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#you can’t just fry pork plain
britcision · 9 months
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Hey when you move out on your own the most important food tip I can give you is “maybe you don’t hate x maybe your guardians just cooked it wrong”
The number of foods I have learned I really like if they’re Fucking Seasoned
The number of foods I’ve introduced friends to that they warned me they’d always hated til I let them try a piece of mine
Also marinade things for 24 hours the second you have your own fridge it is a GAME CHANGER you thought you knew food but you have never met her
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risenwraith · 1 year
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#90 Food plan?
Walking back from my shot at the hospital I met Blanket Boy at the end of my road. (Blanket Boy is an awesome dude I like to chat with and to whom I once gave a blanket when he was cold.)
When I had to get home 'cos I hadn't eaten, he said, “Vegetables, yeah?” I said yeah, ‘cos I like vegetables. “Huh, you all veggies an’ vegan, yeah...”
“What?”
“I mean, girl," he gestured and grinned, "you look - you look like - sure yeah?”
Huh. I’d never been told I looked vegan before – that was new. At which point I had to reassure Blanket Boy of my love of proper bacon sandwiches and old school English pork pies.
I mean, I get it. By Island Standards I am unhealthily pale and thin and have a weird accent and multicoloured hair/wigs and am sort of uptight and insane. Nutty white girl = Vegan. I see the logic.
Having said all that... ALL I really want to eat is broccoli, rice and soy sauce. (This is not to say I can’t eat rich, fatty, sugary things – I still can, my diet hasn’t been restricted by treatment so far.)
If I could write a meal plan for myself it would be filled will blanched or sautéed vegetables with a big handful of peanuts or sesame seeds, steamed fresh rice, and a sploosh of shoyu.
I have no idea if it’s the nutritional content I’m craving, or the solid flavour profile, or the umami/salt aspect or what. I just really fucking crave plain stir-fry veg and rice with a side of miso soup.
(Dear neurons, just to remind you, whilst you are currently bald, that doesn’t actually make you a Buddhist monk…)
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dillgrass7 · 2 years
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How Much Does It Price To Cater Food For 50 People?
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sleepless-rain · 4 years
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Seijoh’s graduation trip plans
Translator: Leo | Sleepless-rain | Leoppii Editor: Troy  Esaki | Kahluaplusmilk
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“Continue on unwaveringly.”
Those were the words that Iwaizumi Hajime had said to Oikawa Tohru, who had stopped to turn back and look at him. It was fall at the time.
“You’re my partner and an utterly amazing setter.”
On this day, Aobajousai High School had lost in the semifinals at the Miyagi representative game of the spring volleyball tournament. And starting from that lost match, the third years were to retire.
Iwaizumi and Oikawa weren’t only the captain and vice-captain of the volleyball club.  They had been together through junior high school and elementary school, more than half of their lives—up until now— was spent together on the courts as partners.
Iwaizumi’s words were blunt, unembellished and held no lies.
“Even if this team changes, that will not change. When the time comes I will take you down.”
Oikawa straightened himself and accepted Iwaizumi’s words of passion and friendship head-on.
“…Bring it on.”
And this story takes place a few months later.
TRANSLATORS NOTE: Please do NOT repost this translation ANYWHERE. If I see the whole thing elsewhere I will stop translating novel chapters and delete this one as well. Sharing small snippets are okay but not the whole thing. Please link back to this tumblr post if you want to share it.
  “I want to eat curry… So how about India?” said Iwaizumi, wiping the sweat off with his arm.
“You serious?”
“The bar is suddenly set way too high.”
Matsukawa Issei and Hanamaki Takahiro grimace, sweat dripping from their chins.
It was followed by, “But I like naan.”
“I totally get you.”
“When you want to eat naan, you drop by the curry restaurant.”
“I don’t get you.”
A stream of consciousness about curry overlapped with one another until Hanamaki cut in, wringing out his towel, “But you know…Hawaii would be good. How about we go snorkeling?”
“That sounds good, ‘specially in this situation. Deciding between curry and the sea, the latter sounds far better,” Matsukawa answered, ceaselessly wiping his sweat and wringing out his towel.
Iwaizumi, who had suggested India clicked his tongue, “Tch.”
It was hot in here.
Actually, rather than hot it was boiling hot. Yearning for the cool blue sea over a curry filled with spices was no surprise.
As to why they were in a highly acclaimed sauna.
                                                            *** 
In their third year of high school, winter.
With no classes to attend and it being a long time since retiring from club activities, the former volleyball club third year members of Aobajousai High School, Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa were left in a daze, and with so much free time they made their way around to various large bathhouses.
After making a big fuss over the electricity bath* with a waterfall feature* they headed into the sauna together. While sweating, the brainless discussion of “where would you go for your graduation trip? Assuming that money wasn’t an issue” blossomed: a way to occupy their free time.
“But you know I’d like to go to Las Vegas.”
“Because you want to gamble?”
“But it’s only fun if you actually have money.”
“Ah, there it is: the forbidden word,” Matsukawa pointed out in response to Iwaizumi’s frank reply, but he thoughtfully considered an alternative.
“If it isn’t a casino… there isn’t really any other place I’d want to go there. Okay then… hmmm, ah. Pandas. A tour of the panda’s homeland, China.”
“Well, if its pandas,” Hanamaki replied to Matsukawa’s panda suggestion, clapping his hands together. “Did you know there’s a whole tonne of pandas at the Wakayama Zoo? I saw it on TV recently.”
“Wakayama?”
“Oh, I bet you don’t know where Wakayama is, Iwaizumi.”
“Shut up.”
Wincing at Iwaizumi’s lack of affection, Hanamaki pulled himself together: “Anyway, even my towel has gotten hot so I think it’s about time to get out.”
“Same here, I can’t stand it anymore.” Matsukawa stood up, “What about you Iwaizumi?” he asked.
“I’m staying.”
“Okay, don’t push yourself.”
“Cold bath?”
“Cold bath.”
The two friends agreed whilst pushing open the heavy wooden door and exiting.
Left alone in the sauna, Iwaizumi crossed his arms, staring at the thermometer on the wall. There was nothing else to do.
He wasn’t sure how long he stayed like that, sweating buckets until he muttered, “Las Vegas, huh?” before taking his towel and violently wiping his face and his head. “I guess I really am a bit like a kaiju.” He said to himself, standing up and leaving the sauna drenched in sweat and in search of water.
                                                               ***
 After enjoying the baths and the sauna, the three tired boys found themselves in the large tatami room. Lined with tables and sitting cushions the room doubled as both a resting and a dining area.
An old fan swung its neck unsteadily, blowing a breeze in their direction. There seemed to be a TV somewhere in the room, as the sounds of the golf match commentary could be heard faintly. There were people watching the TV with a few beers, people lying down reading the comic books provided, and children playing the games they had brought.
Everyone in this bathhouse resting area was relaxing and doing as they pleased. And as for these three boys, they were testing the limits of their stomachs.
Of course, it didn’t start off as such a vicious scene. It was meant to be a light meal but there was a reason as to why it turned into a bloodthirsty battle.
After getting out of the baths and slipping into the jinbei* resembling pajamas, the three ordered a light meal, curry, and ramen, while resting. The place ran on a self-serve system, where you went to get your food from the counter when the number buzzer you were given went off. However, the pork cutlet curry Matsukawa had ordered still hadn’t been called out.
“You two eat first, or it will get cold and soggy,” Matsukawa, who was lying on the ground reading manga, told Iwaizumi and Hanamaki who had gone and returned with their curry and ramen.
“Then I’ll dig in.”
“Sorry.”
Without holding back the two took their spoons and chopsticks in their hands and began eating.
“I knew it, curry is the best.”
“That’s not even Indian styled curry! You’re okay with that? ”
“Yeah, because it’s curry.”
The boys continued to talk at the table, and everything was still alright. The trouble was yet to come.
Slurping his ramen Hanamaki called out to Iwaizumi beside him, “You were in there for a real long time.”
“Hm?” Iwaizumi responded with the spoon still in his mouth.
“You know, in the sauna.” He replied.
“Oh that. Isn’t that amount of time normal?”
“Are you serious?”
Their conversation ended there. Both of them focusing on the curry and ramen before them. It was just a meaningless conversation however someone reacted unexpectedly.
“Normal, huh…?”
It was Matsukawa, lying on the tatami.
Matsukawa couldn’t let their conversation – Iwaizumi’s “normal” - slip from his ears.
 “‘Normal’ he said. Doesn’t that mean that the two of us that left earlier are weaker than normal?”
 At that moment his buzzer went off beeping.
Matsukawa got up, “Oh, it’s finally done.”
Hanamaki eyed him whilst sipping the ramen broth from his spoon and asked: “Yours is the only one that took so long, what did you order?”
“Me? Pork cutlet curry.”
“Oh, one of those things that take time to fry… wait, that’s not something you eat after getting out of the sauna!? Your stomach must be strong.”
Upon hearing that Matsukawa glanced at Iwaizumi who was drinking water. And as if he were waiting for it, a smug smile crossed his face, “You think so? Having pork cutlet curry is pretty normal.” He taunted, picking up the beeping number buzzer to get his pork cutlet curry, ambling towards the counter. Someone glared at the figure strangely overflowing with confidence.
“‘Normal’… you say?” It was Iwaizumi, spoon in hand. “Normal? Then me eating plain curry means I’m weaker than that?”
The golf commentary from the TV, the manga, the faint breeze blowing intermittently, the curry and ramen, all of it relaxing and warm. This heaven-like peace enveloping the resting and dining area unfolded into a sudden battlefield.  
Iwaizumi stuffed the remainder of his curry into his mouth vigorously before slowly standing up. “I’m going to get extra gyoza,” he said.
Taken aback by the sudden dangerous aura emanating from Iwaizumi, Hanamaki winced “S-sure…”. His hands stopped over his ramen, the atmosphere created by former ace Iwaizumi could have easily been mistaken for the middle of a match.
And soon after Matsukawa returned with his tray of curry.
“Huh, where’s Iwaizumi?”
“Mm? Oh- uh seems like he went to get some gyoza.”
“…I see.”
Seating himself leisurely onto a sitting cushion, Matsukawa took his spoon in his hand and sighed, “Facing off pork cutlet curry with gyoza, pathetic.”
“What? What are you talking about? Both of you have been acting really weird since a while ago! Is this some kind of inside-joke?”
Hanamaki put down his chopsticks without thinking and upon noticing change in Matsukawa’s attitude Iwaizumi had returned with a “hey.” The clear plastic container in his hand contained eight gyoza. On top of that, another box stuffed with 200grams of chicken karaage. Seeing the extra meat, Hanamaki just feigned a smile.
“Hey, I know you went to all the trouble of buying that but I’m full from the ramen, I can’t eat that.”
Iwaizumi didn’t even spare Hanamaki a glance, staring down unblinkingly at Matsukawa who was eating his cutlet leisurely in declaration of war, “All of it is mine.”
Matsukawa stared back, putting down his fork and rising to his feet to accept Iwaizumi’s challenge, “Bring it on.”
“What is it with you guys!? Matsukawa, why are you standing? Sit down!”
The downside of war is that there are always innocents who get dragged in. And without listening to the confused Hanamaki, the pointless battle began.
Thirty minutes had passed. After eating his pork cutlet curry, yakisoba, grilled onigiri, Matsukawa now sat with what he claimed ‘dessert’, slurping down tapioca filled milk tea.
An exhausted Hanamaki asked: “Isn’t tapioca made from some sort of potato, doesn’t that make this more of a food than a drink? Why are you eating little balls of potato after a meal?”
“Because they were selling it.”
“Even if you want to look cool drinking that, you don’t.”
“I’m not trying to look cool.”
“You are! I heard you when you said ‘pathetic’ and all that other stuff. ”
While Hanamaki and Matsukawa were going back and forth, Iwaizumi returned with another plate piled high with freshly made fries.
“Potatoes! More potatoes! Why are you both eating piles of potatoes!? It’s practically another meal! What’s with you two?! My stomach hurts just watching you. I’m begging you both, please stop!”
The bystander Hanamaki had given up and Matsukawa, who was probing for pearls with the end of his straw, and Iwaizumi, who was throwing a handful of fries into his mouth, stopped. They looked at each other and nodded.
“Let stop it here then since you’re insisting.”
“Right.”
“You’re pretty strong.”
“Same to you.”
Hanamaki glanced at the two shaking hands over the good showdown they had had, clutching his stomach and rolling on the tatami groaning, “The damage runs deep…”
Having mercy on Hanamaki, who suddenly gave in, and having come to terms with the power they both held, both of them turned back to the table. Instead of eating at top speed they ate at the pace they pleased, sipping tapioca and munching on fries. This peaceful scene is what you would have called a warriors break.
“I think I ate a bit too much.”
“It’s because we haven’t been exercising recently.”
“I guess so.”
“How about we show our faces at club practice tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
After eating and drinking until they were full, they leant against the wall, satisfied. It was a warm, comforting moment. Taking a hot bath, unwinding in the sauna, eating a good meal, the fan gently carrying a breeze towards them— It was a moment of bliss.
