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dicaculus · 1 year

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Title: A Pile of Hot Metal and Dirty Dishes Artist: Crankyfossil Rating: Explicit Pairing: Magnus Bane/ Alec Lightwood Wordcount:42,462 Summary: Magnus Bane is the Head Chef at Encanto and doing just fine. Or that’s what he tells Simon the therapist, his boss Raphael, orders him to go to. Magnus is a genius in the kitchen, his food is art, but if he starts a fight with one more disrespectful customer, he’s gone. Simon is useless though, going on about Magnus using work as a means to distance himself from meaningful relationships, and emotional walls that could rival a fortress. What does he know? Magnus is fine. Then everything goes wrong. His best friend, Catarina and her daughter get into an accident. His eight-year-old niece, Madzie, is the only survivor and Magnus finds himself going from cool uncle Magnus to the only parent Madzie has left. To make matters worse, Raphael has replaced him while he’s on leave. Alexander Lightwood is a menace. He’s careless, breezy, and annoyingly good at everything he does. Magnus can’t stand him, but with Madzie refusing to eat his cooking and his hands full, Magnus needs all the help he can get. Along the way, Magnus begins to realize there’s more to life than seared cod and lemon dressing, and maybe, just maybe, it’s a life that he wants Alexander Lightwood in.

This fic was created for the Malec Discord Mini Bang 2023.

CHAPTER ONE

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For Magnus Bane, Mondays meant a few things. Encanto was only open for dinner, he was at the pier in the early morning with his coat on to stay warm while everyone else was still sleeping.

“Got some nice lobsters from Maine this morning”

Magnus leans forward, inspecting the lobster. The fishmonger gestures towards but tuts and looks back at the man. “Those are a little too small. "

“Try these” He gestures to a second pile of giant lobsters.

Magnus quickly inspects the lobsters, hard shells, two full-sized claws, and no open wounds or legions. “Yeah, these are good. Have them delivered to the restaurant at 2:30. "

But Mondays for Magnus also meant seeing Simon the therapist, whom his boss, Raphael ordered him to see, but to him he’s useless.

“You have to stop using your work as a reason to avoid relationships, Magnus. "

“One day, those emotional walls you’ve built around yourself have to come down. You can’t keep everyone at a distance forever. "

“... a coping mechanism related to the trauma you endured as a child. "

If Magnus hears the man say the word trauma one more time, he’s going to lose it. So instead Magnus spends the hour talking about food, the menu for that week and trying to convince the man to let him bring some food to their next session.

“Some chefs call them ‘lovebirds’, a romantic dish for a special occasion. Properly cooked,

they're as tender as butter. They can be roasted, stuffed with wild rice or barley..or you can broil them, poach them... barbecue them, and even braise them. But there's no greater sin

than to overcook a quail. When cooked correctly it has a touch of pink on the breast, but you need the right quail. It has to be fleshy or it dries out too easily. I prefer to serve them roasted. That makes their taste richer and more robust. And a side of truffle ravioli and wild mushrooms go deliciously well with them. Of course, you can also cook them in a pig's bladder in a mix of Madeira and cognac. You see, the bladder helps protect the quail and keeps it moist. You could serve it with a tender sauce of thyme, spring onions, caramelized shallots, and truffles. Truffles go perfectly with almost any quail dish because they elevate the delicate taste.”

“Am I boring you?” Magnus pauses, looking at Simon who has a scowl on his face and looks incredibly bored.

“No, not at all,” He sighs “Please, go on”

Magnus squints at the psychologist not believing him but continues despite know he’s lying.

“They wonderfully elevate the delicate taste of the quail. But you have to really

be able to afford truffles, otherwise, you just better forget about it.

Magnus pauses, thinking for just a moment before he claps his hands and turns towards the other man again “Now, for an appetizer, I suggest-”

“Magnus,” Simon says, wiping his face with his hands, “Would you mind if I change the subject for a moment?”

“No.”

He gestures towards the couch sitting in the middle of the room across from where he sits in an armchair, a clipboard set in his lap. Magnus sighs and moves away from the tall windows of the office and sits on the cream couch. Simon uncrosses his legs and sits forward in his chair, looking Magnus in the eye.

“Why do you come to see me every week?

“My boss said he'd fire me if I didn't get therapy.” He says with a roll of his eyes.

Simon hums and removes his glasses, wiping the lenses clean with his shirt.”And why do you think he thinks you need therapy?

“You know,” Magnus says, uncrossing his arms, “I have no idea.”

Ding

“Well, would you look at that doc? Looks like our time is up” Magnus stands up with a smile, grabbing his coat from the coat rack and slipping on his boots. “This was great. See you next Monday and good luck with your sister’s wedding menu and remember what I said about the quail.”

Magnus doesn’t wait for a response before he opens the door and lets it slam shut behind him.

“Why do you see me every week?” he says mimicking Simon in the elevators. "Shouldn’t he be telling me that? Unbelievable”

—

Despite it being a Monday night, dinner at Encanto was fully booked. The kitchen is in full swing, taking order after order, working together like a well-tuned machine. The sound of clanging pots and pans, the searing of meat, bubbling liquids and Magnus’s authoritative tone fill the kitchen.

“Ordering two tasting menus.”

“Clary, I need a quail and a Dover sole for table nine.”

“I'm still waiting on those beef tenderloins. Where are they? Pick up!

“Scallops, tenderloin-”

“Magnus, the Branwells are here”

Magnus glares at Raphael, hoping to communicate how much he’d like not to be interrupted during a busy service, especially when reading orders.

He rolls his eyes. “They want to tell you how brilliant you are. "

“Brilliant chefs belong in the kitchen. Clary, don’t cook those too long they’ll get—”

“Tough, I know,” the redhead says with a shake of her head

“No,” He says, swatting Clary’s right bicep. “Dry, they will get dry”

“At least say hello. You know the Branwells are some of our most loyal and best customers”

Magnus looks over to Raphael, who hadn’t gotten his message to leave the kitchen when he was ignored. With a sigh, Magnus mutters a ‘Fine’ and unties his apron from his waist,

“I get tough, the Quail will get dry, Clary.” He squeezes the redhead’s shoulders “Control the ship until I’m back.”

“Yes Chef”

“I also want to go over the menu for the lunch menu for this week,” Raphael says as he walks through the kitchen doors.

Magnus sighs again and tosses his lightly stained apron at the man. “Later”

Magnus plasters on his signature smile as he greets the Branwells. Charlotte and Henry Branwell, a now-retired couple who’ve had a reservation at Encanto every week since Magnus became head chef. They celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, or any special occasion with them and, as Raphael said, they were some of their best customers. The couple stands from their table and greets Magnus with warm hugs and a kiss on both cheeks from Charlotte when he reaches the couple’s table.

“You're a magician, Magnus,” Charlotte exclaims. “My husband sings your praises whenever he eats your food. It’s all he’ll speak of for days. It's hard not to be jealous.” She says with a laugh.

“I worship anyone who can surprise my palate, no need for the jealousy my dear”

Magnus watches the couple squeeze each other's hand, for just a moment he feels the pains of jealousy seeing how in love the Branwells are after so many years together. He clears his throat, thanking the couple again and walks with them to the door.

“Well, it's always a pleasure to cook for you both. I’ll see you next week?”

“Of course.”

“Well,” He says, “Until next week then, have a good night you two”

After a final wave, Magnus shuts the door behind the couple and watches silently as they walk down the street hand in hand. He wonders how it would be, being with the same person for so many years, knowing everything about them, raising a family, and growing old together. Underneath Magnus’s hard shell is something he’d always secretly dreamed of, a man or a woman to grow old with, watch mindless tv in the evening with, and bicker about paint swatches for the kitchen.

“Your emotional walls are so high they could rival a fortress,” Simon’s voice echoes through Magnus's head.

Magnus shakes the thought from his head. His kitchen needs him.

“I'm telling you it's not cooked properly”

The woman’s voice pulls Magnus from his thoughts. Annoyance fills Magnus at someone, a patron, judging his food. He walks over to the table. Standing just behind is Raphael, at the table is a couple clearly in the middle of what looks like a perfect meal to him.

“May I ask what this is about?” asks Magnus, looking between the pair

‘Magnus, I'll handle this.”

“You're the chef? The woman says, pointing a badly French-manicured finger in Magnus’s direction.

Magnus stands up straighter and swallows, taking a deep breath so he doesn’t break the woman’s finger. “Yes.”

“There's something I'd like to show you.”

“Don't do this.” Pleads the blonde man sitting across from her.

The woman tuts and waves her hand in front of the man and ignoring his protests. Suddenly Magnus is offended for the husband and his patience is quickly running thin.

“My husband’s foie gras hasn't been cooked long enough.”

“Excuse me?”

Raphael reaches for the plate, trying to diffuse the situation. “Why don't I bring you a new appetizer with my compliments?

“It's cooked just fine,” Magnus tells the older woman,

“Nothing to be ashamed of, honey.” She says, touching Magnus’s hand that rests on the table. She says it in a way you’d speak to a child, patronizing with a faux smile showing her lipstick-stained teeth. “Even the best stumble over foie gras.”

Honey? Now that won’t do. Magnus pulls his hand from underneath the older woman’s and takes the plate from Raphael’s hands, his lips tight and irritation covering his face. From the corner of his eye, he can see Raphael with a pleading look on his face, but he ignores him and carries on.

“There's nothing wrong with this. It's precisely comme il faut.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Comme il faut? "As it should be. 140 degrees in the oven, 80 degrees water temperature, for 25 minutes not too long, not too short, with the perfect touch of pink. “He slams the plate back on the table, the sound echoing through the quiet dining room “Honey.”

“I am a paying customer. How dare you speak to me like this! Are you going to let your chef speak to me like this?!” Raphael is silent, not sure what to say or want to make it worse. She pushes her chair back, it scrapes the wooden floor and hits the wall behind her with a thud as she stands. “We'll take our business somewhere else.”

The woman pulls her coat‌ on and heads to the door. “Let's go, Benedict”

Benedict silently stands, putting his coat on without a word. He looks Magnus in the eye and mutters a soft ‘sorry about her’ before following his wife. Magnus doesn’t understand how such a soft-spoken man could be married to that barbarian. Maybe Benedict should take his business elsewhere, too.

“May I suggest Raj's hot dog stand at the corner?” He says, following the couple to the door, “He cooks to order.”

Magnus slams the door shut behind the couple and heads back to the kitchens, ignoring the stares of the customers who witnessed the scene. The metal kitchen doors slam behind him. He picks up a fresh apron, tying it tightly around himself, washes his hands, scrubbing the woman and her comments off of himself.

“Everything okay, chef?” Clary asks when Magnus stands at his station.

Magnus nods “Peachy”

“How many times have I told you, Bane!” Raphael roars as he slams open the kitchen doors. He stands on the other side of Magnus’s station. Raphael slams his hand on the counter, making everyone in the kitchen jump. “You can’t make a scene every time someone doesn’t like your food”

Magnus rolls his eyes. "Please, that woman was ridiculous and had no idea what she was talking about. " He leans forward on the counter. “She didn’t know what comme il faut meant and I’m supposed to trust her opinion on foie gras?!”

“She’s a paying customer! If she says the foie gras is not done, it’s not”

“Foie gras is cruelty to animals” Clary pipes in

“Stay out of this Clarrisa,” Raphael bites without looking away from Magnus

“Clary, why don’t you take your break,” Magnus says softly. “Go eat something, I’m sure Peanut is hungry” He gestures to Clary’s very pregnant stomach.

Raphael follows Clary with her eyes, making sure she’s gone before looking back at Magnus, the glare still on his face.

“I swear to God, Magnus, if you weren't one of the better chefs in this city, I'd fire you.”

“One of the better chefs?” He says with a gasp. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Raphael simply shrugs and says nothing else before turning around and leaving the kitchen, letting the door slam closed and a stunned Magnus behind his station.

“He's just saying that to annoy me,” Magnus says, pressing his lips together. He pauses and looks up at his other chefs. “Isn't he?

“Whatever you say, chef.”

—-

The following Monday Magnus is back at the fishmongers. He orders plenty of seafood for the restaurant, lobsters, scallops, and shrimp. He orders them to the restaurant for noon and starts to leave when a familiar monger waves him over.

“Hey Magnus, over here!”

“Hey Travis, have anything good for me”

“Do I have anything good for you?” He chuckles. "Check it out” he gestures to a crate

Magnus steps over and takes the lid off and gasps, “Golden tilefish! Travis, I can’t believe you got them. They’re beautiful.”

“Anything for Magnus Bane and… are you working tonight? I know a good Thai place—”

“I am actually,” Magnus says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Just for a few hours to get some things done. My best friend and her daughter are coming into town. “Get the fish to Encanto for two, ask for Clary. She’ll sign for them. "

Travis shakes his head. "I don’t give up that easily. One of these days, I’ll get you to go on a date with me. "

Magnus sighs heavily. "Look, Travis, I think you should know I don't generally do that.”

“What, have dinner?”

“Dinner dates”

“How about breakfast?” Travis asks “We’re both here early in the morning, there’s a little diner down the street—”

“Travis, I don't go out with people I work with.. or buy fish from‌.”

“You seem to have a lot of rules” He shrugs

–

“What's wrong with having rules?” Magnus asks with an exasperated sigh. He pulls out a plate he’d taken from home and sets it on the coffee tables, from his bag Magnus pulls out other small containers filled with various items.

“Rules control us,” Simons says, “Sometimes too much—”

“I'm not controlling,” Magnus says with a scoff, as he opens the multiple containers. The aromas of herbs and spices hit Magnus’s nose, making him close his eyes to inhale the beautiful smell again with a hum as it fills the office. “I just prefer things to be done exactly right. That's why I usually end up doing everything myself.

Simon is silent as he watches the chef prepare him a plate. He notices the squinted eyes, his tongue poking out of his mouth as concentrates on dressing the plate to his high standards.

“And since when is not shitting where you eat a bad thing?!” Magnus wonders, looking back at Simon. “Do you have any idea how complicated it is to coordinate 40 dishes at once and create a new menu every week?” He sighs and adds something green on top of the dish Simon assumes is a garnish.

Magnus stands with an excited smile, and gently places the round plate on top of Simon's clipboard, filled with notes about their session.

“I hope you like scallops, I want to bring more of my Indonesian heritage into the menus so I’ve prepared you scallops with a gulai sauce” He turns around and sits back on the green couch, losing his containers and packing them in the bag he brought. “Well, go on, tell me how it is?”

Simon sighs. “I thought we agreed you weren’t going to cook for me anymore. "

“I didn't cook it for you,” Magnus emphasizes. “I just tried some new ideas. Who else am I gonna give it to and get honest feedback from?”

Simon puts the plate on the floor beside his chair. Magnus winces at his food being on the floor and tries not to take it personally.

“Now, we're gonna try something new this week. I'm going to ask you questions, and you're gonna answer them.”

Magnus groans in displeasure, but goes along with it, turning himself so he can lie on the couch and look up at the ceiling instead of Simon’s face.

“How long ago was your last relationship?”

Magnus turns his head to the side and looks at Simon with a raised eyebrow “Isn't that a little personal?”

“This is therapy, Magnus. Things often get personal in this office, and as you know nothing leaves these four walls. So how long?”

Magnus looks back up at the ceiling. “I don't know. Three years ago, maybe four.”

“Who ended it?”

“I did. She was getting way too demanding. "

“How so? Was she controlling you, abusive?”

Magnus shakes his head. “No, nothing like that.” When Simon is silent, Magnus knows he wants him to elaborate which he does with a heavy sigh. “If you must know, after two years, she wanted to move in together.” Magnus turns his head to the side again. “Are you really not going to eat the scallops?”

Simon stares at him with wide eyes, not expecting the harsh tone from the chef’s mouth.

“Let’s make a deal,” Magnus says, sitting up. “I’ll answer all the questions your little psychologist heart desires as long as you agree to try the new dishes I come up with. "

“You’ll answer all of my questions, honestly?” Simon asks dubiously.

