Quests & Challenges

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=20525486] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/205255/20525486_350.png[/img] [/url] [u][i]First Meal: Breakfast Quiche (and tea)[/i][/u][/center] Ah, it was good to be back in this competition. Hannibal hums, setting his leather satchel off to the side. He rolls up his sleeves and washes his hands, patting them dry as he looks over the mandatory blooms. His nose wrinkles a bit at the orchids, very aware that he will need to tame that rotten perfume if he is to add them into his dish. But first, the [b]violets[/b]. Hannibal divides the flowers into two equal piles, the first being de-stemmed and lightly chopped. They are gently wilted in a pan with olive oil and squeezed before being allowed to cool. In the meantime, Hannibal searches around the kitchen until he can find a mason jar, washing the vessel and soon filling it with the cooling violets and plenty of warm honey. He sets the jar in a sunny spot, and turns back to the remaining violets. These are divided as well, half being chopped and the other half being left intact. Hannibal hunts around until he can find a gallon pitcher, filling it with the violets and cold water. He seals it and sets it in the cold larder, wandering over to his satchel and pulling out a sketchpad and a box of charcoal. It was going to be a while until he could continue. [center]~[emoji=hourglass]~[/center] [i]12 hours later . . .[/i] Hannibal sets his sketchpad off to the side, washing the charcoal from his fingers and checking in on the pitcher of tea. Hmm... The color appears to be right, so he takes it from the larder and adds in a cup of ice. Hannibal moves on to the violet-honey, scooping a bit of it into a spoon and humming at the flavour that coats his tongue. He pulls out a mixer and proceeds to whip four ounces of softened butter, slowly spooning in approximately three tablespoons of the violet-honey and allowing the concoction to thoroughly blend. He scoops the new butter onto a sheet of wax paper, wrapping and twisting it into a small loaf and setting it in the larder to set. And now... The orchids. Hannibal separates out and minces a few cloves of garlic, adding them in to a skillet with around two tablespoons of boar's fat. He cranks up the heat for a bit, sauteing the garlic until it is a golden brown and reducing the heat to a medium-high. A cup of white wine, a sprinkle of salt, and a hearty drizzle of vinegar is added to the pan, along with about 3/4 of a cup of the leaves and petals of the [b]orchids[/b]. He allows the ingredients to cook together for roughly ten minutes, noting how the scent from the orchids is mellowing behind the scent of pork and vinegar. Hannibal takes the skillet off the heat and replaces it with a new one, it being filled with a quickly melting layer of butter, a cup of water, a bit of salt, and a furled [b]greenpod bloom[/b]. This too is braised for a while, until the pod has relaxed open and the petals are tender enough to be easily separated. A new skillet of spinach is given a similar treatment, and it too is removed from the heat. With a food processor, Hannibal pulses together flour, sugar, salt, shortening, and half of the butter loaf, being sure that chunks of it are still intact in the mixture. He scoops it into a bowl and folds in more flour and a few spoonfuls of water until the dough has formed. He lays it on a flour-dusted board and kneads it twice before dividing it into two balls. These are wrapped in plastic and stored away in the larder, and a cut of pancetta is taken out. This pancetta is diced and cooked until almost crisp over a medium-low heat in a pan. The meat is removed, and butter and a cup of grated potato onions is added to the leftover oil. These are lightly cooked until they begin to caramelize, and are set off with the pancetta. Next, olive oil and a half-cup of sliced mushrooms are set in the pan, the latter being cooked until they are tender. This is also placed with the pancetta and potato onions. Hannibal walks back to the larder and grabs the dough, both balls being placed in the center of a piece of parchment paper. Another sheet is added on top, and the dough is rolled out to around 16-in. The interior of a 9-in. spring-form pan is coated in butter, and the dough is carefully draped across it and pressed in with a bit of overhang left along the edges. A sheet of parchment paper and pie weights are set over the crust, which is placed in the preheated oven for around 35 minutes. The paper and weights are removed, and the crust is baked until it takes on a light brown tint. [center]~[emoji=hourglass]~[/center] [i]Some time later . . .[/i] Heavy cream, whole milk, a few eggs, and a tasteful sprinkling of seasoning is whisked together until frothy. The crust, now cooled, is filled with cup or two of strip-cut Taleggio cheese, which is smoothed out across the bottom. Hannibal takes a large bowl and spoons in the various greens, pancetta, mushrooms, and potato onions, along with salt, black pepper, thyme, and paprika. He folds them together and pours the mixture over the cheese, followed by the custard, and a final coating of the cheese. This is set in the oven, and Hannibal cleans up while he waits. [center]~[emoji=hourglass]~[/center] [i]Around an hour later . . .[/i] The quiche is removed from the oven, and is set to the side to cool. Hannibal trims the crust before popping the quiche from its pan, and cuts out three slices from the dish. These are placed on separate plates, and each plate is paired with a tall glass of iced violet tea.