Eyes closed and exhaustion finally settling in, everything was disrupted by music playing loudly through the speakers in the resting area.
“Huh? Seems like something’s starting…” an almost asleep Hanamaki woke up, startled.
“Look at that…!” Eyes wide, he pointed out at the open area outside.
Iwaizumi and Matsukawa stood up to look over.
A low stage had been unknowingly set up, a group of elderly people who had just gotten out of the baths and enjoying a beer gathered around it, microphones held gleefully in their hands. The sound of unknown old men singing enka songs roared through the resting area.
“I didn’t think they’d have karaoke here.”
“I can’t sleep like this.”
“This blows.”
For these three high school boys with little life experience, and it was a little too early to be battling it out in enka songs. Slipping past the old men excited by songs of mountains and waterfalls, death and killing, the three boys shuffled out of the resting and dining area, leaving it all behind.
                                                              ***
Escaping the enka hell the three boys, wearing the indoor slippers, stumbled upon an arcade.
“Oh, they have the alligator game.*”
“Ready for the hunt.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit cruel to hit their heads?”
“That crane game has a PS4 in it.”
“There’s no way you could win it.”
Familiar sounds and music filled the room. The three wandered aimlessly around the to all the old crane machines until Iwaizumi suddenly called out, “Oh! Let’s play this! Have a showdown!”
In front of the eager Iwaizumi was a punching bag machine. But Matsukawa wrinkled his brow at the effort of it all, “No way, I hate these power type games. You’re going to thrash us anyway Iwaizumi.”
“There’s no winning or losing in punching. It’s to test yourself.”
“You said showdown before.”
It seemed like they were about to break down into another fight but Hanamaki, blue-faced, cut in, “Sorry… but I… the moment I use any force I think I’ll have ramen spewing out of my mouth.”
“Don’t wanna see that.”
“If that’s the case, how about we head home? Since we’re tired.”
It was when the three went to check the time that they saw it.
“Oh.”
Hanamaki pointed to the back of the arcade.
“Damn, air hockey!”
“Huh?”
“Oh, it really is! Air hockey! Air hockey!”
At the back of the arcade was an air hockey machine, old and clunky like the rest of the machines.
“Oh crap! How long has it been since we played air hockey?”
“I haven’t played since junior high!”
“Hurry up, let’s play! How much is it?”
“I won’t lose!”
“Who versus who for the first game?”
Wanting to spew ramen from his mouth, whether someone was going to win or lose, all of that was forgotten as the three hurriedly rushed to stuff one hundred yen into the machine. And thus the first round of the air hockey tournament began.
                                                               ***
 “The bathhouse was unexpectedly interesting.”
“We’ve discovered a great place.”
“Right?”
They had eaten to their heart’s content, played around like children before heading into the baths once again to wash off the sweat. With satisfied faces, they headed home on the free shuttle.
“I didn’t even think it would be this interesting.”
“We spent all our money on the air hockey machine though.”
“We exchanged for so many coins.”
After reminiscing the day using only the words “sick”, “seriously”, and “fun” they eventually quieted down. Whether it was the swaying of the bus, the fatigue from the baths, their full stomachs, or the soft orange light of the setting sun filling the bus that had the three nodding off, no one was sure.
 Staring blankly out the window Iwaizumi mumbled, “... If only he had come.”
Upon hearing those words Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s eyes flew open, despite almost falling asleep.
“Huh, by ‘him’ you mean… Him?”
“If you say ‘him’ there’s no one but him.”
“Him… yeah him…”
The three of them exchanged glances nodding in agreement “Him”, “yeah him.” And bursting out into laugher but it only took a moment before they stopped.
“No, it’s better that he wasn’t here.”
“I guess.”
“It would be pretty wild if he were.”
“But he definitely would have stolen the microphone out of the old lady’s hands.”
“Gotta do a duet I guess.”
“And then he’d get a tonne of candy and mikan.”
“Definitely.”
Right in the middle of their heated talk about ‘him’, the phone in Iwaizumi’s pocket rang out.
“Hm?”
Iwaizumi glanced at the notification, letting out an “ugh” and leaning back, the other two asked what it was and Iwaizumi showed them his phone.
“It’s from him.”
It was a message from him – Oikawa Tohru.
“Really?”
“Hell, he might be hiding in here watching us.”
“Surveying us huh.”
Of course, it would have been unlikely, but perhaps it wasn’t with the person called Oikawa. You could say that he was mysterious, or rather incomprehensible, whichever it was he was inexplicably terrifying.
After looking around the windows and the bus to confirm that Oikawa wasn’t there, Hanamaki let out a sigh, “So what did he say?”
“He just asked ‘Whatcha doing?’ Doesn’t he have anything else to do?”
“Tell him we’re in Las Vegas, send ‘In Las Vegas now’.”
“Idiot.”
“That’s stupid.”
While they bantered they took a photo, bathed in the setting sun, and sent it a message along the lines of “Coming back from Las Vegas with Matsukawa and Hanamaki”. And a reply came back immediately, obviously addressed to all three of them.
“Here we go, ‘ Is this Las Vegas at Naruko Hot springs*?’. Why Naruko hot springs? Is it the kokeshi? ” Hanamaki laughed before his expression changed, “Wait how did he know we went to the baths? Is there a place called Las Vegas in Naruko?”
Both Matsukawa and Iwaizumi replied immediately with serious faces, “Of course not.”
“Oh but hot springs sound good too,” Matsukawa added, stretching in his seat.
“Hot springs, huh…That means table tennis and not air hockey.” As Iwaizumi smirked his phone rang again.
“No fair! I want to go!” came another message from Oikawa.
This time Hanamaki replied, “Air hockey warrior Iwaizumi was seriously something.” and a reply from Oikawa came immediately.
“He said, ‘I’d beat him no sweat’. What are you gonna do Iwaizumi?”
“As if I’d lose.” Iwaizumi replied casually, but his fighting spirit burned deep in his eyes.
“This is going to be serious.”
“Yeah.”
Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked at one another.
Would there really be another round of the air hockey tournament? Who knows?
 The three of them thought about the days ahead of them on the swaying bus.
For the three years of high school, if not the years of elementary school and middle school, the boys that had spent more time bonding with their volleyball teammates than their parents or siblings, were now about to walk different paths. Away from their schools, their hometown.
 “God, I’m getting bus sick,” Matsukawa said blue-faced and Hanamaki laughed.
“You’re so weak… wait I don’t feel so good either.”
“Don’t look down, look outside!” Iwaizumi pointed, putting his phone away in his pocket.
“What are you going to do about Oikawa?” Hanamaki asked, “You still haven’t replied to his ‘I’d beat him no sweat’ comment.”
“Just leave it.”
The other two laughed at the blunt reply.
“Amazing, he’s not even here and he managed to barge in.”
“His presence is too strong.”
“That’s why it’s a good thing he isn’t here with us.”
As they laughed amongst themselves the bus approached the station. They knew it well, this twilight town they always walked through together. The bus winded through, this small journey was almost coming to an end. As each small journey ends, the days slowly pass by. The match ends, retiring from club activities, graduating from high school.
The time to part ways will definitely come, but this won’t be a problem for them. The time spent together, the sweat and tears they shed, all of it is part of their bodies and souls. Along with the things that they built up together, their strength, technique, confidence, and trust, all these things make up their bodies. And each of them will walk a new path to a place they haven’t trekked.
As all roads are connected, although separated, for now, they will surely meet again. And so for the when they meet again so that they can hold their heads high and laugh, they will continue to take on each challenge.
 How about you?
Are you moving forward?
 A motivation that can only be gained from friends pushes them onwards through fatigue. If friends are what keeps one going when they’re apart, then not having them by their sides will be all right.
 “Continue on unwaveringly.”
That’s all they needed.
                                                               ***
  While the three began to head their separate ways home after hopping off the bus, Oikawa was hunched in the corner of the clubroom staring at his phone, “Why did they leave me on read? Damn it!!”
   TRANSLATION NOTES:
Electricity baths: Pretty much a bath that has panels running down the sides that shoot electrical pulses into the water. I’ve been in one and it’s kind of tingly at first but it feels kind of like a massage if you get used to it. It’s not all that common in Japan so even then it’s a sort of novelty to Japanese people.
Waterfall feature: I didn’t know how to translate this but it’s basically a pipe at a height where the hot water comes out. You can sit under it to hit your back and it’s basically like a waterfall/massage.
 Jinbei: Traditional Japanese top and bottoms. The kind you see babies wear to summer festivals (I guess like a two-piece, yukata top and pants). Made out of a thin material and made particularly for hot weather.
 Alligator game: in English, this game is Alligator hunt, but in Japanese, it’s called (ワニワニパニック) waniwani panicky, alligator panic, Matsukawa follows with a “What a panic” to finish Hanamaki’s sentence but I changed it a bit so English readers could get the reference.
Naruko hot springs: One of the most popular hot springs in Miyagi is also known for their wooden dolls, kokeshi. If you ever go to Miyagi, Naruko is beautiful in fall!!
As a small disclaimer:  I have taken some liberties in translation to make the  novel read smoothly. So please don’t quote specific words as canon. that being said I tried my best to stay faithful to the original.  For this reason I will not allow translations into another language using this as the base text. I apologise to anyone who is keen on sharing it in another language but please do so using the original Japanese text.
Anyway, if you enjoyed this chapter please consider supporting Haikyuu and buying a copy of this novel (volume 11) ! I may consider doing more novel translations in the future!
I do have a Ko-fi so if you do feel like it, please donate!
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t0ngue-tech · 4 years
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Longing For You | Three
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“’N-No! We’re best friends.’ You chuckled softly. ‘We’ve known each other way before elementary school.’
Hoseok gave you a look of worry as you finished your sentence, but you smiled and shrugged at him. You were used to saying it.”
↠ angsty highschoolAU bestfriendAU ↞
word count: 4.3k
↠ series: 1 | 2 | ↞
A/N: I UPLOADED AGAIN???? WHAT WORLD AM I LIVING IN LMAO??? hennywayz, enjoy the chapter my loves ♡
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Hors d'oeuvres . 
Your mother specifically said hors d'oeuvres and you were expecting small sandwiches or a fruit platter, but your mother had you cooling three racks of cookies and deep frying breaded pork chops on the side. Leave it to your mother to make an entire meal as an “hors d'oeuvres .”
One by one, the council members appeared and they each offered to help you in the kitchen. It was starting to look like a normal lunch-get-together with the entire squad and you made a mental note to start the meeting once everyone settled down. 
“We should always have meetings at your house, y/n” One of the members, Jimin, took a nice bite out of a pork chop and made himself comfortable on your couch.
“Yeah! And thanks for the food, y/n.” Nayeon chimed in and took a seat next to you on the floor.
“You’re very welcome. It was my mom’s idea to have this much food and I bet all of you five bucks that she’s going to walk in the door later with either dinner, dessert, or both.” You smiled fondly. Even if cooking and cleaning everything afterwards was tiring, you appreciated your mother’s initiative in taking care of your friends and treating them like her own children.
“Okay everyone, I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but we should get started on this meeting. We have a lot of shit to get through.” You pulled your laptop from the coffee table onto the ottoman in front of you. “And the first order of business is the damn winter formal.”
An orchestra of groans floated around your living room and you couldn’t help but laugh. You all have been purposely avoiding planning for the formal because trying to think of a theme has been a train wreck. Everything that you all came up with prior to this meeting all sounded remotely similar to what other high schools were doing or it didn’t have any pizzazz. 
“Can’t we start on the other things?” Hoseok asked from the kitchen.
“I’d love to but Mrs. Kwon is going to grill me if I don’t have the proposal done for the formal by Monday.” You groaned. Being student council president was fun and all, but because of your position, you took the majority of the heat.
The living room fell silent as you all took a brief moment to think of a theme. You thought about all of the failed suggestions and after thinking too hard, your mind wandered off to last night when Taehyung called you a Disney princess. 
“Okay, this may sound cheesy, but hear me out,” You started. “‘A Winter Fairy Tale.’ We could have white and blue decorations and kind of branch off a Disney theme.”
“Oh my god,” Dahyun exclaimed. “That sounds so cute! Everyone is gonna feel like princes and princesses!” She stood up and twirled around in her skirt with a cookie in one hand.
“I’m for it.” Jimin smiled and everyone else chimed in, agreeing and spewing out decoration ideas. 
If only you had thought of this idea sooner then Mrs. Kwon would have spared you the lecture from the previous week.
“Pssst! Y/n.” Nayeon scooted closer towards you while some of the others were in the kitchen stocking up on cookies after working for about an hour and a half. You tore your eyes from your laptop to give Nayeon your undivided attention.
“What’s up?”
“I was wondering…” she started off quietly. “Is Taehyung seeing anyone or likes anybody?”
It felt as if your chest caved in a little.
“Uh, he hasn’t mentioned anything about someone he likes, but he’s currently not seeing anyone either.” It pained you to be honest, but you didn’t own Taehyung. He was your best friend not your boyfriend and he was allowed to date whoever he wanted.
“Oh! Okay. I was wondering if you could put in a good word for me? I always thought he was cute and maybe I could ask him to the dance.” Nayeon stared at you with puppy eyes that gleamed in natural lighting and you felt guilty for even considering lying to her.
