#Xian famous foods

[borderlandsappreciationmonth]

xian famous foods

[castle-theme]

xian famous foods

[miinstrel]

xian famous foods

[quitealotofsodapop]

LMK assorted Headcanons/Theories:

The terms "Yaoguai/Demon" and "Xian/Celestial" are loose terms used to denote supernatural beings that live in the Three Realms. The terms can be specific to where the being lives/is decended from or who they associate with.

The supernatural population of Megapolis refer to themselves as "Yāo/Yao/Yaoguai" or straight up "Demons". It's considered a badge of pride since "Demons" (a deliberately loose term) have not been allowed into the Celestial Realm/Jade Palace since the war. They are the most varied of the groups, and frequently intermarry with humans and former celestials.

Those who live in, or are decended from those in the Celestial Realm are considered "Celestial/Xian". Celestials will rarely marry outside of their own kind - save for a few famous exceptitions. However they are considered no better than "pariah dogs/mutts".

The Meishan/Plum Hill Boys were formed from a group of half-celestials who felt like they didn't have adequete rights in Heaven, so they formed their own palace and training grounds so they could defeat their full-celestial critics in battle. The Plum Hill Boys are happy Erlang in the LMK verse is a Heavenly General, but they really want him to address the social issues Heaven has been ignoring for millenia to the Jade Court.

Celestials try their best to appear Only Human/Ethereal - as having animalistic/plant traits is considered uncouth. Very discrimatory towards percieved "lesser" species. Think the Gems from Steven Universe.

Dragons inhabit a category of their own, being neither Yao/Xian. They're just Dragons.

Humans are seen as So Weird to the supernatural races cus they can both ignore or transcend categories without issue. Even former mortals that achieved immortality like Lao Zhu are considered really weird. To the long-lived species, it's like seeing a mouse suddenly just… not die and start doing magic.

Celestials and Demons are bad at understanding how reincarnation works. It's like an entirely alien concept to them. Why wouldn't this person remember who they used to be? In Jttw we see this with Kui Mulang not understanding that Princess Baihuaxiu didn't remember/recognise him depite them being lovers in their past Celestial lives. Mulang likely kept his memories by refusing the Meng Po soup, while his gf Yunu drank it and lost all hers.

Literally everyone legit thought that the reincarnation lineage of the Golden Cicada ended with Tripitaka/Tang Sanzang. Even Guanyin was convinced until she tried to mediate to/call up GC in the Pure Lands and got LMK Tang's confused "Um, new phone [body] who dis?".

"Tang" is called that cus he's legit decended from the Tang royal family. He's got that royal clout in Megapolis that very few know about - hence why he was a judge in "Food Wars". Doesn't seem to work much cus he's got that trust fund payout. However, he's not on good terms with his bio family for Whatever Reasons, and barely even Pigsy knows about his origins.

The Monkeys of Flower Fruit Mountain are intelligent yaoguai/demons like Wukong and Macaque. However, after the Burning of the Mountain; many were forced to relocate and hide less they be hunted down by the armies of the Celestial realm/humans who liked monkey meat. It's why all the remaining monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain seem to be regular earth monkeys. The "big ones" that fought for the Monkey King and protected their home from war are no longer there. When the Monkey King returned to Flower Fruit Mountain, it was like returning to a town that had been left empty by war. Where are the suriving Monkey Yao nowadays? Living in the village outside of Megapolis, the one with the Shame Temple (S1 Ep 07). Why else would SWK have such an important temple there? Plus all the monkey imagery.

Most demons dont actually eat humans anymore. Most who legit miss the taste/need the protein just buy Imitation Human™ (comes in vegan and low-salt options) instead cus its cheaper and less immoral. There's still however, a black market for geniune human meat in some cities... •+The Monkie Kid gang once accidentally tucked into "Imitation Human Meat Buns" while at a festival, and it left everyone feeling gross afterwards. Most grossed-out was Pigsy cus it was the version made with pork. Tang had seconds "just to be sure".

Sun Wukong's favorite book/film of all time is "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle. Themes of immortal perfection and blissful ignorance vs mortal love and emotion, beauty & pain, finding yourself becoming "other" from who you once considered your kinfolk due to your experiences... he also likes "Big Fish" by Tim Burton. •+: Red Son has a "kaiju form" resembling a slightly-more humanoid/minotaur-like version of the Red Bull from the same story.

Pigsy watches "Chef" (2014) at least once a year like its gospel. And it's why he got the food truck. Tang similarily loves films about enjoying the pleasures of food ala Chocolat (2000). These films are their go-to "date night" movies at home. When MK was little, he also watched Princess and the Frog (2009) and Ratatouille (2007) a lot cus those were "Dadsy's and Tang's favorites".

[gentil-minou]

Xiantober Day 5 - Innkeeper!Xian

Red Ribbon Tavern was known for two things:

Its attractive flirty owner with a grin that drew customers in and a hand that kept the drinks flowing.

And also said innkeeper who kept his patrons entertained with magical feats.

When Wei Wuxian initially inherited the inn from his adoptive sister, now living with her (unworthy) husband a few villages over, he'd been skeptical.

After all, Jiang Yanli was known throughout the area as one of the best cooks in the land. And Wei Wuxian, well...

His food was known to give you food poisoning.

