#bamboo tree rice noodles

[seelanmarket]

Bamboo Tree Fresh Rice Vermicelli Noodles (1 X 400g)

[vivi-theakuneko]

My art for @ilikepearszine​

I tried using the food & Vietnamese traditional clothes as inspiration for their clothing ^^

Here are the close ups:

f

[Image description] Good Omens characters in clothing inspired by Vietnamese Food, accompanied by descriptions of the food.

Bánh Cuốn, known in English as Steamed Rice Rolls, is a breakfast dish originating from Northern Vietnam. The outside is made by mixing rice flour with water, and the inside is a stir-fried mixture of pork, chopped onions, jicama, mushrooms, and seasonings. It is ideally paired with herbs, bean sprouts, or fish sauce for dipping. Toppings includes slices of pork bologna and fermented pork rolls.

The middle region of Vietnam is famous for extra spicy dishes. One of the most popular ones is Bún Bò Huế (Huế's Beef Noodle), which came from Vietnam's old capital city of Huế, back in the 16th century.A typical bowl contains rice noodles, boiled beef, crab cakes, herbs, and hot broth. The broth is made by simmering marrowbone, hot pepper, shrimp paste, and lemongrass.  Before eating, shacha sauce may be added.

Nicknamed "Shrimps of the Mountains", Sâu Muồng is a specialty  that came from the E-De people living in the mountainous region of Vietnam. The dish is a simple stir-fried caterpillar or chrysalis collected from the senna siamea trees. It is said to have a slightly crunchy texture and a light, fatty taste. They believes it can aid malaria treatments. The E-De people are also famous for their unique way of drinking wine made from fermented grains: they drink from long bamboo straws, as depicted in the drawing.

If you are looking for something sweet and vegan-friendly to snack on, you can't go wrong in Southern Vietnam! If you want something soft, there are bánh bò (steamed rice cakes made from rice flour, sugar, yeast, and water) or bánh da lợn ("pig-skin cake" - not actually made with pig skin, mind you - which is made by steaming mashed yam/green beans, rice flour, sugar). If you are looking for something crunchier, there are bánh tai yến (a fried mixture of sticky-rice flour and coconut milk that looks like a mini sombrero), bánh cam (fried green bean balls with sesame), and a wide assortment of others. With the diverse cuisine of Vietnam, you're sure to find something to please your palate!

[holethoa2010]

Harvesting Ant Eggs Making Sticky Rice Cakes and Fried Spring Rolls with...

Choosing the Right Time and Place

Time: The ideal time to harvest ant eggs is during the early summer months, particularly in April or May. During this period, the weather is warm and humid, providing optimal conditions for ant eggs to develop.

Location: Ant eggs are commonly found in forested areas or near bamboo groves. You can locate ant nests by following ant trails or searching under rocks, in trees, or within bamboo stumps.

Equipment and Tools

A bamboo basket or container

A small shovel or spoon

Gloves (to protect your hands from ant bites)

A fine sieve to filter out debris

Harvesting Process

Locate the Ant Nest: Carefully observe the area for ant activity. Once you find a nest, gently dig around it to uncover the ant eggs.

Collect the Eggs: Use a small shovel or spoon to scoop out the ant eggs and place them in the bamboo basket or container. Be cautious not to harm the ants or disturb the nest too much.

Cleaning the Eggs: Once you've gathered enough eggs, sift them through a fine sieve to remove any dirt, leaves, or small debris. Rinse the eggs gently with clean water and allow them to drain.

2. Making Sticky Rice Cakes with Ant Egg Filling

Ingredients:

500g sticky rice

200g ant eggs (cleaned)

100g mung beans (soaked and cooked)

50g pork belly (thinly sliced)

Shallots, minced

Salt and pepper

Banana leaves (for wrapping)

Preparation Steps:

Prepare the Sticky Rice:

Rinse the sticky rice thoroughly and soak it in water for about 4-6 hours or overnight.

Drain the rice and mix it with a pinch of salt.

Prepare the Filling:

In a hot pan, sauté the minced shallots until fragrant.

Add the pork belly slices and cook until they are lightly browned.

Stir in the mung beans and ant eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes until the mixture is well-combined and fragrant.

Assemble the Cakes:

Lay a banana leaf flat and place a small amount of sticky rice in the center.

Add a spoonful of the ant egg filling on top of the rice.

Cover the filling with more sticky rice to form a small mound.

Wrap the banana leaf around the rice, folding it securely.

Steam the Cakes:

Place the wrapped cakes in a steamer and steam for about 45-60 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and tender.

3. Making Fried Spring Rolls with Ant Egg Filling

Ingredients:

200g ant eggs (cleaned)

100g minced pork

50g glass noodles (soaked and cut into small pieces)

50g carrots (julienned)

50g mushrooms (finely chopped)

1 egg

Rice paper (for wrapping)

Fish sauce, sugar, pepper

Oil for frying

Preparation Steps:

Prepare the Filling:

In a mixing bowl, combine the ant eggs, minced pork, glass noodles, carrots, mushrooms, and egg.

Season the mixture with fish sauce, sugar, and pepper to taste.

Wrap the Spring Rolls:

Soak the rice paper in warm water until soft.

Place a small amount of filling in the center of the rice paper and roll it up tightly, tucking in the sides to create a secure roll.

Fry the Spring Rolls:

Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.

Fry the spring rolls in batches until they are golden brown and crispy on all sides.

Drain the rolls on paper towels to remove excess oil.

4. Serving Suggestions

Sticky Rice Cakes: Serve the sticky rice cakes warm, accompanied by a side of pickled vegetables or fresh herbs.

Fried Spring Rolls: Enjoy the fried spring rolls with a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and chili.

5. Tips and Notes

Safety: When harvesting ant eggs, wear protective clothing to avoid ant bites. It’s also essential to harvest sustainably, taking only what you need and leaving enough for the ants to continue their lifecycle.

Flavor Profile: Ant eggs have a unique flavor, often described as nutty with a subtle citrus note. They pair well with a variety of ingredients, adding a delicate yet distinctive taste to dishes.

Storage: Fresh ant eggs should be used promptly or stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.

[oaresearchpaper]

Bolo Bamboo: Exploring Flour Substitute's Functional Properties

Abstract

The study aimed to generate flour substitute from the shoots and culms of Gigantochloa levis, determine and compare the percent yield of the flour produced between different source parts, and evaluate the functional properties of the shoots flour (SF) and culms flour (CF) in reference to first-class flour (FCF) and third-class flour (TCF). The average yield of the shoots and culm flour were 62.78% and 62.87% respectively. Starch was positively identified via iodine test for both samples. Results indicate that bamboo SF and bamboo CF had the following functional properties respectively; 12.61 and 11.75% moisture, 5.6 and 4.7 pH, 3.1942 and 3.5080 (g/g) water holding capacity (WHC), 1.3879 and 1.2834 (g/g) oil absorption capacity (OAC), 0.6519 and 0.7367 (g/ml) bulk density, 4.1046 and 3.6942 (g/g) swelling power, 20.090 and 24.2342% water solubility, 94 and 95°C gelatinization temperature (GT) and 14% and 16% (g/mL) least gelatinization concentration (LGC). It was revealed from the assessment; functional properties SF and CF are still comparable to the commercial flour with some advantages in other form of products, formulations, and usage. These include dough and pastries, enrichment of high dietary fiber content for bakery products, as flavor retainer, palatability enhancer and shelf-life extender. Based on the findings of this study, it can be inferred that bamboo shoots and culms of Gigantochloa levis could be a viable source for production of flour.