@VelveteenVixen

Reggi's tail was almost wagging in excitement when Spire laid the bowls down in front of them. Roxy looked embarrassed, but didn't say anything this time when his sibling dug into the food.

"Mow, dish ish really good!" Reggi said in between bites. "Ai wofn't haff jessed it wash all plants iff jou hashn't told me!"

Roxy gave his sibling as disapproving look. He took several bites of the gumbo along with a spoonful of quinoa and chewed thoughtfully.

"I think it's really good, ma'am." Roxy made sure he'd swallowed everything before speaking. "The dish is quite savory, and I really liked the firmness of the pods. They're really nice to chew on."

"Yeah." Reggi licked his snout where he had gotten some of the sauce on there. "I almost forgot I was eating veggies for a moment. They taste just like small chunks of well-done meat. I could eat an entire bowl and not mind a bit!"

"Thank you for letting us try some of your dish, ma'am!" Roxy quickly thanked the wildclaw, not wanting to come across as rude.

Almost forgot: please add me to the daily pinglist! [emoji=guardian happy]

Mistral Meals will help you in getting up a bit earlier for work, she said. This will be good for you in the long run, she said! Definitely hasn't kicked in yet...

A couple minor updates of the badges and ingredients in other posts will have to be this evening, but for now Day 2 is up and ready to go!

....Don't drown in the fish.

@jbapple @Sylphiette @VelveteenVixen @Jaspernoir @Sotku @MarinaQuakenbush @Neoncherry64 @tigressRising @Daemonengrau @Infinity14 @HalfPintAsh @Quintillion @sockmonkeygerald @AshuriiAkemi @JinxMoonstone @Saraceaser @Lonefox @Terrone @justChimeric @Sidegrinder

