Lissa Dobbs's Blog: Shadow Walkers of Grevared, page 3
December 2, 2018
Siromafusi – Fantasy Food of Grevared
[image error]Ingredients for cooking are difficult to come by in some areas of Grevared, particularly in the poorer sections of large cities like Freywater and Sangeron in the Xaggarene Empire. While Cold Boxes are available, they’re the purview of the well-off. This makes storing perishable items for long periods of time almost impossible for the poor. That being the case, many of them have created recipes that don’t require refrigerated items. Siromafusi is one of them.
This treat or meal is made from a simple dough that is quick and easy to make and doesn’t require milk or eggs. The filling can be anything that doesn’t contain too much moisture, from fruit or meat to sweets. The fist meal, a simple meal that can be eaten without utensils, can be made hand-sized, or the treat can be made in small, bite-sized pieces for an appetizer or a snack.
Instructions – Savory
3 cups of self-rising flour, plus more for working
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 cup of warm water
Meat, cheese, or vegetables for filling (This makes great pizza bites!)
Herbs and spices to flavor the dough
Melted butter for brushing
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare the filling and have it standing by. This can be meats, cheeses, vegetables, or whatever else may be laying around. Just make sure the meats are cooked first.
Mix flour and spices in a bowl. Add the oil and water and mix until blended. This is an extremely soft dough, so be prepared for sticky fingers.
Break off a bit of the dough, small for bite-sized morsels, larger for sandwich-sized.
With thoroughly floured hands and working surface, flatten the dough.
Add the filling.
Fold or roll into a ball and brush with melted butter.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350° for 8-15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. If your oven is the temperamental type, you may have to switch it to broil for a few minutes to brown the tops.
Remove from the cookie sheet and let cool a bit before enjoying.
[image error]Instructions – Sweet
3 cups of self-rising flour, plus more for working
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 cup of warm water
Fruit, candy, or sweet paste for filling
Herbs and spices to flavor the dough, if desired
½ cup sugar (Adding sugar to the dough alters the texture and makes the dough chewier than the savory one.)
Melted butter for brushing
Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare the filling and have it standing by. This can be fruit, sweets, or a sweet paste.
Mix flour, sugar, and spices in a bowl. Add the oil and water and mix until blended. This is an extremely soft dough, so be prepared for sticky fingers.
Break off a bit of the dough, small for bite-sized morsels, larger for sandwich-sized.
With thoroughly floured hands and working surface, flatten the dough.
Add the filling.
Fold or roll into a ball and brush with melted butter.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350° for 8-15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. If your oven is the temperamental type, you may have to switch it to broil for a few minutes to brown the tops.
Remove from the cookie sheet and let cool a bit before enjoying.
Simple icings, glazes, or sprinkles make a nice topping to these, and dipping sauces are great for the savory ones. I also topped some of mine with cheese just to give them a little extra.
If you give this a shot, please share in the comments. I’d love to hear what kind of filling you used or any suggestions you have for improvements.
Best wishes!
Lissa Dobbs
http://www.hiddenhollowediting.com
November 25, 2018
Holiday Weekend — Creating Fantasy Holidays
[image error]It’s been a wonderful holiday weekend for me and mine, and I’m a bit sad that’s it’s over and the real world intrudes again tomorrow.
I’ll admit I’m a bit tired, though. Two days of cooking followed by two days of decorating was a bit much, but the turkey had his day, and now the tree twinkles.
Holidays are a time to be with family and friends and are a vital part of creating any fictional world. Or at least in making it complete. In the world of Grevared, holidays occur throughout the year. Most of them take place around the same time across the countries, but they differ by country and culture. For example, the demons mourn the loss of their own world around Yuletide, while the humans celebrate the season with gifts and decorations. The elves continue to honor the solstices and equinoxes even though the void has no visible celestial bodies. The celebrations of each country and culture differ slightly as well, and this helps to add depth to the holidays.
The same is true of the autumn holidays. Those who follow the Arcana Maximus celebrate the ritual of Akatha Mabikym, which is a ritual that returns the spirits of the dead to the chaos of the void. Those who don’t follow the Arcana tend to focus more on the harvest and the plenty that comes with it, even those in the larger cities like Ymla and Sangeron.
