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felassan · 7 months

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Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas lore compilation / notes / thoughts [Part 1 of 2]

(Link to Part 2, in text form (pls copy-paste) as Tumblr won't let me add it as a normal link: https://felassan.tumblr.com/post/732826339350102016/dragon-age-the-official-cookbook-tastes-of)

Reference, info & general observations/ramble post ◕‿◕ (Post contents under a cut, in case anyone would rather not read cookbook spoilers. also due to post length)

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If I have forgotten, misread or misunderstood something, please let me know.

This post is part 1 of 2, as it was getting rly long.

Dishes by type

Starters & Refreshments: Eggs à la Val Foret, Nevarran Blood Orange Salad, Fried Young Giant Spiders, Stuffed Deep Mushrooms, Rivaini Couscous Salad, Crab Cakes from Kirkwall, Fluffy Mackerel Pudding, Snail & Watercress Salad, Cave Beetles

For the Road: Spiced Jerky, Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, Pickled Eggs, Unidentified Meat, Seheron Fish Pockets, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Crow Feed, Black Lichen Bread, Hearth Cakes, Peasant Bread

Soups & Stews: Merrill's Blood Soup, Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup, The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Fish Chowder, Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, Lentil Soup, Nettle Soup, King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew

Main Courses: Stuffed Cabbage, Antivan Gnocchi, Antivan Paella, Grilled Poussin, Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce, Nug Pancakes, Fish in Salt Crust, Roasted Wyvern, Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie, Cacio e Pepe, Turnip and Mutton Pie, Smoked Ham from the Anderfels, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Sides: Sera's Yummy Corn, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Honey Carrots, Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip

Sweet Delights: Blancmange, Poison Stings, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler, Dwarven Plum Jam, Sour Cherries in Cream, Treviso Energy Balls, Rice Pudding, Goat Custard

Baked Goods: Antivan Apple Grenade, Found Cake, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Croissants, Cherry Cupcakes, Chocolate Cake, Varric's Favorite Pastries, Sugar Cake, Lamprey Cake, Tevinter Pumpkin Bread

Drinks & Potions: Lichen Ale, The Hissing Drake, Hot Chocolate, Antivan Sip-Sip, Dragon Piss, Rivaini Tea Blend, The Golden Nug, The Emerald Valley, Chasind Sack Mead

Notes: These dish 'categories' are from the book contents pages, which can be viewed here.

Dishes by place / culture of origin (DA Cookbook-specific list)

Ferelden: Pickled Eggs, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup, Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew, Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, Turnip and Mutton Pie, Chocolate Cake

Kirkwall: Crab Cakes from Kirkwall, The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Orlais: Eggs à la Val Foret, Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, Honey Carrots, Blancmange, Sour Cherries in Cream, Croissants

Tevinter: Unidentified Meat, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Cherry Cupcakes, Tevinter Pumpkin Bread

Antiva: Crow Feed, Fish Chowder, Antivan Gnocchi, Antivan Paella, Cacio e Pepe, Treviso Energy Balls, Antivan Apple Grenade, Antivan Sip-Sip

Nevarra: Nevarran Blood Orange Salad, Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip

Rivain: Rivaini Couscous Salad, Goat Custard, Rivaini Tea Blend

Seheron: Seheron Fish Pockets

Starkhaven: Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie, Roasted Turkey with Sides

Free Marches: Roasted Turkey with Sides

Anderfels: Smoked Ham from the Anderfels

Avvar: Snail & Watercress Salad, Stuffed Cabbage, Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce, Fish in Salt Crust, Roasted Wyvern

Chasind: Grilled Poussin, Chasind Sack Mead

Dalish: Spiced Jerky, Hearth Cakes, Peasant Bread, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler

City Elf: Peasant Bread, Lentil Soup

Orzammar / dwarven: Fried Young Giant Spiders, Stuffed Deep Mushrooms, Cave Beetles, Nug Pancakes, Dwarven Plum Jam, Lichen Ale, Black Lichen Bread

Unspecified (DA Cookbook-specific list): Fluffy Mackerel Pudding, Merrill's Blood Soup, Nettle Soup, Sera's Yummy Corn, Poison Stings, Rice Pudding, Found Cake, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Varric's Favorite Pastries, Sugar Cake, Lamprey Cake, The Hissing Drake, Hot Chocolate, Dragon Piss, The Golden Nug, The Emerald Valley

Notes: Fluffy Mackerel Pudding seems to be Fereldan as it's found in DA:O in this Codex entry at the Arl of Redcliffe's Estate in Denerim. Snail & Watercress Salad isn't traditional Avvar cuisine; though snails are standard Avvar fare, this salad which has them in conjunction with other ingredients is Devon's take on snails that they made for their Avvar hosts. The given Spiced Jerky recipe is Dalish, but the book notes that preserved foods like it play an important role in many different Thedosian cultures. Grey Warden Pastry Pockets are a variation on a tough Grey Warden pastry which incorporates the far more delicate Orlesian puff pastry, that was championed by newer Warden recruits from Orlais. Unidentified Meat is usually served with Nevarran Flat Bread. Black Lichen Bread doesn't explicitly say but is clearly dwarven, as it references "underground" versus the "surface" and the dwarf Garin in Orzammar mentions it in DA:O. Peasant Bread is both Dalish and City Elf. Merrill's Blood Soup could be Dalish in origin as it's a recipe of Merrill's. Devon's Lentil Soup recipe has classic Tevinter flavors in it. Roasted Turkey with Sides is found throughout the Free Marches. Sera's Yummy Corn could be Fereldan in origin as it's a recipe of Sera's. Poison Stings is likely Tevinter as Dorian is fond of it. Rice Pudding could be Antivan or Rivaini as in Thedas you don't see much rice outside of Antiva or Rivain, or perhaps Tevinter or Qunari as it was a dish made by Krem, Iron Bull and the Chargers. Found Cake could be Fereldan as it's based on Dog's Found Cake in DA:O. Sugar Cake was purchased from a surface dwarf merchant and is based on Sugar Cake from DA:O (Feraldan dish? Dwarven?). Lamprey Cake was Devon's pickled lamprey-inspired cake, with pickled lamprey itself being a "singular" (implied: odd) favorite of an Orlesian noble. The Hissing Drake, The Golden Nug and The Emerald Valley are drinks served at the Gilded Horn in Orlais. The Emerald Valley's place of origin isn't given in the book, but we know from this Codex that it includes a spirit that is Orlesian, having been made in Lydes. Going by Iron Bull's dialogue with Varric, hot chocolate/cocoa is not from the south and is rare there. Dragon Piss could be Fereldan as it's based on Dragon Piss which is found in Ferelden.

Alphabetical ingredients / 'foodstuffs and drinks which exist in Thedas' list (DA Cookbook-specific list)

Notes: These ingredients are derived from the dish names and the lore blurbs (which appear to be in-world), not the recipes and associated ingredients lists themselves (which appear to be our world/irl-based). Also, this is a sort of scrappy list with mixed singular/plurals, some repeating stuff (e.g. I know pork, bacon, pig and ham is all "pig"), some non-specific stuff e.g. "herbs", and some stuff that is more 'a combo food' than 'a single ingredient' e.g. "dough", but just go with it ok hh, it's just meant to be a quick 'n' dirty reference list as a resource not a perfect culinary thing:

“Bitter greens”, Ale, Almonds, Antivan pasta, Antivan wine, Apples, Apple blossoms, Apricots, Assorted “forest fruits”, Ayesleigh gulabi goat (a breed of goat from which some goat’s milk is derived), Bacon, Bark, Bark bread, Barley, Beetroot, Biscuits, Black cherries, Black lichen, Blended teas, Blood oranges, Brandy, Bread, Buns, Butter (halla and other types), Cabbage, Carrot, Cave beetles, Celery, Chasind Wildwine, Cheese, Cheese sauce, Cherries, Chicken, Chickpeas, Chocolate, Chocolate cream cake, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Cocoa powder, Corn (yellow and non-yellow varieties), Couscous, Cows, Crab, Cranberry, Cream, Croutons, Currants, Custard (many variations), Cuttlefish, Dark bread, Deep mushrooms (several varieties), Dough, Dracolisk? (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this), Dried fruit, Dry cheese, Eggs, Egg-white foam (for drinks, due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Fereldan ale, Fereldan barley, Figs, Fish, Flat bread, Flour, Flowers (over 70 different types of herbs and flowers used for food & drink exist), Giant spiders, Giant? (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this), Gnocchi, Goat’s milk, Goats, Grains, Grapes, Grease, Gurguts, Halla butter, Ham, Harts, Herbs (over 70 different herbs and flowers used for food & drink exist), Hirol’s Lava Burst (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Honey, Hot peppers, Jams & preserves, Jasmine flowers, Jerky, Lamb, Lamprey, Leeks, Lemon, Lemon juice, Lemon verbena, Lentils, Lichen (underground and surface varieties), Lichen ale, Licorice root, Llomerryn red, Llomerryn rum (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Lurkers, Mackerel, Mango, Marshmallow (presumably meaning both the marshmallow plant and marshmallows, the confectionary that was originally made from the marshmallow plant. The form given in the cookbook is Orlesian guimauves, which accompany Iron Bull’s hot chocolate. “Guimauve” is French for marshmallow), Mead, Milk, Mincemeat, Mint, Mushroom, Mussels, Mutton, Nettle, Noodles, Nug, Nug bacon, Nuggets (nug-gets), Nutmeg (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Nuts, Oats, Oil, Olives, Onion, Orange, Orange peel, Oregano, Pasta, Pastry, Peas, Peanut butter, Peanuts, Pepper (as in black pepper etc), Peppermint, Pickled things, Pickled vegetables, Pie, Pig, Plums, Pomegranate, Pork, Potatoes, Poussin, Prawns, Puff pastry, Pumpkin, Quillback (in one ‘sus meat’ recipe Devon wondered if it could be this, and in DA:I some NPCs mention it), Rabbit, Raisins, Rams, Raspberries, Red bell peppers, Red grapes, Rhubarb, Rice, Rolls, Royal elfroot (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Rum (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), Saffron, Salt, Semolina flour, Sheep, Shrimp, Smoked meats, Snails, Sour ale, Sour cherries, Spices, Spinach, Spirits (as in alcohol), Strawberries, Sugar, Tea, Toasted bread, Tomatoes, Truffles, Turkey, Turnip, Tzatziki sauce, Vine leaves, Waffles, Water, Watercress, West Hill brandy, Wheat, Whipped cream, Whiskey (due to the The Gilded Horn’s Drink List codex), White chocolate, White frosting, White Seleny wine, White wine, Wildflowers, Wine, Wraps (soft), Wyverns, Yogurt

