[b]Mistral Meals - Day 2[/b]
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Paprikath had been thrilled to be [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/raf/3319506/3#post_56452558]selected[/url] for today’s cooking challenge earlier that morning, but on arriving to find that they seemed to be angling for some kind of dessert her enthusiasm was dampened just a bit. She really preferred creating hot and spicy dishes, as a rule… She [i]could[/i] just toss those [b]Longneck Winter Rations[/b] aside and use the remaining three required ingredients in something savory, but she felt she should go with the flow. So, hoping it wouldn’t be considered too derivative, she decided to make Loaded Crispy Treats.
She knocked out a couple of the [b]Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds[/b], and stripped the meat from the bones and feathers. She was glad they were little birds, so she didn’t have to spend much time making the pieces smaller. She tossed them into a skillet of melted Butter (without wings) and sauteed them lightly, until they were no longer raw, then coated the morsels in a marinade generously enhanced with Cinnamon, and slipped them into a dehydrator. She neutralized the stingers on the [b]Honeybees[/b] and then simmered them in a bit of spiced rum until they were plump. Then she added them to the dehydrator to dry them back down, but infused with that extra little kick. The base of her creation was to be the Winter Rations, but lightened up. She crumbled them up and, you guessed it, put them into the dehydrator, since they contained too much sugar not to scorch under the direct heat of a stovetop toasting. She needed more butter, and grabbed a few sticks that had been flying by. These went into a larger pot. While it slowly liquified, she pulled her add-ins from the dehydrator: jerky and raisins and the crispiest bits, not at all singed! She combined them all into a large bowl, stirring to distribute the chewy pieces evenly.
Now Paprikath was ready to start dropping blobs of [b]Fishy Cotton Candy[/b] into the pot to partially melt in the butter, whipping it furiously to maintain a well aerated texture before folding in her dried ingredients. Then the whole sticky mess was scraped out into a large sheet pan, and pressed flat. As it cooled fully, it set up firmly, as she had [s]hoped[/s] intended. She decided to cut them into triangles, instead of a more traditional bar shape, to hint at the shape of a wing and garnished her platter with hummingbird feathers for a bit of extra color, before presenting it to the “judges”.
Paprikath had been thrilled to be selected for today’s cooking challenge earlier that morning, but on arriving to find that they seemed to be angling for some kind of dessert her enthusiasm was dampened just a bit. She really preferred creating hot and spicy dishes, as a rule… She could just toss those Longneck Winter Rations aside and use the remaining three required ingredients in something savory, but she felt she should go with the flow. So, hoping it wouldn’t be considered too derivative, she decided to make Loaded Crispy Treats.
She knocked out a couple of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, and stripped the meat from the bones and feathers. She was glad they were little birds, so she didn’t have to spend much time making the pieces smaller. She tossed them into a skillet of melted Butter (without wings) and sauteed them lightly, until they were no longer raw, then coated the morsels in a marinade generously enhanced with Cinnamon, and slipped them into a dehydrator. She neutralized the stingers on the Honeybees and then simmered them in a bit of spiced rum until they were plump. Then she added them to the dehydrator to dry them back down, but infused with that extra little kick. The base of her creation was to be the Winter Rations, but lightened up. She crumbled them up and, you guessed it, put them into the dehydrator, since they contained too much sugar not to scorch under the direct heat of a stovetop toasting. She needed more butter, and grabbed a few sticks that had been flying by. These went into a larger pot. While it slowly liquified, she pulled her add-ins from the dehydrator: jerky and raisins and the crispiest bits, not at all singed! She combined them all into a large bowl, stirring to distribute the chewy pieces evenly.
Now Paprikath was ready to start dropping blobs of Fishy Cotton Candy into the pot to partially melt in the butter, whipping it furiously to maintain a well aerated texture before folding in her dried ingredients. Then the whole sticky mess was scraped out into a large sheet pan, and pressed flat. As it cooled fully, it set up firmly, as she had hoped intended. She decided to cut them into triangles, instead of a more traditional bar shape, to hint at the shape of a wing and garnished her platter with hummingbird feathers for a bit of extra color, before presenting it to the “judges”.
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[url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92979537][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/929796/92979537_350.png[/img][/url]
Ceylon had been reluctant to enter this year's Mistral Jamboree cooking contest, he felt that his skills could be more useful helping his master out back at the tea shop. He knew how to brew a decadent cup of handmade tea, sure, but whether or not that translates into cooking know-how was something Ceylon was yet to find out. He had arrived at 6am to start his usual shift but was met with a stern look from his boss. "Go! It's always a good idea to expand your skill base!" he said, Ceylon thought that his master must have an ulterior motive but couldn't exactly say no.
He was late to the running which didn't help the butterflies dancing in his belly, everyone else seemed so much more prepared than him. The list of ingredients was certainly perplexing, Ceylon was on a strictly vegetarian diet so options are very limited. He settled on collecting honey from the bees, crushing the rations and combining them with butter, sugar and eggs to make a batter, he wasn't sure what to do with the fishy cotton candy. [i]"Did other dragons actually like this stuff?"[/i] he thought giving it a reluctant but curious sniff - yep fishy. He added the peculiar ingredient and popped the dish into the oven. Once the traybake was cooked and golden brown, he drizzled some of the collected honey on top giving it a nice sweet glaze. The result was rather ugly but he hoped that it would at least taste good.
