Re: Dashing Through Dolerum (119 4A)

[Nara-pyon]

Gwen looked thoughtful. "Well, I do enjoy reading," she admitted. "Still, I don't think I could do things with books all the time." She smiled again, wider now. "Though I do believe I shall speak with Andarien if I get the chance. I would be quite interesting to get a new perspective on my nephew's life."

Once again they were interrupted by their server, who this time was bringing each of them a steaming, deep-dish plate. On each were pieces of cauliflower chopped into small bits, cooked to be tender, and some kind of berry, slathered in a clear-ish red sauce, and topped with a hard-boiled egg, sliced into even quarters. It smelled of spices that complemented each other without any of them being overpowering.

"Thank you," Gwen smiled at their server as the woman laid out their flatware. The woman smiled back, gave a small curtsey to each of them, and left them.

[Kara Winters]

"Oh this looks nice," Miyuki smiled softly, "May I ask what it is though?"

She wondered if she could get the recipe as long as she promised not to make it again in the city like she had with vendors in other places.

[Nara-pyon]

"Sallat," Gwen answered, picking up her napkin and spreading it over her lap. "Cauliflower in a sauce made of currents, cinnamon, ginger, sugar, vinegar and butter, topped with egg. Careful not to burn your tongue, but do eat it hot if you can. It's best hot."

She used her spoon to pick up a small piece of her sallat, blew on it ever so gently, and took a bite.

[Kara Winters]

Miyuki followed Gwen's lead and carefully took a bite. It had quite a kick to it because of the cinnamon and ginger, and the vinegar was probably to add acidity to the dish. The girl had spent sometimes too much time around other cooks when she was trying to learn about the dishes of the places she had been to.

"Tasty," she murmured.

[Nara-pyon]

"My favourite appetizer," Gwen agreed. "And I know it seems like quite a portion size, but we are going to be waiting probably close to a half hour more for the next part. Sometime I will have to prepare some brewet for you, but that takes nearly three hours to prepare, so I thought I'd leave that off for today. I think it's quite possibly my favourite meal."

[Kara Winters]

"Brewet?" Miyuki question.

It sort of sounded like brew, but the last syllable through her off. She was quite aware how long it took to prepare certain things. Which absently made her wonder, if she could use runes to make an oven and stove more effective.

She would have to file that away somewhere.

[Nara-pyon]

"It's a roast beef dish," Gwen explained. "The beef is so soft it falls apart in your mouth - you hardly have to chew if it's been made correctly. It's made and served in a thick sauce that uses spices that blend together so succulently that it's as if you are eating the food of the Valar."

Her smile was wide, as if she were imagining that she were eating it right at that moment.

"But," she added with a laugh, "what we will be having instead will be just about as good, I promise. At least, in my opinion."

[Kara Winters]

It sounded like a slow roast to Miyuki, but she nodded all the same.

"I'm sure it will," she grinned, "But that does sound good."

And a bit familiar.

[Nara-pyon]

"Trust me, it is." Gwen grinned, her eyes sparkling. Suddenly she looked past Miyuki towards the window. "Looks like the snow is coming down harder," she murmured. "This could possibly be our first storm of the season."

She scooped up some more of her food and winked at Miyuki. "Some good, hot food makes it all better."

[Kara Winters]

"It always does," Miyuki agreed as she continued to eat.

She hadn't even noticed how hard the snow was coming down until Gwen mentioned it. It was nice to be in a city when it snowed because at least she could take shelter somewhere.

[Nara-pyon]

They took their time in finishing their sallat, and once they had finished their server came and took their plates away. They passed the time chatting about things, watching the snow falling outside, until at length their main course arrived.

It was a rice dish, thick and creamy like a casserole, with shredded chicken in it. It was lightly spiced and tasted of ginger and almond.

"Blancmanger," Gwen explained as she and Miyuki began to eat. "Chicken, rice, almond milk, and some spices. Usually saved for weddings or major banquets."

[Kara Winters]

"Oh hey... you grow rice here?" it was a rhetorical question but one that made Miyuki a bit excited.

She had been looking for rice for a long time, and while she was aware it might not be the same grain of rice, she was hopeful for some Gaian dishes that the Winters preferred. As she tried, she noted that the rice was of the right stickiness.. maybe they could make sushi.

Kaito would like that.

