Contest: Recipes!

[Stygg Whitefeather]

In the afternoon of the second day of the festival, there was held the contest of food and culture. Considered interlaced to one another, it was only fitting that the two peoples - ponies and griffons, should offer the best of their culinary feats. Though admittedly, griffons favored meats over the vegetarian styles of their pony allies, all were welcomed to offer up their best in baking and cooking.

Even one of the Royal court was involved in this event. A young osprey-panther griffon with a neurotic twitch to his step and stuttering twang to his speak. He stood behind a strange dish comprised of hippocampi flavors mixed with coastal griffon tastes. Unsurprising, as he's the liaisons for the hippocampi in Lachance. It was a very strange looking dish, at first glance terribly unappetizing. Some sort of concoction of slimy sea-greens tossed with shellfish and shriveled little oil soaked fish filets. Perhaps a water-raptor would enjoy it - or a vary daring pony, but it wasn't winning over the judges or many others for that matter.

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Admin: Anyone who wishes to participate in the recipe competition; creativity is a must (so think outside the box and food-network recipes). Be as crazy or simple as you wish. You must use at least one MLP:FiM related item in your dish. Most insane, creative, or even tasty sounding dish will win.

[Red Charge]

"Ugh, sea-fruit really?" Firefly asked, sticking out her tongue in disgust. Obviously the looks she was getting all around were less than sympathetic. What with her black punk get-up she didn't look much the chef. To be honest, she wasn't, she couldn't cook anything to save her life. Well, she couldn't cook anything except for one thing.

"This is an old Razorwing Recipe." She announced to one of the onlookers on her station, "Now I'm warning you, this dish is so strong that it can only ever be taken once."

"Once a day?" Squaked a nearby Griffon.

"No, once." Firefly replied evenly.

"Once in a while?" Asked another.

"No, just once. You eat this dish more than once, and you'll probably never fly again, but trust me, it's worth it. This is an ancient Razorwing Recipe, it's said that Titan Razorwing and Field Marshal Hightower once had a competition about who can eat more of these." Firefly looked around at the small crowd now gathering in front of her, "But they made it so potent that it combusted the entire area... Which is now called the Ghastly Gorge." She laughed.

"It's called the Razor-Blaze, Fire Soup, or less known as The Kaleidoscope of Pain." She pulled up a pot and began preparations.

She began putting the ingredients on the table, "You'll need kidney beans and a ground wheat burger, with some pumpkin for extra texture and sweetness. Diced onion and red pepper are a must. Sugar and salt are of course obvious. But here comes the kicker. Two extra ingredients to determine the dish. You simmer the dish with a phoenix feather, don't forget to take it out before you add the next and final ingredient. One cup of Rainbow." She said, presenting said ingredient, "This is going to put such a kick in your dish it's probably going to burn through a lot of your tableware until you cook it just right."

As she added the rainbow, the entire chilly dish began to catch the vibrant prismatic color, "Now you have in your hands the ultimate liquid courage. One tablespoon of this can keep you up and alert an entire night and warm you naked in the coldest parts of the Northern Barrens." She said, the rich aroma of the chilly dish, (minus the rainbow, which was scentless) quickly flooded her nearby environment, as the chilly reached a boil Firefly quickly took the dish off the fire. "Heat it too much and it'll literally combust. Besides, you don't want to have too many rainbow fumes around you, or you'll cry like a filly alone on Hearts and Hooves day." At last the finished product was ready on the counter.

All eyes were on Firefly who was, very reluctant. "Now to eat it..." She said with a frown, lips quivering. Of course the eating it only once warning was all talk, but the spiciness of the dish was certainly not. She took a table spoon of the dish carefully with her mouth, and balanced it in front of her face to blow on it. Clenching her eyes shut, she took it into her mouth and immediately she felt an intense burning sensation throughout her whole body. Oh it was delicious alright, at least to her, but she felt like she was set on fire from the inside. Smoke and sparks came out of her nostrils as she swallowed the mouthful of chilly and immediately opened her jaw wide to air out her throat. "Oh gosh I need some water." She said, taking out a bottle of water she kept at the ready and gulped it down in almost an instant. Her breath came out in rainbow colored fumes and she fanned her burning mouth. "It's so worth it..." She said, teary eyed.

[Stygg Whitefeather]

As was King Whitefeather’s tradition, he was attending the food exposition and challenge as the officiator and judge. He moved through the crowds, his guards clearing the way, with an entourage comprised of a smaller, molty looking griffon who jittered in a constant state of apprehension. Around the disheveled plumage of his neck was a silver spoon and needle on a lanyard, mark of the King’s food taster. Shuffling behind him was Loci, who stopped at the foods on display to rudely poke and prod their contents with a talon – uttering back-biting comments about the dishes. Whitefeather stopped his entourage, raising his talon as his beak caught a peculiar scent wafting on the air. He curiously tried to place it as spied for its source.