“Yes, I’ll answer all your dumb questions” Magnus sighs

Simons agrees to the deal and picks the plate back up from the carpet and places it on top of his clipboard. Magnus sighs happily and lays back on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a grin that’s quickly wiped from his face when Simon resumes his questions.

“Where were we…ahh, what's so bad about moving in together? Two years is a long time. In fact, some couples move much faster than that. "

“She asked me to give up my apartment. Why would I wanna do that?”

Magnus loved his apartment. It was an older building in a beautiful part of the city, close to the pier where he’d meet fishmongers and other merchants—a spiral staircase to his door, large windows, and nice neighbours who were respectful. You couldn’t get anything else like it in the city, especially at the price he paid.

“I'd move out,” Magnus continues “We'd get a place together that isn’t nearly as nice... she'd eventually leave, then where would I be?

“My God.” Simon moans loudly

Magnus sits up and looks at the psychologist with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face.

“The sauce is so good. I’ve never tasted anything like it”

“Thank you.”

After Simon, Magnus heads to the restaurant like normal. Prep goes by smoothly, as does the beginning of dinner service, but Magnus doesn’t hold his breath. It’s only just started after all.

“Where's my lobster for table 12?!” He yells into the kitchen

“Plating, chef”

“Well, plate faster or the garnish will get cold and we’ll have to refire the whole table!”

The familiar sounds of searing pots and pans clanging are background noise as Magnus makes sure every dish is perfect when it’s handed to him. He’d put the finishing touches on the dish, dots of sauce, a finishing garnish or send the item back with some choice words if the food wasn’t any good. Some would call his standards too high. Some would say that he was too harsh on his staff and there was no need for his yelling. Magnus would roll his eyes at those people. Magnus started his career in a kitchen with a notoriously angry chef who wasn’t afraid to belittle you for overcooked lamb. He shudders at the memory. Magnus was nothing compared to that man.

“I'm an actress and I don't do naked bondage movies.”

Magnus holds a chuckle as he listens to the waitstaff talk, sure he could reprimand them but they always did their jobs and secretly he found the conversation amusing.

“The world is so full of pervs.” Hisses a waitress. “That guy at table 10 is the worst. Every week he’s with a different woman!.”

Magnus knew the table they were speaking of. Once a week for the past year, the same man always had table 10 reserved. Every date was with a different woman, all at least half his age, and on every date, he’d spend hundreds on dinner and drinks. Some thought he was seeing escorts, others thought he was a sugar daddy, but the only thing they knew for sure was he was married after witnessing him take a wedding band off and shove it in his pocket before his date arrived.

“I swear, he leers at my tits,” she continues angrily, picking up her table’s food. “One more time, he's gonna regret it.”

The waitress turns around and goes to leave the kitchen, but as she leaves, a waiter pushes the door open. She tries to move to the side but the door and the waiter hit her, knocking her food to the floor, and both of their dishes shattered into pieces on the floor with a loud crash.

“Damn it, Carlos! Watch where you're going.”

Suddenly the kitchen is in chaos, waitstaff and chefs flood together, picking up the food and the glasses knocked to the floor. Carlos apologizes repeatedly to the other server, who glares at him while picking things up. The phone rings loudly in the background, yelling from the servers and Raphael echo through the kitchen, the clang of the remaining chefs cooking and more servers looking for their table's food.

Magnus has had enough.

“Pay attention, everybody.” roars Magnus “How about less gossiping about our customers and more serving them?!”

“Sorry, chef,” mumbles the red-faced servers.

“Raphael, please apologize to table 10 for me and tell them their food will be delayed.” The man nods and then heads towards the doors. “And get a male server to replace Candice for table 10. You know, he makes the waitresses uncomfortable with his staring.”

“Carlos, you’re on table 10,” Raphael says before leaving the kitchen.

“Fire two lobsters right away!” He bellows to his chefs, then he turns around and faces the servers, “As you can see, things are a little chaotic right now so the rest of your tables might be a little delayed.” He fumes.

“I'm really sorry about that,” Carlos says, tears running down his cheeks

Magnus sighs heavily and nods, deciding to take pity on the new server. “Just don't let it happen again, Carlos. Now wipe those tears and take a deep breath. There’s a bathroom down that hallway if you need a moment, you have ten minutes until your table is up”

“Now we're gonna run out of lobster,” Magnus mumbles to himself, watching the expensive crustacean be peeled off the floor and tossed in the garbage, “Why did it have to be the special.”

“Magnus, we're not gonna run out of anything. We're fine,” says Clary, squeezing his shoulder.

"It was an accident, deep breaths now. Come on hydrate.” She hands him a bottle of water. He takes a sip but quickly gulps more down, only now realizing how thirsty he was.

“You're like a mom already.” He remarks, handing Clary back the bottle.

“Well, I've gotta practice while I can, right?” Clary teases rubbing her belly.

“Chef refired lobsters for table 10!”

Magnus thanks the chef and grabs one of the bottles, putting the finishing touches on the lobster dishes.

“Would someone please get the phone?!” He snaps when it rings again

“Kitchen.”

“If it's Catarina, tell her she said 9 and I can't make it any sooner,” Magnus says as he dresses another plate with pesto.

“It's for you,” Clary says.

“Take a message.” He says, waving her off.

“Magnus”

Something in the hesitant tone of his friend’s voice makes him look up. Clary has the phone cradled to her chest like she’s holding a child. “I think you better take this.” She stares at him with wide eyes, her body trembling.

“I think..” she clears her throat “You need to take this, Magnus”

Magnus approaches Clary with narrowed eyes. The way she’s looking at him makes his heart beat faster, filling him with anxiety about who is on the phone. Clary hands the phone to him and pats him on the shoulder before going back to the kitchen, easily taking charge.

He takes a deep breath before putting the phone to his ear. It’s in that moment, with one phone call and a single sentence, that Magnus’s life changes forever.

“Magnus Bane, my name is Dr. Roberts, there’s been an accident..”

#malec #malec fanfic #malec fic rec #shadowhunters #magnus bane #alec lightwood #magnus x alec #chef au #enemies to lovers

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veronicasanders · 2 years

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Let's talk holiday season food. What’s the family/friends favorite that always gets trotted out for every occasion, what food is a “special” holiday favorite?

Yay!!! So excited for this. You already know I’m gonna go off so here’s a read more. 😜🤣

Okay I’m starting with Thanksgiving, which is my favorite food holiday. In my family, the meal is 100% vegetarian friendly except the turkey and gravy (which I despise anyway), and totally centers on local autumnal produce. Also, EVERYONE, and I mean every single person over the age of 10, contributes. Even if it’s like, my cousin who has no culinary skills - he mixes drinks. Or my uncle who is the DJ and who sets the table and does a phenomenal job—with like, local flowers and origami napkins. Or my other cousins who do an art project with the younger kids, so even though they aren’t cooking, they make centerpieces and shit.

One year, I got a fantastic deal on purple potatoes at the farmer’s market, and my brother used those for the MOST delicious mashed potatoes that were loaded with cream and garlic. That dish was a staple for many years, although in recent ones, he’s been doing smashed potatoes—or, when he’s super ambitious, Hasselback potatoes—and the crispiness is absolutely delightful.

I have made cornbread every year since I was about 12 or 13. It’s this incredible recipe that includes fresh corn and browned butter - usually cornbread is dry, but this is amazing and doesn’t need any butter or anything on it. Sometimes I add jalapeños or red pepper for color/flavor - which one depends on how many baby-mouths are coming.

We always make fresh cranberries, too, not that canned shit. The cranberry bags have the basic recipe, but it comes out way too sweet that way, so instead we use about 1/4 of the sugar and a little orange juice. I like putting walnuts in, but not everyone in my family likes nuts, so I’ve found that chopping an Asian pear and tossing that in right before serving serves the same purpose of a crunchy element.

My great-aunt’s sweet potato pie recipe is SO fucking good. It’s one of the best things on the table and the one year my mom said maybe we don’t need it because too many carbs, I staged a protest. I actually like it better than any of the desserts (and for some reason it's on the dinner table even though it's 100% a dessert--it's got a graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallow top, for fuck's sake). But anyway...

My favorite, or at least tied for favorite with like 5 other things, is my mother’s stuffing. (Well, dressing, since it’s not stuffed into the bird's ass, but the word dressing is weird to me for a substantial side dish.) She uses a mix of cornbread and regular bread, a shit ton of celery and carrots and caramelized onions, and veggie stock that smells so good, it makes me homesick just thinking about it.

Occasionally there’s also something like Mac and cheese or fresh bread/rolls, or green bean casserole or wild rice. Kind of depends on who’s coming and how many people are there, etc, because you always need everyone to contribute.

Then of course, we have tons of roasted or grilled vegetables, whatever looks fresh and beautiful, or what the more talented people have grown in their gardens: Brussels sprouts, eggplant, corn (bonus if we can find red corn) green beans, broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, carrots (bonus for purple or multicolored ones), butternut squash, cauliflower (bonus for purple). And a big salad with dark greens like rainbow chard or kale (usually grown by one of my aunts), avocado, radishes, multicolored peppers, sunflower seeds or roasted pepitas. I’ve seen other people’s Thanksgiving tables and I’m generally shocked by how much brown and beige there is. Our table is a glorious fucking rainbow.

The past 5 years or so, I haven’t been able to go home for Thanksgiving, so we now have a tradition of repeating the meal (or at least, the favorites) on Christmas Day.

Speaking of Christmas…

So, there’s an Italian-American tradition called “Feast of the Seven Fishes” that takes place on Christmas Eve. (I’m not positive how it started, but I am guessing it had something to do with how expensive seafood was in the “New World” and so it was reserved for truly special occasions.) We don’t usually do all seven, but we always make my grandmother’s shrimp recipe, mafaldi with a spicy red lobster sauce, baked lobster, and usually some kind of salmon my dad can grill. (He also cooks the Thanksgiving turkey on the BBQ. We find that his energy in the kitchen can be neurotic and thus enjoy sending him outside.) And of course garlic bread or something fresh-baked to soak up all the sauces. (Grandma called it a sponge.) Also we always have Panettone (the kind with chocolate, not the fruitcake one) for dessert, heated up with ice cream and ganache.

Then, Christmas morning is usually French toast (made with Challah so that the Jews feel represented), or this cheese blintz dish we learned from my dad's cousin.

Which reminds me, oops, I skipped over Chanukkah. Traditions there are more flexible since we don’t celebrate every day and often miss the whole 8 days and remember later in the month. Mostly since my dad doesn’t give a shit and my mom’s not Jewish. But we always at least have latkes (my brother’s are outstanding, and a few years ago he made the regular ones and I made sweet potato and they came out divinely.) Also we do chocolate-covered macaroons (not to be confused with the French macarons) since they’re my mom’s favorite, and my grandmother’s vegetarian version of chopped liver which is SO GOOD, and noodle kugel. And if we’re up for it, we’ll also make rainbow cookies, which I’ve talked about before at length. (Marzipan-flavored “cookie” layers that are basically a very decadent sponge, raspberry jam, dark chocolate.

New Year’s Day: lentil soup! Black-eyed peas! Which I think supposedly serve the same good-luck purpose.

Not specific to a particular holiday but a couple of times a year, my family does polenta parties. A huge pot of polenta and a bunch of homemade toppings, like tomato sauce, pesto, veggies, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, different cheeses, meat that I don't care about, etc.

I’m gonna stop now. I could go on for fucking ever. (Super Bowl Sunday? Easter? Fourth of July? I care about nothing except the food.) I love food and I love my family and I love eating with them. I'm so excited that this year, I'm gonna be on the East Coast for a whole month visiting people. 🥰

#walking down the glittertrail

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thehungrykat1 · 2 years

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Melo’s Steakhouse Offers New Dishes This Holiday Season

We try to avoid traveling to Alabang unless there’s a good reason, but last Sunday saw us heading down south for a very special dinner. Melo’s Steakhouse in Alabang was inviting us to sample their new menu, including their Australian Wagyu steaks. Of course, you can’t find a better reason than that, so we drove to all the way to Westgate Center in Alabang for a fabulous steak dinner.

Melo’s Steakhouse has been recognized as the Home of Certified Angus Beef and Wagyu. They have branches in Quezon City and in Bonifacio Global City, but it was at their branch in Westgate Center, Alabang where we headed with a few of our friends for an evening of delicious steaks and so much more. It had been a while since I last visited this area, so I was more than happy to be back here for Melo’s.

The legendary Melo's restaurant has been serving "The Best Steaks in Town" since 1988. Founded by Carmelo Santiago, he pioneered and established the very first restaurant in the Philippines to offer Certified Angus Beef - the best steak that the United States of America has produced, a personal favorite of Mr. Santiago. By 2007, MELO'S took the Steakhouse dining experience to greater heights by introducing Wagyu Beef - the highly revered Japanese breed of Cattle - prized for its exceptional marbling, tender meat and unique taste.

The restaurant is open from 11am to 11pm. It was a busy Sunday evening for them but they reserved this private area for our small group.

We started with their complimentary bread and butter which is given to all guests.

This was followed by Melo’s Signature Paté (P280) which I really enjoyed. The paté is rich and creamy, a great way to jumpstart our palate for the gastronomic adventure up ahead.

Melo’s Steakhouse has several new items on the menu this holiday season. The Wild Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil (P360) is a warm and hearty broth that is made more interesting with the addition of truffle flavors.

Another new dish is the Pear and Arugula Salad (P650). This refreshing and colorful salad comes with arugula greens, lettuce, sliced pears, candied walnuts, feta crumble, and topped with balsamic dressing.

I really loved their Oyster Rockefeller (P680) which are all topped with lots of garlic and melted cheese. These might be the best oysters I’ve ever eaten!

Another new appetizer is the Brown Butter Scallops (P880). These plump and juicy scallops and place on top of potato mousseline for a tasty and filling starter.

I like my starters meaty so I prefer having the Beef Salpicao. These tender beef cuts are made from U.S. Tenderloin beef so it’s like having steak as your appetizers. Order some garlic rice to go along with these and you have yourself a main course.

Melo’s Steakhouse also has a new pasta dish. The Traditional Carbonara with Toasted Beef Fats (P650) is not just your ordinary carbonara because it comes loaded with bacon, egg yolk, pecarino romano, spaghetti and toasted beef fats. Now that’s how a steakhouse should serve its pasta.

On the other hand, the Squid Ink Spaghetti Aglio Olio (P600) comes with its unique black color. You can taste its rich, salty and briny flavor but don’t forget to rinse your mouth afterwards or you’ll also get a very unique smile.

Now it’s time for the main event! Melo’s specialty steaks are all housed in a giant freezer which guests can see from the main dining area.

Melo’s brought our their steak cart to show us how each serving is carved and weighed by hand. We were having the premium Australian Wagyu Ribeye (Grade 7-8) and Australian Wagyu Striploin (Grade 7-8).

Just look at that marbling! These wagyu cattle are raised in Australia but are just as rich and buttery like their original Japanese ancestors.

Melo's Steakhouse Westgate Alabang Executive Chef Mark Advincula personally prepared these juicy slices of Australian Wagyu steak for our group. This is what I had been waiting for all night and I was really excited to finally try these premium steaks.

The Australian Wagyu Ribeye (Grade 7-8) was served with Melo’s classic gravy and a new cognac cream sauce. It was cooked perfectly medium with nice char marks on the outside while still pinkish on the inside.

I loved how tender and flavorful each slice of beef was. We also had some garlic rice that went so well with the steaks. The cognac cream sauce was a nice surprise compared to the classic gravy, but you really didn’t have to add too much sauce because the steak speaks for itself.

Guests can order wines by the glass to go along with their steak dinners. Have a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine (P350) or a glass of Sauvignon Blanc White Wine (P350) to pair with your meats and seafood dishes.

