#place meat roasting rack

[fairywasteland]

Roast Pork Loin Chop Recipe An easy and moist recipe for delicious pork loin chops. 4 thick cut pork chops, salt and pepper to taste, 1 large onion peeled and sliced, 1 cup water

[rottenpumpkin13]

I like to make myself depressed by imagining "what if" scenarios, like what if Genesis's degradation was impossibly delayed. Maybe they never decided to break into the training room that day, and the start of the downhill spiral wouldn't start for months—maybe years—to come.

And what if Angeal started to bring Zack around more, not as a student but as a friend. He fits right in with them. He's bright and a breath of fresh air. Sephiroth immediately likes him. They get along great. Genesis is a bit more difficult to crack in the beginning, but once they hit it off, there's no stopping them. Genesis likes Zack because he's interesting, he always listens to everything he has to say and is completely interested in it.

Fate weaves inevitable paths, which is how Cloud and Zack ended up friends. They meet each other on a completely different mission that brings them together either way. Neither of them had ever had a true best friend before each other, which makes their bond all the more unbreakable.

Over time, Zack introduces his friends to Cloud.

Cloud is terribly nervous at first. After all, these are the most famous men in Midgar—on the planet, even. And Sephiroth, his hero who he's looked up to his whole life, is amongst them. And now Cloud is standing in front of his apartment door, critically adjusting his infantry uniform over and over while Zack knocks on the door.

He flashes a bright smile at Cloud, his blue eyes crinkling as he winks at him as if to say, "they'll love you, don't worry."

Cloud has the oxygen pumped out of his lungs once the door opens, and standing there is Sephiroth himself. 'He's even bigger up close,' Cloud thinks to himself as Sephiroth surveys him, taking in the sight of his unruly blond hair and wrinkled uniform.

Cloud fights the urge to squeeze his eyes shut as he braces for a rejection. But instead, Sephiroth smiles—he actually smiles. Warm and welcoming.

"You must be Cloud," his smooth voice brings Cloud down from his high of self scrutiny. Opening the door wider, Sephiroth beckons them both inside. "Zack has told us so much about you. Come in."

Cloud nearly trips over himself. He feels like he's floating as Zack pushes him inside. Immediately the scent of roasted meat and potatoes reaches him. He looks around, unsure of what he expected from Sephiroth's living quarters. Nonetheless, it wasn't this. He definitely would not have expected the strewn boots by the door, a familiar red leather thrown on the coat rack, and the sight of Genesis Rhapsodos stumbling around with a wine glass in hand.

He grins as soon as he sees Zack.

"Hey, Zack" His face breaks into a surprised pout once he notices Cloud behind him. "Oh? Is this your mysterious Infantry friend who we finally get to meet?"

Cloud gulps, feeling his face flush. "Cloud Strife, sir."

Another person stumbles out of the kitchen, laughing. "You can relax. We're off duty and all friends here, so there's no need for that." Angeal wipes his hand on a dish towel before throwing it over his shoulder and extending a hand toward Cloud.

"Angeal." He smiles, shaking Cloud's hand eagerly.

Cloud, in turn, blushes even more. "Uh—I know, sir. I mean," he winces, "Angeal."

Angeal laughs, then ushers him into the kitchen. The rest of them shuffle behind them. Cloud feels simultaneously out of place and comforted at the same time. There's something about sitting at the counter while he watches Angeal slap Zack with a dish towel for sticking his finger in the sauce and Sephiroth and Genesis arguing over which plate set to use as they set the table. The chaos and imperfection brings him comfort.

They have dinner later that night. The boys bombard him with questions about Nibelheim, life in the barracks, and question him about his life goals. Zack eagerly tells them that Cloud wants to become a SOLDIER one day, like them. Their reactions overwhelm him. Sephiroth freely asserts his opinion; he thinks Cloud should go to university after his enlistment and forget about Shinra. Genesis wants to start giving him materia lessons already, prodding him about training regiments and how great the SOLDIER life is. Angeal thinks his dream is very noble, and encourages Cloud to work hard for whatever he wants.

Afterwards, Zack walks him back to the barracks. The cold air whips through the hallways and tinges Zack's cheeks a rosy hue. He's chewing a strawberry lollipop and is wearing one of Angeal's hoodies, an attestment to the bond they've cultivated.

"Do you think they liked me?" Cloud asks nervously, a ridiculous question to Zack, who laughs and slaps his friend's shoulder in response.

"Are you kidding me? You're practically one of us already."

One of us.

That us didn't make sense to Cloud in that moment, and wouldn't until a few weeks later, when he found himself on the rooftop of the building. The last afternoon sun tinged Sephiroth's hair golden. Zack could be heard grumbling about his rapidly melting popsicle beside him. He was wedged between the two, who in turn were in between Genesis and Angeal. Cloud swing his feet over the edge, looking at the drop into the skyline below. He hadn't been aware people could access this part of the rooftop. But he figured if you were Sephiroth, and had spent your entire life trying to find places where you could be alone, loopholes like these became saved in the back of your mind.

Cloud understood. He told Sephiroth about the water tower back home. Sephiroth had ruffled his hair and promised to visit someday. Angeal's laugh as Zack accidentally let his popsicle fall over the edge reached his ears, blending with Genesis's soft voice as he read Loveless for them.

Cloud felt at peace in that moment. He had never had a best friend before Zack, much less a group of them.

He understands the us perfectly well now, finding solace in being part of the we, entrapped in the "guys, look at this" and "what are we doing this weekend?"

But the thing about delays is that you can only outrun them so long. By finding a home earlier than fate had planned for him, Cloud sooner learns that the happier you are, the more you have to lose, and the harder it hurts when the people you love betray you.

He ends up on that road to Nibelheim either way.

Laughing at Zack's snoring as he sleeps on Cloud's shoulder is enough to quell his motion sickness, if only for a moment. Sephiroth sits on Clouds other side, talking more than he had ever heard him talk. Cloud suspects he's living vicariously through him, holding his excitement for him while he collects his thoughts.

He asks about Claudia Strife, the mountains, the culture, and everything Cloud had mentioned since they had become friends. Sephiroth asks Cloud wether he thinks his mother will be proud of him, referring to the Third Class uniform Cloud now wears. His voice shakes when he talks about Angeal and how he always wanted to visit Mt. Nibel. He never mentions Genesis.

The change of the gravel on the road tells Cloud they've reached the outskirts of the village.

Things will never be the same again. Maybe that's the way they were always meant to be.

[zoeykallus]

Hiiii!!!! I love ur work sm <<<<33333

If you get the chance could you do reader with an anxiety/panic disorder + platonic bad batch

Maybe with some snuggles from wrecker bc I love him SO MUCH <<<<<33333

Aloha! Thanks a lot! Love to read that! 😊 Okay, I'm not really sure if you want this as HCs or a One-shot. But it sounds like a One-shot, with all of them but focus on Wrecker? Let me give it a try. I'm not really a proffesionell, so I can only draw from my own experience regarding anxiety and panic. I hope that works for you. If not, I would need a little more details.

The Bad Batch x Platonic Reader One-Shot - We Have Your Back

Warnings: anxiety/panic disorder/Hurt/Comfort/Fluff

____________________

You let yourself be persuaded to go to the market with the boys. Actually, it's not a good idea, today is not a good day, you feel it in your bones, but you don't want to be a killjoy. Against your better judgment, you go along anyway.

While you stroll through the market, you concentrate on the boys as your fixed points, your safety buffers. But there's really a lot going on at the market today. So many people, so many smells, sounds, voices. It's actually not that warm, but you start to sweat a little.

