#chickpea meatballs

[veganfocus]

Vegan Chickpea Meatballs

These vegan chickpea meatballs are irresistible and super easy to make. The ingredients are chickpeas, bread crumbs, almond flour, nutritional yeast, and various seasonings. You’ll love these meatballs that are packed with protein and flavor!

Serve with pasta dishes, in sandwiches or wraps, as an appetizer, as a snack with a favorite dip or sauce, in salads, with mashed potatoes and gravy, or in rice, quinoa grain bowls.

[jessehisco]

Chickpea Vegetarian Meatballs Recipe These vegetarian chickpea meatballs flavored with garlic and parsley make a quick and easy meatless main dish that is tasty and filling.

[morethansalad]

Vegan Hungarian Pea Stew with Meatballs

[everything-maxriemelt]

Winter supper 🧣🧣🧣

[dancingdikdiks]

Easy Baked Falafel with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce Recipe Try this reimagined version of a traditional Middle Eastern sandwich with oven-baked falafel to reduce calories. 3 cloves garlic smashed, 3/4 onion diced, 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup seeded and minced cucumber squeezed dry, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste, 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed, 1 small lemon zested, 1 egg beaten, cooking spray, 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, salt to taste, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons olive oil divided

[lookbook-mademoiselleplume]

Chickpea Vegetarian Meatballs These vegetarian chickpea meatballs flavored with garlic and parsley make a quick and easy meatless main dish that is tasty and filling. 6 cloves garlic minced, 2 cups canned chickpeas drained, 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 tablespoon salt-free seasoning blend, salt and ground black pepper to taste, 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs, 1 egg, cooking spray, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 white onion minced

[recipecooking]

Falafel Recipe How to Make Chickpea Patties

[cupcraft]

Im trying to learn to cook, do you have any good recipes for a complete beginner?

Hello anon I am going to link you my fav easy recipes that I've bookmarked over the years. You can also modify these easily for dietary restrictions (use other meat/vegan meat. Use coconut milk/cream instead of heavy cream. etc.). Also add things that make stuff easier for you too like instant rice/pasta!

Turkey meatballs

How to use crockpot/slowcooker drippings to make gravy

Sesame Garlic Pan Fried Tofu

Bison Chili (can use other ground meats & also use a slow cooker btw I've done it)

One pan baked fish & potatoes

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Easy chicken marinades

Parm crusted Tilapia

Roast chickpea cous cous bowl

Shrimp & Grits

Ricotta lemon spinach pasta

Super crispy tofu

Shrimp Scampi

Cheeseburger soup

Garlic & Butter shrimp (can server over many easy sides!)

Japanese Curry with Roux Cubes (you can buy any roux cube you like this guide helps you make the curries!)

Slowcooker/crockpot chuck roast

Coconut tofu curry (ive also made this with chicken!)

Cheddar Rosemary Scones (ive also replaced the rosemary with chives before to great success!)

Shepard's Pie (you can also use instant mashed potatoes to make this a lot easier!)

Roasted potatoes

[useless-catalanfacts]

I'm a fan!

For a few years now, ramen (Japanese noodle soup) has taken over Barcelona (Catalonia's capital city). It's a very good soup, I have liked it ever since I first tried it, precisely because it reminded me of our escudella (Catalan noodle soup that can go with different kinds of meat, vegetables, and chickpeas).

Now, the chef Jordi Vilà has created the first escudella to take away, a "street escudella". The chef says he will still cook it the traditional way that our mothers and grandmothers have always done, but with a modern take-away format, served in a biodegradable pot. It's sold in his shop Va de Cuina (carrer Comte Borrell, 54, Barcelona).

The broth brews for more than 15 hours, with chicken, pork, lard (all meat used is ecological), cabbage, chickpeas, turnip, parsnip, carrot, potato, onion, and —of course!— pilota (a delicious kind of meatball made of mixed minced meat and parsley). An individual ration (400 ml) costs 7.73€, and a big pot of 700 ml costs 12.80€, not bad at all for Barcelona prices.