He'd lucked out when he hired Wen Ning and Wen Qing to help him run the business. Wen Ning, despite his tendency to hide like a turtle when someone so much as looks at him, thrives in the kitchen where he can cook in peace.

Meanwhile, Wen Qing understands the less fun parts of owning an inn, like logistics and bookeeping. Their guests only flinch a little bit when she glares at them (it's not her fault; she's trying! she even smiles now! with the glare but still) because they know her rooms are tidy.

So where does this leave Wei Wuxian? Well, he of course heads the bar in front and draws patrons in. He has a winning smile for just that reason and could flirt with a tree if he tries hard enough.

Except, like his cooking, Wei Wuxian cannot make a drink to save his life.

Pouring ale straight from a keg? Easy. Joke around with customers and make them feel welcome? Heck, it's what he was born to do. But make a tasty drink that will have folks sing his praises far and wide? Well. Nope.

So, as much as he and the Wens are trying, it's not enough.

They're deep in the red, and they need to make enough to take care of Granny Wen and send little A-Yuan off to school soon. They need something, fast.

That's when Wei Wuxian realized: magic tricks. Perfect.

And sure, TECHNICALLY magic is illegal, but who's gonna tell?

Someone does, apparently. Even though Wei Wuxian was able to pass his magically conjured bunny off as a pet he totally didn't create from nothing and he sparkles as tricks of light, someone apparently wised up enough to contact the authorities. Probably that sniveling Su guy. Ugh.

He doesn't get a heads up when one of the Lans, famous for upholding the king's justice, to appear at Wei Wuxian's tavern.

They're not hard to spot after all, those pristine white robes impossibly clean even after what must have been hours of travel.

Wei Wuxian groans into his hands, picturing the disappointment on Jie's face when she hears he'd lost her inn. He glares at the teetotaler Lan's back, wondering how much trouble he'd get in if he beat him up instead.

Except then the Lan turns around, and Wei Wuxian is speechless

The Lan inspector is breathtaking, unfairly gorgeous, hair flowing straight down his back and cheekbones Wei Wuxian could cut himself on. He wants to try, frankly. He kind of wants to bite them.

But it's the eyes that get him, lit like the sun. Impossible. And maybe magical.

There aren't many folks around who practice magic these days, but like recognizes like. This is not an ordinary Lan. This is someone with magic blood.

The (incredible, gorgeous, so sexy like how) man stares at him, expression completely neutral, flat like a brick wall.

Wei Wuxian wants to see him break. He wants to crack him like an egg and see the runny yolk of his insides, or something. He's not making sense anymore, but can anyone blame him?? Have they seen this guy????

Wei Wuxian straightens up, adds a little something extra to his grin, turning up the charm as high as it goes as he saunters over to the man. He slinks around tables, twisting in a way he knows will show off the flare of his hips. From the way this guy's eyes catch on the movement, looking down right where Wei Wuxian wants him before he drags his eyes back up, Wei Wuxian is successful.

"Well, hello there. What's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" he says, flirting like his rent's due. He leans over one of the high tables, resting his chin in his hands and fluttering his lashes as he bites his lip.

The guy's expression doesn't change at all, but Wei Wuxian catches the way his eyes flash for just a second. Yep, there's magic in him, even if he has no idea.

He feels giddy. He wants to make this guy come alive. He wants to take him apart. He wants a lot of nonsensical things.

"Lan Wangji, Lieutenant of the King's Special Forces." The way he speaks sends a shiver down Wei Wuxian's spines. He thinks he likes a man in uniform.

"Ooh, such a distinguished patron in my humble little inn? How may this one service you?" His lips curl into a smirk as he says the last few words.

The barest hint of movement, a twitch in Lan Wangji's jaw. Success. "I am here to inspect a claim."

"A claim for what? I've been told many things. I'd be happy to show you, privately, if you'd like. As much as you want to hear." Wei Wuxian slides a hand across the table, ready to trail his fingers up that toned arm to dance on Lan Wangji's shoulders, except the man stiffens and steps back, widening the distance between them. He catches a glimpse of the panic in his expression before the mask slides over him again, and Wei Wuxian can't tell what he's thinking at all.

He blinks, taken aback, and lifts his hands in front of him like he's trying to calm a scared animal. "Whoa sorry, about that. I just meant, I'm happy to help you with your investigation."

The man seems to relax, shoulders dropping, and he says,

"There were reports about the unauthorized used of magic in this establishment. According to Rule 482, magic use outside of medical and military use is prohibited unless under a permit."

In all honesty, Wei Wuxian only paid attention to half that. This guy sounds so sexy.

"Ah but you see, sir, I am nothing but an innocent bartender! I haven't got a clue how to do magic at all!"

Lan Wangji's eyes narrow at him, and he points behind him. Wei Wuxian follows his finger…and shit…

See, Wei Wuxian has magic, like really powerful magic, but he's not the best at controlling it. Especially when his emotions are involved.

So really, he shouldn't be surprised he's somehow managed to conjure a thousand heart shaped butterflies behind him…in front of Lan Wangji

He turns back to Lan Wangji, looking sheepish. "Eheh… I can explain?"

Lan Wangji arches his brow, and waits.

