The Iron Lotus

Lost Among The Stars: Isaac Turpin’s Work

Hello all, As the title states, this is not really my work. This is a friend’s work. He is fairly dear to me, so give him a fair shot, okay? I mean, you put up with me, so this isn’t that large a stretch. The Iron Lotus     Lost Among the Stars By Isaac Turpin             Chapter 1   No tears stained the eyes of the mother. No sobbing came from her. The Forn cannot cry and they do not scream. She…

A Peek At a Different Idea

What is Done: Dispute Like a Woman     The battle had been raging for hours with both armies taking losses. The fighting had moved into a deep valley between two icy hills. The snow, once blinding white, was now muddied and red with blood.   Two distinct armies were at work. Diminutive, slender Shisc in steel armor contrasted heavily with gigantic, thick-chested Orcs in thick iron plate. In the…

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: 2005 Edition

First off, I would like to point out that the fair usage act dictates that content from works by other authors, artists, and or actors is legal for use in a parodical, reviewing, or criticizing capacity. Blah, blah, blah, if you’re really reading this, you’re such a loser. As such, this column, being a review of the 2005 re-make of the classic film based on the equally classic book, Willy Wonka…

Chapter Seven Grenadier and Thomas sparked off of each other for the entire Summer. Thomas especially objected to kneading bread dough by hand. Naturally, that meant that Grenadier assigned him to do practically all of the hand-kneading. “But why by hand? It takes longer and it’s hard.” Thomas complained over the Ciabatta. Grenadier pulled several strands of gluten up out of the dough to show…

Ben lingered after his usual accounting and began picking away at Grenadier. “So, who are those kids?” “Belle, Joyce, and Doll are my neighbors.” Grenadier chopped onions in the food processor and added them to the rustic dough in his stand mixer. “They live in the apartment above me. Belle looks after Fae for me now that she’s too old to be in the kitchen.” “So… why haven’t you mentioned them…

A beautiful raspberry tart is as simple as putting on your pants every morning.   If you can’t put on your pants, then we might have a problem.   Your hardware for this one is going to be simple: A tart pan. Try to get the kind that has a bottom you can push the tart out of, like mine. It makes serving a lot simpler.   This is a very crumbly, insubstantial crust. It serves as a tender…

Stars Fell: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine A Fine Mess   Derek held his breath as he came into the house and pulled off the hot pot. Carefully, he placed the noxious mix on the workbench and took a gasp of air. “Ugh! This place stinks!”   Pyridan blew smoke sympathetically. “I’ll do my best to vent the place. Put a few sprigs of lavender on me and I’ll scent the room.”   Derek broke off a handful of lavender from one of the…

Chapter Five Fae didn’t like the stairs. They echoed and made creepy noises, but they were some of the best exercise Grenadier got during the day. Cuddling her in his arms whenever he was going up the stairs quieted her. Grenadier always laid Fae in her crib before he went upstairs to Cassandra’s apartment. He felt safer that way. Pasadella had made it out of her box and slipped out somehow. She…

Chapter Four When he woke up, he made a Continental breakfast of toast, jam, and an apple. Thus fortified, he wrapped Fae in her sling and went out the door. As he was walking down the stairs, he contemplated Fae. She was so sleepy and quiet for her age. It had been difficult to determine her age because she was a foundling when Grenadier adopted her, but she must be at least a year old. She…

Stars Fell: Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight Trials and Tribulations   Derek walked past a hibiscus bush with blooms in the brightest lemon yellow he had ever seen. Gawking, he nearly ran into a lemon tree’s branches. After disentangling himself from a vine with odd, sticky leaves, he found a stand of rose bushes. Carefully culling out only the full blooms, he stuffed their petals into his satchel and left the small, green…

Course Six: Dessert   Dessert is the end point, the game-changer, the omega. It must live up to the hype created by the rest of the meal. Don’t settle for second best here. Take the time and put in the effort to create something gorgeous.   I used my signature Raspberry Whiteout Cake in combination with Chocolate Pots de Crème. I want to keep my signature secrets safe, so I’ll just enumerate the…

Course Five: The Main

Course Five: The Main Attraction   Course five should be your main dish and, since there’s so much filler previous, make sure that this is something snazzy. I used steak and lobster, in modest portions, but there are various other choices that would be appropriate.   Quails wrapped in bacon or braised in red wine is a classic combination. But, again, the chef must treat these fine ingredients…

Stars Fell: Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven Rosin’s Garden   The seasons were different in Sternefallen. Derek noticed that every progressive day became warmer when it should have been getting colder. Apparently when it was summer in Sternefallen, it was winter in the normal world. Somehow, the idea was depressing.   Derek reached up and stroked Claire’s head. He was scrounging in the alleys behind a Crownhaven flower shop…

Course Four: Pasta   This is a favorite pasta dish of mine: Squid Ink Pasta with Black Mussels in White Wine with Capers.   Naturally, this pasta is fresh and if you can’t or don’t want to make fresh pasta, may I recommend that you stop wasting your time?   With that settled, make a single batch of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook’s fresh pasta and add a single package of squid ink to it. It…

Course Three: Soup   A new take on the classic clam chowder, this octopus soup contains cream, corn, and a few clams for contrast.   4 cups of water 2 cups heavy cream ½ lb of baby octopus ½ lb chopped clams 1 ½ cups corn ¼ cup white wine 1 tbs salt   Take the water, wine, and cream and mix together in a medium saucepan. Start cooking over medium heat. Add the octopus and clams and bring to a…

The Second Course: Salad

The Second Course: Salad   Salad is a classic accompaniment to most meals. Personally, I don’t see the appeal. I hate salad. But that doesn’t mean I can’t put together a banging bunch of herbs when I need to. For this meal, I went to the produce section and looked at the colors of the lettuce. Here’s a run-down on my train of logic.   Endive: A fancy, curly, dark green herb with a flavor…

Course Number One: A Prequel

The First Course: Scallops Wrapped in Bacon and Nigiri   I love scallops wrapped in bacon. Personally, I could eat a whole meal of these. But, for the sake of sanity, I booked in two of these gems per person with a couple extra. These can be prepared and skewered the day before. Wrap each scallop in a strip of bacon for each, and use good bacon. Don’t just grab something that won’t taste the…