Ceylon had been reluctant to enter this year's Mistral Jamboree cooking contest, he felt that his skills could be more useful helping his master out back at the tea shop. He knew how to brew a decadent cup of handmade tea, sure, but whether or not that translates into cooking know-how was something Ceylon was yet to find out. He had arrived at 6am to start his usual shift but was met with a stern look from his boss. "Go! It's always a good idea to expand your skill base!" he said, Ceylon thought that his master must have an ulterior motive but couldn't exactly say no.
He was late to the running which didn't help the butterflies dancing in his belly, everyone else seemed so much more prepared than him. The list of ingredients was certainly perplexing, Ceylon was on a strictly vegetarian diet so options are very limited. He settled on collecting honey from the bees, crushing the rations and combining them with butter, sugar and eggs to make a batter, he wasn't sure what to do with the fishy cotton candy. "Did other dragons actually like this stuff?" he thought giving it a reluctant but curious sniff - yep fishy. He added the peculiar ingredient and popped the dish into the oven. Once the traybake was cooked and golden brown, he drizzled some of the collected honey on top giving it a nice sweet glaze. The result was rather ugly but he hoped that it would at least taste good.
[center][size=5]Round 2[/size]
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[color=magenta]"Hmm, I'm not feeling these,"[/color] Gateau, looks at the ingredients. [color=magenta]"We just did some baking; you guys should have a turn."[/color]
[color=green]"I can't say I'm having lots of ideas."[/color]
[color=maroon]"Could I try?"[/color]
[color=magenta]"You? Making sweets?"[/color]
[color=maroon]"I know, but if I know one thing, it's how to make a good lassi."[/color]
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[quote name="Sunbow Parfait"]
[center][b]Round Captain:[/b] [url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=48996522][img]http://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/portraits/489966/48996522p.png[/img][/url]
[b]Dish type:[/b]
Breakfast, Desserts
[b]Subregion: [/b]
Aswon Wilds
[b]Diet: [emoji=plant size=1] [emoji=insect size=1][emoji=meat size=1][/b]
[b]Required Ingredients:[/b]
[item=ruby-throated hummingbird]
[item=honeybee]
[item=longneck winter rations]
[/center]
[left][b]Additional ingredients:[/b]
Bee Parfait: [item= honeycomb fragment][item=light's breath] [item=blueberries]
Hummingbird Parfait: [item=strawberry] [item=winterbelle] [item=puckerberries]
[item=bell goat] yogurt from a milk-bearing familiar (we used Bell Goat milk)
[/left]
[/quote]
Gateau chirps happily as she churns strawberries into the fresh yogurt.
[color=green]"Phew! This is quite the workout!"[/color] Gladys laughs, working on a honey yogurt.
[color=magenta]"It is; I don't usually make parfaits, but it's a lot of fun."[/color]
The longneck winter rations are a staple at these events, and Spire is treating them as she always does.
By whacking them with a pan until they form lovely granola clusters.
[color=maroon]"We'll make two variations; one for the birds, and one for the bees!"[/color] she calls out.
When Gladys finishes up with her yogurt, she begins to clean up some Light's Breath.
Naturally, the plant is...well.
Most would describe it as unpleasant.
It's bitter, but Team Cirocco is hoping that the bitter taste will be a nice counterbalance to all the sweetness.
The Honey Yogurt is laid in the cup, and a layer of blueberries, light's breath, and the granola Spire's prepared gets put on top. Then more yogurt
Gateau does the same with her strawberry yogurt, layering winterbelle, candied hummingbirds, and puckerberries (which will serve as the palette balancer like the light's breath)
Some chunks of honey comb and butterfly wings for a garnish make a beautiful treat.
"Hmm, I'm not feeling these," Gateau, looks at the ingredients. "We just did some baking; you guys should have a turn." "I can't say I'm having lots of ideas." "Could I try?"
"You? Making sweets?" "I know, but if I know one thing, it's how to make a good lassi."
Sunbow Parfait wrote:
Round Captain:
Dish type:
Breakfast, Desserts
Subregion:
Aswon Wilds
Diet:
Required Ingredients:
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Meat
Given the high sugar content of its diet, eating too many of this hummingbird can make small dragons hyper.
25
3
Honeybee
Insect
The only insect that comes presweetened.
15
2
Longneck Winter Rations
Plant
These dried oats have been saturated with so much corn syrup that the bar is no longer particularly healthy...
39
4
Additional ingredients:
Bee Parfait:
Honeycomb Fragment
Plant
A delicious treat.
18
2
Light's Breath
Plant
While neither tasty nor filling, this plant is said to improve one's mood. That's sadly not true.
20
2
Blueberries
Plant
A treat for hatchlings (and dragons) who have been very good today.
41
5
Hummingbird Parfait:
Strawberry
Plant
Fresh cream transforms this treat into an indulgence.
70
8
Winterbelle
Plant
The Winterbelle produces a hardy flower that can withstand being completely frozen. When it is thawed it produces a pleasant scent that attracts drowsy insects and dragons with a sweet tooth.
38
4
Puckerberries
Plant
A bitter berry that turns tart as it ripens. New and ripened berries are both used in recipes, with very different outcomes in mind.
41
5
Bell Goat
Familiar
While the little poofs that dangle from its ears are notable, it's the chiming sound hooves on stone make that give this creature its name.
2100
yogurt from a milk-bearing familiar (we used Bell Goat milk)
Gateau chirps happily as she churns strawberries into the fresh yogurt. "Phew! This is quite the workout!" Gladys laughs, working on a honey yogurt. "It is; I don't usually make parfaits, but it's a lot of fun."
