- Spoiler:
Today's job was a bit different than normal. It did not change his early morning routine of making a light breakfast, having tea, showering, and dressing. A blue grey skinned hand pulled out a pad of paper, than pressed a pencil against it. It may have only been morning, it may be easy to create most ingredients, but that didn't mean planning wasn't required. The first course should be the lightest one, right? But doing a soup and salad would be a bit predictable. Then again, sometimes something becomes predictable for a reason. If it gets you ready for the main course, than why change it? Then again, Omaras had heard that Johann has a large appetite. Maybe it should be something that could be seen as a starter, but still filling. One good way to make something filling might be to involve potatoes, but its a bit cheap if all one goes with is just potato. He was better than that, right? It would be the side to something, but what? Maybe a salad. This was starting to sound a bit too typical again. How often would people put salad in pita bread? How about making some seitan, cutting it into nice slices, putting the slices on one side of the place, rice in the center of the plate, and potato croquettes on the other side? Then have a side of curry sauce that could be used as much or as little as Johann pleased? A dark curry sauce would go well with all three of those items. Actually, fried onions would be a wonderful topping onto the seitan. Normal rice would go really well with balancing flavors out, if anything was to become too intense on its own.
This means creating vegetable broth and creating a steak sauce beforehand. Why? These were two of the ingredients he was going to use in the seitan. He would need to buy nutritional yeast, he had chickpea flour and dry vital wheat gluten. Now, what would be good as the second meal, the main course? It would almost feel like an insult to now follow that up with a large black-eyed pea burger patty on a sourdough burger bun. He would need to caramelize some onions for it, which would take over an hour to do the proper slow tactic. It was better to cook them the slow way to properly bring the onions to their peak flavor, especially with a bit of butter. Butter, he needed to buy some fresh quality butter.... or buy quality whole milk and make the butter himself. Either way, the butter would need to be good. Buying quality cheese would also be a must. Now, the final course would be dessert. What would be most fitting after such a meaty meal that... never actually had any meat but somehow ended up with a lot of meaty tastes. Buy some quality chocolate, quality heavy cream, quality butter... Yes. The demon knew exactly what dessert would be now. With all the ingredients he couldn't make on his own written down, the young looking man started to prepare to leave. But first, but first! A pot on the oven, fill with water, a little salt, some vegetables, put a lid on, then turn the heat on low. This would slowly cook into a stock that could be used for a few things, it would take a long time.
The next task that had to get done? Getting ready for the market. He gathered a large bag up for carrying items. It was white fabric made of non dyed plant fibers, sturdy, and easy to make. He gathered things to trade with, at least one tea set, different wines, and different teas. With everything padded up, packed, and ready, Haraka set off. The demon left his home that he resided, locking it up. With that his quarters were left, first leaving for the nearby dock area where there were many merchants. There were a few he knew that sometimes came across a very quality chocolate. Today, he traded three small bags of black tea for a bag of high quality bakers chocolate. It smelled fine, rich, and good enough that the demon made sure that it was well wrapped and in his bag before moving on. He bought some nutritional yeast from a different merchant, packed it, then started setting off. The place he knew had that day fresh dairy wasn't exactly next door, but at least it was still within the country. It still landed him with a half an hour of running, but that was fine. This was good exercise, the running, the weight of the bag, and having to be mindful of its contents. He was in luck that day, his favored farmers son was there with quality butters and cheese. They didn't have any heavy cream or milk, but they knew someone who did. The farmers son pointed him in the right direction, leading to the trade for heavy cream, quality milk, and even sour cream. One Spring flower tea set was all it cost. He knew the tea set would have been seen as worth more, but the demon didn't see it that way.
Quality goods should be paid with quality goods, he didn't see farmers exempt from having goods of quality. Everything was wrapped carefully, packed, and this time some frost dragon fruit were added on top of everything. Why? It was better being safe than sorry when it came to dairy products, this would keep everything cool. Now there was one last thing to look for in this market before he could start heading home, fresh chicken eggs. Thankfully it didn't take much searching in the market to find the perfect person selling eggs. One bottle of wine for a bit over two dozen eggs. Not all of them would be used in the meals, but it was a good deal. Now it was time to head home, wrap the eggs up, put them in the bag on top of the frost dragon fruit. A bit over a half an hour later of running and he was back home, unlocking the door to his quarters to get back in. The eggs and dairy goods were unpacked than placed in the fridge, the broth stock checked on. It was far from done, but at least nothing was burned. He took some butter, then put it on a pan. While it was browning, he started making, then cutting up a lot of onions. He made sure to tend to the butter while cutting things so it would brown evenly. Once it was browned, the onions were placed on the pan. Everything was mixed, then the temperature lowered. He put a lid on the pan, then moved on to the next thing to prep before hand. For the bbq sauce? He started putting the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ones in another. Some had to be warned before being added though, like some butter.