(TBC on Day 14: Bartender)

threadfic here

[danmeiarchive]

More Webnovels

I decided to take these off the masterpost in order to shorten it and make it easier to scroll through my recommendations.

Currently Reading

After Entering a Book, He Just Wants to be a Flower Vase - Poplar Breeze (ongoing translation)

Dinghai Fusheng Records - Fei Tian Ye Xiang

Guardian - Priest

Mistakenly Saving the Villain - Feng Yu Nie

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint - Sing Shong

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System - Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

This Omega is Fierce and Wild - Poplar Breeze (ongoing translation)

Want to Read (cause I watched the adaptation)

Faraway Wanderers - Priest

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation - Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Heaven Official’s Blessing - Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Thousand Autumns - Meng Xi Shi

Tianbao Fuyao Lu - Fei Tian Ye Xiang

(and so so so many more!)

Completed Reading (Not Rec'd)

These are ones that fell a little short for me. I liked parts of them but was underwhelmed or disappointed by it once I'd finished reading.

Delicious Food Got Me Famous Across the Galaxy - Wa Lun Ding

He Lifted My Red Veil - Zi Jin

Let Me Tease You - Qing Duan

Let’s Talk About That Guy Who Transmigrated to Pursue Me - Mo Xiao Xian

Peach Blossom Debt - Da Feng Gua Guo My thoughts

Dropped

The People Who’re Supposed To Kill Me Fell For Me Instead - Jiu Yi

You’ve Got Mail: A Cautionary Tale - Hei Dan Bai

[majystine]

The Chinese Sorceress

Universe : Oproniis

Location : Amaterasu's temple

Characters : Chun, Jade, Xian, Mr Kubota

kinktasy.blogspot.com/

www.pixiv.net/en/users/6581837…

bdsmlr.com/blog/Majystine

============================

Chun grew in a poor but humble family, her parents worked hard in the rice field to feed her and her sisters. One day, an old wanderer came into their miserable farm, begging for water and food. Chun's parents gave the man some water and a bowl of rice.

He was, in fact, an Immortal. A godden hidden among the mortals, to reward their generosity, he gave Chun the talent to heal people. Chun started to heal everybody, she was a gift for the country.

She, quickly, became famous in the whole country. Even the Emperor sent her gifts for her talents. Sadly, she became greedy and started to ask for money in exchange for her healings.

One day, a poor man came to see her. He asked her to heal his dying pregnant wife. Chun laughed at him : "Kyahaha... You can kiss my feet like the pityful worm you are."

Few she knew, the man was in fact the Immortal who came back to see if she was using her powers rightfully. Later this day, Chun was taken by two women in her personnal sauna.

JADE : Nothing personnal, the boss told us to take you and punish you.

Naked except for a jester hat and make-up, she was humiliated in front of the whole Imperial city. Tied, she was dragged on a horse. All those wretched she refused to heal were mocking her and throwing rotten vegetables.

She was then trapped in a pillory, free to use for all she flawed. She was gifted by the generosity of her pregenitors, she became by herself a new gift for the community.

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! Over 30 of us gathered and enjoyed an international buffet lunch at the Hilton Hotel. The spread was quite sumptuous, with Asian and Western dishes. For my first plate, I chose snail, clams, tomato and cheese salad, steamed radish, baby corn, Assam fish, as well as cooked and smoked salmon. For my second plate, I had poached salmon, roast lamb, har gow, steamed radish, kailan, prawn and green mango salad and tomato and cheese salad. Following that was a double-boiled herbal black chicken soup and, finally, fruit for dessert: pineapple, yellow watermelon, dragon fruit and honeydew. To get around the 10 photo per post limit, I made a video. Enjoy! I know I had a lot of fun!

I'll share about Mummy's birthday in the next post as I made a video and there's a limit of 1 video per post. Onto my catch up with my babe and old friend, YL. I introduced her to Song Yue, the restaurant which specialises in Taipei style jia chang bian fan (homestyle dishes). We polished off jiu cai chun juan (chive spring rolls), nan gua hai xian dou fu (pumpkin seafood tofu), pai gu hui lo bo (braised pork ribs with radish), mixed vegetables with Gingko nuts and a bowl of white rice each. YL adored the food and said she'll bring her husband to the restaurant. We then spent a few hours catching up over local coffee. I had a lovely time!

Pa and I headed to a cafe which specialises in local Hainanese fare. Apart from chicken rice, this culinary community is famous for pork, as well as mutton soup. I loved their mee siam, so I ordered it again. Pa went with their pork. We also tried each other's respective dishes. Pa agreed that the mee siam is tastier than what is served at other food stalls because it isn't too sweet. The pork had a lightly crispy exterior and was tender and juicy on the inside - YUM! After lunch, we relaxed with local tea (for Pa) and coffee (for me) and chatted about health and nutrition as well as current affairs. It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

It's been some time since I've had Hokkien mee (wok-fried seafood noodles with bean sprouts and egg) and I craved it. Once I sat down at the table and slurped up that first mouthful... ohhhh mannnnnn. It was so delicious and comforting! The combo of highly slurpable noodles, fresh seafood, egg, bean sprouts and flavourful broth was pure perfection. Most locals add sambal and a squeeze of lime, but I prefer to eat this plain so as to better taste that broth. Nowadays younger hawkers are entering the vibrant scene and reimagining local classics. Whilst that's welcome, I also adore our traditional favourites and our Hokkien mee is tradition at its best.