For dessert, we had their Creme Brulee for a sweet ending. We even had a short game where we all tried to carve our own slice of steak. The one who got closest to 8 oz. won. Unfortunately, my husband doesn’t really have that much experience in the kitchen so his slice was a bit off the mark.

We would like to thank Chef Mark Advincula for hosting our small group of hungry steak lovers at Melo’s Steakhouse Westgate Alabang. Melo’s has been a well-loved family steakhouse for the last three decades and it continues to provide a desired venue for romantic dates and family gatherings.

Melo's Steakhouse Westgate Alabang

Alabang Zapote Road, Westgate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

8771-2288 / 8771-3945

www.facebook.com/melosalabang

#MelosSteakhouse #Steak #NewMenu #Ribeye #Wagyu #Beef #WestgateAlabang

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tastesoftamriel · 3 years

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So you know how the Cornish pasty was invented by miners who would use the ridge around the edge as a handle so they wouldn't get coal dust on their food? Are there similar foods in Tamriel that were a working class invention?

Posh folk often look down on working class food as crude and bland, and they could not be more wrong. Taking advantage of every available ingredient, whilst still being hearty and nutritious, here are some of the best working class dining favourites that Tamriel has to offer.

Altmer

Traditionally, working class High Elves are comprised primarily of dock workers and those tending to the famed vineyards and gardens of Summerset. Minced raw fish with dressing over steamed sticky rice is a typical meal enjoyed across the island, due to it being quick and no-frills to make. Dressing is usually a mix of honey, sesame oil, and saltrice sauce, and sometimes benefits from a refreshing twist of citrus juice.

Argonians

Rice balls held together by a sheet of dried river weed sound crude and not particularly appetising, but they are just the beginning of a delicious on-the-go meal enjoyed by Argonians in the Blackwood and Lilmoth regions of Black Marsh. The rice balls are shaped into triangles and are stuffed with dried or cooked fish, seeds, pickled vegetables, or a mix of ingredients, before being wrapped tightly in dried river weed and served cold.

Bosmer

Due to the Green Pact limiting the use of bread, Wood Elves have gotten very clever over the centuries, and use thin and flexible slices of meat or cheese to wrap up their lunches! Large slices of ham, salami, provolone, and dried timber mammoth cheese replace flatbreads, and are usually filled with (you guessed it) more meat and cheese! A popular combination is smoked wild boar with a drizzle of honey and feta, wrapped in a big sheet of honey-baked ham.

Bretons

Pasties are High Rock's major contribution to Tamrielic cuisine, but there is so much more to Breton working class food than that! Take, for example, the humble garlic baguette stuffed with escargot. Snails are found in abundance everywhere, and make for an easy and tasty meal when stuffed into a warm baguette basted liberally with herb and garlic butter. For a bit of extra luxury, some also slap on a couple of brie slices.

Dunmer

Stuffed scathecraw is an indispensable travel snack for any Dunmer, and is particularly handy for busy workers. The naturally thick and juicy leaves of the scathecraw plant are stuffed with any assortment of ingredients and baked on hot lava stones until crisp on the outside, sealing in the hot filling. Scathecraw is usually stuffed with minced nix-hound, hackle-lo, seasoned saltrice, and scuttle.

Imperials

Bread bowls are rumoured to have originated in Bruma, and are essentially whole loaves of bread hollowed out to create a bowl for soup or stews. The remaining bread is of course used for dunking, making the entire meal edible, as it's imperative that you eat the whole bowl, lid and all! Soups are usually rich and filling, such as cream of tomato or mushroom, chowder, or potato and bacon.

Khajiit

Similar to the Argonian rice balls, Khajiit have something similar made with glutinous rice, but served hot. Seasoned glutinous rice stuffed with minced meat, mushrooms, and moon sugar-cured dried sausage is steamed in pandan leaf wrappers shaped into pyramids. To eat, simply unwrap them and dig in! While they might seem small, these glutinous rice packages are very dense and filling!

Nords

While wheat flour is the staple flour of choice across Tamriel, we also enjoy using rye flour in traditional Skyrim baking due to its rich taste. Porridge pies, which sound far less appealing than they actually are, are hand-sized, crimped buns that are shaped into shells and filled with creamy rice porridge and baked. Particularly good served warm with a lick of butter and cinnamon, or topped with a diced boiled egg.

Orcs

Packed lunch the Orcish way is simple, hearty, and downright good. In brief, take whatever you want, slap it in a bit of dough, shape it into buns, and bake or fry. My favourite varieties are filled with curried mashed potato, radishes and pulled pork, minced beef and root vegetables, and horse steak and mammoth cheese. These handheld meals are practical, if a bit generic!

Redguards

Coconut rice is a popular Hammerfell dish with humble origins. Made by dock workers along the coast, whole coconuts are hollowed out for fruit, and like Imperial bread bowls, are used as vessels to hold steamed coconut rice. The rice is cooked in coconut milk, with chunks of fresh coconut flesh, roast seagull, snake, or goat, and lots of spices, chili, dried dates, and dried salted fish crisps. Also, did I mention how much fun it is to carry around your lunch in a coconut?

#Food #Cooking #world building #Worldbuilding #tes #The Elder Scrolls

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filmforwomen · 3 years

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hiii !!! I know you've mentioned here in the past that ur vegetarian and I've been trying to go vegetarian recently but I don't know what kind of recipes to make. I was curious what some of your fav vegetarian dishes are :) ? (love your blog btw xx 💞💞)

hi!!! oh thank you!! of course, these are some of my favorite recipes:

garlic and ginger butter ramen noodles

creamy vegan wild rice soup

veggie tart, eggplant lasagna & fried eggplant salad (recipes are in spanish but you can easily translate them)

curried pumpkin soup

sesame-garlic ramen noodles

baked gnocci with broccoli

chickpea pancakes with greens and cheese

vegetarian enchiladas

pasta with mushrooms and cashew cream

veggie fajitas

they're super easy and delicious!!! let me know if you cook any of these and if you liked them <3

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hadersgf · 3 years

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🤍 salad bowls 🤍

HOLY SH*T. these were absolute 🔥

went to the gym with my best friend today and after we were hungry but we wanted something healthy so we didn’t undo all the hard work we put in at the gym 💪🏻 my friend found this salad bowl place and 🤤 it was amazing 🤩 we couldn’t decide whether to order the sous vide beef or the sous vide salmon steak, so we ordered both and shared the meat between us 😋

the bowls were packed with all the good stuff — avo, wild black rice, pumpkin, roasted sweet potato, soy and garlic marinated mushrooms, broccoli, quinoa, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, lettuce and red cabbage and of course the delicious meat which just melted on your tongue 😍 it also came with 2 sauces on the side, oriental and a garlic cream one (but I only had the oriental one)

#food #food porn #food post #salad #salad bowl #healthy food

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queenof-literature · 4 years

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Goron

Hi all! This is the forth story in my Wild’s Story Hour series, which was originally requests that were sent in, and soon turned into its own series! I’ve been writing this on and off for a few months now, so I’m so happy to post it.

A little note: My Tumblr has been very wonky lately. I’m not sure about y’all, but every time I search for recent in the Linked Universe tag I get spammed with completely random tags not even related to the point where I can’t even see LU content. This is the only tag that’s like this for me. So please know that I’m not ignoring anyone, it’s just been quite laggy and slow for me to get notifications as well.

AO3 Link

Thank you all for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy!

"Thanks for dinner Wild!" Hyrule exclaimed before digging in. Wild heard similar sentiments as he passed out mushroom and veggie rice balls, with some fruit crepes on the side. An odd combination, but that’s apparently what happened when you traveled with a group of eight others. In Twilight’s Hyrule they had found a relatively safe and secluded place for the evening before the sun had begun to set, so Wild took the extra time to put more effort into dinner. The others used to tell him that he didn't need to put so much effort into dinner, they were fine with rations and quick meals over a fire. However after they learned that cooking was what Wild would consider a passion, they allowed themselves to be fed without complaint. If Wild enjoyed it, who were they to stop him. The delicious food was certainly a bonus.

After thanking Wild the group settled around the fire, relaxing into the evening lull Wild had begun to find comforting long ago. He was never expected to talk, he could just sit in peace and listen. And if he chose to talk, which was becoming more frequent as time went on, the others always listened.

But after the… incident when Wild sang Kass' song, no one had asked him to tell anymore stories. After the first night of 'Wild's Story Hour' as Hyrule called it, Wind would often jump on his back and ask questions about his Hyrule. If Wind was anything, he was curious. That trait seemed to be amped up since Wild's Hyrule also had Rito and Koroks. Now though, Wind bit his tongue and kept quiet.

Wild didn't want to admit that he missed it.

He never thought he would miss talking, especially telling an entire story over a campfire. Talking used to feel like giving pieces of himself away, and if he gave too much he would be empty. Now he felt relieved every time he talked about his adventure. Wild loved seeing his brothers’ reactions to his tales, and the more he talked the more weight was lifted off him. That must have been what Warriors was talking about when he said that sometimes it helped to talk to others.

Wild missed it, but he didn't want to bring it up. It was embarrassing, and he didn't want the others to feel forced to listen to him. He was trying to get rid of that mentality but it was hard.

Wind felt guilty too, Wild could tell. Wild wasn't sure the little pirate had ever seen Wild so far gone in panic and anger. He hated that any of them saw him like that, let alone Wind. It wasn't the little pirate's fault, he didn't know that bringing it up would cause Wild's panic, not even Wild himself knew. It hadn't affected their friendship, but Wild didn't want Wind to feel uncomfortable around him at all.

Before he could cucco out, Wild signed for Wind to sit with him when he could. Wind smiled and nodded, quickly finishing his conversation with Four before making his way over.

"Yes, Wild?" Wind asked eagerly, but Wild could still see the apprehension under the surface.

"Are you okay?" Wild asked, skipping the small talk he wasn't good at.

"Of course! Why?" Wild resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Getting Wind, or any of the Links, to admit something was wrong was like pulling teeth. Although, Wild guessed he didn't have much room to talk…

"You've seemed upset lately. Did I do something?" Wild once again got straight to the point. If Wild did anything to upset the younger, he wanted to fix it. And he wanted to fix it now.

"What? Of course not, Wild! I'm sorry I made you think that. It's just… I feel bad I guess.” Wind sighed out, his shoulders slumping out of his fake eagerness. Wild winced slightly, knowing what Wind was talking about. Wild had one of his… attacks, in front of everyone. It started innocently enough, with Wind being curious about a song. It ended with Wild yelling and sobbing about his failures a century ago.

“That wasn’t your fault.” Wild stated firmly. “You didn’t know what was going to happen. No one did, not even me.” Wild trailed off slightly at the last part. Wind’s face had perked up slightly, but he didn’t look completely convinced.

“Wind.” Wild said gently, getting the younger’s attention. “I wouldn’t have sung if I didn’t want to.” Wild paused before admitting the next part, slightly embarrassed. “I like talking about my adventure. It feels nice.” Wild felt his ears turn red, but Wind didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he looked happier than he had in days.

“So… everything is okay? Do you forgive me?” Wind asked hopefully.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Wild reassured. “Of course everything is okay.”

“Can I…” Wind trailed off from his question, but Wild knew what was going to be asked, and he simply nodded and smirked, opening his arms slightly. Wild caught a flash of Wind’s face, a large beaming grim, before a body launched into his arms from across the log, squeezing the life out of him. Wild squeezed just as hard back, thankful that the matter was behind them. Wild could feel eyes on them, and turned to meet the mirthful gazes of his companions. Wild simply glared at them, warning them not to say anything. This was between him and Wind. But the other Links were simply thankful everything was all right.

“Hey Wild?” Wind’s muffled voice rose from Wild’s chest.

“Hm?” Wild hummed, biting back a smile.

“Do you ever wanna tell another story for us? It’s okay if you say no.” Wind asked into Wild’s tunic. Wind used to bite back on his hugs and physical touches, afraid it would be seen as childish. But after it became more common around camp, and after the other Links understood that Wind simply came from a home where hugs were a common display of affection, Wind didn't feel the need to hide it anymore.

“Yeah, anytime.” Wild smiled.

“Now?” Wind questioned hesitantly.

“Sure.” Wild confirmed, searching through good memories of his adventure. Like an arrow, Wind launched off Wild’s chest, and Wild shoved down his disappointment at the loss of warmth.

“Guys! Shush!” Wind yelled, a hush falling over the camp besides a few grumbles about being interrupted. “Wild’s gonna tell a story!” He shouted in excitement, ignoring Wild’s shocked face. By now, Wind really meant right now.

“Did you inform Wild of this?” Legend asked, smirking at Wild’s shocked face.

“Of course! I asked him!” Wind scolded, turning back around and sitting on his and Wild’s shared log, ignoring Legend rolling his eyes. Wild saw Twilight shoot a look over the fire, silently asking if this was truly alright. Wild gave him a reassuring look and a nod. The camp was once again quiet as they all looked to Wild in interest.

“Uhh. What should I talk about?” Wild questioned awkwardly. It was always so awkward at the start.

“You always ask that, talk about whatever you want.” Legend crossed his arms, and lowered himself to the ground, back against the log.

“There’s two divine beasts left. You can talk about one of those?” Hyrule spoke up beside Legend.

“Okay, Gorons?” Wild suggested. The Gorons were a fun people to be around, and if Wild was honest, he wasn’t ready to touch on the subject on the Zora quite yet. That was too close to Mipha. Mipha wasn’t necessarily a secret, but it was a topic he was still sore about.

“Gorons sound fun. Don’t we all have Gorons in our Hyrule?” Four questioned, receiving nods and noises of confirmation.

“Didn’t Twilight wrestle them?” Sky questioned, receiving blank looks from the others.

“I’m sorry Twilight what?” Warriors’ shocked expression almost sent Wild into a fit of laughter. He couldn’t blame the man though, Wild was just as surprised when Twilight told him about his adventure with the Gorons.

“And you didn’t tell me?” Wind’s cried in betrayal.

“Uhh, I needed my iron boots to do it.” Twilight tried to soothe the outbreak of awe.

“That doesn’t matter with Gorons. Those make you heavier, even someone with above-average strength couldn’t beat a Goron with iron boots.” Four smirked from beside Sky, who was watching the chaos he caused unfold.

“I told y’all I learned how to wrestle in my village!” Twilight shouted with no heat.

“You didn’t tell us you wrestled a Goron!” Wind yelled back.

“He also burned a building down.” Time spoke up, biting back a smile at Twilight’s betrayed expression.

“I told you that in confidence!” Twilight yelled.

“Wait and you give me shit for lighting things on fire?” Wild cried out. Now this was the first he had heard of that.

“You do it for fun!” Twilight tried to defend himself through the uproarious laughter.

“Why did you do it then?” Wild questioned.

“That’s not important!” Twilight huffed.

“Maybe we should call you Wild.” Legend joked.

“Hey don’t you dare-” Twilight began before being interrupted by Four.

“As entertaining as this is, I think Wild was going to tell a story.” He reminded.

“Yeah! Wild talk about the Gorons!” Wind ceased glaring at Twilight in favor of looking at Wild.

“Okay, okay.” Wild said after he was done laughing. “Well you guys know my Death Mountain is really hot with all the lava.”

“Understatement.” Warriors mumbled.

“So I had to pick up some elixirs from Foothill stables and drink them on the way up." Wild started, relaxing into his story as he went.

“Don’t your elixirs only last a couple of hours?” Hyrule titled his head.

“Yeah, why?” Wild questioned.

“That looks like a long and rocky road. What, did you just run through the whole domain?” Hyrule joked, pausing when he saw Wild bite his lip. “Wild!” Hyrule yelled in realization.

"What? I didn't have any other choice! I had plenty of elixirs!" Wild defended.

“What if you ran out?” Four chided with a snort.

“Then I’d teleport away.” Wild shot back.

“Don’t extreme temperatures affect your slate sometimes?” Warriors smirked.

“I… would deal with that when I got there.” Wild huffed at the laughter that came from the others.

