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ysabetwordsmithThis poem was written outside the regular prompt calls, based on discussions with dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Feast" square in my 7-1-21 card for the Winterfest in July Bingo fest. It has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. This poem belongs to the Shiv and Broken Angels threads of the Polychrome Heroics series. It comes after "Oak Guilds" and "Caterpillar Park."
Warning: Graphic descriptions of food may cause cravings for things you might or might not be able to procure.
"The Power of Food to Bring People Together"
[Evening of Monday, May 9, 2016]
Shadows were lengthening outside
when a small stampede of people
trooped onto the porch, all of them
laughing and talking at the same time.
Cas grinned at Edie. "Good timing."
The Lasagna Bomb was already
on the table, cooling under a cover.
They had just finished decorating
the Unipalooza cake a few minutes ago.
It looked magnificent, but Cas still felt
very grateful that it would probably be
a few years before Hali wanted one.
"I'll dress the salad," Edie said,
turning toward the refrigerator.
The timer dinged. "Go, go,
I'll get the oven," said Cas.
When he opened the door,
fragrant steam billowed out.
The cheesy garlic bread was
golden-brown and glorious,
its topping bubbly and tempting.
Deftly Cas transferred the bread
onto serving platters and cut
the half-loaves into slices.
The kitchen and dining room
were now crowded with people,
but a sharp whistle from Boss Blaster
made everyone clear out of the way.
Cas put one platter on the dining table
and another on the folding table that
had been added for more space.
As he stepped away, Edie
moved in to put giant bowls of
Italian chopped salad on the tables.
Then she went back to grab
the pitcher of basil lemonade.
"Daddy, Daddy!" Hali said,
hugging Cas around the legs.
He managed to catch himself
on the wall so he didn't trip.
"Hey, sweet thing. What have
you been up to?" Cas said.
"We made a bee tree!"
Hali chirped. "It was fun."
"A bee guild, built around
a linden tree," Shiv clarified.
"Also an oak guild with a pair
of bur oaks and some pawpaws,
a nut guild with a shagbark hickory,
and some wildflower gardens --
thanks for the flowers, Edie."
"Oh, no problem, I always
wind up with more than I know
what to do with," she said.
"This is my new friend Alicia,"
said Hali. "She made the trees
grow taller than us, so fast!"
The girl looked around seven
with brown hair and eyes,
wearing flowered overalls,
bracketed by a tall thin woman
and a muscular black man.
"That's wonderful," said Cas.
"Come wash your hands, girls."
He picked up one under each arm.
"Hali, here's your stepstool. Alicia,
we have a spare one for you too."
He hooked the stools into place with
one foot, then deposited a girl on each.
It only took a couple of minutes to get
their hands washed and dried. Then
Cas pointed them toward the tables.
Alicia's grownups were staring at him
with such vivid approval that Cas said,
"What? Doesn't anyone else ever feed her?"
"It's not that," the woman said. "Most people
don't treat her like a little girl, because they
are afraid of the things that she can do."
"Most people are idiots," Cas said.
"By the way, I'm Nanette and
our teleporter here is Cheval,"
the woman said with a smile.
"I'm Cas, glad to meet you," he said.
"You worked hard; come and eat."
Everyone crowded around the tables,
with Boss Blaster at the head and
Cas presiding over the foot.
"Thank you for inviting us,"
Alicia said, dimpling at him.
"I appreciate the power of food
to bring people together, to evoke
memory, and to transport us all
to other places, so I wanted
everyone to be a part of that,"
Cas said. "Go ahead, dig in."
He lifted the cover away from
the half-sheet pan of Lasagna Bomb,
and Boss Blaster did the same
at the far end of the table.
Cas dished out food for
the girls first, then himself,
then passed the pan.
People were staring
at him all over again.
What, didn't anyone else
help take care of Alicia?
Cas snagged some of
the cheesy garlic bread
as it made the rounds,
followed by the salad.
Boss Blaster was pouring
lemonade and passing
glasses down the table.
The lasagna was still warm,
but it had cooled enough
to hold together when cut.
It had alternating layers of
Italian pork sausage and
beef for the meat sauces.
The vegetable layers were
chopped mushrooms and
sliced tomatoes topped with
whole fresh basil leaves.
Cas kept his serving small,
because it was so rich -- but
by the time he had filled his plate,
Alicia was already going for seconds.
Apparently speeding tree growth
burned up a great deal of energy.
Well, that's why Cas cooked a feast,
and he was grateful that Edie had
invited herself over to help with it.
