several times, before she spoke. “I--W--You have nothing to apologize for, Mr. Gold. You can do whatever you like.”

“I know.” Rumpelstiltskin swallowed back the bile in his throat. “And what I would like is to have a wife who is well-nourished and who doesn’t fear her husband.”

She twisted her wedding ring around her finger. “I don’t fear you, Mr. Gold. I just hate the thought of disappointing you. I never want to be less than what you deserve.”

From the beginning, Belle had always been more than he deserved. He had stopped a war to acquire her, and he would never fully pay for all the love and goodness she had given him.

But he couldn’t tell any of that to Mrs. Gold.

“I’m going for a walk,” he announced. “I need to clear my head.”

Mrs. Gold nodded and stood up. “Where should I go, while you’re out?”

In spite of himself, Rumpelstiltskin clenched his jaw. “You are allowed to stay in this house when I’m not here.”

“I--Really?” She looked more confused than pleased. “Even when I’m not tied up or anything?”

He let out a long, heavy sigh. Yes, he remembered. Gold had regularly left the house while his wife was restrained with no way to get out. There was also a dog cage in the basement where Gold would leave her on work days when he didn’t want her in the shop. It was a miracle the bastard hadn’t killed her.

“Yes,” he answered. “In fact, it’s high time you got your own key to this place. It is your home, after all.”

Slowly as the dawn, a smile lit up her face. Gods, she was so beautiful.

“Thank you, Mr. Gold!” She stood up from the table and moved to embrace him. But Rumpelstiltskin held up one hand and she stopped in her tracks.

“You can clear the table whenever you like. I’ll wash the dishes when I return.”

That was another part of Gold’s arrangement. He didn’t allow his wife to clean, because he didn’t trust her with his precious antiques. For Rumpelstiltskin, the thought of submerging Belle’s hands in dishwater like a scullery maid was an insult. Far from the worst thing she had ever been subjected to, but the principle stood. He would gladly do drudgework if it would spare his wife the labor.

“What should I do until you get back?”

He shrugged. “Something you like,” he suggested. “Something to pamper yourself.” Something to make up for the hell you’ve lived in for twenty-eight years. “You could have some of that ice cream you bought today.”

Mrs. Gold chewed at her bottom lip as she thought. “I could… take a bubble bath, maybe?”

She was asking for his permission, his approval. He gave it to her. “That’s a very good idea,” he said gently.

He pushed away the thought of his wife’s legs sticking over the edge of a bathtub. Her head leaning back as she relaxed in the steaming water. Her lovely body hidden under piles of white bubbles until she emerged like a goddess from the sea, warm and soft and scented with roses.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. This wasn’t his wife in front of him. Belle was gone, and it was time to confront the person who was really responsible for that.

He had to see the Queen.

#golden rings #rumbelle fic #rumbelle #ouat

11 notes · View notes

viranlly · 4 years ago

Photo

Viranlly hosts Thanksgiving Dinner.

in partnership with Wines of British Columbia.

IT’S CRUNCH TIME Y’ALL!

I don’t even where time went but here we are now, just over a week before Thanksgiving. The aroma of PSL is in the crisp fall air, the days are getting shorter, and the meals we preppin’ are getting cozier each day. The holidays are upon us and so is the (grape) harvest month.

To celebrate both festivities, I’ve teamed up with the Wines of British Columbia to come up with some fun thanksgiving recipes and of course delicious BC wine pairings to go with them. I’m skipping the turkey, because let’s be honest, I don’t trust myself with a bird that size, nor that I have the space and capacity both physically and mentally to handle a turkey. I want to make sure that this holiday cooking will be as stress-free and as boozy as possible, because we all deserve that kind of holidays.

Please note that these recipes serve 4-6 people.

First thing first, it’s not a dinner party at Viranlly’s without a damn-well-put-together CHARCUTERIE AND CHEESE BOARD. Here’s the fun part about this board: there’s no recipe. The trick is you want to make sure you have a balance in flavours, textures and colours (because ya know.. aesthetic).

THE MEAT : variety of cured meats with different flavour profiles - hot genoa salami, prosciutto, iberico ham, chorizo, and capicollo are always a great start.

THE CHEESE : make sure you have at least hard and soft cheese, everything in between never hurts either - jammy brie or camembert is a crowd pleaser, manchego is delicious, especially when you can find the truffle-y ones. Can never go wrong with parmigianio-reggiano, or a nutty pecorino. Aged cheddar and smoked gouda if you want a little funk. The possibility is honestly, endless.

THE FRUITS AND VEGGIES : grapes and olives (olives are veggies, right? I prefer unpitted Castelvetrano) are staple on my board. Seasonal fruits and veggies always add amazing flavours to the board : pears and figs in the fall, peaches and berries in the summer.

THE EVERYTHING ELSE: honey, hummus, nuts, preserves, bread, crackers, pate, and everything your heart and stomach desire.

I always love to start the night off with a bottle or two of bubbly, something really crisp, citrusy and refreshing. The Howling Bluff Faux Paw has a ton of berry notes with a just a zest of spice, perfect to be enjoyed with everything on this board. Another great bubbly is the Haywire Pink Bub, which, we consumed throughout the summer.

The next two dishes are heavily inspired by my friends’ thanksgiving last year, with a view adjustments to meet what I have readily in my, and most kitchens.

This RADICCHIO AND SQUASH SALAD is my definition of the perfect autumn salad: rich and nutty, a hint of bitterness and lots of crunch.

THE VEGGIES:

1 medium-sized delicata squash, sliced up to half-an-inch-thick half moons (wow that’s wordy). Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper before hitting the 450F preheated oven for 25-35 mins, or until fork tender. Occasionally turn your sheet tray to make sure they’re cooked evenly, and flip the squash over halfway.

Tear up and cut one head of radicchio into quarter, soak them in ice bath for a couple minutes before assembly.

Thinly slice one medium-sized asian pear, toss in the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper.

THE DRESSING:

Toss half a cup (minus a handful for later) of pecan, or walnut, or hazelnuts (really, any nuts you have around -- 2 tablespoon peanut butter work too), 1 small shallot, juice of half an orange and one lemon, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, a splash of red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey) into a blender. Blend together and gradually add in a 1/4 cup of olive oil until a silky consistency is achieved. Season with salt and pepper.

THE ASSEMBLY:

Spread leftover nuts in a small sheet tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and one tbsp maple syrup.Put them in the still-hot oven just enough to get them slightly toasty. I tend to forget about them and burn the nuts to the ground, so leave this step until the last 5-10 mins before assembly.

Combine squash, radicchio in a big bowl, coat with dressing. Transfer to serving plate.

Sprinkle the toasted nuts, and the asian pear allover squash and radicchio.

Shave some parmesan or piave.

Drizzle with some more olive oil and lemon juice, and crack some more black pepper.

I thought this salad can use the brightness and the blossoming freshness of the Orofino orange wine: stunning colour, burst of tropical fruits and elegant floral notes. My mouth is watering as typed this.

This SAUSAGE AND CORNBREAD STUFFING changed the stuffing game forever. Honestly, you’d never want to eat another crusty, white bread stuffing for any holidays ever again. It’s so very indulgent, buttery, and loaded with aromatics. Crispy up top, soft and moist -- yes, moist inside.

THE CORNBREAD:

I am obsessed with the cornbread from Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar. And since this recipe relies quite heavily on the cornbread, trust me, you’d want to use the best cornbread you can find. In this case, I’ve found the winner. Cut up 1 1/2 lb cornbread to 3/4″ pieces and leave them in a 350F oven for 40 mins or so until they’re dry. Don’t worry we’ll the moisture back later. Transfer cornbread to a big mixing bowl.

THE STUFFING:

Cook and a lb or so of breakfast sausage in a skillet. Break them apart with a wooden spoon and let brown about 8 minutes. Transfer sausages to a plate.

In the same skillet, leaving the sausage brown bits, add 1/4 cup of butter and cook one diced onion and two stalks of cubed up celery until softened. Add three cloves of chopped garlic and one sliced japaleno, cook for another minute or so. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and another 1/4 cup of butter and let the liquid evaporate. Add thyme and chopped sage.

THE ASSEMBLY:

Combine cornbread and stuffing in the mixing bowl, add 2 eggs and 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Stir them occasionally until cornbread absorbs most of the liquid.

Lightly butter a cast iron pan, or baking dish and transfer mixture in.

Put the pan in the 350F oven for 40-ish minutes then turn up the heat to 425F for 15-20 mins until the outside is crisp and golden brown.

The VinAmité Chanson d’Amour is quite a delightful pairing for this dish. The chardonnay in the blend gives that soft minerality while keeping the palate fresh and peachy. Another great option is the Unsworth Pinot Noir: plum-y, dark cherry, a swift hint of earthy herbs - brings out the thyme aroma in the dish.

The last recipe is a simple, choose-your-own-adventure kind of recipe to replace the boring old sweet potato casserole. It’s a BYOB: Build Your Own Baked sweet potato bar!

THE SWEET POTATO:

Cut 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes into half and coat them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Put them cut side down on a sheet tray and into a 425F oven for 30 minutes or until they’re fork tender.

THE TOPPINGS:

The toppings, again, can honestly be anything you’re in the mood for buuut these are my three favourites:

Spicy chorizo cooked in vermouth and butter. It’s as simple as it sounds. In a skillet, heat a tablespoon or so olive oil and bloom chili flakes in it. Slice two links of spanish chorizo and toss into the chili oil. Add vermouth and butter and cook until sauce thickens.

Spicy soy garlic tempeh. Dice one slab of tempeh (I used tempea) into 1/2 cm cubes and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet, add one table spoon of oil and add 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Toss the tempe in, and add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of kecap manis. If you like the heat, add 1-2 sliced up birdseye chili. Serve with cilantro and green onion.

Lobster salad. Cut 2 lobster claws into chunks, add the juice of half a lemon and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoon of kewpie mayo, one teaspoon of honey, and mix together. Add 2 stalks of thinly sliced celery and top it off with dill. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

THE SAUCE:

As simple as sour cream (or plain greek yoghurt), lemon juice, olive oil, grated garlic cloves, seasoned with salt and pepper.

The salad dressing leftover works well too!

THE ASSEMBLY:

Go wild ;)

The wines for this particular dish can be as playful as you want them to be buuuut I decided to go with something a bit more crisp, fruity and floral like the Tantalus Vineyard Riesling especially if you go on the lobster route. Another great option is the Bartier Bros Merlot, which, is a slightly nutty, savoury with a touch more of cherry and dark fruits.

Hosting a holiday dinner is a pretty big job and I admit, it can get really stressful but I hope these easy-ish recipes and the wine (I know the wines work) will help you guys through. A MASSIVE thank you to the team at Legends Haul for making my grocery shopping for this dinner SO. MUCH. EASIER.

And just another PSA that the holiday is the PERFECT time to support you local wineries and enjoy the delicious wines BC has to offer. And BC has A LOT to offer. So, explore, sip and savour your way throughout this Harvest month. Find more information about BC Harvest Month here.

#thanksgiving #cooking #homecooking #BCWine #Local wine #wineries #wine #British Columbia #BC #foodie #foodblog #bonappetitmag #radar #popular

11 notes · View notes

asheewrites · 4 years ago

Text

Doctor Visiting - Paris - pt 4

The angel sat there and flipped between the pages of the menu, tapping her finger, or smiling at the words in front of her.

She was distracted enough to let Asmodeus think. These ‘terms and conditions’ for him did not truly limit him. He could do as he pleased and Raphael would… simply refuse him if he ‘got somewhere’.

… but playfulness and teasing was… actively encouraged and possibly engaged with.

Easy to work with. Especially since ‘getting somewhere’ would be defined by him.

Hah.

A rather lenient ‘code of conduct’. By comparison of past ones – if he got one.

“It’s an impressive menu, sir. It’s a hard choice. Any recommendations?” She smiled sweetly. And spoke French. Seamlessly.

The waiter was pleased. Strings of French explanation falling from his tongue. Different glacing techniques, which salad was in season and how it complimented the truffles, differently ripened oils for dressing. The wild Salmon has a direct route from the ocean to their restaurant, their preparation will remove all fishbones, no need to break any eye contact.

“Very nice, I’d be happy to try it a-“ here she send a glance to Asmodeus, stuck with that for a second, then continued towards the waiter: “- all, but I think meat was an option?”

It did not curb his enthusiasm when he switched tracks and offered her the ‘Foie gras’, ‘Couilles de mouton’ and ‘Ris de veau’, along with stomach and feet and tongue of various animals as well as snails, including the different kinds of preparation.

After two minutes of talk she chewed on her lip and started asking about sauces and preparation techniques. As she asked for the roasting temperature, Asmodeus laughed: “I’d be delighted to eat your second choice, you are free to taste”

Her face lit up immediately. And the order came to: “Tapenade canapés, Jambon persillé, a cheese platter, Couilles de mouton, Le Gigot D'Agneau Pascal, a bottle of still water and… a white wine?”

She looked over to him and he chuckled and agreed: “Sure, we’ll be satisfied with your choice of vintage and origin, thank you”

“Thank you very much. If available, I’d love to peruse the dessert menu. Err... later”

The waiter scribbled and nodded and smiled and informed them their salads would arrive soon and… disappeared.

Raphael sat there. And closed the menu: “Thank you! I mean… I suppose you tried all this already and you know what tasted good, so… thank you for letting me try out something that you might not like and-oh” her face fell. “… I… should have asked”

“Raphael, it’s fine. I offered. But… you didn’t order any fish, is there-” The angel carefully avoided looking at him. Light topic of conversation. Right. “-well, thank you. So, the meat… do you… know what you ordered?”