Introduction

Food security is a potential dilemma in the modern world. People currently faced with the challenge of providing low-cost, sustainable and nutritious food for the rapid growing world’s population. Food safety is the importance of accessibility, affordability, use and stability this means that financial and natural resources and the ability of people to eat together determine access to food and their rights (Shaheen et al., 2017).

Land degradation, lack of freshwater, overfishing, and global warming are particularly at risk off reducing food supplies. The demand for food is increasing due to the growing population and growing middle class in developing countries. High technology has helped farmers grow, but inequality in the greatest wealth still deprives the poorest people in the world. Food can be produced with availability of energy sources and resources. One of the main alternative energy sources is biomass, which includes trees and other plants, and energy can be integrated into food chain (Shaheen et al., 2017). Converting these resources to produce alternative food and other beneficial products will improve food supply and livelihoods. By providing these alternative resources, consumers who experience significant food shortages can increase food sources, reduce malnutrition, create alternative incomes, and become increasingly important in the eventof natural disaster such as droughts, food crises, market volatility, political unrest and military disputes (Baum et al., 2015).

The main food groups that most people consume are carbohydrates, protein food containing milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables, fats and sugars. Of the five main groups, carbohydrates provide optimal nutrition for most people with optimal nutrition. More than 55% of all energy comes from carbohydrates of various food ingredients (Asp et al., 1997). Starchy foods considered as hard foods such as pasta, rice, oats, potatoes, noodles, yam, green bananas, sweet potato, millet, couscous, breads, snacks, cereals, barley and rye are the good sources of carbohydrates. Millions of people around the world eat bread and good quality food which were commonly provided. Complex properties of food provide energy, protein, minerals and many other macro and micronutrients. Flour makes an important contribution to industrial use. For example, develop bread, cookies and other pastries, sweets and the common, pasta products. Starch makes up most of the flour (68-76%) and exists in the form of small grains or granules. In general, the main components of white flour are starch 71%, ash 0.5%, lipid 1%, water 2%, moisture 14% and protein 12% (Figoni, 2003). 

Bamboo is a subspecies of Poaceae (grass family) and is comparable to African napper grass, elephant grass, corn, wheat, millet, and sugar cane. It is also an important grass closely related to human life, housing demand, food, clothing, and many other things. In addition, bamboo known as “the plant of multifunctional uses” because of its wide variety of applications due to the constant growth per unit area and high biomass production (Akinlabi et al., 2017). The shoots are consumed locals as vegetables, but now they offered as delicacies in special markets and restaurants and are processed and stored in various forms, including drying, fermentation, pickling, water soaked, and canned (Chongtham et al., 2011). High nutrient value contributes to the excellent nutritional potential of bamboo shoots mainly consist of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acid and low fat (Akinlabi et al., 2017). 

At the upper portion where woody material is located were observed to have high crude fiber content and polysaccharide such as starch and sugar, and during their growth the rhizomes of a 2-3-year-old young culms were know have rich in reserve nutrients (starch and nitrogen) but depending on species and part of culms which also comprises with 40% fibrous tissue and 50% of parenchyma tissue rich in starch (Chongtham et al., 2011; Felisberto et al., 2017).

Since bamboo shoots and culms are rich in nutrients, consisting of fibers, proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acid, low fat, fibrous tissue and parenchyma tissue rich in starch hence there can be a demand for new source of starch which also could be a potential substitute for production of flour. Thus, the study intends to produce and evaluate the functional property of alternative flour sourced from bamboo shoots and culms of Gigantochloa levis.

Source : Functional properties of flour substitute from bolo (Gigantochloa levis) bamboo shoots and culms

[leyhejuhyunghan]

At the garden with my sister Sujung on Monday afternoon. Today in the morning ate a meal with noodles with chili sauce and honey and sesame oil and sesame. In the afternoon drank coffee. Today my sister Susan gave me fruit tea bags and Starbucks coffee slush and Paris Baguette adzuki fresh cream bread. I said thanks to my sister Susan. And ate toast bread. Today it rained. The bamboo tree in the garden was bent by rain. After rainy season I have to manage two bamboo trees that were easily bent in the garden. And wrote a letter to my boyfriend and near future husband Stephan Leyhe on messenger. Did dishwashing. Made conversations with my boyfriend and near future husband Stephan on messenger. Thankful and loving mind for Stephan and his parents and his elder brother and his family and his entire family for accepting me as their new family member. In the evening ate dinner with cooked rice and dried laver and ramen noodles with chili sauce and honey and sesame oil and sesame. And ate chocolate biscuit. And drank iced tea water. Listened to the radio hr-iNFO and the classical music on YouTube and Facebook. Tomorrow in the afternoon will fold laundry and do dishwashing. Have a safe and good day.

[young-able-leader-blog]

The Momo Restuarant !

by: Dareth Rosaline

Are you the one who always want to try tasting different kind of food beside Khmer food? It can be Chinese’s food, European food, Korean food, or Japanese food. Nowadays, we are noticed that there are many restaurants for Korean, Chinese, and European taste but only a few for Japanese food. So LIFT this week will introduce everyone to a new Japanese restaurant, which just open in November last year (2012).

The new Japanese restaurant named “Momo Izakaya”, and it is owned by Miss. Momoko Nagasawa. Momo Izakaya is the restaurant that serves the taste of the original Japanese food especially the kind of Japanese grill meat called Yakitori.

If you travelling along the Norodom Blvd and pass across Lux cinema traffic light in the direction to independent monument, looking at the left side there is a road called Ly Yoak Lay. So you can turn left a long that road and look at the left side again you will see a logo of Momo Izakaya restaurant in the block road 23.

The Momo Izakaya is decorated with the bamboo as well as the beautiful painting with the peach tree and pink color. If we just glance a little bit, it will attract our eyes because it is quite different from other building around.

According to Miss. Momoko, the owner, the reataurant was opened in the purpose serving the original taste of Japanese food with the effort able price for the customer. “Last two years, when I came to Cambodia, there is only one or two Japanese restaurants with the expensive price so I came up with the idea to open a place that customer both Khmer and Japanese can get the Japanese food.” She said.

For Momo Izakaya restaurant, they provide food only for lunch and dinner menu. Lunch time start from 11am to 4pm with the DON lunch set, which is the kind of food with rice, meat, seaweed soup and salad. Besides they also have UDON, which is the kind of Japanese noodle. Then for dinner time form 4 pm to 11 pm, they serve the dinner menu which content different type of Yakatori, grill meat with the Japanese sauce.