The wet ingredients were placed into a pot on the stove top, then he let it warm before adding any of the dry ingredients. They were added bit by bit, so as to not clump up. Once everything was mixed in he started working on making a firm brownie mix. Once it was done he started to ready a sizely cake tin, using a little vegetable oil he greased it up, then put in some parchment paper at the sides and bottom. The bottom and sides of a smaller cake tin were greased with vegetable oil before the dark brownie batter was poured into the bigger tin. The smaller tin was placed into the bigger one, being weight slightly with a few small stones so that it would stay in place. He started warming the oven up, eyes looking at the tins for a bit. Maybe he should make something like that for himself tomorrow? No, don't think about eating now! Actually, he should take a break to eat while he can. He made himself a fruit salad while the oven was warming up. He put the brownie batter into the oven, then started making the cheesecake batter. Somehow the food break the demon had just thought of having was already forgotten in the rolls of work. He checked on the onions after making the batter, stirring it a bit before closing the lid and leaving it alone. The next task was creating and cutting to bits some pecans and macadamia nuts. The cutting was easy, as was spreading those bits on a metal sheet. Soon those nuts were in the oven roasting, just in time to take the brownie out of the oven. He placed the hot tin onto a thick slab of clay that... honestly say on the counter for this exact reason. It was a plan thick clay plate that held hot items from the oven until they cooled.
Now? It was time to create some caramel. He took some pure maple syrup, brown sugar, orange zest, a little water, and put that all in a pot. A little heating and stirring later and he put in some butter, salt, and cream, stirring a bit more. This time he continued watching it and being mindful of stirring where and when it needed it. He turned the heat off at its burner and the bbq sauces as that was done at this point as well. Next the blue skinned man took the chopped nuts out of the oven, gently pushing them until it was all inside the pot. He stirred until it was all mixed well. With that done, Omaras checked on the brownie. The top tin came off perfectly, showing the under cooked brownie. It had shaped well enough into a thick call crust of sorts. Now? He poured some of the caramel onto the bottom, spread what was poured, then proceeded to pour A bit of the cheesecake batter. Next? Drizzling of more of the caramel, doing so until a little covered every bit. This process was repeated until the batter was all in the cake tin. The cheesecake was placed onto a glass baking pan. Some water was poured into the pan before it was put into the oven. With that done, he was reminded of the fruit salad. With a smile the shrimp begun to eat his short break up. By the time he was done, it was time to take the cheesecake out and put it into the fridge. This was what he did... after drizzling the last of the caramel on top. Were the onions done? ...Not quite yet but Haraka stirred them a bit anyway. He ended up starting on reading during the time the two remaining things took to finish.
When they were finished he removed the caramelized onions from the stove. As for the soup stock? He took a well sized bowl, a big strainer, and a cheese cloth. He put the cheese cloth over the strainer then proceeded to pour the soup stock contents slowly through the strainer. The content was put through the strainer and cheese cloth until it was as clear as possible. It was packed then placed into the fridge after it was done. All that was left was the sourdough bread. The dough was made, making sure to get wing to spread the strong ocean smell around the bread as it was being made. After the dough was made, it was left alone to rise. The shrimp then proceeded to... clean up the mess his kitchen now was. The BBQ sauce was packed in a container then put away. The sinks water was started, the soap and a cloth readied before the young looking man started on the dirty dishes. He made quick work in them, making sure each one was spotless. After that? Clean up the kitchen a bit, just in case there was a mess he had missed. He got some reading done before it was time to pack a few things than head to the mess hall. It was time to properly prepare a three course meal for Johann. The cheesecake, chocolate, bbq sauce, vegetable broth, and a few other things were all packed away before heading there. Very soon the deep sea mantis shrimp found himself in the mess halls kitchen. Now? He started making the seitan. Chickpea flour, vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, paprika, basil, onion powder, the bbq sauce, soy sauce, steak sauce, a little water, then mix well.
Next was time to knead the dough, shape it into a loaf shape, then wrap it in a cheese cloth and tie both ends up. After that? Put a portion of the vegetable broth into a pot, turn the heat on, then put the seitan in. Now it was to cook there for an hour, giving time to work on everything else. Next he made some rice, without covers. It didn't need to be cleaned, so he filled a pan with the portion of rice and the right amount of water. A grey blue skinned hand turned the heat to a burner, watching the heat instantly jump from cold to the desired amount. The rice was placed on, quickly moving on to the next thing. After that? Next he made some potatoes, peeled them, cut them up, then proceeded to boil them in a pot. The potatoes would take longer than the other portions of the potato croquettes to cook, so he moved on to making the curry. Mixing the different seasonings, including a small bit of the chocolate, and some coconut milk in the heavily spiced mix. By the time he was done with it on the stove top? It was a smooth and mildly spicy deep colored sauce. If he made it too strong or hot, it would over power the food it was supposed to be complimenting. But of course the food already had nice strong flavors, so it wasn't exactly a dainty tasting one either. Next he made a white onion, chopped it up finely, made a chili pepper before cutting it up finely, then making and chopping up a carrot. Now he turned on a different burner, frying the onion and chili first, then adding the carrot, some peas, and soy sauce after it was good and fried. Cook a few more minutes, add salt, then cover.