[center][size=4][b]Monday[/b][/size][/center] [columns][color=transparent]..................................................[nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31882937] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/318830/31882937p.png[/img] [/url][nextcol][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31882939] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/318830/31882939p.png[/img] [/url][/columns] Reggi was fascinated by the [b]Incorporeal Dinner[/b] at once. Raising the sadly now-passed turkey by suspending both its wings, Reggi dangled it around, pretending as if the turkey was floating over the table. "WoooOOOOoooh! I am the blue chicken of doom! Fear me!" Roxy slapped his brother at the back of his head. "Stop playing with your food!" Reggi rubbed his head sheepishly, before really taking a moment to look at the ingredients. He stared at the [b]Bountiful Fishnet[/b] and the [b]Acorn[/b] and sighed. "Man, remember when Mom used to make us deep fried fish? Those were the best." Roxy blinked. The Skydancer had an idea. "We could deep fry these fish!" "Yeah!" Reggi agreed. "And then we can shove it up that chicken's bum!" "Wh-what?" That had caught Roxy off guard, but Reggi didn't grace his brother with an explaination. Instead, the Imperial took out a large, circular pot, and started pouring liter after liter of oil into it. Roxy was understandably concerned when his sibling lit the fire and began heating the pot. "Reggi, I don't think-" "And in they go!" "[i]Reggi, no![/i]" Roxy was screaming when his brother had hurled the entirety of the fishes into the now, boiling oil. Golden-brown liquid splashed everywhere, and both dragons ducked for cover to avoid being burned. "Reggi, you idiot!" Roxy hissed at his brother. "How're we supposed to get the fish out without throwing away the entire pot now?!" "...That's a good question." Reggi said, though it was obvious the imperial hadn't thought about that prior to this exact moment. Both dragons looked at the pot of boiling oil, an occasional fish or two breaking the surface before being submerged by the bubbling liquid again. "Relax. We can deal with that later." Reggi reasoned. "They need time to cook, anyways. We can think about what to do with the acorns for the moment." Both dragons looked at the small nut. "...How does one eat acorns, anyways...?" Reggi asked. Roxy shook his head. The Skydancer's meals mostly consisted of insects, while Reggi much preferred a plate of hefty meats. Neither of the two dragons knew what to do with a nut. "M-maybe we can... Squash it?" Roxy suggested. "Yeah. We probably should." Reggi fiddled with the acorn for a while, frowning when he realized he couldn't just crack the shell open like he would a peanut. "Alright, then, [i]acorn[/i], prepare to meet your doom..." "Reggi, what're you-" [i]BANG![/i] Roxy didn't quite manage to suppress a scream when his sibling had lifted the cutting board over his head and slammed it down onto the acorn, the action shaking the entire table. The imperial repeated the action for several more times before the nut was a sad looking pile of broken pieces consisting of the seed and the shell. "And into the chicken it goes!" Without another word, Reggi swept the broken pieces of acorn- shell and all- into the opening of the Incorporeal Dinner. He smiled proudly at his sibling, who just stared back. "...What?" "Reggi." Roxy spoke, softly. "What about the fish?" The imperial turned to the boiling pot. Streams of bubbling oil were trickling down the sides of the container and splashing onto the floor in sizzles. Reggi's face went blank, before panic took over. "Oh, heck! We should- Uh, we should-" Reggi gave a quick glance at the Incorporeal Dinner. "Roxy! Hold that upright for me!" "W-what? L-like this?!" Roxy held both legs of the turkey upright and blanched as he watched Reggi take the dripping pot- Oil, fish and all- and turned towards him. "...Reggi, [i]no.[/i]" "Just hold, very, very still, okay?" Reggi insisted. "I got this!" The imperial tipped the pot, and the moment the first trickle of oil was poured into the cold poultry, steam was sent flying [i]everywhere[/i]. Roxy coughed, his eyes watering from the smoke. "[i]REGGI![/i]" He very well nearly dropped the entire thing, but when Reggi was done pouring the entire pot, the imperial took the turkey from his sibling and set it onto the table. Roxy went to get a wet towel instantly to wipe his face and eyes. "See? We don't even have to cook the chicken anymore, because the oil cooked it for us!" Reggi said, nodding to himself. "We made [b]Incorporeal Dinner stuffed with Fish and Acorn Bits[/b]!" Roxy felt the sudden unexplainable urge to cry.

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=22321846] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/223219/22321846_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] [item=incorporeal dinner][item=bountiful fishnet][item=acorn][item=wild onion][item=hooded hen] ButtsPie was grateful to the experience of Mistral Meals for bringing him out of his comfort zone. He was still a sweets dragon at heart, but at the very least he had the confidence to tackle more substantial savory dishes. That day he decided he was going to attempt a meat and seafood pilaf. First he cut up the ghost meat and let it cook over low heat in a chicken broth. He hoped that would let it absorb some flavor so it could be more than just filler. There was no guarantee it would work, ghost meat probably played by it's own unknowable laws, but it was worth a shot. He cooked up the fish separately. He figured it wasn't a good idea to boil the fish with the rest of his ingredients. When the thought the meat had soaked for long enough he threw it, onion, and broccoli into a large pot to boil. [center]* * * [/center] There was so much fish. So much that he tried to make sure to use less of the meat so the dish would balance out. After all, the fish probably tasted better. ButtsPie checked on his steaming pot. The rice he had added was looking well-cooked. He strained the pot, added the fish and crushed acorns, and mixed the whole thing up. He scooped out a good portion into a bowl for the day's judge, adding a bit of salt to give it more flavor. There would be plenty left over to take back to the clan, or feed to the familiars if it had turned out badly.

