Community Center Class: Beyond Cup Noodle; Thursday Evening [09/09].

[chef_chocobro]

Ignis waited at the front of the conveniently kitted classroom for classes like this for, at the very least, the people he'd expected to come in from last time to arrive, checked his watch to give a little extra wiggle room, and then began promptly five minutes after the technical start of class, and met them with a smile...and his hair the proper length again, thank you.

Which meant that, yes, those cockatiel bangs were a choice.

"Welcome back," he said, with a small nod. "I'm happy to say, last week was not a disaster by any definition of the term, which means we're hopefully in good shape for the ensuing lessons in this class. Now, naturally, if there's one thing that goes well with knowing how to prepare noodles, it's knowing how to prepare a simple sauce, which we did touch on briefly, but today, I'd like to go over the basics for creating a sauce, as well as let you devle into making a few simple ones on your own, because sauce making can be a valuable skill in elevating even the most simple of noodles, and making your own can be incredibly easy, while allowing you to avoid all the additives and quite frankly disturbing levels of sodium one might find in ready-to-make sauces packaged with convenience foods.

"There are five basic steps to any sauce creation," Ignis continued, moving to his station so that he could demonstrate as he explained, "and the first is to start with a flavor base. Simply saute an aromatic flavor base, such as shallots, onions, or garlic, in a fat, such as butter or oil. This will allow flavors to infuse into the sauce as it cooks.

"Next, we will add liquids and seasoning and bring the sauce to a simmer. Now, this step will vary greatly on what kind of sauce you're attempting to make, but this is where we will be adding things like stock, wines, roux, or a dairy element to our developing sauce, and we simmer it, which means to cook it just below the point of boiling, to develop its flavor and consistency.

"At some point, depending on the sauce, you may need to skim the sauce, which is a method of keeping it nice and clear, as sometimes, the simmering process will bring impurities up to the surface, and we want to just gently remove those when they appear.

"We may also choose to strain or puree our sauces once we've deloped the flavor enough, which will further remove impurities or simply blend the sauce together into a smoother consistency.

"And, finally, at this stage, it is simply a matter of evauating and adjusting the consistency and taste of your sauce accordingly. Some sauces can be quite forgiving and manage to be fiddled with quite a bit, others may be less so. As I've mentioned throughout, the details of each of these steps will vary based on what type of sauce you're attempting to make, but I have with me recipes for three simple sauces that can be used in a variety of ways that are good to have in your culinary arsenal: a béchamel sauce, a gravy, and a pomodoro sauce.

"Choose one to focus on or try to tackle more than one, if you're feeling ambitious today, and let's get started. I am, of course, here if you have any questions or require assistance, but half the fun in making a sauce is discovering its finer nuances on your own."

Groovy Tunes; Thursday [09/09].

[x_discospider_x]

Troy had really hoped that Tisarwat would have changed her mind about the Christmas decorations this week, but he was dismayed (and mildly terrified) to find that this was not the case.

And he'd take them down himself if it weren't for the fact that....well....being viciously attacked by string lights was not something you wanted to have happen twice in your lifetime. Sure, they seemed harmless enough now but he wasn't taking any chances.

In fact, he was considering the defensive possibilities of wielding a violin bow for protection. At least he was until he remembered about microphone stands.

Groovy Tunes is open!

Fix & Clean-Thursday

[alwaysonguard]

 After his usual morning run, which was happening far too early recently for his liking, Dwight opened up the shop. He fixed up the new sign he had ordered that finally arrived and set it up out front. Eyeing it for a moment he nodded. That should do it!

Fix&Clean
Open For All Your Handyman Needs
Specializing In

*Locks and Keys*
*Plumbing and Electric*
*Appliance Repairs*
*DIY Supplies*
*Woodworking*

 

With the sign in place, Dwight headed back inside to finish organizing the last shipment that had come in.

Luke's, Thursday

[betterthanaplan]

The kitchen staff, apparently dismayed at their lack of claws this week, were dancing back and forth sideways, fencing each other with wooden spoons and clacking their entirely human fingers at each other.

"How the hell do you people still have jobs?" Duke wondered.

"You can't fire us in a way that matters," Ali said. And was clacked over the head with Greg's spoon.

"You know what? I'm just going to leave you to it."

Duke walked totally casually back out of the kitchen, definitely not bracing as he went to get whacked with a spoon.

Today's specials
CATCH OF THE DAY!
Crawfish etouffee

Luke's was open and OCD free.

Devil's Nest, Thursday, September 9, 2021

[texted3times]

Never let it be said that Eric was closed to change! He embraced the new!

Just not whatever the hell Lucifer was doing to his bar.

He'd even agreed to allow Tiny's friend from Brooklyn to do a pop-up dinner...thing...at the bar tonight. Everything was being lovingly cooked over wood fires made from axe-hewned imported topiary wood.

In a complete coincidence all of the shrubs were gone and the axe range was back in prominent display. The piano had been covered with a cloth to better hide it display the menu of the evening:

miniature oyster waffle with pork belly    11
french peach    18
rubbed artichoke, invigorated anchovy puree & artisanal lamb    13
burnt marrow with winter clam frittata & bluefish pancake    17
vinegar with fennel souffle    13
arugula bruschetta with market watermelon    9
monkfish 18
hazelnuts 13
kraut with spicy pepper & homemade rye    17
folk shell bean    8

Eric stared at the food offering. "I know it's been a while since I've eaten, but some of this seems like bullshit."

The Devil's Nest is open! Tiny recommends the invigorated anchovy puree.

The Perk, Thursday afternoon

[existencemisspent]

Eliot was not, as a rule, much of a reader. He preferred his media to come with audio and visuals, thank you. But Margo was doing some sort of . . . retail thing at the town's answer to Lush, and there was little else to do in this place before the bars opened.

And he'd already spent far too much time this week handwavily harassing the portal gnomes. If he did any more, they were bound to portal him to Outer Mongolia in revenge, which would play havoc with his coiffure.

So he was at the coffee shop. With a book. One on plants he'd picked up in an attempt to make sure he and Margo didn't accidentally poison themselves while they looked for more appropriate lodgings and/or a way back to Fillory.

"Khat, huh?" he mused to himself as he read. "Ooo, induces a state of clear-headed euphoria. I'll just . . . bookmark that one. . . ."

[open!]

Pick Your Poison, Thursday

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

Margo thought of herself as a practical girl. She’d been here for a few weeks. She’d tried the causeway, she’d tried calling Portalocity, she’d tried her own portal spells to get back to Brakebills, but no dice. That and what Irene had told her made it crystal clear they were stuck here for a while.

And she wasn’t blind. She could tell Eliot wasn’t that eager to get back to Fillory and all of its many problems.

So she slapped the ‘Open’ sign on Pick Your Poison in the morning, pulled up a chair, and looked up local real estate websites. It wouldn’t take much more than a spell or two to magic a mortgage into being for however long they were going to need it. That wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was finding something that looked acceptable enough to live in.

“Christ, miss me with your Europeanish tiny homes.”

They’d be a lot cuter in actual France.

[ open! ]