There was nothing wrong with Nayeon. She was with the council since last year as secretary, but she decided to be a council helper so she could focus on cheerleading during her senior year. She was trustworthy, reliable, and had an aura everyone loved. There was nothing about her that Taehyung would hate; she was perfect.
“S-Sure, Nayeon. I’ll be sure to work a little bit of magic for you.” You smiled weakly and patted the top of her head.
Her eyes lit up and she squealed in delight. “Thank you so much, y/n! I would have asked someone else from the basketball team, but I know you two are best friends so you know, you know him on a more personal level.”
Yeah.. I do..
“Thanks again, y/n. I’ll get us more cookies.” Nayeon stood up. “How about a refill on juice?”
“Yes please. Thanks.” You watched as she retrieved your glass and walked away with an extra pep in her step.
Ugh. What the fuck am I supposed to do?!
“Did Nayeon just asked to be set up with your Taehyung?” Hoseok whispered and crawled over to sit next to you.
You raised an eyebrow at the “your Taehyung” comment before answering him. “Not exactly. She wants me to put in a good word for her because she wants to ask Taehyung to the formal.” It was clear to Hoseok that your eyes weren’t matching your smile.
“Are you really going to go through with it?”
“I have to, Hoseok. Taehyung isn’t my boyfriend.” You sighed. “Plus, Nayeon is a great girl. Taehyung would like her a lot.” This wouldn’t be the first time a girl asked you to set her up with Taehyung nor would it be the first time he’s had a love interest.
Your movements against your keyboard began to slow down at the thought of Taehyung possibly having another girlfriend. Maybe it wouldn’t bother you as much if Nayeon wasn’t close to you, but that wasn’t the case. 
You were definitely overthinking this whole situation. 
She wasn’t asking you to set her up with Taehyung, she didn’t even ask for his number, but you were taking it to the next level on your own.
How were you supposed to even do this?
↠↞
The meeting ended around five and your suspicions were right, your mother brought back food for the council members. There were now extra pieces of pork katsu, cookies, boxes of pizza, and a box of custard filled donuts--she wanted to make sure the members had food to take home.
You were in the kitchen with your mother and Hoseok who stayed back to help clean up the dishes and any other mess you all made. Your father was on skype and after catching up with him, your mother went to her room to discuss business matters in private with him.
“Is it lonely since your dad is always away?” Hoseok asked.
“Ehhh...sort of, not really. He calls periodically and texts me every morning so it’s like he’s still here but cooped up in his office 24/7.” You handed another plate for Hoseok to dry off. “I can’t believe you haven’t met him in person yet. I’m pretty sure he would love you just as much as he loves me.”
Hoseok chuckled. “You’re sure about that? He’s not going to accuse me of being the boyfriend of his precious-only-daughter or say anything else?”
“Yes! Trust me. My dad’s brother recently got married to his boyfriend of four years and he’s his number one supporter if that’s what you’re worried about.” You smiled softly at Hoseok and he nodded in relief.
“Ugh, I’ll be back. Bathroom again.” Hoseok winced and darted down the hall.
“I told you to go easy on the donuts and cookies!” You called out after him.
The doorbell chimed and you were already 100 percent sure that it was Taehyung. You sent him a photo of all the food you had and his instant reply was “SAVE ME SOME OR ELSE” with multiple crying emojis at the end.
You opened the door and a blush rose to your cheeks.
Taehyung’s hair was tousled in all sorts of directions and he wore a plain white shirt that you loved seeing him wear. His cheeks were slightly flushed, probably from running to your house and he had a dust of sleep still settled in his eyes.
God, he’s so cute.
“Well, good morning. Tae.” You smiled.
“Food.” He answered instantly.
You moved out of the way and gestured him to walk into the kitchen. “Use one of the plates on the drying rack! I really don’t want to wash a new one.”
Taehyung began ranting about how exhausting his day was. He only meant to drop off his mother to work, but his basketball friends called to have a game at the park. Then, they went to have lunch at the mall so they could set new high scores at the arcade. Before he knew it, Taehyung had to leave to pick up his mother and she needed to do a little grocery shopping. As soon as he got home, he dropped onto his bed and drifted off to sleep before waking up five minutes later to your text message.
“Why don’t you just pack up your food so you can go finish up your nap.” You suggested.
“You see, that’s where your bed comes to play,” Taehyung replied with a mouthful of pizza. “I can take a quick nap here after digesting so that I’m refreshed to do some homework when I get home.”
This would’ve been the perfect opportunity to ask Taehyung what he thought of Nayeon or if he even knew her, but the words were caught in your throat. 
What am I doing? Just say it, y/n! Say it!
“Oh, hey Taehyung.” Hoseok walked into the kitchen wiping his hands on his jeans. You had to admit, you were relieved to see him.
“Hey, Hoseok.” Taehyung waved his pizza slice in the air.
“Is your mom still on the phone? I’d like to say goodbye before I go.” Hoseok quickly helped you wipe down the island counter and put away the leftovers in your refrigerator.
“Yeah, she’s still in her room. I’ll tell her you said bye though.” You smiled at him and handed him his food to take home.
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow morning then.” Hoseok placed his hand on your lower back and Taehyung propped his head up.
“What’s happening tomorrow?”
Hoseok explained that the council finally came to an agreement about what theme to do for winter formal and that while waiting for Mrs. Kwon to look over the proposal, it would be best to at least have an idea on what the layout of the gym would be. Taehyung clasped his hands together and begged the both of you to tell him what the theme was, but no matter how much he begged, you insisted that he waited until the announcement came out for school.
“Aw, I thought we were boys.” Taehyung pouted.
“Sorry, Tae.” You chuckled. “The announcement should probably be out sometime next week.”
“Yeah. I think everyone would love the idea.” Hoseok added. “Alright, so I’ll come by to pick you up around 10:15? Then we’ll go and get Jimin at his house.”
“It’s a date.” You joked and Hoseok rubbed your lower back. “Come on, I’ll walk you to the door.”
Hoseok fist bumped Taehyung and followed right behind you. “See you, Taehyung!”
“Yeah. See you!”
↠↞
You planned on sleeping by 11 pm, but of course that didn’t happen because Taehyung stayed until 1 in the morning talking with you and having a quick chat with your father via skype. Now you were groggy and starving because you had no time to heat up any leftovers for breakfast. On the bright side, Hoseok picked you up with coffee waiting for you in the cup holder. At least this was going to keep you full until you had time to eat.
The layout of the gymnasium worked perfectly for the “winter fairy tale” theme everyone chose. There was enough room for tables, the dance floor, photo booth, and decorations. Dahyun suggested a carriage near the entrance of the gym as a prop and large pieces of cotton to replicate snow, hence the name winter fairy tale.
After scoping out the gym, the three of you headed off to the council room to do some more planning. 
“We should get started on fundraising for the costs. I mean, we still have enough money from prior fundraisers but we also need money for senior prom and we have to go all out for that.” Jimin suggested.
“Hm, you’re right. We can definitely do the bake sale again. We raised a lot of money from that last year.” Hoseok typed away at your laptop that you brought with you. “Any other ideas, y/n—? Y/n!”
You jolted up from your seat realizing that you had fallen asleep. “Oh, God. I’m sorry.”
“Long night?” Jimin questioned.
“Yeah. Taehyung didn’t leave until one in the morning.” You rubbed your eyes and leaned back in your seat.
“Taehyung? Was he there at the meeting?” Jimin mumbled to himself. “Hey, what is the deal between the two of you anyway? Are you guys dating? You’re together almost all the time.”
“N-No! We’re best friends.” You chuckled softly. “We’ve known each other way before elementary school.”
Hoseok gave you a look of worry as you finished your sentence, but you smiled and shrugged at him. You were used to saying it.
After a little more intricate planning, Mrs. Kwon entered the council to officially approve of the theme for the winter formal. She even took a look at the fundraiser ideas you three brought forward and took the time to fill out the proposals.
Now that the theme was out of the way, this meant you were going to be extremely busy with the rest of the responsibilities that came with the winter formal like money, forms, entertainment—sigh, I feel like death is inching closer and closer to me.
Jimin treated you and Hoseok to lunch at a small burger joint near the school because he could automatically feel the stress weighing on the president and vice president. Even if the three of you tried to avoid the topic of school, it naturally came up because you were seniors who were a part of the student council that had extracurricular activities and had lives that involved family and friends. Although the main topic was school and stress, the afternoon was spent well with good company; it was something all three of you needed.
You ended up staying out a little later than you had planned and it was all thanks to Jimin, who wanted to try out the bakery that opened in the next town. He offered to drive Hoseok’s car and you each gave Hoseok money for gas.
The afternoon was great, but it was even greater going to the bakery and back home; singing your hearts out to Jimin’s playlists, taking the wrong exit, spending a little too much money on baked goods and lattes, and attempting to be friends with stray cats near the bakery.
You haven’t felt this stress-free in weeks.
↠↞
“Sigh, Hoseok. Today was great.” You sighed happily. Hoseok helped you carry your things onto your porch because he had to get back home to finish up some homework.
“Hell yeah. We should do it again sometime.” Hoseok suggested and you readily agreed.
“Hey, Hoseok.”
You both turned around to find Taehyung standing in your driveway with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie.
“Oh, hey, Taehyung! Hold on, I’ll be out of your guys’ hair soon—y/n, here’s your satchel.” Hoseok shimmied the strap of your bag off his shoulder to put it over your own. “Alrighty-roo, I’ll see you two tomorrow. Y/n, I’m gonna be about thirty-minutes late to the meeting tomorrow because of science team duties.”
“Yeah, no problem. Drive safe.” You smiled and waved him goodbye. “Taehyung, can you help me?”
Taehyung assisted you up to your room where he propped his entire body down on your bed. You waved the takeout box of almond cookies near his face and he immediately jumped up to snatch the box out of your hands.
“Oh. My. God. Where did you get these?” Taehyung asked with a satisfied groan.
“Jimin, Hoseok, and I went to the new bakery. We have to go there dude! It’s quite the drive, but their mocha lattes are uh-mazing.” You hopped on top of your bed and laid your legs out over Taehyung’s thighs.
“Oh shit, okay!” Taehyung swallowed the rest of his cookie. “When do you want to go?”
“Uhh…” you suddenly remembered how busier you were going to be and frowned. “Ugh, actually, I’m not even sure when. The winter formal is going to keep me extremely busy now that the theme is approved.”
“That’s alright, y/n.” Taehyung reached out to lift your chin up with his fingers. “We’ll figure out a date soon enough.”
Your cheeks instantly burned at the touch of his fingers. How were you going to put in a good word for Nayeon when you felt this way about him? But you thought about all of the good words there were to be said about her and you decided to grow a pair and just do it.
You swallowed the lump in your throat and clenched your bed sheet. “H-Hey, Tae. What do you think of Nayeon?”
“Nayeon?” He repeated with a cookie stuffed in his mouth. “The one from council?”
You nodded your head.
“Hm, I don’t really know her that well. What’s up?”
It pained you staring into his eyes. Taehyung was not your boyfriend. He was not yours.
“Well, she’s honestly a sweetheart a-and…” you bit the inside of your cheek. “And she thinks you’re cute.”
Taehyung smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Really? Wow. She’s a cheerleader too right?”
You nodded again, slowly this time.
“Hm, I guess if I see her tomorrow I’ll say howdy.”
You snorted. “Please don’t say howdy. I’m begging you.”
“Wha—why not?!”
Taehyung playfully argued with you about how his howdy greeting was not as embarrassing as you thought it was. He mimicked the way he used a cowboy accent and tipped an imaginary ten-gallon hat. You laughed until your stomach hurt and tears rimmed your eyes.
Your smile slowly faltered as you thought about how there was no way Nayeon would ever change her opinion about Taehyung. He was goofy, welcoming, and incredibly kind; any girl would be lucky to have him--you were already lucky to know him on such a personal level for so long.
↠↞
Ugh. People. Communicating. Eye contact. Exerting energy.
It never occurred to you how tired you were until the students in your classes were giving off a lot more energy than what you were used to. They all were laughing and smiling while you were huddled in your seat wanting nothing to do with anybody or anything. The mindset you were having was not good, but in your defense, you didn’t sleep well last night.
You kept tossing and turning thinking about how happy Nayeon and Taehyung were going to be together. They looked like an attractive couple in your head and you were just making it harder for yourself to go to sleep. It was obvious that you were overthinking everything--you’ve been doing since Nayeon asked you about talking to Taehyung. You were constantly reminding yourself that she was only asking you to speak well of her not setting them up for a date, but the war of selfishness and friendship was raging inside of you. How were you supposed to sleep?
Now, here you were, bags under your eyes and a sick feeling in stomach. Even the radiant atmosphere of your council peers couldn’t fully lift up your drained spirit. 
The meeting consisted of designing the form for the winter formal and picking the announcement date; it was a good thing that the winter formal wasn’t as big of an event as senior prom, although the workload was almost similar.
