Creative Weaponry; Tuesday, 1st Period. [01/23].

[special_rabbit]

Hopefully, everyone had gotten Amaya message that class would be meeting in the town today, in Turtle & Canary. And if they didn't get the message, hopefully the note on the danger shop door would clue them in. As well as the note on the classroom door. And if none of those messages got through, well, then, was this really the class they should be taking?

When (hopefully) everyone seemed accounted for, Amaya was waiting at the counter and greeted them with a nod. "Good job last week," she said. "I've gotta say, I'm pretty impressed by some of the stuff you guys came up with to get out of those cells. I'd feel pretty good in a situation where I ever wound up kidnapped by goblins with any of you, but I've got to admit. Lots of great escape plans, a little light on the weapons, for the most part. So today's going to be a straight-up building day. No wacky scenarios to distract you, just a wealth of materials to help get the old noggin," she tapped her forehead lightly, "going on some ideas. We'll have a few of these days this semester, working with actual real materials, since it's definitely a bit different with working with a computer program that pretty much allows for nearly anything. Follow me."

( The Grapes of Wrath. )

"So have at it," Amaya said. "You've got full range of this section of the store for a good portion of the class, and then Apu and I will roll out some dummies I've got in the back room for testing. Have fun, try to really push yourself into thinking of something interesting, and please don't mind the tomato. Feel free to grab a free Squishy on your way out the door, too."

[[and here comes the ocd is up! ]]

Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, per. 2

[sharp_man]

When the students arrived today, Hannibal nodded and waved them over to his counter at the front.

"We'll be discussing a number of sauces and techniques later in the semester, and you will need to know some techniques before we begin on them. The first is called a roux. A roux is flour and salt cooked together; it can be used as a base for some recipes, and some of the techniques it uses will help with others, such as gravy or," he smirked at Summer, "gelatin."

"Our roux starts with clarified butter." He put a square block of butter into a small pot and began heating it. "Standard butter consists of butterfat, milk solids, and water. Clarifying it removes the water and milk solids. Clarified butter can get much hotter without burning, which makes it very good for frying." He demonstrated how to skim the butter as it cooked, leaving only the part they wanted.

"Once we have our clarified butter, we can start on the rest of the roux. A good roux is essential to many sauces. It helps to thicken them and adds some flavor. It's important not to burn it, and to make sure that the fat and the flour mix evenly." He showed how to finish making it.

"After that, the next challenge you face with any sauce, particularly as a beginner, is avoiding lumps. You must add the liquids slowly, and it helps if they're cold. If you add them too quickly, or too much at once, it won't be pretty."

After he'd demonstrated the proper technique, he nodded to them. "Today we'll be making a béchamel sauce, and you'll be clarifying your own butter and making the roux. Please let me know if you have any questions."