Miss Momoko said that all the ingredients of the food in the restaurant are bought from the Japanese food supply Company in Cambodia but for sauce is a bit different from other taste. “ In order to keep the original taste I have to bought the original ingredients too and for the sauce I make it more better but mixed it with my secret recipe.” Miss Momoko said.

Besides Japanese food, Momo Izakaya restaurant also serve different kind of drink both soft and alcohol beverages. Those also included Japanese Sake both hot/cold, Sake with fruit, Shochu, Cocktails, Mocktails, Plum wine, and Wisky

Talking about the price of the food, Miss Momoko said that it is set for all customers with an effort able price. For lunch menu is 3.50 per set and dinner set is from 3.99 up. “ I think the price is  should be acceptable enough because if we think about the ingredient of the food is a lot and I also have to buy it in the high price too so it seem balance between the price and the taste that customer will get.” She said.

Miss Momoko added that the restaurant also have to promotion for the customer such as 1 stamp for every 5 dollar spent then when you get ten stamp you will get 5 dollar off for your next meal as well as the Happy Hour from 4pm to 7pm, if customer buy one jar of beer, they will get other one for free. “ if customer want to taste the original Japanese food with the acceptable price plus a good environment, Please choose to visit our place Momo Izakaya.” Miss Momoko said.

For more information about the Momo Izakaya restaurant, Please go to FB page MOMO IZAKAYA or send an email to MOMOIZAKAYA@gmail.com or contact to the number 023999008.

[flipper42-blog]

Thai Dishes, North East

Thai Dishes, North East

The North East Phaak Tiew (Leaves of Tiew of the Cratoxylum family) is the Queen of the North-eastern vegetables. Young tops, leaves and blossoms are taken with Laab (a kind of dish of which the most important ingredients are minced meat or fish mixed with chillies and lime juice as well as roasted rice and mint leaves), Goi (a kind of dish like Yam but mostly with raw meat as main ingredient),…

[thelooniemoonie]

MOON I THINK THE WORLD'S READY, PLZ GIVE US A COHESIVE LIST OF ALL THE SOLID THINGS U'VE EATEN THAT U SHOULDN'T HAVE

oh boy its been almost a year, this one's gonna be a doozy as I'm writing this over the course of several days lol

The Cohesive List of Every Questionable (Solid) Thing I've Put in My Body:

makeup, namely liquid lip gloss and chapstick

soap

shampoo and lotion

moldy bread with the spores

liver, namely chicken

chicken feet

pig feet/hooves

eel, like the fish

sharkfins

various flowers both edible and questionably edible, because of course

.......blood. from what source i wont say

ramen noodles, uncooked, straight off the dry ass block

dry ramen seasoning too actually

gum (which techincally isnt that bad, but yknow. its not intended to be eaten so its on here)

this REALLY weird strain of seaweed i tried on vacation once in japan called sea grapes (they were really good tho!)

grass. straight up grass. roots too

leaves too actually, but the ones typically for tea or whatever. just shit off the tree

tree sap + bark

bone marrow. from bones that absolutely are not used for marrow

bone shards too, albeit by accident

hair

paper of various kinds, regular tissue construction you name it i’ve probably eaten it

this fucked up jello dish my mom makes that i’ve only tried once and refuse to do so again, because its chicken feet and collagen/fat ground up and stuffed in the freezer

chicken gizards

beef tongue, served cold

.....a lot of animal organs in general, now that i think about it

bamboo shoots, which technically isnt that questionable but i’m putting it on here because it falls under the category of “literally poison unless you cook it correctly”

lotus roots, for the same reason as above

teeth polish, like the ones dentists use

fluoride foam, again same as above

crickets

a potion of chunky sriracha sauce and mint gum

a piece of my baby tooth

yknow those fucked up jellybeans that have good and terrible flavors but theyre disguised as the same color? like the vomit and rotten egg flavors? yeah. what the fuck was up with those

actual rotten eggs

pig ears

literal charcoal bits from various fried/bbq’d foods

similar to above, this terrible Boston Pizza steak i had that was literally burnt. just a slab of coal. like it made a clinking sound when it hit the plate. but i ate it at the time because i was too polite

rocks and sand

rotten fruit

glue

stickers

raw onions, garlic and ginger

lemons. eaten like apples.

raw squid (albeit on accident)

uncooked + unwashed rice (again by accident)

rotten shrimp

and last but not least the thing that made me the most sick on this list: this fucked up brand of chicken burgers that i had as a kid and had to stop eating because it gave me salmonella poisoning and i was sick for a month straight

[my-plastic-life]

Happy New Year!!! Let's hope 2022 is better than the last two years have been! My ani-ME, Kiku, is ready for the New Year! Oshogatsu (the New Year period) is one of the most important holidays of the year in Japan.

The celebration begins in December with bōnenkai, or “forget-the-year” parties, as a means of forgetting the hardships of the past year.

In the photo, you can see a Shimenawa, a sacred straw rope used to indicate a purified space and to protect from evil spirits. Also traditionally hung for the Japanese New Year are oshogatsu kazari (New Year decorations) made of bamboo, pine, and straw. These decorations are hung on the front door of houses or set up at shop entrances to welcome Toshigami (a god that brings good luck in the New Year) and ward off evil spirits. Inside, people display kagami mochi, a two-tiered circular rice cake topped with an orange, as well as ornaments that represent the Chinese zodiac animal for the coming year (for 2022, this is the tiger).

Between Jan. 1-3, people partake in hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year. It is customary to return the previous year's good luck charms to the shrine and replace them with new ones for the coming year. It is common for people to wear kimonos during hatsumode, which Kiku is doing.

Afterward, families return home and feast on osechi ryori, a gorgeous box consisting of various dishes each with a different meaning. Kiku is showing off one such box in this photo.

Also shown in the photo behind and on either side of Kiku are Kadomatsu (pine gates), which are displayed in pairs at the front of house gates and buildings from Jan. 1-7. They usually consist of three bamboo poles cut diagonally to different lengths with pine tree branches tied to them with straw rope. They may also include sprigs of other foliage and flowers. The bamboo represents growth and strength, while pine is a symbol of longevity.

Other traditions include osoji, which is a meticulous cleaning of the house, work place, school, and neighborhood, making everything completely spotless. Nengajo (postcards) are also sent to relatives, friends, colleagues, and other acquaintances, thanking them for their kindness over the past year and wishing them well for the coming year.New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) in Japan is called Omisoka. At this time, it's customary to eat toshikoshi soba, a special dish made of extra-long buckwheat noodles that symbolize a long life, strength, and resilience.

Hatsuhinode is the first sunrise of the year. Before sunrise on January 1st, people often drive to the coast or climb up a mountain to enjoy the view.

Children are gifted with otoshidama, an envelope of money; fly traditional kites called takoage; and play karuta, a traditional card game. During the New Year period, many people also love to hit the shops to get their hands on a fukubukuro, mystery bags full of goods sold at a discounted price.