[Nara-pyon]

Gwen laughed aloud at the question. "If we didn't, we wouldn't be eating it now!" she teased Miyuki. "You sound awfully excited about it, though. I take it you have this where you're from?"

She was amused, and she could make no effort to hide it.

[Kara Winters]

"There are a lot of Gaian dishes that require rice," Miyuki explained, "And I haven't had them in many years because most places don't grow rice, either because it just doesn't originate there or there's not enough water for rice fields."

Often it was a combination of both.

[Nara-pyon]

Gwen giggled. "Well, at any rate, eat up. Leave room for dessert though - I promise it will also be good. And if you're so fond of rice, then I'm sure you are also aware of how filling it is. Just don't forget about dessert!"

Suddenly she felt something brush against her leg, and she looked down and spotted the restaurant's cat, a slim black creature with one white ear, rubbing up against her. She chuckled down at it and reached down to stroke it on the head. "Hello, Hunter," she cooed at it.

[Kara Winters]

Ai sniffed the cat and then ignored it seeing the creature not too different than Senka, only more quiet.

"How cute," Miyuki grinned.

Though she thought Senka was probably cuter, but not as cute as Suki. Unfortunately Suki wasn't a great Pokemon to take out because she was just way too friendly.

[Nara-pyon]

Gwen wiped her hands on her napkin again and continued to eat. "The restaurant always keeps one cat to keep mice away," she explained. "Typically they're called either Hunter or Nipper ... I'm pretty sure they switch back and forth every time they get a new one."

The cat sniffed back at Ai, but when Ai ignored it, it did the same with her, choosing instead to take up a post against Miyuki's leg, rubbing its head against her shin for attention.

[Kara Winters]

Ai did pay some attention when the cat began to rub its head against Miyuki's leg. Though it was really no different than what Senka would do.

"That would make sense," Miyuki agreed.

Since the cat was really only there to hunt mice, it was just rare she ever saw a domesticated cat.

"Quite affectionate..." she commented on the cat but didn't pet.

[Nara-pyon]

Gwen chuckled softly. "That he is. Attention is all he gets from the customers. And on that note I should warn you - don't feed him any food at all, not even a crumb. If he gets food from customers, he doesn't hunt the mice, and if anyone is caught feeding him, they are escorted out and asked not to return for at least a year."

The cat sat back on its haunches when Miyuki didn't pet it, but after a moment it wandered off to find someone else to pet it.

[Kara Winters]

"Understandable, he's not a lap cat," Miyuki replied.

Not like Senka, Senka was a lap cat through and through. Though how she ended up Miyuki's lap cat was questionable.

[Nara-pyon]

Gwen chuckled softly. "I'm not familiar with the phrase, but I presume that means something to simply sit on your lap and bask in your attention. No, no animals like that here."

She turned her attention to the meal, keeping up conversation as they ate. When they were finished with their blancmanger, their server once again appeared and took their plates, offering to refill their drinks for them, which Gwen accepted eagerly.

"And now for dessert," she murmured as the server left them alone again. "Probably won't be too long a wait."

They had already been there close to two hours, and the dessert took less than that time to prepare.

[Kara Winters]

"And what is for desert?" Miyuki asked.


Even though it probably wouldn't make sense until she saw it for herself.

[Nara-pyon]

"It's a little confusing," Gwen admitted, folding her hands together again. "I have no idea why, but it's called custard ... and yet it's more of a meat tart than anything else. It contains neither milk nor cream. It has more spices than I could name and it's dreadfully difficult to put together. I've never managed it succesfully, so I always make sure to get it here."

As she spoke, the server returned with the custard, each in its own individual dish. As Gwen had said, they were more like tarts than custard: a thin pie-type crust and an almost quiche-like filling with bits of meat and other things that weren't quite recognizable.

[Kara Winters]

Well... Miyuki supposed as she took a bite, that the egg-quiche like thing could be a custard. She had, had egg custard in the past, though having meat in a desert was new to her. Though she had heard of cakes with preserved ham and nuts in them.

"It's good though," Miyuki replied, "I just probably wouldn't have realized it's a desert right away."

[Nara-pyon]

"I know, it's a bit of a different dessert, but it's small, sweet and tasty - good enough for me."

Gwen's eyes sparkled as she picked up a small spoon - the last of her clean utensils - and began to eat t.

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