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Jul. 30th, 2006 05:15 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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neutral_omensTime: Late afternoon, 25 July 2000
Place: The Manor Grounds
Status: Public
Summary: The Barbecue
Severus had prepared for this extensively, had done research as soon as he was told that he needed to provide food for a ‘barbecue’. Well, that was American, wasn’t it? A newly-published book titled The Great American Barbecue and Grilling Manual was his starting point. (The words ‘great’ and ‘American’ did not belong in the same sentence, although perhaps he might be mistaken, never having been to America.) After learning that this was not merely an American cuisine but a regional (Southern) American cuisine, he began to specialise. Having found a butcher to bring a pig and something to cook it over (yes, the whole pig, you dolt) he learned that it could have been done with a goat as it had been in the Caribbean, and with less effort.
Having put forth effort already, he pushed ahead. The intensive labour required to prepare food by the slow ‘barbecue’ method had been provided by Remus Lupin, although he surely did not understand when he volunteered exactly what it was he’d be doing. The butcher himself was also interested and so Snape had ‘invited’ him to come and help. Work for the day, eat. Bring your family with you and they can help and eat also. Only if they help. Severus’ labour shortage crisis solved.
The whole concept of barbecue sauce was confusing, so he’d made three kinds. Two for public consumption—a South Carolina style with mustard, vinegar and black pepper that seemed reasonable enough. Kansas City style that was thick, red-brown, and gloppy, made with a tomato base and molasses. The third was for Crowley, a Texas-style sauce amusingly named ‘Devil’s Spit’ made from a tomato base with cumin and hot chiles. These American chiles being unavailable, he procured an Oriental variety that were infinitely hotter. Let him call that bland.
Chicken would go on, although not for as long as the blasted pig, and sausages for the unadventurous. The Brunswick Stew might end up in the restaurant under ‘American Cuisine’. It was simple enough, with a tomato base, lima beans (or any beans), corn, other vegetables, and meat. Traditionally rabbit or squirrel but he could use leftover pork, chicken, beef or even cut-up sausages. Basically, a fine way to rid himself of leftover almost anything and he revised his opinion of American ingenuity. The true test would be Crowley’s opinion. If he disapproved, it was definitely going on the menu.
Okra and sweet potatoes proved impossible to procure. Field greens—of the turnip variety—were simple enough to cook in some of the extra pig fat. Black-eyed peas, which looked an awful lot like beans, with bacon. He made carrots in sauce of butter and brown sugar that seemed terribly French, but he simply shrugged. There would be green peas—not mushy, unfortunately, which would have made Crowley complain and Snape smile, a dish of fried apples that was a side dish, apparently popular with pork, and potato salad. It was a source of annoyance that the recipe he found for this called for red potatoes that did not need to be peeled. How brilliant would it have been to set Lupin to peeling potatoes for his own requested potato salad?
Cornbread was simple enough to make, although all the different names and types confused him. The concept of beaten biscuits was repulsive so he settled on cheddar biscuits instead. American biscuits, he found, were a bread roll that seemed a bizarre combination of bap, scone, and crumpet. But they were a Southern staple and very simple to make. Devilled eggs—also simple, seemingly French—were another extra dish along with pickles of varied types. He refused to make grits—porridge was bad enough at breakfast and he would certainly not serve it in any other time.
Cold tea, sweet, with or without lemon was also a disgusting concept. Lemonade, if people wished to drink it. Lupin had to deal with squeezing the lemons, too. He had procured some Bourbon and Belial would, he imagined, not object if any leftover made its way to the bar. Mint juleps required it. Mint grew in the garden and sugar was a staple.
Having no sweet potatoes with which to make sweet potato pie, which seemed unpleasant anyway, he went with pecan pie. It was too sweet, but someone would eat it. Pound cake with whipped cream (another job for Lupin) and blackberry cobbler, which was enough like local fare for people to be willing to eat it. If he could have found watermelon, that would have been amusing. But messy, so just as well he hadn’t found it.
All in all, it was a great effort on his part, slave labour or no, and people had better appreciate it else he would be extremely put out.
"Let Wensleydale handle things in the kitchen, Lupin. The butcher will take care of serving the meat. You can clear plates and make sure the dishes are all filled." He had planned this. "The butcher's wife can help with drinks. The children have been disposed of."
Out of the way, nothing more sinister. Eating now, washing dishes later. Work for food, and a good trade on his part.
"Keep an eye on the biscuits, Wensleydale, and see that they don't burn. And make sure there is plenty of ice."
He turned.