She perked up: “Oh. Is that about the lamb? I think even Christi-“

“Testicles. You ordered testicles, Raphael.”

Excitedly the angel, nods and reports: “Yes! It’s very rare to have them on the menu. Even though it should be very interesting, since the texture should be different, especially if they ‘sauté’ – whatever that is – them in slices and marinate t before, because muscles are fascinating to work with. I wonder f the semen got drained or stocked in them. The high protein would be interesting. And I do wonder how that tastes, so… yeah, I did order them.“

‘I could help you figure out the taste.‘

It took a moment fight his every instinct. Sometimes, you have to consider your audience, even with the most imperative quips. Instead, he said: “I suppose the lamb will be my course, then,” since he rarely heard someone that excited about eating testicles, so.

“Then it’s decided. I got the three starters that can be the… most weird. So… maybe you get something interesting as well? I avoided cheese, mostly, because it’s rotten milk, but… they make the strangest things taste good. But then again… they have to eat, don’t they? Merci!” Their salad and water arrived. The waiter apparently didn’t have that many customers.

“We are in France, the cheese is actually delicious. The producers of the cheese make it an experience though.” Asmodeus watched Raphael’s eyes light up. This was easy…

“Really?” She bit into a small tomato, distracted for a second (“Crunchy”), before her attention returned to him.

“Mmmhmh, you can find all manner of farms offering tours in the French countryside. You get to pet the animals, see where to cheese is stored so it ripens… you get the full experience in the department of smell… it’s worth a look. And, of course, you get to taste the cheese”

She looked like she will disappear this instance.

“Another time, I can take y-“

“Yesplease”

He had to laugh at that: “I can also give you a map with the best farms and you can go explore on your own? If you are that eager”

“Oh. No, I can’t. I’m not allowed to meet the… err… civilians without a companion. Not yet. I didn’t get the true ‘field agent’-education yet. It’s a thing. Apparently. Figured it only recently. So. Besides. It’s more fun with company,” she looks to the side, “If the company has time and feels like cheese. In this case. Of course. Or feels like anything else and wants to change the destination,” she half-shrugged.

Huh. Well. Not all demons could go to Earth either. But an archangel? Huh.

Asmodeus tilted his head: “… you’d go anywhere with me, wouldn’t you?”

“Oh, definitely. I mean… as long as it isn’t against any other rule. I don’t think it will ever be boring.”

It made his eyebrows raise. The answer left an odd feeling. And he decided not to comment. Instead: “Well, I couldn’t make myself out to be boring now, could I? But… thinking about it... You never rode a rollercoaster - you… haven’t even seen Disneyland. You weren’t in the Royal Albert Hall. You never visited Tokyo in its entirety. India in settled regions were off the table, too. What… did you do up to now… you… probably poked some of the most venomous creatures on the planet in Australia And visited some of the hottest – got you there - and coldest places… cold… Iceland… you probably never saw the penis museum either,” he snickered.

“Nope!” She finished her salad with a flourish. “But I’ve heard of it and it’s terribly amusing to me. Definitely worth a visit… but… I have to admit… the hot springs are more of a draw for me… it’s in the middle of snowy fields! It must be amazing” She laughs. “And you get to roll around in the snow to dry yourself. Afterwards off to a tiny wooden hut with a fireplace, a huge fluffy carpet to lay on and be buried in a heap of blankets, cocooning until your immune system – and, lets be honest, any blood circulation and muscles, too – boot up again . And… well, yeah. Iceland. Probably very cool. With all the museums, too” She scratched the back of her head and looked sheepish.

Someone dreams… elaborately.

“Paris does have the Louvre on the menu of museums as well,” he pointed out, already expecting the sparkle in her eyes. ‘Mostly European history mirrored in art’, something from every century, she listed works she had to see there, mostly birds. Maybe she can look at the original flute and figure how they made it sound like an actual bird. She started to get off topic with symbolisms of birds and how they can safe most old paintings for her, since the meaning is almost always something positive… and she likes crows, thank you very much.

He could have interrupted her, but he had a salad to eat. And she was excited. About old art. When he inserted the fact that he had known some of the artists, she stopped dead in her tracks. And stared. And actually needled him about it. That the one he had picked to tell her about was Raphael might have something to do with it.

The little excursion ended with the ‘Sistine Madonna’ and the tiny angels on the bottom line. Which, the angel Raphael pointed out, were terribly cramped and unhealthy-looking, but he possibly only had dead birds to look at anyway.

It gave Asmodeus pause, just for a moment, looking out at the very much living pigeons outside, and said: “… you think they could get that cramped?”

“Err… no. No, of course not. It’s a simple misalignment, he… didn’t put much thought in the connection between bone structures and the wings, so… it looks wrong to me, but I suppose if you don’t see the natural shape of… pigeon wings every day, it’s not that strange. Thank you very much!” She nodded at the waiter, who took away the salad plate and replaced it by the various appetizers.

This certainly was one way to answer, but it wasn’t exactly what he wanted. He watched her sniff every piece of the selection and said: “… but you said cramped, so it didn’t look too unnatural? It could happen?” Wing injuries weren’t… something he ever wanted to pay much attention to.

She looked towards the ceiling, frowned and then shrugged: “Maybe. Depends on the structure of the wing. What kind of bird is sampled. Very unlikely. Haven’t seen it yet. And I’ve seen some… unpleasant misalignments of feathers. Recently, too.” She cut off a piece of the canapé, the taste test resulted in an excited squeal. “This is good!” She stabbed the second half of it and reached over the table towards Asmodeus: “Try! It’s GREAT”

His eyebrows rose and his eyes wandered from her excited face to the canapé. Standard, really. But he laughed. And leaned forward to pull the piece off with his teeth.

Raphael watched him chew with excitement. And… the verdict… was that it was a normal, if done well, canapé. He still said: “The goat cheese does compliment the fruit very well.”

It made her smile and she continued to sample, occasionally succumbing to the urge to feed him. Apparently that was a thing Raphael just… did. And he couldn’t help a smile.

“I… am glad you enjoy, but… recent feather misalignments?” It seemed… off.

She looked up with the fork still sticking out of her mouth, chewing slowly. After she swallowed, the answer was: “Well. Ahm… you… did show up at the clinic, recently. And apparently that… resulted in an uptick of customers from… your side - apparent approval from you and all – and… well… I am the only one treating wings. I can’t give anyone else the guilt of having caused a wing injury. So… I see an influx of field agents that didn’t dare ask anyone else for a long time, so… there is a bit of damage. So… for me it’s recent. For them? Months… years… who knows?” Again she shrugged. “It’s an offer open to anyone, if you want to spread the information? No one deserves damaged wings. But it’s… hard to actually ask, in some cases. The clinic is judgement-free, just know that the appointment is always at least a week later. And one can cancel or not show up to an appointment, no judgement there, either” She frowned and wrinkled her nose. “… this sounded like a sales pitch. But well, I mean it. Spread the word, maybe? Proper treatment needs a partner, and not anyone has that”

And then her attention returned to the cheese platter.

Ah. So… that’s how… that worked.

He nibbled at the piece of cheese held in front of his nose. A non-smelly piece. Mh.

#mercuryreddies Asmodeus #MyRaph xD #1945 words #AAAAND there's the end of the input I can use :)

1 note · View note

easyfoodnetwork · 4 years ago

Text

The Ultimate Guide to Instant Noodles

A variety of instant noodles from different countries

How to mash-up, deconstruct, and altogether upgrade the versatile staple of dorm room dining

As a semi-professional noodle slurper and collector, I’ve eaten hundreds of noodles in my life, but I have a particular soft spot for one type, specifically: the instant kind. You know, those hard squiggly bricks of dried, fried noodles with accompanying seasoning packets that have long been the foundation of the American collegiate diet. Since the pandemic started, I’ve been showing off my impressive collection of instant noodles to my friends on FaceTime like a YouTube beauty guru flaunting their makeup stash.

I love instant noodles for many reasons: They have a nearly indefinite shelf life; they are an easy breakfast, snack, or — with the right bolstering — a full meal; and, they come in a panoply of shapes, textures, flavors, and colorful packaging styles. But while there is nothing wrong with eating instant noodles according to the instructions, it’s their versatility that’s made me a devoted fan. Here’s how to mash-up, deconstruct, and upgrade the dorm room staple.

1. Load up on protein

Yes, many instant noodles come with their own packets of dehydrated vegetable or meat flavoring, but they rarely provide much real taste and add zero in the way of texture. Supplementing your own additional proteins will do a lot to make your instant noodles more satisfying and nutrition-rich. Try simple items like ground meat, sausage, tofu, and leftover fried chicken — or my personal favorite ramen topping, pork char siu. Meat shortage got ya down? Just crack an egg. You can stir it right in to create an egg-drop soup effect, or poach the egg gently in the soup broth to enjoy breaking the creamy yolk.

Chicken-flavored ramen with garlicky sautéed kale, roasted chicken legs, and carrots.

2. Go big with toppings

Going nuts with the add-ons at ramen restaurants can mean spending $30 on a bowl of noodles (toppings normally cost between $1 and $3 each.) But at home, you can have as many toppings as the inventory of your fridge’s produce drawer allows: scallions, corn, mushrooms, kale, you name it. Not sure about what to do with all those weird greens in your CSA farm box? Add them to your instant noodles! Fact: There is no such thing as a lousy topping for instant noodles.

3. Deconstruct everything

Each element of the instant noodle package is a multi-purpose cooking superstar. The seasoning packets add a pop to stir-fried vegetables. Broken into bits, the uncooked noodles are an excellent crunchy topping for a salad or even another non-instant pasta dish. Do yourself a favor and add some ramen seasoning to mac and cheese, or how about using those instant noodles to make buns for an at-home ramen burger?

4. Switch up the liquid

To deepen the character of the soup, try cooking the noodles in vegetable or chicken broth instead of plain water. There are plenty of wilder recipes out there, including this one I’m skeptical of that uses milk, but homemade stock is a safe jumping off point.

5. Mash-up different styles

Mixing different instant noodle styles and seasoning packets is a culinary art form in itself, and can have big payoff. Jjapaguri (also called ram-don), the famous dish from the Oscar-winning movie Parasite, is actually just a hybrid of two different kinds of instant noodles — Neoguri and Jjappaghetti — and has become one of Korea’s national dishes. The magic comes from the mixing of Neguri’s spicy seafood powder with Jjappaghetti’s savory black bean powder, which ignites a lethal umami bomb. But jjapaguri is just the start. Try mixing Neoguri and curry noodles to create an exuberant, spicy curry broth. Combining super spicy noodles with something cheesy is also 100 percent never a bad idea.

Jjapaghetti goes well with fried egg

The Ones to Know

Here, then, are some of the best instant noodles to stock up on, categorized by whether or not they’re “brothy” (the noodle soup kind) or “saucy” (brothless noodles with a separate sauce).

BROTHY

MyKuali Penang White Curry Noodle If you love Penang curry, try adding this noodle to your cart. These wildly popular Malaysian instant noodles are considered some of the best in the world on this heavily opinionated ranking. Three whole flavor pouches — one of them is a paste — make for a deep, coconut-y taste and hearty portion size that you rarely get from instant noodles. Add toppings like fried tofu or prawns.

Neoguri, Spicy Seafood Udon Noodles Neoguri, a Korean word for raccoon dog (neither a raccoon nor a dog; discuss), has been my top choice for ramen since I started slurping noodles at the age of three. This beloved Korean instant noodle is known for two things: thick udon-like noodles and a spicy seafood broth with actual dried seafood. It’s fantastic with any fishy topping or add-ins.

Nongshim Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup Shin Ramyun might be the very first Korean instant noodle brand, as well as one of the easiest to find internationally: I still remember the exciting moment when I found Shin Ramyun in a random gas station in Alabama. It’s known for its spicy broth, and doubles as an excellent noodle for Korean ramen beginners. Top this with a slice of American cheese to tone down the spice and pump up the greatness.

Prima Taste Laksa Coconut Curry Lamian Noodles This Singaporean instant noodle inspired by traditional laksa has a paste sachet that can and should be used for stir-frying vegetables, too. The noodles are rounder and less wavy than others, and the white powder adds the signature creaminess.

Mama Noodles Thai cooking doesn’t shy away from acid, and neither do these Thai instant noodles, with just the right balance of acidic and salty flavors. The wavy noodles and the powdery seasonings make a great snack — though it may not be hearty enough to be a standalone meal. Beef it up with a hard-boiled egg and other vegetable toppings, like scallions.

Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen Think Japanese shoyu ramen, in instant form: salty, slightly smokey, and clean tasting. It’s great with plain old white-meat chicken breast — which is hard to say about anything, really.

Paldo Gomtang Oriental Style Noodles with Beef Soup Base Not all Korean instant noodles are spicy! This mild, creamy Korean noodle soup is inspired by gomtang, or beef bone broth. It has an intense beefiness and is excellent with hearty greens like cabbage or scallions. Add some ground beef to make it more filling.

Tseng noodles with black sesame sauce

SAUCY

Nongshim, Jjapaghetti (Noodle Pasta with jjajang Sauce) “On Sundays, I’m the chef for Jjapaghetti” has been a Korean catchphrase for more than a decade. A combination of two dishes — jajangmyun (black bean noodles) and spaghetti— this saucy Korean instant noodle is also what spurred the ram-don trend after its crucial role in Parasite. The accompanying savory black bean sauce is all it really needs, though I highly recommend a luxe drizzle of truffle oil, too.