From 20 children who've died from malnutrition in Gaza, the number has climbed to at least 34. Reduced to pi bao gu (skin wrapped over bones) many surviving kids are weak, emaciated and very close to death. Even if Israel is letting aid into the war-torn strip, distribution remains dangerous and difficult. My heart goes out to the Palestinians. Eff democracy if this means innocent lives are lost. 下次见!

[rafi420]

Start the battle for anchors

The competition among major platforms for anchors is escalating visibly.

A few days ago, Taobao released the 618 live broadcast calendar, revealing that during this year's mid-year promotion, more than a hundred celebrities will come to Taobao's live broadcast room. According to its official Weibo  celebrities such as Zhu Yilong, Charlene Choi, Li Xian, Yang Zi, Wang Ziwen and other celebrities will all be present and enter the corresponding brand live broadcast rooms one after another.

In addition, on the night of May 31st, TVB set up a live broadcast room directly at the site where the Hong Kong sister talent show was once held, and invited four Hong Kong sisters including Gao Haining, Zhu Chenli, He Yiting and HE Tuber Tang Luowen to compete on the spot. It not only recreates the famous scene of the Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant, but also brings a variety of good products from Hong Kong to consumers, including jewelry, gourmet food and various daily necessities.

In fact, in March this year, veteran TVB actors Chen Hao and Chen Minzhi entered the Taobao live broadcast room to bring goods. Official data shows that the two live broadcasts lasted for more than 6 hours, with 3.2 million viewers, and finally handed over a GMV of 23.5 million yuan in the first live broadcast event.

In addition to the Taobao platform, JD is also not idle. For JD, the biggest trump card in 618’s hands this year is undoubtedly Luo Yonghao and the team behind him.

Also at 8 pm on May 31, Luo Yonghao and his right-hand assistant Zhu Xiaomu appeared in the JD live broadcast room on time, kicking off his debut on the JD platform.

In addition to the low-priced welfare products that consumers love to see, Luo Yonghao has sold a house this time after selling satellites in his last live broadcast room. A Hangzhou real estate worth more than 3 million yuan was sold at a 612% discount in Luo Yonghao's live broadcast room and was snatched away within two minutes.

Not only that, JD’s support for Luo Yonghao continues unabated, and various home appliances and digital products are even lower than JD’s own subsidized prices. During the more than 4 hours of live broadcast, Luo Yonghao also mentioned many times that "only on JD can you enjoy such benefits and prices."

If benefits are paid in place and prices are controlled, people will naturally pay the bill.

Data shows that Luo Yonghao’s JD Live debut received a total of 17 million visitors and a transaction volume of 150 million yuan. Although it is slightly less than its previous debuts on Douyin and Taobao, considering that JD has just begun to make efforts in the field of live broadcasting, such results are impressive enough.

The fierce competition among major e-commerce platforms is in full swing, and Xiaohongshu has also achieved a sudden rise this year. Among these, the one that has attracted the most attention is the live broadcast room of Zhang Xiaohui, the “originator of the first generation of goods delivery”.

Not long ago, Zhang Xiaohui achieved sales of more than 50 million yuan in a single game through the artistic sales model. During the live broadcast, many items were sold out quickly after being put on the shelves, including hair salons priced at nearly 7,000 yuan. In this regard, some fans said bluntly: "No girl can walk out of Miss Zhang's beauty salon empty-handed."

Different from the hawking style of selling goods in many live broadcast rooms, the style of selling goods in Xiaohongshu’s live broadcast rooms is more literary and artistic. The products are introduced through eloquent explanations to meet the consumption needs of different groups of people.

The competition between platforms for anchors is in full swing, and during the melee, consumers do get some benefits. After all, as long as platforms and anchors start to get involved, price, subsidies and various services will always be the focus of competition.

The two-way rush between shelf e-commerce and content e-commerce

On June 18 this year, with all parties competing for territory, the boundaries between shelf e-commerce and content e-commerce have become increasingly blurred.

The reason behind Taobao's vigorous promotion of live broadcast content is that the platform is facing anxiety about traffic and user growth, and Taobao has to continue to upgrade around content. What Taotian Group has long emphasized the most is content.

At the previous 618 Merchant Conference, comprehensive content was mentioned repeatedly. Dai Shan, CEO of Taotian Group, put forward the view that "the future e-commerce platform is the best content platform." Taobao also focuses on supporting content merchants this year, and has launched four major columns including the New Encyclopedia of Life.

Earlier, in April, Taobao also released a store upgrade announcement, adding content sections such as live broadcasts to the dynamic homepage. Both consumers and businesses can view the content and data they need in real time.

Of course, not only Taobao, JD is also facing the same anxiety, but for JD, the development of live broadcast business is not so smooth.

In fact, even when JD Live is mentioned now, most people are not very impressed by it. For example, Taobao has Li Jiaqi, Douyin has Luo Yonghao, and Kuaishou has Simba. JD Live has never had someone who can carry the banner.

What cannot be ignored is the internal positioning that is not focused on. Xu Lei, the former CEO of JD, once said: "Live streaming is not retail, but more like a marketing behavior." This sentence defined the live streaming e-commerce within the group, and JD has also fallen behind step by step. .