Daruma are round and hollow Japanese dolls, modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. They are a symbol of perseverance and good luck associated with goal setting, making them popular during the New Year when many people set their resolutions for the coming year. Usually made of papier-mâché, daruma are sold without pupils. The recipient of the doll fills in one pupil upon setting the goal, and then fills in the other when the goal has been achieved successfully. A one-eyed daruma is a reminder of the goal, and helps keep one on track to attaining it.

And so ends today's cultural lesson! In fact it wasn't obvious or already known, I'm very fascinated with Japanese cultures and customs! :D

[mudpuddless]

Q-Branch's Saturday night dish

aka. tofu & veggie noodles, because they make everything better, even nightshifts. (recipe under the cut)

Ingredients are (as the name suggests) highly variable and partially not even strictly necessary but if you want a simple simple dish you can always eat microwave lasagna, so:

noodles (instant ramen? rice noodles? leftover spaghetti? anything goes)

veggies (I used aubergine, zucchini and pea pods because thats what I had on hand. usually at the very bottom of a fridge there are at least some carrots, even in q-branch)

tofu (self explanatory. also not technically required but. ya know. just do it. q-branch typically has some on hand because it keeps for forever)

furthermore:

soysauce

sesame oil (no, its not necessary. its only a teaspoon. I'm not saying you need to add it but you absolutely need to add it)

cooking oil or butter

chili (powder? chopped and dried? fresh? or *gasp* none at all? doesn't matter. of you're cooking for the rest of the team you might want to leave that to personal preference but ya know.((if you want to join team villains, just dumb a whole bunch and dont tell anyone))

lemon juice (again not necessary but you should still absolutely put it, trust me)

garlic

onions

cream/ coconut milk (as per preference. you can always leave it out completely but it helps if you prefer milder dishes)

peanuts (just. peanuts. they can be salted or plain or leftover from some trail mix. again: check with the rest of the shift if anyone is allergic. putting peanuts in food for someone with a nut allergy won't even land you in team villains, even we aren't that bad)

sugar (or honey, if your boss happens to be the extravagant kind and keeps honey for tea around)

water (you always need water. if not for the dish because your noodles are already cooked and your veggies dont need to be steamed, you could always drink some. also take your meds.)

Then you need some kitchen appliances:

a pan, coated of possible because yes

a cutting board for this veggies you are adding because scurvy is not something someone from the 21st century should die from. also for the tofu.

a knife (NOOO) or two knives. or three if youre feeling fancy. the more the merrier and so on

a pot or kettle if you need to cook your noodles and depending on which noodles you're using.

maybe a measuring spoon, but you know. the rules were made to be broken.

NOW. COOKING *cries in teenager*

(these steps read like a choose your own adventure novel except there are no numbers because no. just follow the instructions)

#1 NOODLES:

-> if you have leftover spaghetti: good for you. onto the veggies.

-> if you are using instant ramen: prepare them like usual, except you don't add the seasoning and chilipowder and plant oil and whatever else, to make the worlds most disappointing bowl of ramen.

-> if you are using any kind of asian noodles: usually you can cook them pretty easily by playing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water on top. just let them steep and you're fine. (if they need to cooked, as in "in a pot" cooked (like spaghetti) , do that instead. if you have a choice between spaghetti and any kind of ramen, choose the ramen though)

#2 VEGGIES:

(just. pick whichever veggies youre using, again: these can grow cold so you could use left overs. just. consider what spices are already on them)

-> carrots: cut into thin slices (like wheels but more angled for fanciness points), roast in cooking oil with a pinch of sugar

-> zucchini: cut into 3 mm or 1/8 inch wheels, place in a bowl, cover with boiling water and a pinch of salt, till you like the consistency (usually 7-10 minutes), then drain

-> aubergine: steam with water and a pinch of salt until done, add more water as necessary, place aside when done

-> peapods: roast with a bit of oil and a pinch of salt, place aside when done

-> broccoli or cauliflower: split the little tree thingies into quarters along the vertical axis, roast with a bit of oil and a pinch of salt, place aside when done

-> peas or corn: if they're fresh, add them to a pan with a spoon full of water and roast in a bit of oil and a pinch of slat and sugar when they're almost done

-> any canned veggies (peas, corn, bamboo sprout slices etc): drain and put aside, canned veggies are all cooked in the canning proccess

!!! IT DOESN'T MATTER OF YOU NOODLES/ VEGGIES COOL DOWN OR GO COLD ENTIRELY, SO JUST MAKE THEM WHENEVER YOU HAVE TIME!!!

#3 TOFU

-> cut your block of tofu into cubes (circa one inch or 1.3 cm), place the cubes on a paper towel to get rid of excess water. in a pan heat a tablespoon of oil, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt and some chili flakes. add the tofu when the oil is hot and fry till golden brown.

!!! IT DOESN'T MATTER OF YOU NOODLES/ VEGGIES COOL DOWN OR GO COLD ENTIRELY, SO JUST MAKE THEM WHENEVER YOU HAVE TIME!!!

to finish off:

slice up some onions and roast in a bit of oil and a pinch of sugar and salt.

add crushed and diced garlic

add crushed or diced peanuts

add all your veggies and stir

add your noodles and stir

add any amount of soy sauce depending on the amount of food you're making. keep in mind the amount of salt you added to the individual veggies. (safe amounts are anything form one to four table spoons of soy sauce)

add one teaspoon of sugar

stir.

when you think you're done, keep stirring for another ten seconds.

taste: does it need more salt? sugar? soy sauce? this recipe is too vague on everything else for me to give precise measurements for the sauce, so taste test!!!

if you added too much salt, added too much chili or like coconut milk: add coconut milk

stir again

place in a bowl

sprinkle as much chili as you like on top

add (depending on your portion size and preference) half to a full teaspoon of sesame oil by drizzling it on top

stir and enjoy

use your newfound energy to take over the British government from the inside. join team villains :)

[seelanmarket]

Bamboo Tree Vietnamese Rice Noodle Small 400g

[fatehbaz]

‘In the plantations, there is hunger and loneliness.’ [...] Once-plentiful ... cassowaries, kangaroos and wild pigs, have become difficult to encounter. Aquatic creatures, such as fish, crocodiles and crustaceans, have become contaminated with pesticides and palm oil mill effluents. Edible fruit, nuts and seed-bearing trees are increasingly rare. [...]

E****** and B********* are two of many Indigenous Marind in rural Merauke who have lost their customary forests to agribusiness projects over the last decade. These developments, operated by South Korean and Singaporean conglomerates, are promoted by the Indonesian government in an effort to achieve national self-sufficiency in basic commodities. On the ground, however, agribusiness expansion is undermining the food and water security of Marind communities, who have traditionally relied on the forest for their subsistence. [...] “Now, oil palm eats our land,” I recall her saying. “Our skin is dry and grey, and our bodies are weak. [...] Now, Marind eat rice and instant noodles. Since oil palm arrived, everyone is hungry. This hunger never goes away.” [...]