[image error]Tips for Creating Holidays
Consider what we already celebrate. Many of our current celebrations are world-wide in many respects, for humans tend to celebrate the same milestones of life regardless of individual culture.
Think about the world you’ve created. What are the important times of year for its inhabitants? Are there things that are important to one group that aren’t to another? (e.g. Those who don’t follow the Arcana Maximus are less likely to celebrate the ritual of Akatha Mabikym, and many outright disagree with it.)
Add in elements of the fantasy world to the holiday. In Corleon, for example, horses play a major role in the economy of the country. Therefore, horses come into play during their Yuletide celebrations, and hay is commonly used to decorate.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match celebrations that are already in existence or do some research into older celebrations and pull elements that we no longer use in our modern time.
Have fun with it.
Creating holidays for your world can be one of the most rewarding parts of world-building and can help you get to know the characters and cultures you created all the better. Even if you never write a scene including one of the holidays, simply indicating that they exist can bring your world to life in the minds of your readers.
Best wishes and Happy Holidays!!!!!
Lissa Dobbs
November 18, 2018
Random Thought – Folklore
[image error]I had a strange dream the other night that got me thinking about the story of “Hansel and Gretel”. Nothing serious, mind you, just the prevalence of these tales in our culture, in all cultures, really.
One of the things that’s always fascinated me about folklore and religion is the similarities between cultures that weren’t supposed to be in contact with each other. It’s always made me wonder how so many different people in so many different places could come up with the same thing at around the same time period. Don’t get me wrong, I understand Jung’s idea of archetypes and the collective unconscious and the universality of human experience. After all, we are all born, live, and die. We have to come to terms with ourselves and learn to live in the world on our own. I get that.
What’s always fascinated me is the amount of similarity and the desire of humans to pass on lessons through stories and analogy. I mean, when I’m trying to get my kids to understand something, I don’t couch it in metaphor and euphemism. I say it plainly. We do the same thing when talking about our day at work or teaching history, in some respects at least.
Why then the need for these tales? We know they serve a purpose outside of entertainment. Many of these tales allow children a glimpse into the adult world long before they experience it themselves. They allow us to meet fear in a form that isn’t as frightening, and children who are read fairy tales generally have an easier time with reading and comprehension. There’s something basic about them that speaks across time and culture to that place within us that makes us all human beings.
But who first thought them? Who crafted these marvelous glimpses into long ago that are so powerful we’re still rewriting them today? Was it an ancient family seated around a fire after a day of hunting? Was it a mother desperate to give hope to a sick child? Was it a sibling offering comfort to the younger ones in times of trouble?
I would love to create a time machine and travel back to that distant time just to watch this phenomena unfold, to meet the richness of culture and experience the connection that allowed the same thoughts, and plots, to arise on opposite sides of the world.
I suppose these are odd thoughts, and they definitely ramble, but I’ve spent the day making snow to decorate with, and I’ve had plenty of time for wandering thoughts.
I hope all have a wonderful holiday week and season.
Best wishes!
Lissa Dobbs
November 11, 2018
Whew! That’s Over. Now What?
[image error]Things have been a bit hectic lately, so writing has been on the back burner. Now that the holidays are upon us, I’m not so sure things will slow down, but I have hope.
Now that the weather’s cooling down and the leaves are changing, I find myself more motivated and more creative. The problem comes with deciding where to focus my time and energy. Do I want to continue with Grevared? I have a ton of stories in the works and more ideas in my noggin’. Do I want to get started on the YA modern fantasy that’s whirling around in my head? Right now, there are two stories, mostly fully formed, written in a notebook. Do I want to work on the horror stories that come unbidden into my dreams? And, boy, did I have a doozy last night. Or do I want to focus on building my proofreading business? I can do this for others, but making sure my own stuff is free of typos is another thing all together. Or do I want to abandon all of that and return to researching folklore and mythology? It’s not like we’ve figured it all out yet.
[image error]Mostly, it’s a matter of time management and organization, but I think it would be easier to petition the Universe for a few more hours in the day. But would that help? I’m not sure. I have no doubt I’ll figure it out when my mind has had a little time to slow down and consider a bit. Until then, I’ll keep on keeping on and do what I can when I can and hope the results are something others want to read.