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=44582027][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/445821/44582027.png[/img][/url][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=48996522][img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/489966/48996522.png[/img][/url][/center] Now [i]this[/i] was something Spire and Gladys could work with. No weird smells to cover, no contrasting flavors, no trying to rely on "umami" for the novelty of the dish. Just good old fashioned ingredients. "...You thinking what I'm thinking?" "Ghost stock?" Gladys nods excitedly ----- [center][size=5]Phantom Ukha[/size] [item=incorporeal dinner][item=bountiful fishnet][item=acorn] [item=wetland ghost][item=cumulus seal flipper] [item=potato onion][item=siltvine][item=salt][item=turnip][item=green shoots][item=dryad's saddle][/center] Spire and Gladys agree that they don't want the poultry and fish flavors competing. So, to balance the difference between turkey and seafood, they decide that they'll make the broth using turkey, the shells of the shrimps, and a cumulus seal flipper for good measure. Spire, being the stock expert, begins her butchery. Snapping bones, peeling skin, carving meat; everything but the thighs and breasts ends up in the stock pot. The cumulus seal flipper is broken in a few places to let the marrow leak out. She throws in a roughly chopped potato onion for good measure. Then comes the water. Gladys adds one of the fishes, hacked up into pieces, and some acorns to the stock after leaching them in water. Yes, the tanin in the acorns doesn't bother her much (if she's being honest a nice, bitter acorn coffee is the best thing in the morning), but this isn't for her. She's not risking using her tastes as a standard for the judges again. The two will have to let that reduce for a couple hours; there's still a lot to do. Gladys leaches more acorns in water, breaking them from their shells and cutting them into smaller pieces. They're nutty when cooked without the tanin in them, so maybe... "How about mushrooms?" "Sounds good to me!" Something with a nutty flavor, not too musty...dryad's saddle comes to mind. Roughly chopped mushrooms are diced with expertise, and tossed with the acorns. Turnip seems like a good way to brighten the dish; a small one will do. Two medium potato onions as well. “...How familiar are you with Siltvine, Spire?” “I use it in Aswoni Stew, remember?” “Right.” “Treat it like a bay leaf.” The plants are taken care of. Now for seafood. Gladys didn’t become the best poissonnier in the Shengu Valley by fumbling around. Filleting the fish is fast and easy. The shrimp, which Gladys has kept in a cool pot of water to calm them down, are painlessly euthanized with a swift cut to the neck. Their shells are added to the boiling pot of stock, while their meat is kept on ice until needed. Spire seasons the turkey with salt and freshly ground pepper, and gives it a light toss in an oiled skillet. She thinks a rustic presentation would be fitting and easier to chew, so she shreds the meat. In a few hours, the stock has reduced into liquid gold. Spire skims the scum that has floated to the top, and strains out the stock enhancers. Now they have a mouthwatering stock. Gladys has oiled the base of a large soup pot. She adds the veggies first; acorns, mushrooms, potato onions, turnips, all chopped into bite sized pieces. She completes the addition of the plants by throwing in a pair of siltvine leaves. “Does this taste right to you?” Spire holds out a spoonful of stock for Gladys. Gladys licks it up and thinks for a moment “Add some ground pepper; I’m going to salt the veggies but we’ll do a second taste test to make sure the stock is properly seasoned.” “Got it,” Spire gets back to work. Gladys seasons the contents of the pot with salt and pepper, as promised. The vegetables are simmering in their pot. Time to add the meat and fish. Gladys is happy that the turkey is still just slightly little undercooked; Spire planned ahead so that it wouldn’t dry out. It’ll be fully cooked after a bit in the pot. The shrimps turn pink and curl up, and the fish turn a lovely white. The net they were given had a mix of different kinds of fish, and she did her best to pick out the fish that’d go well in soup. As much as she loves a good mackerel, a firm, non-oily whitefish would be best for this. Spire adds the stock. The pot is set to a rolling boil. The two have a moment to breathe, and take to cleaning the kitchen. They entertain the idea of adding noodles. They agree that an egg noodle will hold together in the ukha. Gladys works on the pasta dough, Spire tends to the soup. She adds green shoots before she kills the heat so they’ll still have a bit of crunch. She fishes out the siltvine leaves and tosses them in the trash. She and Gladys give the soup another taste, and decide that it needs just a [i]touch[/i] more salt, but no more pepper. The noodles are soon ready. They prepare a separate pot of stock for the noodles so that they won’t dissolve into a soggy mess in the turbulent boil of the soup. One final taste test. Spire says it tastes like a burrow in the Southern Icefield, cozy and safe. Gladys thinks it tastes like her daughter coming home. Then, they can finally plate up. A nest of noodles in the bowl, and veggies and meat gently tucked into it. Broth poured over top. A sprig of parsley for garnish. Gladys nervously eyes the judge. Spire thinks sharpening her knives is a better way to occupy herself while awaiting the verdict.