'See also' / 'did you know':

Eggs à la Val Foret

Fried Young Giant Spiders: previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. The player party arrives at Chanra Thaig and sees "Bonfires built inside steel drums provide warm and heat for the dwarves huddled around them, cooking deepstalkers, what looks like the legs of giant spiders, and small rodent-like animals on spits". The dwarves have "fuel, water, and domesticated spiders and nugs in deeper chambers for food".

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding

Snail and Watercress Salad

Cave beetle previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. They're described as "scavengers and carrion eaters", "black" and "hard-shelled". They're also known as "rock beetles" and are "little more than a nuisance on its own. Dwarves are even known to roast and eat them out of the shells".

Pickled Eggs (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Seheron Fish Pockets: Iron Bull has dialogue where he says "I remember one guy, he made these things - fish wrapped in thin bread". He was talking of a street food vendor in Seheron who had been forced by Tevinter spies to poison his food. Fittingly, in the cookbook Devon narrates that they learned this recipe from a Charger.

Black Lichen Bread: Garin from DA:O had an incident a few years back where he cut himself and some raw lyrium dust got into his blood. Since then it's been hard for him to concentrate and he's forgetful. He mentions bread that's made by using lichen (I think he mentioned that his lunch was a slice of lichen bread). interestingly, like lyrium, the cookbook lore blurb for Black Lichen Bread contains reference to how black lichen is toxic.

Hearth Cakes (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Peasant Bread: appears in The Masked Empire. in the Dalish camp, Dalish cooks prepared a midday meal, which was served along with peasant bread. "It was almost equal parts wheat, salt, and grease, and in lean winters, it was sometimes the only thing that could put meat on a peasant's bones." Michel watches an old elven woman drizzle honey across a piece and remembers his City Elven mother putting a bit of sugar she had stolen from the tavern she worked in on his piece of bread. The cookbook lore blurb for Peasant Bread says it is eaten by Dalish elves and City elves alike in Orlais, with the recipe being "very straightforward, calling for wheat, salt, and grease in nearly equal parts". Also, in The Last Court, Seraultine (Orlesian) peasants are described as eating bread at mealtimes

The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew: in a DAII loading screen, it says that the tavern's feature dish is a stew made from a different mystery meat every morning

Fish Chowder: in DA:O Zevran says "Can you smell that? Like rotting flesh. Just like back in Antiva City. Now if only you could find me a prostitute or two, a bowl of fish chowder and a corrupt politician, I'd really feel like I was home!"

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup (the cookbook lore blurb mentions the Orlesian troupe of actors from the show Wilkshire Downs. in this codex they are mentioned along with "cabbage stew")

King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew: Alistair and Leliana have this dialogue in DA:O about this dish (Ctrl-F "pea stew").

Antivan Gnocchi: In Tevinter Nights (Eight Little Talons), the Crow leaders eat gnocchi with dinner

Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce

Nug Pancakes, two

Fish in Salt Crust

Roasted Wyvern. Also Isabela has dialogue in Mark of the Assassin where she says "I hope I'm not expected to eat roast wyvern after this." The lore blurb in the cookbook for this dish also references this Codex

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Cacio e Pepe: First mentioned in Tevinter Nights (The Wigmaker Job). Illario complains "This isn't Cacio e Pepe" while making a show of tapping his dagger against a plate of leftovers. Lucanis replies "You ordered an Antivan dish in Tevinter. What did you expect?", to which Illario quips "Something edible".

Turnip and Mutton Pie

Smoked Ham from the Anderfels: a servant in Mark of the Assassin offers Hawke and Tallis "smoked ham from the Anderfels. They say it tastes of despair". Tallis replies "Wait, does it really? How can ham taste of despair? Why would anyone eat it if it did?". The servant explains "That's what the importer said. They all talk like that" apparently. This dish is also mentioned in DA:I. After WEWH Dorian says "I hope you tried the ham they were serving, by the way. Tastes of despair. Fascinating". The cookbook lore blurb asserts that contrary to rumors and what the importers say, this ham does not, in fact, taste of despair. Also, see The Jade Ham (tumblr won't let me add it as a proper link: https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/The_Jade_Ham), as the cookbook lore blurb references this item and its description

Roasted Turkey with Sides: Roast turkey previously made an appearance in the DA tabletop. Lady Sennova hosts a gala/party in Orlais, which players infiltrate/attend and at which food and drink is served. "The Game is about appearances as much as it is about outright treachery, so a dead rat discovered in the roast turkey could serve as a crueler twist of the knife than an actual twisting of the knife". The cookbook lore blurb references the comic Knight Errant, which involves Sebastian's birthday dinner party

Sera's Yummy Corn (from "The Whole Nug" in World of Thedas)

Dwarven Plum Jam: in DA:O a Diamond Quarter noble dwarf says something like "I will die without my favorite plum jam from the surface!" The cookbook lore blurb references the fact that in Orzammar, jam from the surface, especially jams made from plums, are in especially high demand and cost exorbitant prices

Rice Pudding: in DA:I Krem mentions a time when he, Iron Bull and the Chargers defended a village from fifty bandits. Afterwards the villagers paid them for their services in bags of rice. He says that they made rice pudding after that. The cookbook lore blurb references this story of Krem's

(new text block because the previous text block hit a character limit hh)

Antivan Apple Grenade: the cookbook lore blurb references Antivan Fire Grenades (two), which spread sticky fire. maybe it's my brain conjuring up sticky toffee/toffee apples, but I wanna say that this dish would not only be hot but also sticky :)

Found Cake

Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls: in DAII Sandal says that Orana smells of cinnamon rolls, which was interesting to me as DAII is the game where Varric is introduced and his first (and greatest) batch of cinnamon roll friends, the Kirkwall Crew, are featured in

Croissants: Calix and Vaea eat something which arguably look like croissants in the comic Dragon Age: Deception, in an inn in Tevinter.

Cherry Cupcakes: the cookbook lore blurb says these are served by servants on stilts at the Tevinter theature. in the comic Dragon Age: Magekiller, Marius is depicted serving an array of treats and snacks to a Tevinter elite at the Tevinter theatre while on stilts. some of the cupcakes on his tray bear somewhat of a resemblance to the cupcakes in this recipe.

Sugar Cake

Pickled Lamprey: the cookbook lore blurb is referencing the book Last Flight, where Norbert de la Haine and his unfortunate fondness for pickled lampreys is mentioned.

Lichen Ale

The Hissing Drake. the cookbook lore blurb mentions the Gilded Horn

Hot Chocolate: Iron Bull discusses his penchant for this drink with Varric. "How do you guys live without this stuff?" he says. Varric replies "I don't see what the deal is, honestly, but different tastes..." / "Now I just need some hot milk and some of those Orlesian guimauves to put in it" / "Hey, what you do with this 'cocoa' is up to you. I don't need to hear about it"

Antivan Sip-Sip

Dragon Piss, two

Rivaini Tea Blend: In Masked Empire Celene drinks a Rivaini blend of tea containing cinnamon, ginger and cloves, sweetened with honey. the cookbook lore blurb references Celene drinking Rivaini Tea Blend throughout the day to combat headaches, but this tea blend consists of peppermint, lemon verbena, oregano and licorice root. Rivaini tea also crops up here.

The Golden Nug, two

The Emerald Valley

Chasind Sack Mead

Characters mentioned or alluded to in the cookbook

Devon (new character, writer and narrator of the book), Merrill, Alistair, Sera, Varric, Solas, Cassandra, Fenris, Cullen, Sten, Iron Bull, Bull's Chargers, Krem, Nan (possibly, if she is Devon's mother), Norah (possibly, as the waitress at The Hanged Man), Zevran, Morrigan, the Hero of Ferelden, the Inquisitor, Josephine, Paragon Varen, Leliana, Schmooples, the Hero of Ferelden's mabari, Sebastian, Cole, Vivienne, Dorian, Anders, Loghain, Bethany, Hawke, the Couslands, Bodahn Feddic (possibly, as the Sugar Cake item in DA:O is sold by him and Devon narrates that they purchased one from a surface dwarf merchant who said that the Hero of Ferelden purchased some for their companions), Norbert de la Haine, Isabela, Celene, Briala, Gaspard

"Cookbook canon" (notes about the particular worldstate/universe that Devon wrote the cookbook in)

The cookbook was written at some point after the appointment of Divine Victoria, placing it at at least one month after the DA:I base game concludes (at least one month after the defeat of Corypheus). The narrator, Devon, has met and spoken to at least some of the companions & related prominent NPCs, including Varric and Krem. Devon visited Haven.

