Quests & Challenges

[b]Username:[/b] Eialyne [b]Entry Title:[/b] Creamy Citrus Chicken [img]https://i.imgur.com/QqN8JzR.jpg[/img] [b]Category:[/b] Sour Adversity [b]Theme:[/b] In my opinion, there is no better acidic/fatty team-up than lemon butter. Not only is it incredibly delicious, but it's an extremely versatile pairing for just about everything (except maybe desserts and red meat, but I'm sure someone out there has made it work even then)! For this particular dish, the fatty flavors are amped up by the addition of heavy cream, but with lemon being the flavor powerhouse it is, still cuts through for that satisfying tang. [u]Ingredients[/u] [LIST] [*]2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts [*]harissa to taste [*]salt to taste [*]pepper to taste [*]2 tbs butter [*]4 cloves garlic, minced [*]1/2 cup chicken broth [*]1/2 cup heavy cream [*]1/4 cup parmesean cheese [*]2 tbs chopped fresh parsley [*]1/2 cup lemon juice [*]large splash of sake (white wine would probably be a better option here, but I didn't feel like going out and buying a whole new bottle just for this dish) [*]1/4 tsp thyme [*]couple of handfuls of frozen brussel sprouts [/LIST] [u]Steps[/u] [LIST=1] [*]Preheat oven to 400F [*]Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and harissa [*]Melt 1 tbsp of butter in an oven proof dish, such as a dutch oven or cast iron skillet (if you don't have one, you can cook all the stovetop steps in a skillet then transfer the food to a casserole dish or deep baking tray) [*]Sear both sides of the chicken until they are lightly brown and then set aside. Don't worry about cooking them all the way through at this point [*]Add remaining butter and garlic and sautee until the garlic is fragrant [*]Add remaining ingredients except for sprouts and parsley. Mix well and bring to a boil before [*]Add sprouts and parsley and cook for about 10 minutes, allowing both the sprouts to start thawing and for the sauce to start to thicken. You can go longer if it's not thick enough for your liking, but as this is a cream based dish, just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn! [*]Return the chicken to the dish and place in the oven, uncovered. Cook for 30 minutes [/LIST]

Squeaking in an entry last-minute! I had to do some [American] Independence Day traveling today before I even began to cook, but I did it! ----- [b]Username:[/b] Tyta [b]Entry Title:[/b] Pearlcatcher's Pasta Salad [b]Category:[/b] Sour Adversity [b]Theme:[/b] In pasta salads, the balance between [b]acid [/b]and [b]fat [/b]is crucial! This begins with a luxurious vinaigrette of extra-virgin olive oil, potent red wine vinegar, and herbs. Then the pasta itself must be complemented with acidic and fatty "mix-ins" like mozzarella cheese pearls, minced purple onion, and fresh cherry tomatoes. [emoji=pearlcatcher tongue size=1] ... What's that? But- oh, okay. Well, it seems that SOME dragons want MEAT, so we're adding salami to this too. Sorry Pearlcatchers! You can eat around it. ----- [img]https://i.imgur.com/bgebsu0.jpg[/img] ----- [b]Ingredients:[/b] Dressing[indent]1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 purple onion, finely chopped 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper[/indent] Everything else[indent] 12 oz dried pasta - I used little star shapes ("suns") and fancy penne ("scrolls") for Brightshine Jubilee, but you can use anything short! Rotini are good. 8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered 1 small English cucumber (the kind sold wrapped in plastic), quartered lengthwise and sliced thin 8 oz "perline", "perle", or "pearl" mozzarella, depending on local branding 4 oz salami, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips (scissors are best for this) 1/4 chopped fresh parsley[/indent] ----- [b]Procedure:[/b] 1. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and leave it off to the side while you make everything else. 2. Prepare a large pot of salted water and bring it to a boil. While that's happening, chop/halve/slice the tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese pearls, and salami and put them all together in a very large bowl. 3. When the water boils, add your pasta of choice and stir. Boil it gently only until al dente (barely good to eat, a bit toothsome) - it'll get softer in the finished dish! 4. Unlike pasta eaten hot, we need to shock it to stop the cooking. When it's done, take the pasta off the heat right away and dump it into a colander or strainer. Rinse it under cold water until it stops steaming, then let the water drain off. 5. Add the pasta to the big bowl with the mix-ins. 6. Pour the dressing over everything and mix well. 7. Behold your masterpiece! ----- My mother kept eating bits of this salad while I was mixing it, even though she knows it's much better the day afterward! This resting period gives the [b]acid[/b] and [b]fat[/b] time to "bloom" and create beautiful flavors in the finished product as the pasta soaks up the dressing and the vegetables, cheese and meat marinate. [emoji=mirror love size=1][emoji=pearlcatcher deadpan size=1]

@Sylvandyr, May I participate in voting? I love the badges, but I could not find the time to participate in the cooking portion this year... :c

@Eialyne @Tyta Woo, thanks for entering! :) I've linked your entries.

@Katsuji Absolutely! I'll ping you again when it's time to vote.