The longneck winter rations are a staple at these events, and Spire is treating them as she always does.
By whacking them with a pan until they form lovely granola clusters.
"We'll make two variations; one for the birds, and one for the bees!" she calls out.
When Gladys finishes up with her yogurt, she begins to clean up some Light's Breath.
Naturally, the plant is...well.
Most would describe it as unpleasant.
It's bitter, but Team Cirocco is hoping that the bitter taste will be a nice counterbalance to all the sweetness.
The Honey Yogurt is laid in the cup, and a layer of blueberries, light's breath, and the granola Spire's prepared gets put on top. Then more yogurt
Gateau does the same with her strawberry yogurt, layering winterbelle, candied hummingbirds, and puckerberries (which will serve as the palette balancer like the light's breath)
Some chunks of honey comb and butterfly wings for a garnish make a beautiful treat.
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"Mother said I should try this cooking contest... the ladies like a man who can cook, and I, of course, learned from the best!" Hermod thought to himself as he sauntered over to the table where ingredients were laid out.
Hummingbirds, a jar of bees, tasty tasty granola bars, and ugh, what is that pungent stench?! It's pink and sticky, and there's a rotting fish jammed through it?
"This sure is an interesting selection, but at least one of these ingredients came already prepared." he commented with a forced smile to try and mask his discomfort of the fishy odor.
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Hermod took a jar of bees, a bundle of granola bars and a dozen cotton candies. The smell is not to his liking at all, but every dragon has different tastes he supposes, and he knows just what to make with these three ingredients. First, he chopped up the granola bars to create a fine, sprinkle topping. He sampled some of it alongside a few honeybees, whose wings he plucked with his fingers so they wouldn't be able to fly away. Some of them stung, and it hurt a little bit but he said nothing and kept a brave face on.
The romantic Skydancer tenderly aligned the rancid smelling fish cotton candy into a bouquet. He pulled pieces of pink cotton candy to create petals, and topped the arrangement with honeybees and crushed granola bars in a way that resembled roses with their leaves and thorns. Fingers swollen from several bee stings did not help his precision, but he did his best anyway. What kept him going was the thought of wooing a lucky lady with his impressive arrangement. He would flick his sleek blonde mane to the side, gaze into that hypothetical lady dragon's eyes with a charming smile and a wink and break the ice.
"Well, hello beautiful! It's your lucky day. I arranged this bouquet of delicious treats just for you..."
There was one little problem, however. He also physically acted out the scenario in his head, presenting the arrangement of fish, bees and granola to the massive Imperial Syrah. ...Oops.
"Mother said I should try this cooking contest... the ladies like a man who can cook, and I, of course, learned from the best!" Hermod thought to himself as he sauntered over to the table where ingredients were laid out.
Hummingbirds, a jar of bees, tasty tasty granola bars, and ugh, what is that pungent stench?! It's pink and sticky, and there's a rotting fish jammed through it?
"This sure is an interesting selection, but at least one of these ingredients came already prepared." he commented with a forced smile to try and mask his discomfort of the fishy odor.
Hermod took a jar of bees, a bundle of granola bars and a dozen cotton candies. The smell is not to his liking at all, but every dragon has different tastes he supposes, and he knows just what to make with these three ingredients. First, he chopped up the granola bars to create a fine, sprinkle topping. He sampled some of it alongside a few honeybees, whose wings he plucked with his fingers so they wouldn't be able to fly away. Some of them stung, and it hurt a little bit but he said nothing and kept a brave face on.
The romantic Skydancer tenderly aligned the rancid smelling fish cotton candy into a bouquet. He pulled pieces of pink cotton candy to create petals, and topped the arrangement with honeybees and crushed granola bars in a way that resembled roses with their leaves and thorns. Fingers swollen from several bee stings did not help his precision, but he did his best anyway. What kept him going was the thought of wooing a lucky lady with his impressive arrangement. He would flick his sleek blonde mane to the side, gaze into that hypothetical lady dragon's eyes with a charming smile and a wink and break the ice.
"Well, hello beautiful! It's your lucky day. I arranged this bouquet of delicious treats just for you..."
There was one little problem, however. He also physically acted out the scenario in his head, presenting the arrangement of fish, bees and granola to the massive Imperial Syrah. ...Oops.
[center][b]Day 2[/b]
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Charantais stumbled into the clearing, half-gliding and half-hiding behind her too-large wings. After watching from afar for the first day, the Imperial had finally mustered up the courage to participate. The event was so much more overwhelming up close. Scents and sounds filled her senses, a whirlwind of aromas encircling her on all sides. Sizzling snacks over here, sweet treats over there, even winged ingredients flitting through the air!
Charantais wandered through the maze of tents and cooking equipment. She managed to snatch a basket of ingredients, finally settling down in an open patch near the clearing's edge. She felt a lot calmer away from the hustle and bustle. Lifting the lid with her claw, the young dragon lowered her head to peer into its contents.
[center][item=ruby-throated hummingbird][/center]
A hummingbird whizzed out, zooming skyward in a flash of feathers. It barely made it above her shoulder before slowing to a stop. "Oh, you poor thing... you must have been exhausted trapped there in the dark," Charentais murmured, scooping up the bird before it could fall. As the representative from Clan Hummingbird, she could hardly imagine [i]eating[/i] this little friend. Instead, she mixed a bit of cotton candy with fresh water and let the hummingbird lap up the syrup. Her new companion hovered behind her ear, safe from the jaws of her fellow competitors.