“Yeah a lot of your plans involve that.” Legend mumbled.

“Anyway.” Wild interrupted before the conversation could lead to discussing his battle tactics. “I kept running up the path and there were a lot of fire monsters like moblins, and keese and chuchus-” Wild continued.

“Don’t the chuchus in your Hyrule explode?” Hyrule asked once again, eyes shining in excitement.

“Yeah! If I throw bombs at them then I can make a huge explosion! Especially the big ones.” Wild confirmed with a grin.

“No, you two are not having a competition of who can make a bigger explosion when we get to Wild’s Hyrule again.” Time already knew where this would lead. It was best to nip it in the bud now.

“Awe.” Wild and Hyrule groaned.

“We never get to do anything.” Wild mumbled with a pout.

“You were saying?” Time lifted an eyebrow. Wild huffed once more before continuing his story.

“Right. It was a long walk and of course I wasn’t going to risk taking a horse. There were a lot of cliffs along the path and since I didn’t have much time I took the straight path. Then I accidently ran into a Talus!” Wild grinned at the rest of the group’s groans. They had some run-ins with the larger monsters in Wild’s Hyrule, and while they all had tough enemies, Wild’s had some of the largest monsters that were considered relatively common.

“Volcanos have molten rock, how did you miss it?” Warriors joked.

“It was molten rock!” Wild defended. “It blended in perfectly.”

“Wait wait wait.” Four waved his hands. “Your Taluses are also made of magma and volcanic rock?”

“Yep.” Wild confirmed, laughing slightly at the various looks of surprise the Links always held when they learned of new monsters their own Hyrules didn’t have. The other heroes had been near Eldin, but not quite near Goron City enough to see an Igneo Talus. Hopefully they were never dropped off near Death Mountain. Wild didn’t really want to wake up on fire.

“Are there ice and electric ones too.” Legend groaned.

“Ice ones.” Wild answered. “Those ones are really hard to see.”

“Ugh, remind me to watch my step.” Legend rolled his eyes.

“Will do.” Wild deadpanned. “Luckily I had some ice arrows so it was okay. Eventually I made it to the Southern Mine. That’s where the Goron mine for ore!" Wild explained. "I even met another Hylian there! He had some of the Flamebreaker Armor that you get in Goron City.” Wild had shown the group his Flamebreaker Armor before, and some had even tried it on, including Four.

“Oh? Did you seduce this Hylian for clothes as well?” Warriors raised an eyebrow.

“No I did not!” Wild crossed his arms, glaring at the rest of the now laughing heroes. “I’ll never live that down will I?”

“Nope.” Warriors and Legend smirked at Wild’s glare.

“I asked if I could buy it, since he was heading down anyway.” Wild spoke over the chuckling Links. “He said he would give it to me if I caught him 10 fireproof lizards so he could make elixirs. I saw a bunch of lizards while running up so I caught enough.” The rest of the group nodded, they too had to do some… irregular things for important items.

“How do you catch that many lizards that fast?” Wind tilted his head. “Aren’t they quick?”

“Oh yeah. If you’re not careful they’ll scurry away and bury themselves in the mountain side or under rock. I had to crouch and hop around.” Wind laughed at the image of Wild moving around like that.

This was nice.

“Is Goron City far away from the Southern Mine?” Sky asked.

“It’s not too far, but after I got a part of the armor and started approaching the city, Vah Rudania, Daruk’s divine beast, was circling Death Mountain and started launching giant fireballs so I had to dodge them and sprint up to the city.”

“Giant fireballs? Why would the beast attack you?” Hyrule asked.

“Well I’m not sure if Rudania meant to do it since it was circling the volcano, but Rudania was terrorizing Goron City like Medoh was terrorizing the Rito, so I think it was because of the Calamity.” Wild hummed in thought.

“They were infected with… malice, right?” Four questioned, remembering Wild’s pictures of the large pool of intimidating… something. It was apparently a manifestation of the Calamity, and Wild had said it burned whenever he touched it, especially with the Master Sword in hand. Four remembered even the pool looked evil. Pure black roots took hold of whatever was around it, mixed in with deep shades of reds and purples. Wild also told him there was an odd sound it made that set him on edge.

“As far as I know.” Wild nodded, thinking back to the pools of malice in all the Divine Beasts. “Back 100 years ago,” The group perked up in both excitement and worry. It was rare Wild talked about 100 years ago. Both because he couldn’t remember it, and because it had pained him for so long. “The other champions rushed to their Divine Beasts. The plan was I would protect Zelda, and return to defeat Ganon after the Divine Beasts weakened them. Zelda wanted to come with me, since she still believed there was a chance to awaken her power. She always pushed herself so hard…” Wild trailed off for a moment, staring into the fire. Twilight almost began to rise, believing Wild to have slipped into another memory, but Wild shook himself out of it quickly. “Help never came. The Divine Beasts were taken over by malice, and while they piloted themselves the champions were killed by Blights that Ganon had created to directly match their strength and exploit it. And well… you all know how the story ends.” There was a heavy silence, no one knowing what to say, including Wild. Wind scooted over on the log and leaned against Wild gently, showing his silent support. Wild smiled down at him, then at the others around the fire.

“It’s okay.” Wild told them. “Let’s just keep talking about the Gorons?” He proposed.

“Cub…” Time started, not quite knowing how to get his message across. “Talk about whatever you want to. Anytime.” Time finished, hoping Wild knew what he meant, and judging by the smile he did.

“Thanks, Old Man.” Wild said earnestly, thankful for the comfortable warmth at his side.

“Well um…” Wild began, thinking about where he left off. He appreciated that everyone waited to let him think, and didn’t interrupt him. “I finally made it to the city. Since it’s made from the materials they have up there it’s made up of a lot of rock and metals, but it’s still great to look at! They work hard on their signs outside their shops and the children always roll across the bridges over lava. There’s also a whole bunch of statues carved into the mountains.” Wild made large gestures solely with his left arm, since his right was still held captive by Wind.

Time leaned his chin into his hand. It was always interesting to hear about the boys’ Hyrules from their perspectives. Some Hyrules like Wild’s had very little to no government, and Time enjoyed hearing how different civilizations had gotten by.

“I got to meet with their leader, um, the ‘Boss’ of the Gorons. His name is Bludo. He’s really grumpy, and he has a bad back. He told me that him and someone named Yunobo would use cannons to scare off Rudania-”

“You have cannons too?” Wind looked up, always excited to hear how similar his and Wild’s Hyrules could be.

“Mhm!” Wild nodded. “Do you all not?”

“I had air cannons mostly.” Four spoke up, among some murmurs of confirmation among half the Links. It seems Time, Warriors, and Hyrule didn’t have cannons in their Hyrules.

“Since his back was bad I had to go find Yunobo, who disappeared after running an errand for Bludo to get medicine for his back.” Wild continued after briefly explaining how cannons work. “I just had to follow the path up to the Abandoned North Mine. Since Rudania started terrorizing them and monsters infested they stopped using that one as much. There was a Goron watching the area and he told me to not touch the Boss’ cannons.”

“And let me guess you touched the cannons right away didn’t you?” Sky asked, clearly amused.

“Yes I did. There was one right behind him.” Twilight let out a snort, quickly trying to muffle his laughter at Wild’s playful glare. Time too, was greatly amused by Wild’s antics, although his mind wandered a bit. All of these names for the Divine Beast’s names always sounded so familiar. Was it possible Wild too was a part of Time’s hero line? His Hyrule was far larger than the others, though. He wouldn’t be surprised if Wild was in a timeline of his own. Or perhaps somehow the land had changed and Wild was just far, far into the future. Time shook his head slightly and tried to tune back in. He really needed to stop trying to understand how complex time and time travel was.

“The cannons are so fun up there! I could roll my round bombs into them, and they had enough power to blow up a whole monster camp.” As Wild rambled on about all the ways he could use his bombs around Death Mountain, including cannons and carts, his eyes practically sparkled.

“I finally found Yunobo.” Wild got back on track with his story. “He was trapped in a cave-in and I got to use the cannons to get him out. When I went to check on him, he had some sort of orange shield surrounding him, and he was really timid.” Twilight mused on that for a moment. That sounded like how Wild described one of his champion powers.

“I had to run back to Bludo after that, and he told me about Daruk. I looked up at the stature of him and I finally remembered him, at least a little bit.” Wild had a small smile on his face.

“What was he like?” Hyrule questioned.

“He was really kind, as far as I could tell. He joked around with me a lot and he didn’t even care that I never answered. He said he would protect Hyrule to his death.” Wild’s smile turned bittersweet. “I think he always forgot I wasn’t a Goron, or he didn’t care, he would smack my back hard enough to send me flying.” Wild chuckled lightly.

He seemed to be fond of Daruk 100 years ago. Daruk appeared to understand how much pressure was crushing down on Wild, yet he never showed pity or disdain. He even teased him about it. Wild could remember a faint feeling of excitement when being told he would be seeing Daruk’s progress, so he assumed the Link of 100 years ago enjoyed his time among the Gorons, no matter how short it was.

“Awe yes I remember that well. I distinctly remember running away screaming when the Gorons wanted to thank me for helping them.” The camp cackled at the image of a younger Time running away and screaming.

“Bludo asked me to find Yunobo again, since his back was still hurting him.”

“Good to know everyone in every Hyrule is so needy.” The veteren scoffed.

“Turns out that Yunobo works with Bludo because of his powers he got from Daruk, the forcefield I was talking about. Yunobo hops in a giant cannon along Death Mountain, and Bludo launches him at Rudania.” Wild explained.

“That… sounds dangerous.” Sky laughed a little.

“Yeah… but Daruk’s shield is indestructible! Only problem was the guardian sentries surrounding the mountain.”

“The what?” Wind raised his head from Wild’s shoulder to look at the older boy.

“Rudania sent them to guard the area once we finally arrived at the base of Death Mountain.” Wind nodded and plopped his head back onto Wild’s shoulder, no one daring to tease either of them, even in good fun. “If they caught me with their lights, they would send magma bombs right onto the path!”

“And how do you know that? Did you get caught?” Warriors asked, slightly surprised Wild would get caught. He could be quite sneaky when he wanted to be.

“Well I was curious…”

“Wild!” Warriors pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I ran back to the base after I tested it and Yunobo had his shield!” Wild defended against the groans and muffled laughs. “Besides I was about to launch someone out of a cannon I wanted to know what we were up against. I avoided the sentries the rest of the time, and I had to whistle for Yunobo to stop and go, and there were some Moblins on the way up.” The rest of the group could imagine that climbing Death Mountain, especially one as large as Wild, while avoiding sentries, fighting monsters, and whistling for someone to stop and go would be tedious.

“Everytime I fired Yunobo from the cannon Rudania fled further around the volcano, and we made it all the way to the top!”

“Did you set off anymore sentries?” Twilight questioned.

“No!” Wild frowned. “I’m not completely reckless you know!” Wild stated, not appreciating the silence that followed his statement. “I’ll have you know I made it all the way to the top!”

“And how did you get into Vah Rudania?” Time raised an eyebrow.

“I…” Wild started boldly, before realizing exactly how he got into the Divine Beast.

“You what.” Twilight narrowed his eyes.

“I… jumped.” Wild shrugged the shoulder Wind wasn’t resting his head on. “Once I got into-”

“You jumped where.” Time smirked. That bastard, he knew something was up and he was gonna sic Twilight on him! Wild would find a way to get revenge later.

“Vah Rudania was in the middle of Death Mountain so I used my paraglider-” Wild once again tried to brush this portion of the story off.

“You jumped into the middle of an active volcano?” Four cackled, the first one to understand what Wild was saying and showing an odd lack of restraint.

“Wild.” Twilight chided in ‘that voice’.

“Don’t ‘Wild’ me you lit a building on fire!” Wild defended.

“See Time! This is why I didn’t want you to tell them!”

“How did you know your paraglider wouldn’t burn up?” Warriors lips quivered under the strain of covering a grin.

“I would deal with that when I got there!” Wild claimed once again, trying not to focus on the slight flaws in his argument.

“How? How would you deal with that?” Legend threw his hands up at his friend’s stupidity.

“I don't know Legend. I never got there so I never had to deal with it, since it turned out fine.”

“What happened next?” Hyrule asked, covering for Wild and moving the conversation forward. Wild held back a fond smirk, he’d have to thank Hyrule later.

“Glad you asked, Hyrule!” Wild ignored any other questions. “I heard Daruk’s voice telling me I had to go find the terminal as usual, but this time inside the Divine Beast was pitch black.” The group had finally stopped asking questions and started listening to the story with interest.

“I had to get rid of pools of malice by shooting the eyes, and I had to light some areas up. Once I reached the terminal there were some places that opened up so it was lit up again.”

“Did this one rotate like the other Divine Beasts?” Legend asked from his place against his log.

“Yeah I could control it with my slate like the other ones. There were all kinds of puzzles like the last beast, like this one where I had to light my arrow with blue flame and shoot it through a hole in the door, then-”

The rest of the Links listened intently as Wild went into the intricate details of the different puzzles within the beast. They were always interested to hear both about the Sheikah technology of Wild’s world, and how he had to use what was available to him to solve them. As much as they teased Wild for being stupid and reckless, he really was intelligent, espeically when it came to logic and puzzles. Twilight remembered how some markets in his Hyrule had little puzzles made of wood,each one requiring moving certain pieces to unlock different parts. Twilight had never been particularly interested in them, but he wondered if Wild would be, if Twilight found one complicated enough. He’d have to get away from the group and find one whenever they ended up near one of his markets. Perhaps even Four and Sky would be interested in getting their hands on them and taking them apart.

“-and I finally got to the last terminal and unlocked it.” Wild continued, barely pausing to breathe. The group wasn’t sure if he was aware of how much he was talking, or how rapidly, but they didn’t dare interrupt. “Fireblight Ganon manifested, and had the power to throw huge fireballs. But he had to suck in everything around to create them. So I threw my bombs into his mouth and blew them up. Other than that, I just had to get up close.” Wild described the fight in an almost casual sense, even though it seemed these blights were pieces of Ganon himself. It seemed some blights were far easier than others.

“When Daruk appeared, I still only had one memory of him, but he seemed as kind as he had been in my memory.” Wild had a small smile. “After freeing the beast I got teleported back to Goron City, and Vah Rudania took its position against the Calamity alongside, at the time, the Zora domain’s beast.” Wild explained. “Bludo thanked me, even though he hadn’t really understood what I did. I said goodbye to Yunobo, and, uh, that was that.” Wild ended his story as awkward as always, wincing at his own words. His throat, still unused to talking so much for such a long amount of time, felt as though he had swallowed sand.

“Thanks for the story, Wild!” Wild looked down at the sailor, something shining in the younger’s eyes he couldn’t quite place.

“Yeah! I always like hearing about how your guys’ kingdoms compare to mine.” Sky smiled, kindly shuffling and reaching over, handing Wild his water pouch. How he knew Wild needed it, or when he even got a hold of it, Wild would never know. Wild nodded in thanks and began sipping at the water, resisting the urge to chug it all in one gulp, as everyone’s voices blended slightly, creating a warm atmosphere.

The group continued to discuss different topics, going off on different tangents relating to Gorons and their Hyrules, all of which Wild was perfectly content to just listen, occasionally answering questions directed at him.

With the warm weight against his shoulder, and the comfortable but lively chatter surrounding him, Wild allowed himself to just exist within the moment, feeling himself relax further.

“Hey Wild?” Wild felt the head against his shoulder stir, and Wild looked down to meet a fellow set of blue eyes.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for the story.” A relaxed but genuine smile reached Wind’s expressive face.

