Fiction-Food Café

January 26, 2015

Alibert's Gobball Stew from the "Wakfu" Animated Series

          "Wakfu" is an internationally popular MMORPG from France by the folks at Ankama, but I'm in love with their Flash animated series adaptation. I watched the first season on Netflix last year (made possible by a successful Kickstarter) and then immediately scrambled to find season two online as well as the OAVs (original animated videos, specials basically). I found them and was so impressed and moved by the story (further impressed, I should say). Both seasons are now on Netflix and I highly HIGHLY recommend them. The characters are easy to get attached to and the world is so rich and colorful and pretty much a character on its own. There's action and humor and romance, the series is exploding with heart, and there's food. Lots of it. I chose to recreate Alibert's Stew from the first episode because I felt like eating steak and the dish is pretty important as it's how we're introduced to the protagonist; a young, energetic, friendly boy named Yugo, who is seen being a total boss in the kitchen of his adoptive father (Alibert)'s restaurant, making this dish and slinging it out to customers. Being the signature dish of the restaurant and Alibert's specialty, it's a symbol of the bond they share, the life they've built together, and the life Yugo has to leave behind. But they'll always have the stew. It's also known as gobball stew, gobball being a common animal in the series, looking like a puffball sheep, but sheep meat is expensive and ribeye steak looks just the same as what we see in the episode so...there you go. FYI, the animated version of this stew is different from the in-game version which looks more like roast beef with carrots and potatoes.


Note: I used brown basmati rice for the recipe below because it has a more substantial texture, nice chew, and I think it goes well with this dish, but you can totally make white rice instead, no biggie! I actually had some left over white rice that I mixed in when I made this dish. :)


Alibert's Gobball Stew

Ingredients:
Rice
1 Cup Brown Basmati Rice
1 3/4 Cups Water
2 Tbsp. Butter
Vegetables
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 Cup Sliced Fresh Mushrooms, about 1/8" thick  
1/2 Large Green Bell Pepper
2 Red Sweet Peppers, circle cut
1 Orange Sweet Pepper, circle cut
2 Yellow Sweet Pepper, circle cut
1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
Cream Stew
3 Cups Milk
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
Pinch Nutmeg (optional)
Pinch Ground Oregano (optional)
Meat
2 Thick Rib Eye Steaks
Up to 1 Tbsp. Salt
Up to 1 Tbsp. Sugar
Up to 1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Important Item:
George Forman Grill or Outside Grill

Directions:
1. Rice: In a medium pot (with a lid) on medium-high heat, combine the rice, water, & 1 tablespoon butter. Bring to a boil & then cover. Reduce the heat to a simmer & cook for about 40 minutes. Keep the lid on and remove from the heat & let sit for about 10 minutes (if it's not cooked all the way, add 2 tablespoons more water & heat again until soft). Add another tablespoon of butter & fluff the rice with a fork.
2. Vegetables: Saute the garlic with about a tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms & peppers & cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the broth & raise the heat to medium high & cook until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat to low & let it simmer.
3. Cream Stew: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot on medium-low heat. Add about 1/3 cup of milk & then stir in a little bit of the flour & whisk to combine well. Keep adding flour & whisking until it becomes thick & then whisk in a little bit more milk to thin it out. Repeat this process until the flour is gone. Pour in the rest of the milk & raise the heat to a soft boil until it thickens into a nice cream. Pour it into the pan with the vegetables & stir to combine. Add in the salt, pepper,and optional nutmeg & oregano.
4. Meat: Heat your grill (I used a little George Forman) & in a small bowl mix together as much salt, sugar, & pepper as you think your taste buds can handle (that's why the ingredients say "up to". Personally I like mine all the way!). Pat the meat with paper towels & then rub the salt/sugar mixture all over it very well. If using a George Forman grill, cook one steak at a time, about 3 minutes & then flip so that the grill lines create a cross hatch pattern & cook for another 2 minutes (cook time will vary depending in meat thickness & how well-done you like your steaks, of course). Place a large portion of rice on a serving plate, cover with cream stew, & place a steak on top. Drizzle with some of the meat juices (optional, if using a George Forman grill).

January 20, 2015

Hazelnut Parsnip Soup + Crackers | Tangled

 
          In Disney's "Tangled" (2010) it's revealed that Rapunzel's favorite soup is hazelnut with parsnips. That's a very interesting detail to include, especially as there's never even a scene with the soup in it, only the mention of it.