Your eyes twitch back and forth, you don't know what to focus on first, you feel harried and lost at the same time. You constantly have the feeling that you are being watched, subliminally you expect to be grabbed by some stranger at any time. It's not a full on panic attack yet, but you know it's about to happen.

You feel helpless, trying to fight that upcoming feeling of paralyzing fear, but it only seems to get worse.

Suddenly, Hunter stops and turns to you.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

You force yourself to smile and say, "Sure."

His gaze is critical, but he doesn't contradict you.

"Okay, if you say so"

It's only a small gesture, and if you weren't so observant you might have missed it, but you see Hunter barely noticeably giving hand signals to his brothers. Like a ring of protection, the boys form around you almost unobtrusively, enclosing you in their midst like a shield.

You look up and Echo smiles gently at you. Tech shows you something on his holopad and distracts you with a few facts about the planet. Crosshair lets you nibble on some dried fruit he bought.

The guys already know that you suffer from these attacks from time to time, by now they know how to deal with it quite well. Wrecker takes your hand very gently. When you look up at him, he smirks at you.

"We've got you, dear."

Your heart beats faster with joy and relief. You take a deep breath and return his smirk. You are incredibly grateful.

Carefully, Wrecker puts his arm around your shoulders and gently presses you against his side.

"You're perfectly safe here," he says softly.

Touched, you say, "I know Wrecker, thank you."

Tech suggests buying stuff for a picnic or barbecue and going to a quieter place. You're not the only one who likes the idea.

That evening you sit together in the middle of nowhere around a campfire, the Marauder hidden not far from you between some trees. Over the fire is a rack that Tech has put together, on which vegetables and pieces of meat are roasting.

You are leaning against Wrecker's strong chest, he holds you gently in his arms. It feels wonderful, safe, warm, secure. The food over the fire smells so good, the night sky is starry. It seems like a perfect evening, it feels like the world is in order again. There is no fear lurking somewhere in the back of your mind, not now.

You sit back in relief as you hear Echo say, "It's okay if you say no, by the way, you don't have to go along with everything if you don't feel like it, dear."

You blink and look at him in surprise.

Tech adds, "We want you to feel comfortable, but to assure that, you have to be honest with us."

Hunter nods in agreement and says, "None of us are judging you."

Crosshair growls, "Stop saying only what you think we want to hear."

Wrecker squeezes you gently with a soft laugh and says, "What Crosshair is saying is that we want you to be comfortable, so you need to tell us honestly what you want and how you feel"

You smile cautiously and say softly, "Sounds reasonable. Thanks guys"

Hunter assures you, "We'll always have your back, never hesitate to let us know when you need something"

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

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[lordrethandus]

Daily Writing Challenge November 2023 Day 1

Party / Chills ( @daily-writing-challenge @corohveldha )

World: Final Fantasy 14

Theme: Clannad - Her and the Sea

Coroh was running ragged.

She had been up since the late afternoon of yesterday making miracle after miracle in the Heartwood Kitchen. The occasional taste-tester would come downstairs every now and then, enthralled by the aromas wafting through the rest of the estate, but she refused any and all help. The free company had been through the wringer these past few moons, both the people living and fighting under this roof and the building itself; cooking for them was the least she could do.

A plump dodo was drained and de-feathered, powdered with spices and drenched in sauces, and now it sat glistening in one of the many ovens at her disposal– the savory flesh would remain crispy but the meat underneath would be so tender it would slide right off the bone. The freshly hunted boar was too large for any one oven, forcing Coroh to roast the heavy beast over a bonfire outside and bring it down into the kitchen to marinate in her coveted honey glaze, piece by succulent piece. Juicy blood sausages hissed and sizzled on their racks, made fresh by hand from Shroud boar, butterbeef, and aldgoat. Ala Mhigan gumbo sat bubbling in a heavy iron pot on the stove, with soft carrots, savory beef, and hearty red popotoes swirling in the mesmerizing brown broth. She even made a crisp salad from island cabbages she bought fresh from the Gridanian markets– with thick Black Shroud mushrooms roasted over an open flame and covered in tinfoil to keep their savory texture and warmth. Well over a dozen pies of ogre pumpkin, sweet popoto, rolanberry, and honey lemon sat cooling on the bar countertops, far and away out of reach of any mischievous children and curious Lalafell alike.

Coroh was finishing up the drinks for the party, mixing fruits of all flavors with crushed ice and salted glasses. They didn’t have much for wine after the rebuilding of the estate, but they had plenty of vodka– with a bottle of cactuar tequila they would surely use for a drinking contest later. She only had a bell or two before they started shuffling in– and her time spent toiling in this place would be displayed for all to see. Make no mistake, she intended to assert her culinary dominance. She was already the greatest culinarian in Heartwood but it was never enough; she needed to be the greatest culinarian. Period.

She blinked as she stared at the pot of gumbo, suddenly missing her babies. Her firstborn Nolas was difficult to spend quality time with since she was nocturnal and he wasn’t, but her daughter Avanta was active for almost as long as she was. She wanted to hold them, to hug them, to kiss them. She wanted to make them feel happy and safe, especially with the chaos they’ve all been through just a few weeks ago. 

Hopefully the Starlight Celebration will be far more peaceful and relaxing.

[ronniefein]

Dairy-free Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Anyone who reads my posts knows that on New Year’s Eve we feast on hors d’oeuvre throughout the day — no real sit-down dinner. Dessert is later in the evening.

But my cousins sleep over for a couple of days and that means real meals too.

On one of the nights they are with us I usually serve either Rack of Lamb or Rib Roast — the dinner we used to eat on New Year’s Eve long ago before we decided on the nibble fest.

For starters? This soup. Light enough to precede a heavy meat meal and colorful enough for a celebration. Bonus: you can make this a few days ahead!

Follow me on Instagram @RonnieVFein

ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP

4 sweet red, orange and/or yellow bell peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium scallions, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish if desired

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

6 tablespoons raw white rice

5 cups vegetable stock

1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

freshly ground black pepper

3/4 to 1 cup non-dairy milk, optional

Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers under the broiler, about 4-6" away from the heat. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until the skin has blistered. Turn the peppers and repeat this process until the entire surface is blistered and lightly charred. Remove the peppers and place them in a paper bag or wrap in aluminum foil. Let rest at least 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag, peel off the skin and discard the stem and the seeds. Cut the peppers into pieces and set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions, carrots, garlic, parsley and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Stir in the rice. Add the peppers and stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and cook at a simmer for 25 minutes. Add non-dairy milk if desired. Puree in a food processor or blender. Serve hot or chilled.

Makes 6 servings

[copperbadge]

Hi Sam. I have a rump roast I want to use and it's apparently very popular for French Dips, Italian Beef sandwiches, and roast beef deli meat. You've made a version of Italian Beef before as and have posted pictures of it plus a general method of what you did. Do you have a specific recipe you use? (I mostly need it for measurements. I've made BBQ briskets and Mississippi Roast enough to wing it, but it's~ 4lb of beef and I don't want to mess it up.)

Thanks!

The recipes I've found online for italian beef are pretty vague, I'll be honest, so I've developed something closer to a widely-applicable technique, because really you're just doing a steam-braise that also creates a jus. So, my advice for cooking about four pounds of rump roast for sandwiches is as follows, a lot of it may be review for you :D

Trim the roast to a thickness that you'd be comfortable slicing, and a width and length that will fit in your slow cooker. I also trim off large chunks of fat. I usually do three pounds of beef, cut into 1lb segments that are roughly 1" thick, piled atop one another.