While that was cooking he started working on making the flour mixture, then started toasting bread he had brought. It was a loaf of bread made during breakfast time, or rather what was left of it. He wasn't going to use the entire thing, this was for a bread crumb coat on some potato croquettes. After the potatoes and vegetables were done cooking, he crushed the mixture together, mashing it together, adding a little fresh soft cheese to the mix. It melted and melded with everything else. After the mix was finely mashed together? He changed the rices cooking temperature, allowing it to start to cool but without interfering with the steaming process commencing within the confines of the closed pot. Next he moved onto grabbing the potato croquette mix then starting to mold it in to even flat oblong shapes. Eggs were cracked, then the process started. Grab a large pan, grease it, heat it up good for frying, dip each portion into flour, then the egg, than the bread crumbs. Turn the heat off of the rice, start frying the croquettes, turn the heat off the seitan. Set the curry sauce into a sauce cup, put the sauce cup on a large plate. Put each successfully fried potato croquette onto a rack briefly so they wont get soggy. Put the rice onto the center of the plate, shape it like a sphere. Take the seitan out of the vegetable broth than cut it up thinly, splaying it elegantly on almost one half of the plates sides. The potato croquettes were set up on the other side, leaving only enough space on the sides for the sauce cup that shared a plate.
It seemed like it was done just in time to be taken away to Johann for consumption. This meant he really had to get moving on the main course. Black eyed peas, flax seeds, mince some of the caramelized onions, fry then use some carrot, pumpkin seed, celery, then start to mash all those cooked ingredients together a bit before shaping them into the size of two burger patties... around the size of a steak. He asked a tree spirit to help, this was how he got a wooden spatula big enough to put two patties on two different pans. Now, to make something to go in the future burger. Mix soy sauce, steak sauce, maple syrup, grind up and add black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, whisk in olive oil, and add in a little liquid smoke. Cut up two eggplants into quarters, cut into thin even slices, dip the slices into the sauce before placing them onto a baking sheet. Turn on the oven, put them in. You know what? The burger should get a side. This thought was how he ended up making a very large rustic potato then carefully cutting it up until he had what looked like very big fries. brush them a bit with olive oil, melted butter, garlic powder, basil, oregano, parsley, ground pepper, salt, a small bit of ground dried sage, and a little rosemary. Inside the oven the large fries went to cook. The eggplant slices were brushed with more sauce as they continued to cook, the patties on the pan checked on. It wasn't quite time to flip yet, so he moved on to something else.
A little lemon zest, a bit of maple syrup, lots of heavy cream, then start whipping. After that? It was time to flip the patties very very carefully. The eggplant slices were taken out, now being crisp and smoky. After that it was finally time to shape the sourdough from earlier, put it in a greased tin, than place it in the oven, along with a strong scent of the ocean in order to help the bread come out its best. Now it was time to melt some of the fine bakers chocolate, starting to heat some water in a pan, putting the chocolate and some butter on a container on top of it. Some strong cheddar was taken out, bits cut to thinly cover the tops of each patty. It wouldn't be too long until they would be placed in their large burger patty. Next was getting back to the chocolate, which was already starting to melt. It was stirred a bit, remaining being heated until it was silky smooth. The melted chocolate was slowly mixed carefully with the whipped cream until it combined and made into a chocolate mousse. This was then placed into the fridge to cool. the fries were removed from the oven, placed on its own plate. on another plate when it was finished cooking, the sourdough bread was taken out of the tin, then placed. on its plate. It was cut open, the first patty carefully placed. Some eggplant slices were put on top of that, then some caramelized onions, a little bbq sauce, the next burger patty was carefully placed on top of that, then more of the eggplant slices, the rest of the caramelized onions, thin cuts of tomato, and a thin layer of of shredded lettuce on top of that.
A bit of bbq sauce on top of that, then the bread bun top was put on top. The burger and fries were taken out to Johann and Haraka started washing the dishes he had dirtied. It was a chore that needed to be done, might as well do it between meals. After some cleaning though he went back to the mousse and the cheese cake, putting the mousse on top of the cheese cake. It was taken out of its tin, smoothed its edges out a bit, placed it on a plate, covered it, then put it back in the fridge. Now it was time to continue washing dishes. This was something Omaras continued to do until it was all done. This left the shrimp with some free time but nothing to cook, so he tried to help out a bit in the kitchen until it was time to get the cake. So he uncovered the cake, heated a knife, then started cutting the cheesecake. It was heated a bit and whipped clean with every cut to make sure it remained as professionally cut as possible. With the cake carted off to Johann, the demon cleaned off the knife... then left. His job was done there and he was actually getting pretty hungry himself at this point.
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