Indomie Mi Goreng Instant Stir Fry Noodles If you haven’t tried this Indonesian instant noodle, stop what you’re doing and fix that immediately. The package comes with a liquid seasoning mix of savory onion-flavored oil, sweet-spicy chili sauce, and sweet soy sauce, creating a salty-and-sweet coating for the wavy noodles. Any optional toppings like grilled steak or boiled eggs are just gravy.

Samyang Extra Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen Are you up for #FireNoodleChallenge? Join the leagues of people who’ve filmed themselves slurping these dangerously spicy noodles. There are multiple flavor options available, from carbonara to curry, and all of them equally fiery. Cover this with lots of mozzarella cheese to tone down the heat to the point where you might actually enjoy it.

Tseng Noodles Scallion With Sichuan Pepper Flavor This Taiwanese instant noodle is all about texture. Its curling, knife-cut-like strands are a perfect match for the sauce. There are many different flavors, besides this scallion one, such as black sesame and shallots. Depending on the sauce, the noodles textures vary. Think of this as gourmet-tier, since it costs slightly more than other noodles, but it’s totally worth the splurge.

Paldo Bibim Myun Cold Noodle The spicy, tangy, sweet sauce of these Korean noodles will wake up even the dullest of palates. Cook the noodles until they’re just al dente, or still a little firm, then rinse them under cold water to get rid of any residual starch and achieve peak bounce and chew. The sauce packet is an excellent salad dressing, too. Add some chopped cucumber and hard-boiled egg for a clutch midnight snack, or add some ice cubes for a cooling summer treat.

Mom’s Dry Noodle Sichuan Spicy The Taiwanese knife cut-style noodles cling to the oily, spicy sauce for maximum slurpability. Top with a fried egg or fried cubed tofu and you can almost pretend you’re at a restaurant.

Mom’s Dry Noodle has dried ribbon noodles which have ideal textures for the sauce

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2NkSTkS https://ift.tt/2V7Dj0p

A variety of instant noodles from different countries

How to mash-up, deconstruct, and altogether upgrade the versatile staple of dorm room dining

1. Load up on protein

Chicken-flavored ramen with garlicky sautéed kale, roasted chicken legs, and carrots.

2. Go big with toppings

3. Deconstruct everything

4. Switch up the liquid

5. Mash-up different styles

Jjapaghetti goes well with fried egg

The Ones to Know

Here, then, are some of the best instant noodles to stock up on, categorized by whether or not they’re “brothy” (the noodle soup kind) or “saucy” (brothless noodles with a separate sauce).

BROTHY

Tseng noodles with black sesame sauce

SAUCY

Mom’s Dry Noodle has dried ribbon noodles which have ideal textures for the sauce

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2NkSTkS via Blogger https://ift.tt/2V92Rds

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

2 notes · View notes

loversandantiheroes · 5 years ago

Note

I'm generally curious about Harvey and his kinks. Like how kinky is this man?

Scale from 1 to 10? I’d put him at about a 6. Some of this has been covered in the previous sub/dom/switch ask. More beneath the cut for the sake of everyone’s delicate dispositions and also your dashboards.

He’s not the wildest guy in the world. He can be a little squeamish at times, so there’s definitely a few things in the glorious world of kink that are very much a pass for him (that’s a no on watersports), and as mentioned previously, he won’t touch any form of humiliation kink with a ten foot pole.

Restraints are fun. Harvey’s an incredibly tactile guy when it comes to sex. Which sounds like a no-brainer, but for him it really is a full-body-contact sort of deal. It’s why he’s so partial to missionary, he really likes to be able to touch as much of his partner as he can. So by the inverse if you take that away from him, it drives him absolutely nuts. Into (private) lapdances for much the same reason.

Also he’s just really good with knots. If he had a mind to go take some instruction on shibari he’d be fucking amazing at it.

Not that into whipping, but as mentioned, spanking’s always good. He’s more than handy with a belt. Loves biting and hair pulling (giving and receiving). Has a practiced hand at choking, quite literally (can and will use the belt there, too). Occasionally likes a bit of wax play.

As previously mentioned, orgasm denial is another big one for him. Definitely into edging, once in awhile he’ll go full in for overstimulation.

Anal is the holy grail. Rim him, finger him, fuck/peg him, and he is yours forever.

Public/semi-public sex. He doesn’t want to be watched, but he wants the excitement and struggle of getting off and trying not to get caught. If he’s the one doing the teasing in public he has an infuriatingly good poker face. If he’s the one getting teased he goes absolutely tomato red.

That said, the only place he considers off-limits is the exam room of the clinic. His office is fair play, but he’d have too hard of a time focusing on actual patients if he kept thinking about everything else that’s happened in the room and whether or not he disinfected the place thoroughly enough.

Toys are great. Use them on him. Let him use them on you. Just, use more toys. My god. This is a man who’d end up with a discount card for a sex shop, I shit you not.

Roleplay doesn’t come easy to him until he goes full on comedic with it. I’m talking “Lemon-stealing whores!”/”Right in front of my salad?” level of ridiculous. Makes things tricky when the laughter inevitably gets out of control (giving a blowjob while laughing is effectively impossible), but it’s guaranteed to be a fun night.

As mentioned: praise kink is a big yes. He’s into giving it just as sort of a given thing (he’s the encouraging and indulgent type), but far more into receiving it. Tell him he’s a good boy. Tell him how lovely he looks when he’s hard. Be very vocal and indulgent about getting him off.

Surprisingly not adverse to a threesome. All genders welcome.

Adores boobs (and rightly so). Titfucking is great fun as far as he’s concerned. Nipple play is also very good.

Has done the human footstool thing a time or two. Was into it, but it’s a bit rough on the knees these days.

Exhibitionism is not his thing. Voyeurism on the other hand, that he can and will get into.

Lingerie is also a thing he’s fond of. Could be coerced into swapping underwear with a female partner provided he can fit into it - find something stretchy. Takes a little doing to find stockings in his size, but the result is definitely impressive.

Not terribly into leather and latex (too sweaty). Does actually have a thing for fully-clothed sex.

Oh, and ye olde erotic massage. He has definitely taken a course in actual therapeutic massage. Probably took a night class in the erotic sort as well. There’s a reason why he’s the only villager who loves truffle oil. Just sayin’.

There’s probably more but I’d literally need to find an actual list to check off, lol.

#stardew valley #sdv harvey #citrus variations #Anonymous

26 notes · View notes

zrtranscripts · 6 years ago

Text

Radio Abel, Season Six

Part 6 of 6

Parts 5 and 6 take place after S6M24, "Mother's Little Helper"

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hello, citizens. If you've just tuned in, we're getting ready for our first -

ZOE CRICK: Slightly delayed.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: - our first slightly delayed edition of Recipes on the Run, the cooking show for the post-apocalyptic world.

ZOE CRICK: We've been collecting recipes from our listeners and from our favorite Abel residents. Well, the ones who don't give everyone food poisoning when it's their turn to make the goulash. I'm looking at you, Maxine Myers.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We won't be telling you to julienne the asparagus or add in a drop or two of truffle oil because we know you've got as much chance of finding a bottle of truffle oil these days as you've got of bumping into Britney Spears, and she went zom so long ago they think she might have been patient zero for the entire continental United States.

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] No, we'll be looking at the everyday, mundane ingredients every cook needs.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Well, not actually those, because you can't find them on the shelves anymore. All the normal stuff's been taken. Packets of nuts, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup. Those are as rare as hen's teeth these days.

ZOE CRICK: I heard the last tin of baked beans in the entire country got eaten last Wednesday somewhere in Warwickshire. Whoever you were, I hope you enjoyed them.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So today we've got a recipe for you using an ingredient you can still find on the shelves, a lot.

ZOE CRICK: Yes. We'll be giving your our recipe for tinned swede with bacon-flavored instant baby formula sauce. Stay tuned!

ZOE CRICK: Okay, the first step is to take the package of bacon-flavored instant baby formula, and then wonder why the hell anyone would want bacon-flavored instant baby formula. Seriously! The apocalypse didn't happen a day too soon if you ask me.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Next, you need to get the swedes open. It's a little-known fact that tinned swedes are the national dish of -

[door opens]

AMELIA SPENS: Morning, everyone.

ZOE CRICK: Amelia? We're right in the middle of a broadcast.

AMELIA SPENS: Yes, yes, I do follow the schedule of Fort Canton broadcasts, thank you. And I could hardly fail to notice that you kicked me out of bed so early this morning.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Um...

AMELIA SPENS: You can lose that tone, Philip, unless you also want to lose your weekly ration of... whatever it is that you like. I'll find something.

ZOE CRICK: Amelia, what are you doing here?

AMELIA SPENS: Don't mind me. Just carry on with whatever you were doing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Okay. Yeah. So tinned swedes and...

ZOE CRICK: Baby formula?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah. I, um... [sighs] It's no good. I can't do it while she's staring at me like that.

AMELIA SPENS: If it helps, I'm staring at you, but I'm thinking about other things.

ZOE CRICK: What might help is if you explain exactly what you're doing in our radio shack. If it's not too much trouble.

AMELIA SPENS: Isn't it about time you played a song? No, no, don't worry. I'll just put one on for you. Here we go.

ZOE CRICK: Right. Listeners, apparently Amelia's here because she has an announcement to make. Apparently, Amelia doesn't believe in warning people first.

AMELIA SPENS: You generally seem to like it when I surprise you, darling.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Please stop.

ZOE CRICK: Yes, please do. You're upsetting Phil, and I like him more than I like you.

AMELIA SPENS: [laughs] Yes, imagine if you started to like me. Doesn't bear thinking about. Anyway, top tip for listeners: over the years, I've found it's much better not to announce your arrival, if possible. It's less likely people will try to stop you doing what you want.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We still could.

AMELIA SPENS: People find it a lot harder to say no to someone's face. It's a terribly British thing. They find it embarrassing.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: [sighs] Fine. You can make your announcement.

AMELIA SPENS: There you are, you see? You know you shouldn't let me have my way, but you are because it would be too embarrassing to confront me with quite how brazen I've been. It's very interesting, anthropologically speaking. Perhaps we could have someone start a show on this sort of thing. I tell you what, let's add a moment of suspense. Play a song.

ZOE CRICK: Right. And now you're going to tell us why you're here, or I'm going to take you by the scruff of the neck and physically throw you out.

AMELIA SPENS: I thought you didn't want us to do this in front of Phil. Have it your way. The truth is, I'm on a bit of a recruitment drive.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: What for? Your crack team of... of... of really irritating... people?

AMELIA SPENS: No. For Fort Canton. I'm trying to sort out some of the problems I've inherited. Under the previous mismanagement – honestly, it really was quite egregious - the population rather fell away, so I'm looking to expand.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Right. [sighs] And I suppose coming on our show does actually make sense.

AMELIA SPENS: I'm certainly not doing it for my health.

ZOE CRICK: And who exactly are you hoping to recruit?

AMELIA SPENS: Oh, you know. A few good people from around the country. I say good. That may not be the right word. Ambitious? Hard-working?

ZOE CRICK: Conniving? Back-stabbing?

AMELIA SPENS: I don't like to pre-judge. I've always been a woman who takes people as they come. Luckily for you.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: And maybe after this next song, you can tell us why anyone would want to work with the most untrustworthy woman in the country.

ZOE CRICK: Funnily enough, that song always makes me think of you, Amelia.

AMELIA SPENS: I'm not entirely sure you mean that as a compliment.

ZOE CRICK: Good.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Do you two actually even like each other at all?

[speaking simultaneously]

ZOE CRICK: No.

AMELIA SPENS: Don't be ridiculous.

[speaking in turn]

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Right. Uh, so what are the selling points of the New Canton -

AMELIA SPENS: Fort Canton.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: It'll always be New Canton to me.

AMELIA SPENS: But that's precisely the problem. Too many people in Fort Canton and elsewhere have been living in the past. The old world is gone for good. People need to wave it goodbye and move on. And that's what I plan to be doing, and what I'm looking for people to help me achieve. To build a brighter tomorrow on the ruins of yesterday.

ZOE CRICK: You make it sound so noble, which is ironic since you're the most cynical woman in England.

AMELIA SPENS: Whereas you're always such an idealist, of course.

ZOE CRICK: I always forget how loathsome you are

AMELIA SPENS: I always forget how judgemental you are. You're a terrible hypocrite!

ZOE CRICK: And you're a monster.

AMELIA SPENS: I've got half an hour to spare right now.

ZOE CRICK: Me, too. Phil, can you mind the fort?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: What? You're not going to - you just called her a monster!

ZOE CRICK: Needs must. Back soon. Bye!

[door opens and shuts]

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Zo! [sighs] Right. Um. They've gone. They've gone to... mm. Right. Um, uh, here's a little number to get them in the mood! Not that they seem to need it. At all!

BERNARD PRIOR: This is Bernard Prior on Fort Canton Today, keeping it really, really real! Even more real than – oh, I can't get away with that. This is Bernard Prior on Fort Canton Today, with news, views, and how do you do's? Oh, maybe that's too silly? This is Bernie P. on Fort Canton Today, in your ears despite my years! No, that's too weird. This is Bernard Prior on Fort Canton Today with... oh, you know, the usual stuff.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hello, citizens. This is Radio New Hope, bringing you all the news from all around the country.

