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sfarticles · 1 year ago

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Get creative with salads "The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss Enjoy!" has lots of recipes for flavorful and unique salads that can easily be a meal.

Check out my latest column https://www.timesherald.com/2024/06/12/get-creative-with-salads/

It’s the time of year when many of us enjoy eating a salad, especially on a hot, humid day. That’s why May was proclaimed as National Salad Month. But what exactly is a salad?

What comes to mind: Caesar, Waldorf, potato, tuna, pasta? Some even think of it as rabbit food, which perhaps is true, if you think about how salads were prepared back in the day …iceberg lettuce, a slice of onion and cucumber, a wedge of tomato, some shredded carrots, and perhaps an olive or two. Today, many restaurants, especially fast-food restaurants, still prepare it this way.

In years past, salad was served as an appetizer or side dish, with little creativity in its preparation. Remember the salads that included cubes of green Jell-O? Perhaps, I am dating myself.

Fast forward, and salads today, quite often, take center stage as meals, using a variety of greens, many unbeknownst to most in the past. Arugula seems to be popular and has become a favorite of mine. Watercress, Bok choy, endive, kale and a plethora of lettuces have taken over from plain old iceberg.

Fruits, both fresh and dried, heirloom vegetables (roasted ones add great flavor), seeds, beans, grains, nuts, meats, fish, cheese and easily made, delicious dressings are now part of the ingredient repertoire.

Salads are a time-poor cook’s secret weapon for putting a healthy and delicious meal on the table. They offer endless possibilities; go to your local farmers market and introduce yourself to some unfamiliar greens and vegetables. Ask local farmers for some suggestions, too.

With some creativity, a simple, easy-to-prepare dish becomes a delicious and healthy lunch or dinner. But remember, some salad dressings can add those unnecessary, and unwanted calories.

Many years ago, I met Wiley Mullins (aka “The Salad Man”), author of “Salad Makes the Meal,” published in 2008. He inspired me to add more dinner and lunch salads to my diet. It is quite easy with a cookbook that offers inspiration.

Fresh off the press is “The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy!” by Darlene Schrijver (2024, Simon Element, $32.50). It is a welcome addition to my collection, especially with all the local produce becoming available.

You might be thinking you don’t need a cookbook to make salad. Perhaps you don’t if you choose not to go beyond tossed greens and a couple of other ingredients. Why not take your salads to the next level, mixing textures and flavors. You’ll learn to incorporate roasted, grilled, sauteed and pickled vegetables, as well as grains, dried and fresh fruit, beans and a variety of pastas.

Before getting into the recipes, the author shares her salad philosophy; for example, embracing variety and experimentation.

She writes: “The experiment section follows every recipe in this book. It’s where I recommend how to swap out polarizing ingredients, seasonal produce, animal products for plant-based products and more.”

The hints on how to shop and what to shop for to make the perfect salad are helpful. I found the “Pantry Control Group” interesting. Here, she has a column listing 16 ingredients, for example salad toppings. Then, two columns follow, one labeled basic, and one luxurious. Under basic she lists pita chips, tortilla chips, Italian bread crumbs, and under luxurious is where she lists plantain chips, sweet potato chips, cheese crisps and rice crackers.

I had the opportunity to interview Darlene.

Q: Why are some people afraid to be creative when making a salad. They just use the same old Iceberg lettuce, a few cherry tomatoes, some onion, etc.?

A: I think there are a few reasons: Historically Iceberg (and if you were lucky in the summer romaine) was all you could get. Today with overnight delivery networks, hydroponics, local greenhouses, expansion of farmers markets, home gardening, plus trending farm to table restaurants, the options are endless.

Like mac and cheese, some foods are just comforting. For salads, you see that with the resurgence of “the wedge” salad in restaurants.

Increases in produce prices are no joke. It’s safer to use what you know. I really support substituting what is in season, on sale, or what you have on hand, and then trying a couple of new ingredients to discover what you like. I really encourage people to experiment.

Q: Some people don’t prepare salad at home because it doesn’t taste like the ones they have enjoyed at a restaurant. Why is this?

A: Fresh herbs! I can’t emphasize this enough, such a game changer, it brings out the freshness and flavor and makes your salad pop!

Salt, I am a huge Maldon flake sea salt fan. Season your salads with freshly cracked pepper and flake sea salt (it is in almost every recipe). It enhances the flavors.

Say no to bottled dressing, make your own! It makes a huge difference. No preservatives, bad tasting oils or chemical flavors when you make it yourself. You can adjust the level of garlic, mustard and heat/spice to your personal taste.

Q: Salads are sometimes not as healthy as one might think. Psychologically, people eat a salad and think they will lose weight. What suggestions do you have regarding this?

A: You are absolutely correct, some salads (like ones with french fries on top) are not going to put you in a calorie deficit or lower your bad cholesterol. I am not a nutritionist nor dietitian, and anyone going on any sort of health or weight loss journey should educate themselves on that topic.

My platform is about having fun making salads, and hopefully a side benefit is people enjoy, experiment and create more meals with fresh vegetables and protein. I don’t know too many people that have gotten sick from including a larger variety of vegetables in their meals (unless they have allergy issues and there are always substitutes).

Q: What separates your book from the other salad cookbooks in the market?

A: There is something for everyone! Our “salad community” is very diverse, and I have included an experiment section for each recipe that has some substitution recommendations for vegans, vegetarians and hard-to-find ingredients.

From beginning cooks to experienced ones, I have recommendations on how to fill your pantry full of ingredients to have on hand from must haves to the luxurious for a salad. It includes my style of recipes for most of the favorites you see at family gatherings and on menus, destination salads from different states like Hawaiian Poke salad, and countries like a West African style citrus and avocado salad.

There are seasonal and holiday salads, including one that is a whole Thanksgiving dinner, and the perfect colorful wedding salad with both roasted and fresh vegetables for everyone, including vegans (it’s the book’s cover), a few fabulous celebrity favorites that helped launch my platform, plus my favorite section called, “Everything is a Salad” where I have created favorites like fish tacos, grinder sandwiches, and pizza into a salad too.

My goal in writing this book was to share the fun and joy of preparing your own salads, and experiencing them with others. I tell my kids, everyone needs a hobby, why can’t it be making salads? Experiment!

For the recipe for Watermelon Feta Salad, visit https://bit.ly/4cgPaym.

Watermelon Feta Salad is surprisingly fabulous in every way, blending sweet, salty, spicy, and savory in one delicious bite. (Photo by Erin Kunkel)

Doradito Salad

Doradito Salad is a little trip down memory lane as it includes Doritos as one of its ingredients. (Photo by Erin Kunkel)

The headnote says: “Who doesn’t love Doritos? Called ‘a swinging Latin sort of snack’ when first advertised in the 1960s, Doritos are still the number one chip in the United States today. Fun fact: the name combines the Spanish words doradito and dorado, both of which describe fried golden things. They are considered comfort food for some. and almost everyone has some sort of teenage flashback related to these cheesy corn chips. This salad recipe is a little trip down memory lane. I put the Salad Lab twist on the dressing and replaced the traditional bottled, syrupy Catalina dressing (yikes) with this lighter homemade one (yum). We also enjoy a little more spice in our house, so I used chorizo and pickled jalapeños instead of the classic ’taco meat.’”

Serves 4 as a meal or 6-10 as a side

Ingredients:

START OUT

1 ½ cups fresh Mexican chorizo (not cured), casings removed if necessary

Ice water

¼ cup diced red onion (1⁄4-inch pieces)

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes, or substitute what looks best at the market

WHISK

1 teaspoon pressed garlic

1⁄3 cup avocado oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup ketchup

3 tablespoons grated yellow or red onion

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

Flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

TOSS

4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce (bite-size pieces)

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (bite-size pieces)

1 ½ cups crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos (bite-size pieces)

1 cup cooked or rinsed and drained canned pinto beans

1 cup cubed avocado (½ inch pieces)

1⁄3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1⁄3 cup grated medium-sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup drained pickled jalapeño slices

Nacho Cheese Doritos, for serving (optional)

EXPERIMENT: Try substituting this dressing with the Cilantro Lime Dressing on page 251. There are so many canned beans available now; experiment with black beans, Great Northern beans or black-eyed peas. Use any lettuce you like or already have. If you don’t like spicy or are not a chorizo fan, substitute ground turkey or beef prepared with taco seasoning. If you like to eat the salad as a dip, don’t crush the chips and toss them in; use them as your spoon instead.

Directions:

START OUT: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels. When the pan is hot, add the chorizo. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat in small, bite-size pieces using a spatula, until well browned and cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate with a slotted spoon to drain. Meanwhile, fill a 500-ml beaker or a small glass bowl halfway with ice water and add the diced onion. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain and pat the onion dry. Place the tomatoes in a colander and gently press down with a spoon to drain off excess liquid.

WHISK: Rinse the pressed garlic in a very fine mesh strainer and shake off any excess water. In a large salad bowl, combine the garlic, oil, vinegar, ketchup, grated onion, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, paprika, and chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

TOSS: In the bowl with the dressing, add the iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, crushed Doritos, beans, avocado, jack cheese, cheddar cheese, jalapeños, chorizo, diced onion, and tomatoes. Toss until all the ingredients are evenly combined and coated with dressing and serve. If you want to get fancy, garnish with extra chips around the bowl.

ENJOY: I’m having it with a merlot or soda.

Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad is for all the potato lovers out there looking for a great alternative to the classic mayonnaise-based potato salad. (Photo by Erin Kunkel)

The headnote says: “Everyone loves potatoes. The average American eats 120 pounds of potatoes each year. That’s double the amount of the next largest consumed vegetable, lettuce. Hey, that’s a lot of salads; maybe I should make more potato salads? This one is for all the potato lovers out there looking for a great alternative to the classic mayonnaise-based potato salad (find my version on page 48). I love the rich buttery texture of the mixed potatoes paired with the Meyer lemon, dill, and chive dressing. It’s one of my favorites to accompany a meal on a hot summer day.”

Serves 8-12 as a side

Ingredients:

START OUT

Flaky sea salt

3 pounds mixed baby red, Yukon gold, and purple potatoes

Ice water

½ cup diced shallot (1⁄4-inch pieces)

WHISK

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh Meyer lemon or regular lemon juice (remember to zest first)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lightly packed grated Meyer lemon zest or regular lemon zest

Flaky sea salt and freshly

cracked black pepper

TOSS

Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)

Directions:

START OUT: Fill a large pot half full of water and lightly salt the water. Over high heat, bring to a boil, add the potatoes, then cover and lower the heat to medium low or a soft boil. Cook until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork all the way to the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the pot, drain, and let cool. Cut into quarters or 3⁄4-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, fill a 250-ml beaker or a small glass bowl halfway with ice water and add the shallot. Soak for 10 minutes, then drain and pat the shallot dry.

WHISK: In a large salad bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, chives, dill, parsley, vinegar, and zest and season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

TOSS: In the bowl with the dressing, add the potatoes and shallot. Gently toss until all the ingredients are evenly combined and coated with dressing. Let sit covered at room temperature for 20 minutes, or refrigerate overnight, so the potatoes can absorb the dressing (this salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days). Serve cold or at room temperature, garnished with flaky sea salt, if you like.

ENJOY: I’m having it with sparkling wine or lemonade.

EXPERIMENT: Head to your local farmers’ market and try the many varieties of potatoes available there, as they often have the best flavor. I have made this many times with all baby red potatoes. You can also substitute sweet yellow or red onions if shallots are not available. Don’t forget this one for Independence Day!

Recipes excerpted from “The Salad Lab,” copyright 2024, Darlene Schrijver. Photography copyright 2023 by Erin Kunkel. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. All rights reserved.

Stephen Fries is professor emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College in New Haven, Conn. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 16 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email him at [email protected]. For more, go to stephenfries.com.

#salad lab #salad

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jasmineway · 2 years ago

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Addison // 11-24-2023

Well, we did it, we managed to snag a reservation at the nearly impossible to get into newly-minted 3rd-star restaurant in Southern California (the only 3* in SoCal, may we add). Unfortunately for me, this reservation (on a holiday weekend!) happened to overlap with some dental shenanigans, but fortunately for everyone, the team here is so outstanding in their commitment to inclusivity that they managed to put out a meal I could mostly enjoy anyway (with slight modifications).

Setting:

Set near the golf course at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, you could be forgiven for mistaking the burnt orange exterior for the entrance to a spa or club lounge. That mistake would be quickly remedied at the site of the large wrought-iron door ornamentation, but the inspiration here is far from the quaint cottage of TFL or subtle doorway of Alinea. We passed the time pre-dinner putting on the green, working in a handsome library, and meeting Santa in the surrounding resort. The resort overall is fantastic, the restaurant a little McMansion looking on the outside but handsomely adorned. 8/10.

Service:

As I said, truly spectacular. Dishes were delivered in synchrony, doors were opened exactly on time, but there was a far more relaxed air compared to other places of this caliber that put diners at ease. Our sommelier and head server matched our energy and joked throughout our entire service, with a seamless transition to more formal tones at our adjacent tables. They didn't just go above and beyond accommodating my jaw pain (a huge issue! I could barely do jello!) but also in making us feel welcome and at home at an otherwise precariously nice dinner. Requests were met, service was precise, but never once did we feel under a microscope or fussed over in a bad way. 10/10, this is what fine dining should feel like.

Beverage Service:

Our sommelier and hosts both were very accommodating to our minimal drinking palette, but still paired us with a 99-point champagne that was, unsurprisingly, the best I have every enjoyed personally.

The birthday boy was very excited, his expression nonwithstanding.

Amuse Bouche: "Delivery"

"Oysters, Horseradish, Smoked Roe, Green Apple"

This was a masterclass in flavor. I have had oysters prepared many different ways, in infinite shades of "yep, that's the ocean." This was the first time I've had anything in the mussel, clam or oyster family that tasted spectacular; like a salad that actually clicked right. 10/10

Preludes:

Prelude 1: Sake Cured Kampachi - Nigiri

I wish I had a better photo of this, because the best way to describe this was "leaf-type Pokemon meets leaf-type Poke." Just a perfect semi-sphere of raw fish and fresh vegetables.

Prelude 2: "Chicken Liver Churro, Bitter Chocolate"

Prelude 3: "Sage Hill Ranch Garden Greens"

Chicken liver churro was a confusing choice, the textures were good but the ooze of the pate when taking a bite gave me pause. This dip was saved by the deep fried vegetable-laden pillow, featuring vegetables grown from a single origin local garden because of course, why not?