“No, Wind. Thank you.”

~~~

Very minor spoiler for Age of Calamity: The fact that BOTW/AOC Link canonically eats rocks is beautiful to me.

Wild loves puzzles, change my mind.

I like to write Wild how I play video games in general, which is just screwing around and seeing what happens.

I’m sorry if I get anything wrong about other Hyrules. I’ve played a good amount of the Zelda games but it’s been a long time since not a lot of them are on consoles I have :(

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abiteofnat · 4 years

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AN ANXIETY-APPROVED GUIDE TO SOCIALLY-DISTANT DINING IN THE NORTH SHORE

A headline I truly thought I would never write, because I used to be the type of person to leave work, jam myself into an L train packed with people, scroll through my phone while breathing in someone’s backpack, and then get to a busy restaurant to meet friends and dive into food without washing my hands. My entire immune system was chock-full of city scum, and eating indoors with dozens of other people who likely got off an equally full train? Not even a question of a doubt in my mind. Things took a quick and dire turn in May when suddenly I became afraid of everything and grossed out by anything, and after moving home with family I was certain I would never leave the house again. I miss being the fearless gutter rat I used to be, but times are different, and staying safe is key.

Alas, while my family has been taking quarantine very seriously, we reached a point in August where we all felt “ok” with sitting at a restaurant once or twice a week to feel like we were still part of society and because we all mutually hate cooking. After not being at a restaurant once since March, we nervously ventured out to a local Italian restaurant, sat outside very far from others, and ate pasta that was still piping hot from the kitchen and that didn’t taste mediocre after sitting in a takeout container for an hour. It was refreshing as FUCK. Rose? In a real wine glass? Served chilled? What am I, a QUEEN?

Ever since we have been carefully dining, only ever sitting outdoors, and carrying packs upon packs of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer like actual loons. But safe loons! Being home and enjoying the local restaurants through new eyes and new level of appreciation has made me love them 10x more, even if we’ve eaten somewhere a hundred times before. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to dine with these spots, eat favorite dishes & try new ones, and be out of the house for 1-2 hours on a Friday during these wild times. So, why not share some of my favorite spots?? Maybe you’re also living back in the good ole North Shore, and looking for any excitement at all in the quiet of the suburbs. Here you go.

1. Mino’s Italian - Winnetka

This restaurant is newer to Winnetka, however it became an instant local favorite and is always, always full. They have a huge patio area with lighting, cozy wooden benches, tons of tables, heaters, and a menu packed with classic Italian dishes done so right. Their Calamari is unreal due to the seasoning and the roasted garlic aioli it comes with for dipping. Their Cacio e Pepe is magically light but still full of cheese and fresh cracked peppercorns, and the seasonal Risotto consists of warm mushroom richness. Their pizza is great to-go as well, and tastes like an NYC slice if you order the largest size.

2. Pescadero - Wilmette

Ok to be fair, Pescadero is not somewhere we’ve actually dined AT during the pandemic. We do pick it up quite often though, and it is some of the best carryout in Wilmette. The Fish & Chips is mouth-watering, with fresh fish covered in a seasoned batter that alone is delectable. Their chips (really more french fries) are thin, crispy, and topped with a parmesan and herb dust. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE FRIES. The Mahi Mahi tacos are excellent and a lighter, fresher dish with broccoli apple slaw and avocado crema, and for fuck’s sake order a side of the Mac & Cheese just to stick a fork in. Pro Tip: You want as much extra tartar sauce as they will give you!!!

* Edit - since I wrote this post a few days ago, we ate on the Pescadero patio and it was delightful. Even though it was 55 degrees, the hot Clam Chowder and Fish & Chips warmed me up real quick. Clam Chowder served in a hot mug = a new fall dinner staple. Will only accept soup in a mug from now on. And, they do have heaters!

3. Depot Nuevo - Wilmette

I have eaten here no fewer than 3,456 times in my life and every single time I feel like I’m on vacation because the vibes, the food, and the booze are immaculate. Located in an old train station turned restaurant, Depot Nuevo is warm and inviting no matter if you’re inside (pre pandemic) or on their gigantic patio that allows for spaced out and comfy seating. They’ve added heaters for the fall, so don’t worry about being chilly- and if you are, the Pomegranate Margarita will warm you right up. It’s strong, delicious, and comes in a very pleasing traditional margarita glass. I always order the Appetizer Trio as my entree, which has queso fundido (ordered without the chorizo!), guacamole, and ceviche composed of scallops, shrimp, and calamari with vegetables and lime. Usually this comes with tortilla chips as it’s meant to be shared, but I ask for corn tortillas instead and then pile a little of everything in there for the taco of my DREAMS. Do it. Order it. I dare you.

The staff is exceptionally friendly and have taken COVID precautions seriously, so menus are disposable and everyone has gloves on. They will treat you like family, and they are family to us because we go there so often. See you on Friday, Depot!

Other good things on the menu are the Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, BBQ Salmon, Chipotle Mashed Potatoes, Cheese Quesadilla (smothered in their salsa verde of course).

4. The Noodle - Wilmette

Can you tell downtown Wilmette is the place to be? It has truly popped off and the majority of restaurants aren’t serving up your typical “suburbs” food (you know- fried appetizers and burgers and weird salads and overpriced meat dishes) so I am always happy to be out in our little mini city. The Noodle is as classic Italian as you can get, with overflowing ceramic boats of buttery garlic bread, a salad OR soup included with your entree, and no bar- only wine (or beer) if you want a drinky drink. Incredible. I am partial to the house-made spinach linquine with Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce, and the starter salad with house Creamy Garlic Parmesan dressing. Their Tomato Basil soup is also delicious, however I have some suspicion that that soup is the same as the Roasted Garlic and Sun-dried Tomatoes sauce... just served as soup... they refuse to confirm or deny whenever I ask. Either way, delicious. I tried a NEW DISH when we went last week to sit at one of the 6 large tables they have spaced out outside, and let me tell you that the bowtie pasta (not house-made) with Alfredo sauce is THE SHIT. It may be my new go-to when I just want to carbo-load the hecking out of my night. On your way out, get a Pot de Creme to go- it’s the richest, smoothest chocolate dessert on this side of town.

5. Hometown Coffee & Juice - Glencoe

Hometown deserves a round of applause for breathing life back into the stuffy grandmother of the North Shore - Glencoe. Between the gorgeous Writers Theatre and countless boutiques selling blouses and hand-blown glass jewelry, it used to only really serve a certain demographic, however Hometown said “let me give it a try” and changed weekends in Glencoe for good. This coffee shop, smoothie bar, bakery, & cafe hotspot is the perfect afternoon spot to grab a drink, enjoy avocado toast, and sit outside at one of the dozens of tables they’ve lined the corner and two streets with. They’ve moved their registers outside so you don’t even need to go inside to order, and the wait staff will bring you your order right to your table to make it as organized and safe as possible. The tables are spread out, the corner it’s located on is beautiful in the fall, and there are lots of good dogs out and about.

I will say that while Hometown is doing a great job with COVID precautions, the people of Glencoe are a little high & mighty, and seem to think they’re exempt from wearing a mask to wait in line to get their smoothie. It’s irritating that they’re putting the staff at risk and just ignoring state mandates because they feel safe in their little North Shore bubble and because it’s entirely outside, but come on. Be respectful and understand the privilege of these places even being open to serve you, and just wear mask. I hate people. ANYWAY. Love you, Hometown.

6. Coast Sushi - Evanston

Ok, so this gem is not open for dining indoors OR outdoors, however they have their carryout system down and their sushi is so, SO fresh and good. I’ve picked up from here a few times and eat time I fall more in love with the flavors and how consistently tasty it is- and with sushi, it’s always a gamble if it’s going to be really good or kinda fishy and old. The Coast in South Loop was a favorite spot for a while, however it has shut down and I am so happy to be able to get my favorite rolls up in the burbs. My go-to order is a Spicy Tuna Maki, Spicy Scallop Maki, Spicy Miso Soup, a side of Spicy Mayo, and a side of Sushi Rice. This sounds odd, but hear me out- I like to mix the spicy mayo into the sushi rice and eat it just like that. It’s. So. Good. Am I gross? I might be gross.

Anything you get from here is going to rock your socks off, so for your next night in (aka every night lol) treat yourself to some sushi, babbyyy!

I sincerely hope that we can keep dining outside for at least a few more weeks, and I am absolutely ok with wearing Uggs and a full-on coat to be able to. Just a reminder to keep your mask on when talking to wait staff, be polite, be patient, and don’t be an asshole. You don’t NEED to dine out- it’s a treat- and you should treat it as such. Don’t be a Karen, or don’t leave your house. Those are literally the only two options.

I hope you try somewhere new, whether it’s carryout or dining out, and tell me if you have any favorite North Shore spots I missed!

Until next time, Happy Eating!

- Natalie

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liferoaming · 5 years

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Singapore

A futuristic country full of beauty, its here that you can find a country like no other. Ever since David Attenborough talked about this small country in his documentary, ‘Urban Wild’, I have always wanted to pay a visit.

Singapore is the most eco-friendliest country in all of Asia after establishing the Green Plan in 1992. The country is immaculate, full of stunning greenery and breathtaking architecture.

After becoming newly single, I needed to do something for myself. I love travelling, there is nothing better than visiting the unknown and discovering a new culture. I decided to spend four days in Singapore, staying at a hostel in Chinatown. I stayed at the hostel, ‘Beary! Best’, in an female only dormitory. When you get to my age, the last thing you want to do is share with other people because it can feel like returning back to being a student at university. However, staying in a hostel is a good way to meet other people when you are travelling alone. It is down to the individual on what you prefer but I do recommend that you give it a go because you can also save a lot of money.

My days were jam packed with things to do, I hope this inspires you to gain courage to travel alone if you haven’t yet done so.

Day 1

It was Tet in Vietnam otherwise known as Chinese New Year elsewhere. I woke up at 4.30am due to lack of taxis and heavy queues at the airport because my flight was at 9am. If you are travelling during this time then please make sure you allow enough time.

When you are arrive at Changi Airport , make sure to check out the Jewel Changi, this holds the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.

The subway is very easy to use and I did not find it to be overcrowded like other cities such as Tokyo and London. The trains are air conditioned, smooth and clean as they are regularly patrolled by the police. Make sure you get a visitor pass which is $30 (SG dollars) for three days, you can then top up afterwards. Make sure you return the pass also because you get a refund back of $10.

Due to it being Chinese New Year, I stayed in Chinatown after settling into the hostel. I met up with another traveler off the Singapore Backpack Group on Facebook. We found a restaurant that had some vegetarian Chinese dishes, she had some dumplings and I had some fried tofu with noodles. Not all Chinese restaurants have vegetarian dishes but it is possible as we found out.

Chinatown was packed and the smell of durian was everywhere and I am sorry guys, the smell still makes me gag. If you are sensitive to the smell of durian, then please be aware of this when travelling around.

After dinner, we had a walk around but because the other traveler’s hostel was on the other side of town, she decided to leave early to beat the crowds when getting home.

I waited around on New Bridge Road whilst a television show was being filmed, waiting patiently for the fireworks at midnight. It was good for a while but as I became more aware that around me were couples, families or people with their friends it was then that I felt lonely. However, it was the only time I felt lonely during the trip.

The fireworks took place at midnight and it was worth it, if you are travelling at this time then its a great celebration to be a part of because you get to experience it with the locals and other international visitors.

Day 2

Singapore is very small and it is very easy to get around.I managed to do a lot on the second day!

Fort Canning was a beautiful park with a spectacular view of the sky scrapers when you reach the hilltop. It was part of the British Army Barracks, it is here than you can view such landmarks as ‘The Gate of Fort Canning’ and the ‘Old Soldiers Marriage Quarters’. It is peaceful and a lovely place to take in the calm of the morning sun. Admission is free.

You can walk from Fort Caning to Marina Bay Sands but be sure to check out Old Hill Street Police Station on your way. Tracing back to 1819, it is one of Singapore’s oldest governmental buildings.

Marina Bay is the WOW factor of Singapore! The view of Marina Bay is stunning and there are many things to do within this area. Be sure to check out the Merlion of Singapore, Esplanade Theatre and take a walk along the Helix Bridge. On the other side of the Marina Bay Sands, you can find the ‘Gardens by The Bay’, I will discuss this later on. Please return to Marina Bay in the evening for the fireworks show!

Botanical Gardens was founded in 1859 and is home to a rain forest and even an orchid garden. My favourite area of the Botanical Gardens was Ethnobotany Garden, containing stingless bees, turtles and Malayan water lizards that roam freely.

Haji Lane is known for its graffiti, trendy shops and cool bars. This is definitely a hipster area which is great to drop by and do some shopping or chill out at a bar.

If you are are vegan (or vegetarian) like me, then you might have also found it difficult to find plant based Korean food. I have been craving to try Korean food for a long time but it is impossible to find plant based Korean food in Vietnam. However, in Singapore you can! Check out Boneless Kitchen, for just $9 I had a mushroom ramen which was delicious although could’ve had been spicier. It was packed with noodles, mushrooms, tofu, vegan pork, Korean dumplings vegan sausages and cheese. It was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend you visit during your stay.

Day Three

Sentosa Island is that artificial place that you are not too sure you want to visit...but you do. Home to Universal Studios and other attactions, I went there to visit the man made beach. Palawan Beach can be reached by the sky train and a ten minute walk. The beach is immaculate and you can walk across a suspension bridge where you can visit the outlook towers. It is a great way to spend the day relaxing, having a swim in the water and topping up your tan.

If you love Japanese food, like me, then look no further than Herbivore. This vegan restaurant has the most amazing dishes. This is a time when I would have liked someone with me because I could have shared some dishes. However, the katsu bento was just perfect. Katsu curry with vegetables, rice and a seitan cutlet accompanied with a salad, miso soup and lychee jelly. The dish cost around $19.

Gardens by the Bay is a wonderful place to visit and is probably the highlight of my visit. It is here that you can view the Super Trees, art sculptures, the cloud forest and the flower dome. You can get lost in the magic here..

Day Four

On this day I visited Little India but I did not stay for long. I think it might have been the only time that I felt a little uncomfortable in Singapore and it might be better to travel with someone else to this area. It is a great place if you want to buy beautiful material and eat some Indian food.

I visited the Bugis Centre to do a little shopping. I bought a boxy shirt and some shorts from UNIQLO for just $30 (SG Dollars). I ate at the Green Dot for some tradtional vegan Laska, however, it was carb heavy much like the majority of Asia. I always find rice and noodles too heavy to eat in the heat and ended up just eating the vegan prawns, fish balls and pork along with the soup. The dish cost $9.