Take away is still very new in our country outside of pizza and roasted chicken, I don't know how it will go with soup, but I hope it works because I am a huge fan of escudella and it will be very comfortable to be able to buy it already cooked every so often 😁

[strle]

2023/2024 Soup Bucket List

Because a linked list posted publicly to your own tumblr is still the best way to keep an easily accessible collection of links on your phone. Complied from the links i liked the look of in the Culture Study Soup Extravaganza thread, Chunky Soups

Ginger Garlic Chicken Noodle Soup Deb Perelman Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens Melissa Clark, NYT Vegitable Soup (Vegan!) Cooking Classy Smoky Sweet Potato Chicken Stoup, Rachel Ray Dilly Bean Stew with Cabbage & Frizzed onions Alison Roman Instant Pot Curried Cauliflower & Butternut Squash Foraged Dish Lasagna Soup SkinnyTaste Chicken Tortilla Soup What's Gaby cooking Creamy Wild Rice Chicken Soup with Roasted Mushrooms Halfbaked Harvest Chicken and Rice Soup with Garlicky Chile Oil Bon Apetit Greek Lentil Soup ✓ Limey Ginger Chicken & Rice Soup Pinch of Yum (tbh, 2x+ the ginger) Navy Bean Soup with Worcester Vegan Coconut Lentil Bon Apetit Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup OTTOLENGHI Magical Chicken & Parmesean Soup Red Curry Lentils w Spinach NYT Chicken Stew with Olives & Lentils & Artichokes Dishoom Daal in the slow cooker(?!?!) North African Chickpea and Kale with Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili with Kale 3 Bean Chilli from Pinch of Yum Stracciatella (egg and parm and spinach) Martha Stewart Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chilli

Pureed Soups Red Lentil Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk Vegetarian Times Tomato and White Bean Soup With Lots of Garlic Ali Slagel, NYT Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato (Vegan!) Half Baked Harvest Broccoli Chedder, Smitten Kitchen ✓Creamy Cauliflower & Chick Pea A Cedar Spoon ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ✓Golden Soup (also Cauliflower & Chickpea) Pinch of Yum ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Tomato Harissa Coconut Bisque Dishing up the Dirt ✓ Carrot Soup with Miso & Sesame Smitten Kitchen SO GOOD Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower GF! Iowa Girl Eats Instant Pot Corn Chowder (vegan!) 7 vegetable and "cheese" soup (vegan!) Jamie Oliver Sweet Potato & Chorizo Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (NYT) Curried butternut squash soup with Coriander Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish Rachel Ray

Magic Mineral Broth Recipe

Paleo Soups

braised ginger meatballs in coconut broth Smitten Kitchen Italian Sausage Stew Paleo Plan NoBean Sweet Potato & Turkey Chilli

[angelmush]

i have the week off from work and just reorganized some of the things in my fridge and pantry and am planning my meals 4 the week in no particular order:

homemade fried chicken sandwiches w pickles and a hot sauce mayo on butter buns w some potato chips and crisp cold veggies

a summery creamy lemon pasta w linguine and parm

homemade teriyaki chicken w sesame farmer's market bok choy

grilled white fish tacos w lime slaw and pickled onions

seared pork meatballs w a bright, spicy, herbaceous mojo sauce and jammy charred roasted red onion served w hot sticky rice and plantain chips (literally one of my favorite easy meals everrrrr it's so good)

other easy meals lol:

chickpea or smoked fish salad sammy

4 cheese ravioli in some very vibrant pesto i got at a fancy grocery store

grilled pb+j on a baguette

leftovers lmao

cheese n meats n fruits

goat cheese turkey pesto sammy i’ve been eating 5 times a week lately lolll

[morethansalad]

Vegan Koofte Berenji (Persian Lentil, Rice, and Herb 'Meat' Balls)

[tired-reader-writer]

So in chapter 2 of my fic Winds of Wolfsong I was originally going to go much more in-depth with Nowruz, the new-year celebration, what with food and all, I even collected notes.