Prelude 4: "Wagyu Tartar, Squid Ink Cracker, Miso Mayo"

I'm not one for uncooked food, but chef Bradley knew how to prep them. This tartare had the perfect texture, and I did not get the classic 'sneaking into the cookie dough' ick factor with the meat's cold texture. Light and fluffy wafer. 8/10.

Prelude 5: "Iberian Ham, Crispy Potato, White Truffles"

Sadly I missed out on some of this fifth appetizer due to the ham, but wow was that texture amazing.

Main Tasting Menu:

Course 1: Kanpachi Sashimi, Preserved Pear, Golden Kiwi, Pichuberry Ponzu

This was hard-mode chopsticks challenge, and I was ready for the test after two weeks in Japan. I have never had better sashimi. 10/10.

Course 2: Shellfish Chawanmushi, Broccoli, Bok Choy, Celtuce

Most of my friends are aware of my disdain for uni. My philosophy is, "if you have to pulverize a food to make it completely unrecognizable for me to like it, I probably do not like it." This uni was prepared such that it was the star of the show but it WAS delicious. Perfectly cooked. No weird tongue texture. Amazing. 7/10 (mainly because I still really do not care for Uni)

Course 3: Regilis Ova Reserve Caviar, Koshihikari Rice, Smoked Sabayon

Okay, I understand why our server said "eggs and rice" is chef's most famous dish. This was unparalleled. This was divine. The caviar is from Thomas Keller's company (there was a letter from him on the kitchen wall, mind you). The rice had a toasted sesame undertone. These were the Dippin' Dots of caviar courses, with both the eggs and rice in perfect spheres. 10/10.

Course 4: Fish & Chips, Toasted Dill, Burnt Onion Dip

I tried this, I shouldn't have, since this and the bread were the only courses too firm for me. Flavor of the dip was tasty, but not special. 5/10.

Course 5: Splendid Alfonsino, Flavors of Fall, Clam Butter

I don't know what they did to this fish skin but I could eat ten more plates of this course alone. The fish flavor was good, the seasoning was the elevating factor. 8/10.

Course 6: Sourdough Bread, Goat's Milk, Browned Honey Butter

I love red fife sourdough. I had jaw issues. I did not get to enjoy the crush of this bread, but the inside was perfect.

Course 7: Rosemary Roasted Sweetbreads, Pine Nut "Riso," Little Gem

I am not sure if I or my friend got the replacement dish for this one, but whatever it was was really tasty, with breaded chicken served on the side. Everything was cohesive but overall not as memorable as other courses, 7/10.

Course 8: A5 Wagyu, Miso-Eggplant, Matsutake Broth, Black Garlic

Chef Bradley clearly has a talent for pulling together spectacular flavors, and cooking meats (mostly seafoods) in a creative and fresh light. Unfortunately, this wagyu (a $250+ supplement!) was not it. It was dry, it was not served hot (warm), and it was tough with poor marbling. I'm going to hazard to say the cut was bad rather than the kitchen did not prepare it well, but honestly I've had 5oz cuts in similar caliber restaurants for far cheaper than this supplement with five times the flavor. This was the only miss of the whole night and not part of the main menu, so the menu can still be judged on its merits as outstanding. Unfortunately, for this course, 1-2/10.

Course 9: Yuzu Custard, Mint, Ceremonial Matcha

This palette cleanser was light, flavorful, the perfect intro to sweet, and made with gorgeous ceremonial-grade matcha (which I now vaguely can differentiate after dozens of matchas in Japan). This is the Speak Now album of tasting menus - the perfect transition between Mains (country) and Desserts (pop). 9/10.

Desserts:

Everything we were served was good, rich, and seasonal. Was it as diverse as some other dessert menus we've had? No. Was it still a series of hit after hit? Yes. Everything was very elevated, but felt casually delivered (in a good way) and focused, mimicking the elegant-but-relaxed feel of the whole dinner.

Dessert 1: Cocoa Crunch, Mezcal, Passion Fruit, Toasted Fluff

It's chocolate mousse, with chocolate accoutrements. It was good. It is mousse. You all know my thoughts on mousse. No numbers, just 'good!'

Dessert 2: Berry-Beet Tartlette, Verjus, Vanilla

Oh my god the TEXTURE. Amazing. Delightful! You expect 'maraschino cherry' and get 'gelatinous galaxy cake and floral salad medley'

Dessert 3: Bitter Chocolate Wafer, Pistachio, Sour Cherry Jam

Oh yay, more mousse. Tasty, light. But mousse.

Dessert 4: Caramelized Honey Bonbon, Almonds, Ginger, Rosemary

I couldn't eat fast enough to bite into this at the perfect moment, but the flavors and textures were clearly the peak of this dessert course. Think of a frozen cream puff left to thaw, except made out of spectacular ingredients, infused with notes of lavender and rose water (these are not in it but these are the notes I tasted). Wow, 9/10.

Dessert 5: Tres Leches, White Truffle

It's crunchy, it has truffle, therefore it was less accessible to me than other choices tonight. That being said, Tony gave it a 10/10, so it has the foodie badge of approval.

Final Thoughts:

This dinner was divine. I feel proud to be a Southern Californian able to experience such an amazing achievement in my own backyard, and share sincere congrats to Chef Bradley and team for their (long-overdue, based on friends' reports) third star. If you want pretention in fine dining, this is not for you. It is not an instagram name-drop, there are not iconic indoor backdrops to peep, the name recognition isn't there with TFL and Alinea - yet. But if you want a spectacular meal, delivered by earnest people, who have a love and passion for the local and international landscape and want to deliver it to you? Yes, come here. Overall thoughts, 9/10, but as with all things that is subjective. I loved my experience, I would return for the people alone (just maybe not the wagyu). It took me months to land this one, and it was very well worth it.

Happy Birthday again to my foodie partner in crime, Tony!

#jasmineway #finedining #sandiego #Addison #michelinstar #threestar #FoodBlog

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asheskyler · 2 years ago

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Mind, Body, Spirit

Daily writing prompt: What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

Health and well-being is a big topic that can’t really be limited to just one thing. There are several overlapping factors to it, yes, but overall health is your overall life. Self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. You are worth investing in yourself if you want to be happy and at peace.

I am a very physical person, so diet and exercise is high on my list.

An ideal week of exercise for me is four hours of karate, three hours of jiu jitsu, running a few times per week, a little bit of boxing and muay thai, and a few hours of strength training and stretching, yoga (I recommend Yoga with Adriene), t’ai chi (I recommend Terrence Dunn), or qigong. I enjoy going on nature walks, hikes, or visiting botannical gardens.

Lean meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, beans and grains, dairy, a sparing amount of sweets, and a low sodium diet can take care of a multitude of minor illnesses can be handled with diet, including depression and anxiety. When I’m on top of my own diet, I have oats, peanut butter, and milk in the morning. In the mid-afternoon, a large lunch of plain rice, and some mixed vegetables and skinless chicken heavily seasoned and stir fried in a tablespoon of butter. Sometimes I’ll have a tuna sandwich, and my guilty pleasure is homemade chicken or pork fajitas with guacamole. I usually drink just water throughout the day. At night I may have a small snack of peanut butter and crackers. I drink medicinal teas for minor illnesses and for general well-being.

A healthy lifestyle goes a long way for my mental health, including keeping a clean and tidy environment. Or as tidy as us artists are ever able to be. I organize my clutter into specific piles!

I listen to a broad range of music including classic rock, gothic rock, alternative, grunge, metal, power metal, symphonic metal, pop, country, classical, neoclassical and instrumentals (I love “ambience” mixes), a variety of folk music (Celtic, Gaelic, bluegrass, folk metal such as The Hu or Tennger Calvary), and some ’70s R&B.

One part of my mental health I have neglected for a few years is artistic creation and expression. Life has been hectic and I’ve been unable to draw more than just commissions and work-related stuff, but soon I’ll be remedying that and getting back to illustrating and writing.

I’ve recently been getting back into reading, and the escapism feels good, as does indulging in my grammarian side by studying the writing style of what I’m reading. I’m careful about what I allow on my social media feeds as part of my mental health. I have little interest in drama or negativity.

Never stop learning. There are always interesting things to study and poke at to enrich your mind. It’s also important to maintain your cognitive abilities. I personally enjoy jigsaw puzzles, logic puzzles, and sometimes board games. Not that I’m very good at it, so if you want an easy win at chess, hit me up!

Spiritual well-being can arguably be a subcategory of mental well-being depending on how you feel about it. I am a very spiritual person, and quiet prayer, grounding, study, philosophy, and reflection helps me. When I’m indoors, I’ll meditate to something soothing, but when I’m outdoors, I like to meditate flat on my back in the grass just listening to the wind and wildlife.

Don’t underestimate the value of good people in your life. An exercise buddy, reading buddy, music buddy, prayer buddy, study buddy, whatever you’re in to, a friend or relative as passionate about the things you are can make an activity that much more fulfilling. I am very fortunate I have a good partner in my life who enjoys nearly all the same subjects as I do, so to a degree he is my one-stop-shop for a friend in art, martial arts, hiking, music, reading, food, and spirituality!

Work/life balance is not my forte and too often I’m working over 40 hours/week. Especially during tax season when I’m usually hitting 60-90 hours/week. On the bright side, I can usually keep my stress low enough my blood pressure doesn’t stay high and I don’t lose sleep from ruminating thoughts.

So that’s generally how I take care of myself. Not perfect by any means, but I’ve about gotten myself figured out!

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#dailyprompt #dailyprompt-2009

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artificialqueens · 5 years ago

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Not Nineteen Forever (20) (Branjie/Scyvie/Ninex) - Ortega

a/n: hey hey! thank u so much if u gave a lil note or sent a bit of love my way for ch19. it was really my fav to write so far so i’m so glad it resonated with at least somebody!! there is only one more chapter to this whole fic after this and i’m emosh. after the rollercoaster ride we’ve all been on, i hope u enjoy this fun lil chapter as much as i loved writing it!

please note: this fic contains young adults often behaving in irresponsible/unadvisable ways with regards to alcohol, drugs and sex. if you are someone who feels as if they could be heavily influenced by fic and incorporate what happens in the plot into ur own life, pls steer clear!

summary: Brooke, Yvie and Nina are three flatmates who forged a friendship in their first year of university and picked up some other waifs and strays along the way. Now in their final year, there are feelings that need to be unravelled and confessions to be made whilst navigating drunk nights, hungover mornings, takeaways, group chats, library meetups, cafe gossiping, and the small matter of getting a degree.

last chapter: Brooke, Nina, Silky and Vanjie were locked in the library, and Brooke and Vanessa finally talked things out like adults.

this chapter: exams are over, dissertations are submitted, degree classifications are being allocated and the girls are nervously waiting for adult life to hit them like a freight train. what better way to avoid thinking about responsibilities than to go to the beach?

***

The day had started, as most of Scarlet’s days often do, with a message to the group chat.

Well, no, that was a bit of a lie. Scarlet’s day had started with her making breakfast, talking to her Mums over facetime as she ate it, and reassuring them that no, she hadn’t found out her degree classification yet and when she did they’d be the first to know. It was hard beginning each day with her heart in her mouth, frantically checking her phone to see if the website had been updated and then trying to relax when she found out it hadn’t been. Scarlet tried not to think too much about it, post-Uni life that is, but with each passing day it became an unignorable fact that she had to face. Graduation season was a mere month away and Scarlet didn’t want to face it but she had to, because the reality was that Scarlet didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. Not a single clue. Gone were the days of six-year-old Scarlet, who spent the mornings being an actress with a short break at lunchtime to develop her career in the veterinary sector and finishing the day off creating new play-dough recipes for her Michelin-star restaurant. High school had been so good at pushing everyone into a university-shaped mold but now that Scarlet had completed her three years there she felt a little like the aquarium fish in Finding Nemo once they had escaped their glass box: stuck in a plastic bag bubble, thrown out into the vast, unexplored ocean, and simply asking herself now what? Really, what could she do with a Philosophy degree? Everyone asked her the same question when she’d been making her UCAS choices and now here she was asking herself the same thing. She wished she could remember what 18-year-old Scarlet had replied. Her Mums had been surprisingly supportive of the whole endeavour, but then again they had probably been happy to have their pouty, whining teenage daughter out of the house. Funny how times change, Scarlet thought to herself as she squeezed a generous dollop of washing-up liquid onto the sponge and dunked her empty plate into the hot water she’d filled the sink with. Her Mums had just been on the phone encouraging Scarlet to move back home while she decided on what to do next. It was tempting, but the prospect of being back in the country all isolated and away from her friends and Yvie and the exciting busy-ness of the city didn’t exactly fill Scarlet with glee.

Hearing her phone buzz against the counter, Scarlet almost smashed her newly-dried plate in her haste to read the notification just in case it was an email about her classification. It wasn’t. It was, however, a message from the girls. Nina, to be precise.

Kim Kardashian-West: GUYS it’s meant to be the SUNNIEST day today and Monet’s flat are all going to the beach!!! we should all go too!

Scarlet frowned, looking at the decidedly grey sky. It didn’t exactly inspire much hope.

Yvie’s bitch: Are you sure you’re reading the forecast for today? It looks a bit grey outside xxxx

Kim Kardashian-West: Scarlet I’m a primary teacher. A basic knowledge of the days of the week are kind of an entry level requirement

cursed SatNav voice: Am I FUCK going to sit freezing my ass off on the sand watching the rain piss down all around me!!

cursed SatNav voice: If i wanted to get soaked I would just call Brooke xoxo

Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: No.

cursed SatNav voice: Ain’t that right @Brooke Lynn Hytes

Maple Syrup: you know it bby xoxo

Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: Hell. I’m in hell.

Scarlet snorted a laugh. Akeria could well have been joking or deadly serious. Looking up and out of the tiny little window that was positioned beside the sink, Scarlet swore she could see a small ray of sunshine fighting through the clouds. She tilted her head, considering Nina’s offer.

Okay Then: yes i am absolutely down to get blackout day drunk today

Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: Bitch it’s 11am who hurt you

Okay Then: listen this is perhaps the only time of our lives where we have literally no responsibilities at all. i’m getting drunk

Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: I sent off nine masters’ applications yesterday.

Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: No responsibilities my ass

Okay Then: well as huge as it is, i’m sure even it could use a little sun xo

large incongruous silkworm spiced praline: WHY ARE YOU HOES ALL SO SENSIBLE AND GLOOMY? I’M WITH PLASTIQUE LET’S GO GET DRUNK

Maple Syrup: Ooooh now you mention it a fruity cider would go down so well right now

Yvie’s bitch: Yeah go on then, I’m down!! Xxxxxxx

Scarlet’s bitch: Scarlet it’s literally 13 degrees outside you’re insane

Scarlet’s bitch: but admittedly you are also my girlfriend who i love very much

large incongruous silkworm spiced praline: EW

Scarlet’s bitch: so if you’re down i’m down

Akeria Sainsbury’s Bag for Life: UGH fine i’ll go if all you idiots are too

Kim Kardashian-West: AAAH you guys this makes me so HAPPY!!!

Kim Kardashian-West: We only need Vanjie for a full house

Maple Syrup: Vanjie if you come I’ll let you suck my dick

cursed SatNav voice: How big is it

Maple Syrup: 2.75 inches when fully erect

Maple Syrup: Invisible to the human eye when flaccid

cursed SatNav voice: Hard pass

Scarlet’s bitch: Jesus Harvey Christ

cursed SatNav voice: But you bitches convinced me so i’m in

It turned out that most of the girls were still in their pyjamas, much like Scarlet, so they were given an hour to shower and make their way there. They were lucky that the city sat on the coast, and although much of the coastline was dedicated to harbours and pebble beaches there was one little beautiful strip of sand that lay about a half-hour bus ride out to the suburbs. Yvie and Brooke were getting a lift from Plastique and so they offered the last seat to Scarlet, but Scarlet didn’t want to take the girls out of their way. Besides, the sun was peeking out a little stronger now, and if it was to fully appear then it would be perfect weather for earphones, a summer playlist, and looking out of a bus window pretending she was in a music video.

Stepping outside of her flat, Scarlet was glad she’d ended up choosing dungaree shorts and a plain white t-shirt. It was definitely warmer than it looked, and she had to sweep her hair up into a ponytail to stop her neck getting too hot. She stopped off at the corner shop for a four-pack of cider (Brooke’s message had made her want some) and then walked over to the bus stop, where she managed to get one after not too long of a wait and sat on the top deck, letting the growing rays of sun fry her through the window. Once she was off the bus, she checked her phone for the meetup point. Nina, Monet and her flatmates were sat on the sand “around 10 metres in front of the chippy. But Monet has no concept of measurement so it’s anyone’s guess, really.”. Scarlet didn’t mind a small walk to find them. The promenade was packed with people all dressed in Summer clothes, the pavement giving off that smell of hot gravel which always reminded Scarlet of hot days and happy memories. The platinum-white sun cast its rays over the deep blue of the sea so that little diamonds sparkled against the waves, all tumbling over each other lazily and every so often giving a satisfying crash which mingled with the sounds of dogs barking and children giving happy cries. Scarlet found the chip shop but couldn’t see the girls amongst the mass of bodies laid out on the golden sand, so she shot Nina a text. As she waited for a reply, Scarlet took a deep breath and was hit with the unmistakable smell of the sea and chippy batter combining at once. She was a Winter person- she preferred frosty mornings and dark twinkly nights and getting cosy with a searing hot coffee and her duvet, but she loved how happy Summer seemed to make everyone, the sense of community that came with a hot, sunny day. Once Nina had given the other landmark of “there’s a guy with an inflatable sofa to our immediate right”, Scarlet managed to find the girls with no trouble and she was soon dashing towards them excitedly and letting out an embarrassingly childish squeal as she reached Nina and crashed into her in a hug.

“Scarlet!” she greeted her cheerfully, much of her face obscured by a huge floppy woven sunhat. Breaking out of the hug, she turned to address Monet’s flatmates. “Guys, you remember Scarlet, right?”

There was a chorus of welcoming noises as the other girls greeted her, some more distractedly than others. Cracker was busy rubbing her arm with a thick streak of white sunblock which seemed to have the same consistency as double cream, Bob was laid out against a bright pink beach towel with a set of huge sunglasses over her eyes, and Monique was trying her best to remove the cork from a bottle of cava. Monet was by Nina’s side, her head resting against her girlfriend’s shoulder as she stretched her legs out and buried her feet in the sand.

“Hey, congrats for finishing uni, Miss Scarlet,” Monet smiled at her, Scarlet smiling back despite the fact she was being reminded of adult life hurtling towards her like a bullet train.

“Thanks! Congrats to you both too. How does it feel to have an actual certified genius for a girlfriend?”

“Like I’m horrifically inferior and will never amount to anything.”

“Shut up!” Nina battered her on the arm, outraged as Monet and Scarlet shared a laugh. Nina had received a mark of 95 on her dissertation, a number that the girls had considered impossible to attain at university, but Nina had managed it. It was quite revolutionary as far as undergrad research went; a study into how well-prepared teachers felt to support transgender children in schools, with recommendations as to how to do just that within its conclusion and a call for councils to give further money and resources to the cause. “Your diss was amazing as well.”

“Yeah, what do you mean that more research into ability groupings in maths isn’t groundbreaking?” Monet rolled her eyes, laughing again as Nina protested.

“Who knew so much effort went into a primary teaching degree? I always thought your dissertation would be to…I don’t know, write a children’s book, or make a picture out of pasta spirals and glitter, or create a nursery rhyme or something,” Cracker piped up, Bob giving a snort beside her. Monet looked ready to defend her degree angrily when Nina sat up straight and fixed Cracker with an intrigued look.

“Oh, a nursery rhyme? Like…there was a young girl named Cracker, who was an incredible slacker. Her degree was dumb, so she tried to make fun, of her friends who decided to smack her.”

Scarlet let out a screech, as did Monique and Bob. Cracker could only burst out laughing and throw her hands up in defeat as Monet grabbed Nina’s face and pressed an emphatic kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek.

“Oh my fucking God, babe, I love you so much,” she laughed, wiping away a tear of mirth from her eye.

“Love you too!” Nina smiled happily, just as Monique finally got the cork out of the bottle with a satisfying, hollow pop.

“Aw, you hoes got champagne on arrival? How fancy.”

The girls turned around at the familiar voice to find Silky, Akeria and Vanjie all making their way towards them from the promenade. Excited again, Scarlet ran to hug them, namely Vanjie who she hadn’t seen since their final exam. They hadn’t spent too much time together but it had been enough time for Vanessa to elaborate on the story she’d told the girls in the group chat of how she, Silky, Brooke and Nina had all somehow been locked in the library overnight. Scarlet knew that had had something to do with the fact that she and Brooke were friends again. She didn’t know whether they’d fucked their frustrations out or actually talked like adults, but whatever they’d done Scarlet was glad about it. Whether or not they were reconnecting with a view to getting back together or not, Vanessa and Brooke were back to flirting on the group chat like high schoolers, and all was back to normal.

“Right, who’s wanting some of this? I’m not sure I got enough for everyone, though,” Monique asked loudly. Scarlet didn’t miss the way Vanessa stayed silent as the other girls clamoured for some fizz. She knew Vanjie had broken things off with Monique, whatever “things” were, and Scarlet somehow didn’t think she was enjoying being on the other side of a breakup much either.

“Did you even bring cups?” Bob asked, sitting up and quirking an eyebrow at her flatmate. Monique groaned.

“Ah, fuck, cups.”

“You absolute idiot sandwich,” Cracker rolled her eyes at her. Her eyes darted quickly to Vanessa before she stood up and grabbed her purse from her backpack. “C’mon. I’ll come to the shops with you and we can get some.”

The two girls walked away as Silky, Akeria and Vanessa all laid out what looked to be a duvet cover that they’d brought with them in lieu of a towel or blanket. Scarlet didn’t even think to question it. She knew it had been Silky’s idea without needing to ask.

“I feel like a dick,” Vanessa jerked a thumb towards Monique’s retreating frame.

“Don’t,” Monet and Bob said in unison, Nina letting out a small laugh.

“Y’all are The Shining levels of creepy,” Akeria frowned, digging out three huge bottles of beer from a shopping bag and giving one to each of her flatmates.

“Well, we’re right! You were friends with benefits, everyone knew that. It’s not Monique’s fault she caught feels but it sure as hell ain’t yours either,” Bob shrugged, ever the blunt but honest friend.

“So what is going on with you and Brooke now?” Monet asked, leaning forward and propping herself up on her elbows. Vanessa fixed her with an unimpressed look.

“Gee Monet, whatever happened to so how’ve you guys been, or how was exams, or literally any other small talk?”

“Yeah, and whatever happened to it’s none of our business?” Nina side-eyed her girlfriend disapprovingly.

“Well, girl! We’ve been in dissertation hell for a month and a half. Shit kinda got boring,” Monet shrugged semi-apologetically. “Anyway Vanjie, Monique’s away and Brooke’s not here yet and I doubt you want to talk about it when either of those two are here in front of you? And I’ve been trying to grill Neens about it but she keeps using lame excuses like we shouldn’t be getting involved and shouldn’t you be thinking about your classroom, so c’mon, bitch, spill.”

Vanessa smiled slightly, gesturing as if it was obvious. “Well, she knows I love her. And she loves me.”

Monet let out an “aaw!” at the same time Akeria let out an “ugh”. Vanjie ignored them both and continued.

“But she hurt me, so I ain’t lettin’ her get back in my good books that easy. Of course I wanna be with her, more than anything else in the world, but we need to get that trust back before I even entertain the idea.”

“So have you…y’know…had any kinky, passionate reunion sex yet?” Monet winked at her. Vanessa looked at her flatmates, a humoured smile playing on her lips.

“Akeria’s threatened to kick me out the flat if I even so much as think about it.”

The girls howled with laughter as Akeria tried to suppress a smile. “She thinks I’m joking.”

“I really don’t,” Vanjie raised her eyebrows at her, Akeria playfully shoving her onto the fluffy sand beside her and causing her to get it all up her side. “God fucking damnit, now I don’t even get to look nice when she arrives.”

“Oh, here she comes now, actually,” Silky said, nonplussed. Vanessa scowled at her.

“Quit playin’.”

Scarlet followed Silky’s gaze. “No, Vanj, she actually is.”

As Vanessa muttered a shit, Scarlet waved excitedly at Plastique, Brooke and Yvie, smiling when the latter pulled a goofy face and waved back. Plastique seemed to be carrying something huge and wooden underneath her arm.

“Lord Jesus, what the hell is she doing,” Silky shook her head as the girls came closer into view. Scarlet jumped up happily to hug her girlfriend, Brooke muttered a soft hey as she sat down next to Vanjie and hugged her, and Plastique, after she’d greeted the others, unfolded a multicoloured striped deckchair.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Scarlet let out a laugh, unsure whether to be impressed or exasperated by Plastique’s levels of extra.

“What?! It’s a sunny day, we’re at the beach, this is literally what deckchairs are for! Have fun getting sand in every possible orifice, losers,” she stuck out her tongue at them as she sat back and gave a happy sigh.

“Ariel not joining us today?” Nina asked.

“Nah, she’s gone home to see her parents. Why the hell you’d want to go home now when you could be dragging out your last month of uni life is totally beyond me, but hey.”

Yvie gave a deep laugh. “Plastique, your family have a townhouse in London, a chalet in Chamonix with membership to a private ski resort, and a literal penthouse in Dubai with an outdoor pool on a balcony. Why the fuck are you here?”

The girls all exploded with laughter, even Plastique conceding with a smile and a self-aware shrug that she was a rich bitch.

“Hey, I’m moving back in after graduation and won’t see you guys for ages, let me enjoy your shitty company.”

“You could fly us all out,” Brooke smiled hopefully, cracking the top off her bottle of cider with her keys.

“Yeah, lemme borrow twenty grand off my Mum real quick,” Plastique snorted sardonically.

Bob reached across to Monique’s cava, giving a small sip. “I’m moving home too. Gotta save money.”

“At least you both know what you’re doing,” Scarlet rolled her eyes, trying not to sound too bitter and accidentally just coming out with the verbal equivalent of black coffee. Luckily, Brooke held out her bottle and nodded emphatically.

“We can’t all have Akeria’s serial-killer levels of ambition or just walk into a job like Monet and Nina.”

“Hey! It’s a probationary year that we could literally fail if we screw up, stop thinking we have things easy,” Nina protested.

“How could you possibly fail being a teacher unless you literally boot a child in the face?” Yvie laughed in disbelief. Seeing Monet and Nina gearing themselves up for a verbal sparring match, she gesticulated wildly. “I’m kidding, ladies, I’m kidding! You work very hard and kids are little shits and you don’t get paid enough. Happy?”

“Very,” Monet rolled her eyes, accepting the cava that Bob held out to her and taking a swig before passing it to Nina.

“What’re you guys doing after uni?” Bob asked, then instantly cringed hearing the groans she got in response. “Sorry, sorry, I forgot that question is basically Satan incarnate.”

“Well, I applied to a bunch of newspapers. But the journalism industry is a shitshow anyway, so fuck knows what I’m doing or if they’ll even accept me,” Silky sighed. Her mood was decidedly flat. It was rare for her to be anything other than high-energy, volume turned all the way up to 100.

“Well, your classification might help!” Bob said comfortingly. Scarlet looked at Silky to gauge her reaction. She didn’t know if she’d been given hers yet, but the girl’s embarrassed face soon gave her an answer.

“Well I got a 2:2, so. Probably not,” she shrugged, Bob trying to backtrack apologetically. Scarlet felt bad for Silky. There was nothing wrong with a 2:2 and a degree was still a degree, but she knew how much Silky believed that despite her grades not being great, she’d still pull it out of the bag in the end, maybe manage one essay that pulled her marks up. Even though the girls were all still proud of her, it was another thing for her to let herself down.

“We’re still proud of you, Silky. You worked fucking hard and you got your degree, and that’s something to celebrate,” Nina smiled affirmingly, holding the cava out for Silky to drink. She smiled gratefully at the girls around her before accepting.

“Thanks, ladies,” she said quietly, before taking a swig. The cava seemed to return Silky back to normal, and she cried out after drinking. “An’ besides! 2:1s are boring anyway. Go hard or go home, bitch, and I’m goin’ the fuck home!”