The HoF was a Cousland. The HoF caught Schmooples for Leliana. Loghain survived DA:O and DA:I, as he's referred to in the present-tense at the time the cookbook is written. Alistair is King of Ferelden. The HoF may have been a lady who romanced Alistair (if you argue that the inclusion of Alistair's love letter to the Warden & the necklace from this merch item as a prop in the photo for Rivaini Couscous Salad as indicator. interesting that the photo where this item is prominently displayed is for the Couscous of all things. back in the day I remember folks calling Cousland "Couscous" hhh).

Hawke was a warrior or rogue and Carver died in the prologue. Hawke was probably Diplomatic. Hawke did not romance Sebastian (in the cookbook he is Prince, and Sebastian reclaims his title as Prince by DA:I unless romanced, in which case he's the Chantry advisor in Starkhaven).

The "worst of [Cullen's] lyrium withdrawals" are mentioned so it could be that the Inquisitor advised Cullen to stop taking lyrium. Cassandra Pentaghast is the Divine. Celene is the Empress of Orlais - possibly ruling "alone" or possibly in the Celene-Gaspard-Briala "work together option", going by "Given how messy Orlesian politics are wont to be, with chevalier cousins vying for the throne and elven handmaids turned both spymaster and lover".

Also, this might be just me and my assumptions or reading of it, but of the companion characters referenced in the book (see section above, Characters mentioned or alluded to in the cookbook), such as Cole, Sera, Merrill, Fenris etc, I feel like it's safe to assume that in this worldstate they were all recruited by the relevant PCs are alive and well (including the Chargers).

Merch items & similar that appear as props or edits in photos

Alistair romance bundle (necklace and letter in Rivaini Couscous Salad. the necklace appears again in Goat Custard. the box can be seen in The Golden Nug)

Grey Warden pendant that shows the griffon heraldry (not sure if this is from the Gear Store or somewhere like Etsy. Grey Warden Pastry Pockets). this reappears in Sugar Cake

Solas Jawbone Necklace (Pickled Eggs. hhhh. unlike in Eggs à la Val Foret the blurb here doesn't mention Solas, but he's repped here anyway by the necklace hanging in the background hh)

Cullen's Lucky Coin (The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Antivan Sip-Sip)

In Nug Pancakes this red Inquisition banner with the handprint is in the background (seems to be from game files/in-game props). the red Inquisition banner appears again in Chasind Sack Mead

In Nug Bacon and Egg Pie, there is a nug in the background, presumably looking on in horror as their spouse has been transformed into a pie

In Turnip and Mutton Pie is a necklace that looks like the one Varric wears

Templar Banner (Roasted Turkey with Sides)

Inquisitor's iconic helmet replica (Roasted Turkey with Sides. hhh, this reminds me of the ones that are props in the queue area for the Dragon Age-not Dragon Age-ride)

In the background of Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler a nug is peeking out

Antivan Apple Grenade contains a map of Westeros hhh. You can see the Three Sisters, the Neck and the Bite

A physical version of this Thedas map appears at various points e.g. Chasind Sack Mead

DA:I advisors coin set (Tevinter Pumpkin Bread) - for some reason Tumblr won't allow me to add the link to this one as an actual link, but you can find it here: gear.bioware.com/en-eu/products/dragon-age-three-advisors-coin-set

A green orb that I would guess is meant to be reminiscent of the ones Solas has you use during Measuring the Veil (Tevinter Pumpkin Bread)

Inquisition symbol pendant (not sure if this is from the Gear Store or somewhere like Etsy)

(You can get 20% off in the BioWare Gear Store until November 6th using my latest discount code BWCUISINE. After that date check back here for a new code. alternatively, you can use my >tracking link<.)

Some random thoughts

Shoutout to the photo for Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie. It looks a lot like the illustration in World of Thedas of this dish! you can see that they really took it into consideration when creating this dish/image.

I feel like you can also sense the inspiration in general vibe/feel in Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler from Dalish Deep Forest Comfort in WoT.

The black and gold theme colors of the cover remind me of when DA:D branding was black and gold.

Recipe pages I have posted that you can view in full: Spiced Jerky, Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler, Hearth Cakes, Merrill's Blood Soup, Lentil Soup, Peasant Bread, Dragon Piss

Recipe and other pages that were already available to view in full from the official preview pages: intro page, intro page 2, intro page 3, Contents page 1, Contents page 2, intro page 4, Devon's letter, intro page 5, Starters & Refreshments section intro page, Eggs à la Val Foret, Fried Young Giant Spiders, Fereldan Hearty Scones, Nug Pancakes, Roasted Turkey with Sides, Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls, Nevarran Blood Orange Salad recipe (pic), Stuffed Deep Mushrooms recipe (pic), Rivaini Couscous Salad recipe (pic), Crab Cakes from Kirkwall recipe (pic), Fluffy Mackerel Pudding recipe (pic), Snail & Watercress Salad recipe (pic), Cave Beetles

Source of the above information: Dragon Age The Official Cookbook - Tastes of Thedas

If you’re not able to get the book, and there’s a recipe or two in the Contents that you’d like to see/read, let me know and I’ll show you (❁´◡`❁)

Link to Part 2, in text form (pls copy-paste) as Tumblr won't let me add it as a normal link: https://felassan.tumblr.com/post/732826339350102016/dragon-age-the-official-cookbook-tastes-of

A post you may also be interested in: Food and drink lore compilation from Dragon Age: The Last Court

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

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paldean-sandwich-rater · 4 months

Note

A sandwich.

It contains ice cream, whipped cream, sponge cake, meat balls, broccoli, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, rice, noodles, mac and cheese, bacon, beef jerky, dried fish, seaweed, one of every Pokemon berry, jam, olive oil, lotus, dragon fruit, ravioli, ramen, tempura, teriyaki chicken, macaroons, escargots, mint, pepper, salt, sugar, croquettes, pickles, apples, avocados, sausages, bell peppers, grapes, pizza, a donut, cheese, more cheese, even more cheese, mushrooms, mustard, olives, a fried egg, a scrambled egg, blueberries, a poached egg, chawanmushi, a red bean bun, mochi, bbq sauce, chicken nuggets, french fries, takoyaki, pancakes, mackerel, salmon, coffee beans, spinach, a tiny bit of corn cream soup, ramensanga, fettucine alfredo, a plain bagel, pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, sweet potato, yam, potato, scallions, scallops, squid, crab stick, fish balls, fish cakes, oyster sauce, silken tofu, barley, cereal, paprika, oysters, red snapper, sea bass, plums, bean sprouts, garlic, string cheese, camembert, swiss cheese, mozzarella, parmesan cheese, yogurt, brinjal, a macdonald’s happy meal (without the toy and the packaging of course), truffles, caviar, tapioca balls, fried chicken, century eggs, cake sprinkles, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, milk tea (just a tinge), coffee (also a tinge), pudding, pumpkin, honey, mutton, mashed potatoes, bananas, icelandic fermented shark that they bury in the ground for months, raisins, dried mangoes, a drop of water, jelly, nata de coco, prunes, roasted pork, rosemary, bee pollen, peas, deer meat, rabbit meat, fish maw, ham, turkey, m&ms, chub, fufu, watermelon, winter melon, rock melon, coffee jelly, cacao, carrots, blueberries, black tea, dumplings, carrot cake, beetroot, purple cabbage, corn, celery, edamame, red beans, black beans, green beans, kidney beans, cashews, peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, chickpeas, almonds, daikon, MSG, tamales, anchovies, tabbouleh, lions mane mushroom, chicken of the woods, kelp, octopus, durian, kimchi, crème fraîche, popcorn, cotton candy, everything bagel seasoning, capers, pears, marinara sauce, bittercress, butter cream, every single iteration of galarian curry, sushi, sashimi, kale and a very very specific ramen bowl (without the actual bowl) from a very particular shop located in Iwatodai.

And the top and bottom buns are somehow made from 50 different kinds of bread in a checker box pattern.

It comes with a picture.

Ingredients: I am not typing all of that out again. What the fuck.

Smell: You’ve taken an entire food court’s worth of food and made it into a sandwich. This isn’t even possible. Why am I considering this. 3/5

Taste: How do you eat this. 2/5

Texture: You get like 5 different foods every bite. This is not balanced. There is no harmony. This sandwich is the embodiment of disorder and chaos. 1/5

Presentation: The fact that this even looks sandwich adjacent is a fucking miracle. You don’t get full points though. Because I don’t like you. 3/5

Would Chunk Eat It?: He would eat maybe 1/50th of it. So no. 1/5

Final Score: 2/5

Critic’s Notes: Why would you waste this much food. Just host a party. Donate it. Something fucking anything I am begging at this point.

#asks #sandwich rating #anon sandwich sub(mission)

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lesvegas · 5 months

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#polls #tumblr polls #food #food polls #rice balls #onigiri #omusubi

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swanmaids · 4 months

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aredhel/vana, rated e. for @imakemywings <3

There was a reason Írissë had never sworn herself to any Valar. Acolytes, she grumbled to herself, made the worst adventuring partners.