[center][item=fishy cotton candy][item=honeybee][item=longneck winter rations][/center]
"Now, let's see what we have to work with," Charentais chirped, laying out the rest of the ingredients. Though the selection was odd at best, she could find a way to make this work! She hoped. After all, one of the perks of being an Imperial was that you could eat just about anything.
The [b]fishy cotton candy[/b] would be the main course. Charantais picked out the sugar-coated sardines from the cotton candy, cleaning off the scales and setting them on foil. The sweetness from the candy would add good flavor, but could burn if baked, so she would grill them instead. She tossed them in oil and pepper, then put them on the grill. As for the cotton candy, she dissolved the rest into water and began simmering the mixture over a burner. Of course, she saved a little dish of the sugar water for her hummingbird friend.
As the candy mixture reduced to a fishy syrup, she crumbled up [b]longneck winter rations[/b] and toasted the oats in another pan. She removed the stingers from the sweet [b]honeybees[/b] and threw them into the pan as well. She tossed them over a fire until crisp. The nice-and-toasty oats and bees went into the syrup to be coated by the candy glaze. After flipping the fish and removing them from the grill, she poured the syrup over the grilled fish. The candy-coated oats and bees went on top for garnish, with a few uncoated crumbles added for extra crunch.
Charantais looked her plate up and down, belly buzzing with nervousness and excitement. Or perhaps buzzing with bees? The plate wasn't exactly the prettiest. Everything had turned a shade of more-or-less caramel. But the hum of the hummingbird wings by her ears droned out the worries in her head. This was it. Her first competition entry.
Charantais stumbled into the clearing, half-gliding and half-hiding behind her too-large wings. After watching from afar for the first day, the Imperial had finally mustered up the courage to participate. The event was so much more overwhelming up close. Scents and sounds filled her senses, a whirlwind of aromas encircling her on all sides. Sizzling snacks over here, sweet treats over there, even winged ingredients flitting through the air!
Charantais wandered through the maze of tents and cooking equipment. She managed to snatch a basket of ingredients, finally settling down in an open patch near the clearing's edge. She felt a lot calmer away from the hustle and bustle. Lifting the lid with her claw, the young dragon lowered her head to peer into its contents.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Meat
Given the high sugar content of its diet, eating too many of this hummingbird can make small dragons hyper.
25
3
A hummingbird whizzed out, zooming skyward in a flash of feathers. It barely made it above her shoulder before slowing to a stop. "Oh, you poor thing... you must have been exhausted trapped there in the dark," Charentais murmured, scooping up the bird before it could fall. As the representative from Clan Hummingbird, she could hardly imagine eating this little friend. Instead, she mixed a bit of cotton candy with fresh water and let the hummingbird lap up the syrup. Her new companion hovered behind her ear, safe from the jaws of her fellow competitors.
Fishy Cotton Candy
Seafood
Fish candy.
5
4
Honeybee
Insect
The only insect that comes presweetened.
15
2
Longneck Winter Rations
Plant
These dried oats have been saturated with so much corn syrup that the bar is no longer particularly healthy...
39
4
"Now, let's see what we have to work with," Charentais chirped, laying out the rest of the ingredients. Though the selection was odd at best, she could find a way to make this work! She hoped. After all, one of the perks of being an Imperial was that you could eat just about anything.
The fishy cotton candy would be the main course. Charantais picked out the sugar-coated sardines from the cotton candy, cleaning off the scales and setting them on foil. The sweetness from the candy would add good flavor, but could burn if baked, so she would grill them instead. She tossed them in oil and pepper, then put them on the grill. As for the cotton candy, she dissolved the rest into water and began simmering the mixture over a burner. Of course, she saved a little dish of the sugar water for her hummingbird friend.
As the candy mixture reduced to a fishy syrup, she crumbled up longneck winter rations and toasted the oats in another pan. She removed the stingers from the sweet honeybees and threw them into the pan as well. She tossed them over a fire until crisp. The nice-and-toasty oats and bees went into the syrup to be coated by the candy glaze. After flipping the fish and removing them from the grill, she poured the syrup over the grilled fish. The candy-coated oats and bees went on top for garnish, with a few uncoated crumbles added for extra crunch.
Charantais looked her plate up and down, belly buzzing with nervousness and excitement. Or perhaps buzzing with bees? The plate wasn't exactly the prettiest. Everything had turned a shade of more-or-less caramel. But the hum of the hummingbird wings by her ears droned out the worries in her head. This was it. Her first competition entry.
After some discussion, Lacewing started deboning and mincing hummingbirds while Ilar carefully used her wings to separate out the fish and the fairyfloss.
Tossing some corn and bees into some Lightning contraption that turned it into flour quickly and the winter rations into a second flour contraption, Ilar cracked some eggs and started setting up making a batter. Lacewing moved on to mincing the fish.
Fish and hummingbird minced and the flours made, Ilar and Lacewing started making a sweetish batter (out of the cornbeeflour) and a preseasoned frying mix (out of the nuts/oats, salt, and pepper). More bees were coated in the frying mix while Ilar set up the deepfrying area and Lacewing started making a sweet-and-spicy buttery sauce out of fairy floss, spices, Ashfall Prickler juice, and butter.
They waited until the sauce had started to thicken up to add the minced bird and fish, and to deep-fry the bees. They shaped the batter into soft tacos and oven-baked them before adding the filling: the soft sweet-and-spicy mixed mince and their crunchy deep-fried bees.
Hopefully their Sweet Tacos wouldn't be too sweet!