Facing the increasingly powerful external competitors, JD can no longer ignore the huge influence brought by live broadcasting. This time joining hands with Luo Yonghao is strong evidence.

On the one hand, Luo Yonghao, as the former head anchor of the Douyin platform, can bring positive improvements to JD with his own influence; on the other hand, because Luo Yonghao has a large proportion of men in his fan base, he is also a perfect fit for JD, which started out as a 3C company. platform. The products listed in Luo Yonghao's JD live broadcast debut, such as game consoles, Moutai, etc., are the favorites of many male users.

But the cooperation has just begun, and Luo Yonghao’s live broadcast position is not the only one on JD. For JD, if it wants to achieve success in the field of content e-commerce, it cannot rely solely on Luo Yonghao.

Looking back at Douyin, it started with content and then entered the e-commerce field. At first, many brands were skeptical because the content was too strong. However, they were initially attracted to join by various preferential policies such as commission-free. , coupled with Luo Yonghao’s entry, Douyin’s live broadcast e-commerce and content e-commerce have begun to enter the fast lane.

Douyin, which is famous for its content, still has the idea of ​​​​shelf e-commerce after it has established a scale. According to the president of Douyin e-commerce, the shelf scene accounted for 30% of Douyin e-commerce's total GMV in the past year, not to mention that Douyin has also entered supermarkets and other formats before.

It is not difficult to see from here that shelf e-commerce companies are now continuously developing content, while content e-commerce companies are actively deploying shelves. So why is there such a change? One thing that cannot be ignored is the competition between platforms for users, merchants and traffic. Everyone wants to form a complete e-commerce closed loop within their own ecosystem.

But the ultimate result of this two-way rush is that the major platforms gradually converge, and the competition between them becomes increasingly fierce.

[lovepropaganda]

i'm a creature of habit so i'm trying to figure out if i should get cold skin noodles from Xian's Famous Foods or spicy beef malatang (i love this stuff, absolute favorite food but i had it the last time i went) from Laoma Malatang at the New World Mall food court

[abramsbooks]

RECIPE: Longevity Noodles (from Xi’an Famous Food by Jason Wang)

Most of our fans know us for biang-biang noodles that are hand-pulled, ripped, and purposefully disheveled, but the goal of longevity noodles is to create a long, slick, uniform strand, gently pulled over and over again until you get the right thickness. Pros will feed the noodle straight into the pot while pulling in quick, seamless motions, but unless you do this a hundred times a day, you’ll end up with an unevenly cooked strand—al dente on one end, mushy on the other. To avoid that, this recipe calls for folding the noodle over itself, pulling the strand like a cat’s cradle, and finally tossing it in all in one go.

Note: You can serve these noodles with any of our main toppings, but I particularly enjoy these with Concubine’s Chicken. And if you don’t like slurping, you might want a different dish (or book), because cutting these noodles into more manageable strands is considered bad luck.

Ingredients:

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour or high- gluten flour

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

3⁄4 cup (180 ml) room-temperature water

Canola or vegetable oil as needed

2 cups (480 ml) cold water, divided

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt and mix well to combine.

Add the room-temperature water slowly while mixing the dough with your hands. Using both hands, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball, 3 to 5 minutes.

When the dough is formed, cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

After resting, remove the plastic wrap and knead the dough in the bowl a few more times. Cover again with plastic wrap and let it rest for another 15 minutes.

After the second rest, brush a bit of the oil on the dough and place it on a cutting board or work surface. Cut the dough in half, and using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a long, snake- like cylindrical shape, a little over 1⁄2 inch (12 mm) in diameter.

Lightly coat a large container with oil. Store the dough inside by forming each piece into a spiral (like a resting snake). Brush the dough with a bit of extra oil to prevent sticking. Cover it with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (if using immediately) or up to 1 day.

When ready to use, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Fill a large pot with water, enough for the noodles to swim freely in. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil.

Work with one coil of dough at a time (see illustration step 1). Pick up one end of the dough coil with one hand, then grab it about 4 inches (10 cm) down the strand with your other hand (step 2).

Using your first hand, pull the end of the dough out and away from your second hand, to stretch it without breaking it (step 3). Continue pulling the dough with your first hand, stretching it out with the other (step 4). This should lengthen and slim the dough without breaking it. After you have finished stretching the length of the noodle, the dough should be less than 1/2 inch (12 mm) in diameter, roughly 8 feet (2.5 m) long.

Loop the dough into a large ring roughly 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter. You might have to loop the dough several times (step 5). With your hands shoulder-width apart, pick up the dough ring with both of your hands, cradling it with your fingers. Make sure not to tangle the strand.

With both hands holding the dough, pull the noodle ring outward while slapping it up and down on the work counter (step 6). Pull until the individual strand is less than 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) in diameter. (You could go thinner, but it requires skill.) Be careful not to break it; if the noodle snaps, simply pick up where the strand breaks and resume pulling. Each noodle should end up being roughly 27 feet (8 m) long.

Repeat the stretching, pulling, and slapping process with the second half of the snake coil.

Once done pulling both pieces of dough, throw the noodles into the boiling water right away, stirring so the noodles don’t stick to themselves or the side of the pot.