The girls indulged Silky in a laugh. They sat for a while, chatting easily and passing the bottle of cava around, the lack of cups now not so much of a problem as it had seemed previously.

“Hey, anyone want a paddle?” Brooke asked suddenly. Scarlet gave a snort of outrage.

“You’re insane. That water’s got to be minus five.”

“Oh, come on! It’ll be fun! Vanj?” Brooke asked, her voice hopeful. Vanessa shrugged easily, casting the girl a quick smile and then dragging Akeria and Silky to their feet.

“To be fair, I am getting really warm. Getting my feet cold might be nice,” Nina reasoned out loud. Monet jumped up with her cheerfully. “Yvie, you coming?”

“Nah. Think I’ll stay here with my girl,” Yvie squeezed Scarlet’s hand, Scarlet smiling back at her happily.

“Awww, Yvie! You’re too cute,” Plastique cried sarcastically from her deckchair, the other girls laughing. She was too busy sunbathing to paddle, but Bob decided she’d follow Monet’s lead and join the others in the water. Scarlet laughed as she watched her friends tear down to the sea like children, the white spray flying into the air as they all hit the water at once.

“We’re friends with actual kids,” Yvie laughed, Scarlet nodding in agreement.

“God, we really are,” she smiled affectionately, watching Akeria take a step into the sea then jump back as if it was made of molten lava and not freezing cold water. Just as the girls had left, Scarlet became aware of two sets of footsteps approaching behind them. It was Cracker and Monique, back from the shops with a plastic bag twirling around Monique’s hand.

“Hey,” Scarlet greeted them cheerfully, then added, by way of explanation, “They’ve gone into the sea.”

“Oh, fun!” Cracker beamed. Monique picked up the bottle of cava and rolled her eyes. There was a shot-sized dribble at the bottom.

“You sons of bitches are nothing if not predictable,” she laughed, fishing a brand new bottle out of the plastic bag along with a set of cups. Yvie held her hands out apologetically and Monique shook her head, letting her know all was forgiven. Scarlet looked out to the water again. Bob had Monet on her back and Vanessa was leaping on Brooke’s, Brooke unable to catch her from the amount she was laughing. It looked as if they were about to do some sort of race or fight. Vanessa finally got onto Brooke’s back, her arms looping around her shoulders like a bush baby.

“So. That’s that then,” Monique gave a little sigh as she looked out to sea. Scarlet did a double-take as she looked at her. Her expression was mostly hidden behind her huge mirrored sunglasses, but Scarlet could see the small frown on her face. She knew who her gaze had fallen on. Scarlet felt bad for the girl.

“Hey, don’t take it personally. Vanjie thought you were great, she really did. She told me all the time,” Scarlet said reassuringly, Monique giving her a little smile of gratitude. “You know that way when you’re still hung up on someone you love. That’s all it is.”

Monique rubbed her arms, wrapping them around herself in a hug. “My own damn fault for catchin’ feelings.”

“Happens to the best of us, girl,” Yvie piped up. Cracker smiled at the pair of them gratefully, squeezing Monique’s shoulder supportively.

“We’ve been trying to tell her that.”

Monique laughed suddenly as she saw Silky chasing the girls with a huge, slimy-looking clump of seaweed she’d fished out of the water. The smile remained on her face as her laughter died down and she looked at Scarlet and Yvie inquisitively. “Brooke’s gonna treat her nice, right?”

Scarlet thought about Brooke’s helplessness after her and Akeria’s birthday weekend, her heartbroken confession of love in the toilets of the grubby karaoke bar. She watched how tightly Brooke was holding Vanessa on her back, as if to let go of her would be a crime. Scarlet smiled at Monique. “She will. I know she will.”

Seemingly satisfied, Monique kicked her sandals off and turned to Cracker. “You wanna go paddle?”

“Girl, I thought you’d never ask.”

Scarlet was satisfied staying with Yvie on the sand. They turned to Plastique only to find her napping in her deckchair, her skin beginning to take on an ever-so-slightly pink hue. Deciding to avoid Plastique’s potential wrath if they woke her up, Monique and Cracker dashed down to the ocean to join the other girls. Scarlet sat quietly with Yvie for a moment, taking in the scene of their friends all clowning around in the water.

“You still looking for jobs?” Yvie asked her. Scarlet sighed. She didn’t mind talking about post-uni life with Yvie, didn’t mind being honest about how scared and unsure she was with the person who loved her and she loved back.

“Yeah. It’s hard applying without my classification, though. And, I guess, even harder when you’ve got no idea what the hell you want to do with your life.”

Scarlet gave a self-deprecating laugh which Yvie gently joined in with. Yvie laced her fingers around Scarlet’s and gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll figure it out, babe. There’s no time pressure on these things.”

“I know. It’s just hard when…hell, you’ve got Monet and Nina about to start their entire careers. I mean they’ll be in charge of a whole class of kids. Akeria knows what she wants to do and she’ll get there. Hell, even if Silky’s classification wasn’t as good as she wanted it, journalism is at least something she wants to go into. And Vanjie’s decided on events management. You know you want to at least do something with criminology,” Scarlet sighed, suddenly feeling so small. “It’s so hard trying to figure out what you want to do with your life when everyone around you seems to know. How the hell are you meant to know yourself?”

“Listen,” Yvie brought her thumb up to stroke Scarlet’s knuckle, calming her instantly by about 80%. “The great thing about your life is that…it’s yours. Nobody else’s. Just yours. Say you decide on a job and you hate it. Do you think you have to stay because the pay’s good and it’s something steady? No! You leave, because you can get another job. You don’t like it? You change. You want to go back to uni to doss about for another year? Do it! There is no rule to life that says you need to live it a certain way. And fuck yes, it’s scary! I’m scared! I don’t know if I’ll like any of the jobs I’m applying for, they could be so different in reality to what they are on paper. But you know I’ll support you whatever you decide.”

Scarlet’s voice was quiet as she watched the waves crash around her friends. “I just don’t want to disappoint my parents.”

“Scarlet, your parents love you unconditionally. And I’ll say it again- it’s your life. Yours. Not theirs. You can do whatever the hell you want to.”

Scarlet nodded, Yvie’s words a small comfort to her in the world that now seemed so big and scary. Yvie’s voice was quieter as she spoke again. “So…you’re going to live back home once all this is over?”

“I guess so. I don’t really want to, but I don’t want to live alone either. And it’ll help me save money, although if I don’t have a job I guess there’s not much money to save,” Scarlet snorted a laugh. She didn’t want to think about any of this, but Yvie was asking her so she gave an honest answer. Scarlet didn’t miss the way her girlfriend fell silent, nodding her head, a sad little frown on her face. She didn’t want to move away from Yvie. She didn’t want to return home. Yvie was her home.

Suddenly there came a splash from the water and Scarlet’s gaze was jolted away from her girlfriend and down to the sea. Silky had somehow fallen into the water and the girls were all howling with mirth as she screeched and tried to splash them all. Scarlet couldn’t help but join in with the laughter as she watched Akeria help fish Silky out of the water, the girl sitting in the wet sand and laughing so loudly that Scarlet could hear it even from farther up the beach. As Scarlet composed herself and her laughter died down, she turned to see Yvie looking at her, a dopey little smile on her face.

“What?” Scarlet laughed, touching her hair self-consciously. Yvie looked down at the sand, then back up to meet her eyes.

“Move in with me. After we graduate.”

Scarlet’s eyes grew suddenly wide in shock. Yvie was still holding her hand and Scarlet’s grip on hers had tightened. “Really?”

Yvie’s face was earnest, and Scarlet could see her gulp as she nodded quickly. She took a little gasp of air before explaining herself. “I mean, we both already basically live together. You’re at mine so often anyway, we know what we’re like to live with. We’ve not spent more than a full week apart since…fuck, I don’t know. I would do long distance for you, Scarlet, but I don’t want to. I want to go to IKEA and build flat pack furniture and make slow cooker casseroles and fucking…pay council tax with you. I hope you don’t…think I’m being too intense. Jesus, we’ve not even been together a year, fuck, sorry, this was a shit idea-”

“Well when you know, you know, right?” Scarlet smiled at her girlfriend, squeezing her hand. Yvie smiled back at her, reassured and happy, and Scarlet could hear the seagulls in the air and the crash of the waves and the laughter of their friends. She wouldn’t have had any other soundtrack to accompany the moment. “Yes. I’m in. Let’s get a flat together. Just the two of us. I don’t know what the fuck I want to do with my life, but I know it’s going to be a lot easier if I’m doing it with you.”

Relieved, Yvie leaned in and met Scarlet’s lips, kissing her once, twice, three times before pulling away and squeezing her hand. They met each other’s eyes and smiled, breathlessly giggling a little. Deciding to move in together didn’t seem to be the huge, relationship-changing milestone that society had hyped it up to be. It made sense to Scarlet: they loved each other, enjoyed the other’s company, they’d practically lived together for the past however-many-months. Okay, they hadn’t really hit any real speed bumps in their relationship really, but Scarlet trusted Yvie and she trusted herself. They were a team, two puzzle pieces that fit together. Whatever the crazy, scary, mixed-up adult world had in store for them after graduation, they would face it together.

Just then, Scarlet’s phone vibrated. She picked it up from its place underneath a carefully-folded corner of her towel. Opening it and reading the email, her heart dropped.

“Oh my God,” she said, her heart thudding uncontrollably.

“What’s the matter?”

“My classification’s through.”

Scarlet’s fingers were shaking and her palms were sweating as she frantically logged onto the uni’s intranet.

“Breathe. Just breathe. It’ll be fine,” Yvie reassured her, but Scarlet could feel her blood racing in her veins. She didn’t want to look. She did want to look. As the page loaded, she squeezed her eyes shut. Nothing had ever seemed so catastrophically life-defining before. The page loaded, Scarlet blinked, then she screamed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Plastique flinch in her deckchair. Yvie’s face was expectant. Scarlet could hardly get the words out.

“A FIRST, I GOT A FUCKING FIRST!” she screeched, Yvie practically tackling her into the sand as she hugged her. Scarlet felt like her heart was about to burst. The three years had all been worth it and she felt like the biggest weight and worry in the world was finally lifted off of her. This was, admittedly, contrasted with the feeling of Plastique piling herself on top of the two girls, screaming excitedly the whole time. Scarlet suddenly batted them off of her, grabbing their hands and tugging them towards the shore.

“I wanna run into the sea! Can we run into the sea and tell the girls?”

Nodding excitedly, the three friends tore towards the coastline screeching like banshees. Scarlet could feel the wind in her hair, the sun beating down on her, and the sand shifting underneath her feet with every step she took.

She had never felt so conscious of her own mortality and yet as if she could live forever all at once.

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trustcall · 3 years ago

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#Maple biscuit company

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pearlinem414 · 5 years ago

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Not Another Diet Article - Cyclical Ketogenic Diet

Agility Fit Keto Pills http://agilityfitketo.com/.

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chroma-asks · 7 years ago

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The Sensory

Name: Chara (kah-rah)

Pronouns: they/them

Age: 10 years

Birthday: (Scorpio)

Species: human

Source(if any): Undertale

Family: Asgore,Toriel, and Asriel Dreemurr(adopted family)[not in system], Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: cinnamon, hot cocoa, knives, adrenaline, fighting

Dislikes: losing, feeling weak, being underestimated, other humans, milk

Name: Damon (day-mun)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: August 15th (Leo)

Species: deep-sea siren

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Draco(son...? Technically...?)

Likes: water, singing, fun, swimming, love, goofing off, jokes, cooking, baking, playing with the kids, music

Dislikes: leaving people behind, silence, being bored, negativity

Name: Draco (dray-co)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: March 23rd (Aries)

Species: Dragon

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Emerie(wife), Leviathan(son), Damon(technical father), Salem(technical mother), Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: storms, flying, his family, jewels, gold, meat, caves, solitude, Zero, sleeping

Dislikes: fruit, annoyances, invasion of privacy, socks(FOR WHATEVER REASON), being woken up

Name: Emerie (eh-mer-ree)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: December 20th (Sagittarius)

Species: Hydra

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Draco(husband), Leviathan(son)

Likes: fashion, sewing, love, her family, water, flowers, gardening

Dislikes: bigotry, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, really any kind of discrimination that harms and degrades others

Name: Glitch

Pronouns: they/them

Age: 6

Birthday: (Aries)

Species: Unknown

Source: n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother), Aurora(actual mother)[Standby]

Likes: playing, learning new things, friends

Dislikes: feeling hated, hurting others

Name: Gwenevere (gweh-neh-veer)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Virgo)

Species: arachne

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Freya(technical mother)

Likes: Octopi, knitting, sewing, fighting, hunting, teasing people she thinks are cute, helping out with cooking by cutting things

Dislikes: molting, when her fuzz is dirty, loose threads

Name: Jelose (jel-ohss)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Leo)

Species: shoggoth

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Gnideria(older sister)[Standby], Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: hugs, candy, slime, water, dark places, mud, playing, friends, kids

Dislikes: negative emotions, being alone, being feared, being poked in the eyes

Name: Kai (rhymes with pie)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: September 2nd (Virgo)

Species: Cerberus

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: sweets, screamo music, the shadows

Dislikes: bitter food, bright lights

Name: Karma

Pronouns: he/him

Age: ???