“Okay, Hoseok and I are going to be here early tomorrow so that we could put up some fliers before the entire student body shows up. Dahyun, and Jimin, you three are going to put up the posters tomorrow during lunch. Nayeon, Doyoung, and Wheein, just have lunch in the council room just in case students show up to ask questions on the formal--Mrs. Kwon is going to be here too.” You spoke at the head of the room and scribbled in your notebook, making changes to your schedule. Everyone agreed and you adjourned the meeting to tomorrow.
Your peers all waved goodbye and advised you to get some sleep because the dark circles under your eyes were prominent. After each of them left, you slumped onto one of the chairs and sighed loudly.
“Did you drive to school? I can take you home if you’re that tired.” Hoseok tidied up some of your paper to give you a break from standing up for so long.
“I’m fine Hoseok. I drove today.” You tipped your head back and covered your eyes with your forearm.
“So… did you talk to Taehyung?” Hoseok asked quietly.
“I...did…” you replied softly and brought your head back down. “Heh… he’s willing to talk to her to, you know, get to know her and stuff.”
Hoseok blew out a breath and stood behind you to stroke your hair. “Hey… it’s alright… I-I’m sorry, I don’t really know what to say.”
You smiled and stood from your seat. “It’s fine, Hoseok. I’m just overreacting. I don’t own Taehyung. I can’t make his decisions. I’ll be alright.”
Hoseok tried to give you a comforting smile, but you could tell he was hurting for you. He knew you were going to have to brace yourself for conversations with Nayeon about Taehyung and vice versa, he knew all too well how much it hurt to see the person you like go out with a good friend and he just wanted to be there for you.
“Okay…” he handed you your bag. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
You dragged your feet against the tiles in the hallway while Hoseok had his arm around your shoulders. He was telling you a few stories about his skype dates with Seokjin to cheer you up because you always enjoyed hearing about their relationship. You had to admit, you were a bit jealous but you were extremely happy for them nonetheless. 
“And then he lifts up his burger and goes ‘burger-ndy!’” Hoseok failed to hold in his laugh as he talked about his boyfriend’s puns. “I swear his puns are the worst sometimes, but this burger one was pure gold.”
You laughed full heartedly hearing the delightful squeaky sound of Seokjin’s laughter in your head. “I guess you can say puns are his resPUNSibility.”
Hoseok pulled you into a headlock and you choked on your laughter, apologizing and begging him to let go. “Maybe you should stop talking to Seokjin. His jokes are rubbing off on you and I already have to deal with him, I don’t want to have to--” His voice grew softer and his footsteps halted.
You wriggled out of Hoseok’s, now loose, headlock and questioned why he stopped all of a sudden. He stared off into the distance and you looked forward, breath caught in your throat.
In the distance, you saw Nayeon leaning against the row of lockers with Taehyung standing off to the side. Judging by their smiles, it seemed like they were having a riveting conversation. You watched as Nayeon pointed towards the nearby classroom and Taehyung nodded. She disappeared into the classroom and your heart broke at the sight of him smiling as he watched her go inside.
Suddenly, Taehyung turned his head to find you and Hoseok. He flashed his boxy grin and stuck two thumbs up. Even with tears in your eyes, you grinned and returned the gesture. Hoseok also gave Taehyung a thumbs up and then waved at him after catching a quick glimpse of your facial expression. Hoseok put an arm around you and guided you back towards the other exit of the building.
You walked silently beside Hoseok for a few minutes and before you even reached the exit doors, you stopped walking and felt a tear roll down your cheek and you began to chuckle to yourself.
“Ha.. heh… it’s--why am I crying?” You tried to laugh about it, but all you could see was the pure bliss on Taehyung’s face as he watched Nayeon go into the classroom. “Why am I…?”
Hoseok whispered your name and enveloped you in his arms. He rubbed your back and softly repeated it’s okay, it’s okay.
It wasn’t okay. You were going to have to stand by on the sidelines once again as Taehyung got himself romantically involved with someone, but it was different this time. You knew the girl. She was a dear friend of yours who was perfect in every way possible while all the other girls Taehyung ever dated or had a thing with was someone he knew from another friend of from class; you didn’t know them personally. You had a gut feeling that everything was going to work out perfectly between Nayeon and Taehyung. Why wouldn’t it?
This wasn’t supposed to hurt this much.
It wasn’t okay, but it was going to have to be.
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♡ rae jagi
36 notes · View notes
bentonpena · 4 years
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Tofu Freaking Rules
Tofu Freaking Rules https://bit.ly/350TvUV
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We need to talk about tofu. As Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger mania sweeps the globe, the OG vegan protein is getting left behind—and I, for one, hate to see it. If you’re serious about reducing your reliance on animal products, tofu has the potential to change your diet—and life—for the better.
To some extent, I get why so many people, particularly American meat-eaters, are resistant to the entire concept of tofu. Western culture has ruthlessly (and racist-ly) slandered the humble soy-based protein for as long as we’ve known about it, so a lot of us were basically programmed from birth to think it’s garbage.
I’m begging you to reconsider. When correctly prepared, tofu is a textural marvel, running the gamut from delicate and custardy to deep-fried and crunchy. Its unmatched flavor-absorbing powers make it a total chameleon; it truly can be anything you want it to be. I’ve loved tofu my whole meat-eating life, and I’m here to convert the naysayers. Welcome to my Tofu Manifesto.
You’re probably thinking about tofu all wrong
The biggest, wrongest tofu misconception is that it’s strictly a meat substitute. Sure, it can be that if it needs to—but tofu’s closest animal protein analog is actually the egg. On their own, eggs are bland; it’s their ability to morph into a staggering array of forms and textures that makes them so special. However you like your eggs—fried crisp with lacy edges, scrambled soft with lots of butter, or cooked into a puffy, tender frittata—I’m willing to bet your preferences come down to texture rather than flavor.
The same is true for tofu, which is why I’m skeptical when people insist they don’t like how it tastes. Soft and silken tofu has a more noticeable soy milk vibe than the firm stuff, but for the most part, it adds no flavor whatsoever to a dish. Tofu only tastes as good as the sauce it’s served in—texture is basically the whole point.
It’s embarrassingly easy to make tofu taste amazing
Contrary to popular assumption, delicious tofu takes barely any work at all. In fact, all the usual hacks try way too hard: Pressing takes forever (and freezing even longer); marinating often yields profoundly mediocre results; a cornstarch dredge too easily sogs out. None of these techniques work particularly well on medium-to-soft tofu, and with the exception of marinating, they also offer absolutely nothing in the way of seasoning.
For all of these reasons and more, the salt water trick is the only tofu hack worth knowing. Hot, salty water is a tofu prep triple threat: It dehydrates firm tofu so it crisps up quickly, sets super-fragile soft tofu so it doesn’t fall apart, and seasons everything through and through. It also adds as much work to your dinner prep as boiling pasta. I’ll get into the specific techniques in a bit; for now, just know that the salt water hack promoted tofu from something I’d buy occasionally to a legit, can’t-live-without-it staple.
If you remain unmoved, I’ve collected my favorite tofu products and preparations in one place, starting with the most hater-friendly ones. This isn’t a recipe post—it’s all about the technique. (Where applicable, I’ll link to specific recipes that I used and explain how I adjusted them to work with tofu, with the hope that you’ll soon be doing the same.)
Even hardline skeptics love fried tofu puffs
Tofu puffs are cheap, delicious, deep-fried flavor sponges that need zero prep; in other words, they’re easy to love. You can toss them whole into curries and stews for a fun textural element, but I strongly recommend taking 30 seconds to slice them in half. With their honeycomb-like interiors exposed, these puffy little nuggets soak up sauce like nobody’s business—without compromising their crispiness.
To show them off, I made my favorite Maangchi recipe—cheese buldak, or fire chicken with cheese—with halved tofu puffs instead of chicken breast.
Those two ingredients are obviously nothing alike, but the swap totally works thanks to the insanely powerful sauce. Red-hot both in color and spice level, surprisingly sweet, and with enough fresh ginger and garlic to put hair on your chest, it more than picks up the slack for something as bland as chicken breast or unseasoned tofu. Having made this dish with chicken dozens of times, I have to say—I prefer the puffs. Even when saturated with sauce, they stay light and puffy, which is the perfect contrast to the ultra-chewy texture of sliced rice cakes and melted mozzarella.
Pressed tofu does (most of) the prep work for you
As the name implies, pressed tofu has already been pressed to remove most of its moisture, resulting in a pleasantly toothsome texture. You can buy it pre-seasoned with soy sauce and five spice powder, but I like it plain so I can season it however I like.
Here, I whipped up a vaguely Spam-inspired mixture of roughly 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and sugar, plus a teaspoon of garlic powder and a few shakes of smoky hot sauce (El Yucateco Black Label Reserve for life). I added some cubed pressed tofu and let everyone hang out about 20 minutes, flipping them around halfway through. You don’t need much marinade; a shallow layer is plenty.
I then used it to bulk up a super basic batch of fried rice with ginger, garlic, carrots, and frozen peas. The cubes got nicely crispy and charred on the edges, and were just what I needed to add some substance to a huge bowl of fried carbs.
Unseasoned pressed tofu also makes great vegan “paneer:” Cube it up and marinate in lemon juice with a few pinches of salt for 30 minutes, or longer if you have the time. As with regular paneer, you can pan-fry the tofu or leave it alone; either way, you’ll be surprised at how closely the marinated tofu mimics the texture and flavor of the real thing.
Medium-to-firm tofu needs a little TLC
This range of the tofu spectrum is the most recognizable and the least immediately appealing. I mean, just look at this:
In my experience, the variations between medium, firm, and extra-firm tofu are pretty meaningless, and I use them all interchangeably. Left uncooked, they all have a texture best described as “rubbery,” with no discernible flavor at all. Their highest calling is getting crispy in a hot skillet and doused in a flavorful sauce.
All you need to make crunchy pan-fried tofu is salt water, a good nonstick pan, and all of 20-30 minutes. That’s it. Here’s my usual procedure for a standard 1-pound block.
Before I do any other ingredient prep, I bring 2-3 cups of salted water and 2 teaspoons of table salt to a strong boil in a saucepan. Then I cut the heat, slide in my tofu, and let it sit while I prepare the rest of the recipe. After 15-20 minutes, I drain off the water and either pat the tofu dry on clean towels or leave it in the colander until I need it.
To get that crispy surface going, I coat my big cast-iron skillet with a thin layer of neutral oil and heat it over medium-high. I then add the tofu, spread it into an even layer, and leave it completely alone for at least 5 minutes.
Once the edges start to brown, I flip it over and do the same on the other side.
Boom. Done. Obviously, I used crumbled tofu here—it’s my favorite—but this works just as well with cubes, slabs, triangles, or any other shape you can dream up.
Don’t sleep on crumbled tofu
I know I said that tofu isn’t a meat substitute, but crispy tofu crumbles get really fucking close. In many cases, I prefer them to meat because they hold their shape—and a surprising amount of crunch—even when simmered for a long time. Sure, they don’t give you the specific richness you get with ground pork or beef, but with the right recipe you won’t miss it at all.
Speaking of the right recipe, Bon Appétit Test Kitchen director Chris Morocco’s spicy sweet sambal pork noodles are flawless—but, despite the name, I’ve actually never made them with meat. I only had tofu the first time I made them, and they turned out so well that I’m fine with never learning how they taste with pork.
I make the recipe exactly as written, except—obviously—I leave the pork out. Instead, I fry up soaked, crumbled firm tofu in a separate skillet while the sauce simmers, then dump ‘em in and toss everything together with cooked noodles. This cuts at least 30 minutes off the cook time without compromising on anything except porkiness, which I promise won’t even register.
You can also use tofu crumbles like ground beef. I usually throw in some minced onion and garlic in once the tofu is nice and crispy, then cook it down with a little tomato paste, taco seasoning, and cheap beer if I’ve got it.
It’s not beefy, exactly, but it tastes incredible in its own right—and makes a killer vegan-friendly crunchwrap filling.
You can roast tofu, too
Maybe you’d rather not spray your stovetop with oil in the name of crispy tofu. In that case, roasted tofu is for you. The results are directly comparable to pan-frying—they just take a little longer to get there.
Start with soaked, drained tofu, preferably cut into triangles or flat slabs so they’re easy to flip. Arrange on a clean towel and let them dry out while your oven preheats to 450ºF.
If you like, cut a vegetable of your choice into similarly-sized pieces and toss them with a tablespoon or two of neutral oil; I’m using kabocha squash here.
Place a sheet pan on the lowest oven rack. After about 3 minutes, add 2-3 tablespoons of neutral oil to the pan, put it back in the oven, and heat for another minute or two. Carefully transfer the tofu and vegetables to the hot oiled pan, return to the bottom rack, and roast for at least 20 minutes. Flip everything over and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until the tofu is super crispy on both sides and the vegetables are browned and soft.
You can eat the whole shebang straight off the pan—perhaps drizzled with spicy peanut sauce or chili oil—but I added mine to a quick curry made with Maesri panang curry paste, palm sugar, and coconut milk. (Maesri is the only brand I’ve found that doesn’t use shrimp paste or fish sauce; if you usually avoid prepared curry paste for allergy or vegan reasons, give it a try.)