When the water comes back to a rapid boil, pour 1 cup of cold water into the pot. Bring back to a boil and cook for 1 minute before adding another cup of cold water. Once the pot boils again, carefully fish out the noodles using a hand strainer or spider. The noodles should have boiled for 2 to 3 minutes in total.

The long-awaited cookbook from an iconic New York restaurant, revealing never-before-published recipes

AN EATER BEST COOKBOOK OF FALL 2020 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST COOKBOOK OF FALL 2020 A BALTIMORE SUN BEST COOKBOOK OF FALL 2020 A ROBB REPORT BEST COOKBOOK OF FALL 2020 A FOOD & WINE FALL 20 COOKBOOK PICK A WSJ MAGAZINE BEST-DESIGNED ITEM

Since its humble opening in 2005, Xi’an Famous Foods has expanded from one stall in Flushing to 14 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. CEO Jason Wang divulges the untold story of how this empire came to be, alongside the never-before-published recipes that helped create this New York City icon. From heavenly ribbons of liang pi doused in a bright vinegar sauce to flatbread filled with caramelized pork to cumin lamb over hand-pulled Biang Biang noodles, this cookbook helps home cooks make the dishes that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods line up for while also exploring the vibrant cuisine and culture of Xi’an.

Transporting readers to the streets of Xi’an and the kitchens of New York’s Chinatown, Xi’an Famous Foods is the cookbook that fans of Xi’an Famous Foods have been waiting for.

For more information, click here.

[mosqitofood]

[thokamaer]

breakfast - lunch - dinner

[therealcoolfooddude]

(via Hong Shao “Red Braised” Spareribs) Stewed in soy sauce and infused with a spice combo, these tender pork Hong Shao spareribs are truly authentic. 

[thbstvrdthmtlbndndntn]

Is it sexy for me to order a two person platter of oysters all to myself while I read watership down at the bar?

[robininthelabyrinth]

Prompt - Wen Ruohan insists that Jiang Yanli come to the Wen "lecture" as well...

ao3

Jiang Yanli tended to deal with stress in one of two ways: cooking and taking care of people. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the Wen indoctrination camp provided many opportunities for both, although not with the people she might have expected.

Wei Wuxian spent most of his days being valiant and light-hearted, trying to give them strength and courage, and Jiang Cheng followed his lead the way he always did, brave and serious and thoughtful and – well. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate both of them, because she did, but it was only that her own anxiety was more easily dealt with when she could distance herself from her current situation and focus entirely on someone else.

She might have tried to take care of Jin Zixuan, but the Jin sect disciples closed ranks around him, glaring at her as if she were the one who broke off their engagement. Either way, she won’t go where she’s not wanted, and so she backed off and went elsewhere to look for someone that needed her.

Luckily for her, Nie Huaisang was very loud and very vocal and very, very needy.

They made for a surprisingly great fit.

Jiang Yanli had perhaps been forced to step into a maternal role a bit too early – Jiang Cheng had always been a soft child, and their father’s dislike of him had hurt him deeply where it had always seemed somewhat unimportant to Jiang Yanli, and Wei Wuxian was of course a big baby masquerading as a man. Her mother had always been disinterested in playing the mother, more fond of training and discipline, and so they’d turned to her when they were young, and still did today. Back at home, they would often descend to bickering and playing for her attention when she was around, knowing how much she liked it: Wei Wuxian demanding to be called A-Xian and fed spoonfuls like a toddler (albeit one capable of eating extremely spicy food), Jiang Cheng too proud to go that far but somehow managing to lose at least ten years of maturity, always looking at her hopefully to affirm that he did well and to sneak him treats behind everyone’s back.

That was the way she liked it, too. Possibly more than she really should, but it made her feel wanted and useful in a way that her weak cultivation never would.

Nie Huaisang, in contrast, had always been babied - by his father, by his over-protective older brother, by his long-suffering sect that nevertheless indulged him in everything. He’d suffered some things (his father’s death, first and foremost) when he was very young, and it sometimes seemed as he’d reacted to that by purposefully staying that age forever: useless and self-indulgent, spoiled and with a tendency to fuss, an unreasonable expectation that he could just turn his big eyes on anyone in his vicinity and they would immediately feel moved to cater to his every need.

Nie Huaisang, in other words, was just her type.

He was calling her ‘Jiang-jiejie’ within a shichen, putting his head on her shoulder a shichen after that, and kicking up such a dramatic fuss about everything that even Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng – who had come over with threats in their eyes about a strange man, even one of their friends, sticking himself so close to her – had ended up encouraging her to see what she could do to calm him down a little.

After they left, she looked down at his pathetic form and said, “You did that on purpose, you little brat.”

Nie Huaisang looked up at her with an impish grin that somehow still suited the tear stains on his face. “That’s true, but Jiang-jiejie won’t tell on me,” he said, as certain as any child. “Besides, this way we get to spend time together – and if we’re together, my guards will protect you as they do me, and your brothers won’t have to worry so much. Aren’t I smart?”

“Such a thoughtful child,” she praised, and he puffed himself up. “But you shouldn’t mislead your big brothers like that, you know. You could have just told them what you were thinking.”

“But where’d the fun in that be?” he said, and put his head on her shoulder again. “Jiang-jiejie will take care of me while I’m here.”