"No, mint juleps are not sweets, get away from me, you silly child." Weren't they supposed to be on the far side of the lawn, eating their supper?
Attention Edit: As of this point the Devil's Spit sauce is no longer on the serving table but in Snape's hands, doled out by him. Please do not have your character get into it.
Place: The Manor Grounds
Status: Public
Summary: The Barbecue
Severus had prepared for this extensively, had done research as soon as he was told that he needed to provide food for a ‘barbecue’. Well, that was American, wasn’t it? A newly-published book titled The Great American Barbecue and Grilling Manual was his starting point. (The words ‘great’ and ‘American’ did not belong in the same sentence, although perhaps he might be mistaken, never having been to America.) After learning that this was not merely an American cuisine but a regional (Southern) American cuisine, he began to specialise. Having found a butcher to bring a pig and something to cook it over (yes, the whole pig, you dolt) he learned that it could have been done with a goat as it had been in the Caribbean, and with less effort.
Having put forth effort already, he pushed ahead. The intensive labour required to prepare food by the slow ‘barbecue’ method had been provided by Remus Lupin, although he surely did not understand when he volunteered exactly what it was he’d be doing. The butcher himself was also interested and so Snape had ‘invited’ him to come and help. Work for the day, eat. Bring your family with you and they can help and eat also. Only if they help. Severus’ labour shortage crisis solved.
The whole concept of barbecue sauce was confusing, so he’d made three kinds. Two for public consumption—a South Carolina style with mustard, vinegar and black pepper that seemed reasonable enough. Kansas City style that was thick, red-brown, and gloppy, made with a tomato base and molasses. The third was for Crowley, a Texas-style sauce amusingly named ‘Devil’s Spit’ made from a tomato base with cumin and hot chiles. These American chiles being unavailable, he procured an Oriental variety that were infinitely hotter. Let him call that bland.
Chicken would go on, although not for as long as the blasted pig, and sausages for the unadventurous. The Brunswick Stew might end up in the restaurant under ‘American Cuisine’. It was simple enough, with a tomato base, lima beans (or any beans), corn, other vegetables, and meat. Traditionally rabbit or squirrel but he could use leftover pork, chicken, beef or even cut-up sausages. Basically, a fine way to rid himself of leftover almost anything and he revised his opinion of American ingenuity. The true test would be Crowley’s opinion. If he disapproved, it was definitely going on the menu.
Okra and sweet potatoes proved impossible to procure. Field greens—of the turnip variety—were simple enough to cook in some of the extra pig fat. Black-eyed peas, which looked an awful lot like beans, with bacon. He made carrots in sauce of butter and brown sugar that seemed terribly French, but he simply shrugged. There would be green peas—not mushy, unfortunately, which would have made Crowley complain and Snape smile, a dish of fried apples that was a side dish, apparently popular with pork, and potato salad. It was a source of annoyance that the recipe he found for this called for red potatoes that did not need to be peeled. How brilliant would it have been to set Lupin to peeling potatoes for his own requested potato salad?
Cornbread was simple enough to make, although all the different names and types confused him. The concept of beaten biscuits was repulsive so he settled on cheddar biscuits instead. American biscuits, he found, were a bread roll that seemed a bizarre combination of bap, scone, and crumpet. But they were a Southern staple and very simple to make. Devilled eggs—also simple, seemingly French—were another extra dish along with pickles of varied types. He refused to make grits—porridge was bad enough at breakfast and he would certainly not serve it in any other time.
Cold tea, sweet, with or without lemon was also a disgusting concept. Lemonade, if people wished to drink it. Lupin had to deal with squeezing the lemons, too. He had procured some Bourbon and Belial would, he imagined, not object if any leftover made its way to the bar. Mint juleps required it. Mint grew in the garden and sugar was a staple.
Having no sweet potatoes with which to make sweet potato pie, which seemed unpleasant anyway, he went with pecan pie. It was too sweet, but someone would eat it. Pound cake with whipped cream (another job for Lupin) and blackberry cobbler, which was enough like local fare for people to be willing to eat it. If he could have found watermelon, that would have been amusing. But messy, so just as well he hadn’t found it.
All in all, it was a great effort on his part, slave labour or no, and people had better appreciate it else he would be extremely put out.
"Let Wensleydale handle things in the kitchen, Lupin. The butcher will take care of serving the meat. You can clear plates and make sure the dishes are all filled." He had planned this. "The butcher's wife can help with drinks. The children have been disposed of."
Out of the way, nothing more sinister. Eating now, washing dishes later. Work for food, and a good trade on his part.