To be completely honest, the kabocha was a miss—the flesh was too dry, and the skin was super tough. The crispy roasted tofu, however, slapped. They can’t all be bangers; such is the nature of experimentation.
When you feel ready, silken tofu is there for you
The next stop on our tour de tofu is the most controversial, misunderstood one yet: Soft or silken tofu. Yes, it’s bland. Unseasoned coagulated soy milk isn’t going to blow your mind with super-concentrated umami or whatever. But when prepared correctly, soft tofu is more than just delicious—it’s absolutely sublime. I will go to bat for it all day long, and I would love to tell you why.
The dish that changed my mind about silken tofu came from Biwa, a now-closed izakaya-style bar in Portland. It was deceptively simple: A whole block of chilled silken tofu drizzled with sweet soy sauce and topped with bias-cut scallions, fistfuls of toasted sesame seeds, and paper-thin bonito shavings. I ordered it every time, and my friends would always be like—“Cold tofu? Why?” But if I could convince them to take a bite, they’d understand. It was like eating a deeply savory panna cotta.
Unfortunately, my dearly departed Tofu Slab is no more—and my attempts to recreate it have been so unsuccessful that I’m forced to settle for the next best thing: Salt water-soaked silken tofu mounded on hot white rice and drowned in chili oil, soy sauce, and black vinegar.
I’m not complaining. The salt water, once again, is key: It turns a cold, slimy block of tofu into a piping-hot savory custard, which is the perfect canvas for condiments. Sure, there’s not much in the way of textural contrast, but the softness is so comforting and nice that I think a crunchy element would actually defeat the purpose. It’s a delicious, balanced, reasonably nutritious meal you can throw together in the time it takes to cook a pot of rice.
Putting it all together: All-tofu mapo tofu
Neglecting to mention mapo tofu in an article about tofu is basically journalistic malpractice. The iconic Sichuanese tofu dish is rich, meaty, spicy, funky, sour, and savory all at once—and slicked with lip-numbing Sichuan peppercorn oil for good measure. It’s a top 3 dish for me; I make it all the time, usually using Maggie Zhu’s recipe from the Omnivore’s Cookbook.
Being a big vegetable fan, I’ve experimented with using minced veg—eggplant, mushrooms, and even carrots—in place of the traditional ground meat. But this time, I decided to follow my vision and make a variant I’m calling “Oops! All Tofu.” I approached this recipe just like the sambal noodles, swapping crispy tofu crumbles in for the ground pork—but this time, I also soaked some cubed soft tofu in a fresh pot of salt water while the sauce simmered away.
This was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. The nubbins of soft tofu were literally melt-in-your-mouth tender, while the crispy crumbles turned downright meaty as they soaked up the spicy, salty, rich sauce. It made me even more certain of all of the (correct) tofu opinions I just laid out before you and, if you’ll let it, it has the power to convert you too.
Internet via Lifehacker https://bit.ly/2VwWgKq April 24, 2020 at 12:01PM
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missguomeiyun · 4 years
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Homecookings [May ed.]
Cheers to the end of another month~
I had my 2nd staycation of the year in mid-May, & it was productive! I got a lot done, for real! I did some watercolour practice~ Below are some works I did during this month; I used my Korea photos as a guide. It was fun!
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I also watched some Kdramas; I highly recommend Rugal! If you’re into Kdramas like The K2 or City Hunter, you’ll like Rugal. There’s action, a little bit of sci-fi, crime (gang/organizations vs NIS teams), & excellent cinematography. Born Again is another Kdrama I watched; it’s not done airing yet so I guess I’m still technically ‘watching’ it. Despite low ratings, I am enjoying it! I like the 3 leads A LOT!
As you all know if you’re in Alberta (/Canada), things started to reopen. I’m not sure if it is a wise decision, but I will still keep on practicing social distancing. I mean, that only means I’m going to/from work anyway - again, this whole thing hasn’t impacted me all that much. In fact, when my BFFs & I had another video chat session to catch up/celebrate a birthday, a question discussed was “how has quality of life changed during the pandemic / how it’ll affect short term and/or long term QOL once it’s all over?” Tbh, my QOL has improved! Not significantly, but there has been some positive changes. I actually feel happier to be seeing less ppl (friends included). This reclusive life while keeping in contact via “wifi” has been the best of both worlds for me. I do miss going to Hmart... lol but other than that, I’m pretty self-sufficient at home. I’ve got loads of coffee, adequate amount of snacks, plenty of books to read, not running low of art supplies anytime soon. .. I’ve literally got everything that I need, you know what I mean? I even have things that are on my to-do/to-try lists that I can start if I want to *shrugs* I consider myself one of the lucky ones that aren’t affected, & I’m super grateful for it.
PS: I do need to watch out for the “Quarantine 15″ HAHA but I don’t think that will be an issue for me. Actually, who knows.. . continue reading this post & let me know if you think I’ll gain the Quarantine 15 :P
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^ This is my cocktail consisting of cold milk, hot chocolate powder, instant coffee powder, & the cappuccino honey. It’s basically a cold mocha (not iced! Bcos I had no ice in it!). It was refreshing~ Some days in May were hot!
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^ My homemade kimchi wrapping (cut up) pork loin. The kimchi I made (the 1st jar that I opened was kinda sour so it paired well with meats or to be eaten on its own; not the most ideal for soups). This was very refreshing! I only lightly seasoned the pork with salt & fresh ground black pepper. Then I peeled longitudinal strands of my napa cabbage kimchi & wrapped small pieces of the pork loin. Excellent appetizer, if I do say so myself :D
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^ Hearty soup! I’m slightly surprised I haven’t shared this on here yet (at least I don’t think so). You know the Campbell brand creamy Thai chicken & rice soup? I LOVE LOVE LOVE that soup so much. I’d say it’s in my top 3 of the ones I’ve ever tried. Anyway, on its own, it is too salty for me. So what I do is dilute it with more veggies + water. Using about 1/3 of the can each time, I add anywhere between 1-2 cup of water with it into a pot, then add in whatever veggies I have: green cabbage, napa cabbage, mixed frozen corn/peas, tomato, cauliflower, & broccoli. These are my main choices. The amount I add depends on what else I have for the meal. The natural sweetness from the veggies give it a very good flavour, but the “background” Thai taste is still present.
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^ My fancy hot chocolate with a book.. . This is my 3rd Sophie Kinsella book. I didn’t think I would be into her books but surprisingly I am.. . Her female protagonists are all kinda similar lol at least for the ones I’ve read anyway. But umm the fancy hot chocolate! It is a gourmet hot chocolate mix I purchased from the Butterdome Craft Fair back in December. I put it away & then the holidays passed.. . anyway, this was the Noel-blend, so it has a very chai feel to it with nutmeg & cinnamon. I tried a little bit of it before, & got no allergic reaction from it, so I up’ed my amount this time.
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^ Random May afternoon snack while on staycation.
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^ 2-ingredient baked wings. There are a lot of Asian-inspired sauces for marinating/cooking meats, I find. Like you always hear soy garlic, honey garlic, or ginger sesame, teriyaki, etc.. . you know what I mean? 1st of all, as a Chinese person, do I particular cook with these combos of condiments/sauces? No... lol I think it’s a very Westernized concept... OR the other good one is, “drizzle sesame oil on everything!” Which I also don’t do... Recently, there has been a lot of wings happening in my household, so I’m trying diff things with them. For these baked wings, I marinated the wings in (diluted) hoisin sauce + fish sauce. Hoisin sauce is sweet, while fish sauce is super salty. I think I added about the same amount of each...then added some water. Marinated these 8 wings for 5-6 hrs, then baked them for ~40mins. I didn’t turn them around, so only the skin side is dry-ish, while the bottom is moist + juicy.
PS: I prefer this 2-bone wing piece (rather than the drumlette, aka the mini drumstick that’s attached to this wing piece). How about you?
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^ Upgraded rice cake + dumpling soup. I added cheese, furikake flakes, as well as 3 kim-mari’s (deep-fried seaweed rolls).
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^ Simple fried rice (just egg + leftover rice, with a tsp of soy sauce)
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^ Grilled meat (pork + beef), kimchi, rice, & radish + pollock soup. 1st time using the electric contact grill in 2020! It has been around for so long, but we just don’t use it; so it made its way down to our basement storage...... It now resides in the kitchen but unsure how long it will stay........ Mom thinks it’s in the way, esp for such an infrequently used appliance. Tell me, what else should I use it for so it can stay around for longer?! :P
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^ Jjapa-guri wings! THIS WAS SO AMAZING! Okay, have you guys watched Parasite? If not, that’s ok, just familiarize yourself with “jjapa-guri”. Long story short, it is a combo of 2 instant noodle (flavours): blackbean sauce + the Neoguri powder. The name is a compound term of the 2 essential components. For these wings, I used my blackbean sauce (from jar), with the Nongshim (instant noodle) kimchi powder. Can’t see the redness bcos the blackbean sauce is so dark. But anyway, I pan-fried the wings, & then they’re about 50% cooked, I added spoonful of the blackbean sauce & added some kimchi powder in (also some water so there’s a bit of a sauce created). So tasty!!!
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^ Basa fillet stir-fry with rice. The stir-fry contains: choy sum stalks, green cabbage, bell peppers, & thin rice cakes. For the sauce, I used abalone sauce + sugar. Abalone sauce is more salty & has a more deeper flavour than oyster sauce, so a little bit goes a long way (at least the brand we have anyway). For my singular serving amount of ingredients like this for a stir-fry, I normally add 1 almost-overflowing tsp of oyster sauce. I added the same amount of abalone sauce & it was too salty for me personally. So I added sugar (not sure how much I added.. . maybe 2 tsps?). I don’t think abalone sauce is very common to the Western population, but it’s an item easily purchase-able at Asian grocery stores! Next time you’re in one, you should buy a small bottle & try it out!
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^ “Hotpot leftover special”. Threw some leftover things from hotpot & made it into a soup. Over a bed of instant noodles :P Bcos it is my staycation, so I’m eating 2 instant noodles within 1 week *gasp*
PS: I normally like the plain white surface for my photos. What do you think about this colourful tablecloth? Personally speaking, too colourful, vibrant, summer-y & bright for my liking.
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^ Nestle drumstick (the fudge flavour). 1st one in 2020~ Does anyone know how long these can be stored for in the freezer? No expiry or best before date on the box; this was a Costco product & there are 18 drumsticks (9 fudge; 9 caramel). 1 box of 18 probably lasts us like... 7 months HAHA bcos we eat it so infrequently. It’s crazy, I know. Looks amazing in the photo, but the cone part is like getting kinda soft. Esp at the bottom, it’s kind of.. . chewy. Still tastes fine & everything; but the cone is softened. 
This is it for now. Hope you’re staying healthy & safe, wherever you are.
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duesterkitsch · 6 years
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Vegetarian Katsudon recipe
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Hello everybody!
To celebrate today’s YoI concert livestream and movie news I made some katsudon for lunch!
I already read quite often that people said they would like to try katsudon as well but can’t eat it because they are vegetarian.
Well, duesterkitsch to the rescue, I‘m SO going to proof that you definitely CAN eat that incredibly tasty dish and it’s super easy to modify! :3
So here we go, my super tasty veggie-katsudon recipe, just for you! (Of course you can also totally make the recipe but with meat instead)
Ingredients for the katsudon (2 servings)
2 soy fillets
200ml kombu dashi
30ml (2 tablespoons) soy sauce
20ml (4 teaspoons) mirin
20g (2 teaspoons) sugar
3 eggs
2 onions
panko breadcrumbs
some flour
oil to deep-fry
steamed white rice (two bowls)
some frozen peas
scallions (to garnish)
For the kombu stock
15g of dried kombu
450ml water
The base for the sauce of the katsudon is normally dashi stock which is made with dried bonito flakes. Since we are making a vegetarian version of the dish we don’t want fish in our meal so we need something else here. The best substitute is kombu stock! Kombu is edible kelp which you can find in many asian grocery stores.
To easily make kombu stock gently clean the kombu with a damp cloth, put the kombu in a bottle with water and store it in the refrigerator for roughly 3-4 hours. Discard the kombu and your stock is ready to use! Be careful not to wash or clean the kombu too much, you want to keep the white powdery surface for a great flavor! You can store the leftover stock for up to 4 days in your fridge - or just freeze it
First things first: Turn on some fitting music - cooking is much more fun with a good soundtrack!
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Now that we have the sauce base (and some good music playing) we can start with the recipe!
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Start by cooking your rice. If you’re having a rice cooker it’s even easier. Rice cookers are awesome!
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Chop your onions, place them in a bowl of water and put it aside. The water helps to make the onions taste less harsh but still keep enough flavor to go well with the other ingredients.
While the rice is cooking we can prepare the tonkatsu (cutlets). Instead of pork I‘m using soy fillets here. There are many vegetarian and vegan brands that sell soy fillets. If you can’t find any some firm tofu does the trick as well but soy fillets taste better + have a better texture. So I highly recommend soy fillets instead of plain tofu!
Grab 3 bowls, fill one with some flour, one with 1 beaten egg and one with the panko breadcrumbs.