Birthday: December 3rd (Sagittarius)

Species: Ghoul

Source(if any): n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: puns, cooking, baking

Dislikes: things getting stuck between his bones

Name: Koishi (koh-ee-shee)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Sagittarius)

Species: satori

Source(if any): Touhou

Family: Satori(older sister), Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: friends, playing, exploring, making friends in general, roses, animals, tea, coffee, gifts, being remembered, her sister

Dislikes: being shunned, staying in one place for too long, numbness

Name: Lavender Pearl

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Cancer)

Species: gem

Source(if any): Steven Universe(non-canon)

Family: n/a

Likes: dancing, cleaning, water fountains, music

Dislikes: being yelled at, feeling worthless

Name: Leviathan (leh-vai-ah-than)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 5 in dragon years

Birthday: February 16th (Aquarius)

Species: water dragon

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Emerie(mother), Draco(father)

Likes: water, bugs, fish, watching science videos about nature, playing with the other littles, the beach, Zero, exploring

Dislikes: wearing shoes

Name: Lexa Fae (lex-ah-fay)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Aquarius)

Species: faerie

Source(if any): n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: flowers, forests, mushrooms, butterflies, moths, being pampered, milk, pastries, alcohol, baths, scented lotions

Dislikes: disrespect, being insulted, unkempt hair, dry skin

Name: Mina (mee-nah)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: Unknown

Birthday:

Species: Monster of some kind

Source: n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: shopping, cute things, fashion

Dislikes: eating

Name: Morgana (mor-gah-nah)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: (Virgo)

Species: dullahan

Source(if any): n/a

Family: n/a

Likes: witchcraft, moonlight, night flying, researching physics and magic, candles

Dislikes: impatience, not having the freedom to practice her craft

Name: Naraku (nah-rah-koo)

Pronouns: he/him

Age: somewhere around 70 if you include his human years

Birthday: Literally No One Knows

Species: half-demon

Source(if any): Inuyasha

Family: Aurora(in-system incarnation)[Standby]

Likes: literally any kind of drama, strategy games, Weiss

Dislikes: his human side, losing

Name: Paka (pah-kah)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: over 10,000

Birthday: (Gemini)

Species: phoenix hybrid

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: food, cats, beanies, big jackets

Dislikes: dying

Name: Polaris

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 6

Birthday:

Species: Princess-class Battleship

Source(if any): Kantai Collection

Family: 25 older sisters(all of which are in the Secondary Branch), Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: french fries, the beach, playing, wearing big shirts like dresses, playing with people’s hair, carnivals, piggyback rides from literally anyone who can carry her without dying(she is MUCH heavier than she looks), boats, skating, lighthouses

Dislikes: sinking in water, being alone

Name: Salem (say-lehm)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: over 5000

Birthday: November 13th (Scorpio)

Species: oni

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(younger sister), Draco(technical son)

Likes: dolls, gothic lolita fashion, solitude, dark places

Dislikes: humans, romance, being caged, being told what to do, Chroma’s family

Name:Sasha

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 6

Birthday:

Species: chimera, probably??

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: crackers(the sweet kind)

Dislikes:

Name: Shrii (shree)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: permanently 7

Birthday: (Leo)

Species: ghost

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: small fluffy animals, stuffed animals, pjs, blue raspberry icees, juice, her friends, Blueberry(her stuffed bunny), disney movies, studio ghibli, naps

Dislikes: clowns(terrified, yet she seems to handle LJ somehow), the dark, loud noises, scary movies, darkness

Name: Terezi (teh-reh-zee)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 16

Birthday: (Libra)

Species: troll

Source(if any): Homestuck

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: drawing, coloring, watching FNAF playthroughs while eating Mac n Cheese, candy(cherry-flavored ones are her favorite), justice, her friends

Dislikes: memories of abuse, clowns(laughing jack is an exception)

Name: Torture

Pronouns: he/him

Age: somewhere around 670-680

Birthday: June 30th (Cancer)

Species: undead

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: hospitals, experimenting with chemicals and cells, mint, ice cream, cold, tormenting Weiss

Dislikes: his past(has PTSD), slavery, his inability to grow, not being able to sleep(though he’s used to it now)

Name: Umbra

Pronouns: he/him

Age: 4

Birthday:

Species: werebat

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Zero(surrogate mother)

Likes: Veirus, fruit, playing games

Dislikes: being the seeker in hide-and-seek(he finds everyone too easily with sonar), flashlights

Name: Vague

Pronouns: he/him or xe/xir

Age: ???

Birthday: (Scorpio)

Species: void angel(but actually he’s basically a god)

Source(if any): The World Ends With You (surprise, he’s Joshua in disguise, the Bastard)

Family: n/a

Likes: space, city nightlife, his room, fixing things, Chroma

Dislikes: losing

Name: Weiss (rhymes with ice)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: uhhh if I go by outer world years I’m like almost 12 bruh (good thing I don’t). I’m basically ageless in here

Birthday: June 29th (Cancer)

Species: glacie

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Kai, Sato, Same, Torture, Tyfia, Paka, Zetsumei, Tripp(technical children), Freya(technical mother)

Likes: snow(obviously), drawing, singing, video games, fictional things, socks(ironically), food, space, tiny replicas of things that aren’t usually tiny

Dislikes: bugs(more of a fear, but I’m working on soothing that), abusive people, loud noises/yelling(trigger), hot temperatures, humidity, needles, surgery, eye gore, pain, mint, coconuts

Name: Yulie (yoo-lee)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: “somewhere over 100, I lost count”

Birthday: February 22nd (Pisces)

Species: werewolf/succubus hybrid

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Casimir(father), Marie(mother)[deceased], Freya(grandmother), Killer(great-grandfather)[not in the system]

Likes: romance movies, fanfiction, matchmaking, wolves, the moon, night flights, valentines day candies, cakes, science, philosophy, writing

Dislikes: really anything morally wrong relationship-wise, ageplay, hate, swearing(doesn’t mind if others do, though)

Name: Zero

Pronouns: she/her

Age: over 5000

Birthday: January 3rd (Capricorn)

Species: oni

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Salem(older sister), surrogate mom to basically everyone in the system

Likes: kids, fighting, alcohol, sunlight, human history

Dislikes: child predators(more like a seething hatred), people bad-mouthing literally anyone she’s adopted

Name: Zetsumei (zeh-tsoo-may)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: ???

Birthday: February 15th (Aquarius)

Species: death scythe/shapeshifter

Source(if any): n/a

Family: Weiss(technical mother)

Likes: Halloween, bugs, weaponry, horror movies/games, haunted houses, really anything considered weird or spooky, sour candy

Dislikes: ?????

6 notes · View notes

nommybites · 8 years ago

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Well, it’s apparently taken me a full 7 weeks to process the emotions of this here experience, folks. Apparently that is a thing when one meets one’s idol!

Here’s the sitch: the folks at BOKA, a hub of fine dining in Chicago and the namesake of the restaurant group to which we owe Goats (Girl and, Duck Duck, and Little) and other gems, partnered with Coolest Man on the Planet Massimo Bottura to craft a meal inspired by Massimo’s life philosophy/mission. You may know Massimo as the guy from the first episode of Chef’s Table -- in addition to being the chef at one of the top 3 restaurants in the world, he has dedicated himself to alleviating food waste and feeding those in need. His organization, Food for Soul, has now operated several ‘refectories;’ local businesses donate food that would otherwise be thrown away, and world-class chef Massimo (and his world-class chef friends) prepare gourmet meals to be served to those in need of a meal. He is, no exaggeration, my idol, so when my dearest sister told me this meal was happening, we had to get in (shoutout to her boyfriend for getting us the last 2 available seats and forfeiting his spot so Sarah and I could go).

So, the day rolls around, and Sarah and I show up to the restaurant, and I immediately catch a glimpse of Massimo chatting with a table of diners. This initiated a cycle of me borderline hyperventilating and/or crying, and Sarah gently calming me and/or yelling at me to get my shit together (a theme of the night).

When we sat in our spacious corner booth, we were greeted with the first sign that this was a very special night -- the menus were all handmade out of recycled paper and vegetables and handwritten. I am glad the waiter told me they were not edible because I was 100% about to take a bite of the menu.

Diving into the meal, though -- first up was, as you see on the menu, cod skin and belly. The belly was crafted into a staggeringly light and flavorful dip, and the skin was fried to serve as crackers for the dip. Add on some picked fennel and giardiniera, and this was a leadoff homerun.

***INTERMISSION BECAUSE THIS IS WHEN MASSIMO CAME TO OUR TABLE***

Massimo came over (he stopped at every table to chat because he is a perfect angel) and I did my best to keep it together, telling him about my interest in food policy and that I lived in Bologna (20 minutes from Modena, where his restaurant is) for a year. He asked how we were enjoying the meal, took a photo with us (then demanded we take it again so the lighting would be better -- the man gets it) and then TOLD ME TO FOLLOW MY DREAMS? It was perfect. I had a nagging fear that he would be an asshole IRL and then I’d have to find a new idol, which would be a pain in the butt, but he was as kind, patient, and charismatic as I could have imagined. GO MASSIMO

***End intermission***

Next was Sarah’s sleeper favorite - carrot panzanella. Roasted carrots met fresh carrots (including both of their greens) in a bowl with crusty stale bread (a staple in anti-food waste meals) and dollops a lowkey majestic sunflower seed yogurt sauce. It was one of those dishes where every time you take a bite you discover another layer to it, and then because you’re discovering all these layers, you feel like you’re really in the know as a diner and like, know your shit.

Next was what I would have to say was my least favorite dish, although that’s like choosing a ‘least favorite puppy’ or a ‘least favorite Colin Firth film.’ This mushroom risotto was made with freekeh instead of rice and featured mushroom zabaione and fresh shaved maitake mushrooms. Although the flavor was truly to die for -- like Very Real Mushroom Flavor -- the freekeh was crunchy. It was interesting, but a little off-putting for me. But like mushroom risotto in general is one of my favorite foods. So this was still bomb. Let there be no confusion!

Next was a *BONUS COURSE* because we are Very Important. What up, cod! Our Course #1 cod mad a reappearance -- this time it was poached and served with pickled cauliflower and roe. Honestly, the fish was so freaking buttery it was like the best scallop I’d ever had. That is a major glo up for cod, to be honest. A nice transition into the gluttony to follow...

Meatballs AND cheesy black truffle bread boats (the best five words that have ever been strung together maybe?). These meatballs were not for the faint of heart -- I am a terrible blogger and forgot what meats they were made of, but one of them was someone’s belly. Whatever the ingredients were, they were some of the most flavor-packed and rich meatballs I’ve ever had, tempered slightly by the bright crunchy greens they were served with, and the cookie crumbs (I think!) on top.

Had nearly hit a food wall at this point, but made room for dessert -- banana peel ice cream with beignet and gold leaf. I will say, I totally get how the banana peel thing fits with the no waste theme. I struggle slightly to wrap my head around the idea of, oh, rampant gold waste, but I’ll let it slide because this dessert was fantastic. Bananas are so sweet, they can be cloying, and with a donut you’d think it would be overpowering, but the banana was light and subtle, and the bitter chocolate kept things on track.

Boka is #extra, so the check came with 3 different kinds of bon bons, if you will -- some meringue-like cookies with cocoa nibs, chocolate bark with candied orange peel, and a lovechild of a pecan cookie and a lemon bar.

Suffice it to say I left that dinner table much as one might leave a poker table after winning a bazillion dollars and doing a line... or at least that’s how I imagine it. And to top it off, my sister treated me as a birthday-Christmas present. Ain’t she the best?

Thx, Massimo. Thx, Boka. Thx, Sarah,

#massimo bottura #boka #bread is gold #no waste #food waste #dining #THANK YOU SARAH FOR THE BEST PREZZY EVER

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easyfoodnetwork · 5 years ago

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From the Strategist: The 52 Canned Goods (From Cockles to Corn) Chefs Keep in Their Pantries

Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the retailers.

Chefs recommend their favorite foods preserved in cans and jars, from the Strategist

Shelf-stable food items have, needless to say, never been more popular. The bean business, in particular, is booming — according to recent reports, Goya��s sales have increased some 400 percent. But for those whose legume repertoires are beginning to feel a tad stale, it might be worth considering other areas of the canned and tinned universe, many of which are also quickly gaining traction. Anchovies, long the topping “held” from a dish, are taking center stage on Instagram (in sandwiches, on heaps of linguine), and humble canned tuna has shifted from the back of the pantry to front and center. Not to mention the fact that there’s something specifically delightful about eating a perfectly salty, spicy, or sweet item (whether it’s a smoked oyster or a sour cherry) plucked straight from a completely contained package. To find out the tinned, jarred, and canned foods chefs and home cooks are stocking their pantries with, we asked everyone from Ernesto’s Ryan Bartlow, who suggested a tin of splurge-y white asparagus, to Nom Wah’s Julie Cole, who recommended stocking up on Campbell’s Cream of Celery — which she calls “the Ferrari of canned soups.”

Best tinned and jarred fish

Don Bocarte Anchovies

Four of the chefs and home cooks we talked to topped their list of tinned goods with Don Bocarte Anchovies. “The creme de la creme of anchovies are Don Bocarte salt cured anchovies packed in olive oil,” says Nialls Fallon, a partner at Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly. “They taste like butter and melt in your mouth — I could drink the oil when I’m done it’s so damn good.” Fallon told us that the anchovies come from the Bay of Biscay and are “painstakingly gutted and fileted by hand, then packed in large barrels in concentric circles with salt added after each layer.” Then they’re aged for several months, and rinsed and packed by hand in Spanish olive oil. Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese is a fan, too, as is Julia Sherman, of Salad for President and Angie Mar, chef at the Beatrice Inn.

Agostino Recca Anchovies Fillets in Olive Oil

Michael Schall, co-owner of Bar Camillo and Locanda Vini e Olii says that his restaurant’s “No. 1 choice” for tinned food are these anchovies from Agostino Recca. “I am just addicted to them, as are a lot of our customers.” (This customer can attest to their addictive qualities.) Schall says the anchovies have a just-right amount of saltiness, and are “big enough to feel substantial if you are eating them by themselves.” But if eating straight anchovies sounds like a lot, Schall says they’re great for cooking, too: “Melt them in the pan with some olive oil and a clove of garlic, toss with freshly cooked spaghetti, and you have one of the best all-time afternoon pasta dishes.” Chef and farmer Phoebe Cole-Smith is a fan of the Agostino Recca anchovies, as well.

Cento Anchovy Flat Fillets in Olive Oil

For something a bit less expensive, Carolina Santos Neves, executive chef of American Bar, recommends this Cento tin, which she says, despite the low price are still high-quality enough to eat on their own.

Ortiz Sardines In Olive Oil

Bart van Olphen, sustainable fishing advocate, chef, and author of The Tinned Fish Cookbook, is a fan of Ortiz tinned goods, as well, and told us about these sardines. “I love sardines, but buying the right quality makes the difference between having a great experience or never wanting to eat them again,” he says. “Ortiz is famous for its quality. The cooking process is very particular. The sardines are gutted and then precooked before being trimmed to the size of the can. Cheaper brands only cook the sardines once.”

Cabo de Peñas Razor Shell Clams in Brine

If clams are more your thing, Sherman told us that these from Cabo de Penas — “I love all the tinned seafood by Cabo de Penas,” she says. “But these are especially good. They are super clean and briny — eat them straight from the can.”