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=48279261] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/482793/48279261_350.png[/img] [/url] [item=Incorporeal Dinner][item=Bountiful Fishnet][item=Acorn] Next up from the Foxfire Fortune clan to compete in the competition was a rather sickly looking coatl... his nose was running, his eyes watery but has a sinister gleam to them, looking over everything in front of him with hunger. But hunger for what? He listened patiently, and then when the challenge was set, Grimes got to work. He raided the pantry, filling his little arms with so much granola. So, so much granola, it crumbled under his touch, and left a carpet of ground bits behind him like a snailtrail. He was oblivious as he set about grinding up his meal, adding the acorns to the granola bars. When attention was next on his station, Grimes' was no where to be found; then there was terrible squaking, and he emerged from the aviary nearby with a [i]grandma budge[/i] clutched in his talons. Into a pot it went, as well, a few rogue blue-tinged feathers kissed the air. Lastly, a touch of fire. Grimes' let loose his pestilent breathe, and then gnashed his teeth together to create a spark, igniting the flameweed, and the whole concoction went up in flames. Sparking sickly green and vibrant orange. Did you really want to eat this? His mixture had become a charred sauce, which he spread over the ghastly turkeybreasts, a hundred fishy eyes glazed over and gazing out in some unseemly homunculus form. Was it hissing? [item=blue throated budgie][item=longneck winter rations][item=flameweed] [/center]

(Please add me to the daily pinglist!) --- [center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=2718513] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/27186/2718513_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Today's fall-themed dish may be on the heavy side for dragons with small stomachs, but I suppose that is fine. It's a season frequently celebrated for harvests and sharing, is it not? Weak eaters can just hand over their leftovers. With this mixture of seafood and meat, I will choose one to complement the other, to remove the risk of competition for flavor. Today's stock of seafood is fresh and sweet, making it perfect to complement the poultry as a ceviche. This Wind region offers helpful ingredients to complete the dish. The Sour Green Apple will provide the necessary acidity for the ceviche, while the Seaberry's habitat grants the poultry a subtle, foamy sensation reminiscent of the sea. I will also use the native Wild Onion to add kick to the ceviche. The ingredient split will be as follows. [center] [item=Incorporeal Dinner][item=Acorn][item=Seaberry] [item=Bountiful Fishnet][item=Sour Green Apple][item=Wild Onion][/center] Begin with the ceviche, as it will take time to marinate. Work in a cool environment, preferably with the help of an Ice dragon to keep the fish chilled. A refrigeration device is also acceptable in this case. Dice the onion finely. The pieces should be the same size and small enough to melt on the tongue like snowflakes. Clean the fish and delicately fillet it. The slices should be delightfully bite-sized and thin enough to be translucent without damaging the fine flesh. You must cut quickly and precisely. Clumsy Snappers should give up on this task. Carefully place the fish in a glass bowl. Don't be a fool using a metal one. If you select the wrong type of metal, the reaction with the acid could bleed things you should never eat into your food, and even metal that's resistant to reactions could get too cold and ruin your fish. The idea is to retain a steady temperature without too many extremes, so glass is safer. Sprinkle the onion onto the fish, then crush the Sour Green Apple juice into the mixture. Be careful not to allow any pits or fiber through, or you will ruin the smoothness of the ceviche. Now, keep the mixture steadily chilled while moving onto preparing the poultry. Wash the whole Seaberries, being careful not to damage them. Even a scratch will cause them to lose their juices, and you'll turn the dish into a shameful, apathetic thing that shouldn't be served. Don't do it. Remove the shells and leach the acorns with water to remove the tannins. It's your responsibility as a chef to serve safe and perfectly-prepared food. Failing this step will make dragons sick, so don't fail. It may take several changes and re-heating of water to remove the tannins, but patience is important. When your acorns are safely-processed, grind them roughly into chunks, slightly bigger than grains of sand to leave some texture. Combine them gently with the Seaberries. Your goal is to envelop the berries with the ground acorns. Clean the Incorporeal Dinner and open its neck cavity without damaging the skin. Carefully stuff the bird with the berry-acorn mixture, then pull back the skin to close the gap. Make sure that the ceviche is close to ready. Your timing should match such that the ceviche is ready to plate when the poultry is cooked and deliciously hot but cooled sufficiently. When roasting the poultry, you will need sufficient skill from a Fire dragon to control the heat such that the insides and the meat cook tenderly. As a finishing touch, use a quick but careful application of flame to crisp the skin. Split open the bird's chest with a clean cut to release the steam and reveal the treasures inside. Serve the ceviche on a small, separate [i]glass[/i] platter beside the stuffed Incorporeal Dinner. This allows you to lay the pieces together and arrange them in the shape of the Wind symbol if you wish to be festive, but the most important reason for the separation is to prevent the heat from the poultry from ruining the chilled slices. The delicate seafood sheets with a slight tang should whet a dragon's appetite and lead flawlessly into the poultry, while the memory of the sea from the berry juices marries the flavors together.

