Quests & Challenges

[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/53785539][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/537856/53785539_350.png[/img][/url] [B][i]Day 4[/i][/b] An all fish round? Now Millie would be in her element! She could hardly wait to hear the ingredients announced. But when they were, well, she was disappointed. [I]Spot-billed pelican. She took a curious peek inside its mouth, and was disappointed to see there was no orange or blue fish in there. Nogglebane leaf beetle. What a mouthful for such a little bug. Fish liked to get a mouthful of them too. Fish oil. More oil than fish, it did make a good condiment or frying material to make anything much more palatable. Watershields, a tough ingredient both literally and metaphorically. Still, it was workable.[/i] More than a little disappointed, Millie decided to take it as a challenge. The supervisors seemed to like her inspiration and creativity last time, so she would try it again. The pelicans were known for eating fish, and the beetles were known for being eaten by fish… yeah she could work with that! She minced the beetles and mixed them with some of the fish oil to make a paste. Then she set about butchering the bird. She went for thick pieces of meat, the breast and the legs especially. Pounding them flat, she then spread out the fishy insect paste and rolled them up, kinda like pinwheels. Next she wrapped them up in the water shields and fastened each piece with a skewer. Onto an open grill they went. She hoped that the meat would cook inside the leaf and that the leaf would break down enough to be edible but hold up against the flames. Nervously she waited for them to be done, occasionally sliding a temperature probe in to check the middle. When it finally read a suitably high amount, she took them off, tossed them on a platter, and brought them over to the judges. “Today I made stuffed pelican BBQ wrap. Hopefully it should taste like a fish, and the idea was that the bugs go in a fish and fish go in the pelican- it's a little abstract,” she cut herself off with a nervous laugh. “I hope you like it.”

[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92834566][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/928346/92834566_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][item=Spot-billed Pelican][item=Nogglebane Leaf Beetle][item=Fish Oil][item=Water Shield][/center] Nesta wanders back into the Mistral Meals challenge, seemingly unaware or unperturbed that she missed a challenge. She reviews the day’s ingredients with interest and almost immediately sets a large pot to heat. She rolls the tough water shields into a roulade as best she can to cut them into strips, then starts them cooking in the pot with some broth. Besides the water shields, which will need time to tenderize, pelican meat can be somewhat stringy, so she wants to get that in next. She pops open the bill, smiles at finding bonus ingredients inside, and reserves the fish for later use. The pelican itself gets plucked and roughly cubed into stew meat. With the poultry and greens simmering away, Nesta decides to add some extra body to the stew with a variety of diced root vegetables, and black pepper for flavor. She waits until everything is tender to add the more delicate fish. Then, to liven up what’s currently a fairly basic stew, she crushes the leaf beetles together with hot pepper flakes and other spices and mixes it with the fish oil. She drizzles some of the flavored oil on top of the stew, and sets more to the side so it can be spooned on as desired. She stares at the bowl for a minute, considering. A stew is always better with fresh bread, but she doesn't think she has the time for a really good loaf. In the end, she leaves it as-is.

[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/46596][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/466/46596_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][b][font="Century Gothic"][size=7][color="#898d8f"]Mistral Meals - Day 4[/color][/size][/font][/b][/center] Felnyr had managed to transport the pretty dish he'd made yesterday with much effort and some creativity, but for some reason, Melarel was nowhere to be found that day. He thought he'd caught sight of her once, but when he'd called out, the figure kind of just bolted off through the planting fields and into the distance! Must've been a stranger. Maybe they'd gotten lost. While Felnyr was considering who else might be able to enjoy his dish before it lost too much of its freshness, he encountered Elmylshal, who immediately grew stern and told him not to waste food. Felnyr had insisted, no, no, he hadn't used food as decorations, he'd really made an edible dish! - to which Elmyshal responded by taking the dish, sampling it, scowling, and then finishing it nevertheless. He had a lot of things to say after that about the preparation methods. Felnyr took notes. Felnyr looked at today's spread and immediately grew excited. [item=Spot-billed Pelican][item=Nogglebane Leaf Beetle][item=Fish Oil][item=Water Shield] A pelican, tough aquatic leaves, and oil?! He knew exactly the thing! Unable to contain his delight, Felnyr snacked on the Nogglebane Leaf Beetle before realizing. Oops. Oh, it was delicious! But also gone. So, this was what he had left. [item=Spot-billed Pelican][item=Fish Oil][item=Water Shield] But a critical thing of utmost importance was missing! Felnyr flew up into the sky and looked around until he spotted a sizeable lake some distance off. Yes! He zoomed off, carrying his ingredients towards the lake, somehow also ending up with a bunch of extra things... [item=Giant Lilypad][item=Pinwheel Paddies][item=Antique Oil Lamp][item=Tracker Engine][item=Electrician's Power Pack] Felnyr plopped the Giant Lilypad onto the calm, clear water, surrounding it with spinning Pinwheel Paddies. He placed the Water Shield leaves on top as padding, then added the whole Spot-billed Pelican and spread its wings out. Last, he attached the Tracker Engine and Electrician's Power Pack, hopped onto the pelican, started the engine, and off he went! Zoom zoom! As day turned to evening and the sky darkened, Felnyr used the Fish Oil to fuel the Antique Oil Lamp that he'd brought along. Nighttime wouldn't stop his Extremely Important Business, nope! Zoom zoom!