Ramon Pena Cockles in Brine

My favorite splurge is a tin of cockles from Ramon Pena in Spain,” says Fallon. “They’re expensive, but worth it.” Fallon says the cockles, which are tiny clams, are the size of a dime and tear-shaped. The cockles are pricey because of how difficult they are to harvest: “They are hard and dangerous to source, by hand from the rocky coastline, then meticulously and perfectly cooked, removed from their shells, and placed in order in a round tin,” Fallon says. “Their milky white color is surrounded by clear briny salty water — it’s so elegant, and pure and really a treat.”

Cabo de Peñas Small Sardines

Nick Perkins, partner at Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly, says that Cabo de Penas is also the go-to brand of tinned fish for his restaurants. “They’re just old school and really solid,” he says. “They also just do really solid sardines and mackerels, which are cost effective.” His favorite are the brand’s baby sardines.

“These are sustainably certified sardines, and beautifully hand-packed with high-quality olive oil,” says Fallon. “A real savory, firm and earthy style.” He told us he’ll go for the classic plain olive oil, or the ones packed with dried chillies.

Matiz Sardines in Olive Oil

This pack of sardines comes recommended by Alissa Wagner, co-owner of Dimes (who also told us about her favorite spices). “They’re a great option for both your health and the health of our planet,” she says. “Sustainable and packed with Omega 3’s, these little fish are a great upgrade for simple salads or enjoyed on some grilled bread with roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs.”

Bela Sardines Lightly Smoked Organic Cayenne Pepper

Andy Xu, Executive Chef at The Odeon, told us that Bela is his preferred sardine brand: “They’re lightly smoked, so there’s an added depth of flavor,” he says.

American Albacore Tuna

Sometimes you just want good old-fashioned canned tuna. Van Olphen suggests trying this tin, which is from a brand founded by one of the families behind the American Albacore Fishing Association. “Their West Coast fishery was the first in the world to obtain a certification for seafood sustainability from the Marine Stewardship Council,” says Van Olphen.

Dongwon Tuna in Kimchi Sauce

“I’m honestly just eating a lot of canned tuna, like Jessica Simpson,” says Bowien of his quarantine meals. “In Korea, canned tuna is such a thing, and you can get it at 711, open it up, and just eat it — especially the kimchi-flavored ones.” Bowien says this tuna from Dongwon is one of his favorites. “I eat it a lot — it’s good quality canned tuna, not fancy — I literally open up the can and dump it on top of hot rice.”

Zallo White Tuna Belly in Olive Oil

Ryan Bartlow, chef-owner at Ernesto’s, says that when it comes to tuna, this, from Zallo, is an easy favorite. “It’s from Bizkaia, Spain, and is perfect eaten on its own, or doused with a little minced onions, salt, olive oil and espelette,” Bartlow says. “At Ernesto’s we serve them with our Gildas.” He also notes that the stately packaging makes it a great gift for the friend who can never have too much tuna (which, right now, is most every non-vegetarian friend).

Interpage International Cod Liver In Own Oil

Van Olphen told us he believes in the “head-to-tail philosophy” when it comes to fish: “Where we’re not just eating the fillet, but also the cheeks or liver, for example.” He describes these cod livers as “soft” and “elegant” and says they work with lots of different dishes. “One of my very favorite ways is to serve it with some reduced orange juice mixed with a bit of lime and sesame oil, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and pink peppercorn on top,” he says.

Ever since I was little I’ve loved large smoked oysters or mussels,” says Carolina Santos Neves, executive chef of American Bar. “My pick these days are Reese and Patagonia Provisions for their sustainably sourced Mussels — I’ll eat them plain or on toasted buttered sourdough bread.”

Ekone Smoked Habanero Oysters

If you want smoked oysters with a bit more zing, Fallon says these Ekone oysters are one of his favorites. “You can have them as a snack with a beer,” he says. “They’re hot! And chewy, and smoky, and really good with mayo or cream cheese on a cracker.”

JOSE Gourmet Spiced Calamari in Ragout Sauce

“The baby squids are prepared by hand — they removed the tentacles and stuff them into the tube of the squid, then hand pack them with a rich tomato ragout sauce,” says Fallon of this spicy option. “Smoky and meaty in flavor and texture, really delicious.” He’s a fan of the baby octopus in olive oil, as well.

Best tinned and canned meats

Underwood Deviled Ham Spread

“I’ll admit that I haven’t had deviled ham spread for a very long time, but one of my favorite sandwiches as a child was this stuff on pepperidge farm white bread with a thin layer of butter,” says Cole-Smith. “I have a few tins of it in my emergency preparedness food kit, because it means I can quickly relive my childhood, using crackers as a vehicle.” Cole-Smith says that in a pinch, “and if you close your eyes,” the deviled ham spread is like “a ‘poor man’s jambon au beurre.’”

Hénaff French Pork Countryside Pate Pâté De Campagne

Perhaps you prefer pâté. Food writer Ashley Mason says that a can of this pork pâté will have you feeling like you’re enjoying “a lazy afternoon on the French countryside” in no time. “Just add a bottle of wine, a baguette, and some crunchy cornichons,” she says.

Best tinned and canned peppers and chiles

Formaggio Kitchen Piparras Peppers

“I discover a lot of my favorite cans and glass jar items from Formaggio,” says chef and food artist Laila Gohar. “They do a really great job at finding products from around the world that are really delicious.” One of her favorite jarred goods from Formaggio are these peppers. “They’re spicy and briny and add a nice bite to a lot of dishes,” she says. “I just like to nibble on them plain, too.”

Xilli Salsa Macha

If you’re looking for a chili sauce with a smoky flavor, Wagner suggests these Xilli Chipotles. “Blend them with yogurt and a little lime juice and salt for a fantastic sauce,” she says. “I love this one on fish tacos.”

Best canned and tinned beans and legumes

Best tinned and canned fruits and vegetables

J. Vela Extra Thick Primera White Asparagus

These tinned white asparagus also come recommended by Bartlow. “We use this product in the restaurant in two different dishes,” he says. “It’s a component in our Ernesto’s salad, as well as a white Asparagus pintxo in the pintxo bar … white asparagus conserva is always in the house.”

Ortiz Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With White Tuna

Mason says that the Spanish peppers used in these are “fire-roasted before being stuffed with fatty Spanish tuna.” Mason suggests having them with cheese and crackers, or if you want something more hearty, “Swap the Ritz for a toasted, sliced baguette and you have tapas.”

Fenn Shui — Pickled Fennel Root in Rice Vinegar, Ginger, Thai Chile

Mason is also a fan of this jarred fennel root, which is pickled in rice vinegar with ginger, orange zest, and fiery Thai chiles. “They’re as crunchy and refreshing as cucumbers,” she says. “Try them in your next burger.”

Best tinned and canned sweets

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Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the retailers.

Chefs recommend their favorite foods preserved in cans and jars, from the Strategist

Shelf-stable food items have, needless to say, never been more popular. The bean business, in particular, is booming — according to recent reports, Goya’s sales have increased some 400 percent. But for those whose legume repertoires are beginning to feel a tad stale, it might be worth considering other areas of the canned and tinned universe, many of which are also quickly gaining traction. Anchovies, long the topping “held” from a dish, are taking center stage on Instagram (in sandwiches, on heaps of linguine), and humble canned tuna has shifted from the back of the pantry to front and center. Not to mention the fact that there’s something specifically delightful about eating a perfectly salty, spicy, or sweet item (whether it’s a smoked oyster or a sour cherry) plucked straight from a completely contained package. To find out the tinned, jarred, and canned foods chefs and home cooks are stocking their pantries with, we asked everyone from Ernesto’s Ryan Bartlow, who suggested a tin of splurge-y white asparagus, to Nom Wah’s Julie Cole, who recommended stocking up on Campbell’s Cream of Celery — which she calls “the Ferrari of canned soups.”

Best tinned and jarred fish

Don Bocarte Anchovies

Agostino Recca Anchovies Fillets in Olive Oil

Cento Anchovy Flat Fillets in Olive Oil

Ortiz Sardines In Olive Oil

Cabo de Peñas Razor Shell Clams in Brine

Ramon Pena Cockles in Brine

Cabo de Peñas Small Sardines

Matiz Sardines in Olive Oil

Bela Sardines Lightly Smoked Organic Cayenne Pepper

Andy Xu, Executive Chef at The Odeon, told us that Bela is his preferred sardine brand: “They’re lightly smoked, so there’s an added depth of flavor,” he says.

American Albacore Tuna

Dongwon Tuna in Kimchi Sauce

Zallo White Tuna Belly in Olive Oil

Interpage International Cod Liver In Own Oil

Ekone Smoked Habanero Oysters

JOSE Gourmet Spiced Calamari in Ragout Sauce

Best tinned and canned meats

Underwood Deviled Ham Spread

Hénaff French Pork Countryside Pate Pâté De Campagne

Best tinned and canned peppers and chiles

Formaggio Kitchen Piparras Peppers

Xilli Salsa Macha

Best canned and tinned beans and legumes

Best tinned and canned fruits and vegetables

J. Vela Extra Thick Primera White Asparagus

Ortiz Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With White Tuna

Fenn Shui — Pickled Fennel Root in Rice Vinegar, Ginger, Thai Chile

Best tinned and canned sweets

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exquisitelyeco · 8 years ago

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Gift of me...

So today I made Smoky bacon pasta. It was really nice. Got the recipe from Pinterest, then changed it, but only a tad. So I was saying Thankyou to God for the energy to cook the dinner. Then thanking Him I can throw food away....no it really was nice, neither am I wasteful. We are surely not judging AGAIN, are we? Hope not, little poppets.

Remember karma, karma....

What I mean is, if there are scraps, or it's really horrid I CAN throw it away if I want too. I thanked God I was not one of those people who are so hungry they would eat any scraps. Even rotten ones. I saw how blessed I was. I thanked Him I can afford cordial and fizzy water. ( It's the only way to get me to drink water!)

Then I saw the glass, from Next, with the butterfly on, that I was drinking from. And then the pretty plate, with green leaves. I thanked God for that too. All gifts from His provision.

The whole house. All my furniture, pictures, everything.

Then suddenly I realised even me was a gift from God to myself! He created me for both Himself and my pleasure. Wow!

All my talents....I'm not boasting, truly. Just being honest about what God gave me, when He made me. I realised I actually do, at least today, like me! I love that I can do any kind of crafting. I love cake making and decorating. Not that I do it a lot. I love beauty and the natural world, newts, frogs, fish even toads. And God let all of these come into my garden. Water lilies. All of them free. Just because I like them.

He made me with thick hair. I like my hands and fingers. I like that I have a teeny waist. And long eyelashes. I like the white ring round my blue eyes. I like my freckles, which make my sister jealous, cos she doesn't have any....hehehe...she has green eyes tho.... I have all my teeth! How I take them for granted! I can see a lot and hear a lot, considering I am both partially blind and deaf.

I am imaginative and tenacious, ok this DOES get me into trouble.....I have a very fine mind. I like thinking deeply about things. I like managing things and being practical. Tho my inbox is about a foot high at the moment.....I said I like, not always do....I love my taste in clothes and the colours I wear. Nearly always khaki or olive green. Dunno why. I used to wear black....I love being both smart and Boho. Eccentric and sensible (at times....) I like that I'm quirky and unusual. And most people aren't like me. I like being different.....most of the time.

I like I am such a spectrum of different things, personality wise and everything wise. Wise, silly, crackers, loving, kind, gentle, rambunctious, smart - brain wise and clothes wise. Quiet, loud. I like all music from metal and rock, to classical, funk and pop. I love dressing either smart, Bohemian, Hippy, posh. I'm both ludicrous and serious. Really a bundle of contradictions. And I like that. I like I can choose to be either middle or working class and switch between the two. Though I'm on the side of the working class. I love politics, philosophy, Enid Blyton (I know poppets....but remember the karma bit......) Lynn Andrews, Anne of green gables, I love the story of Socrates (I'm showing off now.....) and myths, The brothers Grimm, George Orwell, Arthur Conan Doyle, C. S. Lewis...to name just a few.....It's AMAZING I like so much of me! I didn't know that.

I love I can do any craft. Sew, but need to learn to do it with a sewing machine.....help anyone? make cards, soap, bath salts, face cream, miceller water, snow globes, toffee, honey comb - cinder toffee, all different flavours, diverse things, die cutting. Ok I can't knit...Anybody want to teach me? Oh and macrame. Any body want to teach me that? I want to learn.

(An update: A very kind lady on Freegle has GIVEN me a beautiful, easy pink sewing machine! AND she is coming to give me lessons!WOOOOO HOOOO! It also looks like I’m going to make another friend!)

I love I have a thirst for knowledge and learning new things, and I love books. I love I am a master of words. I love history. Calligraphy, I can type fast. I can make a home. I love I can see, find and appreciate beauty. I love the fact I know God, well, learning too...and He knows me. And He actually likes me! A miracle!!

So Thankyou God. For making me me and giving me to myself.

#god funny #god #thankful #happiness #myself

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thehungrykat1 · 6 years ago

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Ministry of Crab Manila Opens in Shangri-La at the Fort

It takes something really special for me to declare a restaurant experience as one of the best I have ever had. I do love seafood, especially crabs and prawns, and I have dined at most of the popular establishments here in Manila, so when I heard that a very prestigious seafood restaurant called Ministry of Crab had just opened, I really wanted to find out if the hype really equalled its performance. After having dinner at Ministry of Crab Manila last week, I can honestly say that they now have a new loyal disciple because these are best tasting crabs I have ever eaten in my life.

Ministry of Crab is regarded as the best restaurant in Sri Lanka and was voted No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018. Founded by Chef Dharshan Munidasa and cricket players Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, it established its flagship branch in Colombo in 2011 inside a 400-year-old Dutch hospital building. The new Manila branch opened last January 16, 2019 at Shangri-La at the Fort which franchised the restaurant and placed it inside this gorgeous location. You can access Ministry of Crab Manila near the street level entrance of the hotel at 30th Street corner 5th avenue. This is actually found outside the hotel but they will be adding another entrance from the hotel’s retail area soon. First impressions last, and the doorway leading into the restaurant below really gives you that feeling you are entering a sacred ministry honoring the finest seafood catch in the world.