[center][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=22764499] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/227645/22764499_350.png[/img] [/url] [item=incorporeal dinner][item=bountiful fishnet][item=acorn][/center] This, truly, was the perfect cooking competition for a dragon such as himself. He had been born to the Nature flight but had always felt more at home in the water, swimming amongst the fish and other sea creatures. He had also developed quite a refined palette for seafood, so the bountiful fishnet made his eyes light up. Oh, yes, he was quite certain he would win a lovely prize here. The incorporeal dinner, well, that was more of a challenge but he was certain he could come up with [i]something[/i] to please the judge. From within the bountiful fishnet, Ananyo selected a few of his favorites to work with: [center][item=pineapple shiners][item=sunfish][item=wood shrimp][/center] His idea was simple: a clean, three-piece presentation of sushi and sashimi, each incorporating the ingredients he had to work with. Starting with the easiest first, he took the sunfish and carefully removed the guts and scales. Sliced into small, thin strips, the sunfish waited for rice to cook. Since he wanted the acorn to be present in each piece, he decided to roast some of them. Mixing together a dressing for his sunfish sashimi, he combined soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil (just a dash!) and some red pepper flakes and minced garlic. He wanted the flavors to mingle together and the sauce to thicken slightly, so he placed it on the heat and tossed in a few shelled and roasted acorns to impart their flavor. [center][item=pineapple shiners][item=acorn][/center] Next came the shiners. These, when cleaned, were cut into small chunks to be sushi filling. Along with the fish went a bite of pineapple and some cucumber. instead of reusing the same rice as he had used for the sunfish sashimi, he instead decided to make acorn [i]grits[/i] to use in place of the rice! With the acorns cleaned and dried, he ground them until he had rice-sized pieces, then set them in a jar of water and lye to remove the bitter tannins. He would have to keep an eye on those, draining and replacing the water until it ran clear. Augmented with water magic, the process only took a few hours, as opposed to days. When the grits were ready, he placed all his ingredients on the seaweed and rolled up the sushi. A hint of ice magic to make it firm and chilly, and he sliced it up, placing several rolls on his plate. The magic would make sure they stayed together until they got to the judge's mouth. [center][item=incorporeal dinner][/center] Now... this was the hardest part. Ananyo cleaned and cut the bird, wondering just what he was going to do with it, until an idea popped into his head - tempura! it would provide a contrast of flavors and textures and round everything out. he whipped together the batter, using part white flour and part acorn flour, and dropped the poultry in the batter, coating all the pieces evenly. Carefully, he placed them into a deep fryer and flash fried them, removing them from the oil swiftly. Light, crispy and crunchy, and not greasy! The tempura was placed on a bed of grated daikon radish. He went back to his dipping sauce and strained it, removing the roasted acorns and any other larger pieces of garlic and red pepper. Poured into a small bowl, it was presented beside the triptych of dishes he had created. Last of all - a fine pair of chopsticks for the judge to use.