Rub the soy fillet in the flour, put it into the egg and coat it in panko afterwards. Your tonkatsu is now ready for the deep-frying stage!
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Put oil in a pan. You’ll need quite a lot to properly deep-fry it.
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To see if the oil has the perfect temperature put the end of a wooden chopstick in the oil. If tiny bubbles appear around it, the heat is good!
Put in your fillets and deep-fry until they are golden brown. Place them on a cooling rack afterwards.
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Time for the sauce! Combine kombu stock, sugar, mirin and the soy sauce.
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Heat up that mixture in a small pan. Add the onions and simmer until tender on medium heat. Change to high heat and if it’s boiling put in some frozen peas.
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Your rice is hopefully ready by now because we‘re nearly finished!
Chop your cutlets in stripes and place them in the sauce.
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Beat two eggs really lightly and pour them directly over the cutlets.
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Place a lid on the pan and let it simmer for 1 minute.
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Put rice in a bowl.
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Grab a spatula and slide the cutlet on the rice. Pour the sauce (including egg and onions) over it. Sprinkle on some scallions and you’re done!
Serve immediately and enjoy! (Tastes best while rewatching your favorite anime⛸)
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Please try it out, it’s super delicious! I can totally understand that it’s Yuuris favorite dish because katsudon tastes just awesome.
I hope this was helpful for some of you and you’ll try it out!
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sugar-petals · 6 years
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How BTS Would Cook For You
a/n. inspired by various run bts episodes. 
warnings: none
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Taehyung He’s the type to aim at “cooking together” instead of “cooking for”. It’s so much more intimate and fun to do this. Spending quality time is a side effect of that and contributes to your relationship quite neatly. If your schedules afford it, you’ll even go grocery shopping as a couple. In general, he’s quite decent as a chef. Taetae can create a very delicious Bibimbap for Friday evening. Though he needs a bit of help with these things anyways, god knows what devilish twists he introduces to even the simplest of recipes to make it more interesting, only to create one hell of a fiery dish that keeps you up all night (well, then you just take advantage of that heh). On the other hand, Taehyung’s strength in cooking certainly is variety. And - this is a given - he’s entertaining.
Jimin Food that you absolutely love and he doesn’t? Jimin will cook that. And no, he won’t prepare a separate meal for himself which would be easy to do. Jimin will eat whatever it is just to have the shared experience. No matter how much he dislikes the taste. All he desires are your compliments, he really wants to know he pleased you, that’s the biggest motivation behind all of this. He worries about you not liking it but really what can cook Park Jimin ever do wrong? Even if he messes up, that cute smile will make you forget even the saltiest pork. He’s a very temperamental and charming chef which ultimately is very cute. I think his forte dish would be something like Samgyupsal. 
Jin Our food hypeman in Bangtan! Spaghetti on Monday, Casserole on Tuesday, Burgers on Wednesday, Tteokbokki on Thursday... your man Jin will make an entire schedule to cook for you. Worldwide handsome cuisine is open 24/7 for you as the gourmet in charge, and oh boy will he feed you. “Is it too bitter?” “Enough salt?” “How’s the soup?” “Try this smoothie right here, maybe more raspberries?” And as implied, the meals will be worldwide. Jin is curious about all countries and their culture and will also like to travel in order to find out what tastes best. I’m sure you’ll join and relish all the amazing things that will result from those culinary journeys.
Yoongi Yes, it’s all about business. Minimum effort, maximum result, his profit: your love for his meals. Efficiency rules: plain rice and vegetables are often the way to go. Maybe simple Bulgogi cause meat and Yoongi just go together - but it’s still good and nutritious. Even cooking from scratch, he can serve you a nice meal. Our Yoongi grew up having hard times so he won’t waste one bit nor one buck while shopping. Sticks to the recipe’s details and thus succeeds quickly with practice. The disadvantage: Often too exhausted to actually enjoy the food afterwards. You’ll have to encourage him there: Easy, easy baby bun. What he is good at: timing, tidying up, not throwing things away unnecessarily, and... being very good-looking while doing all of that. 
Namjoon Whoa there. Well he tries and tries, but honestly the hunk does much better with other jobs around the house, and just ordering some nice ramen from the courteous Mr. Choi around the corner. I mean he already needs Jin’s advice for cutting a diddly darn onion. Or did he do it to receive some closeness? He might do that with you especially, you’ll never know. Joon is a klutz but still the biggest brainiac out there and a cute perv on top of that. Brace yourself, this will be a sexy kitchen show. Oh, and by the way: Jackson has probably infected him with the “everything organic” disease and Namjoon now spends way too much money on those things, like green tea deluxe and whatnot. Somebody stop that man!
J-Hope Diligent but also highly erratic chef who ecstatically blasts the stereo in the kitchen while making something really yummy like, say Japchae or Donkatsu. Mmmmmh. He’ll just play around with the noodles or whatever he’s currently handling, it’s all more dancing and hilarious screaming than actual cooking but you will be surprised by how tasty it turns out to be. You’ll get the nicest meal the world has ever seen, sauce and decorations on point. Hobi also isn’t the type to postpone cleaning, there is a method to his madness alright. He surpasses the other members in terms of enthusiasm except maybe Jin, so you can be sure he’ll do that very very frequently for you and ends up taking over. 
Jungkook What a grand guy this bunny is. Spicy cuisine alert! Jungkook loves being your frustratingly hot chef and will juggle all sorts of mixing, kneading, stirring, frying, baking, firing things up like a pro. It might be messy but it makes sense at the end. He’s good at cleaning, too. Silently he will prepare the ingredients and  work magic on things like some good ole pizza, he indicated this is one of his favorite dishes. And chicken for sure. Really can’t go wrong with that. American style kitchen is what he aims for I think. Bonus: He’ll wear one of these extra tight aprons to showcase his waist. Jesus Christ, he knows what he is doing. 
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paharvey99 · 3 years
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No Waitrose October 8 - Days 3-4
Day 3
The great plan for Day 3 was to go swimming in the afternoon. Regular readers will remember that that was the great plan for Day 2 as well, but no matter. We spent the morning pottering about in anticipation of the execution of the great plan, doing, well, I can’t really remember what. Sunday morning things.
At about 11.15am, the five year old I live with announced that she was hungry, so I started making some lunch. I thought we’d have some pasta, that seemed like a good pre-swim meal. It was a bit early for lunch, so I wasn’t in any particular hurry to get the food on the table. I was ambling around sorting stuff out in the kitchen when I heard some shouting from the sofa, so I went to investigate what the problem was.
“DADDY ARE YOU MAKING LUNCH?”
“Yes, I’m making some pasta. Do you want red pasta or plain pasta?”
“DADDY I’M SO HUNGRY THAT IF YOU DON’T GIVE ME SOME LUNCH RIGHT NOW I’M GOING TO PICK MY NOSE AND EAT THE BOGIES.”
Righty ho. I put a little bowl of mozzarella cheese in the microwave and melted it, and that served to stave off the nosepicking threat. I also picked up the pace a bit and about 10 minutes later we had spaghetti in tomato sauce on the table, with some grated mozzarella cheese and broccoli. It was that tenderstem broccoli, the big long florets, they’re fun to eat for five year olds it turns out.
After lunch it was time to go swimming, and this time we managed to gain access to the pool and had a nice hour or so splashing about in the family bit. It was the first time I’d been in a swimming pool in about two years, so I was more amenable to it than usual. I’m generally of the opinion that being half blind, half deaf and half naked in a public place is no way to spend one’s spare time, but the five year old I live with was so excited to be in a swimming pool again that I forgot to have a bad time.
Energised by the successful swimming trip, I threw caution to the wind and suggested a trip to the garden centre to buy some daffodils. I’ve got into gardening since we moved to a house with a garden. We have all the usual spring things out the front - crocuses, bluebells, daffodils, tulips – but none out the back, which seems a shame. Last week I decided to remedy this by planting a load of crocuses and mini alliums in the lawn, a task that turned out to be a lot harder than I had imagined, mainly because I snapped my trowel. Undeterred by this setback, I then decided that I wanted to stick a load of daffodils in there as well, hence the trip to the garden centre.
I filled a paper bag with daffodil bulbs for a fiver, and also got some muscari bulbs and a bulb planter and a pot, because I always buy extra stuff I don’t need at the garden centre.
We then went home and after the swimming pool and the garden centre I decided to ramp up the Sunday vibes even further by doing some roast beef, as it was the five year old I live with’s teatime. I had a topside joint I’d defrosted the day before with this in mind, so it had an hour’s blast in the oven and I knocked up a Yorkshire pudding, peas and gravy to go alongside.
After years of making crap Yorkshire puddings, I have in the last year found one that works. It’s based on volume; you just whisk together the same volume of eggs, flour and milk and pour that into the hot fat. So, say you have two eggs, that’s about 100ml, then you pour flour into the measuring jug up to the same level, and then the milk. I make my Yorkshire puddings in a cast iron frying pan, I get it blisteringly hot on the hob, pour in the batter and then stick it straight into a really hot oven for 15 minutes. It works for me, anyway.
The roast went down well, and then it was time for baths and bed and all that.
In the evening we watched the rest of the film we started on Day 2, The Green Knight. It’s good, it’s worth a look I think. It’s based on a medieval thing, so it’s got a good plot. There’s a quest, you get told at the beginning what’s going to happen, then it happens. I like that kind of plot.
Didn’t go to Waitrose.
Day 4
Woke up feeling pretty low level ill, nothing major, just run down and weary and bleurgh it’s Monday. Upon speaking to my colleagues in the 10am Teams meeting it became clear they all felt the same. We speculated as to whether we had all given each other Covid the previous week, but then decided we were just knackered.
Did a bit of work and then lunched on some eggy mushroom scramble on bagel, a chucked together not much in the fridge sort of a lunch, before heading into Brighton to pick up a suit I bought last week. On Day 8 I will be wearing a suit at a work thing. It’s a black tie event, and I usually hire a suit, but this year I decided to buy a suit instead.
Part of the reason I wanted to buy a suit was that my grandad died a month or so ago, and he left me a bit of money. He was someone who looked good in a suit and liked getting dressed up, so I thought a fancy suit would be an appropriate way to spend some of the money he left me.
I’ve been buying lots of clothes recently, actually. I’ve got into the idea of spending a bit more money on something that’s going to last a long time. Recently I needed some trousers, so instead of getting some H&M jeans in the sale like I usually do, I went looking around and found some work trousers from a company called Carrier Clothing in Norfolk that claimed to be tough, hardwearing, built to last and improve with age. I’ve worn them non-stop for about three weeks now, they’re wonderful. Just what I need to withstand all the hard manual labour that I do. I have a work jacket from the same company made from the same thick cotton. A few days ago I put the jacket and the trousers on at the same time and the person I live with said I looked like Chairman Mao.
The black tie suit that I bought for the black tie do is slightly less redolent of communism. It isn’t actually black though, it’s very very very dark blue. When I was in the shop, the salesman persuaded me that it would be fine for a black tie do, but in the days since I’ve grown less sure. I was keen to see it again to check if it was fit for purpose.
Wearing my Mao get up, I drove into Brighton and parked in the multi storey behind the Brighton Centre. It was only on the way out I noticed it was £6 an hour. Six quid! Still, I’d only be an hour, so it shouldn’t be too bad. I rang the person I live with as I knew there were some children’s wellies she’d bought that I had to collect from Next and I’d need the email confirmation. She sent it over, and it turned out that the wellies wouldn’t be available until 3pm, which was more than an hour away. Six more quid right there. Bastards.
I had an hour to kill, so I went to Morrisons in Kemp Town. It was a favourite haunt from before the five year old I live with was born, but its location and lack of car parking facilities have made it pretty inaccessible for the last five years. It was exciting to be back, they had a special deal on salmon. You could get a whole salmon, head and all, chopped up and wrapped in clingfilm, for about £20. It looked quite frightening. I considered my freezer space and got some pork mince instead.
Then I went and picked up my suit, tried it on, and it fit. I think I should be able to get away with it at a black tie do. Not much choice now, anyway, I’m not buying another one.
After that I went to Next in Churchill Square shopping centre to pick up the children’s wellies. The man on the till couldn’t find my order, so he looked at the email I had and told me I was in the wrong place, and had to go next door to Victoria’s Secret. Now, I don’t want to come across as someone who is flustered by going in a lingerie shop, but if I’d known I was going in Victoria’s Secret I wouldn’t have dressed as Chairman Mao. It’s not what anyone wants. Thankfully the wellies were there and the weird ordeal was soon over.
The five year old I live with goes to after school club on a Monday, so I had time to nip into Lewes Road Sainsburys for a few bits. I can tell you the exact date that I was last in Lewes Road Sainsburys – Friday 15 January 2021. It was the day we moved house. We left our flat in Hove for the last time, had a sausage roll, and drove to Lewes to collect the keys to our new house. On the way though, we had to drop into Argos at Lewes Road Sainsburys to collect some plug in nightlights that we had ordered. We wanted to put them on the stairs in the new house. An hour later we discovered that our new house didn’t have any plug sockets on the stairs, so the whole nightlights kerfuffle had been a total waste of time. Apologies for telling you about it now.