And she’d been looking forward to the trip for ages! Tyelkormo had made it sound so exciting when he’d pitched it to her. Let’s spend a few weeks in Oromë’s Woods, he’d said to her, he’d show her all of the hidden parts that most were unable to find. They could explore all of it, it would be so much fun.

But only two days into their trip, he’d woken her with an apologetic smile. Oromë had spoken to him the night before, apparently, and wanted him to go to the temple in the heart of the forest that day. Yes, alone. No, he didn’t know how long for. Sorry. Then he’d sped off on his horse, leaving her to pack up their camp.

“Yeah, really fucking fun for me,” Írissë called aloud to the near-silent forest, “You prick!”

The forest said nothing.

What to do now?

The Woods had lost all appeal. But she didn’t feel like going back to Tirion either. She’d been promised adventure — or at least entertainment.

In the beginnings of the Woods they had passed a diverging path: one way led deeper into the forest, and the other towards an orchard planted by Vána, which Írissë had never seen. It wasn’t quite the same as a weeks-long expedition, but she supposed she could pass some pleasant hours among the fruit trees while she planned her next move, and Vána’s maia handmaidens who tended them were said to be very beautiful.

It was as good a plan as any. She mounted her white mare, and headed back to the path.

The orchard was beautiful. Dozens of trees were almost bent under the weight of so much ripe fruit – plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and many more that Írissë had never seen, and couldn’t name. Írissë had imagined only a small group of trees, but the trees were only part of a great green meadow that stretched beyond the horizon – it would take at least a day to cross it. Bare-breasted handmaidens lounged amid the scene, feasting on fruit or gossiping or practising at some craft. One was entertaining a small group with a stringed instrument, picking out a tune that Írissë recognised as one of Elemmirë’s better known compositions.

She sat alone beneath a plum tree slightly secluded from the rest of the scene, set her horse free to roam the grass, and watched in silence.

“Please don’t sulk so loudly here,” a sweetly melodic voice said from somewhere unseen, interrupting her thoughts, “you’ll turn the fruit sour.”

Írissë jumped and spun around. “I wasn’t even saying anything!” She cried in her own defence, before looking up and meeting the eyes of the speaker.

She was wearing the fána of one of the Eldar, but there was something about her that reminded Írissë of a birch tree or a reed. She was tall and long limbed, dark hair spilling down her back, and inkings of vines winding around her arms and legs. She was clad in a grass-stained linen shift, and her feet were muddy and bare.

Vána the Ever Young was smiling down at her.

“No, I suppose not… but your thoughts are written all over you.”

Írissë was not sure how she ought to respond to that, so she did not. Vána went on.

“I know — you wanted to spend some time with your little friend, but he ran off to fuck my husband instead. That’s tough, but worse things have happened — and it’s definitely not worth upsetting my garden over.”

Írissë smiled, in spite of herself. Of course Oromë’s wife would not be ignorant of anything that happened in the Woods. “What do you propose I do instead, then?”

Vána smiled back. “Stay a while! There is beauty, food, and entertainment here. You’ll find this is far too lovely a place to be grumpy in for very long.”

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The Valië had a servant bring them a sort of picnic. There were rice balls filled with acidic pickled plums, pale-fleshed peaches bigger than the palm of her hand, an ice-cold bottle of plum wine with two cups. It was all predictably delicious, and she ate quickly, sucking the dregs off her fingers.

But Írissë was surprised by how much she enjoyed the company. Perhaps her tongue was loosened by the wine, but she found herself laughing easily around Vána as she listened to her describe her appreciation for a new Vanyarin play based on the Ainulindalë, or some of the antics of her favourite maiar. It was true what people said — that she was somewhat flighty and silly, but it was a harmless silliness, and one that Írissë suspected masked a shrewder mind. Once the food was finished, she realised that her earlier mood was gone, and she felt entirely better.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised when Vána poured the last of the wine into her cup, drank it in one mouthful, and pressed her sugar-sticky lips against Írissë’s. But in truth, she was caught off guard – which was not a feeling that was familiar to her – , and could scarcely respond.

The Valië pulled back, a slight frown marring her pretty features. “I’m sorry,” she said, “did I misunderstand you? Did you not want…” she trailed off.

Írissë looked at her again. She looked at Vána’s girlish wild beauty, and thought of her unexpected kindnesses that day, how she had gone to lengths to cheer a strange Eldar woman she had never met.

“I did want it,” she said, “I do.”

This time, Írissë leaned forward and kissed her.

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The picnic basket was cast aside, the empty wine bottle rolled away, and Vána laid Írissë down gently on the grass, still kissing her. Vána’s lips were soft, as Írissë surely knew they would be, and tasted of the wine and the fruit. As Vána began to trail sucking kisses over her jaw and down her neck, Írissë felt as though she had drunk the whole bottle of wine herself. She felt light and heady. She felt as though she could do anything.

When Vána’s hands began teasing at the hem of her tunic, a question in her eyes, the feeling only intensified. Írissë nodded, perhaps over-enthusiastically if Vána’s little giggle was anything to go by, but she could not care. Vána pulled off her tunic, baring her breasts; and Írissë, not wishing to wait any longer than she had to, tugged off her own pleated trousers and fumbled with her shoes, leaving herself in only underwear.

Apparently the stained shift was the only thing that Vána had bothered to wear that day – she tugged it over her head and revealed her naked form, just as pretty as the rest of her. The vine drawings covered her entire body, wrapping around her breasts and torso.

Írissë didn’t bother pretending not to stare. After all, the Valië was openly staring at her.

“Can I take these off, too?” she asked, gesturing at Írissë’s underwear.

“Please.”

Vána’s tongue flicked out over her lower lip in appreciation once Írissë was finally naked. “Touch me if you wish,” she murmured, rolling over so that she was braced on her hands and knees, body covering Írissë, “but there’s so much that I want to do to you.” She bent down and kissed her again, hard, as though she wanted to devour her.

Írissë thought suddenly that she wouldn’t mind being devoured.

Vána skimmed a delicate hand down her body, leaving gooseflesh rising in her wake, before she reached between her legs. She skimmed over the dark wiry hair that covered her pubic mound, making an interested noise, and reached down, skimming her fingers over her opening, where Írissë knew she would find her wet.

Vána slid her first finger in easily, Írissë’s body opening up for her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Gently, she stroked her thumb over the nub of her clit, making her shiver, and Írissë found herself rolling her hips upwards towards the contact.

A second finger followed. Vána slid the fingers apart, then brought them together, in an unpredictable rhythm that made Írissë pulse hot. And when she stroked one particular spot inside of her, she gasped, and felt herself burning. Adjusting her position slightly, Vána pressed the heel of her hand against Írissë’s clit as she stroked her from the inside out, and Írissë ground downwards, the small of her back arching off the grass, needing the contact.

She hadn’t even realised that her hands were thrashing about amid the grass before Vána reached up with and caught them both with her free hand – it would have been a surprising show of power for one so seemingly delicate, if it were possible to forget that Vána was a creature who had sung the universe into being.

“Perhaps I ought to summon up some vines, to hold you down for me properly,” she murmured, and Írissë heard herself whimper.

“Hmm. It’s certainly something to consider…” the Valië continued, but Írissë scarcely heard her, because Vána chose that moment to grind her palm harder against Írissë’s clit while rubbing against the hottest spot inside of her, and her vision turned white as she came.

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Afterwards, Írissë, still naked, gratefully ate through three sweet nectarines that Vána fetched her. She was hungry again -- she was starving. Which felt a little unfair, she thought then, as it seemed that Vána had done all of the work.

“Um,” she said, “I’m sorry – that I didn’t –” she felt uncharacteristically embarrassed.

“Don’t worry!” Vána said airily, “it was more than my pleasure to take care of you.” Then she gave her little grin again. “Of course, if you’re really upset about it, you could always stay here a little while. I’m sure you can make it up to me.”

It seemed that Írissë had found an adventure after all.

#my post #my fic #feb ficlet challenge #despite it being like 3x longer than all the rest lol.#nsft

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curried-mermaid · 2 months

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Manga Review: Fruits Basket

We often forget that love is more than just romantic. Natsuki Takaya does an excellent job delving into the human heart and analyzing the different ways people fall in love. Tohru, your average bakadere, accomplishes this just by being herself and soothing the other character’s hearts. She listens to them and says exactly what they need to hear most, even if it comes out weird. Takaya doesn’t portray romance like we normally see in anime or in western media. She focuses on how unconditional love can heal all wounds.

A perfect example of this theme is when Tohru helps Yuki (the dandere) defend his ‘secret base’ (a small vegetable garden) from a typhoon. Yuki expresses that he only acts nice for himself, it’s not because he’s a nice person. He’s jealous that Kyo (the tsundere) can easily make friends and that’s why he’s nice. He wants to be liked. Tohru tells him that everyone has their own kindness that develops through their experiences. Yuki’s “is like a candle. It suddenly lights up” (Takaya, Vol. 1, 131-137).

Another theme pops up as she is talking to Kyo as she makes rice balls with him. She mentions that he’s really good at making them and someone who’s been trying to learn would be jealous. He responds with that’s dumb. She comes up with the analogy that everyone has great qualities they cannot see in themselves because they’re like pickled plums that stick to rice. They’re stuck on someone’s back. Everyone else can see them except the person they’re stuck to. Kyo is a wonderful person (Takaya, Vol. 1, 262-267). This theme is important because it helps Tohru develop relationships with the other characters that pop up in the series. She can see everyone’s good qualities regardless of what trauma they’ve been through and how they lash out at those around them. She heals by accepting them for who they are, zodiac spirits and all.