Ministry of Crab Manila is the third branch that opened after Colombo and Shanghai and it is the first in Southeast Asia. The restaurant operates only from 6:00pm to 10:30pm daily but they will probably start offering lunch service soon. The interiors are set against a colonial architectural backdrop inspired by the Colombo flagship. While it is a Sri Lankan concept, Ministry of Crab Manila's menu philosophy is rooted in Filipino flavors, with its crabs, prawns, and most ingredients being sourced from the Philippines mixed with spices from Sri Lanka.

The establishment can house up to 126 diners inside its dining area with its heavy dark wood furnitures and panels surrounded by romantic lighting. This would be a very impressive place to bring a date and I’m sure it would be filled during the upcoming Valentine’s season.

Ministry of Crab Manila offers 10 different crab sizes which you can see and compare on its wall logo. The lighted crabs are the ones currently available on the menu. All crabs are sourced locally such as from farms in Bicol and Bulacan. These Philippine mud crabs are flown in daily and are never frozen, so there is actually no freezer inside the restaurant. Since they only harvest the best catch, supply and sizes will vary on a daily basis. The spices used for cooking, however, are imported from Sri Lanka, using Japanese culinary philisophies and techniques, resulting in an exciting blend of Asian culinary cultures.

This corner offers a more intimate ambiance for romantic dates, as compared to the central dining space which is better for bigger groups and families.

They also have private dining rooms which are good for up to ten guests that can be reserved with a minimum consumable of P25,000.

This location was originally intended to be a club which is why it has that certain energetic vibe. The bar area houses a wide variety of spirits and the restaurant also offers beverages inspired by the Sri Lankan landscape, featuring cocktails curated by Shangri-La at the Fort’s Executive Mixologist Ulysse Jouanneaud.

I tried their Ceylon Spritz (P500), a refreshing combination of peach tea syrup, dry vermouth, and sparkling wine. This is one of the exclusive cocktails made for Ministry of Crab Manila and it is a great way to start the evening.

Utensils are provided but guests are actually encouraged to use their hands when handling the crabs and seafood. Filipinos are accustomed to dining with their bare hands so this won’t be a problem for me.

Our menu for the evening consisted of crabs and seafood sourced from the Bicol region. Ministry of Crab Manila offers crabs cooked in the signature Sri Lankan styles as well as in exclusive local techniques such as ginataan crabs and crab sisig. The Shangri-La at the Fort chefs trained with Chef Munidasa himself in Colombo to make sure that the flagship’s practices are applied at the Manila branch.

Complimentary appetizers are served on each table. These peanuts are sprinkled with Sri Lankan black pepper and serve as a good preview for what is to come later.

Our first course was the Clams (P450) and these fresh clams are made with a simple Japanese preparation using only butter and soy sauce. It may look simple, but I was already so impressed with its sweet buttery flavors. I have never tasted clams quite like these.

My excitement went even higher when I saw the Garlic Chili Big Prawns (P675/150-200g). This is a Ministry of Crab original combining Mediterranean and Japanese food philosophies. It is wok-fried using a combination of Italian olive oil, garlic, Sri Lankan chili flakes, and Japanese soy sauce.

This was served along with some Kade Bread (P150) which has 18 cubes of toasted Sri Lankan street bread. Their rustic Kade bread is baked in a traditional Sri Lankan wood-fired oven and is accompanied by a portion of butter embossed with an iconic crab symbol.

While the butter may be good, I suggest skipping it entirely and just use the spongy bread to soak up all the garlic chili sauces from your plate. This is what I did and I was so amazed with how delicious it was. The chili garlic spices are different from what we usually have here in the Philippines and it comes with much deeper flavors, without being too spicy. I loved it so much that I must have eaten around 6 pieces of bread with the sauce alone. Of course, the prawn was a masterpiece itself as I devoured it together with the bread.

Don’t forget about those giant prawn heads. Open up these giant-sized heads and you will find even more sweet treasures inside. These are actually some of the best parts of the prawn and I just finished everything there is to find. The Big Prawn is actually the second to the smallest size here. The King Prawns of the Philippines are giants compared to their counterparts around the world. These are farm hatched and released into the wild, allowing them to grow to great sizes in mangroves and lagoons. Ministry of Crab Manila also offers much bigger sizes such as the Half Pound Prawn (P975/250-300g), OMG Prawn (P1350/400-500g) and the Prawnzilla (P1550/500-600g)! These can be served in a variety of cooking styles including Pepper, Chili, Garlic, Olive Oil & Soy, Butter Soy Prawns.

Before the main attraction arrives, guests are provided with a few more tools to get ready for the battle. The crab crackers may come in handy, but the most useful tool would be the small seafood forks that can scoop up all those crab meats from deep inside.

After wearing my bib armor, it’s now time to meet the crabs! Ministry of Crab Manila actually makes it easier for its guests because the crabs already come partially cracked, so you can spend more time eating than working.

The Pepper Crab (P2400-Small size 700g) is cooked using black pepper which is known as the King of Spices and has been around for 4000 years. Traditional Sri Lankan curries are usually black, and this dish is made using crushed peppercorns and a pepper stock endemic to Sri Lanka.

My favorite part is the claw so I grabbed this and started eating away. The black pepper sauce comes with a unique taste unlike any other curries or sauces I have tried before. The flavors are deep but without being too overpowering, because it is still the succulent crab meat which is the star of the show.

Like the prawns, the best part of the crab is the head because it houses all the beautiful aligue or crab fat. This small sized crab is the second to the smallest size available, so just imagine how big the Large (P3750/900g), the Jumbo (P6500/1.1kg), and the Crabzilla (P11,250/2kg) monster would be! Ministry of Crab believes in sustainability so they do not offer crabs below 500 grams which are usually just baby crabs. The crabs can also be cooked in a variety of cooking styles so you can try which ones you like. Between the two sauces, I think I prefer the Chili Garlic.

After the battle, a warm finger bowl infused with tea, venivel, and fragrant iramusu flowers is provided to each guest to wash their hands in. It actually took just one dip and my hands came out clean, without smelling like seafood.

For guests who may be allergic to seafood or want meatier dishes, there are other options on the menu like the Chicken Curry Rice (P850) served with Pol Sambol which is made with Maldive Fish using a Sangakkara family recipe and hand-scraped upon order before being ground on a traditional Miris Gala. It also comes with Japanese sticky rice topped with a fried egg.

For desserts, we had the Pistachio Kulfi with Cashew and Biscotti (P375) which is a traditional home-frozen creamy kulfi ice cream served with pistachio biscotti. On the other hand, for a more Filipino taste, go for the Warm Rice Pudding (P375) with its almonds, rum raisin, and burnt rice ice cream. This is also a Philippine exclusive and the burnt rice ice cream is definitely not your typical ice cream flavor.

I would like to thank Ms. Sam Unson-Gallardo, Director Of Communications for Shangri-La at the Fort for hosting our lovely dinner at Ministry of Crab Manila. I was not expecting to be blown away by this restaurant but I left that evening with a new all-time favorite. On my next visit, I will probably try the crabs cooked in Chili Garlic, but I am also curious to find out how the Guinataang crab and the Butter crab would taste like. It seems Ministry of Crab really does have a new disciple.

Ministry of Crab

Street Level, Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

820-0888

Operating Hours: 6:00pm to 10:30pm daily

www.ministryofcrab.com

www.facebook.com/ministryofcrab.manila/

#MinistryofCrabMNL #MinistryofCrab #Crabs #ShangrilaattheFort #ShangriLa #Hotel #Restaurant #BonifacioGlobalCity

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sleeplessinsiswati · 6 years ago

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Create Heaven Here—My Story

For the record, this probably should have been the first “official” post for this blog. My bad, I’m a learn-as-you-go type so I’ve been messing around and BOOM well, here we are.

*clears throat* ahem...

When I was young I wanted to be a writer. I always dreamed of being a writer; of my words mattering to someone. The unique ability of being able to eloquently articulate thoughts and touch someone else deeply was nothing short of a poetic wonderland in my childhood imagination. Now I am older, and I realise that words, these words are all that I have to give. I once believed that this was not enough; that the sum of who I am had to add up to more than what I can say about this life, or what I have seen of it. I now understand that it does not have to be more than this so much as it has to be true, no matter if the impact of those words is great or small. I am writing this because I wanted my first post in country to be about me; here I will paint an in-depth portrait of who I am and why I am here.

________________________________

It is a common theme in stories originating from the continent of Africa that history is intertwined with mythology, and so too the story of my life is told. Before I was born, my father wanted to name me Shaka Zulu in honour of the infamous, Southern-African warrior. My mother protested, worried that I would endure ridicule and shame because of a lack of understanding from other children or teachers. And with that wisdom, I was instead named after her, Desmond—the son of Desiree. If only they had saw fit to ask the Creator to not give me the soul of a warrior since it was decided I would no longer be receiving the name. I was born with asthma. Mom would later tell me that it was because even before I was born the evil of this world wanted to steal my breath, to take my words.

In early childhood, I found it hard to have a voice for myself. As a matter of fact, for the first year and a half of my life my parents did not think that I could talk at all; my older brother, Gerald, would always speak for me. Whatever he liked, I liked; whatever he wanted, I wanted. It wasn’t until one fateful Sunday School class where there was an option of cheese or peanut butter and jelly crackers that I had spoken publicly at all. With whatever self-esteem I could muster up in my infantile body I stated very clearly, and to the surprise of all in attendance, that I wanted peanut butter and jelly crackers. That would be my first fight; my brother wanted me to have the cheese crackers. From then on my life would be a series of advocating for myself or on behalf of others, and willingly paying the price no matter the cost.

I got into a good number of fights as a child. I was more passionate than I was “boy”. I had a spirit of fire and wind; free, scorching, and bold. I went from unspeaking and timid to outspoken and determined. Dont ask me what I was determined to do, though. To this day, I do not know what I was so serious, so keen on grasping at prepubescence. I was raised in the church like most Southern Louisiana, Black boys. It was here that I was able to find comfort and a sense of pride. Along with the classroom, the sanctuary was a place where my words were accepted; it was a place where intelligence and passion could meet, and where adults were impressed and were quick to take promising young pupils under their wing. Many teachers spoke highly of my performance in the classroom, and so did ministers at my place of worship. Unfortunately for me, there was a great degree of protection that was in the church setting that was not remotely available in an inner-city elementary school with a magnet component.

I could never understand at the time, from the background which I came, why “Church Boy” was an insult. Honestly, it didn’t bother me so much as the implications that came with it. Implications like that I could not defend myself; that even if I could not, that I had parents who would quickly take up for me; that I was weak and afraid of a world that was unknown to me; that someone else had the right to take these things from me. These statements were made between curled lips and clenched teeth and clenched fists; from smacked lips and cold stares I learned that having two parents in one home and having an identity rooted in church life were things to be snickered at. With those snickers came threats, boys posturing themselves to be perceived as men; willing to play at absolute dominant power in the face of what seemed like a helpless Christian kid. And with that, I let those assholes eat my fists. Never one to back down from a fight, I got in more fights in and out of school between my elementary and high school years than I care to remember, in and out of school. I lost many of them, I won some. One thing I never did was back down. I would be felt, I would be heard, I would be respected.

This philosophy came to frustrate my parents who constantly reinforced a message of choosing battles. Though I felt an angst from the outside world, there was no difference in emotion concerning the place that I called home. My mom has always been a jewel in my mind; her beauty, poise, and radiance will never fade and will always be priceless. My dad, my protector; a strong tower and defender of his family, which for him was his pride and joy. En lieu of these praises I now sing, the truth is as a child I felt very much alone and afraid. My dad would often invalidate the words I would say as foolish or thoughtless, and it was a rare sighting for my mom to protect my emotions from his aggression in those moments. Mom was an artist in her day, and I would say very much so an existentialist. She taught her sons to feel, and to feel deeply the offerings of this life; what a gift this is, and it is one I will forever be grateful for. But, what a curse this was, when under the weight of the absolute terror that is an emotionally insensitive parent. As if the words and insults of a man you see as your protector and provider were not enough, the inexplicable silence of that other person who built you as this fragile human being made for a combination that never ceased to knock the wind out of me.

Even in sports, which I did not particularly excel in for some time, my brother and I were not seen by other players as much more than the coaches’ sons. With this came the same insults and curses that I experienced at school, but only this time in an environment of high passions and high volatility. Myself, being the more hotheaded between Gerald and I, always took the bait of these insults only to be publicly humiliated by my dad once word reached to him. It was inescapable, this fog of perpetual pain that occasioned seasonal rays of artistic expression and raging passion that served as my outlets. The one haven, the castle on the hill in this experience was the church. I was a child that was made vulnerable to everything, and therefore I felt everything. This eternity of feeling left me ragged and tired of many things, and as a result I became a very cold and methodical young man. I became what others would refer to as “mature” and “wise beyond my years” or “strong”; I never wanted to be any of these things. I never wanted to be strong, I just wanted to be safe.

Through sheer determination and willpower I did well both academically and athletically in high school. I graduated, and went on to undergraduate studies out of state. More than anything I wanted to leave behind Louisiana and it’s incessant ignorance and backwards logic; how wrong was I to think that it was a regional issue. I decided in college that I wanted to be a different person, a more visible leader and advocate on behalf of myself and other. I think it was this thought that guided me to make a vast majority of the decisions I would come to make, both good and bad. I would hold a few positions on campus and ran track my first two years of college. These points are not why this era in my life matters, though. It was here that my life would first fall apart, and largely because of my own doing. Somewhere between my university studies and my out-of-class experiences I no longer believed God had an active role in my life. I mean sure He was up there and guided me to the school in the first place, but looking back on my life I did not see a reason to believe that there was this ultimately powerful being who had been looking out on my behalf; again, the God I knew made me vulnerable, transparent to a world that sought to destroy my faith in it and in Him at every turn. If that was the God that had been watching me since birth I wanted nothing to do with Him, or, rather, I think we needed to spend some time apart.

And so, I lived my life and I lived it grandly. Unashamedly infatuated with luxury, opportunity, and prestige, I was well-known on campus; in some ways, I was notorious on campus. Eventually, that notoriety caused me to make some ridiculous college kid decisions, as most college kids do, that almost had very adult consequences. Regardless of what did not happen, one particular situation had consequences that resulted in a very loud, very public fall from grace; I was ashamed. That summer, on my annual return to Louisiana, I was broken and lost. I felt alone, embarrassed, and trapped, not much different from how I once felt as a child. It was in this season that I began reading Thich Nhat Hanh and meditating. I began shaving my head, a sign of consecration to a purpose I had long thought I lost or forgotten, and cut all meats out of my diet except for fish.

