Asteroid B-612 Smoothie Bowl | The Little Prince

          I've been wanting to post a recipe for The Little Prince for such a long time now, and have actually been sitting on this one for ages! Now that we're heading into full-on Spring, and soon Summer, I thought this would finally be a good time to share it.😊

         I love the simplicity and poignancy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's story; it's so touching and beautiful. The animated film (adaptation? Interpretation?) that was released in the US last year on Netflix was also very moving (I watched it alone at night so I could bawl freely). I especially loved the animation style of the scenes that were directly from the book (the Little Prince and Fox figures in the photos are toys from those scenes in the movie). As a little kid, I watched the Japanese TV series adaptation, "The Adventures of the Little Prince", and it was one of those shows (flashes of its imagery anyway) that always stuck with me. I feel like The Little Prince is the kind of story that yes, is fantastical and can lead to wonderful imaginings and interpretations, but is also haunting and lonely and beautiful. There's such a sadness to it, juxtaposed to the wonder of it. I suppose that's what makes it a classic.😊

P.S. Did you know that there is a real-life asteroid named after B-612 from The Little Prince? How cool!

Meaty Rice Balls | Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

          Aahhh! 😊 I got my Switch along with "Breath of the Wild" back at the midnight release and have just been loving it ever since! "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" is so incredible and immersive, and there is so much food that Link can make! And I love how cute the animations and cooking tunes are, and how adorable Link's expressions are.
          Many foods have stood out to me as ones I'd love to recreate, but one at the top of the list is the "meaty rice ball", because I love meat! and the look of it is very appealing (okay, I think they're adorable😉).

"The sweet and spicy meat stuffed into these rice balls will keep you full for some time."

—In-game text, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"

Plum Upside Down Cake | Shadow Magic

        After reading (and loving!) Shadow Magic when it released this time last year, I asked author Joshua Khan what the story would be if it was a food and he replied, "a dark plum. Sweet and bloody." A perfect answer. Not only does it match the amazing cover illustration by Ben Hibon (who also did internal illustrations), but I can totally picture Lilith Shadow chomping on dark dripping plums in Castle Gloom.
          In celebration of the (US) release of Dream Magic (4/11/17), the sequel to Shadow Magic, I'd like to share this recipe for upside down dark plum cake inspired by Mr. Khan's answer! Haha, I can also envision this dense, flavorful cake being served in Castle Gloom, perhaps on silver trays by zombie servants. Maybe it's even a traditional dessert in Gehenna, served on special occasions, who knows?😉

Black & White Cookies | Voltron: Legendary Defender

          Happy birthday today to Takashi Shirogane, AKA Shiro from "Voltron: Legendary Defender"! Shiro (voiced by Josh Keaton) is actually a Leap Year baby (Feb. 29th), so there's a joke that he's really only 6 years old ;). Before Shiro's birthday was announced, I had in mind to do these "black & white" cookies, but the birthday made the perfect occasion (like the roll cake pops for Hunk's birthday last month)! 

          At first glance, these cookies match Shiro because of his hair; black with the little white tuft in front, the white appearing because of his ordeal at the hands of the Galra (no pun intended). On another level, they represent his name "Shiro" which means "white" in Japanese and the fact that he's the paladin of the black lion. Going deeper still, the duality these cookies present alludes to Shiro's kind, calm, positive, and uplifting personality in juxtaposition to the darkness he experienced during his internment with the Galra, the lasting effects it has had on him (at the end of season 1 we even get a glimpse of a splinter of Shiro's personality brought on by Haggar's magic that fans have dubbed "Kuro" which means "black" in Japanese).

Candied Plums (& Plum Syrup) | A Darker Shade of Magic

          Tucked amongst the soups, stews, pints, and unknown amber liquids, a certain food stood out to me in Victoria Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic; candied plums. Mentioned in passing to paint the picture of rich and lively Red London, these sugary delights wouldn't leave my mind after I put the book down and pondered what food to make to celebrate such a fantastic read. When I asked Victoria what A Darker Shade of Magic would be if it was a food (my go-to question for authors), she gave an awesomely specific answer instead for what each (well, 3 out of 4) London would be if it was a food–and she said Red London would be candied plums! (Grey London would be steak-and-ale pie, and White London, vodka).

"The subtle scent of flowers was lost beneath the aroma of cooking meat and freshly cut fruit, heavy spices and mulled wine. A man in dark robes offered candied plums beside a woman selling scrying stones. A vendor poured steaming tea into short glass goblets across from another vibrant stall displaying masks and a third offering tiny vials of water drawn from the Isle, the contents still glowing faintly with its light. Every night of the year, the market lived and breathed and thrived."

–Chap. 11, A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

* Click here to read a nice big excerpt of A Darker Shade of Magic (including the plum part!) on Tor.com. ADSoM is part of a trilogy, with the third book, A Conjuring of Light, coming out at the end of this month! (If you order from Barnes & Noble, you get an autographed copy, and if you send in your pre-order receipt from any retailer, you will get a special book hugger/wrap)! *