“Of course,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t punish you if you’re naughty, either.”

She did, too. She made him food out of the terrible provisions they received, she brushed his hair and let him teach her how to do his braids, she tucked him in at night before heading back to her tent, and even sat with him and helped him with his memorization and his chores – and when it was called for, she smacked him lightly on the backs of his hands that he held out to her for the specific purpose, scolded him and made him apologize.

She didn’t have any time to spare to worry about the Wen sect.

It was great.

“Uh, shijie,” Wei Wuxian said after a while. “Are you sure you’re okay with Nie Huaisang? He’s really…sticky.”

“He’s adorable,” Jiang Yanli said.

“He’s taking advantage of you,” Jiang Cheng grumbled. “Don’t think we haven’t noticed how he gets to sit with you in the shade instead of working with us.”

“He sits in the shade because the Nie sect disciples do his share of the work,” Jiang Yanli pointed out. “Just as you do for me.”

“Yeah, but…”

“He’s harmless,” Jiang Yanli said, even though she suspected that if he were pushed to it Nie Huaisang could escalate from brat past menace into actual threat. Hopefully it would never come that. “And it’s good to have company.”

“What do you even talk about?” Jiang Cheng asked. His cheeks were oddly flushed red, and he was averting his eyes – even more oddly, so was Wei Wuxian, who she previously would have said was too shameless to be embarrassed by anything.

“Art, mostly,” she said, puzzled, and even more puzzled when they both flinched. “Recently we were discussing famous landscape artists from the southern part of Gusu.”

“Oh, landscapes,” Wei Wuxian said, exhaling in relief. “That’s all right then. Glad you’re having a good time, shijie.”

“Have fun,” Jiang Cheng agreed, bobbing his head up and down like a fishing bird.

Later, Jiang Yanli narrated the conversation to Nie Huaisang and gave him a stern look when he started giggling. 

“Would you care to explain the joke to your Jiang-jiejie?” she asked, and he waved his hands for a moment of time to catch his breath before explaining to her that he had spent most of his time at the Cloud Recesses acting as a purveyor of a very different type of art.

Jiang Yanli rolled her eyes – fondly, of course, she was always very fond of her boys, even when they forgot that she was three years older than they were – and said, “All right, then, and when were you going to share some with me?”

“I was trying to figure out what types of things you liked first!” Nie Huaisang protested, and this was why she spent so much time with him even when her other boys were also here – he didn’t forget that she was the jiejie, the one who took care of him and made the decisions about what was appropriate, and he was the didi. He didn’t assume that being a man was more important than age, didn’t put aside their “games” of caring in favor of a valiant warlike demeanor; he remained, wonderfully, the same. “I’d gotten it down to three – here, you take this one; let me know what you think.” He winked. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out to make sure no one comes by while you’re reading.”

“If it’s anything too filthy, you’ll be punished,” she told him, and he looked so delighted by the notion that she suspected she was going to be getting something very filthy indeed. “Little boys don’t need to be looking at such things.”

“Without supervision,” he clarified, and sat down next to her with bright eyes full of anticipation, somehow even more shameless than Wei Wuxian. “From a qualified adult. Like Jiang-jiejie!”

The artwork was utterly filthy, but it was, in fact, just the sort of thing she liked when she snuck into her mother’s rooms to sneak peeks at books filched from the high shelves – better, even, and Nie Huaisang seemed to have an endless supply of it even though he complained bitterly that he’d only brought the cheap stuff that he wouldn’t mind losing, and that the best of that had been mostly bartered away.

That was what it was for, she discovered. Nie Huaisang was selling pornography to bored Wen sect retainers in exchange for creature comforts – better food, a nicer resting place, leniency when he inevitably failed to complete some chore or another – and using the conversations to elicit information.

Not spying, per se, that was far too serious for someone as determinedly frivolous as Nie Huiasang, but it was nice to know when the Wen sect was planning a surprise inspection in the morning or if it was a good day to put on their worst clothing because they were going to be wading through mud.

“You could be quite dangerous if you wanted to be,” she commented to Nie Huaisang one evening while she was brushing his hair. He was very particular about his braids, but he let her do the brushing and oiling; the repetitive action calmed his anxiety, and seeing him calm down and relax into her care in turn calmed her own. “You’re very good at being underestimated.”

“I think I’m estimated at just about right, actually,” he joked. If it had been Jiang Cheng saying it, he would have been turning a dagger on himself with the words; if it had been Wei Wuxian, he would have been boasting; with Nie Huaisang, it was just a joke. He had the confidence to be openly useless – the surest sign of a supportive loving family, she thought wistfully. “What about you? How dangerous are you when you’re not thinking about how to take care of someone?”

“I’m always thinking of that,” she chided him, and tugged lightly on his braids in chastisement; he shivered and quailed very satisfactorily when she did that. Such a good boy for her, when he wanted to be; a very good little brat the rest of the time. “And you know I’m not much of a cultivator.”

“Neither am I,” he said. “I still think Jiang-jiejie could be very scary if she put her mind to it.”

It was nice that he thought so. Nobody else did – perhaps what was why she’d become so interested in caring for people, in making food that they liked and brushing their hair and taking care of their clothing, the sorts of feminine arts that puzzled her mother and weren’t even necessary for a sect leader’s daughter to know how to do. She did it because it was something she could do that, and after a while it became something she longed to do.