There, just a few steps away were the assembled crowds surrounding Firefly and her dish. Griffons and ponies pushing over one another to get a better look at the strange concoction bubbling, when suddenly gasps and cheers erupted from the crowd and a plume of rainbow fumes floated above their heads.

“My liege, Loci believes that is where the smell originates.” Loci stated the obvious, pointing to the crowd. The King nodded and walked over, his guards commanding the crowd to give way for their King. Loci pushed through ahead and slipped up to the bubbling brew. He looked over the chili, watching the prismatic swirls twirling about its surface like a fine oil sheen. Whitefeather abruptly pushed him aside, stumbling him into a guard.

“Miss, you made this?” Whitefeather asked Firefly, giving the mixture a quick sniff.

“Wait!” Loci squawked, “Look at it, look at her! Loci believes it poison. No such concoction could swirl and bubble as that… and clearly burn – not one fit for griffon consumption! Guards, arres-“

“SILENCE!” Whitefeather scolded with a boom, snapping his beak to the whirly advisory who slinked away at the snap. “You stupid chicken, that’s Razor-Blaze. Taster, my utensil.”

“Uh sir, my King, sir – if..if I may,” Sheepishly the taster spoke, warily scratching up beside his King, “Just, to be safe. Please, allow me… first.” He chirped, taking up the needle and spoon and eyeing the chili like a one would eye the gallows they were being lead too.

Whitefeather sighed, bothered by the delay but it was proper practice after all. He waved his taster on – better to be done with it fast so he could taste it himself. Though he couldn’t show it, he was secretly quite excited to taste the soup – it was such a delicacy, so rare and stigmatized. Few chefs in the land dared make it for fear of killing the unfortunate patron that could not handle it’s scalding spice. So this would be quite the treat.

The taster approached and poked the mixture with the needle, he flicked the excess upon it back into its pool and watched the silver for signs of tarnish. No tarnish, now to taste. His breathing growing more rapid with each creeping inch his talon closer to the brew then dipped his spoon just under its fiery surface. He scratched his beak against itself, eyes wide with fear as he brought the liquid closer and closer. He took one last breath, holding it deep in his chest as he plunged the spoon into his beak – and quickly gulped it down. For less than breaths moment, the taster appeared alright – even musing to himself for that moment its delicious taste. Than the spicy kicked in. The pupils of the griffons eyes narrowed to pin-pricks, his body appeared to stopped in time as his he seemed to gaze off into an infinite abyss beyond time and space. He gasped – a plume of rainbow fumes erupting from his nostrils and the sides of his beak. His plumage stood on it, exploding into a swollen ball of feathers and further. A cackle uttered from deep in his throat as he fell over, stiff as a length of wood.

Loci gasped in horror – it was poisoned!

Whitefeather eyed his taster curiously, than chuckled bemusedly to himself as the poor griffon on the ground writhed on the ground in pain, gasping for air and relief. “That’s Razor-Blaze. Spoon!” A guard slammed a polished spoon into Whitefeather’s talon and with chickish glee, dipped it into the chili and greedily partook of not one, not two, but three spoonfuls. His eyes lit up like the fires of the sun. His head twitched and his feathers shot up on end while his wings stiffened. He let out a long, rainbow puff, shook his senses back into his head.

“Water! Cider! Something!” He squawked, trying desperately to hold his composure. A flagon of water immediately appeared before him, held by a guard, which Whitefeather snatched up and downed in an unnatural quickness, splashing the last sips upon his face. He took a few more breaths and nodded. “That was quite something-“ He sighed, “Don’t believe anyone will top that today!”

The nearby Osprey sank crestfallen, chirping a whimper.

“Let us carry on first, need to find some bread or something before my beak melts off.” He stated, turning away with his guards in tow – one dragging the taster by his tail. As the King departed, Loci pushed in front of the stewing pot, looking over the mixture once more. His head turned to right, one large eye staring down Firefly, that flicked down to the chili, than back to her. He carried on like this for an awkward moment, then quickly slipped a single claw into the soup and brought it back to his beak and sucked it off. He held for a moment, still eying Firefly suspiciously. “Hmph.” And then he turned and left.

[milkfeather]

Milktail was waiting just outside of the recipes contest with his iced coffee booth. He'd only made one sale so far to that tiny white pony in the courtyard. Business was going very slow. He was hoping that if he moved his booth just outside the recipes contest, then it would empty out with a large group of thirsty patrons, but from the sound of things it was just as vacant.

Then out of the blue there was a ruckus...or maybe it was a fracas. Was that the voice of the King? Milktail was overcome with curiosity but he didn't move. He was driven to stay inconspicuous after being accused of cheating in last year's recipes contest...

[Red Charge]

With her entry done, Firefly bowed to the Griffon King and took another taste of her Razor-Blaze. After she recovered, she began looking around at the other entries, scoping out the competition as it were. She did love winning, after all. Sides, free tastes of good food were always a treat.

[Stygg Whitefeather]

Admin

If there is no other contestants, contest will close. Red's Firefly taking the prize. Officially closes tomorrow.

All prizes will be posted at end of the festival.