Takaya’s writing style helps keep the audience at ease as she tackles the hard topics of trauma. This easy-to-read format makes Tohru an effective protagonist. We find out that one of the other zodiac members, Hatori, fell in love only to have to erase his love’s memories after they tried to get permission from the family head, Akito, to marry. Akito lashed out and caused Hatori to go mostly blind in one eye, and his love, Kana, was mentally broken because she thought it was all her fault (Takaya, Vol. 1, 374-395).

This introduces Akito as Tohru’s “rival” in this series. This is evidenced by Yuki telling Tohru’s friends “She (Tohru) deserves the moon but would never ask for it” (Takaya, Vol. 1, 224) versus Akito saying that he wants the moon (242). This is an excellent way to introduce and show the differences between Tohru and Akito. The narrative style follows a third person omnipotent view. The story is told mostly through dialogue and various character inner monologues. This is effective because the audience can get a clearer picture of what’s going on. The flashbacks are relevant to the story and help us understand what each character has gone through up to the point of the story.

The largest problems I have with Takaya’s narrative is the story moves slowly and Tohru is a passive protagonist. If you’re not paying attention to the small details, you’ll miss how the relationships develop. The other important thing is the ending for this first volume is sad and nostalgic at the same time. It’s just the daily life of an average girl who stumbled into a supernatural family.

Overall, I’d say this series is worth checking out and is one of my favorites because it brings a refreshing take on love through deep connections. Love is more than just romance. Be [1]prepared to fall for this series over and over through bittersweet heartache and blissful triumph.

Takaya, Natsuki. “Fruits Basket Collector’s Edition”. Volume 1, 2016, Yen Press.

#anime #writing #manga review #anime and manga #book review #manga #women writers #fruits basket #tohru honda #yuki sohma #kyo x tohru #shigure sohma #romance

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moustawott · 1 year

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Law hates pickled plums so much, it’s hilarious

(One Piece Novel Law Fan Translation)

One day, while Wolf was shutting himself in his workshop, Bepo and I were harvesting vegetables in the greenhouse. Here, one could grow plants that couldn’t be found in the winter, and even control the speed at which they wanted them to grow. Honestly, it was hard to not admit that it was an exceptional invention.

“Say, Law, can I also pick these plums?”

“Especially not, moron! What do you want to make with them? Pickled plums, I bet?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I love pickled plums, they go so well with rice balls.”

“Shut up! I never want to hear the words ‘pickled’ and ‘plum’ coming from you again, got it?!”

“Eeek! Ok, alright, but it’s not a reason to get angry…”

Uuurgh, there he goes being depressed again. This polar bear really lacks a backbone. But it doesn’t mean I’ll apologize. He shouldn’t have told me about pickled plums, that’s all. Honestly, what’s up with that sourness? It stings the tongue in such an unpleasant way. In my eyes, it’s the pickled plum, the real devil’s fruit.

What did pickled plums ever do to you, Law

#one piece #trafalgar law #trafalgardwaterlaw #law novel #fan translation #one piece bepo #heart pirates

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pix4japan · 5 months

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Plums and Pipes: Unveiling the Unique Charms of Mukoyama Shoten in Yokohamabashi

Location: Yokohamabashi, Minami Ward, Yokohama, Japan Timestamp: 17:33 on December 19, 2023

Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter ISO 3200 for 1/125 sec. at ƒ/8.0 Astia Soft film simulation

Step into the vibrant Yokohamabashi shopping district, and one of the first shops you'll encounter on your left is an establishment named Mukoyama Shoten, offering an quirky mix of tobacco and plum products.

Several years ago, the store underwent a renovation, transforming its appearance into a more modern and inviting space. Originally specializing in tobacco-related items, Mukoyama Shoten has expanded its inventory to include a totally unrelated selection of renowned plum (ume) and pickled plum (umeboshi) products, notably the Nanko-Ume.

Nanko-Ume, a distinctive plum variety, thrives in the historical region known as “Kishu,” encompassing present-day Wakayama Prefecture and southern Mie Prefecture. The coastal climate in this area is particularly conducive to the cultivation of these flavorful plums.

Beyond their unique origin, pickled plums (umeboshi) are served with vinaigrettes, salad dressings, noodles, sandwiches, and rice balls. A popular way to enjoy umeboshi is to pair them with rice, complemented by side dishes such as fish, meat, or vegetables like cucumbers and carrots.

For those inclined towards homemade drinks, buying unripened green plums in late spring or early summer opens up the possibility of crafting umeshu—a delightful fruity liqueur. Made by steeping unripened ume in distilled liquor with sugar, the steeping time is left to the brewer’s discretion. Many of the older parents of my Japanese friends, treasure personal umeshu recipes passed down through generations. These homemade concoctions are served warm in winter and served cold in the summer months.

Yokohamabashi, like many other shotengai shopping streets in Japan, boasts the charm of small mom-and-pop shops, each with its own quirky blend of products. The juxtaposition of tobacco items and plum specialties at Mukoyama Shoten exemplifies the unique character of these establishments, making a visit a fun exploration of diverse offerings.

Google Maps links, references for further reading, and source materials can be found at the latest blog post at pix4japan.com: https://www.pix4japan.com/blog/20231219-yokohamabashi

#ストリートスナップ #横浜 #横浜橋商店街 #昭和レトロ #向山商店 #pix4japan #X100V #Fujifilm #street photography #Japan #Yokohama #shotengai #Yokohamabashi

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chaos-cousins · 4 months

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Pelipper mail!

A sandwich.

And the top and bottom buns are somehow made from 50 different kinds of bread in a checker box pattern.

What the actual fuck.

It has whipped cream on it. Disgusting.

THAT'S WHY ITS DISGUSTING????

No it's just the first thing I saw that grossed me out and you know I hate whipped cream

#pokeblogging #rotomblr

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ziodyne-amax · 4 months

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Pelipper mail! (To kotone)

A sandwich.

And the top and bottom buns are somehow made from 50 different kinds of bread in a checker box pattern.

I’m. I’m not even sure how you managed to fit all this. This is beautiful in its monstrosity…

#pokeblogging #rotomblr #burning dread: kotone

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exhausted-archivist · 8 months

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Cookbook Sample Preview...

I'm perfectly normal about this, totally calm. But I noticed on Sunday that the Dragon Age official cookbook had a preview/sample that it didn't have last time I checked. To summarize, it shows the Table of Contents and 7 new preview recipes along with 2 from an earlier sample release. It's basically previews the whole first section "Starters and Refreshments".

I will be putting things under cuts in case people don't wanna see things. From now on and after its release, the tag I will be using for the cookbook if you want to block is #tastes of thedas or #da: tot

I will also be silently combusting inside as I try not to let the excitement amp me up too much. I expect to fail this mission lol. (Spoiler I did fail and have been making my excitement everyone's problem.)

So, the cookbook sample. Amazon had a scrolling preview that wasn't as nice as the spreads so I made them into spreads like we got with the previous six recipes. You can see them here in this post.

But the following is the full spread of the sample from the cookbook. It gives us the cover, the two title pages, the table of contents, an introduction of a new character/narrator, the table of contents for the Starters and Refreshers section, and the 9 recipes within that section.

Beneath the images, I have transcribed the lore blurbs of the recipe as well as give an image description, but I didn't type out the recipes. That's for a later post (Also because it doesn't fit on this post. I hit the limit, sorry.) For a similar reason, I'm not adding my commentary to any of the recipes.

Contents

Introduction - 7

Starters & Refreshments

Eggs à la Val Foret - 11 Nevarran Blood Orange Salad - 13 Fried Young Giant Spider - 15 Stuffed Deep Mushrooms - 17 Rivaini Couscous Salad - 19 Crab Cakes from Kirkwall - 21 Fluffy Mackerel Pudding - 23 Snail & Watercress Salad - 25 Cave Beetles - 27

For the Road

Spiced Jerky - 31 Grey Warden Pastry Pockets - 33 Pickled Eggs - 35 Unidentified Meat - 37 Seheron Fish Pockets - 39 Crow Feed - 43 Black Lichen Bread - 45 Hearth Cakes - 47 Peasant Bread - 49

Soups & Stews

Merril's Blood Soup - 53 Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup - 55 The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew - 57 Fish Chowder - 59 Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup - 61 Lentil Soup - 63 Nettle Soup - 65 King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Soup - 67

Main Courses

Stuffed Cabbage - 71 Antivan Gnochi - 73 Antivan Paella - 75 Grilled Poussin - 77 Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce - 79 Nug Pancakes - 81 Fish in Salt Crust - 83 Roasted Wyvern - 85 Nug Bacon and Egg Pie - 87 Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie - 89 Cacio e Pepe - 91 Turnip and Mutton Pie - 93 Smoked Ham from the Anderfels - 95 Roasted Turkey with Sides - 97

Sides

Sera's Yummy Corn - 103 Stuffed Vine Leaves - 105 Honey Carrots - 107 Nevarran Flat Bread and Yogurt Dip - 109

Sweet Delights

Blancmange - 113 Poison Stings - 115 Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler - 117 Dwarven Plum Jam - 119 Sour Cherries in Cream - 121 Treviso Energy Balls - 123 Rice Pudding - 125 Goat Custard - 127

Baked Goods

Antivan Apple Grenade - 131 Found Cake - 133 Varric's Favorite Cinnamon Rolls - 135 Croissants - 137 Cherry Cupcakes - 139 Chocolate Cake - 141 Varric's Favorite Pastries - 143 Sugar Cake - 145 Lamprey Cake - 147 Tevinter Pumpkin Bread - 151

Drinks & Potions

Lichen Ale - 155 The Hissing Drake - 157 Hot Chocolate - 159 Antivan Sip-Sip - 161 Dragon Piss - 163 Rivaini Tea Blend - 165 The Golden Nug - 167 The Emerald Valley - 169 Chasind Sack Mead - 171

Conversion Charts - 173 About the Authors and Photographers - 174

Introduction

Dear Mum,

It's me, Devon! I'm all grown up now-- or, well, more grown up than before. You always said I was too much like a child for my own good, and given the number of times you caught me daydreaming about going off on some grand adventure instead of sweeping the floors, I will grudgingly admit that you probably - probably - had a point. But guess what? I finally went on an adventure! A big one! Just like the Hero of Ferelden!