This visit to Lewes Road Sainsburys was slightly more fruitful, I picked up some fruit and reduced price meat items, before heading off to collect the people I live with from work and school respectively.
I made stir fry for tea out of last night’s beef, two nights ago’s rice and a bit of veg. It was good, mainly thanks to some fancy teriyaki sauce I got from the yellow sticker bin in Waitrose last month. Then we watched University Challenge and a documentary about New Labour. I’d taken my Mao off by then.
Didn’t go to Waitrose.
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travelcenter-uk · 3 years
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What’s the most iconic food around the world? Let’s find out!
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“Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people eat together.”
– GUY FIERI –
What is the most iconic food around the world? The world is a gastronomic paradise; it harbours diverse culinary uniqueness in each corner. How many cuisines contribute to describing a particular destination and what would a local suggest to taste or where to find it?
If you look a little closer, you’ll soon learn that the best dishes in the world can be an up-close lens on the destination’s history and culture. Despite their ancient origins, the dishes have been modernised for the palates of today’s world.
Different food from around the world
Every foodie enjoys tasting their way around the world by indulging in traditional cuisines, by trying a new flavour for the first time or getting to enjoy an iconic dish they’ve heard about. We learn about different cuisines by tasting the most popular signature dishes and staple ingredients of each country.
A culinary journey across the globe is the best way to discover its culture and cuisine. This makes it the pure delight of culinary travel.
What’s even better than eating the best food in the world? You get to have a new food experience and enjoy another new dish. So, let’s take a look at the most iconic food from around the world. These are 10 different nations with their famous and traditional dishes, starting in the UK!
Warning: This list of food from around the world will make you hungry!
British Cuisine
Yes, one can’t really talk about Britain without mentioning one of the most well-known and distinct cultures on Earth: the British culture. With its own dialects, customs, art, literature and history; it is easy to see why many consider it to be one of the richest cultures in existence.
Britain has a wide variety of cuisine and holds an excellent culinary reputation. In fact, these dishes are some of the best food from around the world. However, culinary expertise in the UK is not new. Moreover, Influenced by the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, French and even other parts of Europe: In essence, a hodgepodge of diverse styles and traditions.
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Fish and Chips – Fish and Chips are presumably the most popular British food known across the globe.
English Breakfast – English breakfast is served with bacon, sausages, egg, baked beans, black pudding, fried toast, hash browns, mushrooms, and egg. Best enjoyed with a cuppa or fruit juice.
Roast Dinner – A traditional roast dinner consists of different roasted meats like chicken breast, turkey, pork, and beef. This is accompanied by seasonal vegetables, roasts, potatoes, and gravy.
Bangers and Mash – A famous British pub food. A dish comprising sausages, mash potatoes, and onion gravy.
Trifle – A strawberry flavoured classic British dessert made up of layers of cake rolls, custard, jelly, cream, and fruit toppings.
Italian Cuisine
My personal favourite, Italian cuisine, is one of the oldest, most beloved cuisines and considered some of the best food from around the world. With extraordinary diversity of flavours, richness and depth, offering something for everyone’s taste buds.
Italian food varies from region to region and associates with various kinds of pasta and pizza. In reality, Italian food is ever-changing, from endless combinations and new adaptations. What makes Italian food one of the best food from around the world is not just its flavours but also its diversity and also an Italian meal can be expected to be structured as follows: Antipasto (appetiser), primo (rice or pasta), second (meat), and dolce (dessert).
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Pizza – Pizza is a flat dough topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. (More toppings are added to create different variants of pizza)
Risotto – An Italian version of creamy rice cooked in vegetable or meat stock, cheese and wine after frying it in sautéed onions.
Lasagna  – Lasagna is traditional Italian comfort food made in pasta sheets, meat, sauce, and cheese.
Ossobuco alla Milanese – Ossobuco is slow-cooked veal in white wine, meat broth, and vegetables seasoned with lemon zest, garlic, and parsley.
Gelato – Gelato is a rich variant of ice cream in terms of density, texture and is more intense in flavour.
French Cuisine
Like Italian food, French cuisine was also one of the world’s first cuisines and has taken its flavours around the globe. Admittedly, French cuisine is an art, so rich in regional variations. The French take great pride in their traditions of cooking. The modern way of cooking takes a lot from roots in France, and for decades, French food has been an elegant cuisine. This ranges from sylvan, robust, and healthy to the finest meals. A typical French meal would consist of bread, cheese, and wine.
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Boeuf Bourguignon – Boeuf Bourguignon, a classic French beef stew made with red wine, pearl onions, mushrooms and bacon.
Croque Monsieur – A sandwich is taken to the next level! Grilled ham and velvety béchamel cheese sauce sandwich.
Croissants – Croissants are crescent-shaped buttery, flaky pastries perfectly crisp on the outside, tender and moist on the inside.
Coq Au Vin – A version of red wine chicken stew, cooked on a low heat to perfection.
Cherry Clafoutis – A popular cherry dessert in France! Juicy, sweet cherries wrapped in a rich batter and baked into a mixture of a cake and custard.
Chinese Cuisine
Some of the best food in the world, Chinese cuisine has taken over many parts of the world by storm! I mean, I’m sure you’ve had a Chinese take-away meal at least once in your life. This particular cuisine classifies its regional diversity into different styles: Cantonese, Szechuan, Hunan, Zhejiang, Shandong, Anhui, and Fujian. Each food tradition is formed by the regions’ history, climate, geography, and lifestyle.
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Sichuan Pork – Sichuan Pork is spicy poached slices of pork coated with egg-white and starch to preserve its freshness and tenderness.
Dumplings – Dumplings comprise a filling of minced meat and chopped vegetables wrapped in a thin dough skin.
Peking Roasted Duck – Peking duck is a duck roast savoured for its thin and crispy skin, a world-famous dish from Beijing.
Chow Mein – Chow mein is a stir-fried noodles dish consists of meat (chicken, beef, shrimp, or pork), onions, and celery.
Kung Pao Chicken – Kung Pao Chicken is a famous Sichuan-style dish made with diced chicken, dried chilli, and fried peanuts.
American Cuisine
The best way to explain American cuisine is that it is a blend of different cuisines. In other words, it is a mongrel, where different ethnic groups contributed to the nation’s food traditions. American cuisine has drastically changed over the years, as have American lifestyles.  Some of these dishes were contributed by Native Americans, Colonial Americans, and Modern Americans. These were adapted, changed, and invented, becoming all-American dishes. Similarly, many dishes are regionalised, such as soul food in the south, Tex-Mex cooking in Texas, etc.
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Hot dogs – There is no need for a special introduction for the “All-American” hotdog, a hotdog (sausage) wedged between a bun.
Philly cheesesteak – A Philly cheesesteak is a sandwich made by grilling chopped beef, onions, and cheese then laid into a long Amoroso bun.
Grits – Grits is a creamy porridge-like dish made with whole dried white corn kernels that can go plain, savoury, or sweet.
Mexican flat enchiladas – Mexican or Tex-Mex style enchiladas smothered in red chilli sauce or green topped with an optional fried egg.
Apple pie – Apple pie is a sweet dish that features a sweet apple filling and a flaky butter crust with a shimmering lattice pie crust.
Indian Cuisine
It’s hard to put Indian cuisine in a nutshell because of the country’s regional diversity and vast history. The early Indian cuisine relied heavily on a class system which dictated what people were able to eat. However, in more recent times, the cuisine has been a combination of traditional dishes and many international influences. The most common misinterpretation about Indian food is that many of us think it’s all curries. But in reality, it isn’t. An essential factor of Indian cuisine is that the blends of spices are designed to bring out the ultimate flavour.
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Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken) – Murgh Makhani is by far one of the deliciously best dishes in the world. This hot dish made with chicken tastes great with flatbreads.
Rogan Josh (Red Lamb) – A delectable spicy dish, Rogan Josh, is a red lamb stew prepared with a long list of spices, red chillies, and coconut cream.
Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese) – A popular Indian dish Palak paneer, a mildly flavoured dish made with spinach and cottage cheese with Indian spices.
Naan (Indian Flatbread) – Naan, a flatbread traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, goes with anything, including curries and stews.
Gulab Jamun – An Indian sweet delight, a festive favourite made with milk solids, fried until golden and doused in saffron induced sugar syrup.
Japanese Cuisine
Food in Japan is plausibly one of the unique cuisines. The reason being that many ingredients used in their cooking can very rarely be found in other cuisines. It’s not all about sushi and tofu. The art of Japanese cuisine is prepared meticulously based on the proper seasoning and fresh ingredients.
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Sushi – Sushi is some of the best food from around the world. This traditional Japanese dish consists of vinegar-flavoured rice rolls served with vegetables and raw seafood.
Sashimi – Sashimi is similar to sushi, but raw fish is sliced into small bite-sized pieces without the rice.
Tempura – Tempura is a dish prepared with seafood, meat, and vegetables covered in flour and egg batter then deep-fried in oil.
Soba and Udon – Soba or buckwheat noodles and Udon or wheat noodles are made by immersing the noodles into broth enjoyed hot or cold.
Wagashi – Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets made using mochi rice cakes, Anko paste, agar, chestnuts, and sugar.
Lebanese Cuisine
Cuisine in Lebanon food includes many fresh ingredients like vegetables, fruits, seafood, and little animal protein. These ingredients are meticulously prepared in a fusion of Mediterranean and Arabic influences. The most significant feature of this fantastic food is the mezze, a selection of salads, vegetable dips, pickles, and Arabic bread. In recent years, people have come to celebrate the extraordinary flavours of Lebanese food.
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Baba Ghanoush – Baba Ghanoush is a hummus-like dip made from eggplant served with pita bread and drizzled with olive oil.
Manakeesh – The Lebanese version of pizza, Manakeesh, is made with meat, cheese, zaatar. Manakeesh is served with tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh mint leaves, and olives.
Falafel – Falafel is made from deep-fried crushed chickpeas, served in a pita pocket with vegetables and tahini sauce.
Fattoush – Fattoush is a traditional Lebanese salad.
Baklava – Baklava is a golden flakey pastry made of filo dough, honey, and assorted nuts.
South African Cuisine
South African cuisine is extensive, culturally diverse, nourishing, and hearty, very much like the locals. Traditional South African cuisine is downright authentic, with influences induced by each culture. With the freshest ingredients from farm to table, the food here is amazingly delectable, making it one of the best foods from around the world!
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Chakalaka – Chakalaka is a spicy vegetarian dish of tomato, beans, peppers, onions, and curry. This can be enjoyed with anything — rice, meat, bread, or other veggies.
Bunny chow – Bunny chow is a world-renowned dish made up of a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with a chicken, pork curry, or a lentil and bean combo.
Bobotie – Bobotie, made up of minced meat, is cooked in curry, herbs & spices, and dried fruit, topped with a milky-eggy custard, and baked until golden brown.
Potjiekos – A dish of potjiekos features meat, potatoes, biltong, and vegetables slowed cooked over an outdoor fire.
Malva Pudding – Malva Pudding is a sweet, spongy cake made with apricot jam and a cream sauce poured on top.
Caribbean Cuisine
Food from the Caribbean is a delicious mix of French cuisine, African cooking, and local foods! Caribbean food is delightfully spicy, warming, and eloquent. Food staples include peppers, sweet potato, coconut, plantain, mutton, tropical fruits, and leafy green vegetables, all prepared into a heady concoction.
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Jerk chicken – Chicken marinated with hot Jerk spice and served with rice and peas. Jerk chicken is one of the most traditional food in Jamaica.
Ackee and saltfish – Ackee and saltfish, Jamaica’s national dish, is prepared with ackee fruit and salted codfish, suitable for mealtime.  
Macaroni pie – Macaroni pie is comfort food in the Caribbean; a cheesy baked pasta dish is delicious with stewed or barbecued chicken.
Lambi – Lambi’s main ingredient is Conch. The dish is prepared with a combination of Conch, curry powder, coriander, thyme, and marinating with other spices.
Jamaican Rum Cake – A Bundt cake with a moist and tender crumb smothered in sweet butter and rum syrup.
Oh boy! That’s a long list of the best food from around the world! So, if you would like to go on a culinary adventure and taste your way around the globe, give Travel Center UK a call or drop us a line, and we’ll be glad to assist you in planning your next trip.
Read More:- What’s the most iconic food around the world? Let’s find out!
This Article, Information & Images Source (copyright):- Travel Center UK Blog
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didanawisgi · 6 years
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Hormel Spam. Yes, really. Spam is reasonably priced and actually made from good quality meat. Unlike a lot of processed meat products it isn’t mechanically recovered scrap; it’s chopped pork shoulder and ham. Spam is surprisingly nutritious if you’re in a survival situation; it’s full of the things you need that wellness gurus hate, but your body craves when it’s working hard – fat, sodium and protein. Spam is also incredibly versatile. It can be eaten straight out the tin, or sliced and used as a sandwich filling. Alternatively you can fry or grill it, add chunks to a stew, make Spam kebabs or chop it up and add some spammy goodness to a pasta sauce or chili.
