#Onion soup benefits

[zhooniyaa-waagosh]

Carrot cilantro soup is soooooooo good, this shit is fucking blissful.

[khulkarjiyo]

Onion soup benefits (All what you need to know)

There aren’t many foods in the world of food that can compare to the love and satisfaction provided by a steaming bowl of onion soup. More than just a meal, onion soup is a soothing embrace for the soul, a reminder of the warmth of home-cooked food, and an example of the magic that can be created from a simple vegetable. How do I make classic onion soup? Onion soup benefits To make classic…

[thesmallmeggles]

🐍More Polytheus Thoughts🐍

Because no one can stop me >:)

🐍 Workaholic. One may need to physically drag him away from whatever he's doing before he burns out

🐍 Sells gossip. He loves spilling the tea, especially if it benefits him in someway

🐍 Since Poly is part snake, making him cold blooded, he prefers to sleep near something (or someone) warm. He gets really sleepy following a meal. Has a dedicated napping nook with pillows and bedding for colder months

🐍 He doesn't need to eat all that often. Mainly eats fish and (maybe) slugs/snails. He fears being hungry because it leads to him acting more on instinct

🐍 Related to this, being part snake bestows him with a powerful sense of smell. His least favorite scents are sulfuric, citrusy, or spicy in nature - which is why he avoids kitchens and pantries

🐍 What if the reason Polytheus dislikes most soups is because most of them are made with onions and/or garlic?

🐍 Polytheus has attempted to fish barehanded before... It didn't end well

🐍 Polytheus enjoyed messing with Panthea because he knew he could get a reaction out of her and also because she couldn't harm him in any significant way

🐍 He makes his own maps or he might have only made this one he's holding in the screenshot below. Otherwise, maybe he bought it from a Dark Elf

//Image Description: Screenshot from Mia And Me Season 1 Episode 11 depicting Polytheus in a forest holding a map scroll. The map has a stylized metal snake handle//

🐍 There's one episode where Polytheus says he doesn't sell weapons or potions. Given how interested he was in Rixel's mind control substance - potions might be a case of, "wouldn't sell regularly, but if someone were in the market then why not?" Weapons are a hard no; they remind him of bad times :(

🐍 Speaking on that point, there was a time when elves treated him worse than what we've seen in canon. Line of thinking goes: “Dark Elves are our enemies. They work with snakes. Therefore, this snake man is an enemy.”

🐍 He can talk to snakes. They're really only useful to him for learning about current island events, and sometimes, not even that

🐍 Season 2, Episode 12 introduces us to the "Friendship Crystal" Cave, created by the Crystal Unicorn. Allegedly, the crystals in this cave will reveal one's best friend - something Polytheus himself wasn't aware of until traveling through there with the Trio + Onchao.

Anyway, Poly gains one friend at the end of the day.

//Image Description: Screenshot from Season 2, Episode 12 depicting Polytheus staring into a crystal showing a smiling Mo//

My question is: Does the cave have a generous standard for who it considers someone's best friend or is receiving a gift with no strings attached once is enough for Polytheus to consider someone a best friend? (Mia must not have shown up because reviving that plant in Season 1 was so Buttercup could eat. Not an action that directly impacts Polytheus.)

If it's the second thing... He must be really lonely 💔

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Ginger Turmeric Carrot Soup for promoting healthy digestion -

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 onion, chopped

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

- 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped

- 4 cups vegetable broth

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the grated ginger and ground turmeric to the pot and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

3. Add the chopped carrots and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

4. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

This Ginger Turmeric Carrot Soup is rich in fiber and contains ingredients like ginger and turmeric that are known for their digestive benefits. Enjoy!

[angelacademy]

Clear skin is more than just skincare: Gut Health

(A science based read)

What you eat is shown through your skin and on body. If your constantly shoving junk down your throat, junk is what will be shown on you. Essentially what you eat is what you are.

Eat bad -> bad skin

Eat good -> good skin

If your constantly breaking out and you feel icky. You need to figure out what is up with your gut health.

Research suggests many skin disorders are linked to an altered or unbalanced gut microbiome.

“When the relationship between gut microbiome and the immune system is impaired, subsequent effects can be triggered on the skin, potentially promoting the development of skin diseases.”

“13 Several dermatologic conditions, such as acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rosacea are linked with intestinal dysbiosis. 223 Many studies have associated gastrointestinal health with skin homeostasis and allostasis, and there is evidence of a bidirectional interaction between the gut and the skin.”

Diet, drugs and other consumed substances affect skin through gut microbiome:

“Several studies have related the diversity and pathogenicity of the gut microbiome to skin disorders, which can be significantly altered by long-term dietary patterns. 43,105–107 Diet can affect the skin condition both positively and negatively through alteration of the gut microbiome, indicating that there is a relationship between the skin and the gut. 16 Not only diet, but also many synthetic and natural products consumed by humans as drugs can provide direct and indirect evidence on the connection between gut microbiome and skin.”

High and low fat diet:

“In the gut, a diet high in industrial trans-fatty acids increases the number of harmful microbes (such as Desulfovibrionaceae and Proteobacteria) while suppressing populations of advantageous microorganisms (e.g. members of Bacteroidetes, Lachnospiraceae, and Bacteroidales). 121 Refined and hydrogenated oils (e.g., soybean, sunflower, safflower, canola, corn, and vegetable oils) can cause inflammation in the gut, which then manifests on the skin.”

Industrially produced trans fat can be found in margarine, vegetable shortening, Vanaspati ghee, fried foods, and baked goods such as crackers, biscuits and pies. Baked and fried street and restaurant foods often contain industrially produced trans fat.

Prebiotics:

“133,134 Prebiotics, such as fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, inulin, polydextrose, lactulose, sorbitol, and xylitol are a promising group of compounds that modulate the gut microbiome and can also provide skin benefits.”

“The effect of prebiotics on the skin condition is also obvious. For example, a Lactobacillus extract helps to reduce the size of acne lesions as well as inflammation by reducing skin erythema, improving skin barrier function and lowering the microbial counts on skin.”

types of prebiotics include:

Chicory root

Garlic

Onion

Dandelion greens

Apples

Bananas

Jerusalem artichoke

Asparagus

Probiotics:

“Probiotics can prevent gut colonization by pathogens and support anti-inflammatory responses by producing metabolites with anti-inflammatory properties. The most common probiotic microbes currently in use belong to the genera Bacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus, Escherichia, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, and Streptococcus. 143,144 Several beneficial effects of probiotic consumption have been demonstrated on many dermatological conditions, thus proving the existence of the gut-skin axis.”

Common types of probiotics include:

Lactobacillus: This is a common probiotic found in fermented foods, such as yogurt.

Bifidobacterium: This probiotic is found in some dairy products and helps with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Saccharomyces boulardii: This is a type of yeast found in many probiotics. You can find these probiotics and more in supplements and select foods.

Yogurt

Buttermilk

Cottage cheese

Miso soup

Sauerkraut

Kefir

Kimchi

Tempeh

Protein:

“The proteins from animal-based food sources may have better effects on gut microbiota compared to plant-based food sources due to the higher protein digestibility of animal proteins and the fact that the digestion of plant proteins may be limited by the presence of antinutritional factors found in plants [67]. Animal proteins have more balanced essential amino acids than plant proteins [68,69] and are thus considered higher quality protein.”

“Dairy and meat protein intake at a recommended level increased the abundance of the genus Lactobacillus and maintained a more balanced composition of gut microbiota compared to soy protein, which is beneficial to the host [25,26,28].”

“Your body makes lots of different peptides, each of which has a different role. Scientists can also make synthetic peptides in the lab. Companies have been adding peptides to skin care products for decades.”

High protein foods:

Salmon

Chicken breast

Tuna

Red split lentils

Tofu

Greek yogurt

Fibre:

“Dietary fibre is comprised of plant-based carbohydrates that cannot be metabolised by digestive enzymes encoded in the human genome, such as amylase. Instead, fibre can only be metabolized by certain species of gut microbiota through anaerobic fermentation, with the main product of this reaction being SCFAs.”

“Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate in plant foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes, which have been dominant in human diets for millions of years. From the Paleolithic era, when the hunter-gatherers mainly ate fruit and wild grains, to the agricultural era, when crops began to be cultivated, the ancients consumed more than 100 g of various digestible and indigestible dietary fibre from plants per day [1,2].”

Fibre rich foods:

Chia seeds

Lentils

Broccoli

Avacado

Carrots

Red kidney beans

Raspberries

XOXO

[rottenpumpkin13]

SOLDIER Vlogging Shenanigans pt. 7

[There's static as the camera shuffles in the dark. Light peeks through the lense as it films four sets of feet underneath a table. Dozens of voices fill the darkness along with laughs and clatter of silverware against dishes]

"—Gaia's name are you doing, Gen?" Angeal's cut-off question is heard, followed by Sephiroth's muffled laughter.

 [The camera is hidden in Zack's lap, pointing upward at Genesis sitting beside him in a cafeteria booth. The commander proceeds to cut up a Banora White, dunking the slices into a piping hot soup of some kind]

[Zack turns the camera back to himself. He grimaces] 

Sephiroth grunts. "Do you remember when Lazard said we sometimes exhibit behaviors that might benefit from therapy?" A pause. "This is what he meant." 

[There's a clangor of clattering plates as Genesis slams his fist on the table]

"Oh goddess, LET ME LIVE!"

—

[The video next cuts to a different angle, Zack is now filming Sephiroth sitting across from him in the booth. He's eating lunch. Angeal is beside him still watching in horror as Genesis eats the Dumbapple-French-Onion soup]

"What's up, vlog! We're currently at lunch and Genesis—"

[Zack points the camera directly into Genesis's bowl]

"—is commiting culinary atrocities," Angeal finishes for him. 