Use enough beef broth to cover the bottom of the slow cooker. I use 3 cups in an instant pot slow cooker, which is tall and narrow. You probably don't need more for 4lbs, just make sure it covers the bottom of the pot decently. If you don't have beef broth, chicken broth will work, or even water in a pinch; the beef will drain a lot of fat/flavor into it regardless. You can boil trimmings to get a decent broth, though that takes time. At this point I just have a "mother broth" of leftover jus that I use for the next batch, I just add some water or beef broth each time to make up 3 cups.

Put some kind of rack or platform on the bottom of the slow cooker. It doesn't have to raise the beef much, just keep it mostly out of the liquid.

Season the beef as you like (I use a steak seasoning blend). Place the liquid in the pot first, then layer the beef into the slow cooker on top of the rack or dish. It can touch the liquid, that's fine, just shouldn't fully immerse in it.

Slow cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the beef is fully cooked through. If you take the temperature it should be at least 145F, and should not be pink at all in the middle. Remove and let cool; refrigerate before slicing. And that's it really, no special trick.

For jus, boil the liquid left in the slow cooker for minimum five minutes at a full boil. After boiling, strain it, cool it, and store it. It should still be somewhat cloudy, that's flavor baby!

I slice the meat very thin and of course across the grain to keep it tender, but you can slice it any thickness you like. Once sliced, I store the meat packed in jars and covered in jus; it freezes well (just don't tighten the jar lid until it's frozen) and reheats best when heated in liquid (I microwave, but it heats as well, just slower, in a pan on the stove top). Then just pull the beef out of the liquid, toss it on a crusty roll, and dip the roll in the liquid for extra flavor if desired. Or eat it cold, it's good that way too.

For the best possible italian beef, I've found that it's ideal to take the roll, stuff it with warm-to-hot beef, dip it thoroughly in the jus (doesn't have to be hot), wrap it in lightly greased foil, and bake in a toaster oven at 450 for about 5 minutes. I've been experimenting with mine and have enjoyed adding a variety of cheeses before baking, and I've also found a sliced hard-boiled egg a nice addition.

[lilrathands]

Ministry Days: Oui, Chef!

Genre: Pure fluff, comfort, kitchenalia, some foreshadowing of future events, an attempt at comedy was made.

Rating: The swears, simulated wanking

WC: 2438 (I have no idea how this happened)

Warnings: A little sappy, threats of violence, light Chapter 16 spoilers. Copia suffering, no door, too many tax receipts, Seestor being a big meanie.

A/N: All HCs are my own damn fault, or taken from various bits of the Chapters, interviews, Tender Father’s ramblings. Also may have been absorbed by osmosis and exposure to the fandom. You are welcome to use them.

The kitchen was Mountain's happy place. The rhythm, sounds and organised chaos was very much like being on stage, his steady heartbeat moving things along, suffusing each dish with a bit of that ethereal ghoul magic. He could be found here most evenings, amongst the polished copper pots, his head deftly bobbing between the battery of cooking implements hanging from wrought iron racks.

There had been a few teething problems involving chipped horns and swollen lumps that had to be soothed by Aether. Even though Aeth had tisked and chided Mountain each time, he was tickled by his new found love for cooking.

The road to hell, in fact, was paved with dinners. Some lavish to the point of obscenity (particularly if the ministry was hosting high-ranking clergy from abroad), some as simple as a bowl of warming soup and dark bread fresh from the ovens. It would of course be slathered with butter made from the milk of Primo's prized dairy cows who doubled as the resident lawn trimmers. Every ghoul was threatened under penalty of death - fuck with the cows and find out at your peril. As such, the ministry kitchens were equipped to feed a small (unholy) army.

The ghouls, however, kept stranger hours- often more active at night and sleeping after dawn crept its fingers over the spires of the ministry chapel. Once the kitchen had cleared of the daytime staff, it was Mountain's preferred spot. A fire would be lit in the hearth again, kicking up embers to light new tinder and carefully stacked logs. Then there was the large bay window that had become home to a variety of potted herbs and trailing ivy - all courtesy of him. The day staff had delighted in the addition, never needing to venture outside in the bitter chill of winter in Lincopia to harvest herbs from the ministry greenhouse.

The one exception to this was Sundays. Papa insisted that he make the ghouls a communal dinner, from scratch, all by himself (unless Dewdrop decided to force his involvement on the former cardinal). Papa had a paternal streak a mile wide, and loved tinkering with old recipes until they were just right for his little band of hellspawn. Dinner on Sundays was usually late, even by ghoul standards.

Oddly, Dewdrop was an occasionally curious kitchen hand, very adamant that he be shown things step-by-step and in great detail. Whenever Mountain would gently inquire, why exactly Dew was so keen, he would be admonished with a sullen stare that hinted at acts of future violence.

On this particular night an English roast dinner had been requested, with Aether claiming he had developed an affinity for them after spending some time in Britian in an earlier century. Under a different, unnamed master.

He had conjured up visions of tables laden with joints of roasted meat, stuffings, potatoes roasted with drippings or lard, vegetables glazed or creamed into submission, sauces aplenty and those strange little puffs of air called 'Yorkshire puddings'.

Mountain had practically galloped to the library - Dew madly scrambling to keep up with him. The library had a considerable collection of antique cook books and treatises on the culinary arts. The siblings of sin had helped him find a volume titled 'Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management', from around the time Aeth said he had been in service.

The book was bound in red linen, with gilt lettering and counted among its charms a stained title page, several pages of the 'Cakes' section glued together by Satan-knows-what and, curiously, an entire chapter on 'Carving at the Table' had been unceremoniously ripped out.

Walking back into the kitchen Mountain set the book on the long wooden trestle table that graced one side of the main kitchen and sat on the well-scrubbed bench seat.

"Well, looks like we're a little fucked on the pomp and ceremony bit but at least we can scrape together some of the easier recipes."

Dew stood behind him, peering over his shoulder, making a range of faces that covered everything from abject disgust to confusion and back to dry wretching.

"It's all so fucking BROWN! How could Aeth even stomach this stuff much less want to eat it again?" Dew hissed through gritted teeth.

Mountain knew that Dew also had questionable taste in food, once having caught him eating spoonfuls of dry spices, but decided to keep that thought to himself. Dew had nearly choked to death in a puff of cinnamon when Mountain had opened the pantry door looking for the fancy fleur de sel Terzo had brought up from France.

"Well, they say that brown equals flavour, buddy. Millions of people can't be wrong, well I mean they can, but let's just go with the former. Alright, let's gather everything we need up, I'll head to the root cellar, can you crank the ovens? Let's do roast pork with crackling, glazed root vegetables, crispy roast potatoes, apple and onion gravy, horseradish cream and maybe some of those yorkshire pudding things?"

"Oui, chef!" Dew practically yelled, puffing his chest out and standing as tall as he could (he was still very small, but the effort was what counted).

Mountain gave an awkward thumbs-up, wondering what the fuck had gotten into him lately? Everyone knew he was a raging perfectionist that mastered every task he was given, but this was just extreme.

There was a door adjacent to the pantry that led down into the root cellar, Mountain practically doubling over to avoid concussion as he descended the narrow stairs. The ministry had long sat unused until the 1930s, and was a former abbey dating back to the 1400s with an extensive network of catacombs,  underground chambers and cellars. This was just one storage cellar, the ministry being dotted with them, some still sealed and unused.

The cellar room itself was large enough for Mountain to stand up in, with a small, vaulted ceiling from which hung braids of garlic, onions, dried peppers and woody herbs. The door was always tightly sealed to keep Copia's rats from infiltrating the stores.

Mountain collected his root vegetables (wintered carrots, parsnips and yellow turnips) from wooden boxes and grabbed a large burlap sack of potatoes, still dirty with sandy soil. He relished the smell of soil in winter, even if it was long dry and devoid of the rich aroma of life and death that all healthy earth has. A braid of garlic, a few stray apples (these would need replenishing from the larger store cellars) and six onions were added to his basket.