In the evening, I ate at a vegetarian Taiwanese restaurant but I am unsure of the name. I had a three course meal that consisted of tomato and carrot soup, some truffle bake followed by a lava cake served with cider to drink. This meal was the most expensive costing $33.

After this, I visited the light show in Gardens by the Bay. The light show takes place at the super trees and it was pretty spectacular to watch, I highly recommend it and it also free for admission.

Flight: $160 (SG Dollars) , GBP91.00

Travel: $30 (SG Dollars) , GBP16.00

Hostel: $113 (SG Dollars) , GBP63.00

Travel money: $260 (SG Dollars) , GBP150.00

Total for the trip: $565 (SG Dollars), GBP316.00

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juniorformulamotorsport · 5 years

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Sunday, 14th July 2019 – The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia

Sunday night was the blow out meal of the weekend, a 2 Michelin-starred tasting menu in what might be the best hotel in the area, the Yeatman. First, however, we stopped off for a drink in Porto before getting a taxi across to Vila Nova de Gaia. In our search for a good place to get a drink, we stumbled upon the Livraria da Baixa, another of the ex-bookshops that have become other things over the years. There seems to be quite a bit of that going on in Porto. We had yet another porto tonico, and this one was different again. The barman asked us which one we liked best, but they were all good in their own ways.

After we’d finished our drinks we headed to the Intercontinental and asked the concierge to find us a taxi to the Yeatman. It didn’t appear, after all, to be the sort of place we wanted to fetch up in looking all sweaty and dishevelled! Also, we wanted to get there a little early so we could have a second round of drinks in Dick’s Bar up there. We’d heard it had excellent views. The taxi pulled up and several uniformed doormen appeared to hold doors open and point the way for us.

It’s very nice! We were escorted in, shown to the restaurant, and asked if we could start the evening in the bar. We were soon installed in a table on the terrace overlooking the river and it is certainly reasonable to say they have a view. As well as the river, and Porto opposite, you get a view of the gardens and the swimming pool – the latter appeared to be full of seagulls using it as a giant birdbath. Perhaps they have a better class of seagull at the Yeatman. Who knows!

Armed with a port cocktail each we dragged our attention away from the seagulls, and towards the view. The weather was not as clear as we might have liked, but the vista is still pretty impressive, even without sunshine and blue skies. I rather imagine in fine weather it would be gorgeous.

The port cocktails were pretty good too!

We decided it was best not to have a second round, and instead moved across to the restaurant to start dinner. There is only the tasting menu (at €170 per person), but if, as we did, you reserve online, this is emailed to you along with your confirmation so you can let the restaurant know if there is anything you don’t eat. In our case it was the pork option, so we let them know and then relaxed into the evening, knowing we’d be well looked after. I should also say that the restaurant has great views, but we weren’t on a window table (I assume those probably go to people actually staying at the hotel), so I only got a photo at the end of the evening.

The first thing that happened, given the Yeatman is part of the Taylor’s port group, was that we were offered a glass of white port as an aperitif while we looked at the menu to make sure it was still to our liking, and we checked the wine list and decided on that or the matching wines chosen by the restaurant for an extra €75 for 6 different wines). The wines in question can also all be bought through the Yeatman Wine Club so it was really easy to establish what we’d had for once. The aperitif was a glass of Churchill’s Dry White which is rather more sweet than the name implies, though it still has a good, dry finish and peppery notes that would probably mean it’s good with cheese too. It worked very well in the heat, well chilled as it was, even if taking a good sniff of it left condensation all over the glass!

Before the first course of the tasting menu arrived, our first glass of wine was delivered, a Filipa Pato 3b Rosé (https://www.theyeatmanwineclub.com/en/espumante-filipa-pato-rose-3b) or more precisely perhaps Filipa Pato & William Wouter 3B Metodo Traditional Rosé, Bairrada, Beiras, Portugal, fresh, elegant, sparkling and just the thing with the parade of amuse bouches that arrived next.

First up, however, was a pair of cool towels for us to freshen up with, which were much welcomed.

The first morsels of food started to appear! And they were good! The first items was described as a Cocktail of apple, spinach and kale (manzana, espinacas y col) and was served with a very fresh bowl of oyster, jalapeños and apples with was fresh from the apples, tasted of the sea and packed a lively punch from the jalapeños.

It was soon joined by a tiny selection of “fish and chips” with two tangles of thinly chipped potato, and a piece of batters fish each. It was both fun and fabulous, and it was quite clear that the kitchen and the chef know what they are doing and have a sense of humour.

The cocktail was delicious (and may be the only way to deal with kale in a way that makes it palatable rather than like trying to eat crispy cardboard)! It was also a slightly alarming shade of green, with sweetness from the apple overlaying a slight cabbage-y bitterness.

The next round was barbeque chicken, and again demonstrated both humour and skill with a chicken sandwich, a smoked chicken oyster in panko breadcrumbs, and a chicken liver mousse, and superb even to those of us who normally avoid chicken (mostly for fear of how it might have been raised, though I rather suspect that the Yeatman is as concerned about provenance as Lynne and I are).

The final round of amuse bouches was tuna-based with a bonito “nitrogeno” that was tartare-style…

And a tuna “sandwich”, with fish roe and mayonnaise wrapped in a nori seaweed sheet. It was a fun thing, full of flavour and it came with its own little dramatic reveal from inside a scroll of paper that the waiter then opened at the table. I was liking this place, because although there is a formality to the Yeatman, there is also a great deal of playfulness, and the staff could not be friendlier.

The sommelier brought the next wine, an Ilha do Pico Arinto 2017, from the Azores and fermented in oak vats for 6 months. The result is incredibly drinkable, especially with seafood, which is where the menu started. It doesn’t look as if it often escapes from the Portuguese speaking world, which is a pity because I really enjoyed it and would like to drink more of it.

It went brilliants with the Gamba Blanca (crayfish) with crab and clams. The crab and clams were in the form of a neat little beignet, and we were encouraged to use our hands to eat it rather than being wussy and using cutlery, neat though the cutlery was.

There was a sauce with it that needed to be scooped up and smeared on the beignet, and it was a positive pleasure to do just that. The dish was described as including chawanmushi, a traditional Japanese appetiser of steamed savoury egg custard and usually full of things like prawns, fish cake, mushrooms and so on so I assume that was what was holding the crab and clam mix together.

The crayfish came separately, carrying on the egg custard theme but being decorated with what the French would probably call mimosa style eggs, coriander and a traditional broth. It was a most excellent portion of shrimp, prawn, crayfish, whatever you want to call it.

We had moved, oenologically, onto a new white wine, this time a glass of Anselmo Mendes Parcela Unica 2016, made from Alvarinho grapes. We got the expected peach, citrus and minerality from it, which went well with the shrimp, and also with the cuttlefish that was brought out next. These were tiny cuttlefish served two ways, with fried rice and with a gloriously unctuous spicy Hollandaise sauce. The first pieces were served an a plate possibly made from a dried cuttlefish, which just made me laugh…

It also tasted good, especially dredged through the spicy Hollandaise sauce.

The other pieces came on a plate decorated with octopus shapes. It seemed a lot of trouble to go to, but then it’s that sort of place.

We knew we’d moved on from fish when the waiters brought us some butter in a very stylish box…

There was also a dish of olive oil, the oil a lovely shade of golden yellow that instantly made me want to dunk some bread in it.

That was made possible when the loaf of sourdough was put in front of us.

We had reached what would usually be the suckling pig course, but the restaurant swapped things round and served us the national beef first. It was a small but perfectly cooked piece, the iron of the rare meet working brilliantly with the roasted spring onion, the Jerusalem artichoke puree, and the rich, deep civet sauce. The meat would probably have fallen apart with just the application of a spoon, but we used our knives, cutting small pieces to try and make it last as long as possible. With it was drank a mighty fine, deep Maria João Private Collection 2008 from the Dão, and made possibly from Alfrocheiro, Aragonez, Touriga Nacional, and Jaen grapes (at least the 2010 was), with notes of chocolate, toasted cocoa, spices and dried red fruits that I definitely picked up.

If the beef and wine combination was good, the replacement for the suckling pig, which came next was sublime. It was the same accompaniments or mango, coconut and chilli, but served with two perfectly cooked pigeon breasts, the skin beautifully seasoned and crsip. We drank a Boavista Reserva 2015. I’ve seen the wine described as “deep ruby colour. Complex, deep, intense and seductive hints of both red and black fruit, plus tobacco, spices and dark chocolate”. I see no reason to disagree with that assessment.

The last of the pigeon was gone, and it was on to the home straight for a dessert or two, starting with wild strawberries (in different textures), including a soup served in a wonderfully complicated drinking vessel. This definitely was essence of strawberries in all their wonderful forms, and it was a brilliant way to complete an excellent meal. Especially with a glass of Adega de Favaios Moscatel Colheita 1999, a sweet white moscatel instead of a port, but made with much the same levels of care, commitment and, dare I say it, obsession to create an ideal dessert wine. The Moscatel Galego grape produces a clear, bright, golden coloured wine, with citrus freshness and honeyed sweetness that matches fruit as well as chocolate. It’s a wonderful wine.

There was also São Tomé chocolate (with toasted corn, toffee, and whipped cream) which came along with the terrifyingly well-stocked petit fours trolley. We resisted the temptation of an offer to let us have a piece of everything on the trolley because I think we’d have needed to be put of trolleys to be taken out to the foyer if we’d done that.

I did weaken and have a tiny doughtnut, and a pastel de nata though, along with a cute little meringue.

We turned down the offer of infusions or coffee and were presented with a copy of the menu each in a lovely sealed envelope, along with a list of the wines we’d drunk. It was a lovely evening, and we were more than happy to get a taxi back to the Intercontinental instead of trying to walk to the metro (which would be doable, but who wantes to after a meal like that, right?)

Food 2019 – The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia Sunday, 14th July 2019 - The Yeatman, Vila Nova de Gaia Sunday night was the blow out meal of the weekend, a 2 Michelin-starred tasting menu in what might be the best hotel in the area, …

#2019 #Bars #Cocktails #Cooking #Dick&039;s Bar #Dinners #Drink #Europe #Food #Food and Drink #Hospitality #Hotels #Porto #Portugal #Restaurants #The Yeatman #Travel #Vila Nova de Gaia #Wine

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bubblegumfiles · 5 years

Text

Week 3 Food Diary/Workout Log

And other random thoughts

Day 15 - May 15, 2019

No food. Went to a nearby park and did the trail 4 times. Not quite sure about the exact distance so I’m guessing 4 is a mile? I finished in 37 minutes. I jogged a portion of the way on the middle two laps and I didn’t die l, so that’s a good sign. I’d love to be able to be a runner as a part of my new lifestyle. Just have to build up to it. Oh and I nailed the gallon of water goal again. I still feel like I could use a little more hydration though. Maybe I’ll try drinking more tomorrow.

Day 16 - May 16, 2019

Today was a berry day. When I got home from work a little after 4 A.M. I had 6 oz of raspberries (90 calories). My throat and the roof of my mouth felt mildly raw, I’m guessing from going a little over 3 days without eating anything but the berries tasted delicious.

A little later after some rest I tried to enjoy some blackberries but it seemed like I could taste the pesticides used on them? I’m not entirely sure but they tasted weird and I felt compelled to spit them out. Also my appetite hadn’t picked up like I was assuming it would after having something to eat. Maybe it’ll take a little more time.

The blueberries were better but Josiah loves fruit and ate quite a bit himself. And by the time I brought out the strawberries, Jo, Imani, and Kamari decided they wanted some too. So I don’t know an exact calorie amount so far but the total calories for all the fruit is 411 calories. I’m honestly not sure if it’s a good idea to only eat fruit since it’ll probably spike my sugar levels so suddenly, which doesn’t seem safe. Tomorrow I’ll try cooked veggies and salad or something.

No workout. Not much water either come to think of it. But mama and my coworker Tempest said they noticed a difference in how my clothes fit. That was so uplifting!

Day 17 - May 17, 2019

Drank an apple cider vinegar concoction with lemon juice and honey before having some cucumber and tomato, sardines, and grapes.

Later I had broccoli and 2 corn on the cobb, preceded by the ACV. The corn really let me know that in all my self negligence my teeth were probably the most poorly maintained. I feel angry with myself for not caring to love and take care of me in so many ways. Anyway, I had a serving of buttered white rice and I liked it. There’s something soothing about white rice to me. I know it isn’t nutritious but sometimes food has a more soulful effect than that. I understand that it shouldn’t be an all the time indulgence if I want to stay clear headed and goal oriented though. And I know this because I stopped at a serving size, had some water, and went to chill before work.

Felt hungry before I left so I had another serving of white rice. It did the trick.

Day 18 - May 18, 2019

Snacked on berries since I ended up at work longer than usual. Had ACV then oatmeal and eggs. Didn’t finish the oatmeal.

Went to Cracker Barrel for the mother/daughter brunch but ended up not eating. I got a bit overwhelmed briefly. Sucks because I was hungry. I was sleepy too though which made me more irritable. Snacked on a few grapes and the hunger went away.

I ended up extremely hungry later because I waited too long to eat and had sardines, brown rice and quinoa. I wanted veggies but by waiting so late, I was encroaching on headache territory. That’s why I took the easy way out.

Day 19 - May 19, 2019

ACV, 2 eggs, and a banana.

Another banana.

Then things got wild. Went to a buffet and had a little cabbage, a few mushrooms, corn, a little broccoli, some fried rice and different kinds of sushi. Not sure what the calorie count was at all. The worst thing was the 13 ritz crackers. Ironically the taste was weird to me when I bit into the first one but I chose to override it on purpose and ate them for whatever reason. I think I’ll have 3 heavy veggie calorie counting days then perhaps 3 no eating. We will see.

Day 20 - May 20, 2019

It’s been a while since I’ve exercised. I’ll probably do that tomorrow though and not eat again today. Not to deprive myself but because I don’t feel compelled to or hungry so I don’t want to force myself. It’s probably because I ate until I was full yesterday. Hopefully I can exercise everyday the rest of the week. I’d really like that.

Day 21 - May 21, 2019

So the good news is I made it to the gym. I did 45 minutes on the treadmill on the hills setting at 3.0 speed on level 4. Burned 436 calories apparently. The bad news is my gym is closing and today was its last day being open. Also I’m sure I ate the calories I just burned because I had veggies, a banana, and an unmeasured amount of white rice. Preceded by ACV of course. I’m content, no rumbling belly, but not full. Still, though, I probably had a liiiittle too much so I’m going to keep the rest of the day veggiefied. As for the gym, ATC Fitness was suggested to me and it seems like a nice option for only $5 more but I think I’ll stick with the park and body weight exercises for a bit and see how that goes. We have a treadmill in the garage for rainy days I guess. Why do I like white rice so much though? There apparently isn’t any nutritional value and it honestly doesn’t taste like anything but I feel pacified and soothes when I eat it. Sigh.

Had more mixed veggies and white rice. Forgot my ACV.

#food journal #meal prep #meal plan #healthy meals #week 3 #days 15 - 21 #healthy diet #fruits and veggies #workout #exercise #cardio #resistance training #gym