They both laugh. "I don't know how to explain it, but Genesis has the eating habits of a toddler," Zack adds.

[Zack turns the camera back to a laughing Angeal ignoring Genesis's scathing glare. The video blurs as the camera pans the Sephiroth quietly eating]

"Okay, and since we're eating, I want to take this opportunity to answer one of your fans' burning questions—"

[The camera flickers to Angeal, then to Genesis]

"Drumroll please, fellas!"

[Angeal and Genesis drum their hands on the table. The camera pans back to Sephiroth, looking miffed, his lips pressed into a thin line]

"Would you rather," Zack pauses for dramatic effect, "Eat earthworm pasta OR cockroach stew?"

Sephiroth keeps a straight face. "Cockroach stew."

[The camera quickly points back at Genesis choking on his Banora White juice]

"You answered that alarmingly quickly," he points out.

[The camera points to Angeal]

"I mean, considering pasta is your favorite food, I assume it'd be easier to eat." 

[The camera points back to Sephiroth, who's shrugging as he puts down his fork]

"I assumed that by stew he meant a soup-like dish, which would ultimately mean the cockroaches aren't whole, thus making it easier to drink up quickly."

"Alright, what if the cockroaches are whole?" Zack asks from behind the camera. 

Sephiroth finishes chewing before wiping his mouth and replying: "I'd simply add dumbapples to it and hope for the best." 

[The camera shakes violently as the three SOLDIERS double over in a laughing fit. The motion-blurred camera pans to a displeased Genesis, who's in the process of getting up, tray in hand]

"I'm done with you people," he declares before stalking off across the cafeteria.

[The camera turns back to Zack, still laughing, who waves at the audience before ending the video]

[foodandfolklore]

Magical Recipes; how to approach an established recipe as a Kitchen Witch

Art by forestfolke on Deviant Art I think one of the most confusing things for new, or even experienced, kitchen witches is how to expand their recipe catalogue for their practice. A lot of new kitchen witches think you need to follow a recipe that has been written special for Witchy Cooking. That the regular recipes they find or use just won't have any magical purpose. But that's just not the case.

You don't need to buy special cook books with recipes exclusively for Kitchen Witches. You can take any recipe that already exists and apply it to your wants or needs. To help explain this process, I'm going to take a recipe I found online then reverse engineer it into a Kitchen Witch Recipe.

The Recipe

My Partner often donates blood, so eating foods that keep his Iron up is important to us. But I also want this dish to be emotionally satisfying Vs just eating a Steak, which neither of us find particularly appealing. I thought I'd try a Cottage Pie (also called Shepperd's Pie) because I want to find a new recipe that will help use up ingredients. Don't get me wrong, soups are awesome; but I tend to go a little light on the meat/alternatives. I tend to keep a good supply of ground meat in the freezer, so know I'll have most of the key stuff.

So I'm starting with this recipe since I don't have my own Cottage Pie recipe. Here are the Ingredients: Filling

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb ground sausage (I use Jimmy Dean pork sausage)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small yellow onion , chopped

2 ribs celery , chopped

1-2 carrots , chopped (about 1 cup)

3  cloves garlic , minced

1/4  cup  all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

2  tablespoons  tomato paste

1  cube beef bouillon

2  tablespoons  Worcestershire sauce

1  teaspoon  fresh thyme , chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary , chopped (or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary)

2  bay leaves

½ cup frozen corn

½ cup frozen peas

Topping

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes , Yukon gold or russet potatoes

¼ cup  sour cream

½ cup milk

4  tablespoons butter

salt and pepper , to taste

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese , for topping

So let's start with the topping since it has less ingredients to worry about. For those unfamiliar with cottage pie, the base of the pie is mostly meat and Veggies, and then it's topped with some mashed potatoes before baking. It's common to just use leftover mashed potatoes. So, I'll just use my mashed potato and cauli recipe. In short, it's half potato and half cauliflower with roast garlic and seasonings. Both Potatoes and Cauliflower have protective properties. Since this is the protective top layer of the Pie, I thought the symbolism carried itself further. The Cauliflower will also work well together with the Garlic to Banish any negativity from the pie, as well as from those who consume it.

Now let's break down the filling. Starting with the largest Ingredients. Ground Beef and Ground Sausage. Ground meats in general are fantastic for grounding energy. I'll probably sub the ground beef for whatever ground meat I have on hand, so the grounding aspect is what I'll focus on for now. Potatoes are also good for grounding. This is over all is going to be a very down to earth, hearty meal. Next, the vegetables. Onion, Celery, Carrots, Peas, and Corn. Corn is not something I use on the regular, but it's has a good use in Kitchen Magic as a power multiplier. Similar to Rice. Carrots have heath and energy properties, something I want in a dish for improving Iron Levels. Though I never particularly enjoyed peas, I'll use them for their health and abundance benefit. Green Peas are also high in Iron. Celery is great ingredient to add to a dish to add lasting happiness and satisfaction. Which I defiantly want so when the dish is consumed, you don't feel disappointed. Onion will add onto the Protection and Health. But Onion also has good cleansing properties, so I have the habit of adding it to my pan first to cleanse my cooking station. I'll probably cook some or all of the onion with the meat. Now the Seasonings. Not everything used in your cooking needs to have a magical purpose. It can just be there to enhance the taste of your food. I use Worcestershire sauce often in my cooking with no thought to it's magical abilities. I use it all the time when I want to add some extra umami or savory flavour. But there are some things we can add to help enhance the magic. Thyme, Rosemary, and Bay. All three of these herbs are good for health and healing. I can feed this to my SO before a donation to make sure his Iron is up. Then I can feed it to them after when their body is recuperating. Though I may forgo the Bay leaf. I tend to worry I'll leave it in my food when it's not supposed to be eaten XD But that said, I think I'll add a few of my own. Marjoram seems like it will go well in this, which will add to the Happiness and Comfort of my meal. I wanna add some Basil and Cayenne to this. The Basil I'm hoping will help stop long term fatigue, so my SO's mind is not affected by the donation. Cayenne for a blast of extra energy. I'll also add some extra Garlic and Parsley. I'll also make a few other personal tweaks like swapping the Flour for Cornstarch. I prefer using corn starch in my sauces, and I already have corn as an ingredient anyway, so it should mesh together better on their property levels. Cooking/Assembling Now that I have the magical properties of all my ingredients established, I simply need to assemble them according to the recipe directions. The only difference is, when I add something to the dish, I know what I'm adding not only on a Mundane level, but also the magic properties of the food. I'm adding ground meat to ground my dish and the people consuming it. I add Celery to help the food be emotionally satisfying. I'll add peas to enhance health and healing. Ect.

Also note, you don't need to do as big of a dissection every time you want to cook a recipe as a Kitchen Witch. If you come across an ingredient or two you are familiar with the magic properties for (Or the ingredient just has a spiritual meaning to you personally) You can add it to your meal with that meaning in mind. Like adding a little honey to your tea to sweeten and brighten your day. Also note, most ingredients have multiple magical uses. Just as they have multiple culinary uses. You can add honey to tea for happiness, or may may choose to add it help heal and get over a cold you have. Or you can add it for both reasons! Or neither reason; maybe you just want some honey. You are the Castor, the Decider, the Kitchen Witch!

Eat well and be well 💜💜💜

[coopigeoncoo]

Hot Dish, Chapter 1: The First Course

Chapter Links: One, Two, Three

Pairing: Shigaraki Tomura/Female Reader

Rating: Explicit. 18+

Tags: Sexual content, Exhibitionism, Chikan, Heavy Petting, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Safe Sex, Consentual Sex, Swearing, Romance, Soft Shigaraki, Posessive Shigaraki, Domestic fluff, Mutual Pining

---

Down on his luck and scrambling for survival, Shigaraki Tomura was just looking for a place to score a hot meal.

Instead, he ended up scoring a hot date.

--- "You want gravy?" You asked, waggling the ladle of onion sauce enticingly, some of it sloshing over the edge of the spoon and falling back into the pot with a wet squelch. Tomura glared at the chunky sauce disdainfully before closing his eyes and sighing.

"Whatever."

"Gravy it is!" You cheer, pouring the sauce over the meat patty before passing it to him. "There you go! A hunk of meat for my favorite hunk."

--- A slow, domestic romance between a volunteer at a soup kitchen and the newly destitute leader of a notorious villain organization.

---

Continue reading below, or follow the link to Ao3!

Chapter 1: The First Course

It was the busiest time of year at the soup kitchen.  The weather had recently turned bitter cold and the promise of a warm meal and a respite from enduring the brutal weather was too good of an opportunity for people to pass up. You had started volunteering during high school, looking for a way to beef up your college applications, and found a great deal of personal fulfillment helping out others in your free time. 

Now in college, you still made time to regularly volunteer even though your budget would greatly benefit from you picking up more shifts at your part time job instead.  But you were driven to altruism by that stubborn organ beating in your chest; reminding you of how much you loved the regulars, your friends in the volunteer group, and the feeling of contributing something meaningful to society. 

As much as you enjoyed the work, there were definitely plenty of things about it you wish you could change; the biggest being the terrible feeling you got when the time came to shut the door and cut the line off because you'd reached maximum capacity for the night.  Having to turn people away, hungry and cold, always gnawed at your conscience and you desperately wished that you had a Quirk that could somehow stretch your food supply farther- make every bite more filling or every pot bottomless.  

But you didn't.  So as soon as the last pan of curry was placed up onto the chafing dish you waved to get the attention of the volunteer at the door, a massive literal bear of a man, who then began to make apologies to the people queued up outside as he closed up the entrance.  

"Looks like Scruffy Hot Guy didn't make it in today," Kiyomi, your long time friend and fellow volunteer, teased with a gentle elbow to your ribs.  