At the end of the day, it’s the joy that comes from doing it, the journey rather than the destination, that matters.
Best wishes,
Lissa Dobbs
http://www.hiddenhollowediting.com
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November 4, 2018
Life in the Way Again
Life is once again in the way of anything writing related, so enjoy this inspirational quote until it slows down again.
Best wishes,
Lissa Dobbs
http://hiddenhollowediting.com
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October 28, 2018
Random Thoughts – You’ve Got This
I was coming home from the grocery store with my son when the song “Jesus Take the Wheel” came on. It’s one of those that I like to hear now and again, as much because of my interest in all mythology and religion than for any other reason. I also like the idea of a higher power that will, occasionally, lend a helping hand. Well, my son, being a teenager, made the comment that maybe Jesus didn’t want to take the wheel because it wasn’t needed. He was being a smartass at the time, but his comment made me think.
There are times when we want nothing more than to turn over whatever is going on to someone else, anyone else, just for a little bit. We want God or the angels or the Universe to just make the bad times go away and let us have some peace. We…
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October 21, 2018
Something About the Old Ones
Autumn is my favorite time of year, and when Mother Nature finally looks at the calendar and cools things off, I’m in full creative mode and ready to kick back with some old movies and tap out some words. This is especially true in October when the leaves are changing and pumpkins sit everywhere. (Okay, so, the stores may be a little ahead of the game with Christmas, but we won’t go there.)
I’m a horror movie junkie, but I don’t like most of the newer ones. I’ll sit through It or A Quiet Place or The Conjuring, but those aren’t the ones I thrive on. I prefer the old ones, like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman. These are classics, of course, but I also like the ones like the Beast of Yucca Flats, any of the ones made before 1950.
And why would I prefer those to the modern movies with their fancy CGI effects and digital processing (whatever it’s called)? Because the old ones have a creep factor not seen in a lot of modern films. There’s something about the use of light and shadow, the lack of color, the hollow sound of the voices, that is both skin-crawling creepy and peaceful. There’s a calm in them, possibly because of the soundtrack, that’s soothing even in the midst of being chased by a monster. They create an ambiance of dark places when the light of the fire didn’t quite reach the corners and of wrapping in a blanket to chase off the chill.
That’s not saying there aren’t good movies out there today, just that these have a special place in my heart and bring a sense of ‘autumn’ and Halloween that most others don’t.
What are some of your favorite Halloween movies?
Best wishes,
Lissa Dobbs
http://www.lissadobbs.com/childrenstories
October 7, 2018
Void Serpent: From The Flora and Fauna of the Lands of Grevared by Inquisitor Mylar Massengill
[image error]Appearance: It has a dragon-like head and a serpentine body with no legs or wings. Most have horns on the head, though this can vary. Void serpents often grow to be several hundred feet long, and they have the strength to destroy a ship. Mating rituals are unknown, for no one has ever seen this activity. It is believed that the females lay eggs, but this has not been definitively determined. Void serpents also possess the ability to spit fire, though they are rarely seen to do so. They attack without provocation, and their population numbers are unknown.
Habitat: Void serpents live in the void. There is no other known habitat.
Diet: It is believed that the void serpent lives primarily on other void creatures, though just what these creatures are is still largely unknown. However, the serpents will eat those on the ships they attack.
Threat: The void serpent is extremely dangerous.
Notes: There is a legend, though I can’t vouch for its veracity, about demon creatures called Serpent Riders. It is said these beings have tamed the void serpents and use them to travel the void. I don’t believe in this legend, however, for there are none who can survive the chaotic energy in the void.
September 30, 2018
I Finally Figured Out Assaberries!!!!
Those who’ve followed for a while know that Ethan Grimley’s favorite fruit is the assaberry. These berries are ubiquitous in Grevared and are one of the most common berries for use in baking and sweet-making. It is also the most common flavor of Fizzy Drink, and Mondor Fizzy Drinks and Snacks in Freywater owns large tracts of land in the Xaggarene Empire to grow the berries.