Okay, well, maybe not exactly like the Hero of Ferelden. But I did travel across Thedas! From Ferelden to Orlais, to Rivain, and even Tevinter. Plus, everything in between. It was a long journey, Mum. Weeks and weeks on the road, with the occasional bandit or beast. You'd probably have hated it, but, by Andraste, I loved every second of it! The sights! The sounds! The food.

Oh yes, the food. The reason why I set out on this journey to begin with. I know that I wasn't particularly adept in the kitchen the last time we saw each other. And, yes, I do remember that I nearly set Castle Cousland aflame with my first attempt at a stew. But I am pleased to inform you that I have been practicing extensively, and I think that, if the position still existed, I could take up your mantle as the Cousland family's cook. Granted, I doubt I would be able to fill your shoes completely; no one could manage such an impossible task. But I like to tell myself that I still would be able to make you proud.

And that takes me back to this journey and the all-important question of why. Why did I spend the last year traveling from one end of Thedas to the other, sampling whatever local cuisine I could get my hands on, even dishes that were downright strange? You're probably thinking that it's because the Hero of Ferelden ate it at some point - yes, that's certainly part of it, though I'll have you know that I tracked down foods enjoyed by the Champion of Kirkwall and the Inquisitor as well! Not to mention all their companions. But the truth is, Mum, throughout all of this, you were right there with them at the forefront of my mind. Because when I thought of ways to honor you, I kept coming back to the most important lesson you taught me: Love through food.

Every time I left your kitchen with a warm, full belly, I felt your love for me. And though I can't do the same for you anymore, I can fill this book. I can stuff it full of different recipes, dishes you've probably never even heard of, and think of you with each new entry. Because, you see, Mum, underneath all that childlike excitement, the dreams of adventure and heroism, I'm still very much your child. And I always will be.

Thank you for everything, Mum. I can't wait to share this book and the lessons that inspired it with the rest of the world.

Love, Devon

Starters & Refreshments

Eggs à la Val Foret

Image Description: A pancake with ham and a sliced poached egg with paprika and herbs on top sit on a silver platter.

Recipe Blurb: Ah, yes. Tons of cream! Exactly what I've come to expect from Orlesian cuisine. Do I have any tips for creating the perfect poached egg? Well, ever since I heard that Solas's bald head was once likened to an egg, I simply try to make my eggs just as round and shiny! So far, it's worked wonderfully and never ceases to put a smile on my face.

Nevarran Blood Orange Salad

Image Description: A wooden bowl rests on a rock, it holds a colourful salad with blood orange slices resting on top.

Recipe Blurb: Although I knew that Divine Victoria left behind a life of wealth and privilege to join the Seekers of Truth, it wasn't until I was in Nevarra, seeing exactly what she'd given up, that I truly gained an appreciation for the path she'd chosen. The best way to describe my first glimpse of the gardens of Nevarra is that it was like seeing a painting come to life. For a long moment, I could only stand there, so dazzled by the richness and vibrancy of it all that I was half-convinced I was actually still napping in the carriage. Surely, there was no way such beauty could be found outside of a dream. And yet the beauty before me was very much real.

So, too, was the picturesque tableau that arrived later that day on a plate: perfectly cut slices of blood orange artfully arranged on a lush pillow of bitter greens. Was this a meal or a still life, I wondered. In truth, the answer was both. For Nevarrans, food is as much a feast for the eyes as for the mouth. But even if your arrangement isn't quite worthy of being displayed in a museum, this salad will sing a symphony on your tastebuds.

Fried Young Giant Spiders

Image Description: A metal bowl filled with salad greens and fried crab legs arranged on top. Plate sits on a wooden table with a metal item and a smoking pot in the background.

Recipe Blurb: Just as people on the surface raise cows and goats, the dwarves underground raise spiders. Yes, to eat. The legs are fried and served with a sauce, which, true to dwarven fashion, is made with some type of alcohol. The precise kind depends on the establishment where you're eating your spider legs. Unfortunately, I couldn't get an exact recipe from any of the chefs I spoke to. These sauces are apparently closely guarded secrets and have spurred many a nefarious plot to acquire them-the competiontion to be crowned Orzammar's Best Sauce is fierce. But I've been assured that lichen ale is generally not used.

I've therefore come up with my own recipe, based on the many varieties I sampled while in Orzammar. Given that sourcing the requisite spider legs above ground is not nearly so easy, and the demand for such exports is minimal, I've subsituted them with crab legs. It's not a perfect match, but it's close enough to satisfy me.

Stuffed Deep Mushrooms

Image Description: Three mushroom caps fulled with a green, cheesy blend topped with chives. Placed on a platter that looks like a cut of wood, red capped mushrooms with white spots in the right hand corner in the foreground.

Recipe Blurb: Though the mushrooms growing underground in caves and in many parts of the Deep Roads are all called "deep mushrooms," there is no singular variety. In fact, there are several! Some mushrooms are squat, with broad, flat caps, while others are long and spindly, reaching toward the sky like an old man's gnarled fingers. They also have a multitude of applications, used in the creation of everything from restorative potions to deadly poisons. But in Orzammar, mushrooms are farmed for eating!

I was able to sample some of these dwarven delicacies, prized for their unique flavor and intoxicating scent. After only a few bites, I was struck with inspiration. How delicious would one of these mushrooms be when stuffed with cheese and spinach? The answer is: very. Rest assured that I selected this particular variety of deep mushroom not only for its shape, which is ideal for holding the maximum amount of cheese (and spinach), but also for the fact that it does not carry the darkspawn taint. While certain dwarves will insist that a deep mushroom's proximity to lyrium and darkspawn can only improve its flavor, I am quite content to leave that particular question a mystery, especially where lyrium is concerned. Although I'm hardly and expert on the stuff, I can't help but think about Fenris and how much suffering he endured as a result of his lyrium-infused markings. It seems to me that, barring any natural resistance, lyrium and the body are two things that probably shouldn't mix.

Rivaini Couscous Salad

Image Description: A copper bowl filled with couscous, mixed with various veggies and a mint leaf on top. A letter with an amulet from Alistair in the bottom left corner - merch from the BioWare store.

Recipe Blurb: When I first encountered couscous, I mistakenly believed it to be a grain, like rice or the more familiar Fereldan barley. I was swiftly corrected. In fact, couscous is a sort of pasta, made with semolina flour and water, although it's far smaller than your typical Antivan pasta. Couscous has a very mild flavor on its own--maybe slightly nutty. But where it excels is in its ability to soak up surrounding flavors, making it a perfect base for any salad. I'd love to experiment further, but so far, this particular combination of red bell pepper and mint has proven to be incredibly pleasing.

Crab Cakes from Kirkwall

Image Description: A caste iron pan over a bed of coals and flames, filled with battered soft shelled crabs, red peppers, and lemon slices.

Recipe Blurb: I love it when recipes add a dash of whimsy into the mix. Food shoulf be fun. I, therefore, took it upon myself to put this into practice with a classic Kirkwall dish. After all, who hasn't looked at their crab cakes and wished they looked a little more like crabs? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who's thought this. But now that I've brought this possibility to your attention, I'm certain you're interested as well! Best of all, these extra-crabby crab cakes stay true to the original recipe's flavors, so nothig is lost--only gained!

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding

Image Description: Two red small bowls with baked masked potatoes and a slice of hard boiled egg on top sit on a net with a starfish in the background.

Recipe Blurb: Can it really be Feast Day without fluffy mackerel pudding? No! In fact, there's no dish I associate more strongly with the holiday than this unique combination of mackerel, onion, celery, and eggs. Granted, I've heard stories that, several decades ago, someone once attempted a diet consisting entirely of fluffy mackerel pudding. Now, that I certainly wouldn't recommend. It stops being Feast Day Fish if you eat it every day, no?

Snail & Watercress Salad

Image Description: A wooden bowl resting on a river rock, filled with a salad comprised of mixed greens, radishes, and cooked snails.

Recipe Blurb: When the Avvar can't get their hands on a gurgut or a wyvern, they turn their attention to smaller prey. Much smaller prey. Snails are found on many a hillside boulder, making them an abundant source of food for the Avvar. Now, while some would wrinkle their noses or cry out in disgust at the prospect of eating a snail, I am pleased to report that, when prepared correctly, the texture. and flavor are actually good! I could happily eat a plate full of snails dressed in butter and oil, but those still on the fence about a snail's place

Cave Beetles

Image Description: A carved bowl holding cooked whole prawns, lemon slices and herbs sit on a rock with fake beetles and a black rock with blue glowing lines in the background.