Everything was delicious.
The lasagna was warm and
savory. The bread had melted
into a luscious, sticky mass.
The salad was crisp with
spicy and tangy notes,
each bite different.
The basil lemonade had
a bright, refreshing note.
People chattered cheerfully
about the new Caterpillar Park
and its assorted features.
Apparently there were
birdfeeders and a stone
that held water for wildlife
and something called
a hibernaculum too.
A kestrel had even
perched on the dead tree
that people had put in
for precisely that purpose.
It sounded like a lovely park.
Cas would have to explore it
some time when he wasn't busy.
Meanwhile, everyone seemed
to be enjoying the supper.
Cas could just about pick out
who had superpowers based on
how much they were eating.
Cheval was applying himself
to a huge plate of lasagna.
Shiv had lasagna, salad, and
several slices of the bread.
Even Hali was eating
more than she usually did.
"Save a little room for
dessert," Cas hinted
under his breath. "It's
going to be really special."
That slowed her down a bit.
Meanwhile, Alicia was still
eating as if the food would
disappear at any moment.
"Are you getting enough?"
Cas asked her. "I can
get more if needed."
Her grownups were
looking at him like they
wanted to sneak him into
a pocket and take him home.
"I'm good," Alicia said with
her mouth full. "You cook
better than most restaurants."
Nanette chuckled. "Take that,
Michelin snobs," she said.
"You don't like fancy food?"
Cas said, tilting his head.
Alicia shrugged. "It tastes
good; there's just never
enough of it," she said.
"Well, that's no use,"
Cas said, handing her
the last slice of bread.
"The rule is, no matter
how coarse the food,
only let there be enough
of it," Cato quoted softly.
Cheval gave him a sharp look,
then nodded. "Plenty here."
People were slowing down,
so Cas figured there would
be at least some leftovers
to send home with guests.
He mopped up the last
of his food, then went
to fetch the cake.
Everyone's eyes
locked onto it, but
the dome was metal,
so they couldn't see
the cake itself yet.
"I'll reveal dessert
after everyone has
finished supper,"
Cas said mildly.
A brisk clatter of
silverware ensued
as people scarfed up
whatever they had
left on their plates.
Edie brought a stack
of dessert plates and
fresh forks for everyone.
With a grand flourish, Cas
lifted the dome and said,
"I give you the Unipalooza!"
Alicia and Hali both squealed.
"Please be patient while I
cut the cake," Cas said.
Both girls wriggled in place,
but stayed in their seats.
Cas rotated the cake on
its pedestal so everyone
could see it from all angles --
and take pictures, because
most had their phones out.
Carefully he cut into the cake,
then lifted out the first big slice
to put on Alicia's dessert plate,
revealing its rainbow layers.
Colorful sprinkles and candies
spilled out of the hollow center,
making the girls cheer loudly.
Cas added a scoop of
the candy filling alongside
each slice of cake he served.
"Is that even edible, with
all that food coloring?"
Nanette murmured.
"You tell me," Cas said,
offering her a modest slice.
"The colors are all natural. I
can't stand the chemical stuff;
it all tastes terribly bitter to me."
Nanette sampled the cake,
then raised her eyebrows
"That really is quite good.
I don't suppose you'd be
willing to share the recipe?"
"Sure, I'll send you a link,"
Cas said. "I found it online."
He dug into his own slice
of cake, then shared
a broad grin with Edie.
It had taken them hours
to make the thing and
decorate it, and he had
been a bit uncertain of
how well it would turn out,
but it was actually quite good.
"Cas, you've really outdone
yourself this time," said the boss.
"Edie helped," Cas said diffidently.
"Oh, don't let him fool you, Cas
did most of the work," Edie replied.
"This is really quite a feast,"
Nanette said. "Thank you."
"It's nice to get rolled in with
the family," Alicia added.
"Plenty of people want
to show off, but they don't
invite me home like this."
"You need better friends,"
Cas said, shaking his head.
"Come back some other time,
and I'll walk you all around
the neighborhood here."
"We might just do that,"
Cheval said. "We can
always use more friends."
Shiv was smirking in a way
that made Cas think he'd
set this up on purpose.
When the cake had been
reduced to colorful rubble,
Cas pushed himself away
from the dining table.
He fetched disposable tubs
from the kitchen and began
packing up the leftovers.
"Who wants something
to take home?" he said.
Everyone who didn't live
in the lair raised their hands.
Well, he had plenty of things
to make for tomorrow here.