However, I did not actually end up including a lot of the stuff in the chapter itself, most of it didn't even end up being written into the first draft. I was gonna figure out the incorporation of symbolism as I wrote, which didn't end up happening, whoops.

But I gathered notes, they'll probably come into use in the future and hey, y'all might be interested and find some use out of those too.

Sizdah Bedar (Persian: سیزده‌بدر – sīzdah bedar), (lit. 'Thirteen outdoor') also known as Nature's Day (روز طبیعت – rūz-e tabī'at), is an Iranian festival held annually on the thirteenth day of Farvardin, the first month of the Iranian calendar (and the first month of spring, during which people spend time picnicking outdoors. It marks the end of the Nowruz holidays in Iran.

This actually made it into the fic, what with the little family going out for a picnic in the morning, though they did the actually get to have the picnic due to... stuff happening. Isfan says:

Today is the thirteenth of the new year, the last of Nowruz, the second one without Lady Jahanara.

So... yeah!

A custom performed at the end of the picnic is to throw the sprouted greens (سبزه – Sabze) that were part of the traditional Haft-Seen Nowruz display into moving water.

In the chapter Isfan says:

They would cast the Sabzeh sprouts in this stream afterwards, all of them, together.

It is actually customs for young people to knot the sprouts together if they're wishing for marriage partners, it didn't get mentioned in the chapter because nobody was looking for a marriage at the moment. Shapur is resolute to not wed, the kids are too young, Sanira and Behnam are married to each other.

Sekanjabin (Persian: سکنجبین), one of the oldest Iranian drinks, is made of honey and vinegar. Sekanjabin is usually served in summer. It is sometimes seasoned with mint. It is very popular in summer, but it is also an inseparable part of Sizdah Bedar. Iranians eat lettuce with Sekanjabin. This act is symbolically a promise to stay healthy during the New Year. Sekanjabin is a compound of سرکه serke "vinegar" and انگبین angabin "honey".

I at the very least wanted to include Sekanjabin buuuuuut I couldn't find the space. Oh well, it'll have to be put in cryosleep for future use.

Ash-e doogh, (Persian: آش دوغ), also known as "yoghurt soup", originates from the Azeri region of northwest Iran and is one of the traditional soups of Ardabil. It is a common dish found in many regions and cultures within West Asia, including Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Ash-e doogh is a soup usually made with yogurt or doogh, as well as different kind of herbs (such as coriander, leek, tarragon, mint, and parsley), vegetables (such as spinach, purslane, chickpeas, peas, onion and garlic), lamb meatballs, eggs, rice, salt and several types of spices. Fried mint with oil (and sometimes garlic) is used as a topping for the soup. This soup can be made vegetarian.

Doesn't have much of a symbolic thing going on, just collected in case I may need it.

One of the most common foods cooked on the occasion of Nowruz is Samanu (Samanak, Somank, Somalek). This food is prepared using wheat germ. In most countries that celebrate Nowruz, this food is cooked. In some countries, cooking this food is associated with certain rituals. Women and girls in different parts of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan cook Samanu in groups and sometimes during the night, and when cooking it, they sing memorable songs.

Samanu did actually make it... into a discarded draft. I ended up erasing the sentence and I can't find it again but it was just a passing mention of the brothers having it with bread for breakfast. Samanu does have a symbolic meaning, especially associated with Nowruz, as it is one of the seven items placed on the Haft-sīn table during the celebration.

The Haft-Seen table is composed of “haft” (or seven) essential symbols that represent nature, and “sin” which may have been shortened from “sini” (or trays), which held these essential symbols. The symbols break down into three from the material world (or “donyaheh mahdoodiat”), three from the immaterial world (or “donayeh maanah”) — this is the world of meaning and ideas — and one symbol that sits between and ties these two worlds together.