After some discussion, Lacewing started deboning and mincing hummingbirds while Ilar carefully used her wings to separate out the fish and the fairyfloss.
Tossing some corn and bees into some Lightning contraption that turned it into flour quickly and the winter rations into a second flour contraption, Ilar cracked some eggs and started setting up making a batter. Lacewing moved on to mincing the fish.
Fish and hummingbird minced and the flours made, Ilar and Lacewing started making a sweetish batter (out of the cornbeeflour) and a preseasoned frying mix (out of the nuts/oats, salt, and pepper). More bees were coated in the frying mix while Ilar set up the deepfrying area and Lacewing started making a sweet-and-spicy buttery sauce out of fairy floss, spices, Ashfall Prickler juice, and butter.
They waited until the sauce had started to thicken up to add the minced bird and fish, and to deep-fry the bees. They shaped the batter into soft tacos and oven-baked them before adding the filling: the soft sweet-and-spicy mixed mince and their crunchy deep-fried bees.
Hopefully their Sweet Tacos wouldn't be too sweet!
[center]
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/8PdC9YX6/Venue-Narrow.png[/img]
[font=Constantia][color=B4CD3C][size=7][u]Monday - A Sweet Tooth[/u][/size][/color]
[img]https://i.postimg.cc/8PdC9YX6/Venue-Narrow.png[/img]
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After they cleaned up their station, the duo had sent the message out to the clan about their idea to host a mini contest for clan members. The next morning, the two of them politely asked to borrow a judge table and sat and waited. The announcement went out and a large purple imperial dropped a pile of sweet meats, candies and nuts onto the display table.
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"Barely worthy of a meal... but maybe something simple like this won't be so overwhelming for newcomers..."
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Jwaila shoved a roasted, skewered zephyr sparrow into her mouth and chewed absent-mindedly. It wasn't a cooking challenge ingredient, but they were given some food as a participation prize, and she did like prizes. Especially edible ones.
She and Diego hadn't waited too long before an orange flurry of wings and dust swept into the tent.
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"Oh no, not [i]her[/i]..."
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It was Clove, the clan's resident [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/drs/2438387]Amber Eater[/url] dragon. Her side of the subspecies tree subsisted off of almost exclusively tree sap from Starwood trees, but she was up for sampling almost anything sickly sweet. Everywhere she went, she left flaky particles of amber that shed from her body like dandruff, which was the result of her excessive diet, and the two clan judges flapped their wings in response in order to blow some of the debris out of the tent. No one knew why their leader kept her around, but to Jwaila and Diego, she was sloth and gluttony incarnate. But they [i]did[/i] say that anyone could participate...
[quote=Day 2]
Use at least [b]THREE[/b] of the following ingredients in your entry:
[center]
[item= Ruby-Throated Hummingbird][item= Honeybee][item= Fishy Cotton Candy][item= Longneck winter rations]
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird / [b]Honeybee[/b] / [b]Fishy Cotton Candy[/b] / [b]Longneck winter rations[/b]
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[/quote]
For all of her vices, Clove was a quiet dragon, and remained as such as the pair explained the rules of the challenge and presented her with the ingredients. Her face was inscrutable beneath her colorful sage cover, but neither of the judges were surprised when she grabbed a clawful of honeybees, the fishy cotton candy and the winter rations. She played with the cotton candy as if to study its constitution, then stripped the fish of the sugary floss, tossed it aside, and melted the sugar in a pan on the stove using precise fire magic that was similar to Jwaila's. Once she felt she had enough, Clove retrieved a muffin tray and placed a bee in each one and drizzled the syrup into the molds. As it cooled, she turned to the winter rations bars and... began to build a house with them? She used some of the remaining glaze to stick the bars together into a rudimentary structure before returning to the now syrup-encased bees, taking the little syrup cups and placing them in and around the winter rations structure.
The two judges stared, a bit dumfounded, but had followed her process and decided that, while strange, didn't warrant any concern for tasting. She didn't slip any of the magically toxic amber into the syrup, and the small amount of dust she shed wasn't enough to harm a dragon that ingested it.
Diego took a bite of the structure and the display tasted like... well, winter rations. Some bites sweeter than others. Jwaila tossed a candied bee into her mouth, which mostly tasted like sugar, but had a pleasant crunch that wasn't too hard on the teeth. The bees were nice and warm still. She shrugged.
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"Passable. But I think everyone here knows why you really came. Take some extra with you, the judges seem to have a pretty big supply."
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"I appreciate your little art project though! Thanks for trying."
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Jwaila rolled her eyes (or at least tried, considering they were primal flames) and Diego grinned sheepishly as Clove nodded, shrugged her shoulders, and wandered over to the ingredients table to scoop a large number of bees into a sack she brought out for this very purpose. The duo knew they had a bunch of eerie, amber-encased bees to look forward to when they returned to the clan after the Jamboree. It was a pastime of her kind: half art project, half food stocking and preservation. She'd cache them around the settlement like an insect-hoarding squirrel.
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"Well, that could have been worse."
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After they cleaned up their station, the duo had sent the message out to the clan about their idea to host a mini contest for clan members. The next morning, the two of them politely asked to borrow a judge table and sat and waited. The announcement went out and a large purple imperial dropped a pile of sweet meats, candies and nuts onto the display table.
___
"Barely worthy of a meal... but maybe something simple like this won't be so overwhelming for newcomers..."