ZOE CRICK: First up, there's been some exciting developments in Kidderminster.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Have there?

ZOE CRICK: No, not really. I just like saying Kidderminster. Although apparently, they have opened a zombie petting zoo there.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: They haven't.

ZOE CRICK: No, they have. The zombies are declawed and defanged, obviously. And chained up. I think they might also have had their salivary glands and voiceboxes removed.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: But why?

ZOE CRICK: So kids can see them up close and realize they aren't that frightening.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: But... they are frightening! Kids ought to be frightened of them! Teaching your kids that zombies are harmless is a terrible idea.

ZOE CRICK: Well, that's Kidderminster for you. We'll be back with the latest from London right after this.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: There's been an announcement on Rofflenet from the London council of boroughs. Uh, after weeks of bitter conflict, the Democratic Republic of the Isle of Dogs has agreed to become a London borough. However, it continues to refuse to sign up to the Camden Human Rights Accords and will continue using flogging and the stocks as its primary methods of social control. And in other national news, the Lake District has announced it's opening itself up to tourism again!

ZOE CRICK: Good luck with that one, guys. I hear you've got a thousand zombies per square mile up there.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah, but there's a cure now. People actually could go. Tourism could be a thing again.

ZOE CRICK: Yeah. I suppose they could go without dying. On the other hand, is Scafell Pike quite as scenic when it's covered peak to foot in shambling decayed corpses?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Good point. In other news, Cornwall's barred all visitors whose names begin with W, and experts predict that Liverpool should stop burning sometime in the middle of next year.

ZOE CRICK: We'll be back with something a little more heartwarming right after this.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: This is a story about kittens, isn't it?

ZOE CRICK: It's not a story about kittens.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Is it a story about cats?

ZOE CRICK: Nope, definitely not.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: And by cats, I mean all cats. Lions. Tigers. Cheetahs. The works. Oh, and meerkats, as well.

ZOE CRICK: Meerkats aren't even cats.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: So this is a story about meerkats.

ZOE CRICK: It's not about meerkats, either.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: But it's definitely about animals, and not human beings, isn't it? Because you never describe a story about human beings as heartwarming.

ZOE CRICK: It may be a story about baby bats.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Baby bats?

ZOE CRICK: Yes.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Do bats even have babies?

ZOE CRICK: Yes, obviously. What do you think they do, reproduce by cloning themselves in little bat labs?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I thought they laid eggs.

ZOE CRICK: They're mammals.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Really? I thought they were lizards.

ZOE CRICK: Lizards? At least if you'd said birds, it would make some sort of sense. I've... [sighs] Forgotten what I was going to say now.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You can't remember the heartwarming story about bats?

ZOE CRICK: You distracted me. Play a song, and maybe it'll come back to me.

ZOE CRICK: What's your least favorite word?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I thought you were going to tell us a story about bats.

ZOE CRICK: I've forgotten it. It was something to do with people feeding tiny bats from tiny bottles and then wrapping them up in tiny blankets.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I think that might just have been a dream you had.

ZOE CRICK: Anyway, what's your least favorite word?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Embourgeoisement.

ZOE CRICK: I've literally no idea what you just said.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Embourgeoisement. It's the process by which working class people join the middle class and assume its values. My sociology professor used to say it all the time.

ZOE CRICK: Of course she did. And of course you had a sociology professor.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I don't know why, but it used to really irritate me. She always used to say it in this incredibly smug way, like she personally invented it. And she used to do it in this stupid fake French accent. Got on my nerves so much, I had to stop going to the lectures eventually.

ZOE CRICK: Please tell me you failed the end of year exam because of how much the word embourgeoisement irritated you.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I did, actually. Had to retake it the next year when I had a different lecturer. He used to talk about the Thatcherite hegemonic project a lot, which was only about 29% as irritating. Anyway, what's your least favorite word?

ZOE CRICK: Oh, I was going to say gusset, but I can't say it now. It'll make me sound like a pleb.

BERNARD PRIOR: Welcome to Fort Canton Today! And now on the program, my occasional cohost and full-time glorious leader, Amelia Spens, is here to discuss issues of the day.

AMELIA SPENS: Hello Bernard, listeners. Lovely to be here. Thanks for having me on the airwaves.

BERNARD PRIOR: Oh, don't mention it. You did invite yourself, after all.

AMELIA SPENS: True. Now, I am delighted to let you know that we have a new trade pact with the Hugger-Muggers, The Wombles, and Archway 12, which means a new supply of tinned food, including spam, kidney beans, and dolphin-friendly tuna. All reasonably priced, but we do expect to sell out today, so run along, chop chop.

BERNARD PRIOR: Oh, that is jolly. It's nice to have some good news for once. And I do love a tuna sandwich. Fresh wholemeal, slice of cucumber, sprinkle of salt. The perfect teatime treat.

AMELIA SPENS: I'll have one sent over. Now -

BERNARD PRIOR: I was just wondering, though. Any news on a trade deal with Chalk Valley?

AMELIA SPENS: Oh, good grief. Every time. I promised you a tuna sandwich!

BERNARD PRIOR: It's hardly the same. One set of papers. One person. After all I've done? You promised you'd look into it.

AMELIA SPENS: And I have, but it's complicated! They don't issue travel papers without coercion. Word is they are just as worried about people leaving as they are about people getting in. [sighs] I can do it, but I'd need intel on Chalk Valley's leader, Big Nigel.

BERNARD PRIOR: Surely you have some. It's you.

AMELIA SPENS: Bernard -

BERNARD PRIOR: I know that face. You do!

AMELIA SPENS: Maybe I do, but I need to use it for the correct -

BERNARD PRIOR: Millie, I sheltered you from the jigsaw mob.

AMELIA SPENS: I don't think that was as serious as people made out.

BERNARD PRIOR: Oh, come on. What would Elle Woods do?

AMELIA SPENS: Play a tune. I need to think.

BERNARD PRIOR: Well? Don't keep old Bernard on tenterhooks. Have a heart, Miss Spens.

AMELIA SPENS: Okay, fine. I have a little information that Big Nigel was part of the Psychoanalysts Enclave's LARPing group.

BERNARD PRIOR: [sighs] Um... wait. What?

BERNARD PRIOR: LARPing, eh? Is that compromising?

AMELIA SPENS: Not on its own, but as you know, Chalk Valley has a strict isolationist policy.

BERNARD PRIOR: Oh, I do know.

AMELIA SPENS: The Psychoanalysts LARP takes place outside the Chalk Valley boundaries. If he's still playing -

BERNARD PRIOR: He's sneaking out! Just like all the citizens of Chalk Valley are banned from doing.

AMELIA SPENS: Quite.

BERNARD PRIOR: Ahoy-hoy to thee, fair listeners. How utterly magnificent it is to have you here. The weather is quite pleasing, isn't it? And I have a tuna sandwich, which is delicious. You would think, sweet listeners, would you not, that old Bernie would be in heaven. What with my sandwich, the perfect amount of fine sea salt, delicious Jaffa Cakes for afters, and of course, all the tea I could drink. But the fact is, as many a man before me has discovered, such riches are not but ash without someone delightful to share them with.

BERNARD PRIOR: One question, Millie. What on earth is LARPing?

AMELIA SPENS: It's essentially running around in a wood pretending to be an elf.

BERNARD PRIOR: Gosh, how rum. Do people do that on purpose?

AMELIA SPENS: Of course. It's not the kind of thing that happens accidentally. Full elf costumes, usually, too.

BERNARD PRIOR: Well really, I'm quite taken aback. Truly there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my political philosophy radio show.

AMELIA SPENS: It's an entertainment show, but yes. Quite.

AMELIA SPENS: So here we have it, B. A draft agreement that states that in return for not dropping leaflets all over Chalk Valley telling residents about Big Nigel's breaking of state lines, Chalk Valley will begin the process of allowing some free movement between itself and the Common Alliance of Independent Territories. That's what we're calling it now.

BERNARD PRIOR: Not the Free State Coalition? I liked that. Rather punchy.

AMELIA SPENS: No, no. Too punchy. Sigrid didn't like us calling ourselves free states. Implies things about the other side of the wall she didn't appreciate.

BERNARD PRIOR: Like them not being free at all?

AMELIA SPENS: Quite.

BERNARD PRIOR: So what? What can she do about it?

AMELIA SPENS: Oh, Bernie. Sigrid has a lot of weapons. Do you want a drone whizzing in here and flying up your trouser leg?

BERNARD PRIOR: She's capable of that?

AMELIA SPENS: She's capable of anything, B. Anything.

ZOE CRICK: So it's a lovely bright sunny morning. The birds are singing, the clouds are as fluffy as cotton wool, and Phil bloody Cheeseman is nowhere to be seen. Yes, before you ask, I've tried his room. Either he's not there or he's not answering the door. You know what I think? I think he went on an unauthorized date last night. I had a special schedule all lined up for him, hand-picked by me.

I'd even warned them about his excessive love of prog rock. I put a lot of work into it, and admittedly, the first four didn't go brilliantly, but I was refining my parameters. Anyway, we'll see how well the date he picked himself went, won't we? Hopefully after this song when he drags his ass in here.

ZOE CRICK: Nope. Still no sign of him. [sighs] I'm beginning to think the date actually went well, which is good. I mean, it's definitely good. But also, who is this person? And where did he find her? I've literally made a list of every single eligible person of any relevant sexual or romantic orientation in Abel and the seven surrounding statelets. Okay, that's not true. But it's not not true.

How could Phil possibly have found someone to date without my input? He's barely capable of deciding which socks to wear in the morning without asking me. I'm not even joking! He comes in here barefoot with three or four pairs and asks me to choose. Anyway, Cheeseman, this one's for you! Wherever the hell you are.

ZOE CRICK: Well, this is getting ridiculous. I suppose I'll just have to do Recipes on the Run on my own. At least we've had a really good one sent in by a reader involving quail's eggs and - [door opens] Phil. And what kind of time do you call this?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Sorry, Zoe. Sorry, citizens. Sorry, world!

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] Date went well, then?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh my God! Zo! It's amazing!

ZOE CRICK: Oh, amazing, was it? This mystery date with this mystery woman?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah. Um... I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, only uh, I wasn't sure how it was going to go and I didn't want to jinx it.

ZOE CRICK: You thought telling me about it might jinx it? Hm, charming.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: No, not all that. Only you've got to admit, every date you've arranged for me so far has been a total disaster.

ZOE CRICK: Just because they didn't turn into long-term relationships doesn't mean they were a disaster.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: One of them walked out after five minutes because I told her I didn't think Pierce Brosnan was that bad as James Bond.

ZOE CRICK: Hmm. To be fair, that is one of your silliest opinions.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Anyway, I just thought I'd try branching out on my own for a bit. And Layla, this one's just for you.

ZOE CRICK: So I suppose you're going to refuse to tell me about it, and I'll have to go around asking everyone in Abel Township until I finally find someone who happened to see you while you were out to tell me all the gory details. Not that that's what I've done for your previous dates, obviously.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Sorry, Zo. Not this one.

ZOE CRICK: I suppose if this one went well, you want to avoid upsetting her by blabbing on air.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: No, that's not it. I asked Layla, and she said she didn't mind me telling you. She said she'd listened to the show, and she knows what you're like, and she knows you'll get it out of me anyway.

ZOE CRICK: Hm. She said that, did she?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah. She also said she knows you're my best friend, so of course you're going to want to know.

ZOE CRICK: Oh.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'm still not going to tell you, though. Sorry, but I'm not.

ZOE CRICK: Why?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Because it's... it was our first date and it was really special and I like that it was just us.

ZOE CRICK: First date. Implying there'd be more?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We're seeing each other again on Thursday.

ZOE CRICK: That's... that's really good. I'm glad you met someone nice.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah. Me, too.

ZOE CRICK: Although I'm going to take the mickey out of you about it relentlessly for the next month. Possibly three.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Yeah. I know.

BERNARD PRIOR: Listeners, this is quite an exciting moment for the show! I am patched live to the negotiations between Chalk Valley's Big Nigel and Ms. Amelia Spens of Fort Canton and the CAIT. Let's listen live.

AMELIA SPENS: Yes, but if you could just stop just for a moment. I mean, come down from the tree. And if I could speak to you, the real you, not Cowslip Blossom the elf. [foliage rustles] Well. That costume doesn't leave much to the imagination.

BERNARD PRIOR: It seems things are going slower than I imagined. Let's have some music.

BERNARD PRIOR: Really? No success?

AMELIA SPENS: Sadly, none. Of course, this program only reaches Chalk Valley through covert channels, but he'd intercepted the broadcasts that mentioned his LARPING. However, instead of suppressing them as I'd imagined, he told the people of Chalk Valley that LARPing was essential training and that his participation in such endeavors with the dastardly forces and powers outside the valley was, in fact, an act of extreme bravery. I will say, there is something brave about impersonating Cowslip Blossom the elf. Seriously, that costume was eye-watering.

BERNARD PRIOR: Whose eyes? [laughs] Yours or his?

AMELIA SPENS: Both.

BERNARD PRIOR: Oh. Listeners, some appropriate music for this solemn occasion.

BERNARD PRIOR: Margot, oh Margot. If only we could find a way to be together, rather than so cruelly adrift in the post-apocalypse. Zombie hordes have a lot to answer for. Dear sweet unattainable Margot.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Hello, citizens. We've got our regular guest back today, Jody Marsh, former Commander in Chief of Abel Township. Hello, Jody.