Upstairs, Dew had collected a pair of ancient roasting tins that would hold two racks of pork, which he was salting and oiling. Mountain tipped his basket out onto the table and brought the onions and apples to Dew.

"Alright, slice these thinly and make a bed for the pork after you put down a little oil. Toss a few sprigs of rosemary underneath the pork as well."

Dew relished the knifework, his fingers flying adeptly just as they did on-stage. Soon sounds of sniffling and cursing could be heard from his corner of the kitchen.

"Mounty, can you pass me some paper towel? Please?"

Mountain dutifully ripped off a few sheets and handed them to Dew. Tears were streaming from his eyes, and they had gotten incredibly red, much more than any human Mountain had seen chop onions.

"Buddy, are you ok? You don't look so great..."

Wordlessly, Dew picked up the knife and pointed it at Mountain's chest.

"I...am...fine...I'm...not...crying. If you tell the others, I will end you."

Dew slowly turned to face his stinky nemesis again, his knife now pointing down at the alliums.

"I am the lord and master of these onions and will prevail. SUBMIT TO ME, YOUR ONION LORD!" Dew exclaimed as he began furiously slicing the onions again.

Mountain stiffly turned back to his own cutting board while questioning the choice of giving Dew access to a large, sharp knife. Maybe he should just give him the vegetable peeler next time...

Soon there were neat piles of chopped veg, minced herbs and bowls of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper in front of Mountain. A large tray lined with baking paper stood ready, as he tipped and mixed everything together. A final flourish of honey from the pantry was drizzled over everything.

Dew had indeed conquered the onions, and the pork was sizzling in one of the large, furnace-like ovens. Little sparks of fire magic were floating around him like orange fireflies, and Mountain could tell that Dew was manipulating the fire, willing the ancient oven to get hot enough to properly cook the crackling roast.

"Thanks buddy, you're doing a great job there."

Mountain gingerly patted him on his shoulder, to which Dew blushed and fumbled a "Thanks, chef."

While the roast was cooking, the pudding batter was assembled, the horseradish grated and gently folded into cream with a little vinegar, salt and pepper (more tears from Dew, Mountain wordlessley handing over paper towels).

It was time for the potatoes to be tipped into hot fat, and the tray of vegetables to be placed into the now less-furnacey oven. Dew had opened the oven and with his golden crown of hair blowing around him, had drawn the heat into himself, then promptly run outside and exhaled vast quantities of steam. Mountain marvelled at how strong his magic could be when he was focused and calm, something he noticed was happening more often these days.

Returning to work, they scrubbed the boards, knives, bowls and utensils, and set the table for Papa and the ghouls. They had a little time to have a cup of tea and biscuits, as the meat had to rest before carving. The siblings of sin always kept a tin of biscuits around for the ghouls, as it was an easy way to barter with them - they had become fond of earthly delights.

Mountain loved the little heart-shaped  linzer cookies filled with jam, while Dew enjoyed the dark chocolate shortbreads dotted with orange zest and redolent with spice. They missed them while on tour, and would often request that the kitchen send along a tin or two to fix any cases of homesickness.

The smell of dinner had clearly wafted through the abbey as Aether poked his head through the huge wooden double-doors of the kitchen.

"Almost dinner time, lads? Want me to fetch the others?"

"Yes, and make sure to get Papa as well, I don't care if you have to tear him away from his bloody tax returns, Sister can get fucked for once. Every time I walk past his room he's either playing video games and eating Pocket Coffees from a giant bowl or wringing his hands over a pile of paper and swearing in Italian." Mountain's brow creased in worry - Copia needed a solid meal and some companionship, this work schedule was killing him...

It was time to pour the batter for the puddings into their screaming-hot moulds. Mountain carefully distributed the liquid and then immediately shoved them in the oven to bake.

Dew was already moving the vegetables onto large platters, and pouring the gravy into the Ministry's bizarre collection of animal-shaped gravy boats. His personal favourite was the puking cat.

Mountain was left to carve the pork, quietly working the slices from the rack, the crackling sublimely crisp and shattering. He heard the scrape of a chair behind him and suddenly felt a hat being negotiated over his horns.

"Gotta look the part, hey chef?" Dew proclaimed, as he slid the chair back and stood beside him, wearing a floppy, old-fashioned chef's toque like some bizarre character from an 80s children's show. It was fucking adorable.

"Absolutely bud, only the height of professionalism around here."

The other ghouls began drifting through the doors, excitedly chatting and sniffing the air. The girls coo'd over Dew's hat while also trying to dip their fingers in the gravy boat as he fended them off with a slotted spoon. 

Aether and Papa were last, with Aether holding Papa up with an arm while he shuffled in, still wearing his little rat slippers and looking positively dreadful.

"Amici miei....my beautiful children, you are a sight for sore eyes. Sister, she is relentless, she has removed my door! I can't even, you know, ehhh..." he made sad, unenthusiastic wanking motions with his hand.

Suddenly, Copia closed his eyes as his nose began to twitch. He inhaled deeply, a flush of colour returning to his cheeks.

"Quell'aroma meraviglioso...Mountain, Dewdrop, you have outdone yourselves...my mama, she could have never..." Aether sat Papa down at the head of the table, gently tucking a napkin into his burgundy hoodie and pouring him a small glass of wine.

Dew held up his own wineglass, tapping it with his gigantic slotted spoon.

"The chef would like to say a few words..." he announced, chest puffed out again and wiggling an eyebrow at Mountain.

"Uh yeah, Aeth requested this one, so, uh, enjoy this surprisingly delicious brown food."

Everyone clapped, while Mountain's hat slid forward as he bowed. Suddenly, he bolted upright -"Fuck, the puddings!"

Without a hint of hesitation Dew jumped up and ran to the oven, pulling the pan of crispy puffs out with his bare hands. "Got 'em! Nice and golden, sneaky little fuckers."

"CAZZO! Put the fucking pan down, you're going to have terrible blisters, mamma mia!" Papa yelled while clasping his hands over his face, elicting a gasp from the other ghouls.

"Nah, I usually wear oven mitts just so the siblings don't lose their tiny minds when they realise I'm unburnable. Don't want to give them the brain scramblies, ya know?"

The ghouls uttered a collective sigh, of course a pan wasn't going to burn him. They all suddenly felt a little foolish, like they'd been living amongst humans a bit too long.

Swiss, however, looked contemplative, while shoving a hot yorkshire pud in his mouth he began, "The brain scramblies are bad news, like that time Rain dove into the lake and didn't come up for 20 minutes in front of the novices..."

Soon enough, laughter echoed through the hall. Mountain was content, his family was here enjoying the fruits of his labours, while their collective magics mingled in the warm air. Dew offered up a crinkly-eyed smile in his direction, which he returned with a nod and subtle grin.

They would all sleep well, with full bellies and comfortable dreams of warm hearths, surrounded by good friends.

[faerunscursed]

The crackling of wood would reach Wyll's ears as his world shifted back into focus. He lay in a hard iron basket. The flickering of the fire in the stove illuminated two bowls before him. One was filled to the brim with water so cold, it frosted the air millimetres above the rim. The other bowl had a small pastry seared so strongly that you could see the metal grids in the flesh. It had been seasoned with spices, local to Avernus, making it hot in temperature and flavour.

There was a bustle around him as imps came flitting through the kitchen, carrying wailing and screaming lemures by the hook of their tails, dumping them on chopping blocks or straight into pots and pans, where they were cooked and seared. Imps and Cambions expertly blocked out the pleas for mercy as they worked with the ingredients. The air smelled of roasted and cooked meat, roasted potatoes and the lemony tang of prepared salad.