Jiang Yanli loved taking care of people.

And Nie Huaisang was so very good at being taken care of. 

Even better than her little A-Xian, if she would allow herself the traitorous little thought – Wei Wuxian liked to play the child for her sometimes, to be spoiled, but he would get bored soon enough, staying only long enough for a few bites of soup and then running off to bicker with Jiang Cheng or to be the brave and chivalrous da-shixiong of the Jiang sect.

Not so Nie Huaisang. He was her little brat all day long: whining and in need of comfort one moment, running too far ahead and in need of a scolding the next, always pushing his luck to see what he could get away with. He was soft, like her; bad at cultivating and good at things like painting and cooking and gossip, feminine things, domestic things, which meant that they had an endless supply of things to talk about that no one else cared about. He made mischief but was obedient, and he thrived under the structure she provided for him, coaxed into doing what he ought and directed away from doing what he shouldn’t.

He was adorable, in a way that she’d never felt about her actual brothers.

Her newest little didi, her A-Sang.

They were, perhaps, growing a little too close.

(But no, Jiang Yanli still maintained the boundaries of being a proper young lady, good obedient Jiang-guniang. Even if she had picked up a very specific pornography habit – but she was never going to tell anyone about that.)

Still, it came as a surprise when they were all in the dark, wretched cave, when the Wen sect threatened them and the corrupted Xuanwu lashed out against the walls to bring down rocks, when one of the Nie sect disciples pushed her behind a rock, shouting, “Take care of Nie-gongzi!” to her as if they really expected her to keep him safe.

“Your men trust me too much,” she said into Nie Huaisang’s hair – his arms were wrapped around her, his eyes watching the battlefield, flicking from side to side as he tracked the course of battle with far more expertise than her. “Don’t you think they meant for you to take care of me?”

“They want you to help keep me from being upset,” he said, and disengaged from her long enough to pick up a fallen sword and throw it with surprising accuracy into the fray – it pieced one of the Wen sect soldiers from behind, breaking their battle line, and the Nie sect disciples overwhelmed them. 

It was a masterful stroke, but Nie Huaisang recoiled from his own hand as if he’d been burned by it. His eyes were wide and white all around the edges, old fears rearing up to rend him into pieces from the inside - she knew the look of it.

“It’s all right,” she said, whispering in his ear. “You did well, didi.”

His shoulders relaxed.

Whatever had made Nie Huaisang so very afraid of shedding blood must had hurt him very deeply, Jiang Yanli thought, and the Nie sect knew it. It all made sense now: that was why they indulged him, why they spoiled him, why they allowed him to grow up as useless as he was, even as they feared him falling into danger. 

It wasn’t that he couldn’t be dangerous - but he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

(Jiang Yanli was very curious to meet the older brother he spoke so very much about. Nearly as much as she spoke of Wei Wuxian or Jiang Cheng, in fact, and didn’t that say everything she needed to know?)

“You should be careful, Jiang-jiejie,” Nie Huaisang murmured as they watched from their safe place as the battle raged on. Every once in a while, he intervened, each strike perfectly placed to cause maximum damage and showing that no matter how much he whined about training there was still muscle and deadly instincts beneath his skin; after each move, she would squeeze him tight and help him regulate his breathing, suppressing the panic attack he immediately fell into so that it could be postponed until a more convenient time. “I might grow to rely on you, and then where would we be? You’d have no choice but to come back to Qinghe and spend your life there with me.”

It was an offer, she thought in surprise, however gently phrased.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one getting a little too close. 

As it happened, Jiang Yanli didn’t have time to respond before the battle finally ended as abruptly as it had started, the Wen sect fleeing the Xuanwu and closing off the exit to the cave, trapping them inside with a ravenous Xuanwu – although one that couldn’t reach them in the corner where they cowered away from it.

The valorous men and women debated what ought to be done next.

The useless ones sat around and waited for their fates to be decided.

Oddly enough, this was the part that began to wear on her. The battle had passed almost without her noticing it, all her attention on caring for Nie Huaisang, but this aftermath - or preliminary, depending on how you looked at it - was utterly agonizing. Watching her brothers ignore her (useless in a fight), think nothing of her (they don’t need her to care for them), no one thought anything of her (what use is she if they don’t need her?) – and then watching them yell at each other and argue and fight without quarter, without mercy, and knowing that she couldn’t intervene, that she was pointless. Her own stress began rising rapidly, her heart beating hard, her breath starting to come short –

“Hey, Jiang-jiejie,” Nie Huaisang said.

She looked at him.

He smiled at her. “I’m hungry. You should make me some soup.”

“Brat,” Jiang Yanli said automatically, and her shoulders slowly came down, calm returning to her heart. He was obviously saying it to comfort her, she wasn’t stupid, but at the same time the request somehow suited her down to the ground and did the trick the way nothing else might have – after all, if her cowardly little brat had enough energy and attention to spare to be begging for food, things couldn’t be that bad. “What type of soup were you thinking?”

His smile widened as he watched the Xuanwu thrashing in the lake, dissatisfied that it could not capture them and rend their bones with its teeth. “Turtle soup.”

(They served it at their wedding.)