Cas did his best to divide
the leftovers fairly, starting
with Alicia and her people.
"Really, if you're in town and
you need food, just drop by,"
he urged them. "I've always
got something in the kitchen
or at least in the pantry."
"We'll do that," Nanette said.
"But we don't want to be
a bother," Alicia added.
"You are not a bother,"
Cas said. "I love cooking.
I'm learning more about it
all the time. I'd make lasagna
more often if I could make
my own pasta, but it's such
a pain in the tail to roll out."
Shiv laughed. "Yeah, I know
what you're getting for a tip now."
"Definitely," Alicia said, flicking
her fingers at Cheval. "Go."
"Yes ma'am," Cheval said,
and disappeared just like that.
Cas handed out the tubs
of leftovers as he waited
patiently for Cheval to return.
The gleaming chrome appliance
was like nothing Cas had ever
seen before, and while he was
greatly impressed and excited,
he was also a bit ... daunted.
"Don't worry," Shiv said cheerfully.
"Tolli and Simon have one, and
we got another for Heron. You
want me to show you how it works?"
"Yes, please," Cas said, waving
a hand at the box. "I hardly
know where to start here."
Shiv showed him how
everything went together,
and what to do with it.
Okay, it wasn't quite as
complicated as it looked.
"Thank you," Cas said
to Alicia. "I'm looking
forward to testing this."
She giggled. "You're
welcome, and thanks
for inviting us here!"
"It was Shiv's idea,"
Cas pointed out.
"But you made
the food," she said.
That was really the root
of the matter: the power of
food to bring people together.
It was what made the kitchen and
dining room into the heart of a home.
Cas surveyed his domain and smiled.
* * *
Notes:
"I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that."
– José Andrés Puerta
Enjoy a recipe for Italian Basil Lemonade.
Lasagna Bomb
This recipe for Lasagne for 25 (originally 816 calories) gives a general idea of the recipe size, prepared in half-sheet baking pans. However, the 3-pound beef sauce is made by itself, and there's a 3-pound Italian pork sausage sauce, which are alternated as the meat layers. There are also 2 layers of vegetables, which can be chopped mushrooms, sliced eggplant, or sliced tomatoes topped with whole fresh basil leaves. To make a cheese lover's version, each layer gets its own flavor of cheese, the middle one of which is typically fresh pearl mozzarella.
Cheesy Garlic Bread (480 calories/slice)
Italian Chopped Salad (673 calories)
Unipalooza Cake (547 calories)
The original uses commercial food coloring, but you can make a rainbow cake with all-natural dyes.
Explore natural food dyes, natural sprinkles, and organic candies. See the cake whole and cut open.
The Michelin Guide is famous for awarding stars to fancy restaurants. While this is great if you like gourmet food, it is much less helpful when you want tasty fuel in mass quantities.
"I have said Master Thomas was a mean man. He was so. Not to give a slave enough to eat, is regarded as the most aggravated development of meanness even among slaveholders. The rule is, no matter how coarse the food, only let there be enough of it."
-- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Alicia gives Cas the same model of pasta maker that Tolli, Simon, and Heron have. The best high-end pasta machine is the Marcato Atlas from Italy. The nice thing about this pasta maker is that it can add all kinds of accessories such as these extra pasta cutters. It comes able to make lasagne, fettuccine, and tagliolini noodles.
dialecticdreamer. It also fills the "Feast" square in my 7-1-21 card for the Winterfest in July Bingo fest. It has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. This poem belongs to the Shiv and Broken Angels threads of the Polychrome Heroics series. It comes after "Oak Guilds" and "Caterpillar Park."Warning: Graphic descriptions of food may cause cravings for things you might or might not be able to procure.
"The Power of Food to Bring People Together"
[Evening of Monday, May 9, 2016]
Shadows were lengthening outside
when a small stampede of people
trooped onto the porch, all of them
laughing and talking at the same time.
Cas grinned at Edie. "Good timing."
The Lasagna Bomb was already
on the table, cooling under a cover.
They had just finished decorating
the Unipalooza cake a few minutes ago.
It looked magnificent, but Cas still felt
very grateful that it would probably be
a few years before Hali wanted one.
"I'll dress the salad," Edie said,
turning toward the refrigerator.
The timer dinged. "Go, go,
I'll get the oven," said Cas.
When he opened the door,
fragrant steam billowed out.
The cheesy garlic bread was
golden-brown and glorious,
its topping bubbly and tempting.
Deftly Cas transferred the bread
onto serving platters and cut
the half-loaves into slices.