Yet embarrassed because of the terms on which I left the university, I told some of my peers and fraternity brothers that I more than likely would not be returning. The weight of the guilt and reliving the chaos of the preceding year seemed too much to bear. In the midst of these thoughts came the same soft, cool, all-consumingly overwhelming feeling that led me to the institution, initially. In that moment, to my soul came the urge to return and that if I were to not return I would be a coward. “What has kept you, will not sustain you”. Those words, words that came, in my opinion, from the universe directly to my spirit were the words that I rode all the way to Nashville on a 12am Greyhound bus.

In this final year of university, I discovered more about myself that I can explain; who I was, who I was not, who I wanted to be, and who I was willing to become. The magic of the moments in that year seemed to meet me in roaring waves of enlightenment and revelation; I was alive, fully alive for the first time. In this season I began to see the early formations of a personal philosophy that would become the cornerstone of a dream—a dream to create my own reality. It would be this dream that would propel me to achieve another lifelong dream of mine: becoming a Peace Corps volunteer.

Peace Corps was, and is still, an opportunity for me to connect with people world’s away; to learn their language, their ways of life, what life means to them, and what love means to them. For me, this was, and again still is, perfectly in alignment with who I wanted to become and had been a dream for me for quite some time. Well, after finishing my undergraduate studies, a two year completion of graduate studies back at home, and a marriage-to-my-best-friend later, I and my partner were granted the opportunity to become Peace Corps Volunteers in eSwatini (Swaziland). After months of training, going from Septemeber 27th to December 12th, we were able to be sworn in, officially, as volunteers of the United States Peace Corps. These past few months have been riddled with their own, unique challenges. Viewing life as an adventure helps me to make light of these experiences, and to examine them objectively, in the grand scheme of life.

The experiences I have had the blessed opportunity to be a part of and the future experiences I will have the chance to live and feel will be documented and scribed here for two main purposes: to tell a story that often times is not told; the story of the Black male minority, who has a rare opportunity to go places that many other Black people may never have the chance or the courage to. The second purpose, is to be transparent about the hard work and the beautiful struggle that is connecting, living, and loving other human beings. Despite the difficulties, despite language barriers, despite whatever obstacles, I believe that all people seek peace and connection, wholeness and reconciliation. It is this belief that has guided me, that has become my personal philosophy, and that continues to guide me.

To close, I refer to the Biblical passage of the story of the Tower of Babel; all of humanity came together with the grand cause of building a tower to reach the heights Heaven. Not only were they successful in their united endeavors, but so much so that the hosts of Heaven feared that humanity would ascend into the Heavens because, when they were united, there was nothing they could not accomplish. As a result, humanity was called to speak different languages in order to cause division and confusion amongst themselves. I am here, and walk this Earth, with the intention of rebuilding that tower; or rather, to bring about the revelation that Heaven was the ability to have peace and love, united in a cause for the benefit for all of humanity.

Once there was an endeavour to build a tower to reach unto Heaven. Why build up when what you truly seek is inside and around you? You do not have to wait until you die; you do not have to wait for an act of God. You are the act of God; your life is an act of God. Come on; let’s Create Heaven Here.

#pceswatini #personallife #peace corps #eswatini #swaziland

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thingsioncehelddear · 8 years ago

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What meals/food do you usually prep for breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks?

I have the following few philosophies that I like to stick to for my day-to-day meals:

Avoid processed foods (I choose whole foods & try to make everything from scratch)

Minimize saturated fats & eliminate trans fats (but try to get a good amount of healthy fats!)

Minimize added sugar (I buy everything unsweetened and add cane sugar/maple syrup/honey myself if I want it sweetened)

Reduce sodium (I try to flavour with spices & black pepper instead)

Eat lean proteins & plenty of greens :)

Here are some of my go-to meals…

BREAKFAST

Oatmeal (I buy plain oatmeal and add cane sugar myself)

Peanut butter sandwich (light peanut butter & multigrain bread)

I love to bake healthy banana breads & muffins! (there are tons of recipes on Pinterest that use no butter, no oil, and have greek yogurt for extra protein! i always cut down on the amount of sugar in recipes)

If I’m not very hungry, I just eat sliced bananas with plain greek yogurt :)

LUNCH & DINNER

Avocado toast is my FAVE!!! (I just toast multigrain bread, mash up an avocado, and add lemon juice, salt, & pepper)

I used to make sandwiches a lot and I always recommend that to people as a cheap and easy meal (just buy multigrain bread, sliced roast beef/turkey breast/ham, lettuce/spinach, and whatever other veggies you want to add)

Lean Protein/Fish + Brown Rice + Green Veggies (this is what I eat most often) … my favourite Lean Proteins are turkey sausage & turkey meatballs (made from ground turkey), and I love salmon too because it has lots of healthy fats and is just freaking delicious … for Veggies I go for broccoli, spinach, gan lan, bok choy, yu choy, or cabbage. :)

I love making soup!! The ones I make most often are Miso Soup (I buy my own miso to make the soup, and add soba noodles, enoki mushroom, green onion, silken tofu, fried egg, & bok choy), Chicken Noodle Soup (made from scratch, except for the broth), & Potato Corn Soup (diced potatoes, canned corn, onions, & veggie broth).

I also love sweet potatoes. I use it to make sweet potato shepherd’s pie, slice it up to make sweet potato fries, dice it up & roast it to use in a salad, or bake/slow cook it to eat whole. :D

Whenever the boyfriend comes over, we like to healthify burgers & chicken nuggets. We make burgers from scratch (using lean ground beef or ground turkey, and I like mixing in grated zucchini for some hidden veggies), and our own chicken nuggets (by slicing up chicken breasts, breading them ourselves, and baking them). We eat these with our own roasted potato wedges or sweet potato fries.

SNACKS

My go-to is fresh fruit. You can never go wrong with fresh fruit. :)

Apple Slices + Peanut Butter

Frozen Banana (just freeze a banana whole once you’ve peeled it and eat it like a popsicle; you won’t regret)

Banana Ice Cream (or you can take your frozen banana and toss it in your Magic Bullet)

Almonds & Cashews

Greek Yogurt

Unsweetened Applesauce

Dried Mango

Hummus/Tuna + Crackers/Baby Carrots

Hope these give you some ideas!!!

#TIOHD Annie's Kitchen #TIOHD Residence #TIOHD Living Off-Campus #TIOHD Tips

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earaercircular · 4 years ago

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The Bossimé craftsmen rethink local commerce

Based in the Namur region in the South of Belgium, the young chef Ludovic Vanackere is not lacking in enthusiasm or ideas. He has just launched a platform for the distribution of local products in a short circuit, around which he wishes to develop a genuine local economic ecosystem.

At 27, Ludovic Vanackere is already a chef who counts on the Belgian culinary scene. Seven years ago, barely out of the Citadel hotel school[1], this "kid" launched his own restaurant with guts. Installed in his mother's farm near Loyers, just outside Namur, "L'Atelier de Bossimé" (which will soon be given a facelift)[2] is quickly spotted by local gourmets, then by gastronomic guides. Result: in 2014, the young chef joined Génération W, this collective launched by Sang-hoon Degeimbre ("L'Air du temps") who insists in particular on the work of chefs with their producers and craftsmen.

A philosophy that fits well with the spirit of "L'atelier de Bossimé", where we make a point of promoting local products. Here, the bread is made with Hollange flour, the young pigeon from Domaine de Sohan in Pepinster is baked in hay, while the strawberries from La Bruyère are available as ice cream for dessert ...

An online sales platform

But Ludovic Vanackere wanted to take his reflection on the terroir even further. In May 2020, he therefore embarked, without any public aid, without any subsidy, on a somewhat crazy adventure, that of the "Artisans of Bossimé", an online sales platform for local products. For the moment, one idea by calling another, the project is still a little crazy ... But we feel in the young man a real enthusiasm and a sincere desire to make things happen. "We don't invent anything. My father, who died 10 years ago, made butter, milk and poultry for 25 years. And he went to markets, where he also sold the products of his fellow farmers. .., comments the person concerned. What has changed is that today the Internet allows us to connect with customers. "

For the young man, the human dimension of this company is essential. “It's a bit like my citizen project, he admits. I want it to be economically, ecologically and also socially sustainable. We want to offer something different, not just ride the locavore[3] wave. The producer must be able to earn a decent living. Not to drive a Porsche, but at least to be able to take a few days of holiday. And the prices must also be reasonable for customers. Our goal is that they can do their everyday shopping , not find exceptional products at prohibitive prices. Our margins are therefore minimal. "

To make the investments profitable, the site will have to quickly turn around 250 to 300 orders per week. But be careful, keeping the locavore philosophy of the project! "We want to produce locally and sell locally. We therefore only distribute in 15 minutes around Namur…"

From the land to the restaurant plate

The idea of "Artisans de Bossimé" germinated two years ago, when Ludovic Vanackere started working with a young gardener for his restaurant. "Access to land is very difficult for young people. So I lent him a piece of land and bought him the vegetables. So he didn't have to waste time shopping. He could concentrate on farming. "

Nowadays, a second gardener has joined this vast vegetable garden. It now extends over 6 ha. It is bordered by beehives managed by Xavier Renotte from "Nectar & Co". Which provide Bossimé honey, which can be found for dessert at "L’atelier".

If the family farm has remained in conventional agriculture, we work here with deliberation, whereas the organic certification should arrive next year. "Even if I am 100% against organic! Ignites the young chef. The standards are too loose. And then organic coming from the end of the world, it does not make sense ... We want the conventional sustainable to keep prices competitive. But we try to avoid pesticides as much as possible. "

An inspiring vegetable garden[4]

Ludovic Vanackere appreciates having this huge garden at his disposal. When serving, it is not uncommon for the chef to leave his kitchen to go picking. "The quality and freshness are exceptional. It's a real inspiration for creativity! I come across things that I would never have had before, like flowers, young shoots…"

For customers of the "Artisans de Bossimé", freshness is also guaranteed. Thanks to the online ordering system, gardeners know exactly what to pick in the morning to prepare the baskets, which will be delivered at noon ...

Obviously, the vegetable garden alone cannot supply the entire range of "Artisans de Bossimé". Ludovic Vanackere therefore also distributes the products of other producers who share his philosophy and undertake to respect the same quality charter. They are currently about fifteen. “We will of course look for other artisans, he explains, but we want to stay as local as possible. At the moment, we offer for example the asparagus of Jurbise. It is 50 km from here, but it is he is on the road to his tour when he delivers to Michelin-starred restaurants. And the quality of these justifies this small gap… "

A cannery and a collaborative kitchen ...

As the reflection progresses, the "Artisans de Bossimé" project has already evolved a lot, steadily gaining in ambition. Ludovic Vanackere will soon launch into fish farming in aquaponics[5], while he has set up a collaborative kitchen of 300 m², where craftsmen can come and transform their products. The space also includes a cannery which makes it possible to promote seasonal surpluses. During the two days of peak strawberries, for example, we made jam. While with the overstock of oyster mushrooms grown at Champinam in Saint-Servais, the chef made tapenade. "This workshop is an investment that they could not make alone, comments our guide. Thanks to that, we don't throw away any more! We make preserves that can be kept for three years. At the cannery, we just invoice our service. : 40 € per hour. Craftsmen can also rent the kitchen at cost price to work themselves. "

As we can see, Ludovic Vanackere has no shortage of ideas for his "Bossimé Craftsmen". But he doesn't aim too high either. "Our goal is not to make quantity, just quality. If we grow, it will be at the same time as the partner craftsmen. It is an open model, which others can obviously decide to develop. 'use elsewhere… "

Source

Hubert Heyrendt, Les Artisans de Bossimé repensent le commerce de proximité, in La Libre Belgique, 11-02-21, https://stories.lalibre.be/inspire/numero9/index.html

[1] https://www.ehpn.be/# [2] https://www.artisans-de-bossime.be [3] a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food [4] On the consumer side, "Les artisans de Bossimé" takes the form of a classic website. After registering, one puts together his shopping basket, which one can collect the next day, from noon to midnight, at one of the three mobile collection points in Assesse, Gesves and Bossimé. That is to say three refrigerated trailers manufactured by Ludovic Vanackere's brother, with an ingenious deposit system. One scans his order form and a locker door opens, giving access to the shopping basket. Customers can also collect their order from a few Namur partner merchants or directly from their work - two companies located in a nearby zoning have already registered to offer this service to their employees. Best of all, a grocery store has also just been opened in Bossimé for those who prefer not to shop online ... A hundred products For the moment, "Les artisans de Bossimé" offers around 100 products from around 20 producers. If Ludovic Vanackere dreams of being independent in the long term for fruits and vegetables with the Jardin de Bossimé, he is currently completing his offer (up to 20%) by using an organic distribution platform. At first, for logistical reasons, fresh meat and fish are excluded, but the young chef is already working on setting up the production of Omega bars in aquaponics. While, for the ready meals offered for sale, he works with the excellent pork from the Ardennes prairies from Magerotte in Nassogne (available, for example in carbonades). And, for chicken, with the Coq des Prés label (around forty breeders in Wallonia). Coming directly from the chef's workshop, we can also taste soups, tapenades, pollen chocolate or even homemade potato chips like crackers. On the grocery side, there are duck rillettes, Foie gras from Floumont in La Roche-en-Ardenne, quinoa and green lentils from Graines de curieux in Havelange, Alvenat oils in Achêne (including the excellent rapeseed oil) , Agribio cereals from Verlée or even spices from the brilliant Rudy Smolarek in Mons. Finally, on the fresh produce side, the site offers butter and yogurts from the Ferme du Sacré-Coeur in Natoye, eggs from the Lehaire farm in Assesse, but also raw milk cheeses from the Fromagerie du Samson in Gesves and goats. from the Caprices de Louise to Liernu. [5] Aquaponics refers to a food production system that couples aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish, snails or prawns in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) whereby the nutrient rich aquaculture water is fed to hydroponic grown plant, involving nitrifying bacteria for converting ammonia into nitrates. As existing hydroponic and aquaculture farming techniques form the basis for all aquaponic systems, the size, complexity, and types of foods grown in an aquaponic system can vary as much as any system found in either distinct farming discipline.

#regional development #short circuit

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