I also love creating food for my fantasy worlds, and the assaberry has been one of my biggest challenges so far. I wanted something with an unusual, but palatable, taste. Mixing berries was the obvious choice, but it was too obvious. However, after several trials, I’ve finally found a mixture I like. It still tastes like berries, of course, but there’s enough of something else to it to make it somewhat unique, at least as far as my culinary tastes run.
[image error]The fruit remains after making juice
To Create the Assaberry Flavor
1 pomegranate
15 raspberries
15 red grapes
juice of 1/2 orange
I made sponge cakes and jelly from the juice this time, but I also want to make jelly candies, since that’s one of Ethan’s favorite sweets. Now, if I can just find what I need for the talakilkonna tail, I’ll be good to go.[image error]
Best wishes!
September 16, 2018
Creating Fantasy Food
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Food is a vital part of life. It’s a major component in social interaction. It’s expressive of culture. And, let’s face it, we have to eat to live.
The characters in fantasy worlds are no different. They have to eat, and what they eat depends on where they live, their economic status, their culture, their personal preferences, and what time of year it is. Just like in our world.
The easiest way to create fantasy foods is to take something from our world and change the name of the dish or some of the ingredients. Easy-peasy.
However, if you’re more adventurous, you can create recipes for your world. These can be anything from typical meals to holiday delights. Mix ingredients you’ve never considered and have fun with it. Some of the dishes will be awesomely yummy, while others might be…well…more appropriate for the demons.
This was one of the things I enjoyed most about creating Grevared. There was an entire world full of different cultures, with a plethora of plants and animals that don’t exist in our world, to play with. The trick was finding our world equivalents for what I wanted to do.
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Tips for Creating Fantasy Food
Decide what grows and lives in your world. I know this sounds like common sense, but knowing what plants and animals exist in your world and deciding on their ‘our world’ equivalent is important. For example, the assaberry is a common fruit all over Grevared. It’s used in Yuletide cooking, drinks, and candies. But what is it? My description of the plant is “common in all parts of Grevared except the Shizzuria Wasteland, the assaberry has small, bluish-green leaves and deep maroon berries. It has a sweet taste and is used in baking and pies.” Now, a raspberry would probably work, but I want something else. I’m still working on the ‘something else’, but there are several combinations I’m considering.
Explore and expand. Fantasy food doesn’t have to be restricted to baked goods, though, for me, that’s what’s easiest. Creating main dishes is even more fun. Take talakilkonna tail, for instance. (A talakilkonna is an eight-foot-tall bipedal turtle-like creature common to the Sea of Sands in Moirena.) This is a dish favored by the demons, so it’s taking some thought. I want it to be edible, but, at the same time, not something your average human is going to pick up to munch on. I have some ideas for this, too, but getting the primary ingredient is proving difficult. I’m hoping to locate what I need soon.
Be consistent with what’s available to your characters. Empire Delight is a cake made from a pudding base with typical Christmas spices added to it, while Rada’ke Cakes are made with pancake mix. While there’s nothing strange (to us) about the ingredients, I chose things that would mirror the cultures that created the dishes. The Xaggarene Empire is somewhat technologically advanced with strong trade and plenty of variety, while the Shizzuria Wasteland is frozen and supplies are limited. That being the case, Empire Delight is a three layer cake, while Rada’ke cakes are simple desserts made with few ingredients.
Know the culture that created the dish. This is extremely important if you want to keep your cultures consistent. A people based primarily in the desert is going to have a much more limited diet than those who live in the forest. Likewise, those in cities with restaurants and markets are going to have access to ingredients that those in small towns won’t. Those with a religious background that forbids meat or alcohol aren’t likely to indulge in those foods.
Have a strong stomach and an expanded grocery budget. Not all recipes will work, so having a strong stomach may be required. I discovered this with Melon Peckers and Nutty Fluffies. I still haven’t figured them out. And while breaking your budget on ingredients isn’t a necessity, you will have to purchase things to experiment with.
Creating fantasy food is one of the most enjoyable parts of creating a fantasy world, and it can add depth to the world you’re creating. If you’re one of those who likes to play in the kitchen, it can also give you more insight into the world and cultures that you’re bringing to life. Not to mention that it can improve your cooking skills.
Best wishes!
Shadow Walkers of Grevared
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