JODY MARSH: Hi.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Jody's back with us to discuss the current nationwide water crisis, and what you as individuals can do about it.

ZOE CRICK: Boring.

JODY MARSH: I know water's not exactly thrilling, but we do sorta need it to live.

ZOE CRICK: Yeah, blah blah. Basis of all life on earth, overconsumption, and draught, blah blah. But wouldn't you rather talk about Phil's new girlfriend?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: No, because she's an actual grown-up with grown-up responsibilities. So Jody, about this water shortage -

JODY MARSH: Hang on, you've got a girlfriend?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Do you have to sound that surprised about it? Anyway, water shortages -

JODY MARSH: Forget about the water! Tell me about this woman. Who is she? What's she like? What's her job? Where does she live? If you know her shoe size, you can tell me that, too.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Give me strength.

ZOE CRICK: I think that might be their song.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: No, it isn't.

ZOE CRICK: Really? You were humming it all day yesterday with a silly grin on your face.

JODY MARSH: Don't tell me you're in love! Oh, Phil!

PHIL CHEESEMAN: We've only been on five dates.

ZOE CRICK: That wasn't actually an answer. Also, the fact you're still calling them dates is adorable. Oh, and talking of... didn't I see you out on a date yesterday, Jody?

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, thank God.

JODY MARSH: Maybe. But I think it's time we got back to the important water shortages currently affecting the country.

ZOE CRICK: Nope. What's sauce for the goose, etc. So you and Tom De Luca, eh?

JODY MARSH: Honestly, there's nothing to tell.

ZOE CRICK: No, of course. Nothing except all the gory details. That's a very handsome man you've got yourself. I want dates, frequency, and durations. Marks for artistic merit would also be appreciated.

JODY MARSH: There's none of that, Zo. I'm asexual.

ZOE CRICK: Really? How did I never know that?

JODY MARSH: It never came up. It's not like Abel has a regular Pride march where you'd see me up there waving the ace flag.

ZOE CRICK: I can see why someone might not be into sex.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Really? You wouldn't think so, from the amount you talk about it.

ZOE CRICK: Oi. To be fair, it is one of my favorite hobbies. But it's also faintly ridiculous and frequently squelchy. I can see why someone might not like it.

JODY MARSH: It's not that I don't like it. I used to do it and it was totally fine!

ZOE CRICK: If it's only fine, you're not doing it right.

JODY MARSH: Believe me, I tried all the variations. One-night stands, people I loved. Men, a couple of women. It was always perfectly okay. Kind of like eating lettuce. Nothing wrong with it, but no one sits there going, God, I'm really craving some lettuce right now. It's just the bit of the salad you eat because it always gets served along with the actual nice bits. That's how I felt about sex in a relationship. If they wanted sex and it made them happy, then it was no skin off my nose.

ZOE CRICK: That's... that's not how you should be feeling about it. You should never feel like you've got to do it because the other person wants it but you don't. Never. Ever.

JODY MARSH: Don't worry. No one put any pressure on me. I just thought that's what you did. But I worked it out eventually. Took me ages, because I used to assume everyone felt about sex the way I did.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Really? But people are always going on about how amazing it is.

JODY MARSH: Exactly. It was so over the top, I thought they must be lying. But now I've found someone who... likes me the way I am! And it's great. Tom, he's a... he's a great guy.

ZOE CRICK: This one's for you, Tom. For treating our Jody the way she deserves.

ZOE CRICK: Oh my God, that's given me an idea.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, there we go.

ZOE CRICK: No, listen. It's sensible, for once. Abel Pride.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Blimey! That actually is a good idea!

ZOE CRICK: Right?

JODY MARSH: It's bloody brilliant! When we win, when we beat Sigrid, that's what we're going to do. We're going to hold a massive great Pride right here in Abel.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: You can march with Amelia, Zo.

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] Can you just imagine? Amelia waving a rainbow flag and chanting, "We're here, we're queer, get used to it."

PHIL CHEESEMAN: I'd pay good money to see that.

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] She'll probably pay someone else to march for her. Anyway, you and Layla can come to support us.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: Oh, that'd be good. It's definitely time you met. I think you two would get on like a house on fire.

JODY MARSH: Maxine and Paula and Sam can bring Sara. They can dress her up in a little rainbow dress!

ZOE CRICK: [laughs] And we'll raise a glass to Jack and Eugene.

PHIL CHEESEMAN: There you have it, citizens. Abel Pride, and everyone's invited. Keep listening to find out more.

#zombies run #zrs6 #s6 radio #s6 radio part 6 #zr transcript

7 notes · View notes

themagnificentrubbertwins-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Check out the best silicon-free shampoo I have ever used

What is a silicone-free shampoo?

We all know that most of the shampoos on the market contain silicon. Many statements indicate that silicon in shampoo is the culprit of hair loss. There are countless propaganda about silicone-free shampoo overnight. In fact, there are many causes of hair loss, such as congenital inheritance, seborrheic alopecia caused by endocrine disorders, seasonal changes, work, stress, and even postpartum physiological hair loss. However, after personal experimentation, I personally use silicon-free than silicone-containing comfort, and the amount of hair drop is significantly reduced.

But silicon-free care has become a popular trend, and many problems have followed, which is a series of problems that can cause dry itch and dry itching. As Japan, the origin of silicon-free, most Japanese silicon-free companies are small factories with small factories from unknown names. Even the production information is inaccessible, which is very worrying~

The following products are used by people in their rankings.

Schwarzkopf 8 Golden Pure Run Silicone Essential Oil Series Schwarzkopf is the world's first developer of shampoo and has always loved it!

In fact, it is easy to take off a component for a product, but how to keep the original while removing the ingredient, the effect of nourishing the hair is difficult. Only the big brands that have been tempered for a hundred years can do this, and Schwarzkopf of Germany once again exerts the power of black technology. It is rich in 8 kinds of plant essential oils, which can effectively deal with various hair problems.

▼ Sense of use: After use, the scalp has a long-lasting oil control and the hair is particularly fluffy and three-dimensionally light. Every time after washing, it is like just taking care, the taste is super good, and the price is super high! highly recommended!

Shiseido not old forest shampoo Suitable hair quality: Postpartum hair loss / seasonal off

Shiseido's shampoo line, which promotes hair growth, is very surprising. It is constantly being updated. Now there is a pink bottle for ladies. I use the old black bottle.

The ingredients contain the newly developed drug substance adenosine (Adenosine), which is a nucleic acid DNA component developed by Shiseido over the years. It is found that Japanese brands really value the development of ingredients, for example, Pitera in SK-II fairy water. .

▼Sense of use:

The shampoo is milky white, the texture is thicker and thicker, so don't worry about dropping it when you are in the bubble. After washing, it is relatively moisturized. Even if you don't use conditioner, it won't feel dry. After drying, it is very fluffy. After using about two bottles, there are a lot of small fluff and small broken hair growing out. The situation of a lot of hair loss is much better.

It is a very functional shampoo, postpartum hair loss, seasonal hair loss, sparse hair, and soft people are very good.

Rene Furterer Shampoo Suitable hair quality:

Hair soft / oily hair / easy to lose hair

The Chinese name is: 馥绿德雅, French brand, there are counters in domestic shopping malls. French friends said that every time she goes to the drug store, there are always a lot of purchases, locals, tourists buying this shampoo, often out of stock. The shampoo is a pale green translucent gel texture with small green particles suspended in it, containing orange, lavender and rosemary essential oils.

▼ Use: This bottle is very fresh, a bit like a grapefruit with a lemon flavor, very planty. After the hair is wet, gently pour the shampoo on your hands and apply it to your hair. The green particles will gradually absorb with the massage and rubbing of the hair and scalp.

This is because the main silicone oil, oil control and anti-off. So after washing, there are still some dry, no silicone oil shampoo or good shampoo: the hair is very clean, but the hair is smooth and fluffy.

KLORANE shampoo Suitable hair quality:

Scalp fragile/easy hair loss

The Chinese name is: Luo Luolan. This is the best-selling shampoo brand in France, just like the above-mentioned 馥绿德雅. It seems that France has a lot of anti-hair shampoo and products. Is it because the water quality in France is hard and it is easy to cause hair loss? The ingredients added with cinchona tree extract (quinine) and vitamin B (B5, B6, B8) cinchona have the effect of stimulating cell regeneration. The effect of dimension B is self-evident.

▼Sense of use:

The texture is relatively thin, with a hint of herbal flavor, and it smells a little bit of Chinese herbal medicine. It is the same as the green deya shampoo above. Because it is a pure plant extracting low-foaming shampoo, it will feel hair after washing. It's very dry, but it doesn't feel rough at all. Instead, it will slowly feel that the hair becomes more tough, and the hair that is lost after blowing is less and less. The dry hair girl can be used together with the conditioner. But no silicone oil shampoo is like this: dry and healthy.

I have bought 10 bottles of 馥绿德雅 and 蔻罗兰, which are used alternately. The hair is very stable, strong and shiny.

Moroccanoil Moroccan Oil Shampoo Suitable hair quality:

All hair/damaged hair is a full-featured shampoo with a very good feel. It is divided into four series:

Repair Spontaneous Repair: Suitable for dyeing damaged hair and repairing hair.

Volume is full and fluffy: suitable for thin, soft and less hair, which can make hair strong and fluffy.

Hydration: Suitable for dry and dehydrated hair.

Smooth and smooth series: suitable for hairy hair, smooth and smooth.

▼Sense of use:

In fact, this brand of hair care oil is the most famous, here is its shampoo series, all Moroccanoil products contain argan oil, also added avocado oil, keratin, rosemary, lavender, chamomile And extracts such as jojoba. It is a baptism of scalp and hair love. The texture is a thick white liquid with a rich aroma of Middle Eastern flavour. After washing, the hair is fluffy and moist, the scalp is refreshing and not greasy. It is suitable for the general hair, the girl who pursues the fluffy effect. To tell the truth, in order to pursue the fluffy effect, I will continue to perm. It is really worth the money and hurt the body. It is better to buy it. ! By the way, the Moroccan hair care essential oil with it can be invincible.

Philip B Mint Avocado Rich and Clear Shampoo Suitable hair quality: All hair / oily hair Forbes commented: "Using Philip B to maintain hair is one of the 100 things worth the most money." Explain that the price is not beautiful, but after doing homework, it is gorgeous and planted. This bottle contains 2.3% pure peppermint oil and a variety of botanical extracts. It is a comprehensive and comprehensive shampoo: oil control, repair, tough hair, and create a fluffy feeling.

▼ Use feeling: Mint tastes very strong, the scalp feels particularly cool, it is very suitable for summer use, the foaming effect is the same as that of Green Deya and Dylan, the bubble rate is not high, the foam is full of delicate. This is similar to low-foam cleansing, indicating that the ingredients are mild. This oil control effect is very obvious, the oil head must try, the hair quality is dry, please cooperate with the hair conditioner, their family's white truffle care series is also very worthwhile to start, the price is not beautiful, let me use the light home The shampoo and the goods will start again.

A lot of girls will put a lot of money on the perm hair dye, in fact, you can spend a part of the shampoo to buy, which will help you open a new world. In addition, shampoo is only the effect of external repair, the real good hair can not be separated from the internal conditioning, staying up late, frequent dyeing hot, unhealthy diet is the real killer of hair loss, dryness, oil head.

Special statement: This article is uploaded and published by NetEase from the media platform "Netease" author, only represents the author's point of view. Netease only provides information publishing platform.

For more information, Visit > Best Shampoo for Repair

#hairrepair #hairtips #shampoo #tips #glow

4 notes · View notes

primortravel · 3 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://primortravel.com/top-10-brazilian-foods-to-eat-in-brazil/

Top 10 Brazilian Foods to Eat in Brazil

Going to Brazil and want to know what Brazilian food to try? Or perhaps you want to make some traditional Brazilian dishes at home? We break down all the best Brazilian foods to have your own Brazilian barbecue in your backyard or to try when you visit South America’s most exciting country! So get your shopping list ready, this weekend calls for a feast of Brazilian food.

Best Traditional Brazilian Food

There are few cities in the world that rival Rio de Janeiro’s beauty and energy. The people of Rio know how to party, making it one of the liveliest cities in South America. It is also a place to eat well.

Our awesome Guides in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro

We toured the city sampling everything from dinner at outstanding and Churrascaria to sipping on Brazil’s delicious national drink the Caipirinha. After two weeks of hearty eating in Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls, we learned quite a bit about Brazilian dishes and had the extra notch in our belt to prove it! So let’s sample some of the best food in Brazil.

1. Brazilian Barbecue

Only the best meats at a churrascaria

Vegetarians beware, meat is king in Brazil. When I think of food in Brazil, the first thing that pops into my head is a visit to a Churrascaria (A Brazilian Grill) that serves an abundance of meat. If you are a Vegetarian, don’t read any further, instead check out our 15 tips for Easy Vegan Travel

If you want to go all out for a Brazilian-themed party, you must have choice cuts of meat. And lots of it! There are Brazilian Barbecues all around North America now so you can go out and sample some traditional Brazilian foods at a restaurant near you before you give it a go at home.

Churrascarias in Brazil

What can one expect at a Churrascaria? A belly so full you’ll be in a food coma for hours afterward. The meal begins with a huge buffet of vegetables, salads, sushi, and pasta. Don’t fill up too much here as the main meal hasn’t even been served yet. Want to try making Brazilian Cuisine at home? Get your copy of 65 Classic Recipes – The Food and Cooking of Brazil

Within minutes men dressed in crisp white shirts bring endless cuts of meats to your table slicing off pieces with precision perfection. When you make Brazilian food, include any type of meat you want from sausages to steaks, put them on metal skewers and they are ready to go. Check out our suggestions for where to stay in Rio.