Recipe Blurb: You think that, after snails, I'd balk at beetles? Never! In fact, I greatly enjoyed this dwarven dish, which involves roasting cave beetles in their shells. However, I recognize that many may not have a palate that's nearly so adventurous. If that's the case, the cave beetles can be replaced with whole prawns while keeping the rest of the recipe the same. That being said, if you do enjoy the variation with prawns, I really recommend giving the cave beetles a try. They're quite similar in both texture and flavor. If you were to blindfold yourself, I doubt you could tell the difference!

#dragon age #dragon age cookbook #da: tot #da: tastes of thedas #tastes of thedas #long post #I am so excited this is just so good so far #I almost have bingo #archi is yelling into the void #I see that it mentioned it taking a year to traverse Thedas and we will all ignore that. Thank you.#I have feelings and observations which is for another post lol

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the-night-writer1 · 7 months

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What Do Our Brothers Do?

Chapter 1 "Laundry thoughts"

Shanyao is collecting clothes and thinking when mk asks about his new neck wound. (Yes this is the fic brought up by the pole)

It was Friday afternoon and Shan was collecting clothes for the washing machine. If he didn't do it now he'd have twice as much to do next Friday. Plus he needed to clean his jeans again, it was too late for the shirt. He had to toss it.

Though Shan's thoughts were elsewhere as he picked up his twin brother's boxers and put them in the laundry basket. Instead of the lost of his grey shirt, he was thinking about the fight he had with Red boy.

Could it really be considered a fight at this point? How many punches were actually thrown Shan pondered as he looked back on it. Well he still needed a first aid kit afterwards right? So maybe very loosely he could claim it was a fight.

He had a throbbing neck wound after amongst the other scraps and bruises. Yet the question still lingered. At this point could the interaction be considered a fight? A normal fight between enemies or was it something different?

It was clearly still very heated like their normal fights. However where it went was completely different Shan thought as he was not paying attention to his surroundings. Just picking up the laundry on Mk's bedroom floor.

"hey where did you get that Shan?" Mk asked surprising Shan from behind. Gently pressing a hand on the other twin's neck for a moment before Shan jolted dropping the laundry basket.

"A COMPLETE NORMAL FIGHT WITH RED BOY-" Shan yelled in surprise be grabbing him foot which the basket landed on," fuckin- give a man a heart attack!?"

"I'm sorry I thought you heard me come in" Mk said apologically as Shan hoped on his other foot for a minute. Not even thinking about how the basket shouldn't have hurt Shan's foot that bad since you know superpowers.

"clearly I didn't! I thought you were hanging out with Mei and Red son today." Shan mumbled after quickly collecting himself. Trying not to think about how he got the neck wound or how red he got at MK just lightly touching it.

"Well you're really beat up so I thought I'd help with the laundry first" MK said as he helped his brother pick up the spilled clothes. Shan didn't get this beat up anymore usually. Was it a bad fight? Shan barely had a scratch after fighting Red boy normally. Yet this fight seemed more aggressive, did his baby twin brother finally lose to Red boy?

Shan seemed to be jumpy talking about it avoiding his gaze while they finished collecting the dirty clothes. He'd talk to Red son about it while they were hanging out.

---

"what do you mean did your brother lose? Noodle boy I don't follow" Red son said raising a brow as he sipped on his drink," I figured he won like always?"

"Well Shan was really beat up and Dadsy said he was really late getting home" Mk said he took another bite of his rice ball. Taking a moment to enjoy the pickled plum.

"could have just been a longer fight Mk! Doesn't mean Shanny lost" Mei said as she walked back to their table as Red son thought about it. Red boy had also been late getting home. He'd missed dinner and mother and father gone to bed by the time his own twin arrived home.

"Noodle boy has a point though. Their fights don't usually last into the late night dragon girl," Red son said as he put his drink down and rubbed his chin," Red boy was also not willing to talk about their fight which is abnormal. Did Sick boy say anything?"

"he said it was a completely normal fight but nothing else. Which is weird... Not that Shan is cocky but normally he explains how he beat your brother in case I learn something about strategy I think?" Mk said after finishing his rice ball. Mimicking Red son's chin scratching as he recalled the night before," did Red boy come home limping? Because Shan came home limping"

"Shanny came home limping?!" Mei yelled as she slammed her stuff down beside him,"Mk you can't leave out stuff like that!"

"hmm... I don't believe so but I didn't see my brother before I left today. It is concerning that your brother was limping, my brother doesn't usually put that much power into his hits with Sick boy. It's how he makes it a fair fight" Red son rambled as he dug in his pocket to text his brother to check on the man," it could have completely slipped my observation."

"if your brother seriously hurt Shanyao I'm going to beat him up! Immune to the fire or not I can still kick his butt!" Mei proclaimed as mk checked his own phone. Debating if he should send Shan a quick text. Shan wasn't online though.

"Very funny dragon girl, my brother may not be as smart as I am but he'd still be too much for you" Red son scoffed though he looked genuinely concerned. What happened yesterday?

---

"Fuck what was that?" Red boy grumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair. Why'd he let flea brain go home?! Fuck poor flea was limping! He bite into Shanyao's god damn neck! Idiot!!

Was flea brain even okay when they went their separate ways?How'd it get that out of hand? He was so stupid! How did he let teasing get that far again?!

Flea brain was fragile, very fragile and fuck he was such a brute! Red son would be so ashamed of him if his brother found out what happened. Red boy shouldn't have just dropped flea brain off at that fuckin noodle shop he thought as he punched the wall.

Should he apologize? Should he get a gift basket, did Red boy even take proper care afterwards. Gods be damned why was he so stupid?

#lego monkie kid #lego monkie kid au #monkie kid #lmk mk #lmk shanyao #lmk #lmk oc #lmk mei #red son #lmk red son #red boy #lmk red boy #hotstar #lmk spicynoodles #red twins au

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mimikiplovesgaming · 9 months

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Ink Demonth: Meat

I've uh...been having cravings for gyūdon lately ^^;; there's something so comforting about it. So I decided to do a Bendy themed bowl!

The Bendy Beef Bowl! Hot rice topped with slices of premium meat, layered delicately on top of a bed of sautéed onions. The sauce is sweet honey and garlicky heat, dyed with squid ink to give it an inky appearance! Scallions are sprinkled and at the pinnacle is a rice ball of the cute lil demon himself, paired with a pickled plum!

#my art #bendy and the ink machine #bendy and the dark revival #batim #baby bendy #the ink demonth #gyudon #bendy fandom #beef bowls are the shit #literally rice meat and onions in a bowl #it's a commoner's food in japan #it's now my guilty pleasure

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belicioustummy · 9 months

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samples

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A KINK FIC. DO NOT INTERACT IF YOU ARE UNDER 18.

S.teve and C.esare share some onigiri.

“Damn, S.teve. That’s a lot, even for you,” C.esare said, looking at the assorted rice balls on the table in front of them. “You trying to challenge yourself tonight, or what?”

“Mm,” S.teve said. “A bit, but I was hoping to share some of it…”

C.esare looked incredulous. “You mean, with me?”

“Who else?”

He shook his head and smirked. “Yeah, not happening. I told you before, I don’t eat food, remember?”

“I remember,” S.teve said evenly, taking an onigiri. “You said you don’t, but you never said you can’t.”

C.esare chuckled, his strange toothy grin wrinkling the corners of his eyes. “Oh, you’re a sharp one, Steven.”

Being undead was different, though he’d gotten used to it over the hundreds of years he’d been a watcher. It was very hard for most things that hurt normal people to affect him. Certain actions, such as eating and sleeping, were also unnecessary. C.esare still slept. It was familiar enough that he didn’t see a point in giving it up. But when hunger didn’t come up anymore, it was easy to forget to eat. As a result, he had gradually stopped doing so. It left him a lot more time to do more important things.

S.teve, on the other hand… S.teve was alive, so he ate. And he ate plenty. C.esare was very into large men as it was, and he regarded S.teve with an admiring fascination. From his round, pretty face to his thick, strong arms to his broad, hairy chest, just being able to look at S.teve was wonderful. Being close to him to the point where he could touch and kiss and hold him… well, that was an experience. Lately, he’d found that they both enjoyed curling up together after S.teve had eaten a big meal, especially when C.esare rubbed his belly. Though they still called each other rivals, the way S.teve was comfortable enough now to relax with (and even fall asleep around!) him made it clear how much things had changed between them. It had been unexpected that they would grow so close, but honestly, C.esare wasn’t complaining.

“If you don’t want any, I’ll just have leftovers,” said S.teve. He took a bite of the rice ball. “They’re good, though.”

C.esare was unusually quiet as he considered this, watching him enjoy his food. It would be embarrassing to go back on what he’d said, but the warm rice balls did smell nice. They seemed like a far cry from the awful food his own truck served. S.teve’s burgers may have been pretty bad as well, but clearly the man had taste. If he’d still been alive, he would absolutely have taken him up on his offer to share. Then again…

“So what kind are these?” C.esare asked as S.teve finished his first one. “They put fillings in them, right?”

S.teve nodded. “These are all different. I know which ones I like, and I wanted to sample some I hadn’t tried yet.” He pointed to several in succession. “There’s crab, shrimp tempura, and fried spam-“

“Spam?”

“It’s pretty popular, apparently. I like it.” He continued. “Kimchi, umeboshi- that’s spicy pickled cabbage and pickled plum,” he explained, seeing C.esare’s confused expression.

“I know what kimchi is,” C.esare grumbled, though he wasn’t really that annoyed.