Jwaila shoved a roasted, skewered zephyr sparrow into her mouth and chewed absent-mindedly. It wasn't a cooking challenge ingredient, but they were given some food as a participation prize, and she did like prizes. Especially edible ones.
She and Diego hadn't waited too long before an orange flurry of wings and dust swept into the tent.
___
"Oh no, not her..."
It was Clove, the clan's resident Amber Eater dragon. Her side of the subspecies tree subsisted off of almost exclusively tree sap from Starwood trees, but she was up for sampling almost anything sickly sweet. Everywhere she went, she left flaky particles of amber that shed from her body like dandruff, which was the result of her excessive diet, and the two clan judges flapped their wings in response in order to blow some of the debris out of the tent. No one knew why their leader kept her around, but to Jwaila and Diego, she was sloth and gluttony incarnate. But they did say that anyone could participate...
Day 2 wrote:
Use at least THREE of the following ingredients in your entry:
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Meat
Given the high sugar content of its diet, eating too many of this hummingbird can make small dragons hyper.
25
3
Honeybee
Insect
The only insect that comes presweetened.
15
2
Fishy Cotton Candy
Seafood
Fish candy.
5
4
Longneck Winter Rations
Plant
These dried oats have been saturated with so much corn syrup that the bar is no longer particularly healthy...
For all of her vices, Clove was a quiet dragon, and remained as such as the pair explained the rules of the challenge and presented her with the ingredients. Her face was inscrutable beneath her colorful sage cover, but neither of the judges were surprised when she grabbed a clawful of honeybees, the fishy cotton candy and the winter rations. She played with the cotton candy as if to study its constitution, then stripped the fish of the sugary floss, tossed it aside, and melted the sugar in a pan on the stove using precise fire magic that was similar to Jwaila's. Once she felt she had enough, Clove retrieved a muffin tray and placed a bee in each one and drizzled the syrup into the molds. As it cooled, she turned to the winter rations bars and... began to build a house with them? She used some of the remaining glaze to stick the bars together into a rudimentary structure before returning to the now syrup-encased bees, taking the little syrup cups and placing them in and around the winter rations structure.
The two judges stared, a bit dumfounded, but had followed her process and decided that, while strange, didn't warrant any concern for tasting. She didn't slip any of the magically toxic amber into the syrup, and the small amount of dust she shed wasn't enough to harm a dragon that ingested it.
Diego took a bite of the structure and the display tasted like... well, winter rations. Some bites sweeter than others. Jwaila tossed a candied bee into her mouth, which mostly tasted like sugar, but had a pleasant crunch that wasn't too hard on the teeth. The bees were nice and warm still. She shrugged.
___
"Passable. But I think everyone here knows why you really came. Take some extra with you, the judges seem to have a pretty big supply."
_____________
"I appreciate your little art project though! Thanks for trying."
_____
Jwaila rolled her eyes (or at least tried, considering they were primal flames) and Diego grinned sheepishly as Clove nodded, shrugged her shoulders, and wandered over to the ingredients table to scoop a large number of bees into a sack she brought out for this very purpose. The duo knew they had a bunch of eerie, amber-encased bees to look forward to when they returned to the clan after the Jamboree. It was a pastime of her kind: half art project, half food stocking and preservation. She'd cache them around the settlement like an insect-hoarding squirrel.
___
"Well, that could have been worse."
______
[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 2[/color][/size][/font][/b][/center]
Felnyr had learned yesterday that the "important thing" he'd forgotten was the whole premise of the event: he was supposed to make a [i]meal[/i]! Well... there was no use crying over Stolen Cakes, so he'd just have to do better today. He could focus. For a reasonable length of time. Probably.
Right, and today, he was determined to correctly complete the task, so he'd come armed this time, no forgotten tools! Felnyr leafed through the stack of books with basic cooking tips that he'd brought along. He was considering which advice to seek when he realized that he hadn't picked up any ingredients yet, so he couldn't actually know what to look for. Right. First things first.
A trip to the supply tents and back yielded some goodies.
[center][item=Ruby-Throated Hummingbird][item=Honeybee][item=Fishy Cotton Candy][item=Longneck Winter Rations][/center]
A rather sweet spread, it was. Er, sweet as in literally sweet, the sugary content kind. Not the kind that had evolved to mean something particularly pleasant or great. ...Well, actually, sugary sweetness could be interpreted as pleasant, but in a slightly different sense-
Felnyr was getting distracted again. He abandoned that line of thought for now; he had a feeling there would be no end, and he had a goal to accomplish today. Couldn't afford to get [i]too[/i] distracted.
Felnyr picked up a beginners' dessert recipe book. Perhaps there were some instructions in there to help him process these sweet foods into something cohesive and edible?
As he paged through the book, his eyes caught on a particular recipe. Oooh, Stolen Cake! The stuff of legends. He'd only had it once before. The cake itself was actually a bit too sweet for him, but he'd been [i]that one Fae[/i] that picked off only the insect toppings... (To be fair to him, none of his denmates had been interested at the time, but still.) He'd admittedly committed food crime. He was quite remorseful. Really. ...Really. Oh, those insects were [i]divine[/i].
Distractions. Right. Felnyr blinked, slightly reluctantly turned the page, and found a recipe for some pie. As he scanned through the text, he discovered an interesting fact: something that was too sweet could be balanced by adding sourness. Of course! He needed some acids.
Felnyr went back to the supply tents once more, returning with his new ingredient.
[center][item=Ant Acid][/center]
On the way, he had passed by different tables with ingredients such as strawberries, apples... It didn't occur to him to consider why such subtly-sour-toned fruits were on the table. He was too focused on his acid. He'd make the [i]best[/i] balanced meal, surely!