"Oh, hush!" You chide her sharply as you scoop up rice. 

"Relax!  It's not like I'm going to tell the guy you think he's- what were your words?  'Brooding and mysterious'?"

"I deeply regret telling you that," you grumble irritably as you slide a plate in front of Kiyomi for her to ladle a serving of curry onto.  Laughing at your expense, you watched as she gave the curry a stir, counting the remaining chunks of chicken and mentally calculating how to divide them up fairly amongst the remaining guests in line.  The next few plates were distributed without incident, people quietly thanking you both as they received their entrees and continued down the line as you and Kiyomi chatted together.  

You were dishing up one of the final scoops when a deep, growling voice interrupted you.

"That ain't enough rice," the man in front of you grumbled in complaint.  He was unbelievably tall, his head nearly scraping the spotty and discolored ceiling tiles as he crossed his arms across his chest, flexing his basketball-sized biceps in an obvious bid to intimidate you.  You had never seen him before, but that wasn't terribly uncommon as people generally filtered in and out as they moved around the city looking for new job opportunities.  

"Excuse me?"

"I said that ain't enough damn rice.  That might be enough for a small thing like you but I need more."

"I'm sorry, sir.  Everyone gets the same dinner serving size to keep things fair.  Further down the line we have protein bars and fruit that you can supplement your meal with-"

"I don't want protein bars!" The man yelled.  "Damn things taste like sawdust!"

You were about to offer another apology and attempt to diffuse the situation when another voice spoke out from behind the irate man.

"Take the food or get out of line."

"What did you say?" The man screamed, spinning around to confront the man behind him.

"Scruffy Hot Guy," Kiyomi gasped in delight.  Sure enough, the object of your idle gossip appeared from behind the screaming man; somehow managing to appear both disinterested and profoundly irritated by the goings on in front of him.  

"I'm hungry and you're holding up the line.  Move, " he practically growled from behind his facemask, his red eyes narrowing in warning.  The large stranger threw his head back, clearly amused by the willowy man's implied threat.  

"Oh, yeah?  Tell you what, why don't you just give me your portion then?  No way a stick like you needs to eat much."

You didn't clearly see what happened next.  There was no scuffle or physical altercation, just Scruffy Hot Guy hooking a finger over his facemask, preparing to pull it down, as he disappeared behind his aggressors' wide frame.  The next thing you knew the large man was reeling back, white as a sheet, as he tripped over his feet in his hasty scramble to the exit.  

Scruffy Hot Guy stepped forward in the line, now occupying the space in front of you as he adjusted his facemask back into position and pulled the sides of his hoodie forward to obscure his face as best he could.  

"That was amazing," you breathed, scooping up a slightly larger helping of rice onto his plate now that there was one fewer person in line.  "What did you even do to that guy?  A Quirk thing?"

"Nah," Scruffy Hot Guy shrugged, scratching at his neck uneasily under your scrutiny.  "I just showed him my face.  Guess I must be pretty ugly."

"I sincerely doubt that," you laugh as you push his plate down the line towards Kiyomi.  "But even if you were, I'd still give you my number if you asked for it," you said, staring directly into his eyes and raising your eyebrows imploringly.  His eyes widened, obviously stunned by your flirtation.  The skin above his facemask burned a brilliant red, temporarily coordinating with his eyes in a very fetching way. 

He mumbles something under his breath as he quickly averts his eyes, hunching his shoulders as he shuffles down the line; grabbing the completed tray from Kiyomi’s hands before loading up his coat pockets with protein bars and trail mix packets and sliding into an open seat on the far end of the room.    

Kiyomi shakes her head, laughing at your rejection as she preps the final plate of the evening.  

“What?” you huff in exasperation.  “You can’t blame me for shooting my shot!  I’ve been waiting weeks for an opening!”

The last person in line, an old woman who came around every week or so, tsked disapprovingly.  “The Gods take the time to craft a man with a butt like that and you wait weeks to make a move?  Are you really that stupid?”

“Hey!” You screech indignantly while Kiyomi throws her head back, cackling.  “I’m not stupid!  Just…cautious.  You never know what someone is really like, you know?”

“True enough,” the old woman hummed, gently rummaging through a pile of overripe bananas. “But I take it that you have a better idea of what sort of man he is now?”

You spared a glance over to the far side of the room, where Scruffy Hot Guy was slowly savoring his meal; his hood pulled low down low to obscure his face while he ate. 

“Yeah, I think I do.”  

Scruffy Hot Guy hadn’t seemed to be particularly receptive to your first advance, but he also hadn’t outright rejected you either.  So you’re currently stuck occupying some sort of weird flirtatious limbo; unsure if you should continue your pursuit or abandon your efforts entirely.  

Deciding to play it by ear, your life cycled through your normal routine until your next shift at the soup kitchen.  

“Well, well, well!  Look who it is!” Kiyomi crowed in delight as Scruffy Hot Guy stepped up in front of you again.  “Our very own Hero has returned to us!”

“Please, Kiyomi,” you scoffed as you slid a grilled fish onto a plate.  “He’s better than a Hero; he’s a good person.”

“Aren’t they pretty much the same thing?”

“Not always,” you mumble, using your tongs to scrape at some fish glaze that had burned at the bottom of the serving dish, entirely missing the interested gaze of Scruffy Hot Guy quietly assessing you.  

"Oden today," you said as you ladled broth into a large soup bowl, chunks of fish cake floating up to the top.

Scruffy Hot Guy peered at the bowl, seemingly unimpressed by the offering.

"Not a fan?"

"It's fine," he mumbled, placing the bowl down gently on his tray, careful not to spill a single drop despite the bobbing radish slices sloshing the broth about.  

"If you have an allergy or something there are some leftovers from yesterday I can reheat for you."

"No, nothing like that," he shook his head gently, pausing to spoon some seven spice on top of his bowl.  "I usually try to pack some of the food away for later.  But soup doesn't travel very well."

You hummed thoughtfully as he finished his meal selection and took his seat.  Once the line had died down you ducked back into the kitchen, snagging a disposable coffee cup and lid before making your way back to the cafeteria.  Silently, you deposit the empty cup next to Scruffy Hot Guy's tray before continuing on past his table to grab a tub of dirty dishes to haul back to the kitchen for cleaning.  

"Thank you," he said quietly as you passed behind him, carefully spooning a hardboiled egg into the cup you'd left him.  

"Of course."

"We have to stop meeting like this," you sighed dramatically, passing him a bowl of stir fried vegetables. 

"How else would we meet?  It’s obvious we run in very different social circles."

"What makes you say that?"

"Really?" Scruffy Hot Guy scoffed.  

"I'm serious!" You pouted, looking critically down at the parts of your ensemble visible around the disposable apron you were required to wear.  You took a lot of pride in your appearance, a good portion of your slush fund spent on building your wardrobe and keeping your nails finely manicured.  Friends had joked about your high maintenance appearance in the past, but you personally likened yourself to a painting; already beautiful to start with but an absolute masterpiece with the right frame to accentuate your features.  Finding no obvious flaws in your appearance, you narrow your eyes at him peevishly.

"Are you saying you'd be ashamed to be seen with me?"

" What," he sputtered, his voice pitched somewhere between shocked and indignant.  

"Don't you 'what' me, mister!  I'll have you know that I'm hot enough to roll with any crew."

"That's not the issue."

"It's not?  So you think I'm hot then?" you pry coyly, fluttering your lashes.  Choking on air, he slams his bowl of vegetables down onto his tray and quickly bumbles away as you laugh.

"Where’s the bun?" Scruffy Hot Guy asked, staring down at the lump of meat you were serving up.

"It's hamburg steak, not a hamburger."

"So it's a burger.  With no bun."

"Right.  No bun, but there is gravy.  You want gravy?" You asked, waggling the ladle of onion sauce enticingly, some of it sloshing over the edge of the spoon and falling back into the pot with a wet squelch.  Scruffy Hot Guy glared at the chunky sauce disdainfully before closing his eyes and sighing.

"Whatever."

"Gravy it is!" You cheer, pouring the sauce over the meat patty before passing it to him.  "There you go!  A hunk of meat for my favorite hunk."

Cheeks rosy above his facemask, he mumbled something intelligible before calmly stepping away.  Smiling widely, you spun on your heel to face Kiyomi.

"He didn't run away!"

"He didn't run away," she confirmed, laughing as you pumped a fist in victory.

"Soooo," you drawl sweetly. "Am I ever gonna get a name out of you?" 

Scruffy Hot Guy visibly stilled, obviously deeply uncomfortable by your current line of questioning.   

"No need to answer if you don't want to.  I won't pry.  I can just call you by the nickname Kiyomi and I gave you," you offer in concession, laying a generous serving or rice gratin next to a small pile of lettuce leaves.  

"What name is that?"

"Scruffy Hot Guy."

A sound that could be best described as some sort of plaintive wail escaped Scruffy Hot Guy as he scratched nervously at his throat.  

"You should-," he paused to swallow thickly.  "You should call me Tenko.  It's better than- than that."

"Tenko it is, then.  Hot Guy Tenko."

"You're insufferable," he growled.

"Well, misery loves company so how about you and I suffer together over coffee sometime?"

"Don't turn my insults into propositions," he chided, selecting a small pouch of dressing for his wilting salad.  

"Sorry, no can do.  I'm nothing if not persistent."

"Persistent?  That's a considerate way to frame that bratty attitude of yours."

"Oh?  What would you call me instead?"

"I would call you what you are," Tenko says, the space between his eyes crinkling with malicious glee. "An absolute Pest."

"Tenko!" You gasp, a gloved hand raised above your chest in mock outrage. "Save the cute nicknames for when we're in private!"

Tenko grunts irritably as he rolls his eyes and steps away from you.  