×

By tradition, Iranian families take great pains to create the most beautiful Haft-Seen table that they can, for not only does it embody values both traditional and spiritual, it is also appreciated by the visitors during Nowruz visiting exchanges as a reflection of the families' aesthetic sense and good taste.

×

Typically, before the arrival of Nowruz, family members gather around the Haft-sin table and await the exact moment of the March equinox to celebrate the New Year. The number 7 and the letter S are related to the seven Ameshasepantas as mentioned in the Zend-Avesta. They relate to the four elements of Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the three life forms of Humans, Animals and Plants. In modern times, the explanation was simplified to mean that the Haft-sin (Persian: هفت‌سین, seven things beginning with the letter sin (س)) are: • Sabze/Sabzeh (Persian: سبزه), Sprouting/Grass – wheat, barley, mung bean, or lentil sprouts grown in a dish, the symbol of rebirth and growth. • Samanu (Persian: سمنو) – sweet pudding made from wheat germ, the symbol of power and strength. • Senjed (Persian: سنجد) – Persian olive, the symbol of love. • Serke/Serkeh (Persian: سرکه) – vinegar, the symbol of patience. • Sib/Seeb (Persian: سیب) – apple, the symbol of beauty. • Sīr/Seer (Persian: سیر) – garlic, the symbol of health and medicine. • Somāq/Somagh (Persian: سماق) – sumac, the symbol of sunrise.

Man, reading the notes again, I wish I could've found a way to incorporate this but oh well, no use lamenting over it now. I'm sure I'll find some use of it in the future.

But they're not the only items on the Haft-sīn table.

Items that don't start with "س" but, nonetheless, are invariably included: • Tokhm-e Morg Rangi (تخم‌مرغ رنگی): Eggs, the symbol of fertility. • Ayina (آینه): Mirror, the symbol of self-reflection. • Shem'a (شمع): Candle, the symbol of enlightenment. • Maahi-ye Qırmız (ماهی قرمز): Goldfish, the symbol of progress. • Ketaab (کتاب): Book, the symbol of wisdom.

I'm less bummed about those because I wasn't determined to include them anyways but here they are nonetheless!

I don't know when they'd take down the Haft-sīn table, if they would've taken it down yet, so I may be able to squeeze some use out of it yet. We'll see.

@innerchorus You said you were interested so here ya go!

[laurkamkitchen]

Every so often you just need a good meatball sub, and Remus and I were really feeling that this week. For me, this of course meant making vegan meatballs, and, after browsing a few recipes, this one seemed simple and straightforward with plenty of ingredients I already had on hand.

I made about a third of this using a hunk of old baguette we had lying around in lieu of the sourdough. As a whole, this was a pretty straightforward process; I hardly had to think at all about what I was doing, a real win for a vegan meatball recipe in my book, as they can get complicated and messy pretty fast.

The texture here was honestly perfect, super moldable but not too sticky, which I’ve found to be a hard balance to strike. Baking went well; these were ready to come out right at 25 minutes. They turned out nice and browned all over, even without daubing them with extra oil, but somehow maintained their shape beautifully when I bought into them, not crumbling at all. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a vegan meatball with such effortless texture; they were nice and soft on the inside but crisp outside, avoiding either pitfall.

The only downside was probably the flavor, which was great, but did not come at all close to wowing me. But doused in Remus’s homemade sauce and encased in fresh, delicious M&S baguette (not the same one I used in the food processor), these were absolutely great and would definitely be worth experimenting with to secure an easy vegan meatball recipe that is flawless both in texture and in taste.

[hippolotamus]

Hippo my lovely 💕

21 - this is a very long hug now sort of hug

If it sparks joy 💕

It did! Eventually (sheepishly kicks at the dirt) Enjoy, lovely 🦛💞🐥

For the full experience may I recommend

if i’m being honest (it scares me to death) | T | 2926 words

Just got in. See you tomorrow.