Next to Wyll's basket stood a Cambion girl, a teenager and a maid if her dress was anything to go by. She was squeezing a quartered lemon onto a roasted fish and added some time and rosemary as well as chilly flakes on its bronze scales when she noticed him stirring. The Cambion girl flashed Wyll an excited smile as if she had just spotted a puppy.

"You are awake!", she called, "That's good! The lady of the house was concerned your transformation took a bit out of you. We made you some food and drink." Her tail flicked towards the bowls. "Please, have your fill. Lady Mizora insists that you get your strength back, puppy."

Initially waking up in Avernus had been as expected. The memories of his human life, his death, had stuck him and his entire lemure body was racked in pain. He had known of what would become of him, but he hadn't expected this level of pain. Yet, unlike many others who had been cursed to this fate, he had left an unforgettable impression on his patron. As such he wasn't left alone long before Mizora found him.

The transformation into whatever he was becoming was equally as painful as being a lemure. He could feel limbs growing, and bones crunching into place. Words were being said as it was happening, but he simply couldn't hear over the exquisite pain. Eventually he blacked out, unaware of his new form.

When he awoke again, he found himself over stimulated by the sound surrounding him, from the imps and cambions moving about to the screaming of something else for mercy, maybe lemure by sounds of it. The next thing to happen was his eyes fluttering open and almost immediately he could see that he was something entirely different now. Wyll could feel a set of legs, where he hadn't had them before and his head was heavy as if he once more had a set of horns.

He was just starting to move when he heard a younger cambion girl greet him, followed by the aroma of something delicious in front of him; a bowl of flesh, with various spices added in. His mouth watered at its smell and instantly made his way to the bowl, devouring it as if he were starving, ravaging it. What followed was a satisfying hum, his devilish tail swinging happily as he finished his meal.

The mention of Mizora caused his ears to straighten up, his tailing continuously swaying back and forth at the prospect of seeing her. 'Mizora? Did she change me? I don't remember having limbs before. Where is she?' No words cames out of his mouth, but they went directly into the cambions mind, though he was amazed he could do so. 'What am I?'

[foodandfolklore]

Kitchen Basics and Essentials

Earlier I made a quick list of Kitchen Witch Essentials, and planned to expand on it later. However, my list was made with the assumption that you have the basics to cook with. So, I figured I'd go over them to ensure we're all on the same page moving forward.

I am not a professionally trained chef. I'm just a Canadian home cook who's had an interest in cooking since young. Not everything I think is important, other home cooks will think is important. But I think we can agree on about 90% of what I list.

Utensils

Knives. Any list about Kitchen essentials, the Chef's knife will be right at the top. But you'll actually need 2, maybe 3 knives. The chef's knife, as mentioned, or just a main working knife. It's knife used for cutting up everything from meat to veggies to garnish. If you prefer to use a Chinese Cleaver, go for it. Your second knife you should have is a paring knife. Basically a small knife. It's good for more delicate work like eyeing potatoes, cutting up berries, stuff like that. Now most people will tell you, that's all the knives you really need, but I recommend one more. Particularly if you are going to get into bread making. A serrated knife like a bread knife. It is so hard to cut bread with a flat edge, because you end up squishing it. The serrated knife will cut crusty bread without issue.

Pots and Pans. I think it's fair to assume you have at least two pots and a pan or skillet. You can boil pasta and cook sauce at the same time with the option to fry an egg if you wanted to.

Cutting Board. Protect your surfaces and your knives and use your cutting board! I see you quickly chopping up veggies on a plate. Having multiple cutting boards can be quite useful for when you are preparing something like meat. I like to use a plastic cutting board to do most of my meat cutting on so it can be easily put in my dishwasher when done.

Vegetable Peeler. There's a lot of different kinds of peelers. Some are fancy, some can turn vegetables into noodles, some are electric; I'm just talking the basic hand held vegetable peeler. It does a lot without taking up much space.

Measuring Cups and Spoons. Super important to have if you're following directions from another recipe. As you get more experience, you'll find yourself measuring every ingredient less and less. But if you're baking, or trying something new, measure.

Mixing Bowl. Your cereal bowls are only going to get you so far. A mixing bowl can hold Salads, marinating meat, pancake batter- just not at the same time. If you enjoy baking, you will want more than one.

Baking Trays. Ideally two of these. Most known for cookies, but used for roasting all kinds of things in the oven. It's also good to put one in under the rack of something that drips while cooking. Lasagna is bad for this. Catching the falling food on a baking tray makes clean up way easier.

Appliances

Stove. Doesn't matter if it's gas, electric, induction; how many heating elements you have; I'm assuming you have a stove.

Oven. Since most stoves are built into an oven, I am going to assume you also have an oven. I know not every place is allowed to have one, but chances are if you're interested in Kitchen witchcraft, you have access to these things.

Microwave. These days, they are everywhere. Some apartments will be built with a kitchenet which has no stove, but definitely a microwave. These are super helpful, melting butter, defrosting ingredients, while being very safe.

Fridge/Freezer. The modern standard of food preservation. Every home that consumes perishables has at lest one; and it's not uncommon for a large family to have more than one fridge or freezer.

Also

Salt. If you're cooking, you're gunna need salt. Especially if you're going down the route of Kitchen Witchcraft. Not a lot; I got excited one time and bought like 5 different kinds of salt. I'll probably be dead before I use it all. You don't need a bunch or even fancy salts. Just get a box of salt; Kosher, Sea, Pink, whatever. Even the finely ground iodize salt will work.

Oven Mitts. Pulling stuff out of the oven is hot! Protect yourself from burns.

[imjulia-andilikecats]

Mareven Scrap Idea: Maven (Hunter) x Mare (Forest Nymph) Part 2

As the sun lowers to the ground, hiding it's rays behind trees and hills. The young master silently returned.

Most of the servants barely noticed the young master entering the Calore Manor. The few who did, caught a glimpse of him covered in mud and sweat. A blank expression plastered on his face.

Maven Calore entered the dining room where his family has started eating dinner. Once he entered the room, he didn't need to glance at them, he already know that all of them were looking at him.

His mother in quiet disapproval, too relieved that he came back in one piece to scold him, yet.

His perfect brother, probably concerned with his disheveled appearance, moving a bowl full of his favorite food near his empty plate, as he sat down next to him. How sweet of him. He thought, sarcastically.

As tempted as he was at shoveling down the roasted meats and mashed potatoes that steamed and glistened on their dining table.

He couldn't stop his eyes from searching at his father, slowly facing himself at the head of the table. Tiberias Calore's amber eyes looked down at him from where he sat. He stopped eating when Maven entered, resting one of his chins on his knuckles.

"You are late." His gruff voice sounding more inconvenienced than concerned. "And filthy." He added.

Maven wanted to roll his eyes at that. Of course he is filthy. He could feel the dirt and dried mud covering his arms, legs and probably places he will know once he takes a well earned bath.

And of course he knew he was late. He stumbled a few times in the dark and gained a few scratches on his cheek and brow, while carrying a very real and very unconcious creature on his shoulder, on his way back here.

"Apologies." Is all he could reply, as he started spooning food on his plate.

His father continued his eating. Which stung him. That's all you have to say to me?

Shoving down his food, his growing anger making it difficult to taste anything.

Fine. I have other things to worry about. Like the creature that he half-carried, half-dragged into a small cabin. Not knowing when she'll wake up or what to do next.

Maven gripped his glass, gulping down the water, like it was some exquisite wine his father could only have during his birthdays.

The water cooled him down and made it easier for him to breathe, and think.

He needs to speak to the nymph, but he must know more about her kind.