Kiyomi whistles sharply, waving a hand to fan at her face. "Goodness, that was intense.  When's the wedding going to be?"

"Spring next year.  I want a long engagement so I can save for my dress," you grin, sending a wink at Tenko when you catch him trying to sneak a glance back at you.  He glares back before dropping his head and digging into his meal.

The past few months had been the absolute lowest point in Tomura's life.  His Master had been brought low and imprisoned in Tartarus, the League was fractured and forced underground, and all of his available resources had been drained during the frantic scramble for survival those first few weeks he spent on the lam.  His life of ease and luxury had been erased in an instant; falling to ashes around him like he had dusted it with his Quirk himself.  The summer months outside hadn’t been awful, but he had been forced from his favorite hiding spots once the weather turned colder.  

These days, he spent the majority of his waking hours holed up in various arcades; lifting near empty play cards from unminded purses and pockets and taking hits from unstubbed cigarettes he pulled from the ashtrays to keep his hunger at bay.  Whatever prizes he managed to win he would deliver to Toga during their brief meetups; small things like cell phone straps and plush animals that meant nothing to him, but that she would cradle to her chest with a delighted squeal like they were precious treasures.       

When the League had split, Twice had tearfully supplied them all with maps of the areas he was familiar with.  They were bizarre, scrawling things, folded up like origami cranes and written in a mix of precise pencil notes and wild glitter pen scribblings.  The maps turned out to be just as useful as they were visually abrasive, though.  He’d taken the time to write out common Hero patrol schedules, potential hide outs, the stores that sold the cheapest burner phones, and places to grab free meals.  That was what brought him into the soup kitchen that first day.  

He hadn’t been expecting a lot, because little was all he seemed to be capable of receiving these days.  Little food, little sleep, little peace, little comfort.  But he definitely hadn’t been expecting you.

You threw Tomura through a loop like you pitched for the Major Leagues; with a devastating and seemingly effortless force that left him awestruck and barely holding onto the metaphorical bat.  

There had been plenty of women before.  They were always there, buzzing about the fringes of wherever people of power congregated.  But interactions with them were simply transactional, trading calculated touches and honeyed words for money or influence; things Tomura was awash in for years and freely utilized to sate his desires.  

So flirting was a bit of a new experience for him.  

He didn’t know what to do when you smiled at him; guileless and simply pleased by his presence.  When you flirted with him it was out of some misguided, but sincere, desire to be closer to him.  There was no angling for his money because there was no longer any money to be had.  The mere idea that you found him somehow valuable and worthy of your attention was as flattering as it was bewildering and left Tomura floundering more often than not.  

Tomura didn’t understand your interest.  He’d seen himself in the mirror and held no illusions about his appeal.  He was pale and lanky; crusty and scarred.  He’d seen his partners hide grimaces when his shirt came off, their fingers giving his flaking skin a wide berth as they hesitantly set a course across his back and shoulders.  

And as distasteful as his body was, Tomura knew his personality wasn’t much better.  

There wasn’t a single thing about himself that should draw your attention.  But he still desperately, recklessly, wanted it just the same.  

“Shit,” Tomura whispered, dropping his head forward to thump against the window of the pachinko machine he was seated at, the wild pinging of the steel balls synchronizing distressingly well with the frantic beating of his heart.   

You had been pulling on your regulation hair net when a flier on the bulletin board in the volunteer lounge caught your eye.

“Oh, no,” you moaned miserably.  “We have a Hero Day coming up?”

Various groans of confirmation came from the other volunteers, each sounding as excited at the prospect as you were.    

“Who is it this time?” 

“Mt. Lady and Uwabami.  They got into a spat at some televised fundraiser so their PR teams are shoving them together here to kiss and make nice for the cameras,” Kiyomi explained as she slipped the strap of a plastic apron over your head.    

“Great.  Just great,” you sneered as you hip checked the door open and made your way to the dining room.  

“So, is today finally the day?”

“Is today the day for what? ” Tenko asked, waiting impatiently for you and Kiyomi to finish serving his tempura.  

“Resolving this obvious tension between us by going out on a date together?”  

Tenko narrowed his eyes, an inscrutable look on his face.  “And where exactly would I take you to?  A different soup kitchen?”

“Nah, this one’s pretty nice, don’t you think?”

Tenko sent a brief look off to the right, where a wet mop was propped up in the corner near the section of floor missing a large chunk of linoleum.  “Nice.  Sure. ”   

“Well, nice enough for a first date at least.”

“If this place is first date worthy I can’t imagine what sort of place you’d consider for a second one.”

“You’ll just have to wait and see then, won’t you?” you replied with a wink.

“I guess I will,” Tenko said as he slid his tray down the line before looking back over his shoulder.  “Well?  Are you coming or not?”

Eyes wide, you spin around to face Kiyomi who’s silently mouthing the word ‘Go’ while shooing you away with frantic hands.  Tugging off your gloves and hair net, you dashed out from behind the counter, skidding behind the last patron in line who called out as you passed:

“Get it, girly!” he cackled as you made a brief detour to dump your used sanitary into a trash can.

"I'm working on it, old man!"  You hollered back, sliding into the chair opposite of Tenko while the other occupants of the table scrunched their chairs and trays towards the far end of the table to give you two some semblance of privacy.  

"Hero Day?" Tenko sneered down at the flier on his tray that was advertising the fast approaching special event.

"Yeah," you sighed. "It gets really busy here on Hero Days, so we like to give the regulars a heads up.  The Hero agencies usually donate larger quantities of better quality food, so the bigger meals draw in folks who would normally hit up other soup kitchens."

"So they bribe desperate people with food to act as props for their social media campaigns?"

"Yep," you agreed as you passed Tenko his plate, which he slammed down over the faces of Uwabami and Mt. Lady grinning up at him from his tray.

"Disgusting, " he spat as he stormed away to his usual seat.

The force of everyone's collective will power wasn't enough to stop Hero Day from arriving at the soup kitchen.  The entire crew of volunteers had arrived unreasonably early that morning to clean the facility from top to bottom in preparation for the arrival of Mt. Lady, Uwabami, and the veritable fleet of sidekicks and photographers they would both bring.  Once the janitorial work was completed and the entire front room smelled overwhelmingly of bleach, everyone migrated back into the kitchen and began assembling and bagging up sandwiches to be handed out to the scores of hungry folks who would be drawn to the large event but unable to make it inside before the line cuts off and the doors close.  

You were stacking large boxes of finished sandwiches against the back wall when one of the volunteers, a middle-aged man with a bat mutation, paused in his work of spreading mayonnaise across slices of wheat bread when his ears twitched.  

“They’ve arrived,” he warned quietly as he resumed his work.  “And they don’t sound particularly happy.”  

Kiyomi snorted.  “What else is new?”

Another ear twitch.  “Oh.  Now they’re arguing with the Program Director.  Things are getting heated.  Someone should go up there and back her up.”

Everyone was quiet at the idea of having to go toe-to-toe with two Heroes and their sycophantic entourages.  

“Not it!” Kiyomi called out, thrusting her hand into the air.  The rest of the volunteers quickly followed, tossing their hands into the air to opt out.  You had been halfway across the room, carrying a large box of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that prevented you from raising your hand.  

“Real mature tactic there, everyone,” you snapped irritably as you set the box down and made your way to the door.  

“Have fun!” Kiyomi said cheerily as she waved.  You stuck your middle finger up in return and made your way up the hall to the dining room. 

The scene you arrived at was chaotic.  

Your Program Director, a usually sweet and accommodating woman, was red in the face and absolutely screaming at a sharply dressed man in an ash gray suit.  Mt. Lady and Uwabami were seated as far from each other as physically possible in the moderate sized room, shooting icy glares at each other while their makeup teams toiled to get them camera ready.  The tables in the dining room were already half full despite it being a couple of hours before you were set to open; the seats occupied by people in ill-fitting clothes with dirt smeared artfully across their faces while they passed the time tapping on the screens of expensive, top of the line phones.  You hurry to your Director’s side, making excuses to the man in the suit and guiding her away from the altercation with a firm hand on her elbow.  

Her eyes begin to water as her adrenaline crashes, and you grab a handful of scratchy napkins from a dispenser for her to dry her face with as she sobs. 

“What’s going on here,” you ask gently, rubbing soothing circles on her bicep.  

“Mt. Lady was worried about how the PR photos would turn out so she decided to hire some extras to pose for pictures with her,” she sniffed, dabbing at her face with shaking fists.  

“ Some extras?  We’re already at half capacity with all these people here!”

“I know .”

“And she’s just going to give away food to people she’s paying who can already afford to eat?  While actually hungry people line up outside?”

The Director nodded miserably while you scrubbed a hand down your face, furious.  

“I fucking hate Hero Day.”    

There wasn’t a force on Earth that would force Tomura into the soup kitchen on the day when it would be swarming with Heroes and their worshippers, but his stomach was still making a strong case for itself despite his iron-clad will.  Being able to obtain regular meals made missing one even harder because the gnawing hunger tearing through his gut was an unfamiliar pain that demanded his full attention.  One hand held a nearly empty can of coffee, all he could afford with change he found on the ground today, while his other hand was buried deep in his coat pocket, systematically bending each of Father’s fingers into a fist before carefully straightening them out again and setting about to bend them once more.

He continued fiddling with his macabre fidget toy as he watched tiny snowflakes drift past the covered bus stop he was currently tucked away in; the plexiglass walls doing nothing to trap in heat but they did stop the blustery wind from chilling him down to the bone.  A soft knock next to his head drew his attention away from the falling flurries as he quickly spun to investigate the sound; finding you standing outside of the bus shelter, waving gently.  

Snowflakes had settled onto your eyelashes and they glittered fetchingly under the sickly yellow glow from the streetlight overhead.