The kitchen and dining room
were now crowded with people,
but a sharp whistle from Boss Blaster
made everyone clear out of the way.
Cas put one platter on the dining table
and another on the folding table that
had been added for more space.
As he stepped away, Edie
moved in to put giant bowls of
Italian chopped salad on the tables.
Then she went back to grab
the pitcher of basil lemonade.
"Daddy, Daddy!" Hali said,
hugging Cas around the legs.
He managed to catch himself
on the wall so he didn't trip.
"Hey, sweet thing. What have
you been up to?" Cas said.
"We made a bee tree!"
Hali chirped. "It was fun."
"A bee guild, built around
a linden tree," Shiv clarified.
"Also an oak guild with a pair
of bur oaks and some pawpaws,
a nut guild with a shagbark hickory,
and some wildflower gardens --
thanks for the flowers, Edie."
"Oh, no problem, I always
wind up with more than I know
what to do with," she said.
"This is my new friend Alicia,"
said Hali. "She made the trees
grow taller than us, so fast!"
The girl looked around seven
with brown hair and eyes,
wearing flowered overalls,
bracketed by a tall thin woman
and a muscular black man.
"That's wonderful," said Cas.
"Come wash your hands, girls."
He picked up one under each arm.
"Hali, here's your stepstool. Alicia,
we have a spare one for you too."
He hooked the stools into place with
one foot, then deposited a girl on each.
It only took a couple of minutes to get
their hands washed and dried. Then
Cas pointed them toward the tables.
Alicia's grownups were staring at him
with such vivid approval that Cas said,
"What? Doesn't anyone else ever feed her?"
"It's not that," the woman said. "Most people
don't treat her like a little girl, because they
are afraid of the things that she can do."
"Most people are idiots," Cas said.
"By the way, I'm Nanette and
our teleporter here is Cheval,"
the woman said with a smile.
"I'm Cas, glad to meet you," he said.
"You worked hard; come and eat."
Everyone crowded around the tables,
with Boss Blaster at the head and
Cas presiding over the foot.
"Thank you for inviting us,"
Alicia said, dimpling at him.
"I appreciate the power of food
to bring people together, to evoke
memory, and to transport us all
to other places, so I wanted
everyone to be a part of that,"
Cas said. "Go ahead, dig in."
He lifted the cover away from
the half-sheet pan of Lasagna Bomb,
and Boss Blaster did the same
at the far end of the table.
Cas dished out food for
the girls first, then himself,
then passed the pan.
People were staring
at him all over again.
What, didn't anyone else
help take care of Alicia?
Cas snagged some of
the cheesy garlic bread
as it made the rounds,
followed by the salad.
Boss Blaster was pouring
lemonade and passing
glasses down the table.
The lasagna was still warm,
but it had cooled enough
to hold together when cut.
It had alternating layers of
Italian pork sausage and
beef for the meat sauces.
The vegetable layers were
chopped mushrooms and
sliced tomatoes topped with
whole fresh basil leaves.
Cas kept his serving small,
because it was so rich -- but
by the time he had filled his plate,
Alicia was already going for seconds.
Apparently speeding tree growth
burned up a great deal of energy.
Well, that's why Cas cooked a feast,
and he was grateful that Edie had
invited herself over to help with it.
Everything was delicious.
The lasagna was warm and
savory. The bread had melted
into a luscious, sticky mass.
The salad was crisp with
spicy and tangy notes,
each bite different.
The basil lemonade had
a bright, refreshing note.
People chattered cheerfully
about the new Caterpillar Park
and its assorted features.
Apparently there were
birdfeeders and a stone
that held water for wildlife
and something called
a hibernaculum too.
A kestrel had even
perched on the dead tree
that people had put in
for precisely that purpose.
It sounded like a lovely park.
Cas would have to explore it
some time when he wasn't busy.
Meanwhile, everyone seemed
to be enjoying the supper.
Cas could just about pick out
who had superpowers based on
how much they were eating.
Cheval was applying himself
to a huge plate of lasagna.
Shiv had lasagna, salad, and
several slices of the bread.
Even Hali was eating
more than she usually did.
"Save a little room for
dessert," Cas hinted
under his breath. "It's
going to be really special."
That slowed her down a bit.
Meanwhile, Alicia was still
eating as if the food would
disappear at any moment.
"Are you getting enough?"
Cas asked her. "I can
get more if needed."
Her grownups were
looking at him like they
wanted to sneak him into
a pocket and take him home.