Buck pockets his phone and enters the apartment — it’s not home, never really has been — his movements slow and easy, like he’s floating. Buoyed by the sort of love and contentment that can only come from spending an evening at the Diaz house. A few precious hours of dinner, then playing Boggle and Scattergories until Chris begged off to play an online game with his friends. His limbs are loose and humming, like his veins have been injected with liquid starlight. Even the air around him feels syrupy sweet and pleasant. The kind of thick, protective cover that nothing negative could hope to ruin.

He drops his keys in the bowl and immediately walks to the fridge to put away the Tupperware container of leftover mushroom and chickpea meatballs with zoodles for tomorrow’s lunch.

Eddie picked the recipe, saying he wanted to try it. No particular reason, he just did. He’s been doing that more lately, choosing dishes he would make anyway and subbing in vegan ingredients.

Buck took notice immediately and makes sure to show his gratitude in heaping platefuls and commenting on how delicious it all is. He knows from experience that it’s all too easy to end up with dried out, inedible food that shouldn’t be fed to anyone. It’s the least he can do for his best friend making the effort to cook something special just for him. Even if said best friend will never admit that’s why he’s doing it.

At times, if Buck lets himself look too closely, it feels a lot like something else. These acts of service feel a lot like love. And it is. The sort of love two best friends who would do anything for each other have. Buck’s not naïve enough to think that Eddie wouldn’t do the same thing for any of their friends or family. But at the same time it’s also more? Deeper. A sacred bond or formula shared just between them. Like learning Bobby’s chili doesn’t work without the cocoa powder. Someone could try a million different ways and it would never turn out right.

He wants to be brave enough to name this thing they’ve been building since promising to have each other’s backs. This relationship forged in fire, mud, and tsunamis. Built on collapsing foundations, busted down doors, lightning strikes, and ‘Because, Evan’.

If he could be part of Eddie and Christopher’s lives for everything, he would do it in a heartbeat. But that always seems like too much and not enough to ask for. Because Buck is too much and not enough. Acceptable in measured increments for precise amounts of time. For now — probably forever — he tucks that dream away in favor of focusing on what he does have.

With the leftovers safely put away, he grabs a beer, twisting off the cap and listening to it slide across the countertop, finally slowing to a stop next to the utensil caddy. It’s… loud. Too loud for such a small object. Or maybe the apartment is just too… cavernous? Empty?

Buck leans back against the counter, taking a lengthy sip and visually assessing his space. He has things. The right amount of things, even. After all, he’s one single person. How much could he need? He drowns the thought with more beer when his mind tries to remind him of six cheese lasagna and couches and having the answers.

He decides it’s not worth ruining his still relatively excellent mood by worrying over something as trivial as a chunk of metal, and moves out to the patio. It might do him some good.

The atmosphere is filled with the sights and sounds of the city at night. A complex symphony of traffic, music and people wrapped in an LED haze that starts at the street and drifts slowly upward. It’s a familiar melody that, just like the apartment, isn’t home but does its best to provide comfort.

He manages to pick out a few stars peeking through. Not full constellations. Those are impossible, staying hidden like the ancient giants they are. It’s nice to still be able to see the twinkling specks, even if they’re nothing like some places he’s been.

On the ranch in Montana he would lay on the hood of his Jeep and stare for what felt like hours. Feeling small, but also like something was waiting for him. Like he was part of something bigger that he just hadn’t discovered yet. Looking at the sky now doesn’t feel that way. More like being at sea, adrift and searching. Waiting to be found, though he’s not quite sure by who or what.

It reminds him of a documentary he watched once about otters. The mothers fluff up their pup’s fur and leave them to float while they hunt for food. The babies are powerless to do anything except spin in a circle until she returns. Sometimes Buck feels like that. Like somebody has given him enough support to turn in place but not actually go anywhere.

He casts a look at the table and chairs and finds himself thinking of fixing, being at your worst, trying again anyway, and— no. Clearly being outside isn’t helping, so Buck returns indoors, hoping the television will prove to be enough of a distraction.

As he searches for something to watch, it seems reasonable he just needed a better place to focus his attention that isn’t his own inner chatter. He’s already slightly irritated that the vibrant glow from earlier has faded so significantly. Maybe there’s still a chance it can be recovered.