S.teve ignored his dramatics. “The last one is plain, just rice and seasoning. Oh, and I already had the tuna one,” he added. “It was okay, but not my favorite.” He unwrapped another one.

Ordinarily, C.esare would have just been content to sit back and watch S.teve partake in his meal. Tonight was different, though. Maybe it was the fact that S.teve had specifically gotten extra food for him, but he was becoming increasingly tempted to try some himself.

“Anyway,” he said, trying to act casual, “you said one of these is plain, right? I think I’ll have a little of that.”

S.teve’s eyes widened and he smiled. “Hm! Good choice.” He picked one of the onigiri up and handed it to him. It was still warm, and wrapped in a sheet of seaweed.

C.esare broke it in half- it was already small, but he wanted to take it slow. It had been years since he last had food, after all. Tentatively, he took a bite.

Immediately, he was struck by the crisp dryness of the thin seaweed, and then the warm, fluffy texture of the rice inside. It was seasoned with a salty flavoring that made him want to wolf down the rest of it like a starving coyote. Instead, he forced himself to chew it slowly, savoring each bite. It was a strange sensation to suddenly have food in a previously empty stomach when you hadn’t felt any hunger. He finished the half of the onigiri and looked up to see S.teve looking at him with interest.

“What?”

“You look happy.”

“Damn straight. Have you tried this?“ C.esare pushed the other half of the plain rice ball towards him. “I don’t know how they make it taste like that.”

S.teve raised an eyebrow. “That’s all you want?”

“No, I want to try a new one,” said C.esare, “but I don’t know how much I can eat.” He gestured to his slim stomach. “I’m- I’m a lanky bastard, S.teve. I didn’t eat much even when I was alive. For all I know, a whole one of these could fill me up for a week. But I’m not tappin’ out yet.” He looked at the table. S.teve had finished his second rice ball, so there were four left, plus the half.

“What’s left?” he asked.

“I just had the kimchi. The crab, spam, shrimp, and umeboshi are up for grabs.”

“Let me get some of that umeboshi.”

C.esare broke the rice ball in half again, while S.teve started on the plain half. The filling was a reddish orange and smelled salty. When he bit into it, he was surprised at just how sour it was. He made a face.

“Agh, that’s HEINOUS,” he said loudly. S.teve laughed- a soft, humming little giggle. “Not to your taste?”

C.esare took another bite and screwed up his face again, but a bit less so. “Actually, it’s not that bad. I just wasn’t really expecting it to taste this way.” He got an evil glint in his eye. “Umeboshi on a burger, though…”

“You have some strange ideas about being a burger vendor,” S.teve said, looking amused. “Though people might enjoy that if it was cooked well.”

“Yeah, IF. Sour plum with a burger that’s charred to ash would be terrible,” said C.esare, clearly relishing in the idea. He finished his onigiri. Having a proper amount of food in his stomach was unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. He looked to S.teve. “I think I could handle a little more.”

“Want to try the spam?”

He considered it. “It doesn’t sound great to me, but maybe I’ll be wrong.”

S.teve gave him a small piece of it. The seaweed and rice was good as always, and the texture of the meat was fine. But as he chewed, C.esare frowned at the taste.

“That’s a no, then?”

C.esare shook his head. “The spices aren’t doin’ it for me, S.teve. But on the plus side, this would taste even worse if you burned the hell out of it.”

“I think that’s true for most meat,” S.teve pointed out. “You can’t go wrong with the last two, though.” He paused. “Unless you’re allergic to shellfish…”

C.esare wasn’t. He took half of the crab onigiri, which he was pleased to find tasted much better. The crab was savory with a hint of sweetness, it was seasoned the same way as the plain one had been, and…

“Does this have mayo in it?”

“Yeah, it does. Why?”

“I wouldn’t have thought it would go this well with rice.”

“Mm, I can see that. It’s basically a sandwich, though, just without bread.” S.teve patted his big stomach. C.esare realized with a start that he’d been so focused on trying the new food, he’d missed him eating the spam rice ball and the umeboshi half. He himself was beginning to feel pretty full, and S.teve had eaten more than twice the amount of food he’d had. Of course, there was the difference in size between them, and the fact S.teve was much more used to it, but even so, C.esare was impressed.

“You want to share the last one?” he asked him.

S.teve nodded. “Shrimp tempura. That’s a good one.” This time he was the one who halved the onigiri. C.esare caught him stealing a brief glance at his middle as he handed it to him. From where he was sitting, he could feel how much he had eaten, but he wasn’t sure if he was visibly full yet. Maybe when they were finished, Steve could feel his tummy. Those soft, gentle hands against his skin… He shivered delightedly at the thought and began to eat again.

The fried tempura batter around the shrimp was wonderfully crunchy, providing a nice contrast to the rice. The shrimp itself was also delicious. As C.esare ate, he made sure to watch S.teve finishing his last two halves. He could tell the clown was getting full by the way he was slowing down a bit, but he was still savoring them. C.esare swallowed the last bite and put a hand to his stomach. The feeling of comfortable fullness was something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time. He was pretty sure his shirt wasn’t tight enough to show it off. It definitely felt a bit rounder than usual, though.

S.teve finished soon after and looked at him curiously. “Did you have enough?”

C.esare let out a satisfied breath. “God. I’m like a risotto right now, S.teve.”

S.teve paused for a second and looked a bit confused. Then he nodded, understanding. “Want to go lie down?”

“Yes, please.”

C.esare’s bed was just big enough for the two of them to fit comfortably. They lay facing each other, close enough to reach out and kiss the other if the need struck them. For the moment, though, they were just gazing at one another, sleepy and full of wonderful food.

S.teve was the first to bridge the gap between them, cupping C.esare’s gaunt cheek with his hand.

“So pretty,” he whispered. C.esare couldn’t help but feel fluttery inside over the flirtation, and tried to cover it up by brushing his fingers through S.teve’s soft red hair. From the expression on S.teve’s face, he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding it. He decided to switch gears. Slowly, teasingly, he brought his hand down to S.teve’s stuffed belly. His long fingers brushed over the surface. Every now and then he softly pressed down to get a feel for just how much was inside. S.teve, who had his eyes closed and a smile on his face, was clearly enjoying the attention. C.esare reached under S.teve’s shirt. He let out a surprised honk.

“Your hands are FREEZING!”

“Oops,” said C.esare, smiling wickedly. That was another part of being undead- he was cold as the grave pretty much constantly. It did keep him cool in the summer, which S.teve took advantage of when he could. C.esare didn’t mind. The tradeoff was that he got to sneak-attack him like that every now and then.

He rubbed his palm in small circles from S.teve’s side to the crest of his stomach. It was easy to gauge how full of rice S.teve was. His skin was noticeably stretched from the sheer amount of food. The texture of his body hair felt fuzzy and pleasant against his hand, too.

S.teve’s stomach gurgled quietly, and he let out a contented little sigh. “Mmh… that‘s nice.” He seemed like he’d adjusted to C.esare’s chilly hands. C.esare leaned in to give him small kisses from his jaw to his neck, leaving blue lipstick marks on his pale skin. He caressed the side of his belly as he did so. S.teve pressed his forehead against C.esare’s, then brought his hand down to his companion’s slightly rounded middle.

C.esare’s breath caught.

“Is this oka-“

“Yes. Keep doing it.”

S.teve gave his tummy a loving pat. He was shy about showing affection in public, but when the two of them were alone, it was a different story. He let his hand drift over it. C.esare let out an involuntary sound. He hadn’t realized that his stomach felt a lot more sensitive when it was full. Or maybe he’d just forgotten.

“Hm?” S.teve paused to let his hand rest just below his ribs. The light pressure was just right, but C.esare felt like he’d go crazy if he didn’t feel the warmth of his hand against his skin.

“Steeeeeeve,” he said, putting his hand on top of his. “Don’t be shy about taking it under the shirt.”

S.teve blushed and gave him a sheepish grin. “I was hoping you’d ask…” He lifted up the bottom of his black turtleneck so his tummy was just peeking out. Now that it was uncovered, it was clear that his ordinarily empty stomach had filled out into a soft, healthy-looking little curve. S.teve beamed as he began to touch C.esare again.

C.esare had been right. The way S.teve gently massaged his bare stomach was absolutely heavenly. As he lingered around the tighter spots, S.teve hummed softly. He was giving as much care and attention to C.esare as he’d received from him.

“Mmmh. Does it feel this good when I do this for you?”

“Well, you seem to be enjoying this a whole lot. And I always look forward to it when you invite me over, so…”

“You deserve it, baby.” Though he meant it sincerely, there was a little note of cheekiness to disguise it. S.teve responded to this by giving his nose a little tweak. C.esare playfully snapped at his fingers when he did. Since they were both a bit too full for a proper play-fight, a silent truce was declared after a minute or so. S.teve laid against C.esare’s chest, and C.esare put his head on top of S.teve’s. Their hands still rested on top of each other’s tummies. C.esare could feel the steady rhythm of each breath S.teve took, and closed his eyes. After a while, he was pretty sure he’d fallen asleep. He kissed him on the forehead, and was surprised when he spoke up.

“… I’m glad we ate together tonight. I had a good time.”

C.esare nestled into S.teve’s hair, feeling lucky and cozy and absolutely loved.

“So did I.”

#belly kink #stuffing #b.igtop burger #s.teve #c.esare #I am doing my damndest to keep this out of searches if you couldn’t tell lol #I know the name censoring is clunky and I apologize for that… if I can find a better way I will #beliciouswrites

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