"I'm good," Alicia said with
her mouth full. "You cook
better than most restaurants."
Nanette chuckled. "Take that,
Michelin snobs," she said.
"You don't like fancy food?"
Cas said, tilting his head.
Alicia shrugged. "It tastes
good; there's just never
enough of it," she said.
"Well, that's no use,"
Cas said, handing her
the last slice of bread.
"The rule is, no matter
how coarse the food,
only let there be enough
of it," Cato quoted softly.
Cheval gave him a sharp look,
then nodded. "Plenty here."
People were slowing down,
so Cas figured there would
be at least some leftovers
to send home with guests.
He mopped up the last
of his food, then went
to fetch the cake.
Everyone's eyes
locked onto it, but
the dome was metal,
so they couldn't see
the cake itself yet.
"I'll reveal dessert
after everyone has
finished supper,"
Cas said mildly.
A brisk clatter of
silverware ensued
as people scarfed up
whatever they had
left on their plates.
Edie brought a stack
of dessert plates and
fresh forks for everyone.
With a grand flourish, Cas
lifted the dome and said,
"I give you the Unipalooza!"
Alicia and Hali both squealed.
"Please be patient while I
cut the cake," Cas said.
Both girls wriggled in place,
but stayed in their seats.
Cas rotated the cake on
its pedestal so everyone
could see it from all angles --
and take pictures, because
most had their phones out.
Carefully he cut into the cake,
then lifted out the first big slice
to put on Alicia's dessert plate,
revealing its rainbow layers.
Colorful sprinkles and candies
spilled out of the hollow center,
making the girls cheer loudly.
Cas added a scoop of
the candy filling alongside
each slice of cake he served.
"Is that even edible, with
all that food coloring?"
Nanette murmured.
"You tell me," Cas said,
offering her a modest slice.
"The colors are all natural. I
can't stand the chemical stuff;
it all tastes terribly bitter to me."
Nanette sampled the cake,
then raised her eyebrows
"That really is quite good.
I don't suppose you'd be
willing to share the recipe?"
"Sure, I'll send you a link,"
Cas said. "I found it online."
He dug into his own slice
of cake, then shared
a broad grin with Edie.
It had taken them hours
to make the thing and
decorate it, and he had
been a bit uncertain of
how well it would turn out,
but it was actually quite good.
"Cas, you've really outdone
yourself this time," said the boss.
"Edie helped," Cas said diffidently.
"Oh, don't let him fool you, Cas
did most of the work," Edie replied.
"This is really quite a feast,"
Nanette said. "Thank you."
"It's nice to get rolled in with
the family," Alicia added.
"Plenty of people want
to show off, but they don't
invite me home like this."
"You need better friends,"
Cas said, shaking his head.
"Come back some other time,
and I'll walk you all around
the neighborhood here."
"We might just do that,"
Cheval said. "We can
always use more friends."
Shiv was smirking in a way
that made Cas think he'd
set this up on purpose.
When the cake had been
reduced to colorful rubble,
Cas pushed himself away
from the dining table.
He fetched disposable tubs
from the kitchen and began
packing up the leftovers.
"Who wants something
to take home?" he said.
Everyone who didn't live
in the lair raised their hands.
Well, he had plenty of things
to make for tomorrow here.
Cas did his best to divide
the leftovers fairly, starting
with Alicia and her people.
"Really, if you're in town and
you need food, just drop by,"
he urged them. "I've always
got something in the kitchen
or at least in the pantry."
"We'll do that," Nanette said.
"But we don't want to be
a bother," Alicia added.
"You are not a bother,"
Cas said. "I love cooking.
I'm learning more about it
all the time. I'd make lasagna
more often if I could make
my own pasta, but it's such
a pain in the tail to roll out."
Shiv laughed. "Yeah, I know
what you're getting for a tip now."
"Definitely," Alicia said, flicking
her fingers at Cheval. "Go."
"Yes ma'am," Cheval said,
and disappeared just like that.
Cas handed out the tubs
of leftovers as he waited
patiently for Cheval to return.
The gleaming chrome appliance
was like nothing Cas had ever
seen before, and while he was
greatly impressed and excited,
he was also a bit ... daunted.
"Don't worry," Shiv said cheerfully.
"Tolli and Simon have one, and
we got another for Heron. You
want me to show you how it works?"
"Yes, please," Cas said, waving
a hand at the box. "I hardly
know where to start here."
Shiv showed him how
everything went together,
and what to do with it.
Okay, it wasn't quite as
complicated as it looked.