He quickly settles on a cooking program and that gets him smiling again. He doesn’t even particularly care what’s being presented, just that it evokes the same warmth as being welcomed home and brown eyes with flecks of gold. At least until the next episode comes on.

This one features a couple, a husband and wife posed in their studio kitchen. They’re surrounded by pristine white cabinets, gleaming mixing bowls, and perfectly measured ingredients that will make a stunning something-or-other. When it’s complete they’ll pull it from the stainless steel double oven to be served on the prop table that’s been set like a photo shoot for Better Homes & Gardens.

Buck can’t help but notice how they move in harmony, fluidly traversing around each other, like a ballet. Like partners. Maybe it’s all for an audience, but it looks genuine. Not the type of movement that’s choreographed or faked. He stares, scrutinizing every instance of adoring looks and playful gestures until something within him finally cracks.

The hollow ache that usually lives in his chest suddenly feels deeper. Wider. Like it may actually break through and tear him apart, causing him to wonder how such emptiness can feel so massive. As if his ribs are slowly cracking open, snapping one by one, stretching the skin while crushing his lungs and heart. He wants to scream or something. Anything to untangle the mess sitting under his sternum.

Through rapid, gasping breaths Buck tries to refocus, to take himself back. Even just fifteen minutes. Is that so much to ask? Returning to blissfully, ignorantly, mindlessly observing?

Despite what he wants, the screen remains unchanged. Mr and Mrs Fucking Perfect carry on with their routine, blurred and watery in front of him. And Buck – he’s spinning in circles again, too helpless to do anything except wait. Except he doesn’t want to. He’s so tired of drifting and circling and clinging and pausing.

It’s just- when he’s the guy who’s always trying to fix things that are out of his control… what is he supposed to do?

🍠🍠🍠🍠🍠

Eddie puts the last of the dry dishes away in the bottom cabinet, and not a moment too soon. He’s got an early shift in the morning and has to get to bed. He could have left them in the rack for tomorrow, but it gave him extra time to mentally replay the earlier parts of the night. Like watching Buck smile, all pleased and fond, every time Eddie thanked him for a helpful cooking tip. Or watching Chris break out in a full belly laugh at one of Buck’s corny dad jokes.

It really is a form of self-torture sometimes, having Buck over for dinner and homework and board games. Pretending they’re a family and this is a normal everyday thing he gets to have.

He tells himself it’s for Chris, too, but he also knows that’s a blatant lie. If Chris wasn’t a factor Eddie’s pretty sure he’d invent any and all reasons to spend more time with Buck.

Eddie sighs and lays the dish towel over the sink edge. The ridiculous one that says Silence of the Yams over a print of a sliced up root vegetable. It came as part of a set Buck and Chris gave him last Thanksgiving. It’s probably not a coincidence he uses this particular one the most. The shade is a nearly identical match to the burnt orange sweater Eddie always likes on Buck.

There are times it feels like he’s not the only one with all these feelings welling up inside, trying to prevent them from bleeding out through his pores and spilling onto Buck. Like there’s something in the casual touches and glances that pass between them. Something electric and charged that’s more than bros or friends and decidedly not platonic.

One day, maybe, he’ll work up the nerve to tell Buck what’s in his heart. To ask him on a date and hope he’s not fucking up the best relationship that’s ever happened to him and his son. For now he’ll take whatever Buck is willing to give. Even if it only ever comes in the form of shoulder nudges, zoo trips, and Keeping the Peas housewares.

He starts his nightly routine, walking a path through the rooms, turning off lights and making sure doors are locked. When the final throw pillow is returned and the last pile is straightened, he hears the tentative knocking.

The noise immediately puts him on edge, setting off his protective instincts. Nothing good can come from someone being at his house this late. Christopher is in bed and Buck has his own key. Eddie tiptoes across the floor to peer through the peephole, shocked to discover who’s waiting on the other side.