Many Marind also see hunger as symptomatic of a broader and longer pattern of discrimination toward the Indigenous inhabitants of the Indonesian portion of New Guinea, collectively known as West Papua, on the part of the Indonesian state. Some, for instance, are aware of the irony at play when agribusiness projects implemented in the name of national food security give rise to local food insecurity. Others see this as evidence that Indigenous West Papuans are disposable in the eyes of the state, and that only their land and natural resources matter. [...]

---------

Of all forest foods, sago starch is considered by many Marind to be the most tasty, filling and nutritious. [...] Gathering and processing sago is a deeply social and collective activity, through which Marind affirm and enhance their relationships to each other and to the forest ecology.

Children learn to enhance the environment of plants and animals in ways that support their growth and reproduction. They clear pathways for pigs and deer to travel to water catchments, leave fruit and nuts behind when foraging for cassowaries to feed on, and avoid disturbing the canopy during birds’ mating season.

They also support the growth of sago itself through selective sucker transplanting and felling, clearing dying branches off the boles of sago palms, weeding their base and trunk, and judiciously pruning or trimming fronds to increase leaf formation and starch accumulation. These activities by Marind past and present are what sustain the growth of the forest, as well as the abundance of foods within it.

Going to the forest to procure food is also a way in which Marind connect with, and remember, past events, encounters, and figures of importance in Marind myth, whose stories are recounted by parents and elders to the younger generations. Eating sago and other forest foods produces a collective sense of identity.

It is not just Marind who suffer from hunger as a result of deforestation. Robbed of their water, nutrients and symbiotes, plants and animals that once thrived in the company of their human kin, too, wilt [...]. Bamboo clusters and sago groves collapse as the soil is depleted of its minerals and the rivers contaminated by sludge. Pigs and cassowaries that venture into monocrop plantations die of starvation or are eaten or sold [...].

------

Sophie Chao. “‘In the plantations there is hunger and loneliness’: The cultural dimensions of food insecurity in Papua (commentary).” Mongabay. 14 July 2020.

Subtitle from article: A decade ago, the Indonesian government began to heavily promote large-scale plantation developments in Papua province, a region of savannahs and rich rainforests.

[asian-drama-whump-blog]

Did ya’ll know that Akaso Eiji is severely allergic to like everything on earth?? I just stumbled upon it last night and I never would have guessed that because he appears to eat normal food and stuff in dramas. It seems that fruit is the most severe. Honestly how does he live...  With this condition it must take a lot of work to maintain his health.

This list might not be completely accurate but he’s allergic to:

-  almost all fruits (Peach, apple, grape, kiwi, strawberry, banana, orange, avocado, melon, watermelon, pear, coconut, etc.). This also means all kind of processed fruits such as juice, ice cream, etc. 

-  house dust, cat and dog dander, certain plants: tree or wooden, seafood: shellfish, nuts: peanut, sesame, almonds, walnuts, even rice, wheat, soybeans, corn, barley, soba noodles, vegetables: carrot, garlic, onion, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots, garlic, carrots, celery, pumpkin, spinach, etc.

[clownmeat242]

the big, brown beaded rosary above my grandparents’ bed

a big, bulky backpack full of my dads things

a stick used to pry mud

an apple that stayed very good after a long time

pink, purple, and blue lava lamps

a special yellow lava lamp

an angel baby statuette, lying down holding a moon

2 special, blue coral dolphin figurines, 4 dolphins, 2 dolphins each

a mood bracelet

blue bangles with colorful gemstones

a card id that was my dad’s death identification

a big, interconnected dmv online system with games

a nun’s headdress

various gummy candy

christmas light lawn deer decorations

photographs of my dad

a photograph of my grandpa with my two young cousins

a plastic bag full of yellow rice and shrimp

my dad’s eggs

the string across sierra’s window with our things hanging from it

american flag sunglasses

a brown cigar box

a silver elk creature with silver chains hanging from it

black swirls of death

these goggle-like glasses that would have parts that would pop off when trying to be fixed

a clear, dry glue stick

a bitten off, red ring pop that resembled a pacifier

a peppa pig baby phone toy

a baby book with blue writing and bees all around it, saying “the cross dressing” something

the blue can of axe spray from 2016

my grandpa’s computer

clear, star shaped boxes of blue slime with pink beads

carrot cake

the red ball toy with the cat in the hat on it, from my childhood

a bulky, purple, show poodle toy

an oval shaped virgin mary necklace with a golden crown

a bigger, heavier, circular, holographic necklace of mary, joseph and jesus, with a message about love

a halloween wall decoration of a group of people wearing pink with blank faces

little sims 4 ghost light decorations

fancy bathtubs with buckets to collect water from them

chocolate straws and wafers

a big hole in the sand that resembled one my dad used to dig

the aloe vera plant on grandma’s balcony

the beaded necklace i made with cheap walmart beads, with a part of the ohio bead necklace attached to it

a deep blue, circular pendant of mary and jesus

this virgin mary, religious box and a mary/joseph/jesus figurine

a note written to a teacher about “what my grandpa did to me”

the rose lamp in my room

my puppy angel container

my backpack, stolen by my grandpa

sierra and i’s black notebook

a big toy bear that was actually a real bear

buttered toast

incomplete clown outfits

contradicting black/white couches

metal rods shoved through little mind people holding them in place, dead together

gratuitous cupcakes with baby blue icing

a mix of games i created with a crash code, crashing into itself like a death game black hole

orange juice

my jar of piercings, while my earrings were all missing from my ears

a big grey fountain with a statue virgin mary in the middle of it

mary made of the same opaque glass as the light angel

a documentary about the women who lived in the pink virgin mary house, as well as a youth group

a map of a beach area where mary was born

a metal helmet with little wings

dark black scribble drawings in my old puppy notebook

a drawing about something having to do with protecting the precious innocence of a child

a meth pipe with meth in it

a magnifying glass

a green backpack that belonged to my different dream parents, full of old photographs

golden tooth/gums dog implants

silver paw print dog tag

yellow greyhound bus tickets from savannah, georgia to west virginia

dried chunk of ramen noodles

a handful of clear dog teeth

a bag of blood to drink

my red axe, that i bestowed upon an ally

the blue manatee towel from my childhood

a thing that looked like a bowling pin but it was a “clown drink” and spawned in random places

holographic religious picture in my wallet

alcohol bottles at the store to smash

my clover ring (it’s “lost”)

blue toy unicorns, severed doll heads, naked barbies

a big heart collage figurine thing that my aunt created for me, with a bible verse, a glued picture of me when i was a child on green sea glass, a framed heart photo of my little cousin, a crying fairy angel figurine on top, a candle, and a figurine of st. francis crying, kneeling. it was stuck together with this movable white glue so it would come apart, but it was together.