"Mind if I join?" Your voice was muffled and distant through the plexiglass, but Tomura heard you clearly enough.  He nodded his assent and you beamed at him, quickly jogging to the entrance while pulling a large shopping trolley behind you.  

"Brr!" You exclaim as you settle next to him, closer than he should have allowed but still not as close as he wanted.  The trolley was situated in front of you both, and your thigh ended up brushing against Tomura's when you leaned forward to root through it.  He inhaled sharply at the innocent contact, his skin tingling with something other than chills where you pressed up against him.  

"Are you hungry?  I've been making the rounds with sandwiches and fruit and have some leftovers.  I've got ham and swiss or turkey and cheddar."

"Whatever's fine," Tomura said as you passed him a sandwich and an oblong apple that he immediately pulled down his mask to take a bite of.  It was mealy and so cold it caused his teeth to ache, but he polished it off in record time and dropped the remaining core into the plastic bag he extracted the sandwich from.    

He examined you from under his lashes, tugging down his hood to obscure his face as you did a quick tally of the remaining supplies in your trolley.  

"You're not at the soup kitchen today?"

"Nope.  Not my usual shift anyway.  I go in and help prep for the Hero Day visits, but me and the other volunteers leave early when the camera crews roll in.  We split up and pass out food on the streets instead."

"Didn't want to stick around for some autographs?"

"Hardly," you snorted inelegantly, tugging your gloves further down onto your fingers.  "We can't pass up on the donations the Hero Agencies offer up, but I refuse to participate in their meaningless virtue signaling.  If they actually wanted to help out they would just volunteer normally like the rest of us," you sniff in irritation, grinding a scratched off lottery ticket under the heel of your boot.  

"But instead they roll in with a cavalcade of reporters, serve up a couple of meals, and then wait for people on social media to tell them how thoughtful and good they are for putting on a show.  It's like a fireman showing up to a house fire, spitting on the flames, and then having people applaud them while the house is still burning."

"Like, Heroes have the money and the influence to actually help people, to really make a difference.  But instead they just waste their resources on meaningless stuff and- ugh, I don't know.  I guess I'm just frustrated because I can't imagine a scenario where I would prioritize acquiring fake internet points over providing a living, breathing person with a meal."

Sighing in frustration, you cross your arms and lean against the wall, your head tilted back to observe the falling snow like Tomura had been doing when you arrived.  

"Think we'd be better off without them?" Tomura asked, peeling off a section of bread crust and popped it into his mouth.

"Hmm?  Without who?"

"Heroes.  Do you think they're necessary?"

You're quiet for a moment, thoughtful.  Obviously weighing your words carefully before replying.   

"It's hard to say, I suppose,” you begin hesitantly. “This is the way the world's been the entire time I've been alive; so I don't have anything to really compare it to.  But I believe that things could be- should be , better than they are now.  I want there to be change, but I don't know what the best course of action for that sort of thing would be."

Tomura hummed, a sound of acknowledgement if not agreement, as he finished off his sandwich and pulled his mask back into place.  His meager disguise once again in place, Tomura leaned his head back and joined you in watching the snow flutter to the ground.  The small flurries had all but disappeared and were replaced by fat, puffy flakes; dramatic bits of fluff that stayed airborne for longer than seemed possible before they settled delicately onto the ground.

"I really love night time snow.  It's so romantic, don't you think?" 

"Can't say I've ever given it much thought," Tomura said, attempting to keep his voice level and casual and you slowly and cautiously slid towards him on the bench, the distance between you narrowing at a glacial pace that had Tomura nearly writhing in anticipation.  You came to a stop achingly close to Tomura, the remaining gap an open invitation for him to reach out, to touch, to accept whatever beautiful and intangible thing you were offering up to him.  

If Tomura were a good man, someone with a noble heart or a modicum of self-restraint, he would have tried to resist the temptation echoing in that sliver of space between you.  But he was, at his core, selfish and greedy; traits that had only been compounded by the past few months of hardship.  With so few things to his name, what he did possess became infinitely more precious and jealously guarded.  And here you were, entirely of your own volition, offering to become one of his rare possessions; to lay down willingly in his hoard- a priceless jewel amongst common trinkets for him to admire.          

The back of Tomura’s hand made contact with you first, gently skirting up the outside of your thigh.  You gasp, a sudden, breathy sound that sends a large cloud of condensation exploding into the air in front of your face as his hand continues its journey up the side of your body.  When his hand reaches your shoulder he carefully extends two fingers and sends them walking over your shoulders, a measured, unhurried march as they make their way across your back.  Once his arm is fully behind you he extends his thumb and wraps your bicep in a three fingered grip and pulls you towards him, the distance between your bodies erased as the grooves and divots of your bodies mold and settle into one and other.  

“Oh, Tenko,” you breathe, nuzzling into the cradle of his shoulder.  “Can we stay like this for a while?”

“Of course,” Tomura says as he runs an index finger across the swell of your cheek, smirking as you lean into his touch.  “I’m not planning to let you go.”     

Tenko had slid in through the soup kitchen doors a few minutes prior and you couldn't help the feeling of exhilaration that roiled in your belly and bubbled up your sternum as he drew closer to you in line.  The shift in your relationship was a recent and exciting novelty.  Every interaction was littered with relationship firsts; delicate threads of moments that would weave into precious memories you bundled your heart into to keep it warm in Tenko's absence.  

He was next in line, paused before Kiyomi as she placed a nearly expired rice ball donated from a local convenience store on his plate.

"You sure you want onigiri tonight?" Kiyomi asked, grinning fiendishly at Tenko as she added a couple of pickled plums next to the rice ball.

"Are there any other options?" 

"Well, you do have the option of this hot dish right here!" Kiyomi cackles as she elbows you roughly in the side, sending you stumbling out of place.  You grumble, rubbing at the impact point with your forearm so you wouldn't have to change your gloves.  

"I hope that you aren't offering her up to everyone in line," Tenko warned, his gaze steely as he narrowed his eyes at Kiyomi.  She swallowed thickly, shaking her head rapidly from side to side.

"No!  Of course not!"

"Good," Tenko said as he reached out for the plate you were holding out to him, running two fingers softly across the exposed band of skin above your glove, leaving a trail of gooseflesh in their wake.  

"I've never been one for sharing."

Ever since that night at the bus stop Tenko had been staying late with you at the soup kitchen, awkwardly holding a mop in a pincer grip as he unenthusiastically pushed it around the edges of the room while you and the other volunteers closed up shop.  Once the doors were locked and you’d waved good-bye to your fellow workers, you and Tenko would set out into the city together.  On days when you had a lot of homework or a looming exam he would escort you to the train station, both of you shortening your gaits to draw out the precious few minutes of time you could spend together.  But when your schedule was more flexible you would wander around aimlessly; examining the garish holiday displays set up in store windows or settling on a park bench for extended bouts of people watching.    

Today found you both wandering through a pop-up market, weaving through crowds of harried shoppers and visibly distressed men trying to point their girlfriends and wives to vendors hawking less expensive potential Christmas gifts.  You were comparing the prints of a few different scarves when you noticed the first flurry drift through your line of sight.  With an excited squeal, you turned to find Tenko, sliding your arms around his waist and bouncing happily on the balls of your feet.

“It’s starting to snow again!”

“So it is,” Tenko said, a smile present in the timbre of voice.  Tilting your head back to gaze up into the inky sky, you sighed happily as the tiny flakes multiplied and spun around in dizzying patterns above you.    

“You weren’t kidding when you said you liked snowy nights,” Tenko said, observing your dreamy smile with soft eyes.  

“Yeah.  It’s as close as us city dwellers can really get to seeing a sky full of stars.  When I was a kid I would pretend that all the snowflakes in the sky were shooting stars, each of them racing as fast as they could to grant my wishes,” you admit bashfully, slightly embarrassed by your past whimsey.  

Tenko hummed thoughtfully as he gazed at the icy flakes darting through the sky.  

“They’re going to need to go faster than that if they want to beat me,” he said, dropping his head down to nuzzle into your neck.  “Because there isn’t anything in this universe that wants to grant your wishes more than I do.”  

“Is that so?” you giggle as Tenko buries his face under your coat collar, his chilly cheeks and warm puffs of air making your skin break out into delighted tingles.  

“Yes ,” Tenko sighed against your skin, mask bunched up over his nose as he layered kisses across your collarbone. 

“Well, that’s pretty convenient since all I find myself wishing for these days is you.”

“You should wish for something better.”

“I don’t think there is anything better,” you say as you comb your fingers through the loose strands of hair falling across Tenko’s forehead.  “Not for me, anyway.”  

Tenko’s arms tightened around your waist to an almost painful degree, like he was trying to pull you through his layers of flesh and sinew and into his chest; tucking you tightly into the space beside his heart, caged safely behind his ribs.  

And you were happy to let him try. 

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Yatai Stalls:Japanese Street Food :- Street food vendors are known as Yatai in Japan and while they can be seen in abundance at festivals.

The text written in those colorful nobari :

串だんご (Kushi-dango)

Dango is a Japanese sweet that has been loved by Japanese people for a long time. Dango is a dough made by adding water to powdered grains such as rice, rolling it up and steaming it. Currently, skewered dumplings are often recognized as so-called dumplings, but there are also dumplings that are not skewered. Dumplings flavored with soy sauce, miso, and soybean flour have long been popular among Japanese people. There are also dango called hanami dango and tsukimi dango, which are often seen at events and are said to bring good luck.

たこ焼 (Takoyaki)

Diced octopus encased in a light batter and rolled into a ball with spring onion and ginger and topped with green seaweed, sauce, sliced and dried bonito, and sometimes drizzled with mayonnaise. The exterior of a takoyaki ball is a nice golden brown while the interior can be a touch molten. A single order of takoyaki typically contains about eight balls that are topped with shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi), aonori seaweed flakes and drizzled with mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce.