The book Felnyr had chosen conveniently rated recipes in order of ease of use. What a sweet book. So beginner-friendly!
The easiest recipe was a smoothie, so Felnyr opted for that one. He took the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Honeybee, Fishy Cotton Candy, and Longneck Winter Rations, tried to fit them all into a blender, and unfortunately failed. Hmm. They were too chunky.
Felnyr tried again to combine the ingredients after chopping them into small pieces. The blender made a strange sound, so he stopped it momentarily, inspected the insides, noticed that the hummingbird bones were causing some issues, and decided to remove them. When he started the blender again, everything went smoothly this time. Considering that he was trying to make a smoothie, this was perfect!
Felnyr found a large glass and poured in the mass of blood, guts, insect chitin fragments, and eyeball jelly. Now it was time to balance the flavor! He stirred in the Ant Acid. The ingredients didn't seem to combine completely and the result still looked somewhat chunky, but Felnyr still felt a sense of accomplishment.
He'd put together his first smoothie! Sweet!
Felnyr had learned yesterday that the "important thing" he'd forgotten was the whole premise of the event: he was supposed to make a meal! Well... there was no use crying over Stolen Cakes, so he'd just have to do better today. He could focus. For a reasonable length of time. Probably.
Right, and today, he was determined to correctly complete the task, so he'd come armed this time, no forgotten tools! Felnyr leafed through the stack of books with basic cooking tips that he'd brought along. He was considering which advice to seek when he realized that he hadn't picked up any ingredients yet, so he couldn't actually know what to look for. Right. First things first.
A trip to the supply tents and back yielded some goodies.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Meat
Given the high sugar content of its diet, eating too many of this hummingbird can make small dragons hyper.
25
3
Honeybee
Insect
The only insect that comes presweetened.
15
2
Fishy Cotton Candy
Seafood
Fish candy.
5
4
Longneck Winter Rations
Plant
These dried oats have been saturated with so much corn syrup that the bar is no longer particularly healthy...
39
4
A rather sweet spread, it was. Er, sweet as in literally sweet, the sugary content kind. Not the kind that had evolved to mean something particularly pleasant or great. ...Well, actually, sugary sweetness could be interpreted as pleasant, but in a slightly different sense-
Felnyr was getting distracted again. He abandoned that line of thought for now; he had a feeling there would be no end, and he had a goal to accomplish today. Couldn't afford to get too distracted.
Felnyr picked up a beginners' dessert recipe book. Perhaps there were some instructions in there to help him process these sweet foods into something cohesive and edible?
As he paged through the book, his eyes caught on a particular recipe. Oooh, Stolen Cake! The stuff of legends. He'd only had it once before. The cake itself was actually a bit too sweet for him, but he'd been that one Fae that picked off only the insect toppings... (To be fair to him, none of his denmates had been interested at the time, but still.) He'd admittedly committed food crime. He was quite remorseful. Really. ...Really. Oh, those insects were divine.
Distractions. Right. Felnyr blinked, slightly reluctantly turned the page, and found a recipe for some pie. As he scanned through the text, he discovered an interesting fact: something that was too sweet could be balanced by adding sourness. Of course! He needed some acids.
Felnyr went back to the supply tents once more, returning with his new ingredient.
Ant Acid
Organics
Be very sure you have separated your ant acids from your antacids.
48
On the way, he had passed by different tables with ingredients such as strawberries, apples... It didn't occur to him to consider why such subtly-sour-toned fruits were on the table. He was too focused on his acid. He'd make the best balanced meal, surely!
The book Felnyr had chosen conveniently rated recipes in order of ease of use. What a sweet book. So beginner-friendly!
The easiest recipe was a smoothie, so Felnyr opted for that one. He took the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Honeybee, Fishy Cotton Candy, and Longneck Winter Rations, tried to fit them all into a blender, and unfortunately failed. Hmm. They were too chunky.
Felnyr tried again to combine the ingredients after chopping them into small pieces. The blender made a strange sound, so he stopped it momentarily, inspected the insides, noticed that the hummingbird bones were causing some issues, and decided to remove them. When he started the blender again, everything went smoothly this time. Considering that he was trying to make a smoothie, this was perfect!
Felnyr found a large glass and poured in the mass of blood, guts, insect chitin fragments, and eyeball jelly. Now it was time to balance the flavor! He stirred in the Ant Acid. The ingredients didn't seem to combine completely and the result still looked somewhat chunky, but Felnyr still felt a sense of accomplishment.
He'd put together his first smoothie! Sweet!
[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/85399116][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/853992/85399116_350.png[/img][/url]
[item=fishy cotton candy][item=ruby-throated hummingbird][item=honeybee][/center]
After the... unfortunate incident with food waste committed by the clan's last representative chef, Borque was pulled from his gardening duties to give his best shot at making something edible ([s]and not breaking the Coatl judge's heart again[/s]).
The honeybees and hummingbirds he knows how to handle - they're daily visitors to his gardens, after all, and though he doesn't eat either he can at least prepare and arrange them on the plate so that they seem somewhat palatable. (He hums thoughtfully to himself - probably the feathers come off, right? They look like they'd stick in a meat-eating dragon's throat. Yes. Feathers off. But do the bee wings come off? What's the appealing part of a bee?)
His day job did not prepare him for the cotton candy. He has no idea what this is. It's getting stuck to his paws. He's starting to regret agreeing to this in the first place.