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tastesoftamriel · 3 years

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Miss Talviel

What sort of mushroom dishes do each of the races make?

(Obviously excusing the Bosmeri)

Sincerely,

Ygraine of Rivenspire

Mushrooms are one of my favourite ingredients of all time, and you'll find many dishes starring them all across Tamriel- even in less orthodox regions of Valenwood! Here are a few of my favourites.

Altmer

High Elves particularly love enoki and oyster mushrooms in light and fragrant dishes like stir-fries and salads. I love a good Shimmerene-style warm salad with charred pink oyster mushrooms with a yuzu sake dressing, avocado, pine nuts, and balsamic vinegar. A simple pairing of ingredients that is, like all Altmeri dishes, pleasing to the palate.

Argonians

What's better than cream of mushroom soup? Black Marsh-style mushroom soup, with lime leaves, lemongrass, whole tomatoes, coconut milk, and mushrooms galore! Argonians use a mix of wild mushrooms which vary in flavour and texture, making Black Marsh mushroom soup a truly exciting dish that's unlike any other mushroom soup in Tamriel.

Bosmer

Scholars and mycologists have debated for centuries about whether or not a mushroom is a plant, and the few who side with mushrooms not being plants are happy to incorporate them into their diets. A common dish is a sort of stew made with chunky wild mushrooms and yeast extract, the latter of which gives the stew a naturally and surprisingly meaty and slightly smoky flavour. It's of course served with a good amount of tender game like venison or rabbit, and outsiders also enjoy the stew with some potatoes or saltrice.

Bretons

Stuffed, baked portobello mushrooms a la High Rock are just as effective as an arrow in the knee for me, especially with a good dollop of cheese. A big portobello mushroom, filled with herbed goat cheese and baked with a layer of breadcrumbs, is a moreish appetiser that I will never get tired of!

Dunmer

When most people hear the words 'mushrooms' and 'Dunmer' in one sentence, the first thing that springs to mind is House Telvanni. Ironically enough, the most famous mushroom dish in Morrowind was actually popularised by House Hlaalu, and is a tasty lava stone-baked flatbread stuffed with spicy wood ear mushrooms and nix-hound mince. It's dipped in sauces and curries, or served with a spot of bitter comberry sambal.

Imperials

Mushrooms can be found all across Cyrodiil, but the Province is most famous for its fragrant chanterelles in autumn. Sautéed, roasted chanterelles and crispy pancetta with fresh egg fetuccine and a browned butter and herb sauce is a dish to die for, especially when flambéed with white wine! The earthy, distinctive flavour is utterly divine, and elevates an otherwise simple dish to something truly Divine.

Khajiit

Mushroom pakoras are a delightful street snack popular in Rimmen, made by stuffing crispy deep-fried dough parcels with minced curried mushrooms, potatoes and peas. Each of these vegetarian wonders are a meal unto themselves, and pair beautifully with a cup of aromatic masala chai with moon sugar.

Nords

One of the most classic Nord pairings of all time are game meats and mushrooms, and my favourite way to prepare them is a good creamy venison and wild forest mushroom stroganoff with a splash of ale. This classic dish is also great baked into a pot pie, and is the perfect thing to chase the cold from your bones.

Orcs

The Orsimer aren't huge on mushrooms, but don't balk at throwing in a good handful of button mushrooms into any dish to fill it out. My personal favourite is a deliciously warming barley soup with dried mushrooms, topped with a hearty dollop of sour cream. They're also sometimes served with Orcish noodles, making for a soup you'll want to slurp up in no time!

Redguards

Mushroom and lentil curry with rice or cous cous is a staple for Redguards, especially as mushrooms dry well and can be stored easily in the Alik'r. This mushroom curry varies from town to town, and vary from hot and spicy to mild and tangy. My personal favourite is in the Bergama style, made from dried shitake mushrooms cooked with ample sweet spices like cinnamon, cloves and cumin, and fortified with sweet wine.

#Asks #mushroom #Mushrooms #Food #Cooking #Tes #The Elder Scrolls #world building #Worldbuilding #Tastes of Tamriel #tastesoftamriel #Long post #Text post

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chanoyu-to-wa · 6 years

Text

Nampō Roku, Book 2 (13b): (1587) Twelfth Month, Sixteenth Day, After the Morning Meal, Part 2.

13b) After [chanoyu in the small room] was finished, [Hideyoshi] deigned to go out into the shoin; [and] Oshō took his leave¹.

▵ Shiru tsuru [汁鶴]².

▵ Namasu [鱠]³.

▵ Ni-mono hara-hara kou imo [煮物ハラ〰コホウイモ]⁴.

▵ Ni-no-shiru tara [二ノ汁鱈]⁵.

▵ Kawarake ko-tori [カハラケ小鳥]⁶.

▵ Ae-mono uto [アヘモノウト]⁷.

▵ Sashimi koi ・ mana-katsuo [サシミ鯉・マナカツホ]⁸.

▵ Kō-no-mono [香物]⁹.

▵ O-sakana tairaki ・ uzura [御肴タイラ�� ・ウツラ]¹⁰.

▵ Hasu [ハス]¹¹.

▵ Suimono hashira ・ ko-kabu [吸物ハシラ小カフ]¹².

▵ Kashi kan ・ senbei ・ zakuro ・ ko-neri ・ nashi [菓子カン・センヘイ・サクロ・小ネリ・ナシ]¹³.

[In the] toko [床]¹⁴

◦ A pair of landscape paintings by Ba En [馬遠]¹⁵.

◦ Sai-kōro [豺香爐], [displayed] on a guri-guri kō-dai [クリ〰香臺]¹⁶.

[On the] shoin-doko [書院床]¹⁷ ◦ [子昂硯]; ◦ [龜水入]; ◦ [筆架]; ◦ [筆・墨]; ◦ [子昂軸物]¹⁸.

[On the] chigae-dana [チカヘ棚]¹⁹ ◦ jikirō [食籠]²⁰; ◦ bon-san Kiji [盆山　紀路]²¹.

[Hideyoshi] expressed his desire for the daisu to be arranged, and he made tea [with his own hands] using a taikai²².

_________________________

¹Migi sugite shoin [h]e oide-nasare, uma-no-toki o-zen deru, Oshō ha o-kaeru [右過テ書院ヘ御出被成、午時御膳出ル、和尚ハ御歸].

Migi sugite [右過テ] means “after the preceding was finished....”

The details of Rikyū's shoin during this period are unclear. All that seems to be known with any certainty is that it had a 6-mat jō-dan [上段]. The above is a reconstruction based on the shoin in the Hisada family's residence* (however, the Hisada shoin had a 4-mat jōdan, rather than one of six mats). At any rate, this will give the reader at least a general understanding of the nature of the room in question. (Note that the 6-mat area at the top of the sketch is the jō-dan, in which a 2-mat area, in the upper left-hand corner, was raised still higher as the seat for the nobleman: the dashi-fu-zukue is appended to that part of the room, and it was there that the hand-scroll of Chinese poems was displayed -- together with Sugō‘s writing implements.)

Oide-nasare [御出被成] is a polite form meaning that Hideyoshi (and the others) moved on to the shoin.

Uma-no-toki [午時] means “at the hour of the Horse,” in other words, in the noon hour. Given the amount of food that was served, there likely was a certain delay, during which the guests inspected the objects that Rikyū had placed on display in the toko, and on tsuke-shoin and chigai-dana.

Oshō ha o-kaeru [和尚ハ御歸]: as mentioned in the previous post, Kokei Sōchin probably excused himself after the inspection because he did not care to participate in the banquet that would follow (which would naturally include fish and fowl, and drinking as well). This early departure would have been accepted by Hideyoshi without any ill feeling.

With respect to the kane-wari of this arrangement, the two kakemono and kōro count for three units, and so are han [半]. The writing implements count as a single unit (since they are grouped together, as shown in the sketch), while the hand-scroll of Chinese poetry is separate†, giving the dashi-fu-zukue a value of two, which is chō [調]. And the jikiro and bon-san arranged on and below the chigai-dana count for two units, and so the tana is also chō [調]. Han + chō + chō is han, as is suitable for the latter part of a chakai held during the daytime. __________ *The Hisada family descended from one of Rikyū’s daughters, and seems to have actively tried to preserve Rikyū‘s legacy in details such as this.

†Tanaka Senshō said that he believed that the hand-scroll of poems was displayed on the chigai-dana, rather than the dashi-fu-zukue. While this disagrees with the way Rikyū has formatted the entry, it has no bearing on the total count, so far as kane-wari is concerned.

²Shiru tsuru [汁鶴].

The first bowl of soup (probably a clear soup) contained crane.

Crane (and other large birds, such as swan and wild goose) were occasionally taken by Hideyoshi's hawkers (hawking was enjoyed by Hideyoshi and his court), and then prepared and served at court banquets -- as well as during chakai held within the palace complex when the fowl were available, as a sort of special treat.

Soup was made by boiling the bones, while the meat was usually mashed and formed into dango [團子] (meatballs), which were cooked in the broth along with pieces of daikon, mushrooms, and other seasonal vegetables.

³Namasu [鱠].

Namasu is a sort of salad, made from julienned daikon and carrot, served raw, dressed with a mixture of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and mirin.

⁴Ni-mono hara-hara gobō imo [煮物ハラ〰コホウイモ].

Ni-mono [煮物] are food cooked (and usually served) in a broth. The difference between “shiru” (soup) and “ni-mono” seems to be that a soup course contains more liquid, while the ni-mono is primarily solid food*.

Hara-hara [はらはら]† is dried daikon strips‡; gobō [牛蒡] is burdock root; and, imo [芋] -- which is usually translated “potato” -- refers to the corm of the taro. These three vegetables were cut into bite-sized pieces and boiled in dashi**. __________ *It is possible to serve the ni-mono in a bowl or dish without any soup at all, though in chanoyu some soup is usually included.

†Hara-hara [はらはら] means something like flutter down (like snowflakes). The image refers to the dried strips of daikon, which flutter (so they say) when the mound is fluffed (in the latter stages of drying) -- in contrast to the way the freshly chopped daikon would behave.

‡The daikon is cut into strips and sun-dried in a shallow basket for a week or so. This process sweetens it, and deepens its natural flavor. Modern-day kiri-boshi daikon [切干大根] is similar, though it is shreded more finely than hara-hara.

The hara-hara needs to be rehydrated (by soaking in water) before it can be used.

**Japanese soup-stock made by boiling kombu [昆布] (kelp) and katsuo-bushi [鰹節] in water.

For ichi-ban-dashi [一番出し] (used for miso-shiru and for cooking foods with a strong flavor), the kombu is boiled first (starting from cold water, after reaching a boil it is kept simmering for about 5 minutes, then the kombu is removed and a cup of cold water added to lower the temperature of the broth), then the katsuo-bushi are boiled (after returning to a boil, the katsuo-bushi are boiled for a further 5 minutes or so). The pot is removed from the fire and the katsuo-bushi allowed to settle, after which the clear broth is decanted.

Ni-ban-dashi [二番出し], which is usually what is used for ni-mono, reuses the above kombu and katsuo-bushi -- added to water, the mixture is brought to a boil, and then simmered for about 5 minutes or so (some people prefer to remove the kombu as soon as the liquid begins to boil, while others leave it in the pot for the entire session).

⁵Ni-no-shiru tara [二ノ汁鱈].

This would be what is usually called tara sumashi [鱈清汁] -- a clear soup containing pieces of codfish (tara [鱈]), daikon*, e-no-ki mushrooms, leeks, and a small piece of yuzu-skin added to each bowl just before the soup was served. __________ *Perhaps a little crushed garlic was also added to the soup, since Rikyū was from Sakai.

⁶Kawarake ko-tori [カハラケ小鳥].

Ko-tori [小鳥] -- literally “small birds” -- is a generic term for the various sparrows and finches that were taken by the hawkers. These were cleaned (the heads, lower legs, feathers, and internal organs were removed) and then minced very fine, and mixed with miso. Then the mixture was baked on top of an unglazed plate set over a charcoal fire until the flesh was cooked.

This kind of miso-based food was always served with sake.

⁷Ae-mono udo [アヘモノウト].

Udo [独活] is a Japanese vegetable with long, asparagus-like stalks, that have a delicate, fennel-like flavor. When served as an ae-mono [和え物], the immature stalks are cut into julienne strips and then dressed with a mixture of rice vinegar and white miso (2 parts to 1), with soy sauce and sesame oil added to taste.

⁸Sashimi koi ・ mana-gatsuo [サシミ鯉・マナカツホ].

Koi sashimi [鯉刺身] refers to what is usually called koi-arai [鯉洗い]: the cleaned fillets of carp are placed into a hot water bath before being chilled in cold water.

Mana-gatsuo [真名鰹] (above) is a distant relative of the katsuo [鰹] (“slapjack tuna”). It has white flesh (whereas katsuo is pink to red in color) that is very oily. Accordingly, while delicious, people should not eat much of it, or it will cause digestive problems.

These would likely have been served with iri-zake [煎り酒]* as a dipping sauce -- though it is also possible that a shallow dish of precious soy sauce was offered to this important guest. __________ *Iri-zake [煎り酒] is a sort of dipping sauce prepared from "old" sake (sake that has lost a lot of its alcohol through evaporation). First, a piece of dashi-kombu is soaked into the room-temperature sake for several hours (to deepen the taste), then removed. Then several ume-boshi are placed into the sake, and the sake is brought to a boil. After about 5 minutes, a large handful of katsuo-bushi is thrown in to the sake, and it is allowed to continue simmering until the volume is reduced by half. Then (as when making dashi) the pot is removed from the heat and allowed to cool for five minutes while the katsu-bushi settle. Then the clear liquid is decanted off (or filtered through a piece of sarashi).

This is the iri-zake, and it can be used as a dipping sauce once it is fully cooled.

⁹Kō-no-mono [香物].

Kō-no-mono [香の物] are vegetables pickled for a time* in a brine solution -- this is what is usually referred to as shin-tsuke [新漬け] today. The pickled vegetables (sliced cucumbers, hakusai, carrots, and so on) were usually served with crushed sanshō [山椒] (Japanese pepper) as a seasoning. __________ *Ranging anywhere from overnight to several days, depending on the desired result.

¹⁰O-sakana tairagi ・ uzura [御肴タイラキ・ウツラ].

O-sakana [御肴] refers to the course usually referred to as shii-zakana [強肴] today. Sakana [肴] means cooked or prepared food; while shii-zakana refers specifically to such food served as an accompaniment to drinking. Irrespective of the name, this course would have been accompanied by several rounds of sake.

The tairagi [タイラギ = 玉珧] (Atrina pectinata) is commonly known as the Japanese scallop or Comb pen-shell. It is the kai-bashira [貝柱] (the muscle that opens and closes the shells) of this mollusk that is eaten. This kind of scallop can be prepared in numerous ways -- including as sashimi, grilled over charcoal, broiled on the half-shell, cooked in broth, and even as tairagi-dengaku [たいらぎ田樂]*. Rikyū does not indicate how it was served.

Uzura [鶉] is the quail†. There are two ways it could be prepared. First is by mashing the flesh and bones into a paste, forming the paste into meatballs (dango [團子]), and boiling these in broth. Three dango are typically skewered on a bamboo brochette, and served in that way (either with a dipping sauce, or with some sort of sauce poured over).

The other way that these, and other fowl, were sometimes prepared for Rikyū's guests was as what he called senba-iri [船場煎り]: the cleaned quail were roasted over a wooden fire while being basted with a mixture of soy sauce (or possibly iri-zake [煎り酒]‡), sake, mirin, sesame oil, and perhaps crushed garlic (since this sort of food was endemic to the wharfs of Sakai). __________ *Dengaku [田樂] is a type of grilled food, originally eaten by the peasants though taken up by the upper classes during the sixteenth century. The food (halved egg plant, momen-tōfu, shiitake mushrooms, or -- in this case -- scallops) is skewered and grilled over charcoal, and dengaku sauce is brushed over the upper side. After the sauce is dried, the food is turned over to caramelize the sauce.

The sauce is made by mixing white-miso (though red miso or other varieties can be used, depending on the preferred taste) with mirin, and sake (in the present white sugar is also added to make the taste sweeter -- though probably not in Rikyū's day): roughly, one measure each of sake and mirin (and sugar) are combined with two measures of miso.

†Tanaka Senshō comments that some people conflate these two things, resulting in tairagi-uzura, which they say means the quail were split in half and (presumably) grilled in that way.

‡See the sub-note ("*") under footnote 8. Iri-zake was often used the way soy sauce -- which was both rare and very costly in Rikyū's period -- is used today, both for cooking and as a dipping sauce.

¹¹Hasu [ハス].

By hasu [蓮] (lotus), Rikyū seems to be referring to ren-kon [蓮根], lotus root.

Usually lotus root is braised by sauteing ("stir-frying") the thinly sliced root (actually, it is a rhizome) in sesame oil, and then simmering in sake (until the liquid is gone), and then mirin (again, until the liquid is gone). In the present day this is usually followed by adding sake and continuing to simmer briefly, though this last step may have been missing in Rikyū's day (or the soy sauce was replaced by iri-zake).

¹²Sui-mono hashira ・ ko-kabu [吸物ハシラ小カフ].

Suimono [吸物] is food cooked (and served) in clear broth.

Hashira [ハシラ = 柱] seems to mean kai-bashira [貝柱] -- though most likely from a different variety of scallop than what he served above. Probably these were quite small.

Ko-kabu [小蕪] means small turnips -- probably from the kitchen garden, since kabura was one of the plants grown for winter greens.