"Keep an eye on the biscuits, Wensleydale, and see that they don't burn. And make sure there is plenty of ice."
He turned.
"No, mint juleps are not sweets, get away from me, you silly child." Weren't they supposed to be on the far side of the lawn, eating their supper?
Attention Edit: As of this point the Devil's Spit sauce is no longer on the serving table but in Snape's hands, doled out by him. Please do not have your character get into it.
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-31 06:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-31 06:34 pm (UTC)"And what's this, then?" he asked then, grinning. "Just a proof of your desire to lie with me?"
no subject
Date: 2006-08-31 06:45 pm (UTC)She'd always been fond of Michael, and she was still fond of him as Mictain. He was one of the reasons she hadn't sided with Hell in the run up to the Not-Apocalypse. He understood her in a way a lot of other people didn't - and he had a swords fighter's physique to match it...
"Maybe," she said, eyes sparkling dangerously.
"Or maybe...a test of body tension?!" she exclaimed, flicking an arm out to grab his wrist and bring it up tight behind his back.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-31 07:02 pm (UTC)If this didn't work, he'd have to come up with something else.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-31 07:11 pm (UTC)"What's the plan now then?" she smirked, tossing her hair back from her face.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-31 07:26 pm (UTC)He was quite well aware of the fact that, unless she found some way to make him levitate, both their arms were currently trapped. Although it was quite uncomfortable to have his arm twisted under his back, he could bear some discomfort just for the satisfaction of having her caught, however momentary the case might be.
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Date: 2006-08-31 10:10 pm (UTC)She used her free hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, then push a lock of Mictain's hair away from his face. "Besides, d'you really think it'd be a good idea to fall asleep in public with War herself lying on top of you?"
She could probably have wriggled free, had she particularly wanted too, but for the moment this was a more ...entertaining... situation to be in.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-01 07:36 am (UTC)He then gave her as helpless an expression as he could while still smirking. "Besides, I can't really do anything. I'm trapped under you, after all. You'll have to move first." Of course, it should have been relatively easy to get away from under her, but it was more fun to just tease her.
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Date: 2006-09-01 11:14 am (UTC)War rolled her eyes at the demon's attempt to look pathetic whilst still smirking. It really didn't work. "I have no concerns about any conclusions people might draw from the fact that I'm currently lying on top of you, but I'd have thought you might be a bit worried that people will notice that the leggy red-head's got the former Commander of the Host pinned to the ground without even really trying."
"And true, you're trapped, but I thought you were jsut saying you didn't really mind that so much? Still, if you really object..."
So saying, War rolled over the top of the demon and pushed off the ground with her shoulder - her good shoulder, thankfully - and shifted her weight onto her feet, pulling the demon with her as she hadn't let go of his wrist. Unfortunately, not letting go of his wrist behind his back meant she only had one arm to balance with, and she flung it out wildly, as she was about to over-balance them both when they got to vertical.
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Date: 2006-09-05 01:29 pm (UTC)She then pulled them back up. However, her balance swayed, and Mictain used the situation on his advantage to reverse their potions, grasping on her wildly waving arm in turn while steadying them. He then grinned at her, pulling her wrist as far from her as possible as he couldn't really twist it behind her back right now. "A draw?" he suggested.
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Date: 2006-09-05 03:15 pm (UTC)She mentally ran through where each of them was holding onto the other. They were both standing, facing each other. She had his right arm twisted up behind his back with her left hand, and he'd grabbed her right arm with his other hand and was holding it away from both their bodies. Really, he was in the better position, because his right hand was actively pressing her left wrist into his back.
"If I let go of your right hand, will you let go of mine, then?"
no subject
Date: 2006-09-05 03:28 pm (UTC)As she offered the 'deal,' he grinned. "Oh, I will. If not otherwise, then because I know you'd make me regret it if I didn't. And maybe then we can indeed go to find some food."
no subject
Date: 2006-09-05 03:38 pm (UTC)When he'd let go of her arm, ahe said, "Food would be good - we were going a bit ago, if I recall, but then Duckie..."
War, realising the gun the Doctor had given her had been abandoned on the ground during their tussle, turned round, spotted it, and pounced on it.
She straightened, then said, "Anyway, yes, food. Always good." She streched her arms out one after the other. "Shall we?" she asked, absent-mindedly stroking the gun.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-05 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-05 03:45 pm (UTC)Clipping it onto her belt, she was brusque again. "Anyway. Food is, unless my eyes deceive me, this way." She headed towards the tables.