Great Value Chunk Chicken Breast. WalMart sell this in 12.5 oz cans, and often have a special offer on a two-pack. What you get is a can of diced chicken breast with rib meat, fully cooked and packed in water. It’s ready to eat, so you can use it to improve a salad. Alternatively, add it to soups, stews, stir fry or curries. The water from the tin picks up enough chicken flavor to make a pretty good broth, too. This is a great source of protein.
Great Value Beef Stew. Another WalMart staple; this is a 20 oz can of meat, potatoes and carrots and it costs less than two bucks. It’s fully cooked, so you can eat it cold if you have to, and it’s easily heated. It isn’t the most exciting stew in the world but makes a great base. Add seasonings, or mix in foraged greens; this makes the greens a lot tastier and adds nutrients to the stew. That’s not to say it isn’t plenty nutritious already; it has loads of fat, protein and energy. Yes, if you’re physically active these are nutrients.
Kirkland Roast Beef in Beef Broth. Two dozen 12 oz cans of this costs around $90 at CostCo. It’s more expensive than the Great Value stew, but what you get is just chunks of cooked premium beef. It can be eaten cold, but where it really comes in useful is as an ingredient in stews and other dishes. It’s very lean, with just enough fat to add flavor.
Hormel Chili with Beans. This comes in 15 oz or 38 oz cans, and either way it costs about a dime an ounce. It’s also tasty and can be eaten right from the can if necessary. Otherwise it’s a great way to add flavor to rice, beans or even pasta – a 15 oz can and four cups of rice will feed a family. The chili itself also has a decent amount of fiber, as well as protein and energy.
Canned Tuna in oil. Tuna tastes great and has dozens of uses, from tuna salad to pasta sauces and soups. It’s a very good source of protein and essential fatty acids, too. Buy tuna in oil – olive oil if you like it, vegetable otherwise – because it lasts longer and preserves the fish’s nutrients. Starkist is a good value brand you can find most places, but any tuna will do. It’s best to go for plain old fish instead of a fancy seasoned or roasted variety; you’ll save money, and you can add the finishing touches yourself. Why pay an extra $1 for a 5 oz can just because there’s a nickel’s worth of garlic in it?
Baked Beans. These are a great side for breakfast or a whole range of meals. They can also be added to soups, chili, stew and even soups. They have loads of protein and fiber, they’re tasty and they can be perked up with your favorite seasonings. Most grocery stores have an economy brand that sells for not very much, so there’s no reason not to have a few cases of these in your store.
Green Beans. Greens can be hard to find in winter, and unless you’ve managed to get a crop in and can some you can find yourself craving them through the cold weather. Green beans are a simple solution. They’re cheap and can be used in a whole load of different ways. Steam them as a side, drain and mix with dressing or Miracle Whip to make a salad, or add them to soups and stews. WalMart will sell you a 14.5 oz can of whole green beans for 68 cents.
Corn. Growing and canning corn is a lot of work; four 15 oz cans of it will cost less than $3. Like green beans this is a really versatile vegetable that can go in everything from salads to chili.
Diced tomatoes. Get diced tomatoes instead of canned tomato sauce; you can turn them into sauce easily enough with a blender or by forcing them through a sieve, but you can’t turn sauce into tomato chunks if that’s what you’re looking for. Tomatoes need faster rotation than the other goods we’ve looked at because they’re acidic, but they’re so versatile that shouldn’t be a problem. Soups, stews, pasta sauce… you can add them to practically anything. They’re not massively nutritious, but they make your cooking taste a whole lot better.
Canned goods have a long life, but to extend that as far as possible it’s vital to store them correctly. Incorrect storage can shorten the life of your food, and even risk dangerous food poisoning.
Check all cans before storage. If there’s any sign of damage, don’t risk it; throw the can away or, if you know it got dented when you dropped it taking it out the car, use it immediately. Dents and dings create weak spots that rust can attack.
Like most other foods cans do best in a cool, dark place that doesn’t suffer from major temperature changes. Freezing temperatures might not obviously split the can, but they could open up tiny gaps that let air and microbes in.
Related: Homemade 72 Hour Emergency Food Supply Kits
How long you should store canned goods for
Meat, fish and low acid foods (soup, vegetables) – 3 years
High-acid foods (tomatoes, pickles, fruit) – 2 years
Fruit juice – 1 year
Rotate your store periodically; add a few cans to your weekly shop, put them at the back of the shelf and use the cans from the front. That way you’ll keep your stockpile as fresh as possible, so its shelf life is at a maximum when you really need it.
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missguomeiyun · 5 years
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dinner @ Double Greeting
Happy Monday, everyone~
Today is day 3/3 off for me & I’m not excited to go back to work tomorrow. .. but the weather forecast of low 8, high 18, cloudy & no rain is making me slightly excited :D 
Last week, I had dinner @ Double Greeting with 2 coworkers. We went ~4:30pm, & surprisingly, there were 2 other tables of customers at the time. & then shortly after we sat down & started taking a look at the menu, 2 large tables (consisting of 3 generations of ppl) came just before 5pm. By 6pm, approx. half the restaurant was occupied. Pls allow me to show you what we ate!
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352. Chinese long donut with rice rolls. This was so good- I highly recommend getting it as an appetizer to share while you await for your main dishes.
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3. Beef brisket & noodle in soup. For $8.05... what more can you ask for? The type of noodles they use “by default” are the thin wonton noodles. While I’m not a fan of these types of noodles, I thought the soup & the beef brisket was really good!
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115. Rice with BBQ pork. I have not had this dish here before haha it’s not something we can’t get elsewhere- my family gets BBQ meats from this place in Chinatown, we have rice.. . when we come here, it’s just not something that’s on our radar. I found the BBQ pork to be a bit dry.
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215. This was Ma-po tofu in Chinese but the English said otherwise: “minced pork & soft bean curd (hot)”. I would not have known this was ma-po tofu by the English name =P anyway, this dish was strongly recommended to us by another coworker, who couldn’t make it for dinner on this day. She said it’s unlike other ma-po tofus bcos it doesn’t appear ‘red’ but it’s still spicy. Tbh, I was really shocked when this dish arrived. I almost wanted to confirm if this was the right dish- it looks NOTHING like the kind of ma-po tofu that I know lol but the lady said it’s “ma-po tofu extra sauce” when she brought it out. The “extra sauce” was also a thing my coworker said to ‘request’ bcos the sauce is supposedly really good.
[The order of the photos in this post are in chronological order so I’m glad we picked that BBQ pork with rice bcos that had plain rice to go with the extra sauce.]
Anywho, this was the most disappointing dish I’ve had here. Not just this evening but... here forever =( in my history of dining here, I haven’t had anything that was an outlier but this came close. To put it in the simplest terms, you should treat this as a tofu stir-fry as opposed to ma-po tofu. It was hardly spicy & generally speaking, most versions of ma-po tofu only has pork & tofu; however, this had so much other stuff: mushrooms, baby shrimp, canned corn... therefore, it was good as a tofu dish but.. . not ma-po tofu.
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236. Green beans with XO sauce. Never had this but this was very delicious! I love XO sauce!!! Don’t order this if you have seafood allergies bcos XO sauce has seafood in it. & also don’t order if you can’t handle greasy greens.
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73. Shanghai noodles. I feel pretty meh about this dish; it’s not a family favourite, & I’m not a huuuuge fan of the type of noodles used here. However, the wok-iness as on point & flavour was good!
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261. Fried chicken wings with spiced salt. YEAHHHH ! ‘nuff said.
Everything was good but just the ma-po tofu did not meet expectations.
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paharvey99 · 4 years
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No Waitrose October 7 - Days 3 and 4
Day 3
The four year-old we live with got up first this morning, which is unusual, as it’s usually me. I made her some breakfast - warm milk and ‘honey sandwich’, which is an English muffin, toasted, spread with butter and honey and slapped back together. Her own invention, I’m very proud.
The four year-old we live with was demanding Fireman Sam, and she means the awful Channel 5 reboot of Fireman Sam that’s nigh-on unwatchable, so I quietly ignored her and put something else, anything else, on the telly. This turned out to be James Martin’s Saturday morning cooking programme. I can’t really bear James Martin, truth be told, but he’s preferable to the awful Channel 5 reboot of Fireman Sam, so on he went.
It turned out to be a great decision. James, a professional Yorkshireman who lives in Hampshire, was cooking langoustines and banging on about how langoustines are the greatest foodstuff the UK produces, and how much he loves langoustines from a particular place in Northern Ireland called Strangford Lough. Then he cut live to a langoustine fisherman on a boat on Strangford Lough, which was one of those unnecessarily complicated live link-ups that TV programmes seem obsessed with doing these days.
He chatted to the langoustine fisherman, a dour Northern Irishman, about why Strangford Lough langoustines are so great, and then it emerged that the langoustine fisherman didn’t actually like langoustines. Not only that, he’d been a langoustine fisherman for more than 30 years and had never even eaten a langoustine. He just didn’t fancy them, apparently. I absolutely loved this, I couldn’t stop thinking about him for the rest of the day. These programmes are usually hell bent on selling us the image of artisan producers who are obsessed with their work, it was so nice to see someone completely uninterested in doing this. Plus a lot of people end up doing jobs they’re not that invested in, it was a rare moment of honesty from ITV1.
After that excitement we played for a bit and then the four year-old we live with announced she wanted to go out on her bike. Going out on her bike usually involves her going on her bike for 30 seconds and then me carrying her bike and helmet around for two hours, so I was pleased when she decided that she wanted to play tennis instead. I got the tennis rackets (she got one for her birthday, she loves tennis), packed a bag and set off, and after 30 seconds she announced that we were going to the butchers to get sausage rolls. Obviously I’m not going to argue with a decision like that, so we went to the butchers and got sausage rolls.
The butchers is really good, they’ve set up a pandemic system where they serve you at the door so you don’t have to go in, it’s one of the few places I’ve felt happy buying stuff from over lockdown. I got sausage rolls and some beef short ribs as they were in the window and looked good. We walked from the butchers to the bench where we eat our sausage rolls (Saturday sausage rolls is verging on becoming a tradition) and on the way we passed a bakery/café that was heaving with people. I’ll confess, I find it baffling how happy people are to go to cafes and restaurants at the moment. Most people were sitting outside, to be fair, but still. We haven’t been out for a meal since February. Wasn’t remotely tempted by Rishi’s August offer. There were a few dozen people sitting outside the café in the October drizzle trying to have a fancy brunch, pancakes and Bloody Marys and North Face jackets all round, it all seemed a bit sad.
We finished our sausage rolls and eventually made it to the park and played tennis, and the person we live with joined us, before heading home for a lazy afternoon not doing very much. Oh, we made a chocolate and courgette cake, that’s what we did. If that doesn’t sound very nice, maybe call it a chocolate zucchini loaf, there, that sounds fancier.
In the evening I made mapo tofu for tea, despite not having the right ingredients really (see Day 2 for details). It was great, despite probably tasting wrong. Though seeing as no one in the house knew what it was meant to taste like, no one cared.
Day 4
A rainy October Sunday. We had vague plans to go to the Sussex Prairie Garden today, but the weather put paid to them, so we just pottered around doing boring things and worrying about our house move. It’s always best to start worrying about such things on a Sunday when you can do literally nothing about them.
The four year-old I live with demanded cheese on toast with ketchup for lunch, which was strange, as she has never wanted ketchup before. Shamefully, there was none in the house, so she had to have it plain. I made minced pork stir fry for the other person I live with and I, I’ve got a lot of Chinese ingredients in the house at the moment, so we’re having a lot of Chinese food. I also stuck the short ribs I bought yesterday in the slow cooker, with a view to having shepherds pie for tea.
After lunch the four year-old I live with decided she wanted to go out on her bike, so we went out and she did her usual thing of getting as far as the synagogue at the end of the street and then making me carry her bike. I had a bag of clothes for recycling, so we went down to the recycling bin in the wind and drizzle. The recycling bin is next to the flower stall, which I became a regular customer of over the summer when we were selling our flat. The four year-old I live with therefore assumes that every time we see the flower stall, we’re going to buy flowers. Plus the woman at the flower stall usually gives her a treat, like a carnation or an apple or something.
I gave into the demands for flowers, mainly because I am weak, but also because I like flowers, and we ended up with a bunch of camomile daisies and a couple of roses, and then the woman at the flower stall gave the four year-old I live with a sunflower as a treat, which she was excited about. As we were walking home, the four year-old I live with started complaining about something, it turned out that she thought that the woman at the flower stall had offered her a cookie and I had turned it down on her behalf. I don’t *think* this happened, but when you’re a bit deaf like I am you can never be quite sure. I’m fairly sure there was no cookie offer though.
Back at home we had some of the cake from yesterday, which is turning out to be a great cake, you literally would never guess there are courgettes in it.
We had a boring afternoon, so boring in fact that the four year-old I live with fell asleep watching the Bake Off at about 6pm. We put her in bed and had an extremely rare evening to ourselves, which we wasted a bit by watching the Ben Affleck vehicle The Sum of All Fears on Netflix. I also made shepherds pie with the short rib, and then we had an early night, in anticipation of a very early start on Monday morning.
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