Maven considered asking his uncle, since he was an expert in all things boring and perculiar. But he was a few miles away from the Calore manor, too busy being romantic and growing even older with their former head nurse.

Which leave only one person to go to.

Later that night, young lord Tiberias was reading through mountains of reports and requests written to him by nearby masters. Updates of the weather, harvest and when supplies arrive on port. He liked to reader those, racking his brain on what to do and what could be done better.

Once he finshed the reports, he grimeced at the pile of requests that were slowly collecting dust. Most or even all, asking him to visit their mansions to talk about business, but he knew well enough, it was another lord's way of pushing their daughters to him.

He wanted to ignore them, or even toss the pile in the fireplace and pretend a mischievous forest creature did it. His musing cut shirt, when he heard his door creak.

A bundle of black curls peaked at the corner of the door, followed by his baby brother's pale, clean face.

"Need anything, Mavey?" He asked, his voice sounding uneven and a bit flat.

It has been a while since Mavey visited him, ever since their father clapped him on his shoulders and declared that it was time for him to be a Calore. He barely had a chance to speak to him, nor even see him.

That being said, he was still happy that his brother visited, even the oddest of times.

"I just wanted to play and have a little chat with you." Mavey gave him a sheepish grin, walking in his office . One hand scratching the back of his head and the other holding their favorite chess board.

Cal tilted his head to glace at the wooden clock. "It's quite late, Mavey." Looking back at him. " Everyone is resting, even the chickens."

His baby brother gaved him a tight smile then shrugged. "Less people to witness your defeat, dear brother."

Cal only grinned back. Always clever with his words.

Is she still in the cabin? Has her forest friends noticed she was missing? Does she even have friends?

Questions and worries swirling in his mind, as he stared at his queen, still safely in place, while a few of his pawns have been taken out.

He looked at his perfect brother from across the board. He looked tired, but he still sat with his back straight and shoulder wide. He starting to look more like father every passing day, he thought bitterly.

Quit it, Maven.

He didn't came here for some quippy conversation while playing wooden toys.

"Oh dear." Cal said out loud. Faining concern. "I almost wiped out your first line of defence."

Maven looked at the chess board, seeing more varnished pieces than the ones painted black.

He only scowled and slouched on his chair.

Cal smiling brightly, as if he won, motioned his hand towards his side. "Your move."

Maven wanted to win this one, however small, but he needed information first.

"Brother, you still remember Uncle Julian's stories." He blurted out, hoping his older brother's brain hasn't been filled with family duties yet.

His brother still looking at his chess pieces. Yet his amber eyes shift a few times, trying to recalls old memories. "I remember a few. Why do you ask?"

"I was hunting with a few other folks and I heard them talk about some of their cows being stolen away by nymphs."

Cal looked at him, his one dark brow raised. "Shouldn't he blame a person first before pointing at a fairytale book?"

Ah. He definitely is becoming the head of this house.

"That is true, but what do you think made his think of a nymph?" Holding up his hands to emphasizes his question.

"Do nymphs eat cows?"

His brother snorted at his odd sentence.

"No!" He laughed this time, slapping his knee.

"Nymphs don't ear meat. They only eat honey!" His crooked smile taking over his face. It have him look younger.

Maven raised his brow in turn. That's it?

"They eat honey?" He stared at his brother. "That's all they eat?"

Cal, brushing away his tears, calming himself. "Well, yes."

Maven shook his head. Hanging his head in defeat. I wasted my time.

His brother's smiling face turned to a troubled one. He must have sensed his annoyance and fatigue.

Without any warning, Cal moved forward and held his should firmly. "Tomorrow, I'll try digging in Uncle Julian's library." His eyes bright and full of promise.

His warm gesture, felt familiar and unwelcomed.

If he were younger, he would have jumped with joy at his brother's thoughtful actions. Now, as he grew older, any kind of help from him, was a harsh reminder of what he lacked.

Maven looked at his brother, still holding on to his shoulder, expecting a response.

He gave him a half hearted nod.

Cal only smiled wider, sitting back on his chair.

Maven looked at his chess piece.

I guess, I don't need to drag this thing any longer. Putting forward his Queen, as he prepare for his first move.

Note: @lilyharvord You're lucky I like you a lot! 😤, also sorry for taking a while. This was supposed to be a scrap idea. Now, I'm currently working on part 3 and hopefully have it out next week.

[nosanime]

Campsite Taco Bar (Makes 6 Servings)

We bring you this recipe from our panel, “Anime Foodies: Laid-Back Camp The Movie”.

As the movie opens, our characters are enjoying a group camping trip during their high school years on a lake shore near Mt. Fuji.  For their supper, they create a taco bar that allows everyone to customize the final product to their tastes.  While some components of the taco bar are familiar, the centerpiece – a whole chicken roasted in a Dutch oven over coals – is a showcase for their camping adventure.

Roasted Chicken:

1 Whole 5-6 Pound – Chicken

1 4 oz. Stick – Unsalted Butter

1 ½ TSP – Kosher Salt

1 TSP – Black Pepper

1 ½ TSP – Juniper Berries

4 Springs – Rosemary

1 – Orange

2 Small – Russet Potatoes

3 Medium – Carrots

Allow the butter to come to room temperature, mix in the salt and pepper, and set aside.

Cut 4 large slices off the orange and eat the rest.

Roll a large length of heavy-duty aluminum foil into a ring and place it into the bottom of your Dutch oven.

Line the base of the Dutch oven above the foil ring with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil and line the lid with another layer of foil.

Remove your chicken from its packaging and dry it off with some paper towels. 

Working from the back of the bird, carefully reach in and separate the chicken skin from the meat without tearing it across as much of the bird as possible.

Once the skin is lose, take ½ of the seasoned butter and stuff it into the space you’ve made between the meat and skin of the chicken, spreading it evenly.

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with two slices of orange, 2 springs of rosemary, and ½ TSP of juniper berries and then truss the bird.

Peel the carrots, scrub the potatoes, chop them both into large chunks, and place the few of the smallest of your carrot pieces down in the middle of the Dutch oven.

Take some of the additional butter and smear it over the outside skin of the bird before tucking in the wings and setting it into the middle of the Dutch oven on top of the small portions of carrots.

Spread the remaining root vegetables along the outside of the chicken and dollop the additional butter over these.

Place the other two slices of orange, 2 springs of rosemary, and the remaining TSP of juniper berries over the top of the chicken and then place the lid of the Dutch oven on (making sure it fits tightly to prevent any ash getting in).

Prepare your coals and set 1/3 of them evenly underneath the Dutch oven and the other 2/3 evenly across the lid. 

Allow to cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes and then carefully remove the lid, set it aside, and check the temperature with a thermometer (allow to cook for additional 10 minute intervals as required).

Once ready, place a piece of foil loosely over the chicken and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing or pulling for tacos as desired.

Optional/Notes:

If you’re not up to roasting an entire chicken with potatoes and carrots for your taco bar, feel free to pick up a rotisserie chicken from your favorite grocery store as a much simpler alternative.

If you have a small cooking rack or something else to keep the chicken from sitting right on the bottom of the Dutch oven, that will also work in lieu of the foil ring.  This and the thinner pieces of carrot being under the bird is meant to mitigate the bottom of the chicken from burning while the rest of it roasts.

The juniper, orange, and rosemary mostly function to scent rather than flavor the chicken and can be omitted, if necessary.

When separating the chicken skin from the meat and adding the butter under the skin, emphasize the breast portion of the bird as this portion is most at risk of drying out during the cooking process.

No need to be fancy with your trussing.  As long as it keeps the legs together and the back cavity of the bird closed, it will be fine.