おでん (Oden)

"Oden" is very popular winter dish all over Japan, and each region has original taste, as Ozouni new year soup. Various kind of ingredients slowly simmered in flavorful dashi broth.

• Masks

Traditional Japanese masks (お面) are mostly decorative and can easily be found at festivals and shrine events. Masks have long played an important role in Japanese culture. Most of these masks are archetypes borrowed from mythology, ancient dances, or noh theater and military costume. Traditional masks are still used by theater actors or Shinto dancers. The most popular Japanese masks are often inspired by yokai; Supernatural Japanese creatures that appear in popular legends and beliefs. In Kabuki theater, they used makeup to embody characters such as demons or to translate expressions such as anger, feelings of sadness or rage on the faces. The Kabuki actors, as opposed to the Noh Theater, do not wear masks. The mask has also the function of hiding any individual traces of the actor. The fox mask is worn on the faces of many festival goers during Shinto ceremonies. Kitsune mask always using White colour based with red patterns. Inari Shrine had red colors everywhere included on the fox statues of the shrine. Most of the foxes serve Inari has white fur. In most of Japanese festival, Kitsune mask always using White colour based with red patterns. The mask of the fox used in Noh play or Kagura play is white. Kitsunes are believed to have from one to nine tails. The number of tails a kitsune has indicates its age and strength. Kitsunes can come in different colors but turn white or gold upon gaining their 9th tail. The Nine Tailed Fox, or Kyuubi no Kitsune, can hear and see everything that goes on around the world. They wear these (kitsune) masks, in order to attract good benefits and thus ensure a good harvest.

Here are the masks I identified from the panel above.

1. Ramenman in Kinnikuman series

The Japanese manga series Kinnikuman was written and illustrated by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. The series follow Kinnikuman, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain the title of prince of Planet Kinniku. The manga was first published in Shueisha's magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump as a two one-shots in December 1978 and March 1979. The regular serialization started with the publication of the first chapter in the May 28, 1979 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump, where it was serialized weekly until its conclusion in March 1987. Tatakae!! Ramenman is an alternate-universe and spin-off series to Yudetamago's previous work: Kinnikuman. It is focused around the character of Ramenman, who travels the land to fight various enemies. It was serialized in Shueisha's Fresh Jump magazine from 1982 until 1988.

2. Kamen Rider (1971 TV series)

Kamen Rider is a tokusatsu franchise created by manga creator Shotaro Ishinomori.

3. Chiaotzu in Dragon Ball

4. Sun Wukong

(The picture I'm using from Toriyama's bonus illustration featured in Dragon Ball's 6th volume)

In the novel, this headgear is something that binds sun wukong. Originally, he didn't wear it, but after following Tang Sanzang, that is, his master. At the beginning, he liked to kill some ordinary people without any spells. Tang Sanzang felt that his character was very bad, so there was a god, she called Guanshiyin Bodhisattva.This Bodhisattva also taught Tang Sanzang a formula. She used the temptation to make Monkey King wear a hat, and then the hat became this headgear, if Monkey King wanted to kill ordinary people.Tang Sanzang can recite formulas, and this headdress will shrink, giving Monkey King a headache and unable to use any spells. @dob-siki thank you for the information!!!

5. Hyottoko mask

Hyottoko means this facial expression or a mask with this funny face. It's a man. The pouting bent expression of his mouth is very significant. The size of the left and right eyes can be different too. In the mask or the person, who wears the mask often puts Japanese cotton towel (Tenugui) around the head. This character originally came from ancient traditional Japanese dance called Bugaku. The face of this character is an old man playing a funny and ridiculous role. He saw a beautiful couple dancing beautifully and admired and appreciated their dancing while drinking a lot of sake. He was very impressed and tried to dance like that with his wife. But they were too drunk and too old to dance gracefully, so their "dance" turned out to be very funny and awkward. There are many different stories about Hyotoko in Japan. The name Hyottoko came from Hi-Otoko (fire man). He is blowing air through a hollow bamboo stick to make fire. And his expression is showing how hard he is trying. His mouth is also known to resemble sake bottle. Hyottoko masks are commonly used during traditional Japanese dances in order to bring good luck.

I don't know whether the following findings are correct or wrong.

6. Lokai in Star Trek : Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (1969)

This is what came to my mind when I saw white on the right side and black on the left side.

[milk-and-violets]

hello please give us your soup recipes ( ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

apologies to anyone who has ever sent me an ask please know I read them and weep and then forget to answer them

if anyone has questions about these soups, please feel free to ask in the replies or dm me!! also, you are welcome to reblog and add your favorite soups, I would love to see what other soups y'all enjoy :)

ANYWAYS here are some of my favorite soup recipes (part one ? I may post more if people like them)

This soup. This soup. Several things to say about it. Firstly, it benefits greatly from buying the nice crushed tomatoes, like the $5-6 cans if you are able to. The tomato makes up a lot of the broth flavor, especially if you want to make it vegetarian and thus leave out the sausage.

Secondly, double the garlic cloves (eight garlic cloves? yes, I'm serious) and use canned brown lentils. A whole can. Two if you feel like it, I often do. It's really very little detriment to the recipe over dried ones, and the soup comes together much quicker when you're not waiting for them to soften. You will need to decrease the cook time, or it will become mush.

Lastly, replace the water with chicken or vegetable broth, it's just better, and the celery is optional, especially if you're allergic, since apparently that's possible.

I acknowledge that this one is a stew, not a soup, however...

This dish is a delicious cross between a more English beef stew (see: NYTimes Beef Stew if you're interested, I highly recommend) and french Coq au Vin. It calls for boneless pork shoulder, but if you can't find that, bone in is fine, just more work. You will need to cut out the bone, which can then be roasted in the oven, I like to use the preheat time (this recipe requires some oven braising) to do so -- just pat dry, coat with olive oil and salt. You can also save the bone in a zip lock in your freezer, for making tonkotsu ramen broth, if you're like me.

Martha uses a pound of "small shallots" which I really find to be a bit much. Use that many if A) they're on sale, B) you've replaced them with pearl onions, or C) you really really love shallots (I respect that.)

I like to add eight cloves of smashed garlic to this, and 4-5 yukon potatoes, washed (but not peeled) and sliced into 1.5 inch cubes (you can assess their size based on vibes and how long you want to cook them for, approaching two-bite sized is generally good).

You can reduce the garlic cloves by half if that's too much for you, or if you're adding a significant amount of shallots still. I've used only 3 large shallots ones before and found it to be enough, so use what you've got. The potatoes add texture and body to the soup, and something to chew on other than the pork, which balances the dish.

Also, Martha suggests you cut your carrots lengthwise, but I personally prefer medallions, as they're much easier to serve and eat. If you're very worried about overcooking your carrots, maybe do large chunks.

This recipe does call for hard apple cider, which it really does need, but if you have to leave it out due to allergies or food restrictions, I suggest adding an 1/8 cup or so (maybe less, that might be a bit sour) of nice apple cider vinegar, and substituting the rest of the liquid with more chicken broth. Serve with some nice crusty bread! Or maybe egg noodles, if you leave out the potatoes and want a really Coq au Vin-esque experience.

Alright, so I think I did the formatting correctly, and you should be able to click this image to access the recipe link, but just in case:

https://sharedappetite.com/recipes/rustic-tuscan-style-sausage-white-bean-and-kale-soup/

Anyways, this recipe calls for 2 cans of cannelini beans. If you can't find those, great northern beans are basically the same. For the sausage, it may also be sold as mild italian sausage, and you do not need to buy it in links, buying loose ground sausage is much easier.

It also calls for two bunches of kale, which is frankly a ridiculous amount, I would only put in that much if this is the only source of vegetables you'll be getting for a month. One (Large!) bundle of kale should be fine. After rinsing, you can simply rip the leafy parts away from the stems, and then discard the stems, or steam them if you really want to eat them. Personally, I don't think they belong in soup.

The onion you use for this should be a yellow onion, maybe white if you're desperate and fear no onion. It calls for 1 potato, you should use 3-4, medium to large sized (Russet!) potatoes. Use your heart to decide when it's enough potato for 52 oz of broth. Likewise, you should consider doubling the amount of garlic that goes into this.

If you don't want to do the math, 52 oz of broth is a little less than 2 whole packages of store bought broth. You may find that you want to add the last bit when you add the potatoes, just to give them a bit more liquid to cook in, since you should use more potatoes than the recipe calls for. If you make your own chicken stock (which is quite easy, and I do recommend it, but it's not essential here) 52 oz is about 6 and a half cups of liquid.

The serving suggestion is to top with cheese, which is really up to you. If your spice tolerance is in the negative, like mine, you may enjoy eating a nice cheese on the side with your bread. Port Salut is a very good spreadable option, or perhaps an aged gouda or white cheddar. Having bread alongside this is really a must.

I suggest making a garlic oil to top the soup, to replace the plain olive oil for drizzling. To do this, simply mince another 2-3 cloves of garlic (more depending on how much oil you want to make), heat generous amount of olive oil over medium heat, then add garlic and saute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic get completely golden brown, unless you really enjoy it crunchy. This is going in soup, and should be minced fine, so having slightly raw garlic will not be an issue. You can store this in an air tight container in the fridge, just scoop some out to top your soup before reheating.

[expgearoutdoor]

Venison is a lean, healthy meat that is a good source of protein and other nutrients. It is lower in saturated fat and calories than other red meats, such as beef and pork. Venison is also a good source of iron, zinc, and B vitamins. 