"Thank you," Cas said
to Alicia. "I'm looking
forward to testing this."
She giggled. "You're
welcome, and thanks
for inviting us here!"
"It was Shiv's idea,"
Cas pointed out.
"But you made
the food," she said.
That was really the root
of the matter: the power of
food to bring people together.
It was what made the kitchen and
dining room into the heart of a home.
Cas surveyed his domain and smiled.
* * *
Notes:
"I realized very early the power of food to evoke memory, to bring people together, to transport you to other places, and I wanted to be a part of that."
– José Andrés Puerta
Enjoy a recipe for Italian Basil Lemonade.
Lasagna Bomb
This recipe for Lasagne for 25 (originally 816 calories) gives a general idea of the recipe size, prepared in half-sheet baking pans. However, the 3-pound beef sauce is made by itself, and there's a 3-pound Italian pork sausage sauce, which are alternated as the meat layers. There are also 2 layers of vegetables, which can be chopped mushrooms, sliced eggplant, or sliced tomatoes topped with whole fresh basil leaves. To make a cheese lover's version, each layer gets its own flavor of cheese, the middle one of which is typically fresh pearl mozzarella.
Cheesy Garlic Bread (480 calories/slice)
Italian Chopped Salad (673 calories)
Unipalooza Cake (547 calories)
The original uses commercial food coloring, but you can make a rainbow cake with all-natural dyes.
Explore natural food dyes, natural sprinkles, and organic candies. See the cake whole and cut open.
The Michelin Guide is famous for awarding stars to fancy restaurants. While this is great if you like gourmet food, it is much less helpful when you want tasty fuel in mass quantities.
"I have said Master Thomas was a mean man. He was so. Not to give a slave enough to eat, is regarded as the most aggravated development of meanness even among slaveholders. The rule is, no matter how coarse the food, only let there be enough of it."
-- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Alicia gives Cas the same model of pasta maker that Tolli, Simon, and Heron have. The best high-end pasta machine is the Marcato Atlas from Italy. The nice thing about this pasta maker is that it can add all kinds of accessories such as these extra pasta cutters. It comes able to make lasagne, fettuccine, and tagliolini noodles.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-25 05:34 am (UTC)Ah, okay, it's just sheet pasta, not the fancy shapes. (Oh, it's also got a ravioli attachment, that helps.) That first link also has a brass-die tube-pasta extruder on it at $150, which is still cheaper than I expected... we-here like all the funny shapes (rotelli, shells, bow ties) that grab onto the sauce and hold it...
Still. Somebody's gonna be making a lot of yummy lasagne. NOM NOM NOM NOM
Safeway hereabouts often carries an Italian loaf with chunks of roasted garlic kneaded in. Goes VERRA nice with pasta. 'course, you could go full-out and make bagña cauda... heads of garlic roasted in olive oil with optional anchovy for salt... slather the stuff onto fresh sourdough... *happysigh*
Michelin star, Michelin schmar... gimme rustic from about any genre, any day of the week. Barbecue, beans an' rice, catfish, ratatouille, boeuf bourguingon, borscht, biscuits and gravy... dammit, now I'm hungry. ;)
I mean, I can *appreciate* most haute cuisine. I just had sushi for dinner. AND I am just as happy if not happier with more down-to-earth fare.
'sfunny how rich folk gentrify that stuff... frankly they feckin' ruin it. Emeril Lagasse could kick up soul food and get it right, and *maybe* Justin Wilson... though both of'em tended to be a bit heavy on the hot peppers...
There's a _reason_ I have KD for a guilty pleasure... :)
Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 06:03 am (UTC)ROFL
Now compare the price of a storebought unicorn cake (this one is more expensive and not even rainbow-layered or candy-filled) and watch Cas lose his mind. "But -- but -- it's easy to make! Why would anyone pay that much for cake?!"
Because they're not you, kid.
>> but sadly we are all but slap out of appliance space... we really need more shelves as it is. I fully expected this masterpiece to be well into three figures, rather like a good electric espresso grinder.<<
Alas! Tight space sucks.
>>Ah, okay, it's just sheet pasta, not the fancy shapes. <<
That's for the motor and I think one cutter. There are about 10 more cutters to make many different types of pasta. Which will doubtless appear as tips and gifts for the next year. :D
Imagine some teleporter showing up with a hopeful look and "I brought a ravioli attachment and 10 pounds of ground bison."
>> Safeway hereabouts often carries an Italian loaf with chunks of roasted garlic kneaded in. Goes VERRA nice with pasta. <<
Cool.