For our coals, we were unable to get binchotan like they used in the show.  We instead used a similar looking hardwood charcoal we found locally: Blue Hog – Hog Logs.  We used 18 in total with 6 on the bottom of the Dutch oven and 12 on the top.  These did not require a change, but if you’ll be using smaller lump charcoal or briquettes, check about halfway through the cooking process as additional coals need to be added.

Taco Meat:

1 ¼ Pound – Lean Ground Beef (Ground Turkey)

1 TBSP – Worcestershire Sauce

1 TBSP – Ketchup

½ TBSP – Sake

½ TBSP – Mirin

2 TSP – Chili Powder

½ TSP – Paprika

½ TSP – Garlic Powder

Heat a pan over medium heat and add the ground beef.

Brown the ground beef while breaking up any large chunks.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine everything, and raise the heat to medium high. 

Cook, stirring as necessary, until the liquid has almost entirely boiled away.

Optional/Notes:

Lean ground beef (93/7) is done to mitigate the need to drain any fat from the pan.  You can use fattier ground beef, but you may need to add an additional step of draining the fat.

Ground turkey can also function as a good substitute and typically does not require fat to be drained.

A classic stateside taco seasoning mix can be used in place of the Japanese version presented here if desired.

Taco Shrimp:

1 ¼ Pound Medium, Peeled – Shrimp

1 TBSP – Worcestershire Sauce

1 TBSP – Ketchup

½ TBSP – Sake

½ TBSP – Mirin

1 TSP – Chili Powder

½ TSP – Paprika

½ TSP – Garlic Powder

Take all the ingredients, mix them together, and allow the shrimp to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour in the cooler.

When ready to cook, heat a pan over medium heat and add the shrimp with its marinade.

Cook for 4-6 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.

Salsa:

2 Medium – Red Tomatoes

½ – Green Bell Pepper (Any Mild Green Pepper)

¼ Medium – White Onion

1 – Lime

2 Pinches – Kosher Salt

Dice the tomatoes, green pepper, and onions and add them to a serving bowl.

Add the juice of the lime and the salt and stir.

Remaining Taco Bar Ingredients:

1 Head – Red Leaf Lettuce (Romaine Lettuce)

2 – Lime

2 Medium – Red Tomatoes

½ Medium – White Onion

8 oz. Block – Jack Cheese

1 – Avocado

2 Packs, Taco-Size – Flour Tortillas

1 Small Bottle – Tabasco Sauce (Any Preferred Hot Sauce)

Wash your lettuce, separate the leaves, and set aside.

Slice the limes into wedges, the onion into thin half-moons, and the tomatoes into slightly thicker half-moons.

Shred your block of cheese and keep it in the cooler until ready to serve.

Just prior to serving, split and pit the avocado, scoop the flesh out of each half in one piece, and slice into half-moons.

Heat a pan over medium heat and toast the tortillas one at a time for 30 seconds to a minute on each side.

As the tortillas finish, place them on a plate under a towel to keep warm until it is time to serve.

Optional/Notes:

Any long leaf lettuce will work fine.

You can skip the process of shredding your own cheese by buying a standard pack of pre-shredded cheese that you enjoy with tacos.

[moss-selfship]

Day 9 Lovestruck

In such a place as the dungeon, moments of peaceful safety were few and far between. Each of these moments however was to be enjoyed and were often spent around a campfire eating and celebrating another day of life. Such was the situation that night as the group huddled around the fire as senshi was preparing the dinner for that night. “Laois, mind being a good man and helping me cut the vegetables?”

Senshi asked laios who nodded happily, grabbing a knife as the two of them got to work chopping the vegetables.

“Moss, mind helping by slowly roasting the meat using that fire of yours..oh and please be mindful to not make it too hot, want a slow roast of the meat. Too hot and it will dry out.”

Senshi said looking over, the half dragon man smiled and made his way towards the rack the meat was hanging on.

“You got it senshi, i promise i won't burn them like last time”

He said with a chuckle, he took a deep breath  as he filled his chest with oxygen before breathing out a small stream of purple fire that crackled and sparked beneath the rack, he was going to be here awhile. Stopping every so often to catch his breath before returning to breathing the fire, using his clawed hand to rotate the rack so the meat was heated evenly.

On the other side sat the rest of the group, Chilchuck and marcille had already started helping senshi by peeling and mashing potatoes into a bowl. This only left izutsumi who sat there staring at moss as he worked, completely unaware of her gaze on him. She couldn't take her eyes off him, the way his chest filled and emptied with each breath he took, the way the purple light of the fire placed a soft purple glow to his goateed face, the way he moved as he rotated the rack.

He wouldn't leave her mind ever since they had found him. She remembered reacting with a violent fury when she realized the condition he was in and what he had endured, she had attributed it to how she was treated when she was little. However as time had gone on that anger changed into something different, she had no word for it at first. It was this all consuming focus, he filled her mind seemingly every waking hour. When she was not interacting with him her mind was focussed on him, asking where he was, if he was ok, missing his presence. She couldn't explain it but the thought of him made her cheeks feel warm and she could feel her heart flutter each time she thought of him. It took quite a while before she realized she was madly in love with this man, something she had never felt before and made her uncertain of what to do.

She continued to stare at him, watching him work as her pupils dilated wide, a side effect of her half cat soul, a sign of her attention and affection. She stared quietly before she suddenly heard a loud snapping next to her causing her to hiss and hop up and away from the sound in shock. The sudden loud sound and movement drew everyone's attention as they looked at izutsumi, her hair raised up in anger.

“Chilchuck what the hell was that for!”

She hissed angrily as she scowled at the halfling who scowled back at her.

“I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes now but you were too busy making goo goo eyes at moss!”

He yelled as he pointed a finger at her, her eyes once again went wide but this time out of anxiety as her hair stood up on end.

“I was just!...I was!...shut up shortie i was looking at something behind him!”

She huffed angrily as she quickly stood up, trying her best to hide her blush as she quickly ran off away from the group. Moss stood there blushing and looking at everyone confused.

“W-wait she was looking at me?”

He asked confused, Marcille couldn't help but giggle at how oblivious he was to it. Laios and senshi had been too busy prepping food and had not managed to see anything but based on her reaction they believed it. Chilchuck pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed in exasperation.

“I could hear her purring from here even over the sound of your fire”

He said, causing the half dragon man's tail spikes to rattle and clack together, something that seemed to only happen out of excitement.

“Oh…”

Was his only response, a comment almost as much to himself as everyone else. I actually really loved how this one turned out, i think it flows well and i had fun writing this. also its really cute and i love it XD prompt and credits here!

[acacia-may]

Special Sauce and Stork Paintings

Description: To Charmy, all meals are important, but this may be one of the most important meals of her life. Or it would be...if her husband Rill wasn't so oblivious and bad at guessing games that is...

Rating: G

Warnings: Nothing But Fluff Here!

Fandom: Black Clover

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Domestic Bliss, Slice of Life, Married Friends, Self-Indulgent

Relationships: Charmy Pappitson/Rill Boismortier

Characters: Charmy Pappitson and Rill Boismortier

Word Count: 1296

Link to original post on AO3. Please do not repost to another site. Thank you for reading!

Story Below the Cut

With a sigh, Charmy brought her sauce to a low simmer. She gave it a thorough stir before picking up a nearby spoon and giving it a taste. It was still missing something… She just wasn’t sure what that was exactly. Sighing again, she twisted her mouth to one side in concentration, combing through her spice rack trying to decide what ingredients she should add. She supposed it was fine as it was, but she wanted it to be better, perfect even, if she could manage it. Every meal was an important one as far as Charmy was concerned, and she always tried her best to make the most perfect delicious dishes, but this meal was special. It might be one of the most important meals of her entire life.