these book pages that could have paint extracted from them

drawers that could only be opened with passcode

chicken patties that were cooked over and over, dropped in the same places, and eaten

blue ice pops that appeared frozen but were liquid

lemon flavored chips

a letter with evil energy written to me, with thick, scribbly distressed black writing, that said “GET SOME HELP” with a $500 bill, and on the back more unintelligible crayon writing, with 2 names, zesh & halla, and a pumpkin drawing

a shining blue orb in the sky with a mermaid inside, floating down to my grandma’s balcony and created energy

my mom’s teenage ring

a big box of tools

reflective mirror glasses

a screen that “needed repairing”

a dress up game where you could turn a man’s head into the head of a gorilla

2 stacks of childhood photos that i gave to an undeserving person, to look through

an alternate instagram account of someone i knew in middle school where he was dead and it was his memory page

a candid photo of 3 people i knew in middle school

donny’s white truck that i messed up somehow by turning the wheels on gravel

a huge container full of yellow pacifiers

a piece of paper that someone wrote “angel” on

a pink key and a red key

a huge stack of hay that could kill people by rolling over them

the window of a pool supply store with blue art of angels ascending

money that looked like superman cards

a purple vape with a synthetic marijuana substance (paranoia, hallucinations) called axlaxl

a pink box with feminine personal effects

huge cardboard boxes of fruit, stacked on top of small beer boxes stacked on top of each other

a red toy soldier holding a bazooka (counterpart)

a rainbow jumprope stuck in the dirt attached to roots

a huge yellow goodyear semi truck

a small amount of weed in an old altoids can

my dad’s red box of drill bits

my old purple bike

classic bubble gum

my green converse that had something written on them like “cage the lamb”

my tragic clown statue that and had its porcelain coat turned inside out to be a rodeo vest

a white pair of boxers with burgers, fries and soda pops, and another pair over them, cut and snipped

a golden outdoor christmas display of the virgin mary, joseph and jesus

a gargantuan statue of the virgin mary looking down at the ground, wearing a light blue veil, towering over the church

a mermaid drawing on a whiteboard

a white sheet tied up with a black and pink easter egg inside that could put a fully grown human inside of it

pink, rose shaped bouncy ball that lit up, and once lit it wouldn’t ever stop lighting up, a pumpkin one too

food tickets that could get you rice drowned in vegetable water

orange frog displays in dirt

a designated frog hat that lets the people know who the leader is

“angel water” in green vials

aztec heads in the pool bathroom

huge dead roaches

a box of ham

a cat angel statue

2 cherubs made of clay, had water dumped on them and they melted

tall blue flip flops

a white friday the 13th lighter

a white “the shining” lighter that had “jack” written in blood on a hotel wall

an airline called “popair”

silver hanging nipple rings, a silver chain and half blue, half red pants

severed amusement park parts being taken away in a white van

a box of nails/screws, a big black box

bamboo trees

a big ball of chocolate

my skyrim dragon keychain

a drawing pad with 2 girls kissing

a faucet that soaked everything

a disgusting poem written by my grandpa “lathered in water, a son and a daughter, how exquisite”

a red squishy bear toy

[itsuki-minamy]

"VIRTUAL VIETNAM TRIP"

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

An Iwafune day.

After finishing the washing and cleaning in the morning, he makes a simple fried rice with the leftovers from the refrigerator for lunch, and let Nagare and Sukuna eat it.

And when he makes Sencha and rice cakes, he sits in front of the Chabudai, he turned the switch on the TV (similar to an old TV).

For a while, while watching an expansive show, enjoy his appetizers and rice cakes. Finally, the show reflected the travel scene in Vietnam. Comedians and reporters, male and female idols, listen to, drink and eat Vietnamese foods.

"Hm."

Iwafune coughed softly.

"I also want to drink Vietnamese beer."

Although Iwafune has a side that acts like a young man during the summer holidays, the content is still that of an old man.

And he thought he was hearing that.

(Well, I can't help but fulfill that wish.)

Later, Iwafune was shocked.

"Nagare. What is this?"

After going out for a while and coming back, there are about 10 kinds of Vietnamese beer on the table. Also, delicious Vietnamese dishes like Banh Mi, Pho, fresh spring rolls, and Banh Xeo were lined up.

Sukuna and Mishakuji are sitting around the table.

"I ordered at Coober Eats."

Nagare answered very clearly.

"Can they deliver to this place? Coober!"

Iwafune widens his eyes. Sukuna is smiling,

"The delivery man was ridiculous."

Mishakuji claps.

"Let's eat it while it's hot, Nagare-chan. Can I put my headphones back on?"

Nagare nods.

"Affirmative. Iwa-san. We have virtual reality headsets for each person. Please use it."

"I see, that kind of idea."

With a bitter smile, Iwafune grabbed the headphones that were happily placed on the table. It turned out to be a gift from Nagare. When he turned it on...

"Oh, that's amazing!"

The sight of Vietnam stretches before his eyes.

It is a restaurant with terrace seating by the river. The breeze rocks the trees and small boats come and go across the river. The surrounding seats were packed with locals and it seemed to be a very popular shop.

“Iwa-san, thank you for your usual housework. Please enjoy the content with your heart."

"Thank you, Nagare."

Although it is a virtual space, an environment in which foreign languages ​​fly, the surface of the river shines and reflects the sunlight, and the colorful sounds of birds can be heard from the bamboo cage that hangs in the eaves of the restaurants. Immersing them in the feeling of really being in the countryside.

The group ate the Vietnamese food while enjoying the atmosphere. And they decided to ride a bicycle together for exercise after eating. Since it's still virtual reality, they were actually setting up a long, narrow clothesline in order.

It was fun with that.

END.

Note: Pho is a soup made with meat broth, rice noodles and pieces of meat, sliced, more or less large, or finely chopped, into meatballs. The whole is flavored with lime, bean sprouts and pepper, and garnished with chives, mint leaves, basil or coriander. There are two main varieties of Pho, of beef, or Pho Bo, and of chicken, or Pho Ga.

Baguette bread is used to make Bahn Mi, a more airy and crunchy variety found in the West, made with rice and wheat flour. It is usually filled with one or more types of meat, along with seasonings of various types and vegetables. Some of the most common fillings are grilled bacon, grilled chicken, cold cuts, and pork liver pate.

Banh Xeo: It is similar to western crepes. Very tasty and light, it is made with rice flour, water, coconut milk, salt and turmeric, which gives it a little color. It does not contain eggs, which makes it one of the Vietnamese dishes suitable for vegans. It is fried in a pan with hot oil. It can be eaten alone, but the canonical way to prepare it is stuffed with slices of pork, prawns, bean sprouts, etc. It can be eaten whole, or cut into pieces and wrapped with lettuce leaves or rice wafers.

[minmotl]

Chapter 27: Sui Zhou & Tang Fan Living Happily with Each Other (Among Other Things)

Context: After arresting Li Man (Tang Fan’s ex-landlord) for the murder of his wife, Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are trying to find the man’s missing concubine who is a suspected member of the White Lotus Sect. Li Lin is Li Man’s son, who now owns Ah Dong and the house that Tang Fan was staying in previously. More importantly, Tang Fan moves in with Sui Zhou and begins a life of being pampered by Sui Zhou and Ah Dong.