In the end, he smears what's left of the cotton candy around the edge of the plate, hoping it looks intentionally decorative and not desperately sticky. He presents a "Ruby-Throated Hummingbird With Bee (and Candy?) Garnish" to the judges and goes off to spend the rest of the day rinsing his paws.
Given the high sugar content of its diet, eating too many of this hummingbird can make small dragons hyper.
25
3
Honeybee
Insect
The only insect that comes presweetened.
15
2
After the... unfortunate incident with food waste committed by the clan's last representative chef, Borque was pulled from his gardening duties to give his best shot at making something edible (and not breaking the Coatl judge's heart again).
The honeybees and hummingbirds he knows how to handle - they're daily visitors to his gardens, after all, and though he doesn't eat either he can at least prepare and arrange them on the plate so that they seem somewhat palatable. (He hums thoughtfully to himself - probably the feathers come off, right? They look like they'd stick in a meat-eating dragon's throat. Yes. Feathers off. But do the bee wings come off? What's the appealing part of a bee?)
His day job did not prepare him for the cotton candy. He has no idea what this is. It's getting stuck to his paws. He's starting to regret agreeing to this in the first place.
In the end, he smears what's left of the cotton candy around the edge of the plate, hoping it looks intentionally decorative and not desperately sticky. He presents a "Ruby-Throated Hummingbird With Bee (and Candy?) Garnish" to the judges and goes off to spend the rest of the day rinsing his paws.
[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/92834566][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/928346/92834566_350.png[/img][/url][/center]
[center][item= Ruby-Throated Hummingbird][item= Honeybee][item= Fishy Cotton Candy][item= Longneck winter rations][/center]
Nesta ambles through the fine offerings at the Mistral Jamboree, pausing when she spots a cooking challenge under way. After watching attentively for a while, she realizes there are still empty cook stations.
“Can anyone join?” she asks around. Once she’s gathered the challenge rules, she takes a basket of ingredients back to a table and settles in, quite contented to simply be making something without worrying about competition.
Her method of cooking is slow and methodical as she filets the hummingbirds. She chops carrots, cabbage, and green onion. The fishy cotton candy has put her in mind of a stir fry, with a sweet and savory sauce.
Leaving off with prep for a bit, she considers the rations, crumbling one up and tasting it. Instead of serving the stir fry with rice as the starch, she thinks she’ll give oats a shot. She starts a pot of steel-cut oats, with some of the oat-filled rations crumbled in, hopefully to help thicken the concoction and add a little flavor.
While the oats cook, Nesta toasts the honeybees to encourage a nutty flavor and crisp texture.
She takes her time over the sauce, balancing the flavors. The cotton candy melts easily, and the fishiness mellows into savory body. She adds salt and tastes. There’s a slight artificial aftertaste, or maybe the sauce’s garish coloring is affecting her senses. She tries to darken it with some fish sauce, enhancing the fish flavor along the way.
After all the prep, the stir fry is done in a flash. The sweet-savory sauce coats tender pieces of hummingbird and vegetables, atop a bed of chewy, slightly sweet oats, and garnished with toasted honeybees. Her presentation is more homey than artistic, but Nesta is pleased with her results.
Given the high sugar content of its diet, eating too many of this hummingbird can make small dragons hyper.
25
3
Honeybee
Insect
The only insect that comes presweetened.
15
2
Fishy Cotton Candy
Seafood
Fish candy.
5
4
Longneck Winter Rations
Plant
These dried oats have been saturated with so much corn syrup that the bar is no longer particularly healthy...
39
4
Nesta ambles through the fine offerings at the Mistral Jamboree, pausing when she spots a cooking challenge under way. After watching attentively for a while, she realizes there are still empty cook stations.
“Can anyone join?” she asks around. Once she’s gathered the challenge rules, she takes a basket of ingredients back to a table and settles in, quite contented to simply be making something without worrying about competition.
Her method of cooking is slow and methodical as she filets the hummingbirds. She chops carrots, cabbage, and green onion. The fishy cotton candy has put her in mind of a stir fry, with a sweet and savory sauce.
Leaving off with prep for a bit, she considers the rations, crumbling one up and tasting it. Instead of serving the stir fry with rice as the starch, she thinks she’ll give oats a shot. She starts a pot of steel-cut oats, with some of the oat-filled rations crumbled in, hopefully to help thicken the concoction and add a little flavor.
While the oats cook, Nesta toasts the honeybees to encourage a nutty flavor and crisp texture.
She takes her time over the sauce, balancing the flavors. The cotton candy melts easily, and the fishiness mellows into savory body. She adds salt and tastes. There’s a slight artificial aftertaste, or maybe the sauce’s garish coloring is affecting her senses. She tries to darken it with some fish sauce, enhancing the fish flavor along the way.
After all the prep, the stir fry is done in a flash. The sweet-savory sauce coats tender pieces of hummingbird and vegetables, atop a bed of chewy, slightly sweet oats, and garnished with toasted honeybees. Her presentation is more homey than artistic, but Nesta is pleased with her results.
Paprikath had been thrilled to be selected for today’s cooking challenge earlier that morning, but on arriving to find that they seemed to be angling for some kind of dessert her enthusiasm was dampened just a bit. She really preferred creating hot and spicy dishes, as a rule… She could just toss those Longneck Winter Rations aside and use the remaining three required ingredients in something savory, but she felt she should go with the flow. So, hoping it wouldn’t be considered too derivative, she decided to make Loaded Crispy Treats.
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