2. Caipirinha

Enjoying a Caipirinha at the Girl From Ipanema

Move over Mojito, the Caipirinha is set to take over cocktail lounges around the world. The Caipirinha is a refreshing lime-based cocktail blended with Brazil’s national spirit the cachaça,

Cachaça is a lot like rum but made from distilled sugar cane. If you can’t get your hands on cachaça, you can use rum, but your local liquor store should have some in stock. The popular choice is Pitu Cachaça. Grab some limes, sugar, and ice and that’s all you need!

It’s easy to make and I could write all about it, but watch our video on how to make a Caipirinha for a complete lesson on how to make you own Caipirinhas. What our video of how to make a Caipirinha here.

Read More About Cool Food Around the World

3. Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

Yummy Brazilian Cheese Bread – Pão de Queijo

Who doesn’t love cheese? During our first meal in Brazil, our hosts told us we have to try the cheese bread. Made with cassava flour, this typical dish of Brazil is mouth-wateringly delicious!

After trying it at our next meal, we ate it again and again. Pão de queijo is a roll filled with cheese. Eat it while it’s hot. Many places took this dish one step further and skipped the bread and simply served us hunks of deep-fried cheese. It was heavenly.

Interested in more than just the food of Brazil? Check out this post to understand the culture better: Pacifying Rio’s Favelas

4. Pasteis

Pasteis are just what you probably think they are – pastries and appetizers

Later in the evening, break out the Pasteis for some quick and delicious finger foods. These deep-fried treats are pastries filled with everything from cheese, fish, and meats and vegetables.

Fish balls are a popular choice that often had in Rio de Janeiro. Dip the pastries in hot sauce like Tabasco and you are good to go. If you want to learn how to make the pastry that you can fill with anything, check out this recipe. Loving Brazil Cuisine? You’ll love our guide to Greek Food Too!

5. Moqueca (Fish Stew)

Moqueca is a fish stew prepared in a clay pot. The fish is slow-cooked with coconut milk, diced tomatoes, garlic, and coriander. Fish can be any saltwater fish whitefish or make it something everyone will like with Shrimp! Make your own Brazilian fish stew recipe with this guide to making Moqueca

Traveling to Brazil? Pick up your copy of the Lonely Planet Brazil to help you with Brazilian food and travel tips

6. Brigadeiro

There are many choices for dessert in Brazil but the Brigadeiro is to die for. This rich, thick and gooey chocolate is a Brazilian chocolate truffle made from condensed milk, cocoa, and chocolate sprinkles. This will satisfy your sweet tooth indeed.

7. Acarajé

When it comes to trying street foods when we travel, we love it. Just make sure you only eat food that’s been cooked thoroughly and keep an eye out for crowds of locals. If it’s busy, the food will be fresh! Acarajé is a delicious treat made of crushed black-eyed peas that is deep-fried in palm oil and stuffed with pureed shrimp. Be sure to have a side of chili sauce to accompany it! Make them at home.

8. Feijoada

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

The traditional Brazilian feijoada is a stewed black bean dish cooked in beef and pork. This dish is considered the national dish of Brazil and you’ll find it on every buffet in Rio de Janeiro.

The black beans are mixed with salted pork or beef. But the good cuts are left for the churrascarias. The beans get all the trimmings like ears, feet and tails. If that doesn’t sound appetizing, just think sausage. Sausage is always stuffed with the bits of the animal. Add some rice and beans to the mix and you’ve got one fatty delicious dish! If you want the full recipe, check out BBC food

9. Coffee and Pastries

When we visited Rio de Janeiro, the Confeitaria Colombo located downtown was packed with locals enjoying high tea and pastries. Rio may be all things Latin, but this celebrated coffee shop was modeled after a traditional Parisian café.

I can understand why the people of Rio embraced the Parisian coffee culture, Brazil has the best coffee in the world. Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world.

10. Hearts of Palm

Dave and I have had hearts of palm in the past, but we really fell in love with it in Brazil. Their hearts of palm salads were refreshing and delicious. Hearts of palm were served everywhere in Brazil and we took advantage of eating them.

So dust off that old can of hearts of palm you’ve had in your cupboards for years and create a hearts of palm salad. Mix iceberg lettuce with fresh vegetables, hearts of palm, olive oil, vinegarette dressing, and a little salt and pepper.

Read Next:

Source link

#Travel #TravelBlogs #TravelGuides #Traveling #TravelTips

#Travel #TravelBlogs #TravelGuides #Traveling #TravelTips #Social Travels

0 notes

lumiereswig · 7 years ago

Text

Lit by the Stars

She creeps down the stairs quietly—very, very quietly. It is easy to hear feet slap against the stone steps of the palace. But she does not want to wake anyone up.

The moon is flickering out between the cloud, and Plumette cannot sleep. She is fourteen. That afternoon a new footman arrived at the palace. And the prince’s father yelled, and the queen had run to her room, and Plumette had ducked under the stairs just in time, and dinner had been silent and faint, and Plumette had run up to her room afterward and tried to sleep, with the stars in her eyes.

No good. The nightmares came. So up came Plumette—out of the feather bed, and with bare feet pat-pat-patting down the stairs. She needs no candle. The stars will light her way.

There is someone else in the kitchen.

“Oh!”

She forgets to string more words onto the sentence. It is the footman from earlier—the one who made the plates dance across the table, and who was so bright and cheeky to Mr. Cogsworth. He is only in his shirt and waistcoat and breeches and stockings: no shoes, no coats, no wigs. He is fifteen, with a shock of reddish hair, and slender white hands that now hold a saucepan and spoon. He is busy over the stove.

He smiles the instant he sees her. “Ma chérie! You, too, could not sleep in all this dark?”

“Are you afraid of the dark?”

“Why should I be afraid, when there are candles and stoves and fires to light it up?” He flips whatever he is grilling in the pan. “This castle is so empty, so cold.”

She sits down at the table; the chair barely makes a noise as she scrapes it across the floor. “There are almost three hundred people in this palace, monsieur.”

“Ah, yes, and very loud snorers, too—but it is empty of romance, in the old sense. Glamor! Charm! Dreamers, lighting up the night. But I will fix that soon.”

He spots her at the table. Her little feet are swinging from the chair.

“Do you want a midnight snack?”

“Oh.” Plumette had assumed it was a midnight feast. He has the oven going—and two pans on the stove—and he’s made a proper mess of the entire sideboard. Eggs and rashers of bacon and slices of ham and bunches of herbs and piles on piles on piles of cheese....

“I know, it’s not much.” He flips the pan again, expertly transferring roasted fish from a mess of butter and crumbs to a plate. He spins it toward Plumette. “Come! Mademoiselle! Join me for midnight.”

She can’t help the smile creeping across her face, so shy, like a little girl at a ball. He sees and smiles wider, and perches on the table as he whisks eggs and cream.

“Plumette,” she says, as some sort of explanation, and bites down hard on what he’s made to try to hide her giggles.

“Lumière. Enchanté, chérie,” he says, and he’s smirking with all the pride of Paris and the joy of being young and wild and cooking on his face.

He makes her a hot, thick soup with truffles. He gets hot oil on his thin, white hands—(“merde! It burns! Merci, merci” as she hands him her handkerchief)—and when the cooking is done, just a little cooking, nothing like Monsieur Cuisiner’s, only a little quiche lorraine and roasted ham and buttered toast and cheese-puff-pastry and turkey ballotine—well, then he sits and cups his face in his hands and listens to her nightmares, sharing the soup, and eating the bread, and smiling so brightly that Plumette is not afraid of the dark.

“Do you know, monsieur, I think I like you,” says Plumette. He kisses his hand to her and she laughs.

“I am glad there is another dreamer in the palace,” he says, his bright eyes very blue against the blaze of the stove. “Enchanté!”

Lumière breaks the bread, and Plumette laughs. Laughs softly, yes, so as not to wake the sleepers—but enough to light up this memory here, the secret in the kitchen, where the two hot-head dreamers can share a bowl of soup.

It’s a memory she tries not to forget, even when the stars go dim above her, and his golden face cries out in pain. That is the memory she flits to, when she still cannot hear the heartbeat. The way the stars looked in Lumière’s eyes, one night, when he was fifteen and she was fourteen and they had stars in their hair and bread in their hands.

One first night, beneath the cold dead stars.

#i can't get over these 2 can i #plumiere #batb fanfic #plumette #lumiere #batb #beauty and the beast #beauty and the beast 2017 #batb 2017 #lumiette

53 notes · View notes

easyfoodnetwork · 5 years ago

Text

The Ultimate Guide to Instant Noodles

A variety of instant noodles from different countries | James Park

How to mash-up, deconstruct, and altogether upgrade the versatile staple of dorm room dining

1. Load up on protein

James Park

Chicken-flavored ramen with garlicky sautéed kale, roasted chicken legs, and carrots.

2. Go big with toppings

3. Deconstruct everything

4. Switch up the liquid

5. Mash-up different styles

James Park

Jjapaghetti goes well with fried egg

The Ones to Know

Here, then, are some of the best instant noodles to stock up on, categorized by whether or not they’re “brothy” (the noodle soup kind) or “saucy” (brothless noodles with a separate sauce).

BROTHY

Tseung noodles with black bean sauce

SAUCY

James Park

Mom’s Dry Noodle has dried ribbon noodles which have ideal textures for the sauce

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2z89lS1 https://ift.tt/2LC3sPt

A variety of instant noodles from different countries | James Park

How to mash-up, deconstruct, and altogether upgrade the versatile staple of dorm room dining

1. Load up on protein

James Park

Chicken-flavored ramen with garlicky sautéed kale, roasted chicken legs, and carrots.

2. Go big with toppings

3. Deconstruct everything

4. Switch up the liquid

5. Mash-up different styles

James Park

Jjapaghetti goes well with fried egg

The Ones to Know

Here, then, are some of the best instant noodles to stock up on, categorized by whether or not they’re “brothy” (the noodle soup kind) or “saucy” (brothless noodles with a separate sauce).

BROTHY

Tseung noodles with black bean sauce

SAUCY

James Park

Mom’s Dry Noodle has dried ribbon noodles which have ideal textures for the sauce

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2z89lS1 via Blogger https://ift.tt/367Ubs6

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

0 notes

jeepsister72-blog · 5 years ago

Text

27 Mushroom Recipes, for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

[Photograph: Emily and Matt Clifton, Vicky Wasik, J. Kenji López-Alt]

One of the great things about mushrooms is that they're in season all year long. At the same time, though, they feel especially appropriate this time of year—their earthy flavor and meaty texture make them at home in the braises and alongside the roasts we crave when the temperature drops. From chicken cacciatore and shiitake po' boys to mushroom pizza, we've rounded up 27 recipes to keep you eating mushrooms until spring.

Feeling intimidated by the selection at your local market? Our Mushroom Shopping Guide will get you up to speed in no time!

Vegetarian

To start things off, let's go with mushrooms at their simplest: quartered; tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper; and roasted. The only trick here is draining the mushrooms 15 minutes into cooking—leave the excess liquid in the pan and the mushrooms will get slimy. Be sure to save that liquid, though, because it's packed with flavor (almost like vegan Worcestershire sauce).

Easy Roasted Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Have you ever left mushrooms in the fridge for just a few days too long? The soft spots and discoloration make them seem pretty unappealing, but that doesn't mean you should toss them—blend the mushrooms up into a creamy soup and you'll forget all about their flaws. This recipe works with pretty much any mushrooms you have on hand, so it's perfect for cleaning the fridge.

Quick and Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe »

Back to the full list

Making vegan collard greens means figuring out how to replace the meaty, flavorful cured pork. Our solution is to use lots of mushrooms—we mix slice creminis in with the greens and braise the dish in an intense vegetable stock made with dried mushrooms and kombu.

Vegan Southern-Style Collard Greens With Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Here we serve cremini mushrooms with not one but three kinds of greens: kale, Swiss chard, and baby spinach. That variety gives the comforting brunch dish a range of flavors and textures that will ruin plain old creamed spinach for you. Well-browned mushrooms have a meaty bite that works well in what is otherwise a soft, creamy dish.

Baked Eggs With Creamy Greens, Mushrooms, and Cheese Recipe »

Back to the full list

Cooking mushrooms can be an exercise in patience—they'll brown nicely after just a few minutes on the stovetop, but if you keep going they will caramelize and start to crisp up almost like a steak. Here we use caramelized mushrooms in a salad with baby kale, shallots, and a sherry vinegar dressing. Looking for a different mushroom salad? Try our recipes with oyster mushrooms and watercress or roasted potatoes and marinated shiitakes.

Warm Kale and Caramelized Mushroom Salad Recipe »

Back to the full list

If you're looking for a show-stopping vegan centerpiece for your holiday table, this vegetable-based take on old-school beef Wellington is the way to go. Packed with ingredients like carrots, dehydrated beans, braised cashews, nuts, mushroom "bacon," and more, this vegan roast is well worth spending all day in the kitchen to make.

Vegetables Wellington Recipe »

Back to the full list

This pizza goes all in on the mushrooms—not only do we top it with assorted fresh mushrooms, but we also use mushroom duxelles in place of sauce. If you're a fan of truffle oil, drizzle that on top for even more mushroom flavor. We also add plenty of fresh mozzarella, because this is pizza after all.