The 2021 BSJ Cooking Contest is officially closed! Please remember not to edit existing submissions.

We will now enter the judging phase (for contest winners) and the voting phase (for the public favorite). The raffle winners will be announced at the same time as all of the other winners.

---

It's time to vote! Pinging @Katsuji because you signed up to vote. :)

@brit @Darksilverhawk @Eialyne @Forestwolf @MarinaQuakenbush @missaliceblue @MotherOfBeardies @Snek @Tyta @whamm

Hi entrants, thanks for sharing your dishes with us! By submitting an entry, you also have the option to vote for your favorite entry. (Please submit votes either privately to this form with your username, or PM me with your choice. The method of submission is up to your preference.)

You may vote for any single entry, including your own. Don't worry; votes don't influence scores, so just be honest and choose the entry that you personally like best. The most popular dish will be recognized as the public favorite when judging is complete, at the same time that contest winners and raffle winners are announced.

You have at least 4 days (96 hours) from this message to vote. If the judging takes longer than 4 days, voting will remain open until judging is complete, but please assume that you have only 4 days (to be safe).

The entries are also listed and linked in the form, but for convenience, I will list them here as well, ordered by date of submission:

• MotherOfBeardies | Light as a Feather Cereal Treats
• Snek | Easy Brunch Sandwich
• brit | Peach Time Salad
• MarinaQuakenbush | Brightshine Oshinko Maki
• Darksilverhawk | Sunbeam Soy Carrots
• missaliceblue | Lanternlea Port Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream
• MarinaQuakenbush | Sunny Citrus Glazed Salmon
• Forestwolf | Sunbeam Delight
• whamm | Rainbow Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
• whamm | Lemon Baked Catfish
• Eialyne | Revised Rojak
• Eialyne | Creamy Citrus Chicken
• Tyta | Pearlcatcher's Pasta Salad

Thank you, and I hope you all had a wonderful Brightshine Jubilee! Stay tuned for the results. :)

Last day reminder that judging, voting, and raffle results will be posted tomorrow. :) It won't be right after rollover, so there will be some hours of buffer before the voting closes, but if you're still planning to vote, now would be a good day to do it. (It's not required, though, so no pressure.)