"I brought back parsnips. I'm going to make hazelnut soup for dinner–you're favorite. Surprise!"
–Mother Gothel, "Tangled"

January 12, 2015

Apple Cake & Mint Tea | The Scorpio Races

          Life on a chilly, windswept island surrounded by waters inhabited by carnivorous horses can be tough on any day, especially when it's just you and your two brothers, but today in particular just isn't going your way at all–and it's about to get worse. But not before you curse the too frequent beans and whip up an apple cake and mint tea for dinner instead.

"I make an apple cake and feel rather virtuous about it."

–Puck, Chapter 3, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

January 5, 2015

Sleeping Beauty Lemon Cake from "Disney Magical World" 3DS

Theme:
Sleeping Beauty
Dessert:
Princess Tiara Limone


Ingredients:
Creamy Chestnut x 1
Yellow Citrus x 1
Golden Butterynut x 1
          I was pleasantly surprised with how much I love Nintendo's "Disney Magical World" 3DS game. It's a ton of fun and has way more content than what I expected (well, especially because I got the "Pirates of  the Caribbean" DLC). There is also a boatload of delicious looking food that you can make and serve at your very own cafe! Your cafe is located in Castleton, the game's main setting, and in order to make the various foods, you need to obtain recipes and necessary ingredients (though there are a few starter foods that you already have recipes for). The foods are based around specific Disney characters and movies, or themes like western or space or tropical (which all relate to a character or two or three). You're also able to throw parties at your cafe with food, decor, and clothing matching a particular theme, and a character (or more!) will show up and you can take pictures together!
          I've been sitting on food ideas for this game since the summer, and now I've finally posted one for the new year! I chose to make lemon cakes from the "Sleeping Beauty" themed recipes because I love lemons and lemon flavoring, and this little cake looked so pretty in the game. I'll also be doing at least a couple more foods from this game in the future so stay tuned!


Castleton Cafe's Sleeping Beauty Princess Tiara Limone
(Cake part adapted from a recipe by Christina Lane. Makes two cakes.)

Ingredients:
Decorations
Yellow Fondant
Edible Gold Spray
Fresh Mint Leaves
Lemon Cakes
2 Large Lemons
Honey
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, separated
1/3 Cup Buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Lemon Zest
2 Tbsp. Flour
Pinch of Salt

Important Items:
2 6" Ramekins
Box Edge or Large Rolling Pin (to shape the tiaras)

Directions:
1. Lemons: Slice two lemons very thinly, discarding the ends & removing the seeds. Put the slices in a flat container or small jar & cover them with honey. Close the container & place it in the fridge overnight. (You are making honeyed lemon slices, learn more about them in this post.)
2. Tiaras: On a sheet of parchment paper, roll the yellow fondant to about 1/16" & then cut 2 obtuse triangles from the fondant & paper together (it's easiest to use kitchen scissors for this). Use the small circle cutter to cut half circles from the obtuse angle sides (see photos above) & then drape the fondant triangles over a box edge or rolling pin, depending on what shape you'd like it (I chose the box edge because Sleeping Beauty's crown has the crease down the middle, but next time I'll go the rolling pin route because I think that'll look better on the cake). Let dry for at least a day so they can harden & then place on a work surface covered with parchment or newspaper or a large plate & spray generously with the edible gold spray. Let sit to dry until ready to put on top of the melon cakes.
3. Lemon Cakes: Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Remove the prettiest lemon slices & blot them a little bit with a paper towel so they're not too juicy, & then slice them in half. Butter & sugar 2 6" ramekins & then place the lemon halves, upside down (round down), around the sides, just as many fit by touching they're ends together. In a medium bowl, beat the yolk, sugar, buttermilk, lemon juice, & zest. Add the flour & mix again. In another bowl, beat the white with the pinch of salt until stiff peaks form (this happens quickly when on high speed, moving the beaters around!). Fold the white into the yolk mixture until combined but there is still air from the white. Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins.
4. Place the ramekins in a baking dish & fill with enough very hot water to go halfway up the ramekins' sides. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the tops are golden & springy. Gently tip the cakes out of the ramekins & onto their serving plates.
5. Decorating: Place the gold sprayed tiaras gently on the tops of the cakes. Break off two little attached mint leaves for each cake & place them near the right side of the tiaras, pressing the stems in gently to hold it in place. Serve immediately. The cakes will be alright hours later or the next day, but you don't want to decorate them until you're ready to serve.


* For another cake based on this recipe, try my Paopu Star Cake for "Kingdom Hearts"! *

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