[center][b]Day 4 Meat soup medley topped with crispy beetles in a bread bowl with water shield chips on the side[/b] [/center] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/23821299][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/238213/23821299.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/23821300][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/238214/23821300.png[/img][/url][/center] Theia chuckled as she observed Compote lose his mind over Verismo's choice of ingredients. [i]The judges sure are fun to watch[/i]. She mused. Mistral Meals was one of her most anticipated events and she made it a point to spectate it each year. It was interesting seeing the different dishes from people passionate about their food, but... [i]I really want to join...[/i] She supposed she could enter by herself, but where was the fun in that? It always felt better doing activities with someone at her side. But she came here with her twin and he was painfully anxious about participating in public events. [i]Unless...[/i] A devious smile slowly spread across her face as a plan quickly constructed itself in her mind. This year would be the year she joined. "Gods you look creepy, which poor soul are you going to torment this time?" Theia glanced up to see her twin, Equinox, scowling down at her. His travel bag slung over his shoulder and bulging with what she figured was the items for their meal. "I thought you'd never ask! You see, there's this person-" "Wow, fascinating." he drawled, his expression clearly saying [i]for the love of all things electric, stop talking[/i]. "Anyways, we should head back now if we're not planning on staying here." Equinox was one foot out the proverbial door before Theia slapped a hand on his shoulder. He jumped, muttering curses under his breath from the sudden contact. "What?!" "Let's make something before we go." Was all he heard before getting yanked to an empty work station. Theia snagged some ingredients off the display as her twin sputtered in utter confusion. [center][item=spot-billed pelican][item=nogglebane leaf beetle][item=water shield][/center] "Wha-stop pulling me and why're you taking those!?" "Don't worry about it." Theia was pulling open Equinox's bag while simultaneously pushing him towards the semi-secluded work station. She dumped the ingredients onto the table, breaking the neck of the spot-billed pelican in the process. [center][item=horn of plenty][/center] "Gods Theia, slow down. What's gotten into you?" He caught the jar of beetles from rolling off the table. "I'm hungry, Quin." She fished out a brick-like loaf from her bag. "We need to use the bread [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/21795898]mother[/url] and [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/23026578]father[/url] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3322493/6#post_56456266]made[/url], otherwise it'll actually become a rock." Equinox sighed, having given up trying understand what scheme his twin was enacting. "The only thing that softens father's bread is soup." He placed a pot of water on the stove. "Lots of soup." Theia hummed in agreement, fingers quickly plucking the the feathers off the pelican. "Bread bowl?" Equinox sliced some vegetables from the horn of plenty. "Yeah. We can deep fry the beetles as a topping and bake the water shields into chips." He slid the chopped veggies into the pot before pulling out a pan to lay the water shields on. He finally turned to look at his twin before pausing at the sight of her sliding roughly chopped pelican meat into the pot (along with the fish it had in its mouth). "...Why're you using meat?" "Don't worry about it." With no energy left to comprehend his sister's motives, the siblings quickly worked together to cook their dish. Generous amounts of seasoning were tossed with the water shields before letting it bake in the oven. The beetles shriveled and turned a nice dark pink as they cooked in the oil. The twins took turns sawing out a decent sized hole in the bread, grumbling about their father's baking skills. Once the soup was done, Equinox poured out a large portion into the bread bowl and sprinkled the fried beetles on top. Theia set it on cutting board and placed the chips to one side of the bowl. Her brother stepped back to admire their work, finally letting a smile appear on his face. "That took a while, but it's finish-what're you doing." Theia paused mid-step, the cutting board with the meal between her hands. "Presenting it to the judges." She shot him a sly grin. "This is a cooking event after all." He went pale. "Wat." "Heh heh." Quickly turning on her heel, she dashed towards Compote and Verismo and the familiar shout of: "THEIA WHAT THE FU-" mixed in with her (borderline maniacal) giggles.