Pizza With Mushrooms, Mozzarella, and Truffle Recipe »

Back to the full list

A typical New Orleans po' boy is stuffed with meat or fried seafood (I'm all about the shrimp/oyster combo), with just a few vegetables like lettuce and tomato thrown in for good measure. This recipe leans into the vegetables, though, replacing fried oysters with crispy cornmeal-crusted shiitakes.

Fried Shiitake Po' Boys With New Orleans-Style Remoulade Recipe »

Back to the full list

If you're a longtime reader then I don't have to tell you that not only is risotto easier to make on the stovetop than you might think, but with a pressure cooker it's basically foolproof. We use our easy pressure cooker technique here to make a risotto flavored with dried porcinis, sautéed mixed fresh mushrooms, and stock infused with mushroom trimmings.

Pressure Cooker Mushroom Risotto Recipe »

Back to the full list

Sure to impress next time you host brunch, eggs en cocotte is a deceptively simple dish made by baking eggs in individual ramekins. We have several recipes for you to try out, but I'd recommend starting with this one made with mushroom duxelles, melted Gruyère, and a dash of heavy cream.

Mushroom and Gruyère Eggs en Cocotte Recipe »

Back to the full list

This ragù is just as comforting as any meat-based version thanks to a hearty combination of fresh and dried mushrooms, canned whole tomatoes, and aromatics. You have some flexibility in which fresh mushrooms you use, but a mix of cremini, shiitake, oyster, and hen-of-the-woods is our favorite. Serve the ragù on pasta for a simpler dish, or layer it into polenta lasagna for something fancier.

Mushroom Ragù Recipe »

Back to the full list

This Asian-inspired mushroom side is super easy—all you have to do is blanch mushrooms and peeled fresh chestnuts and stir-fry them with ginger, garlic, scallions, and soy sauce. Because the dish is so simple it's important to use great mushrooms—enoki, shiitake, chanterelle, or button all work, so go with whatever looks best at the market.

Soy-Braised Fall Mushrooms With Chestnuts Recipe »

Back to the full list

This simple salad is all about earthy, rich flavor. Wild rice is paired with plump sautéed mushrooms and toasted pine nuts. An optional dose of dried mushrooms and stock for cooking the rice adds even more savory depth to the salad, which is perfect for any holiday table, but is also good any day of the week.

Wild Rice Salad With Mushrooms, Celery Root, and Pine Nuts Recipe »

Back to the full list

A vegan cheesesteak might seem like a contradiction, since meat and cheese are both in the name, but we promise this vegan take on the classic sandwich is every bit as good. Thick sheets of yuba are sliced and smothered in an umami-packed mushroom broth before getting tossed with caramelized onions and roasted trumpet mushrooms. The combination is stuffed into a crusty roll with a vegan "cheese" spread. Call it what you want, but there's no denying this is a damn good sandwich.

Vegan Cheesesteak With Yuba (Tofu Skin) and Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Non-Vegetarian

An upgraded version of the TV-dinner classic, our Salisbury steak is made with beef, pork, bread, and white onion (think meatloaf, but steak-shaped). The mushrooms come into play in the gravy—we make the cornstarch-thickened pan sauce with browned creminis.

Salisbury Steak With Mushroom Brown Gravy Recipe »

Back to the full list

This dish is named after the Italian word for "woodsman," and after one bite of the earthy mushrooms, woodsy herbs, and smoky bacon you'll understand why. As with a lot of mushroom dishes, you want to use a mix of types—at the very least a small amount of dried wild porcinis will greatly improve the flavor of the sauce.

Penne Boscaiola (Woodsman-Style Pasta With Mushrooms and Bacon) Recipe »

Back to the full list

To make chicken Marsala, you pair chicken cutlets with a sauce made with mushrooms, shallots, stock, gelatin, and, of course, the dish's namesake Marsala wine. We like to lightly dredge the chicken in flour before cooking, which helps the chicken quickly brown before it has a chance to overcook and gives it a silkier texture.

Chicken Marsala With Mushrooms and Shallots Recipe »

Back to the full list

Gelatin is not the only way to thicken a pan sauce—here we use cream instead. Besides the cream the sauce is made with cremini mushrooms, shallots, garlic, thyme, chicken stock, and white wine. The rich, earthy sauce is a perfect partner for medium-rare skirt steak.

Skirt Steak With Mushroom-Cream Pan Sauce Recipe »

Back to the full list

Yakitori is really all about the chicken, but it's customary for restaurants to keep a few other skewers on the menu, too. Whole grilled mushrooms are a traditional choice, but to make a more interesting dish we prefer to layer slices of king oyster mushrooms and bacon. Don't forget the homemade teriyaki sauce to finish.

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms With Bacon and Teriyaki Glaze Recipe »

Back to the full list

Shrimp and grits purists, look away—this recipe decks out the Southern classic with crispy diced bacon and seared mushrooms. To give the grits extra flavor we cook them in a broth made with mushroom trimmings and shrimp shells, then melt in plenty of Gruyère. The recipe calls for what might seem like too much liquid, but if you're patient it will cook down into incredibly creamy grits.

Shrimp and Gruyère Cheese Grits With Bacon and Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

We look to France for inspiration when it came to topping this burger, setting the patty on top of a generous layer of mushroom duxelles and slathering it with creamy Mornay sauce. To cut through the richness just a little bit we finish the burger with a handful of fried shallots.

Mornay and Mushroom Duxelles Burger With Crispy Shallots Recipe »

Back to the full list

There are a million recipes for chicken cacciatore—as long as you are braising chicken you can seemingly flavor it however you'd like. We make a tasty version with red bell peppers, but my favorite recipe uses onions, canned tomatoes, and cremini mushrooms. The hearty braise comes together in about an hour but tastes like it spent all afternoon in the oven.

Chicken Cacciatore With Mushrooms, Tomato, and Onion Recipe »

Back to the full list

Easy, fast, reasonably inexpensive—chicken stir-fry is a perfect weeknight dinner. This one pairs silky water-velveted chicken breast with fresh and rehydrated dried wood ear mushrooms and a sauce made with sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, water, and cornstarch.

Stir-Fried Chicken With Mushrooms and Oyster Sauce Recipe »

Back to the full list

The combination of soy sauce and butter isn't traditional in any cuisine that I'm familiar with, but in recent years it has become huge in parts of East Asia. You have to wonder why people haven't been pairing them for longer—the rich butter and salty, savory soy sauce are natural partners. To try it for yourself, try using the two ingredients to sauce a simple steak and mushroom stir-fry.

Easy Stir-Fried Beef With Mushrooms and Butter Recipe »

Back to the full list

This filling baked pasta dish is perfect for a chilly fall evening—you can make it in just one skillet with Italian sausage, Parmesan cream sauce, and lots of mushrooms. Looking for something a little lighter? Try this one-pot pasta with mushrooms, pancetta, and wilted greens.

Crispy Baked Pasta With Mushrooms, Sausage, and Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe »

Back to the full list

This entire steak dinner comes together in one cast iron pan, in less than half an hour. The steak cooks to a juicy medium-rare under the broiler, while the accompanying cabbage and mushrooms warm through and cook gently. The plated steak is topped with a richly flavorful and wildly easy chive sour cream.

Broiled Strip Steak With Mushrooms and Chive Sour Cream Recipe »

Back to the full list

In this old-school French recipe, artichokes are stuffed with an herby mushroom filling before they're topped with pancetta and braised until tender. The final dish is elegant, flavorful, and much simpler to make than your guests might think.

Old-Fashioned Artichokes à la Barigoule With Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/roundups/mushroom-recipes

0 notes

silicabeast34-blog · 6 years ago

Text

27 Mushroom Recipes, for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

[Photograph: Emily and Matt Clifton, Vicky Wasik, J. Kenji López-Alt]

Feeling intimidated by the selection at your local market? Our Mushroom Shopping Guide will get you up to speed in no time!

Vegetarian

Easy Roasted Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Quick and Easy Creamy Mushroom Soup Recipe »

Back to the full list

Vegan Southern-Style Collard Greens With Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Baked Eggs With Creamy Greens, Mushrooms, and Cheese Recipe »

Back to the full list

Warm Kale and Caramelized Mushroom Salad Recipe »

Back to the full list

Vegetables Wellington Recipe »

Back to the full list

Pizza With Mushrooms, Mozzarella, and Truffle Recipe »

Back to the full list

Fried Shiitake Po' Boys With New Orleans-Style Remoulade Recipe »

Back to the full list

Pressure Cooker Mushroom Risotto Recipe »

Back to the full list

Mushroom and Gruyère Eggs en Cocotte Recipe »

Back to the full list

Mushroom Ragù Recipe »

Back to the full list

Soy-Braised Fall Mushrooms With Chestnuts Recipe »

Back to the full list

Wild Rice Salad With Mushrooms, Celery Root, and Pine Nuts Recipe »

Back to the full list

Vegan Cheesesteak With Yuba (Tofu Skin) and Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Non-Vegetarian

Salisbury Steak With Mushroom Brown Gravy Recipe »

Back to the full list

Penne Boscaiola (Woodsman-Style Pasta With Mushrooms and Bacon) Recipe »

Back to the full list

Chicken Marsala With Mushrooms and Shallots Recipe »

Back to the full list

Skirt Steak With Mushroom-Cream Pan Sauce Recipe »

Back to the full list

Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms With Bacon and Teriyaki Glaze Recipe »

Back to the full list

Shrimp and Gruyère Cheese Grits With Bacon and Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

Mornay and Mushroom Duxelles Burger With Crispy Shallots Recipe »

Back to the full list

Chicken Cacciatore With Mushrooms, Tomato, and Onion Recipe »

Back to the full list

Stir-Fried Chicken With Mushrooms and Oyster Sauce Recipe »

Back to the full list

Easy Stir-Fried Beef With Mushrooms and Butter Recipe »

Back to the full list

Crispy Baked Pasta With Mushrooms, Sausage, and Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe »

Back to the full list

Broiled Strip Steak With Mushrooms and Chive Sour Cream Recipe »

Back to the full list

Old-Fashioned Artichokes à la Barigoule With Mushrooms Recipe »

Back to the full list

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/roundups/mushroom-recipes

0 notes

chinapotato11-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Where to Eat Dim Sum in Philadelphia: The Ultimate Guide

Guides

No matter where you are or what style you're looking for, we've got you covered with this list of all the best places for shu mai, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes in Philly.

Devoted foodies and restaurant newbies love Foobooz. Sign-up now for our twice weekly newsletter.

Dim Sum Garden | Facebook

I know I don’t have to convince you how good dim sum is. Little plates full of awesome. A taste of home and comfort for those who grew up with it. A universe of dumplings, buns, and chicken feet.

And I don’t have to convince you that Philly has a deep bench of dim sum places, either. If you’re a Foobooz reader of any regularity, you know the places that we love, that we return to again and again. You know that we’ve spent years poking around the neighborhoods looking for new dim sum spots, overlooked gems, forgotten places. In a city that loves brunch the way Philly loves brunch, dim sum is vital. A man can only eat so many plates of eggs Benedict and shakshuka, after all. Sometimes, congee is what’s called for. Or shu mai and soup dumplings and taro cakes and sticky rice.

When that time comes, we’ve got you covered. Here’s where to find all the best dim sum in Philly, no matter where you are.

The Dim Sum You Must Try First

Tom’s Dim Sum | Facebook

Joy Tsin Lau, Chinatown Traditionally, dim sum is served for breakfast or brunch — and Joy Tsin Lau sticks to that, with a fully separate menu that’s served from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. seven days a week. The menu includes an extensive selection of dumplings, wontons, rolls, shu mai, and sweets like egg custard and coconut pudding, plus items like chicken feet, taro cake, duck tripe, and squid topped with curry sauce. 1026 Race Street Ordering style: À la carte

Tom’s Dim Sum, Chinatown This spot in the 11th Street tunnel, sandwiched between Reading Terminal Market and the Greyhound bus station, isn’t much to look at from the outside. But the dim sum menu there is one of the best around and a perennial Foobooz favorite. The scallion pancakes are featherlight and less than $4, and the soup dumplings thin-skinned and piping hot — made by the titular Tom, an OG from the days when Dim Sum Garden occupied this spot, who has now returned to make the place his own, and better than ever. 59 North 11th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Dim Sum Garden, Chinatown Back in the old days, before the Chinatown buses were shut down, Dim Sum Garden occupied the 11th Street tunnel spot where Tom’s is now — and it was the perfect meal to welcome you back to Philly after a dirt-cheap trip to New York or D.C. Now, you can find their excellent dim sum (a batch of pork soup dumplings with turnip cake, shrimp dumplings, moon cakes, and some steamed bok choy is our go-to order) a few blocks away on Race Street west of 10th. 1020 Race Street Ordering style: À la carte

Nom Wah, Market East With its menu of traditional small plates, approachable buns, dumplings, egg rolls, and an extensive list of teas, this offshoot of the historic NYC tea parlor is a perfect spot for spending a rainy (or snowy) weekend morning. Or, you know, you could also go at lunch (the chef’s special ho fun will do you right). Or at night. Because Nom Wah serves straight through until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on every day but Tuesday. 218 North 13th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Best Dim Sum In Chinatown

Sang Kee Peking Duck House | Facebook

Imperial Inn Be sure to try the shrimp rolls, a fan favorite, at this old-school spot. You can also get your dim sum served with a side of “volcanic flame”: order the pu pu platter for an assortment of appetizers that you can “roast to your heart’s content.” 146 North 10th Street Ordering style: From a cart

