Festive Culinary Guide

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... "Creation Season" Month of Reaping: Cerces' Leaves of Wisdom Ingredients: 20 large leaves (such as grape leaves or fig leaves) washed and drained, 200g of cooked pearl barley, 100g of lightly roasted pine nuts, 200g of cloudsheep milk cheese (mashed), 50g of fresh mint, 50g of fresh parsley, lemon juice (from 3 lemons), 50ml of olive oil, rock salt and black pepper to taste Directions: 1. Mix the cooked pearl barley, pine nuts, cloudsheep cheese, mint and parsley in a large clay bowl. 2. Add lemon juice, olive oil, rock salt and pepper, then stir evenly. 3. Quickly blanch the large leaves in boiling water to soften them. Douse in cold water after removal, then drain. 4. Place a spoonful of the mixed ingredients on each leaf, then use the leaf to wrap them up as filling. 5. Add a little olive oil to a shallow copper pan, then lightly sauté the wrapped leaf till both sides are slightly charred. This dish was originally invented in the Grove of Epiphany as the highlight of the annual celebration feast. During this evening feast, these Leaves of Wisdom were piled high as a mountain on a large plate for guests to use at their discretion. What is worth mentioning is that only the scholars who achieved outstanding merits that year would be invited to the Grove's feast. Perhaps it is this reason that led people to believe that they would receive Cerces' guarded secrets if they also ate the Leaves of Wisdom. What is interesting is that the Grove would stash bitter herbs randomly among the leaves. According to scholars who had the honor of attending, this was because the bitterness would stimulate the taste buds — the scholars saw this act as an opportunity to spur thought and growth. ... "Calamity Season" Month of Strife: Nikador's Shield of Victory Ingredients: 500g of red wheat flour, 15g of yeast, 10g of salt, 300ml of warm water, 50ml of olive oil, 100ml of Nikador's ambrosia, 100g of Nikador Fruits, 100g of walnuts (slightly chopped), 2 sprigs of rosemary (remove leaves and chop those up) Directions: 1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let it rest for 15 minutes till it froths. 2. Pour red wheat flour and salt into a large wooden bowl, then mix. 3. Pour the yeast water, olive oil, and Nikador's ambrosia into the flour, then stir evenly. 4. Knead the dough for about 30 minutes, till it becomes smooth and elastic. 5. Knead the Nikador Fruits, walnuts, and rosemary leaves into the dough. 6. Cover the dough with linen cloth, then let it rise for 75 minutes in a sunny spot. 7. Press on the dough surface with a shield-shaped stamp, or shape it into a shield by hand, then let it rest and rise for 30 minutes. 8. Preheat the kiln, place the dough in it and let bake for about 75 minutes till the surface is a deep red. Ideally, it should make a hollow sound when you tap its bottom. This is a specialty of Castrum Kremnos. Its making is said to commemorate the heroes who died in war. The bread's deep red crust symbolizes the sacrifices in war, and the nuts and vanilla inside symbolize tenacious spirits and honor. Nikador's disciples use this shield-shaped bread to pay tribute to this Titan and to inspire the fighting will of their troops. Month of Mourning: Thanatos' Requiem Pudding Ingredients: 500ml of cloudsheep milk, 100g of rice, 50ml of honey nectar blessed by Mnestia, 1 stick of cinnamon, lemon peels (1 lemon's worth), a little rock salt, 50g of almonds (chopped) Directions: 1. Wash the rice and soak it for 15 minutes. 2. Pour cloudsheep milk into a copper pot, then add cinnamon, lemon peels, and a little salt. Heat over a low fire till bubbling, then add the washed rice. 3. Simmer over a low fire and keep stirring with a wooden spoon till the rice is completely cooked and softened, and the ingredients in the pot are starchy. This process will take about 60 minutes. 4. Add Mnestia's honey nectar and keep stirring till completely blended. 5. Turn off the fire, remove the cinnamon and lemon peels. Add chopped almonds, then stir lightly. 6. Pour the mixture into a clay bowl and let it rest till room temperature. Then place it in the ice casket and chill for at least 30 minutes till it is completely congealed. (When the outdoor temperature is lower, you can place the clay bowl in a ventilated area outside). 7. Before eating, sprinkle a few Nikador Fruits as garnish. This pudding is pure white. During the nights of the Month of Mourning, many families will raise a miniature Thanatos altar, then gather around it and offer the pudding. They take turns speaking of memories shared with the deceased, then they can eat the pudding. Legend has it that the more emotional the memory, the easier it is to earn Thanatos' blessing — The Titan will soothe the spirit of the departed and helps the living find closure. Remember to leave a serving of pudding for Thanatos when the ritual has ended to give thanks to them. Month of Fortune: Spirit Day's Lucky Cookies Ingredients: Mix 300g of wheat flour and 100g of butter (softened at room temperature), 100g of sugar, 1 Dollo egg, 5ml of vanilla extract, a little rock salt, 100g of various dried fruits (such as dried figs, apricots, raisins etc., must be chopped), 100g of various nuts (such as walnuts, chestnuts, etc., must be chopped) Special Tools: Paper strips made from cloudsheep hide (written with various fortunes, some good, some bad) 1 Zagreus' Silver Coin (must be cleaned beforehand) Directions: 1. Stir the softened butter and sugar in a large clay bowl until smoothened. 2. Add the Dollo egg and vanilla extract and keep stirring. 3. Slowly add flour and salt, then knead into a dough. 4. Mix the chopped dried fruits and nuts into the dough, then place the dough into the ice casket and chill. Let it rest for 45 minutes. 5. Take out the dough and roll it on a floured surface until it is only about half a finger's thickness. 6. Cut the dough into shapes that you like using a mold or knife. 7. Insert a fortune paper slip into each cut dough piece and place a silver coin into a random piece of dough. Then, use the other dough to cover it and seal the edges. 8. Place the cookies on a baking tray pre-brushed with olive oil, then place into a pre-heated kiln and bake for 30 minutes till the edges are crispy yellow. The last day of the Month of Fortune is also known as the Spirit Day. Okhema's citizens believe that the year's misfortunes will end on this day. People share lucky cookies with one another at midnight on Spirit Day. Before eating them, remember to first break apart the crispy cookie and interpret the fortunes written on the sheepskin slips. You might even discover a Zagreus' Silver Coin within — the person who gets the silver coin in a plate of lucky cookies will receive the protection of this God of Trickery.