As boring as Dragonhome's tourist off-season is, Rico is glad to have honed his cooking skills in the meantime. A tried-and-true Earth recipe plus Wind's natural bounty- ah, it's all coming together now! [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/90079921][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/900800/90079921_350.png[/img][/url][/center] First, the meats. Rico takes the two fish out of its bill, filets them, and sets them aside. Then he does the same to the [b]Spot-billed Pelican[/b] meat. After sautéing a few sliced onions, he heats a combination of olive oil & [b]fish oil[/b] in a large tagine. The onions, pelican, and a handful of powdered ginger & ras el hanout simmer in the tagine first. Rico takes the lid off after twenty minutes and adds cinnamon sticks, tomato slices, and more onion slices to the top of the stew. He pours some water and several threads of bloomed saffron over that, heating the tagine to a boil then letting it simmer for another twenty minutes. The fileted fish and a few handfuls of [b]Nogglebane Leaf Beetles[/b] join the rest of the ingredients afterwards, and Rico lets the tagine cook, covered, until all of the meats become tender. Next, the [b]Water Shields[/b]: normally Rico would use plantains for this step, but these would have to do. He boils them to soften the tough fibers, then slices them into small pieces. He oils a skillet- not too hot, now- and carefully drops the pieces into the simmering liquid, turning them over after a few minutes. After they are just cooked through, he dips them into a mixture of water, garlic, salt, and lime juice before smashing them flat and re-frying them in the skillet. They rest on a bed of paper towels while Rico carefully spoons the tagine into several bowls. He arranges them on a large serving tray with the fried Water Shields in their own dish, then brings the whole feast to the judges' table. There's plenty of food for everyone!

Spot-billed Pelican/ Nogglebane Leaf Beetle / Fish Oil / Water Shield

Volare gingerly poked at the bottle of fish oil. "I'm not sure you're supposed to cook with this stuff."

Quartz snapped her beak in annoyance. "'Fish', my left wing feather. What are we supposed to do with this mess?"

Charcuterie deftly removed the fish from the pelican's bill. "Fish!"

Quartz rolled her eyes.

Petra sighed. "I'll start boiling the Shields."

Volare had picked up the bottle and began reading the label. "'Health-conscious dragons are obsessed with this stuff.' Hey, how about we shove it in a smoothie?"

"A fish-flavored smoothie. Sounds delicious," Quartz said sarcastically.

"Sounds delicious," Charcuterie said at the same time in all seriousness.

"Then you're taking the lead on this one." Quartz threw up her hands. She struggled every year with a shrimp dish, but this was just insulting.

*****
Charcuterie presented a blueberry-lemon-fish oil smoothie, ground with cooked Water Shields for extra substance. On the side he offered roasted nogglebane beetles with almonds, spicy pelican jerky, and some blue cheese crumbles.

[center][b]Day 4: Wednesday[/b] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/76645321][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/766454/76645321_350.png[/img][/url][/center] This is an easy one! The pelican and fish are diced, then combined with the beetles and some mixed grains and herbs, before being packed into steamed water shields, wrapped into tight rolls. The whole lot are brushed with oil and then placed on the grill over a low bed of glowing coals. The lid is slammed shut and the Meat Man sits back to let them bake. Just before they finish, he tosses together a zingy citrus sauce to serve with them. Dolmade, cabbage roll, enchilada, whatever. Its the universal wrapped up food!

[center][b]Wednesday[/b] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/25580][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/256/25580_350.png[/img][/url][/center] Quinlan is up for the newest challenge. The water shields are sturdy so he sets out first, seasoning them with smoky flavors and roasting them slowly over a low fire. While those soften, he shakes seasonings into the fish oil, giving it a swish to infuse for a while. Then, he strips the pelican down. After a quick cooking where he bastes it with a marinade of spicy seasonings, he tears the meat apart. "That'll do it." The cayenne burns his nostrils, but he blinks away the tears. The flavors will be worth it! Grabbing a few fresh greens, he rolls the hot water shields out and spreads the pelican meat over them. Once the neat row of food is laid out, he rolls them up into tacos and finally drizzles the fish oil over the top. "Ta-da!" Pelican tacos with an infused spicy oil drizzle. Beautiful.