Sang Kee Peking Duck House This spot, tucked just south of the Vine Street Expressway on 9th Street, is known for its crispy-skinned duck, roasted to a deep golden brown. But its extensive menu includes Chinese dishes from multiple regions (including Americanized dishes), Thai cuisine, ramen, and a solid list of dim sum. It’s all there, from spring rolls to bao buns, but don’t miss the barbecued spare rib “bits,” crispy shrimp rolls, and pan-fried dumplings. 238 North 9th Street Ordering style: À la carte

New Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant This place has long been a haven for vegans and vegetarians looking for meatless versions of kung pao shrimp and moo shu pork. But they’ve also got a sizeable dim sum menu, featuring everything from vegetarian versions of pork buns to taro cakes, sticky rice, and some of the best scallion pancakes out there. 135 North 9th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Ocean Harbor At Ocean Harbor, the carts are stocked with piping hot snacks like soup dumplings, fried taro balls, and sticky rice. And true to its name, the restaurant offers a wide variety of seafood options, from lobster and shrimp to braised abalone, cold jellyfish, and eel. 1023 Race Street Ordering style: From a cart

Shanghai 1 I like a place that considers French fries to be a dim sum dish. And Shanghai 1 does. I like that they have six different kinds of pancakes on the menu, four different soup dumplings, and Shanghai-style shu mai. And while you can get almost anything here (from cold pig kidneys to frog meat casserole), the kitchen takes the dim sum seriously and will serve it to you at all hours. 123 North 10th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Mong Kok Station Are the baked goods your favorite part of going out for dim sum? The egg tarts, taro buns, and everything else? If so, then Mong Kok is perfect for you, because it’s a fairly new Chinatown bakery that just happens to have a dim sum menu served in the back. Plus (as if you needed more reasons to go), they also sell all kinds of buns, all day long. They’re cheap, delicious, and wildly varied. The only drag about the place is that it’s cash-only. 153 North 10th Street Ordering style: Counter service plus à la carte

Ocean City Ocean City’s menu boasts nearly 250 items, from wonton soup to sizzling intestine with black pepper sauce. But it’s the roving dim sum carts, stocked with dumplings, salt-roasted chicken feet, congee, pork buns, barbecued scallops served in the shell, and dozens of kinds of dumplings that keeps us coming back. 234 North 9th Street Ordering style: From a cart

Best Dim Sum in University City and Logan Square

Dim Sum House | Facebook

Dim Sum House Jane Guo brought dim sum west along with her son and business partner Jackson Fu to open this spot, which offers not one but two styles of dim sum. The Cantonese-style menu includes bites like chicken feet, turnip cakes, and sticky rice, while the Shanghai menu offers soup dumplings, scallion pancake, and wontons with spicy chile oil, among other treats. Even better? For those who prefer late-night dim sum, it’s open till 2 a.m. — complete with a full bar and a pool table. 3939 Chestnut Street Ordering style: À la carte

Dim Sum & Noodle Sandwiched between the Rodin Museum and the Community College of Philadelphia, this spot offers a menu of Chinese classics along with ramen bowls and, of course, dim sum. Try the edamame spiced with peppercorns, the steamed dumplings stuffed with watercress, and the fluffy char siu bao. 2000 Hamilton Street Ordering style: À la carte

Best Dim Sum in South Philly

Bing Bing Dim Sum

Bing Bing Dim Sum Ben Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh’s dumpling-centric spot offers a hipsteriffic take on dim sum classics, with dishes like cheesesteak bao (with Cooper sharp, onions and long hots), turnip cakes with matzoh, and beef dumplings spiked with caraway seed, mustard, and dill. The full menu includes inventive takes on noodle and rice dishes, too — try dishes like a spicy, mushroom-based mapo tofu and a butternut squash-based congee topped with chicken meatballs and a soft-cooked egg. 1648 East Passyunk Avenue Ordering style: À la carte

Wokano South Philly’s only authentic dim sum spot features carts brimming with dishes like bean curd, both steamed and pan-fried dumplings, and barbecued spare ribs. There are also Americanized standards like fried rice, lo mein, and kung pao chicken — but we recommend starting with something you may not have tried before, like steamed lotus leaf rice or baked conch served in its own shell. 1100 Washington Avenue Ordering style: From a cart

Best Dim Sum in Rittenhouse, Center City and Market East

Suga | Facebook

Buddakan I know, not what you’re normally thinking of when you’ve got a taste for dim sum. But Buddakan has a whole section of the menu dedicated to Chinese small plates, and it has modern, fancy (and expensive) takes on many of the classics. So if you’re looking for crab and lobster dumplings spiked with Myoga ginger, lobster egg rolls, edamame dumplings swimming in a truffled shallot and sauternes broth or, you know, just some wasabi mashed potatoes, this is the place to go. 325 Chestnut Street Ordering style: A la carte

Jane G’s While Jane G’s specializes in Szechuan cuisine, the dinner menu includes a full section of dumplings, with many dim sum favorites on the hot and cold appetizer menus. Don’t miss the shu mai, open-topped wontons stuffed with meat, or the Beef Lover’s Quarrel, a combination of cuts served with peanuts, chili oil, and cilantro. 1930 Chestnut Street Ordering style: À la carte

SuGa Susanna Foo’s city outpost offers a full slate of dim sum delicacies every Saturday and Sunday for brunch: staples like potstickers, wontons, spring rolls, and cucumber salad, plus a few items with nontraditional touches, like yellowfin tuna tacos and mushroom ravioli with truffle sauce. But if you’re dining during the week, know that many dim sum items pop up on the dinner menu as well. 1720 Sansom Street Ordering style: À la carte

Best Dim Sum in Northeast Philly and Beyond

Kung Fu Dim Sum | Facebook

China Gourmet This huge space seats upwards of 400 people. And one some days (weekends, especially) you STILL might have to wait for a table. Why? Because this Northeast Philly location (a new expansion from the original China Gourmet on Bustleton Avenue, which now has new owners and a new name) is smack in the middle of one of the city’s largest populations of Chinese residents and serves exactly what the overflow crowds of friends and families want: a variety of beautiful, comforting, delicious Cantonese-style dim sum in vast amounts. 2842 St. Vincent Street Ordering style: From a cart

Jade Harbor The menu at this Oxford Circle spot is enormous, but it offers a solid list of appetizers and small plates that functions as a de facto dim sum list. Shu mai, congee, cold jellyfish, geoduck, shrimp dumplings, and snails with black bean sauce — all there. And if you’re looking for literally anything else, the regular dinner menu is like six pages long, so you’ll probably find it here. 6836 Bustleton Avenue Ordering style: À la carte

Kung Fu Dim Sum Their cartoon mascot has a dumpling for a head and a pair of nunchucks. I love that. And they’ve got a menu that leans heavily in the dumplings-and-buns direction. I love that, too. If you find yourself out in the ‘burbs and looking for some snacks, check it out and see for yourself. 2305 Darby Road, Havertown Ordering style: À la carte

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2018/10/25/best-dim-sum-philadelphia/

0 notes

tripstations · 5 years ago

Text

Istria: affordable corner of Croatia could be the new Tuscany | Travel

The best way to approach Rovinj, in the Croatian region of Istria, is by boat: the church looms into sight and the cobbled town falls away steeply below. Cars are banned, the streets too narrow and stones too polished, so we catch a golf buggy from the port up through the ice-cream shops and then up again. From the top of the hill, where cats sprawl like shadows in the sunlight, we choose which islands to visit that afternoon, pointing down dizzily.

Ferries depart hourly, stacked with people better prepared than us with our bottle of water and lone film of sunblock. One day we choose Veliki Brijun with its Roman remains, modest safari park and newly hatched elephant. The next day we disembark at the Red Island, where a yellow bouncy castle floats in the sea and families mark out their territory with towels. Over the course of a hot afternoon, regular shrieks from the water alert us to another foot sliced on a sharp rock as it fights back against the tourists. We return to our B&B bleeding but delighted. And that is how the days go – a swim, an ice-cream, a forest, a fish. A jaunt to an island, some homemade pasta, a brief argument about the heat. Could this be the perfect holiday destination?

Stage for jazz concerts: the Roman amphitheatre in Pula. Photograph: Gonzalo Azumendi/Getty Images

Istria is a heart-shaped peninsula in the north-west of Croatia, where the hills are dense with truffles and the coast appears to glitter. This is the millennial’s Tuscany – the food is influenced by nearby Venice (Italy controlled the area until 1947), the verdant olive groves inland produce award-winning oils, the sea is Instagram blue and surrounds cobbled fishing villages. But with significantly lower prices it attracts a far younger tourist than the Italian destination it’s so often compared to. And with cheap flights to Pula from the UK only recently introduced, a far less British one, too.

The sea is Instagram blue and surrounds cobbled fishing villages

Part of Istria’s glorious charm is its ability to offer two, or even three separate holidays, often in the same day. Pula is a gritty port town clustered around a Roman amphitheatre built in the 1st century. Originally used for gladiator fights, the arena now stages less-bloody entertainment in the form of jazz concerts and film festivals. The underground chambers – once used to house wild animals and dead gladiators – now host objects more fitting to modern tourism: equipment used in the production of olive oil.

Ever since the Romans replaced Istria’s cypress trees with olive groves, the area has been famous for its food – oils, salami, cheeses and truffles. We get up early to drive to Buzet, where the son and daughter of Prodan Tartufi, a family business, introduce us to their gleeful dogs. We follow them into the forest, where a combination of oak and hazelnut trees and damp river soil makes it one of the richest grounds in the world for premium white truffles. But until the late 1990s, only locals knew – their truffles had been exported, masquerading as Italian. In recent years a steady flow of truffle hunting tourists has arrived, some to hunt, most to eat. It takes less than a minute before one of the dogs is scratching at the roots of an oak tree, giddily returning to its owner. We kneel by the tree and dig a little deeper, but we’re too late – the truffle he’s found is rotten. The pattern repeats itself as we trek on, swatting away mosquitoes, tempering our excitement with every dog bark.

Woodland treasure: truffle hunting. Photograph: PR

In the cool of the patio we are rewarded anyway – a three-course lunch, weighed down with truffles they’d found earlier. Tasting of dark and mealy savouriness that’s more smell than flavour. The truffles here are treated casually, like parmesan or pepper. In restaurants a plate of truffle-laden pasta is one of the cheapest things on the menu. And it’s never just a taste – the waiter starts shaving it on, and continues and continues until the pasta has disappeared altogether.

Back in Rovinj, where the stone town glows pinkly as the sun sets, we pop to another beach to cool down. That night we eat fresh fish on the edge of a cliff, watching old men dive into the water below.

Cooling off: the beach in Rovinj. Photograph: Goran Jaku/Alamy Stock Photo

We split the trip in other ways – the first half of the week is spent in town, in a modern B&B called the Melegran. From the outside, it looks like every other ancient family house, its door opening on to the narrow cobbled street; but inside are gentle pastels and mid-century touches. The hole-in-the-wall reception doubles as a bar, and locals collapse here for a drink out of the heat. They offer bicycles and beach towels and local knowledge that helps us avoid greasy pizza cafés at the port. The owners’ recommendations take us up through the twisting back streets to another exquisite little restaurant, with another exquisite little menu, and a lurching walk home, wobbly on malvazija.

The second half of the week is spent around the bay, in a stretch of land developed by the Maistra group, where their luxury hotels provide much of the industry for the region. From the pool of the newly opened Grand Park Hotel, the town of Rovinj appears across the sea framed in twinkling lights. Yachts moor down by the restaurant, their owners never leaving the deck. In the moonlight we split our trip again, this time from the sofa. Through one of the hotel’s vast theatrical windows we watch the yacht owners’ dawn champagne parties; through the other, we see the fishing boats come in.

Essentials

Return flights from London to Pula start from £83 (ryanair.com). Double rooms cost from £62 at the Melegran B&B (melegran.com); and from £155 at the Grand Park Hotel, including breakfast (maistra.com). For more information about Istria, visit istria.hr/en

Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips

The post Istria: affordable corner of Croatia could be the new Tuscany | Travel appeared first on Tripstations.

from Tripstations https://ift.tt/2NdnNfU via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Tripstations

0 notes

ashport92-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Where to Eat Dim Sum in Philadelphia: The Ultimate Guide

Guides

No matter where you are or what style you're looking for, we've got you covered with this list of all the best places for shu mai, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes in Philly.

Devoted foodies and restaurant newbies love Foobooz. Sign-up now for our twice weekly newsletter.

Dim Sum Garden | Facebook

I know I don’t have to convince you how good dim sum is. Little plates full of awesome. A taste of home and comfort for those who grew up with it. A universe of dumplings, buns, and chicken feet.

When that time comes, we’ve got you covered. Here’s where to find all the best dim sum in Philly, no matter where you are.

The Dim Sum You Must Try First

Tom’s Dim Sum | Facebook

Best Dim Sum In Chinatown

Sang Kee Peking Duck House | Facebook

Best Dim Sum in University City and Logan Square

Dim Sum House | Facebook

Best Dim Sum in South Philly

Bing Bing Dim Sum

Best Dim Sum in Rittenhouse, Center City and Market East

Suga | Facebook

Best Dim Sum in Northeast Philly and Beyond

Kung Fu Dim Sum | Facebook

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2018/10/25/best-dim-sum-philadelphia/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

0 notes