>> 'course, you could go full-out and make bagña cauda... heads of garlic roasted in olive oil with optional anchovy for salt... slather the stuff onto fresh sourdough... *happysigh* <<
I haven't seen Cas roasting garlic yet, but that works very well with elephant garlic.
>> Michelin star, Michelin schmar... gimme rustic from about any genre, any day of the week. <<
Same here. I don't want to pay a ton of money for a tiny amount of food. I don't want 30 layers in one dessert. I don't want to have to chase my food around the plate because someone made art instead of supper. I have nothing against people who enjoy those things, it's just not my idea of a good time.
Also I can blow people's minds just as well with a simple batch of ginger ice cream or hippie banana bread.
>> Barbecue, beans an' rice, catfish, ratatouille, boeuf bourguingon, borscht, biscuits and gravy... dammit, now I'm hungry. ;) <<
Oops. I forgot to put the warning label on this poem. Must go fix that.
>> I mean, I can *appreciate* most haute cuisine. I just had sushi for dinner. <<
I love sushi. I'll have a few pieces, and most of an appetizer plate of dumplings or whatnot. Too much raw food brings up the atavistic urges more than I can really handle.
>> 'sfunny how rich folk gentrify that stuff... frankly they feckin' ruin it. <<
I agree.
I'll just be over here making a 12,000-year-old recipe with bison, mushrooms, and onions in a blue corn tortilla and being very happy that I can cook it in an electric skillet instead of on a rock.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 06:16 am (UTC)Bison, shrooms, onions, and tortillas... recipe? That sounds totally yummy... and I can actually *get* bison here...
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 09:31 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 09:42 am (UTC)https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/12644576.html
You can mix either or both diced onions / mushrooms with ground meat. It goes farther, and the flavor and texture are much better than plain meat.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-25 08:51 am (UTC)Also, Alicia is awesome and I want to bake her cookies.
Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 09:49 am (UTC)Yeah. The good ones are straightforward -- buy Italian, they know what they're doing! -- but the bad ones can get really complicated.
>> Also, Alicia is awesome and I want to bake her cookies. <<
Yay! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-25 09:30 am (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 09:47 am (UTC)That's what I was aiming for. :D
>> But with her level of power, she must be hungry most of the time <<
At least when she's working, yes. She can put away several thousand calories per meal, especially when frontloading or backloading.
>> why don't they just let her eat what she wants? (Although I suspect she knows better than to fill up on rainbow cake instead of eating lasagna and salad as well.) <<
She knows -- but once you've gotten a day's worth of healthy nutrients covered, you need to think about packing extra calories as efficiently as possible. This is why the high-burn soups so often go for things like ice cream and avocados. Alicia can kill an every-flavor sundae by herself, or if she's being generous, share with friends. A lot of people, including random strangers, think they have a right to butt in regarding a small person's food choices. This does not go over well.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 11:30 am (UTC)Something tells me that telling her what she should/shouldn't eat could be considered evolution in action.. insofar as the person is unlikely to make that mistake twice.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 08:40 pm (UTC)If I remember right,
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 10:08 pm (UTC)Oooh, yes! I remember that one! I think Aidan promptly changed his order to a boy's meal and gave her his toy, or something like that.
*goes looking*
Found it! It's in the poem "Childish and Foolish".
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-26 02:04 am (UTC)And those people got off lucky since Aidan was there to resolve the issue.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 12:00 pm (UTC)I could, of course, try to make something exceptionally calorie-dense, good-tasting, and filled with assorted vitamins and minerals, as a super-snack for Soups. But I'd rather bake Alicia a birthday cake - but not a unicorn. A platter of cupcakes, decorated as one whole set piece, with a completely outrageous amount of sprinkles.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-27 09:23 am (UTC)One time after a funeral -- not even someone I knew -- I wasn't feeling well so my mother said I could eat anything from the potluck spread that appealed. I went for the desserts, some of which were fruits, because everything else was heavy casseroles and such. Multiple people complained. My mother said, "Well, we could try it your way, but when she throws up, you're cleaning it up." They shut up.