“Buck?” Eddie turns the deadbolt, opening the door wide for his friend.

This isn’t anything like the night he came seeking respite from Maddie’s well-intentioned visitor train. Instead of standing tall, barreling past Eddie, Buck stares straight ahead, unblinking and motionless with slumped shoulders that make him appear small. Eddie can see how his eyes are puffy and red-rimmed. He looks utterly broken.

Before Eddie can say his name again, Buck surges forward over the threshold. He falls into Eddie, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s waist and burying his face into the crook of his neck.

Eddie pushes the door shut, not bothering to listen if it latched correctly or not. He returns the embrace, one hand on Buck’s back, the other gently petting his hair as Buck’s body shudders against his own.

He gratefully absorbs each whimper and sob. The way thick, searching fingers clutch at his shirt.

“Shhhh, hey. I’ve got you.”

Buck was fine a few hours ago. What the hell could have happened since then?

“I- I’m sorry, Eds.” Buck begins to pull back, rubbing away the wetness on the sleeve of his maroon hoodie. “It’s late. I shouldn’t have- I’m gonna–” He jerks his chin toward the doorway.

“Uh-uh. None of that.” Eddie lightly grips Buck’s elbow, a silent question. Buck hesitates, looking between Eddie and the entryway, before he acquiesces to letting Eddie tug him closer again.

He wants to do any number or ill-advised things like hold Buck’s face between his palms, kiss away every tear, and murmur every wonderful thought he’s ever had about the man in his arms until Buck believes them. For now he settles for cradling and rubbing soothing patterns and silently loving. He’ll stand here all night if that’s what Buck needs. He can do that.

“I don’t know what happened. All I did was turn on Food Network,” Buck warbles. Then he shakes his head against Eddie’s shoulder, exhaling a world weary breath. A puff of air expelled by someone carrying the universe and trying to make it appear no bigger than a classroom globe. Eddie’s, unfortunately, more than a little familiar.

“That’s not true,” Buck confesses.

The silence returns and Eddie waits for Buck to elaborate on what he means. It isn’t long before the explanation comes, so muted that Eddie almost doesn’t catch it.

“I’m tired, Eds. Of pretending to be happy alone and waiting to be chosen. Tired of holding back just so the wrong person likes some version of me that isn’t even authentic. It’s just all so exhausting.”

I’d choose you. Three words Eddie can’t bear to make himself say out loud, because his best friend is hurting and now is most definitely not the time for that kind of confession. So he holds onto them a little longer, ignoring the sting where they settle back into his heart. A burning pain that only becomes more intense when Buck burrows impossibly closer, continuing to cling to Eddie like a lifeline.

Buck speaks again, sounding unfathomably small and heartbroken. “Am I that hard to love?”

“No.” Eddie’s answer is immediate and unwavering. As true as the night he first decided in front of their captain and an exploding ambulance.

Buck responds with a skeptical huff. “You have to say that because you’re my best friend.”

Eddie slides the hand on the back of Buck’s neck forward, grazing over his cheek and under his chin until he can tip his head up. Even in the darkness, Buck’s eyes are exceptionally blue. Endless depths that manage to steal Eddie’s breath and reflect back every future he yearns for.

It’s been ages since Eddie’s given any serious thought to last first kisses or until death do we part, but he would swear under oath that’s what he sees now.

“No,” Eddie reiterates. This should probably be more difficult and be ratcheting up his anxiety. But it doesn’t. Instead he’s wrapped in a distinct calm. An undeniable certainty, because what he’s about to say is true and however Buck reacts won’t change it. “I have to say that because I love you.”

Buck blinks and his mouth falls open in an imperfect o. “Y-you what?” He whispers.

Now that he’s said it once, a second time is that much easier. “I said I love you. And I will always choose you. All of you. Over and over. Every version. If you’ll let me.”

Buck’s eyelashes flutter, fresh tears starting to pool there, and he looks at Eddie with such awe and disbelief, like he can’t accept that someone would genuinely want him. Not that he doesn’t understand the feeling, but it shatters Eddie to think Buck has spent even a second believing he’s unlovable.

