Topic: Cookin' Up Trouble

NightRunner

Date: 2009-11-25 15:17 EST
Cookin' Up Trouble

"Why do I cook? Have you never learned of the world through the food you taste; tasted pride when a dish is pleasing? That is why I do it."







Rhy'Din never failed to surprise him in some way or other.

There were always some things that remained constants; that was agiven. However, ten years after landing on Rhy'Din's shores and he still finds surprises. Some of them not so pleasant and others extremely pleasant.
Like all that talk of a cook-off.

His mouth watered at the mere thought of it.

In the dead of night, when the Red Dragon was at its least intensive, Renne crept into the kitchen. He'd either caught or found his own ingredients from wherever and whenever he could get them, so there was no need to venture back out yet.
Right now, he just had to secure the kitchen.

-----------

The kitchen of the Red Dragon Inn had been decisively taken over without any military action or casualties. This, to Renne, was pleasing as he scurried about a now sterile environment, adorned in all of his Piratey garb. He was on a spree, cooking up chaos in there and while he was at it, battling evil, imaginary pirates who didn't loot properly.

You were supposed to ask first. Then loot.

The pots simmered. The pans sizzled. Cutlery clinked and the occasional clang-bang of something dropped might easily have been heard to those in the vicinity. The smells had started off as they always do in kitchens -- subtle, faint at first but they steadily grew in intensity.

Mock cutlass-swing. Ask first. Then plunder!

Simmer and boil.

It was dawn soon enough and he was still at it. The imaginary pirates who didn't ask before looting were defeated. One by one, the imaginary pirates were sent to the imaginary brig.

And one by one, Renne produced a growing feast.

~<>~

Cookin' Up Trouble is in response to the Taste of Rhy'Din thread. The live play event bits will likely be impossible for the Mun to attend, but the things Renne contributes will be described here.
Sorry if I'm a little late!

NightRunner

Date: 2009-11-25 23:22 EST
Cookin' Up Trouble
Bon Appetit

"Introduction to multi-course dining must be a pleasure, never a pain."






Time wasn't on his side.

Still, Renne persisted and found the Great Helm Inn. Once there, it had been an unexpected but appreciated breeze to find out what this cook-off was, how to get involved and even if he was allowed to in the first place.

He was beyond elated when he was granted a table.

Renne was careful, watchful as he could be with the pair of assistants assigned to him. It wasn't the assistants themselves he was paranoid of; the mere fact of transporting a finished dish was what got him on edge.
It went smoothly, without a hitch.

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Entr?e

A delicate fish platter served in a spiral formation stands at the beginning of the presentation. Arranged in such a spiral, varying filets of fish begin with the lighter varieties and end with the darker, bolder types. This is both in taste, texture and appearance.
Included in this order: White sea bass, yellowtail, flounder, red snapper, common nurse shark, salmon, turatol and dr?thna.

Turatol is noted for its iridescent shade of blue and a light taste. Its texture lends toward the smooth rather than being flaky. This is often served lightly seared as in Ahi tuna with a lemon-like garnish.

Dr?thna is the boldest of the fish selections. In appearance, it boasts a dark, almost navy blue colour with distinctly prominent "fluorescent" yellow veins. Unlike its predecessor, the turatol, dr?thna tends toward a bold taste, much like its appearance. Deep in tone yet flaky in texture, dr?thna is often served without garnish.

NightRunner

Date: 2009-11-25 23:50 EST
Cookin' Up Trouble
Relev?s and to Cleanse the Palate

"Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere."
--Peter O'Toole as Anton Ego, Ratatouiille






The place wasn't as bustling as maybe he'd half-hoped it'd be.

Even so, Renne found himself more and more excited with each time he heard his bell at the Red Dragon Inn's kitchen ring.

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Relev?s

The second course features a light, golden-amber broth paired with an actual salad. The broth itself might be compared to miso soup with its clarity, taste and the few things it has within. Mushroom, a little water chestnut, celery and tofu.

The companion salad is served on a transparent glass plate and features attributes from a variety of backgrounds. These include Human, Elven, Dwarven and Renne's own.
Included: Dwarven moss, eldritch root, various lettuces and spinach from Earth and a hint of fruits. Dragonfruit and mango balance out the harsher tang of the darker, perhaps bitter on the tongue, banfa'al leaves.

Finally, the sorbet offered features a sweet but definitely acidic tang to it. Rather than being frozen or cold, this cleanser tends to be best served hot to preserve the almost citrusy beginning and clear end.

NightRunner

Date: 2009-11-28 17:59 EST
Cookin' Up Trouble
The Main Attraction

"If you cannot stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."







It was time to transport the main course.

Renne quietly chirped to the two assistants he had been allotted, explaining to them how his dishes were to be carried and why such care was involved. His tone told them he was placing trust and confidence in them. When it was time to present the main course, he smiled as one offered a suggestion.
Presentation was, after all, part of the appeal.

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The Main Course

The Main Course features a tower-like design, layering delicacies for both the carnivorous and the vegetarian palate. The heavier meats ring the bottom of the platter, followed by alternating flora and progressively lighter meats, fowl and fish.

Meats include: Beef, pork, venison, goat, gazelle and bison, Dr?thna in a wasabi sauce.
Produce includes: Squashes, celery, carrots, lettuces of varying origin, T'hari, Naga Jolokia.

The heavier meats, such as the beef, pork and bison vary from rare to medium-well done; each matched with a sauce to taste. Dark sauces complement these heavy, flavourful meats.
On the lighter side, the goat, gazelle and venison are done specifically rare to medium-rare and come with whie to yellow sauces. The exception to this is the goat, which comes matched with a mild butter melt.

The produce featured presents itself in a layered salad without dressing or vinegrette to begin. These dressings and salad sauces however, are provided for use at the guest's discretion. Notably, there is a warning placed near the Naga Jolokia and T'hari, as these are extremely spicy fruits and must be handled with some care.
Naga Jolokia, or Ghost Chili, is known throughout India and on Earth it is regarded as the world's hottest pepper. Its flavour might be said to be masked behind that intense fire...but try it and see.

T'hari has its warning displayed prominently as well. However, despite the intense heat from this fruit, its taste has a smoky beginning and a deep, almost earthy finish. T'hari is easily noted for its nearly pearlescent red/pink veined skin. The fruit's flesh might be comparable to a mango in texture although its purple-black colour notes that it is definitely not the mango in disguise.

NightRunner

Date: 2009-11-29 00:35 EST
Cookin' Up Trouble
Fourth Course Salad

"To eat is simply to live. To dine, this is when the senses thrive."







It may have seemed strange to serve anything other than an actual salad but the course, as he had learned, was indeed labeled the 'salad' course. So Renne went with what he learned and delivered the fourth course to the Great Helm.

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The Salad Course

It isn't an actual salad, to tell the truth. It is however, almost as light as a salad with the careful selection of vegetation and fruit.
To go with these, come the juices and what most might call a sweet wine; although these wines are not in fact, alcoholic in the slightest.

The dishes laid out display a wild, colourful array of mostly fruits and what many might call cheeses. Actual cheese from around the Human, Elven and Dwarven circles as well as many specimens from Renne's own lands.
Those displayed as his native cuisines lie on less ornate plates to balance the wild colouration of the various fruits and "cheeses". One, slightly more prominent than most others, includes the fruit of the Banfa'al tree.
Unlike many of the wildly coloured, strongly flavoured specialties, the banfa'al is known to produce a dusky, mellow berry in a black-pearl coloured husk.