[b]Wednesday / Day 4[/b] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/7173591][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/71736/7173591_350.png[/img][/url][/center] Chess [b]loved[/b] a seafood challenge. Unfortunately he wasn't quite sure that was what this was, despite the judges' annoucement today. There were at least four types of flying fish he could name offhand. Maybe five, depending what you counted. And none of them made their way to this challenge? [b]Entry: Fried Fish[/b] [i]Required Ingredients:[/i] [item=Nogglebane Leaf Beetle] [item=Fish Oil] [item=Water Shield] [i]Additional Ingredients:[/i] [item=vegetable oil] [item=flying fish] [item=smallhead flying fish] [item=sea sparrow] Chess had made a lot of seafood dishes in past competitions, so it was challenging coming up with a new preparation. He decided to keep it simple this year with a classic fried fish, inspired by the fish oil. Unfortunately fish oil wasn't designed to be a [i]cooking[/i] oil, so he grabbed a bottle of vegetable oil instead. Normally, he'd worry about the star of his dish not being the required ingredients, but since there wasn't official judging this year, Chess decided to let it slide today. He got out three different kinds of flying fish and prepared them for a fish fry, using ground dried Nogglebane Leaf Beetle as part of the batter. The water shield he prepared the traditional way - boiled, baked, and season - and used it as the bottom layer of his meal. The water shield would absorb the oil from the fish for extra flavor. As to the final ingredient, Chess sighed and spread a small amount of fish oil around the edge of the water shield. It would add additional flavor along with the health boost.

[center][b]Day 4 Wednesday[/b] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/78700227][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/787003/78700227.png[/img][/url][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85074958][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/850750/85074958.png[/img][/url][/center] “You want to make flatbread, Mochi?” Potato was very excited that Mochi had asked for him today. Potato and his familiar Anara competed last year, but they only got to present one dish. Their dish also had flatbread, but Potato has hone his skills. [center]This time, it will taste much better![/center] [quote=Day 4] Use at least [b]THREE[/b] of the following ingredients in your entry: [center] [item=Spot-billed Pelican][item=Nogglebane Leaf Beetle][item=Fish Oil][item=Water Shield] [b]Spot-billed Pelican/ Nogglebane Leaf Beetle / Fish Oil / Water Shield[/b] [/center] [/quote] Anara is skilled with the blade. She handled the[b] Pelican[/b] and the fish that was inside it’s mouth, and preparing them. She intends to ‘cook’ them with lots of lemon juice, spices, and nice drizzle of [b]Fish Oil[/b]. “If you slice the pelican meat thinly it’s called carpaccio,” Anara explained to Mochi who was listening intently. “As for the fish, I’ll cut it into cubes instead. Since it’s not in thin slices, it’s not carpaccio. It’s ceviche.” After that lesson, Mochi watched Potato boiled the [b]Water Shield[/b] and helped him pour ingredients into a mixing bowl to make the flatbread. Both the Water Shield and flatbread will be seasoned and baked in the oven. “Great work sifting the flour, Mochi! Now add baking powder and finally some yogurt. Just three ingredients to make this flatbread. Uh, I don’t think that is necessary.” Once again, Mochi had grabbed a [gamedb item=51956] and was about to throw it into the bowl. “But butter?” Mochi pleaded. Ahh, Potato did not want to upset Mochi, but he also wanted this cook to go really well. What should he do? “Okay, we can melt the butter in a skillet and fry the flatbread! How does that sound?” Mochi nodded and Potato breathed a sigh of relief. After putting the Water Shields in the oven, Potato got a skillet and a pot and showed Mochi how to fry the bread in the skillet. They only needed to use three ingredients, but wanting to push it further and teach Mochi more, he fried some [b]Nogglebane Leaf Beetle[/b] with additional butter sticks in the pot. That’ll add some nice texture to the dish. When the flatbreads were cool enough (Mochi gave them a poke every so often), it was time to assemble! First the buttery flatbread, then chopped Water Shields topped with fresh pelican carpaccio and fish ceviche, finally crispy fried Leaf Beetles. Looks pretty fancy! Like something you would serve in a restaurant. Potato, Anara and Mochi gave each other high fives for a job well-done.