“Of course I’ll let you. How is that even a question?” Buck asks, as if they haven’t been dancing around exactly that for years. He stands to his full height, never letting his hands drop, beaming down with the smile Eddie’s claimed as just for him. “But, Eds?”

“Yeah, Buck?”

“This has been a really long hug. Not that I’m complaining. I was just kinda hoping I could kiss you. Finally. I’ve been kinda wanting to for a while.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

And who is Eddie to deny him that?

“Please,” he sighs into the diminishing space between them. His tone borders on a plea, but this is Buck. The person who has seen Eddie at his most vulnerable, who sees Eddie more than he’s ever allowed anyone else.

They drift closer until their lips brush, just enough that Eddie gets a taste of Buck’s horchata lip balm. Eddie can’t understand needing more than the 3-pack he can get at the grocery store, but right now he’s not complaining about the sweet, cinnamon flavor.

Eddie deepens the kiss, pausing when he can make himself break away, just enough to murmur ‘I love you’, wanting to make sure Buck knows he’s all in. That this isn’t a fluke or temporary, pitying lapse in judgment.

Because he does, and he is, with every fiber of his being. He loves him, loves him, loves him.

Suddenly Buck pulls back, breathless and wide-eyed, his already plush lips kiss swollen, tempting Eddie to bring them back together. “I just realized I never said I love you, too. Because I do a-and I really need you to know that.”

Eddie hums appreciatively, claiming Buck’s mouth again, unable to stay apart any longer now that he knows what it is to kiss Evan Buckley. He submits to the love and adoration and the way they fit like two puzzle pieces, further solidifying how they’re meant to complete each other. He doesn’t know how he ever thought he knew what love was.

There are infinite meanings for different people. For Eddie, it’s painted in hues of burnt orange and blue. Folded in cheesy puns and always having a fresh container of oat milk in the fridge. Stated in facts about retrofitted ceiling tiles and light fixtures; conveyed in I know you did, what are you afraid of, and I misunderstood the assignment.

It’s following his heart on the winding path that led him to a reality better than any fantasy.

[calabria-mediterranea]

7 TRADITIONAL CALABRIAN DISHES YOU HAVE TO TRY

The food down south is ‘peasant cooking’: simple and fresh ingredients, full of flavour. Calabria (the boot of Italy!) is one of the best places to eat in the country. Calabrian dishes make use of local spices, fish and seafood, meats and of course, 'nduja – the famous spreadable spicy salami is the shining star of Calabria.

You might not be able to travel there right now, but we wanted to highlight some of the best recipes from the region.

1. Lagana e ciciari

This is a classic pasta dish in Calabria. It’s homemade wide pasta with chickpeas, garlic and oil.

2. Calabrian stuffed aubergines

The vegetables are filled with a simple mixture of bread and cheese, before being smothered in passata and baked until tender.

3. Pasta e alici

A quick traditional first course, where the pasta is seasoned with oil , garlic , anchovies and toasted breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs give a delicious crunch to the silky smooth pasta.

4. Polpette alla mammolese

This delicious meatball recipe sees pork mince mixed with goat’s cheese and cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.

5. Pasta with 'nduja

'Nduja is a soft, spicy, spreadable salami. Nduja is typically eaten with short pasta such as maccheroni, penne, fusilli etc or spaghetti. In Calabria they usually eat it with fresh or dried fileja pasta.

6. Zeppole

Zeppole calabresi are divine savoury fried donuts, filled with anchovies or sardines and creamy mozzarella. These are a local favourite!

7. Tartufo

Tartufo was only invented in the 1950s, but has quickly become the dessert of choice across Calabria. It is a moulded ice cream dessert resembling a giant black truffle, with a cocoa coating concealing two layers of ice cream: a chocolate layer on the outside and hazelnut within. Delicious!

Written by Sarah Clayton-Lea

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