¹³Kashi kan ・ senbei ・ zakuro ・ ko-neri ・ nashi [菓子カン・センヘイ・サクロ・小ネリ・ナシ].

Kan [柑] refers to the citrus fruit usually called mikan [蜜柑] -- tangerine -- today*.

Senbei [煎餅] are rice-crackers. They would have been procured from a specialty shop.

Zakuro [柘榴] is the pomegranate.

Koneri [木練り] are naturally formed hoshi-gaki [干し柿] (dried persimmons), and so of very small size†.

Nashi [梨] is the Oriental pear‡. __________ *Mikan [蜜柑] means honey-sweet (mi [蜜]) tangerine (kan [柑]), and was probably originally a marketing term.

†Usually, natural koneri -- the name means to soften on the tree -- also have many seeds: the small size and presence of many seeds both facilitate the natural drying process (since larger fruit would simply rot before drying: artificially drying persimmons requires the removal of the skin for this reason).

‡The skin cannot be eaten, so the pear must be pealed and cut into bite-sized pieces. Oriental pears are more juicy than the Western varieties, so they are generally eaten with a yōji [楊枝] (such as a a small kuromoji [黒文字]), rather than with the fingers.

¹⁴Toko [床].

This was the toko in Rikyū's shoin, which seems to have been at a level below the jōdan [上段] -- the elevated seat for a noble guest -- as shown in the sketch.

¹⁵Ni-fuku ittsui Ba En san-sui [二幅一對馬遠山水].

Ni-fuku ittsui [二幅一對] means a diptych, a pair of pictorial scrolls intended to be hung in the toko at the same time*.

“Ba En” is the Japanese pronunciation of Mǎ Yuǎn [馬遠; c. 1160 or 1165 ~ 1225]. Mǎ Yuǎn was an important painter, from a family of professional painters, of the Southern Song dynasty. Mǎ Yuǎn's works are mentioned six times in the Kun-dai Kan Sa-u Chō-ki [君臺觀左右帳記], by Nōami [能阿彌], and four times in Sōami's [相阿彌; ~ 1525] O-kazari Sho [御飾書].

Nōami notes that, when hung as a diptych, one scroll should be a landscape, while the other should have the figure of people. Meanwhile, Sōami indicates that the diptych of small scrolls consisted of one painting by Mǎ Yuǎn, paired with one by (Mǎ Yuǎn's contemporary) Xià Guī [夏圭 or 夏珪; dates unknown, but active between 1195–1224].

In the Kun-dai Kan Sa-u Chō-ki, Nōami simply segregates Mǎ Yuǎn's (and other artists') works by genre (landscape, birds-and-flowers, paintings of figures, and so forth), without giving them titles by which the individual paintings might be identified. And while Sōami's original manuscript of the O-kazari Sho originally included small sketches of all of the works cited, none of the subsequent copies (which are all that survive) have any. Consequently, it is impossible to determine which of Mǎ Yuǎn's works were displayed by Rikyū on this occasion -- or whether or not those paintings are still extant today.

Above are two of Mǎ Yuǎn's surviving paintings which I selected as representative based on Noami's specifications regarding the two scrolls included in a diptych†. __________ *The pair of scrolls were usually prepared with identical mountings, indicating they were part of a diptych.

†A glimpse of the mountings are usually not included in photographs of these works (and most were remounted during the Edo period anyway, since the preferred proportions came to be based on Kobori Masakazu's [小堀政一; 1579 ~ 1647 -- he is better known today as Kobori Enshū, 小堀遠州] creations, rendering the earlier continental model employed by Nōami and his fellow dōbō [同朋] uninteresting), thus even this potential clue to which of the paintings were used as diptychs is lacking.

Most of the diptychs and triptychs that were decided upon by the dōbō-shū [同朋衆] were broken up during the early sixteenth century, and those that continued to be used together were almost all split divided into different collections in the Edo period. Thus there is no clear historical evidence to go by, either.

¹⁶Sai-kōro guri-guri ko-dai ni [豺香爐グリ〰香臺ニ].

The kanji sai [豺] means a jackel*. It seems that Rikyū is referring to a piece that would usually be classified as a variety of shishi kōro [獅子香爐]†.

The above piece, made of purple bronze, was one of Jōō's personal treasures, may be the kōro that Rikyū displayed on this occasion‡.

Since this, and several other utensils that Rikyū used on this occasion eventually ended up in Hideyoshi's collection (without the records indicating that they had been owned by Rikyū previously), some scholars have suggested that Rikyū did not actually own them, but that he had taken them on consignment from other Sakai chajin, with the intention being that, should Hideyoshi like them, they would be sold to him for a good price (which Rikyū naturally would negotiate -- while accepting a generous fee for facilitating the sale from the original owner**).

Unlike Rikyū’s kōgō, the guri-guri kō-dai was probably black††. __________ *In Japan, where such exotic creatures had never been seen, the sai was reimagined as a yama-inu (which name is more commonly written yama-inu [山犬], meaning a kind of feral dog). The Japanese wolf (ōkami [狼], Canis lupus hodophilax), with which the sai is sometimes equated, differs in several ways from the yama-inu. In fact, recent genetic evidence suggests that both of these creatures were ancient wolf-dog hybrids (the Japanese wolf has been considered extinct since the early 20th century).

That said, it is not clear whether Rikyū actually considered this kōro to resemble a wolf, or whether he simply wrote the wrong kanji.

†With which speculation Tanaka Senshō concurs.

‡The other “shishi-kōro” [獅子香爐] commonly associated with Rikyū was one made for him of pale-yellow Seto ware by Furuta Sōshitsu, shown above. However, this would have been too many things made by Oribe, so the purple bronze kōro seems more likely.

**As a number of these utensils actually had been among Jōō's personal treasures, it is possible that they had been passed to Rikyū by Imai Sōkyū, who was managing Jōō's estate on behalf of Jōō's son Sōga [宗瓦; 1550 ~ 1614].

Rikyū accused Sōkyū of selling these things and then keeping the profits for himself (which Sōkyū said was to reimburse himself for the expenses of Sōga's upkeep); and this may have been how Sōkyū's name came to be associated with this chakai (the inclusion of this gathering in the Imai Sōkyū Chanoyu Nikki Nuki-gaki [今井宗久茶湯日拔記], mentioned above under footnote 6 -- which collection seems to be at least partly spurious -- may have been calculated to support these accusations; or, possibly, to validate the traditional denrai [傳來] of certain pieces in the Tokugawa family collection -- pieces which do not appear to have had any actual connection with Rikyū, beyond the assertions made in this document).

††Guri-guri pieces were painted with alternating layers of red and black lacquer. While Rikyū's guri-guri kōgō had red as the outermost layer, most guri-guri pieces (especially furniture and trays) seem to be finished with black lacquer (probably so scratches would be less visible). Guri-guri-nuri is not shiny like shin-nuri.

¹⁷Shoin-doko [書院床].

Shoin-doko [書院床] seems to be Rikyū's name for the dashi-fu-zukue [出し文机], the built-in writing desk that was found in the shoin.

The way to arrange the writing implements on the dashi-fu-zukue is based on Nōami's recommendations in the Kun-dai Kan Sa-u Chō-ki. __________ *This built-in desk is usually called a tsuke-shoin [付書院] today.

¹⁸Sugō suzuri, kame mizu-ire, fude-kake, hitsu sumi, Sugō jiku-mono [子昂硯、龜水入、筆架、筆墨、子昂軸物].

Sugō [子昂] refers to Chén Zǐáng [陳子昂; 661 or 656 ~ 702], an important poet of the Tang period. In fact, according to scholars, Chén Zǐáng was responsible for bringing into being the style of poetry that is considered to be “characteristically Tang.” By many he is considered to be the first poet of the Tang period.

The objects arranged on the dashi-fu-zukue seem to have been all associated with Chén Zǐáng:

◦ Sugō suzuri [子昂硯] -- this ink stone was supposedly the one owned by Chén Zǐáng;

◦ kame mizu-ire [龜水入] -- this was his water-dropper;

◦ fude-kake [筆架], this was a small stand (sometimes carved from precious wood, sometimes made of pottery, and sometimes of jade or other stone) against which brushes were rested, so the brush would not roll around, or the wet head stain the desk (or paper on which the person was writing) -- however, the fude-kake in question has not been identified;

◦ fude ・ moku [筆・墨] means a brush and an ink stick (while probably both imported from the continent, the specific brush and stick of ink, or who the previous owner might have been, cannot be known from the little that is written here);

◦ Sugo jiku-mono [子昂軸物] -- this was probably a horizontal scroll, an anthology of Chén Zǐáng's poems, though whether it was an actual Tang period manuscript, or (more likely) a later continental copy, is unknown: the scroll has not been identified.

Above is a late Song or early Yuan period hand-written copy of one of Chén Zǐáng's poetry collections. The jiku-mono displayed by Rikyū on this occasion may have appeared similar to this.

Perhaps some of these things (as well as other objects displayed in the shoin) had originally belonged to Jōō (certainly, as a trained poet, Jōō would have enjoyed owning just such relics of a very significant poet from the past), and were on loan to Rikyū (from Imai Sōkyū*, into whose keeping they had been given when Jōō died† -- hence his name being ambiguously associated with this chakai) so that Hideyoshi might view them (and possibly purchase them). While some of these things were used by Rikyū at future chakai, other things are associated with him this one time only, after which the denrai [傳來] suggest they entered Hideyoshi's collection (often without mentioning Rikyū as a previous owner at all), and passed from him (surely unintentionally, at least on his part) to the Tokugawa family, where they still remain.

As mentioned above, Tanaka Senshō argues against the jiku-mono being placed on the tsuke-shoin (even though that is how the kaiki is formatted). He prefers to think that the scroll was displayed on one shelf of the chigai-dana (with the jikirō placed on the other). Nevertheless, at a chakai included in the Rikyū Hyakkai Ki, an open scroll is definitely displayed on the dashi-fu-zukue, and the way Rikyū wrote the present account suggests that this was his preferred way to do things‡. __________ *Imai Sōkyū was married to Jōō's sister, and hence his brother-in-law.

†Jōō's son Sōga was a child of 5 when Jōō died, and Sōkyū was designated both foster parent and executor of Jōō's estate.

It is said that the bad blood between Rikyū and Sōkyū was occasioned by Sōkyū selling some of the meibutsu utensils that had belonged to Jōō, and then keeping the profits for himself. Sōkyū claimed this was to reimburse his purse for expenses related to Sōga's upkeep; but Rikyū was disinclined to accept this explanation. Perhaps this chakai was the occasion on which this sale was initiated -- and, if so, Rikyū would therefore have been intimately aware of the monetary details, since he would have negotiated the price with Hideyoshi on (he would have assumed) Sōga's behalf.

‡The scroll was supposed to be inspected by the guests. Displaying it on the chigai-dana may have encouraged them to wait until Rikyū entered, so he could retrieve it for them. Placing the scroll on the writing desk, however, would invite them to inspect it at their leisure without waiting for the host to help them -- and since part of the reason for the delay was so that the meal could be prepared, this seems like it might have been the best way to do things.

¹⁹Chigae-dana [チカヘ棚].

Rikyū's semi-phonetic rendering of the word chigai-dana [違い棚] -- the staggered shelves usually found adjacent to the dashi-fu-zukue.

The jikirō [食籠], containing kashi, was probably placed on the lower of the two shelves (while the upper shelf remained empty), with the bonsan displayed on the floor beneath the pair of shelves, as was customary.

²⁰Jikirō [食籠].

This was a container -- originally a lacquered basket (as the name implies) -- for kashi that was displayed on the chigai-dana -- together with a bon-san [盆山].

Rikyū's jikirō has not been identified, though the one shown above (which was made during the Ming dynasty) seems to agree with his taste.

²¹Bon-san Kiji [盆山　紀路].

Kiji [紀路] is the name of a bon-san*. It has not been identified, and may have been lost. Perhaps it served as the model for Rikyū's sketch, found in the Nambō-ate no densho [南坊宛の傳書] (though the sketch is just as likely to be fanciful).

According to the Yamanoue Sōji Ki [山上宗二記], only two of the viewing stones belonging to Ashikaga Yoshimasa were worthy of note (and so suitable for display during chanoyu gatherings)†:

- The first of these was named Zan-setsu [殘雪].

- The second was called Sue no matsu-yama [末ノ松山], and that stone is shown below.

According to Sōji, these stones were sometimes arranged on a shallow Korean platter (kōrai-bachi [高麗鉢])‡, and sometimes in a lacquered naka maru-bon [中丸盆]**, both of which may be seen in the photos, above. __________ *Bon-san [盆山] literally means a mountain in a tray (or a tray-sized mountain). The more modern words bon-seki [盆石] (stone arranged on a tray) and sui-seki [水石] (an abbreviation of san-sui-seki [山水石], which means a landscape stone) refer to the same things. They are often referred to as “viewing stones” in English.

In Yoshimasa's period, these kinds of stones were used in a type of meditation practice, with ones vision concentrated on the stone until one entered into a state of peace (after mentally running though the various thoughts that the sight of the stone inspired). According to a poem by Yoshimasa, when arranged on a tray, two mounds, representing sand-dunes, should be raised up in front of the stone, while the sand behind the stone should be raked to resemble waves (the nature of which was changed depending on the natural conditions of the ocean during that season).

†Apparently Yoshimasa had assembled a sizeable collection of these stones -- which usually resemble distant mountains, or suggest other such scenes from nature -- over the course of his lifetime. But only these two stones had been celebrated in poems, and it was perhaps for that reason that they were judged suitable for display during chakai (while the others were rejected by Sōji).

The same sort of (what we might consider) nitpicking is found with respect to which of the Ogura shikishi were originally considered “suitable” for display in the tearoom: while they were all written by Fujiwara no Sadaie, and all represent poems carefully selected by him and his committee of eminent courtiers (and written on paper selected by him to complement the verse that he would write on it), Jōō is said to have declared that only those poems written on paper that had a background painting on them (the paintings were done by professional artists) could be hung in the toko, while those written on plain colored paper (or Chinese paper with a block-printed decoration) were “wholly unsuitable” for use in chanoyu.

‡This shallow platter (it is described as being a Korean bowl, korai-hachi [高麗鉢] in the Yamanoue Sōji Ki) was made of Korean bronze or sawari [四分一] (it is variously referred to as a kane-no-hachi [金ノハチ], and sometimes as a Namban karakane [南蠻カラカネ], in the various kaiki from the sixteenth century in which it is mentioned: sawari is a pale gold with black mottling when it has not oxidized, and this aggrees with the platter seen in the photo).

**This tray was 1-shaku 2-sun 3-bu in diameter, with straight sides (that had a raised band on the outside, as can be seen in the photo). Yoshimasa seems to have used this tray because the original (which was destroyed when Yoshimasa's storehouse was burned down during the Ōnin Wars) had a brass plate inlaid into the face of the tray (the tray seems to have been used in China for carrying hot containers of food from the kitchen to the residental apartments). The brass plate would protect the face of the tray from being scratched by the sand or the bottom of the stone.

²²Gyo-i ni te daisu kazari, taikai ni te o-cha tate [御意ニテ臺子カサリ、大海ニテ御茶立].

Gyo-i [御意] means according to the pleasure (of the noble guest); according to the desire (of the noble guest). In other words, Hideyoshi requested Rikyū to bring his daisu out of storage and display it in the shoin.

Above is Rikyū's daisu and kaigu from this period in his life. This daisu was made around 1586, and so some months before this chakai (during which it may have been used for the first time). After Hideyoshi was initiated into the gokushin futatsu-gumi temae, he forbade Rikyū to teach that temae to anyone else without his express permission. At that time, Rikyū modified the proportions of the daisu (by making the legs half their previous thickness -- this was enough to move the furo and mizusashi far enough apart so that the previous effect was lost), and then had this daisu made to reflect the changes. This was the daisu that Rikyū used from that time until his death (and it -- along with Sōtan's “wabi daisu” that is cobbled together from parts of several old daisu, so the ten- and ji-ita are different sizes -- is the daisu that is known and used today).

Rikyū's Seto taikai-chaire [瀬戸大海茶入] is shown below.

The expression o-cha tate [御茶立] is very formal, and means that tea was prepared (using the daisu) by Hideyoshi. Under the circumstances, it is likely that Hideyoshi served usucha to Tsuda Sōkyū and Rikyū -- and perhaps drank a bowl himself.

The chawan is not mentioned, but perhaps it was the same one that Rikyū used earlier, the Shima-suji-kuro [嶋筋黒] bowl made by Furuta Sōshitsu.

Hideyoshi probably performed his temae using the furo.

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