“Mhmm…that smells delicious,” Rill hummed affectionately as he wrapped his arms around her waist hugging her from the back and pressing his chin to her shoulder. “What are you making, Mrs. Boismortier?”

Charmy rolled her eyes with an almost affection as he kissed her cheek. They had been married for years—she would have expected the novelty of calling her that to have worn off by now.

“You’re such a goofball,” she teased, giving her sauce another stir.

“You didn’t answer my question. Unless you want me to guess…?” Chuckling, Rill reached for a clean spoon, but before he could dip it into the saucepan for a taste, Charmy playfully swatted his hand away.

“Stop that. It’s not done yet.” Rill pouted playfully but eventually conceded—placing the spoon on the counter as Charmy reached for two of her spice jars and sprinkled some into the saucepan. She stirred, then took a taste. She smiled. “Now it’s done.”

Rill beamed at her. “Great! Let’s eat! I’m starving!”

“I’m glad, la,” she said with a playful kiss on his nose. “That is barbeque sauce.” She pointed to the steaming saucepan. “For the—”

“Ribs?” Rill cut her off, his face practically lighting up as he noticed the pan filled with the roasted meat. “Can I paint them?”

“It’s called basting…” Charmy sighed with a shake of her head and a lopsided twitch of her mouth. “But sure, have at it.”

A smile tugged at Charmy’s lips as she watched Rill positively beaming as he covered the ribs in barbeque sauce with long strokes of the basting brush. It was his favourite part of cooking—besides plating dishes, adding garnishes, and decorating pastries—and he took it very seriously, even taking a step back to examine the ribs between the frame he made with his hands as if they were a work of art rather than just their dinner. It was not long before the ribs, the pan, the counter, and Rill were all thoroughly covered in barbeque sauce.

“You’ve got sauce all over you, la,” she teased as she wiped some off of his cheek and put the ribs back into the oven for their last few minutes of cooking time before she took one of Rill’s hands. “You’ve got paint under your fingernails again too. Why don’t you wash up? It’ll be another 10 or 15 minutes before the ribs are ready.”

Nodding, Rill shrugged his shoulders before disappearing through the kitchen door. He returned right as the ribs were cooling off. “Perfect timing!” he said with a smile. “You ready to eat?”

“Always.”

Usually on a special occasion such as this she would have insisted on plating their food—or would have let Rill plate the food since he was so fond of it—but since it was clear that Rill was in such a hurry to eat, she supposed they could just serve themselves buffet-style. Even so, Rill’s plate looked like something from her and Vanessa’s restaurant. He even pulled a sprig of rosemary out of the little spice garden in the kitchen windowsill to set on top of his potatoes as a garnish. Charmy supposed it was possible Rill had picked the rosemary at random, but she liked to think he had been learning all of the different spices from her and knew that rosemary was, in fact, one of the main ingredients in their potatoes that evening. The thought made her smile.

With full plates, they made their way into the dining room. Charmy had lost track of how many times it had been repainted over the course of their marriage—as repainting the rooms of their house seemed to be Rill’s favourite pastime or perhaps his favourite method for dispelling boredom. It was currently a sky blue with a mural of flying white birds with long, black-tipped wings on the far wall. Storks.

Charmy stifled a chuckle. Her husband had a bad case of baby fever, as Vanessa would probably say, and those little white birds had been popping up everywhere in his paintings and murals for the last several months since they had started seriously discussing the possibility of starting a family.

“So what are we having tonight?” Rill asked, and Charmy’s smile widened.

“Well, we have some baby carrots with a brown sugar glaze. Some sauteed baby bella mushrooms. Some rosemary baby red potatoes, and then some baby back ribs.”

Rill hummed before he put a forkful of potatoes in his mouth. “It’s delicious. Thank you.”

“There’s a theme, la.”

“A theme?” Rill asked—looking up from his plate. Charmy nodded excitedly, unable to hold back the near giddy grin that tugged at her mouth.

“Something all the foods have in common.”

Rill’s brow furrowed, and he examined his plate very carefully. “They’re all warm colors!”

Blinking at him, Charmy sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course, Rill would think of something artsy and out of the box like that. “Well…yes…but that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, la…”  

“Hmm…” He tilted his head to the left; then hummed again tilting his head to the right. “Hmm… I don’t know. Can I have a hint?”

“How about I tell you the foods again?” suggested Charmy, something sparkling in her eyes as she began to point to each one in succession on her plate. “Baby carrots. Baby bella mushrooms.”

“Baby carrots, and baby bella mushrooms,” Rill repeated with a thoughtful nod.

“Baby red potatoes—”

“They’re all vegetables?” Rill interrupted before he stopped himself—twisting his mouth to one side and thoughtfully pressing his hand to his chin. “Well…I guess, except the ribs.”

“The baby back ribs,” Charmy corrected him pointedly.

“Right. The baby back…” His voice trailed, and his eyes widened with realization as they met hers. “The baby—baby…” he began to stammer almost incoherently as his face lit up with the brightest most excited smile. “Are you…? Are we…?”

Charmy beamed at him, nodded enthusiastically. “Mhmm…” She gave her stomach a pat, just in case he somehow still didn’t get it, and he practically jumped up from his seat at the table and rushed over to her, picking her up and twirling her around. Through her laughter, she barely managed a breathy, “Rill. Rill, put me down.”

Once her feet were firmly planted on the dining room floor again, he gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “We—we’re having a baby!”

“I take it you’re happy?” she asked with a smile, and he beamed right back at her.  

“Happy? I’m ecstatic! This is the best news ever! I’m going to think of a great mural to paint in the baby’s room—maybe some flowers or trees or a pond with some ducks…”

“Well…”—Charmy teased with a chuckle—“the good news is you won’t have to paint any storks anymore.”

And he didn’t. At least, not until he wanted to give their son a younger sibling…

[vittlemonster]

Roasted rack of lamb with herb mustard and breadcrumbs crust, lamb jus, potato croquette, spinach purée. Palm Springs CA 📍 @levallauris 📱 ••• Omg, I was so impressed by this restaurant! The service was amazing and the food was wonderful! Definitely the place to go to for a special occasion! 🐑 • • • #lamb #rackoflamb #meat #dinner #entree #croquette #food #foodie #foodporn #foodstagram #foodphotography #vittlemonster #feedme #instafood #eater #nomnom #foodgasm #yummy #tasty #palmspringsfood #palmspringsfoodie #eaterpalmsprings #eaterpsp #pspeats #palmspringsrestaurant #palmsprings (at Le Vallauris Restaurant) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cph_uD-LaBg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fuggivaboutit]

Slow roast pork ribs

1 rack of pork ribs

1 bottle of beer (I used a hefeweisen)

1 stick of butter

1 1/2 tablespoons molasses

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoon each whole cumin seed, whole caraway seed, whole blackpeppercorn

6-8 whole cloves and whole allspice berries

4-6 wings of a star anise

3/4 tablespoon coriander, pink peppercorn

A few small pieces of whole cinnamon bark

Garlic and onion powders

Salt

3 bay leaves

Dried oregano, marjoram, basil, thyme, ground sage, rosemary, parsley

Celery seeds, plenty

Preheat oven to 250°F. Place pork ribs in a roasting dish that has a lid, and cover with beer and the herbs and celery seeds. In a spice blender, combine all the spices; this will make far more than you need for this recipe, and this spice blend is good on just about any meat dish. In a pot on the stove, melt a stick of butter along with the molasses, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and some of the aforemade spice blend. Pour sauce over top the ribs, and cover the dish with its lid, and put in the oven. After about an hour and a half, begin basting the ribs every 15 minutes or so, until they have cooked fully through.