>> I could, of course, try to make something exceptionally calorie-dense, good-tasting, and filled with assorted vitamins and minerals, as a super-snack for Soups. But I'd rather bake Alicia a birthday cake - but not a unicorn. A platter of cupcakes, decorated as one whole set piece, with a completely outrageous amount of sprinkles. <<
Well, the Lasagna Bomb is calorie-dense, delicious, and nutritious. I'm sure Cas will get around to soup-friendly snacks. Shiv does a lot of snacks because he came at it from a different angle, hence the high-burn fudge recipes and the teleporters following him like cats.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-27 11:05 am (UTC)Cas understands the principles of both cooking and nutrition, and he know who to ask and how to look up any information he doesn't already have. Shiv comes at it from the angle of a neglected child who was never given any treats, and who often didn't get enough "nutritious" food at all. I do remember that using his power for a long time, or on a large object, made Shiv faint with hunger. (And when I've kept a car running by sheer force of will, kept the damaged tire from blowing, kept it from running out of gas before we get home... the first thing I want afterwards is SUGAR.)
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-28 08:44 am (UTC)Her guardians must have done something of the sort, although Alicia probably predates birthday cakes and even most people tracking their exact birth date.
>> Cas understands the principles of both cooking and nutrition, and he know who to ask and how to look up any information he doesn't already have.<<
True.
>> Shiv comes at it from the angle of a neglected child who was never given any treats, and who often didn't get enough "nutritious" food at all.<<
Yeah, hence his other interest in foraging.
>> I do remember that using his power for a long time, or on a large object, made Shiv faint with hunger. <<
It can still happen, but it takes more to flatten him now that he's had more practice.
>> (And when I've kept a car running by sheer force of will, kept the damaged tire from blowing, kept it from running out of gas before we get home... the first thing I want afterwards is SUGAR.) <<
I mostly carried an Aeroflot plane once. Do Not Recommend. >_
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-28 02:26 pm (UTC)I do know the basic principles of how to fly a plane, and how it all works (I mostly hold everything together by visualization), but I think I'd need IV fluids and 36 hours of sleep immediately afterwards, and a huge amount of food when I woke up. (Please put four slices of bacon on that burger, and I'd like fries with that.)
Would soups with wings be more like heavy lifters or sprint runners in their power use? Large amounts of food, or a quick sugar fix? (What does Hali like to snack on?)
I'm remembering one story where Shiv has to put surgically sharp edges on blades made of some material that was nearly impossible to work with tools - he performed this service to discharge a debt of some kind to Kraken. It wore the poor boy out.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-25 02:46 pm (UTC)And the food choices of women, and fat people, and skinny people, and younger people, and dieting people, and religious people, and...
It is rude and annoying. And quite frankly, very few people are actually pleased if they have to deal with the consequences of their rude behavior...
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-07-27 09:04 am (UTC)That's true.
>> It is rude and annoying. And quite frankly, very few people are actually pleased if they have to deal with the consequences of their rude behavior... <<
I don't hesitate to pitch my voice and make sure everyone knows what they're trying to do. Since lots of people have been picked on, that's not exactly something most bullies want broadcast. Especially when I frame with things like, "You are a stranger. You have no right to talk about my body. Go away." Or there's always my favorite rant about how white people ruined Turtle Island's entire foodshed. They don't like that one either.
If someone starts that shit in a restaurant and the staff won't make them quit, I won't go back. Aside from myself, there are too many people in my monkeysphere now with dietary needs. I'm not giving my money to people who make survival harder.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-25 11:33 am (UTC)D'aww.. Alicea deserves cookies and as much sunny-days and kittens/puppies as she can handle. So the Unipalooza cake is perfect for her... as well as Cas being oblivious to her Dr Infanta persona.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-07-25 02:21 pm (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2021-07-25 07:57 pm (UTC)I strongly suspect that the next time Dr. Infanta hits the news in a negative light, Cas will go all Papa Bear and say, "What the fuck were they doing to her?" And then call to ask if she is okay.
I note that the people who treat Alicia as a little girl, and are protective of her, are almost all parents. A few people are capable of realizing that she really is a 7-year-old girl with 700 years of experience, which makes treating her as a little girl the most effective approach.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2021-07-25 10:52 pm (UTC)I wasn't sure if Cas even realized she is Dr. Infanta, since nobody used that name, and Shiv didn't really tell him all that much. If Cas doesn't know much about Dr. Infanta to begin with, he might not have made the connection based on the similarity, especially since "treat her as a seven-year-old girl" doesn't exactly scream "top-tier supervillain", and he might have interpreted "a lot older than seven" in terms of years/decades instead of centuries.
Even if he didn't realize, though, now that he knows Alicia personally, I seriously doubt finding out would change his opinion much (if at all).
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2021-07-26 01:02 am (UTC)He would certainly recognize her if she appeared on television wearing the same -- or even similar -- face.