Here are some of the health benefits of eating venison: Lower in saturated fat and calories: 

Venison is a lean meat that is lower in saturated fat and calories than other red meats. This makes it a good choice for people who are trying to reduce their intake of saturated fat and calories. 

Good source of protein: Venison is a good source of protein, which is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass. Protein is also important for repairing tissues and for keeping you feeling full after eating. 

Good source of iron: Venison is a good source of iron, which is an essential mineral that helps your body carry oxygen throughout your body. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and other health problems. 

Good source of zinc: Venison is a good source of zinc, which is an essential mineral that helps your immune system function properly. Zinc deficiency can lead to a weakened immune system, which can make you more susceptible to infections. 

Good source of B vitamins: Venison is a good source of B vitamins, which are essential for a variety of bodily functions, including energy production, brain function, and nerve health. If you are looking for a healthy, lean meat option, venison is a good choice. Venison can be cooked in a variety of ways, so you can find a recipe that you enjoy.

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless venison roast

1 large onion, sliced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Instructions

Clean the venison roast and place it in a slow cooker.

Cover the roast with the onion slices.

Sprinkle the roast with the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper.

Stir the onion soup mix and condensed soup together in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the roast.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve the roast with your favorite side dishes.

Tips

If you have a bone-in roast, you can brown it on all sides in a skillet before placing it in the slow cooker.

You can also add other vegetables to the slow cooker, such as carrots, potatoes, or mushrooms.

To make the roast more tender, you can pound it with a meat mallet before cooking it.

Serve the roast with your favorite side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, green beans, or rolls.

Here are some more tips and recipes for cooking venison

[bird-goddess]

I found some old pictures and notes of the soup I made my bestie on our first date, so I used them to recreate the recipe as a surprise gift celebrating our former anniversary. It’s a potato and onion soup, and if you put some love (secret ingredient) into it it’s pretty good. It’s also fairly simple to make. I couldn’t remember quantities and times as it’s been a few years so the recipe excludes them, but thankfully soup has a large margin of error (and my quantities and times were improvised in the first place anyways); add however much of everything you want, taste it regularly to check flavor, and make sure all the vegetables cook through and everything will work out. Figured it would be fun to release it for the benefit of the soup-loving lesbians on tumblr. Link to a downloadable pdf of the recipe.

[beautyandlifestyleblog86]

Carrot and Spinach Soup with Orange and Ginger -

Ingredients:

- 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped (rich in beta-carotene)

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

- 4 cups vegetable broth

- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

- Juice of 1 orange

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Optional toppings: chopped fresh parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and sauté until fragrant.

2. Add the chopped carrots and vegetable broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

3. Add the chopped spinach to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until wilted.

4. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend the soup until smooth.

5. Stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

Benefits:

- Beta-carotene: Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. It also plays a role in maintaining healthy skin, eyes, and immune function.

- Flavonoids: Spinach and orange juice contain flavonoids, a type of phytochemical that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Flavonoids have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.

This Carrot and Spinach Soup with Orange and Ginger is not only delicious and comforting but also provides a boost of beta-carotene and flavonoids for your health. Enjoy this nutritious soup as part of a balanced diet to reap its benefits.

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

Any further tips/advice for freezing veggies? Or any kinds of dish that are good for frozen veg that loose their usual texture (like celery, potatoes etc)?

Basically, cut and clean them to the size you will want in the final dish, since they'll be a bitch to try to cut once freezing makes them soft. For anything juicy, spread it out to freeze first so it doesn't all stick together in one chunk, or portion it into the servings you want to take it out in.

[When I get a camera cord, remind me to photograph my freezer stash, I have mixed potatoes, cabbage, celery and some other things in there now waiting on doing a duck roast,]

And honestly I haven't noticed much loss of texture after cooking. Unless you are used to very lightly steamed celery, the difference in texture there, as example, isn't notable. I don't use celery in stir fry, for example, because I don't eat stir-fry, but I use it in sauces and soups or in tiny bits in stuffing for poultry, so there's no difference there.

If it's the kind of thing that browns you can try tossing it in vinegar or lemon juice but honestly I don't care much about the look of my potatoes or whatever oxidizing slightly.

Pasta sauce and soups, or sauce put put on rice, curry etc.. is a good use for bits of frozen veg.

Really any dish where they normally get cooked a lot in with other things or fluids of any kind. Even tossed into meat pies I haven't notice a difference. It seems scary when they're raw because they seem weirdly soft like if they went bad, but it's because the water in their cells has burst out, much like it would with cooking anyway.

You can puree onion and garlic or herbs instead of having to cut it and make ice-cubes with it, and toss them in a bag, or even pre-caramelize all the onions and then make ice cubes of them to take out one at a time.

And potatoes, potatoes you don't freeze after cooking into a dish, you freeze them pre cut into either chunks for boiling, fries, wedges or shreds, freeze them, and when they come out you put them in whatever you would normally, like boiling them to make mashed potatoes, or mixing them into hash or latkes... It's like how you can get bags of frozen french fries and they bake or deep fry like fresh. I would not pre-make mashed potatoes necessarily because the other ingredients might separate oddly, unless I was making perogis to freeze for later or something. But freezing can even help get out extra water so they're easy to drain and dry or squeeze out for frying or adding to batter.

The goal isn't to necessarily find something to batch cook, it's to just get them cut up in a usable state and in the freezer with as little work as possible before they spoil. Deal with actual meal planning later as a whole separate process.

Pre-shredding carrots can mean having shred carrot to add to things easily, like cakes, tomato sauces, meat or vegetable pies, soups potato hash, ect, but it might help to freeze it spread out on a tray so it all doesn't stick together in a lump, or ice cube tray it, and then bag it, or -alternately- dehydrate carrots in a dehydrator in thin slices for soups. Dehydrated carrot is shelf stable a long time but if you freeze it dehydrated they last indefinitely, which can help make use of those huge bags of big cheap carrots that go on.

I'm not big on eating vegetables raw or half raw due to digestive sensitivities, and boiling or baking them makes them way softer than freezing does anyway. It isn't going to give you something lightly roasted or steamed, but it's better than throwing them out.

If you want to get clever about it keep track of how you cut up various veg for various meals and settle on 1-2 sized you are okay with them being in a variety of things and go with that.

The main thing is to predict to some degree what you'll want to make, but the benefit is being able to just reach into the freezer and grab pre cut veg. I like to grab out a pinch of frozen onion slices one meal at a time, rather than having an onion to work through in the fridge.

And if you are really into soups, you can actually puree tomatoes, cucumber and even lettuce that's about to go off, just clean it up and blend it, and then add it to soup stocks and stews and sauces, where it won't add much to the texture, but it'll add in those nutrients you would have missed from throwing them out instead. Most veggies that turn to utter mush when frozen can be blended and used for soups and sauces so long as you are at peace with them not adding any texture, and looking like goop or a block of coloured ice coming out of the bag.

Just make sure you clean and cut them like you would for meal prep first. You will NOT be able to clean and cut them properly -after- freezing, so you can't just shove them in there thinking you'll deal with any of the prep later, you have to do it first.

Personally, I batch prepare veggies this way into freezer bags before winter and stock up my box freezers with them, that way I have veggies all winter that are nearly fresh. I can just reach in and grab pre-cut peppers, onions and mushrooms to toss into a meal.

It's kind of easier to batch process like 10+ bell peppers at once and not worry about any other meal prep and then just have them for later, as example, and you can buy the bulk packages of stuff that's on sale because it's about to go off. It ends up saving money, sure but also means you are eating a more well rounded diet because you end up with this selection of veggies to just grab and toss in to anything on a whim... That aren't going bad.

You can buy enough corn on the cob to feed a big family, when it's cheap or on sale, and then just defrost one or two at a time for yourself.

Frozen ginger gets soft enough that you can squeeze out all the juice with a garlic press and leave behind the stringy bits, so if you cut it into 1/2-1inch chunks it can be good for that, and then you can take the crushed bit and brew it in a cup of tea, or soup stock... just rinse the ginger off before freezing it.

I also buy huge cuts of meat when they are on cheap, portion them myself and freeze them for later, so basically any meal just becomes taking out your pre-portioned ingredients and doing the actual cooking part with about 0 food waste. I also take the bones and fat off of meat I am cooking and freeze that separately for soup later, or frying or baking etc. Bones are a mash of bits by the time I am throwing out the remains.

Have leftovers you don't want to eat immediately in the following day? Frozen for later! next time you are hungry and don't want to cook you just toss that boy in a baking dish, bam! No food waste.

And when a whole bunch of something is about to go off, you don't have to stand there trying to figure out what you want to cook in the next 3 days that's going to use up 20 potatoes, you just cut them up and put the pause button on them.

If you don't have a box freezer, they are typically sold for 100$ second hand on facebook or kijiji and are a good one time investment when a tax cheque comes in.

Just make sure you are actually using the frozen food. You can't be thinking of it as less good than fresh or harder to make use of, because if you avoid using it and just keep buying more, you are going to run out of space and end up with freezers full of food you aren't eating. Get comfortable reaching for portions of frozen vegetables to add into things, and shop your freezers when you are getting ready to cook meals. [Pinch of bell peppers? Don't mind if I do! It's like a spice rack of vegetable add-ins now! Peruse.]

The last tip I have is to not buy a bunch of stuff to do this with all at once thinking you will have the spoons to do a week of meal prep with it all. Space it out. Buy the big bag of onions one trip, and get most of them frozen before you worry about grabbing a big bag of apples or potatoes, buy cabbage and celery the next trip and cut up most of those to freeze when you get home, or in the following days. Whatever is about to go bad, if it comes to that, just clean it up cut it and freeze it. or prep the whole things when you get to the meal you bought some of it for, depending on what it is, and freeze what you don't use.