Introduction Post | Masterpost

—

Highlights under the cut

Sui Zhou lives in a house with three sections and courtyards, if a large family lives here, it would be a tight squeeze for everyone, but if Sui Zhou is the only occupant, then the house is ridiculously spacious. Adding Tang Fan to the house is only too easy; there are three main bedrooms, and three side chambers. Aside from the room Sui Zhou is staying in and the single side chamber he uses for storage, the other two main rooms and smaller chambers are offered to Tang Fan for his choosing.

Note: No rent needed.

Tang Fan never thought of staying for free, but Sui Zhou does not lack his bit of rental money, and even if Tang Fan didn’t move in, Sui Zhou would still be the only occupant in this huge house.

Since Sui-baihu said that he will not take any money from Tang Fan with a cold look, Tang-daren does not insist, but whenever he is free, he will buy some rice and noodles and bring it home, together with some other groceries as well. This is equivalent to taking on the food expenses, and this, Sui Zhou does not refuse.

Tang Fan picked a smaller chamber for his own room, not because he’s being courteous and doesn’t dare to stay in a main room, but because the chamber he’s in faces East, and when he opens his door, he can immediately see the courtyard. The view there is pretty good, and when he’s free, he can even grow various plants and flowers under the pillars of the yard.

On a rest day, Tang Fan moves his thing over.

Li Lin didn’t expect that before he could deal with Tang Fan, the man managed to find new accommodations so soon.

Ah Dong’s situation was solved similarly quick, and while Tang Fan could not  handle this matter directly, Sui Zhou does not share the same concerns as he.

He didn’t even have to turn up to solve this in person. All the guards from the Northern Administrative Court had to do was station themselves at the Li family’s house, saying that Li Man’s case has not yet been solved and that they intend to take some of the people in the house back for questioning. So the guards grabbed Ah Chun, Ah Qiu, Ah Dong and the other servants, then returned them, and then took them back to the court again, then brought them back, and then to the courts again. Just a few trips like that and the Li family was unable to tolerate it anymore. Steward Li spoke to the guards and begged them to show mercy, even shoving two silvers at them, but the guards refused. In the end, the Li family could only give up the slave contracts — not only Ah Dong’s, but even Ah Chun’s.

Lady Zhang is no longer here and Ah Chun is not willing to stay in the Li family. Her greatest wish is to regain her freedom and find someone to marry. Previously, Li Lin wanted her to become his concubine, but she was unwilling, so Tang Fan decided to play Good Samaritan thoroughly. Since he agreed to save Ah Dong, he would bring Ah Chun out as well. Ah Qiu is willing to stay in the Li family, so Tang Fan left her to it.

Within three days, everything is settled and Tang Fan cannot help but sigh in awe of the Northern Administrative Court’s efficiency. Moreover, they can do what others cannot, so it is no wonder everyone’s faces change when they hear of the words ‘Embroidered Uniform Guards’.

Ah Dong was sold to the Li family when she was young, and she has nowhere to go after leaving the Li family. The only thing she can do is come and look for Tang Fan.

However, Tang Fan does not hold onto Ah Dong’s slave contract. He instead burns it in front of her, telling her that he will take her in as his adopted sister. Tang Fan adopts her before she is 15 years old, and after that, if she would like to marry, he will not keep her. When that time comes, he will naturally put together a dowry for her and find her a good family.

Of course, Ah Dong is more than willing and immediately begins to call him da-ge. And for Ah Dong who never had a surname, from now onwards, there is a surname in front of her name - Tang Dong.

The house originally had two adult men who left early and returned late, and the housework was usually done by temporary workers. Even if Sui Zhou knows how to cook, it’s impossible for him to have time to cook everyday. After Ah Dong arrived, they do not even need to hire temporary workers. She cooks the food, took the initiative to take on all the housework, and even though she’s young and a little greedy for food and playful, she’s meticulous when she works. It takes no more than two days for the interior and exterior of the house to look entirely new, and she even planted plenty of different plants and flowers. Sui Zhou and Tang Fan are very satisfied with this.

From here on, Tang-daren begins a happy life, absent of the worries of household cleaning chores and cooking.

***

Tang-daren’s life cohabiting with Sui Zhou is entirely too comfortable.

He managed to get several types of seeds to plant in the courtyard and Ah Dong is responsible for taking care of them. Some of the flowers they bought are already blooming well and shortly, the originally empty space is filled with a myriad colours, blooming with vibrance, and the courtyard is suddenly looking more alive.

Tang-daren doesn’t have much skills when it comes to cooking, but he searched for quite a lot of external recipes and says that he’s teaching Ah Dong how to improve the standards of her cooking.

During one of his rest days, as Ah Dong is cooking, a Tang-daren with nothing on his hands starts to recite recipes at Ah Dong, “Wash the plum flowers clean, cook the porridge with snow-melted water, and when it’s cooked, put the plum flowers in and cook them together…”

It’s so noisy that Ah Dong covers her ears and whines, “Da-ge, I’m illiterate, whatever you’re reciting right now, I don’t understand it at all!”

Tang-daren looks so innocent when he says, “It’s not that difficult to understand, is it? Come here, I’ll teach you how to identify characters first. What ‘washing the plum flowers clean’ means, is picking up the fallen petals of plum flowers in the winter, collecting them, washing them clean and then adding it to porridge cooked with melted snow water…”

“But it’s not winter now, where do the plum flowers come from?”

“It can be substituted with plenty of other alternatives. Not just plum flowers, but black locust flowers or pear blossoms, these can be mixed with the porridge, and there are also different effects using different flowers.”

Ah Dong blinks, “But what does plum flower porridge taste like, isn’t it a mouthful of flower petals?”

“… you’re such a spoilsport. Fine, then let’s switch to something else. Erm… here it is! This dish is called Huai Ye Tao. We have to specially pick leaves from the top of the locust tree, pound it and mix it into thin noodle strips. After it’s cooked, we put it into cold water for a soak, and it becomes cold noodles. Then we slice up some garlic, add some vinegar and drizzle it together over the noodles with oil. Oh right, isn’t there a locust tree behind the house? It’s summer too, how about we try this one?”

Ah Dong is drooling too, “This sounds like it’ll be really delicious, and the locust tree isn’t very tall, why not I try tomorrow?”

Tang Fan protests, “No way, you’re still young, what if you fall? You can count on your da-ge in times like this, I’ll go pick the leaves.”

“Huh? Da-ge, you can climb trees?”

“Of course, when I was younger I too was energetic, climbing trees and getting into rivers, why, you don’t believe me?”

Ah Dong looks him up and down properly, and shakes her head.

Tang Fan rolls up his sleeves gleefully and says, “If you don’t believe me, I’ll climb one now to show you. It’s still early anyway, once I pick the leaves, let’s have this for dinner!”

“But I’m already cooking the rice, and it’s better if you don’t go. What if you fall and end up getting scolded by Sui da-ge?

Tang Fan responds, “It’s alright. He’s still reading in the study and won’t have any time to care about what we’re doing for a while.”

As soon as he says this, he turns around and sees the person standing right behind him.