Hi everyone, judging and voting are complete! This post will contain results and comments for the entries. Please check the [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3001854/6#post_48291802]next post[/url] for raffle winners. [center][size=7][font="Sylfaen"][color=#d9af18]Contest Entries[/color][/font][/size][/center] Every entry was good, thank you all for your hard work. It was unclear who would win at first glance, but after scoring, a couple entries came out just a nose ahead. [center][size=6][font="Sylfaen"][color=#9e7b29]Sweet Sorrow Winner[/color][/font][/size][/center] It was wonderful seeing the variety of entries presented for the [b]Sweet Sorrow[/b] category. Everyone had a fantastic take on the theme, with many splashes of creativity. In terms of theme, all of the entries received high scores. The entry that distinguished itself slightly above the rest was the [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3001854/4#post_48231224]Lanternlea Port Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream[/url] presented by @missaliceblue. Where this entry shone was its preparation process and its significant attention to detail in ensuring that the ice cream turned out smooth and creamy, with no unwelcome flavor or texture surprises. The pictured entry testifies towards this soundness of preparation, and the resulting flavor seems like a lovely sweet-salty blend perfect for a day of seagazing at the Lanternlea Port. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DbEG49u.png[/img][/center] [center][size=6][font="Sylfaen"][color=#9e7b29]Sour Adversity Winner[/color][/font][/size][/center] There were many tempting entries in the [b]Sour Adversity[/b] category; results were so close that another pass of judging was necessary to make sure that nothing was missed. One entry eked out its place, just by a hair. @brit and her [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3001854/3#post_48161443]Peach Time Salad[/url] managed to fight their way through the greasy battle with a vinaigrette sword. This entry made an appetizing marriage of ingredients that were prepared with care: coating and cooking the fruit in the bacon grease and glaze to incorporate a complex, balanced flavor; cooling the ingredients before adding them to the salad to create a pleasant temperature for the tongue and ensure that the heat wouldn't wilt the fresh greens; and adding the crunch for texture as a finishing touch. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XP88meB.png[/img][/center] [center][size=6][font="Sylfaen"][color=#9e7b29]Personal Comments[/color][/font][/size][/center] I wanted to recognize everyone's entry with a few comments, because I felt that each entry deserved praise. For ease of navigation, I have arranged the comments alphabetically by username. [b]brit[/b] - Congratulations on winning the Sour Adversity category with your Peach Time Salad! For "just making it up", it was a really good salad. P.S. The humor had no impact on your score, but I laughed and cried at the same time when I read your entry's description. Just like in Shakespeare? @Darksilverhawk - Your little couscous star and the Light emblem that you made with your Sunbeam Soy Carrots were adorable! Using carrots as the sweet base was clever. @Eialyne - Your Creamy Citrus Chicken sounds like heaven with the lemon garlic butter and touch of spice. It also looks beautifully done! Your Revised Rojak was my personal favorite theme-wise for the Sweet Sorrow category. Rojak has a satisfying way of combining natural sweetness with the savory sauce while whetting the appetite and giving your stomach a nice, "clean" feeling at the same time. Great choice. The authenticity of the ingredients had absolutely no impact on your score, but in case you're curious, I can try to help describe the traditional taste. The sauce will have less added sweetness than hoisin, and it's also a much heavier umami bomb due to the shrimp paste; because of its aged flavor, it has a lot of depth. Visually / texturally, it's dark, thick, viscous, and not-at-all-watery-yet-completely-smooth. It's rich but not consciously fishy when you eat it with the fresh jicama, cucumber, and other things. Maybe one day you can get your hands on the original stuff and compare which version you like better - ingredient availability aside, I think a hoisin sauce base has its merits too since the vegetarian base offers a lot of synergy with fresh fruits and veggies. @Forestwolf - Your lemony Sunbeam Delight certainly seems fitting for the Sunbeam Ruins, a nice summery treat. :) @MarinaQuakenbush - I liked how your Brightshine Oshinko Maki packed in a little sunshine in every bite. The pickled daikon was a good choice for the theme, and the turmeric added a healthy splash of yellow to celebrate the Light flight. Your Sunny Citrus Glazed Salmon's honey citrus glaze sounded lovely. I think the veggies and beets were a good addition for balance. [b]missaliceblue[/b] - Congratulations on winning the Sweet Sorrow category with your Lanternlea Port Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream, it looks really smooth. I found myself chuckling at your scrambled egg comment; getting scrambled eggs due to mishandling would be tragically comical but also true. @MotherOfBeardies - Your Light as a Feather Cereal Treats were so appropriately light, I can just imagine the nice crisp puffs. I think it was a good call to go with the marshmallows for the sweetness; they've got enough sugar as-is. @Snek - Your Easy Brunch Sandwich had such an appealing combination of flavors! I like how you mixed the cranberry sauce with the mandarin oranges to pair with the cream cheese. @Tyta - Your Pearlcatcher's Pasta Salad sounds very tasty, and I loved how you chose "suns" and "scrolls" for your pasta. If your mom had trouble not eating the salad while you were making it, I suspect that it disappeared really quickly after the resting period made it more delicious. :) @whamm - I loved how you used your pretzels to add salt and texture and also form the Light emblem with your Rainbow Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies. Using the M&Ms for the rainbow to represent the spectrum of light was such a cool concept. The garnish on your Lemon Baked Catfish was so neat and pretty! [center][size=7][font="Sylfaen"][color=#d9af18]Popular Vote[/color][/font][/size][/center] This year, we've invited your peers and the public to vote on entries. We wanted to be inclusive of those who couldn't submit their own entries, and also to give a voice to those who entered the contest. The turnout was good; we got quite a few votes and some nice comments to share. Votes were spread out across different entries, and multiple entries received a number of votes. This time, the most votes went to the [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3001854/4#post_48231224]Lanternlea Port Sea Salt Caramel Ice Cream[/url] entry by [b]missaliceblue[/b]. Since it also happened to win in its judged category, its image will not be repeated in this section. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7MrV96B.png[/img][/center] [center][size=6][font="Sylfaen"][color=#9e7b29]Voters' Comments[/color][/font][/size][/center] Here are some things that voters had to say about the entries: "They all look delicious!" "I love the use of the Light Flight emblem in a few of the dishes, it's clever and well-executed!" "I’m a simp for ice cream, but that Lemon Baked Catfish came in a close second for me." "Besides the brightshine oshinko maki, which is very sunny with the tumeric and perfectly embodies that junction of sweet and salty, I thought the peach time salad was very beautiful and the ice cream looks so tasty! It was fun looking at everyone's recipes :)" "I'm not generally a fan of carrots, but the Sunbeam Soy Carrots recipe made me want to try them! I love how the carrots were cut into the light icon, that was a nice touch. The Sunny Citrus Glazed Salmon looks delicious, and I appreciate that it looks like an easy recipe I could actually make." Thank you, voters, for taking the time to make the difficult choice between entries and share some of your thoughts. [center]---[/center] That's all on the entry results. Thanks everyone, and please check the [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3001854/6#post_48291802]next post[/url] for raffle winners!

Hi all, everyone who entered the contest got 1 ticket per person for the mini raffle, and winners were drawn via random.org. Here are our winners!

Mini raffle winners, please check this post for your choices. Please list a number of choices equal to the number that you were pulled with, ranked with your top choice listed first. For example, if you were pulled as #5, you would list 5 choices, with your first choice listed first, and your 5th choice listed last. (I realize that there aren't 5 prizes in this mini raffle, but I didn't want someone to feel called out if I picked their number as an example.)

Since this is not a big raffle, I'm not going to be that strict with the time limit, but please try your best to respond within 48 hours if possible.

1. @MotherOfBeardies
2. @Snek
3. @MarinaQuakenbush
4. @Eialyne

Thanks so much, everyone!

Oh sweet, thanks for running this, it was really fun!

1. Gilded

Ooh! Thank you. Had a great time!

1. Celestial
2. Gilded