Before long you'll have a stash of basically everything you use on hand. Then you can get pickier about waiting to buy things until they are on sale when you can. Like I buy butter on sale only and keep it frozen, but I also buy raw cranberries once a year at Christmas for 2$ or less a bag and just rinse and freeze the whole bags [they have holes int he bags for air flow]. I buy pumpkins for sale -after- halloween and cut them into quarters, bake the quarters so they are squishy, fold them flat into freezer bags, and then have a quarter pumpkin to use in pies or whatever I want. You get pumpkins for like a dollar, so you get each bag of frozen pumpkin for 25 cents [I have known people who do this -after- carving them for Halloween, if they aren't outside, just rinse bake and freeze them for food]. They have a sale rack sometimes of food that's about to go off that's all been bagged up together and discounted, and that is your friend if you are taking home one thing at a time and actually using it.

Frozen apple wedges, btw, do fine in an apple pie. And apple dehydrates nicely at home too. Same logic applies as carrots, if you dehydrate and then also freeze them, they don't stick together and you can have them indefinitely, and they take up a lot less space. But really I just freeze apple slices and then make pie filling with them [or add them to stuffing].

I will eventually formalize and share actual recipes, but so much of the cooking I do is measuring with my feelings that I need the spoons to go through making each dish and documenting what has it come out the best. There's some batch cooking things I do like pre-roasting chickpea flour to coat dumplings and rolls in so they don't stick together in the freezer. I make about 50+ spring rolls at once from frozen bean sprouts and etc, and then freeze those to eat 2-3 at a time.

I just can't stand having food go bad in the fridge if I don't have the energy to cook, and I hate the idea of simply not eating vegetables because of it. I'm trying to save money and also eat well and my response to problems tends to be a little "smash it all with one simple elegant solution". If you have any specific questions please let me know <3

[timetraveltasting]

TITANIC RICE SOUP (1845, 1912)

After a week of some stomach cramps, which were hopefully not caused by one of the meals I made, I spent another lazy Sunday making my next Tasting History dish, Rice Soup. While this dish is inspired by the last dinner onboard on the day of the Titanic's sinking in 1912, the actual recipe is found even earlier, in 1845, in Eliza Acton's book 'Modern Cookery for Private Families'. Rice soup was the first course of the last dinner for third class passengers on the White Star Line vessel which would sink later that evening in the North Atlantic. I chose to make this recipe because it’s a simple and hearty dish, and it's strange to think about the passengers enjoying such a warm and cozy dish only to later be tragically plunged into cold waters. May the victims rest in peace. See Max’s video on how to make it here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

I made a couple small changes to the modern recipe below. I used jasmine rice with chicken stock, and I only used half of the cayenne called for, purely because I misread the recipe (oops).

While the preparation took awhile (soups sometimes do), the rice soup was actually quite straight-forward to make. I boiled the rice first, dissolving my Knorr chicken bouillon cubes in the meantime, then added the rice in to the chicken stock to boil for a long while. Though Max mentions to only put the lid on if you're losing too much liquid, I kept the lid on and opened it infrequently to stir. As a result, I think my version took on a more soup-like texture compared to the porridge-like texture Max created. As someone who can be turned off foods based on odd textures, I think this worked out for the best. By the time it was time to add the spices and cream, the rice was pretty fluffy, but there was still lots of liquid. After everything simmered together a little longer, I served the rice soup with a side salad and some garlic bread. I'll admit, rice soup is a very plain-looking dish, but let's not judge a book by its cover!

My experience tasting it:

Tasting the rice soup, the flavour was much more interesting than the simple appearance of the soup would have you believe. The primary flavours were mace and cream, with the mace and cayenne adding a bit of a lingering bite. The texture of the broth was really lovely and silky, and the rice had fluffed so much it fell apart in my mouth, nearly the texture of a smoother and fluffier lentil. Like I have said regarding other Tasting History dishes I've made, the dish has a unique taste, not similar to any modern dish I can think of. For further spoonfuls of rice soup, I decided to add more cayenne, because I do like some spice in my soup (this probably brought the dish closer to what it would have tasted like if I put in the correct amount of cayenne as called for in the recipe). After doing this, I liked the dish much more, and it left a noticeable spicy sting in my throat - perfect! My husband and I agreed: the rice soup was tasty, but would probably benefit from a few added vegetables - maybe asparagus, broccoli, celery, or onion. I will probably make this recipe again with these additions, but likely not until colder weather returns in the fall. I plan to experiment with this rice soup in the future by adding various vegetables and herbs. If you end up making it, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Mace

Rice Soup original recipe (1845)

Sourced from Modern Cookery for Private Families by Eliza Acton, 1845.

Throw four ounces of well-washed rice into boiling water, and in five minutes after pour it into a sieve, drain it well, and put it into a couple of quarts of good white boiling stock; let it stew until tender; season the soup with salt, cayenne, and pounded mace; stir to it three quarters of a pint of very rich cream, give it one boil, and serve it quickly.

Modern Recipe

Based on Modern Cookery for Private Families, the Titanic's last menu, and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (105 g) long grain rice

2 quarts (2 L) chicken or veal stock

A large pinch of salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp mace

Scant 1 cup (225 ml) cream

Method:

Rinse the rice, then drain and add it to boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes then drain through a sieve.

Boil the chicken or veal stock and add the rice. Lower the heat to simmering and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

Season with salt, cayenne, and mace, then add the cream and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

[elenasunshinemagazine]

Decoration of dishes and desserts with herbs

Greens are a healthy product containing vitamins and minerals. Decorating dishes with herbs is one of the easiest ways to make a dish beautiful and healthy.

To decorate a dish with greens, it is not necessary to have a rich imagination, the most ordinary homemade cutlets laid out on lettuce leaves will already look great. Fantasy can be healthy if you want to decorate your child's dish with greens, then you will have to try, each time inventing something new.

Before you come up with decorating dishes with greens, make sure that the greens you have are fresh.

Tips for decorating dishes

A spectacular serving of a dish is an art. Distribute food on a plate in height, not in width. For example, a beautiful slide or a turret; Combine contrasting colors, sizes, and textures: crispy with soft, red with green, etc.; Observe the measure: the plate should not look empty, but you do not need to fill it completely. Small portions look more appetizing and encourage you to enjoy the process; Adhere to minimalism in the decoration of the dish: elegant touches should only emphasize its beauty, and not become an independent meal; Observe the harmony of food with the background: for hot dishes, it should be warm, for cold dishes — cold.

A familiar dish thanks to greenery and herbs will look much more beautiful and appetizing. For example, we use tartlets, and with the help of the most common dill and lettuce leaves, you can beautifully decorate this dish. Put a couple of lettuce leaves on a plate, decorate them with lemon slices, and put tartlets with fresh dill sprigs. Such decoration of dishes with greenery will help to give a finished look to any dish.

Decoration of dishes with herbs

At home, it is used to decorate dishes with chives. The feathers of such a bow look like very thin tubes. It is combined with all vegetables and herbs, so it can be used to decorate any dish (for example, miniature snacks, canapes, or sandwiches).

To decorate dishes with onions, you can show imagination. Chives are also suitable for decorating children's dishes, with their help you can make all the fine details. It will turn out neatly, beautifully, and very tasty!

When setting the table, in addition to the main course and salads, we use all kinds of snacks. Olives, olives, mushrooms, cucumbers, and tomatoes can be used as snacks, you can use the techniques of decorating dishes with dill, parsley, and fragrant rosemary. Make a small wreath of rosemary so that it fits on a flat plate that you have prepared for snacks.

Put olives, olives, mini balls of mozzarella cheese, gherkins, canned cherry tomatoes, and any other snacks on the finished wreath. The smell of fresh pastries combined with the aroma of rosemary will help create a cozy atmosphere at your table.

Mint decor

We brew tea with mint, make refreshing cocktails, and use it to decorate a wide variety of dishes. Mint is suitable for decorating almost any dish, from soups to drinks and desserts. Fruit salads, drinks, ice cream, and other desserts will only benefit in taste and appearance if they are decorated with mint leaves. (For example, an ice cream ball decorated with a couple of mint leaves and a raspberry berry will look very appetizing).

Mint herb in chocolate

Chocolate will keep mint leaves green and fresh for several days, and such a decoration will look very unusual and original. To make a delicious treat with mint, you will need 20 fresh, beautiful leaves and 5.29oz of milk or bitter chocolate. Put mint leaves on baking paper at a distance from each other. Melt the chocolate in a water bath and put it in a pastry bag.

Apply the chocolate in equal portions to the mint, cover with another sheet of parchment and gently press. The chocolate will completely hide the mint leaves and turn into thin round cakes. Leave the chocolate in a cool place for at least 1 hour, then carefully separate the chocolates from the parchment.

You can use chocolate to decorate the dessert. Put the mint chocolates in a container, cover them with a lid, and store them in the refrigerator for no longer than 3 days.

Basil is a decoration of dishes with herbs. Greens are a healthy product containing vitamins and minerals. 

Basil can decorate any dish: ice cream, pizza, or salad. The classic combination is mozzarella cheese with tomatoes, decorated with basil leaves on top. Place large leaves of fresh basil on a flat plate in a circle, do not try to spread them evenly, let them be laid out in any order.

On top of the basil, also put cherry tomatoes in a circle, and put half a mini-ball of mozzarella on each tomato. The familiar dish will acquire a new, appetizing appearance.

Many people are happy to use herbs and micro-greens in their recipes. Herbs and flowers and micro-greenery are a real source of inspiration for them. Natural flavors and flavors are an excellent tool for self-expression and favorably distinguish a true master of culinary art.

Let the dishes prepared by you be not only delicious but also healthy and beautifully decorated!

https://elenasunshinemagazine.com/cooking/decoration-of-dishes-and-desserts-with-herbs/