Tang Fan laughs awkwardly, “Guang Chuan-xiong, you’re done so soon?”

Sui Zhou nods, “I heard that Tang-daren is going to climb a tree, so I’m here specially to observe.”

Tang Fan sweats, “What’s there to see when a person is climbing a tree? I’m doing this so everyone can eat more delicious food, don’t you want to try it too?”

“Who’s the one said he wanted to try some Ba Xia Gong the last time, insisted that I bring a rabbit home and then treat the meat with some ancient recipe? In the end it was both sour and bitter, we couldn’t eat even a bit of it,” Sui Zhou says with a stoic expression.

Tang Fan carefully wipes at his sweat, “That was an accident. I forgot that we had to marinate it with alcohol first.”

“Then who was the one who courageously declared that he would make us bamboo shoot soup, and ended up ruining the entire pot?”

“…”

Ah Dong pops her head from the back and betrays Tang Fan without hesitation, “It was da-ge!”

Tang-daren is lectured extensively, unable to lift his head. After Sui Zhou points out his abysmal record, he takes Tang Fan out of the kitchen with him and says, “So you should just be responsible for eating. Going into the kitchen is not suitable for you.”

With this, Tang-daren’s reputation as a rice bucket is cemented.

An expressionless Sui Zhou continues to chide him as they walk away, “Next time when Ah Dong is cooking, don’t go in and disturb her anymore.”

Well aware that he’s at fault, Tang Fan accepts the scolding, “Yes yes yes!”

“Just eat whatever Ah Dong makes, don’t keep coming up with strange recipes for Ah Dong to try, and if you want something fancy, we can go to a restaurant outside.”

Tang-daren nods profusely, “Yes yes yes!”

“Also, you have to eat lesser in the evenings. It’s okay to indulge once in a while with snacks, but this cannot be done every day. Ah Dong told me once that when she was helping you to clean your room, she found some leftover pastry crumbs under your table, and in the beginning she thought we had rats in the house.”

“Yes yes yes!”

Tang-daren feels entirely helpless, and thinks, when I was living alone this was how I lived, so why is it now that after I adopted a sister, made another friend, it seems that I’ve suddenly found two nagging mothers for myself?

After some time staying under the same roof with Sui Zhou, Tang Fan realizes that the man’s life is so simple that it’s bordering on dry and boring.

Usually when it comes to leaving for work, Sui Zhou and Tang Fan will leave the house at about the same time, and even though they come home at different times, they still manage to enjoy dinner together often.

After dinner, they would chat for a while before going back to their own study rooms to read, and they sometimes will have a game of chess or something similar, but Sui Zhou’s game skills are only average and he basically loses every round, suffering defeat at the hands of Tang Fan.

It is common for the Northern Administrative Court to have endless amounts of things to handle, endless numbers of records to read, criminals to catch and secrets that they have to investigate. Compared to Tang Fan, it is several times busier at the court as they have to deal with matters inside the palace, and also outside of it.

When one is at Sui Zhou’s position, it is often that he has to pull several all-nighters without returning home, but Sui Zhou is serious and sombre in nature, unlike other men who occasionally go out to eat, drink, gamble and visit brothels. His life is even simpler than Tang Fan’s.

Tang-daren feels that as a friend, he has a duty to change the lack of fun in Sui Zhou’s life, so when he’s free he thinks of various ideas, hoping to spice up Sui Zhou’s free time.

Just like what he’s doing now.

“Here, xiong-di, these are novels I’ve kept for many years. If you’ve got some time, don’t always bury your head in work, you’ll get old easily like this. I know that your duties are important, but we have to live well too, am I right?”

Tang Fan puts a stack of books on the table, and smiles at Sui Zhou.

Spending so much time with Tang-daren has taught Sui Zhou that under the man’s gentle and elegant appearance, Tang Fan can be rather eccentric and unorthodox, and so hearing what Tang Fan said, he puts down his brush and helplessly leafs through the books.

He says, “I’ve read all of these.”

“You’ve read them all?” Tang Fan asks, stunned. Indeed, a book cannot be judged by its cover, he really could not tell!

Sui Zhou replies, “Some time back the disciples from White Lotus Sect used books to spread rumours and confuse the public, so the Northern Administrative Court needed to check all the books in the market, in case malicious actors used the books as an excuse to commit treason.”

He gets to the last book and takes it out, “What is this about?”

Tang-daren goes ‘oh’, and sheepishly, he says, “I wrote that.”

“…”

===

Notes:

*百户 bai hu

There are four ranks within the Embroidered Uniform Guards - 千户 (qian hu)、百户 (bai hu)、总旗 (zong qi)、小旗 (xiao qi) arranged highest to smallest rank, aside from the Commander 统领官 (zong ling guan).

*三进 san jin

Houses during this era are all measured by how many 进 (jin) it has. A proper house would have several courtyards, sections and chambers, and every enclosed courtyard is consider one jin. From a visual perspective, each rectangle section formed in the house regardless of the size is considered one jin. It’s pretty interesting and you can take a look at a diagram of how the house is sectioned here.

*主房, 厢房 zhu fang, xiang fang

A courtyard is usually surrounded by four room sections, and the two longer ones are considered bigger main rooms/houses, while the smaller ones are considered chambers. You can take a look at the diagrams here.

*春夏秋冬 chun xia qiu dong

The four seasons - spring 春 (chun), summer 夏 (xia) autumn 秋 (qiu) winter 冬 (dong). The Li family had four servants, Ah Dong being one of them, and it’s common to name girls after the seasons, so the servants were named Ah Chun, Ah Xia, Ah Qiu and Ah Dong.

*大哥 da ge

Older brother. You can call any male slightly older than you da ge.

*槐叶冷淘 huai ye leng tao

The novel names it huai ye tao, this is a historic cold noodle dish.

*拨霞供 ba xia gong

A rabbit meat dish.

*饭桶 fan tong 

Literally translated means rice bucket (fan tong). Rice bucket can be understood to refer to a person with a bottomless pit for food, but is also used as a metaphor for a useless person. First referenced in Chapter 8.

*兄弟 xiong di

Meaning brother. This can be meant for like bros - brothers or actual biological brothers. You can also use both characters separately, with xiong used for a male your age or older, and di for someone younger. Tang Fan calls Sui Zhou Guang Chuan-xiong quite frequently.

*人不可貌相 ren bu ke mao xiang

An idiom that is equivalent to ‘don’t judge by a book by its cover’. It means simply not to judge a person from their looks, but the idiom works well in this case.

*《拾珍记》、《一枝花话》、《莺莺传》、《取经诗话》、《武王伐纣平话》、《金玉良缘》、《多情记》、《梨花缘记》

In the novel they do name all the books that Tang Fan tries to get Sui Zhou to read towards the end of the chapter, but it’s really hard to translate, so I didn’t attempt, but the books that Tang Fan chose are mostly fiction (erotica or not) and the one Tang Fan wrote himself is the last one in the list above called Li Hua Yuan Ji which translates roughly to The Story of the Pear Blossoms.