Orc In The Kitchen!

[brian333]

In the kitchen of the Regal Griffon a half-orc was spotted, apparently cooking fish! Patrons have various reactions, primarily negative, until Bentin takes a table and orders the bass.

His platter has a bed of sauteed onion rings upon which is laid a smallmouth bass which has been seared in butter on both sides. On top of the bass are three thin lemon slices and a row of chopped parsley. Beside the platter is a small mug containing a lemon-cream sauce which Bentin pours over the fish as he eats it. A bowl of cooked greens is topped with crumbled bacon, and a smaller bowl contains what appears to be a lemon custard.
A bottle of Cormyrian White rests in a bucket of ice, from which Benton pours small amounts into his glass when he wants a sip.

"Only orc I ever liked," Bentin is heard to exclaim as he mops his empty plate with buttered bread. With a polite belch he gets up and resumes his patrol.

Within an hour the patrons of the inn consume the last of the fish dinners, and the staff of the Regal Griffon apologetically resume serving stew with garlic-butter on their breath.

[brian333]

Early in the morning, before the dew has dried, a half-orc can be seen behind the Regal Griffon dressing the carcass of a deer, to the delight of the neighborhood dogs. He has several chests lined with canvas and filled with water into which he has placed various herbs. Select cuts of meat go into each chest, each obviously intended for a different fate.

That evening the menu of the Regal Griffon is expanded to include grilled or chicken-fried backstrap medallions with smashed potatoes and gravy on the side. Grilled squash and onion completes the meal.

Bentin orders 'something special' and is rewarded with a round green fruit stuffed with rice and topped with a breadcrumb and cheese mixture. This is sitting in a high-sided plate filled with red gravy. A thin loaf of bread on the side appears to have been washed in butter then salted. Bentin is informed that his meal is called Stuffed Bell Pepper in Tomato Gravy. Apparently both bell peppers and tomatoes are native to Meztica, now growing locally, and the rice is Redmist Rice from Valkur's Roar.

Patrons asking about the tender bits of meat in the rice are informed that it is called Dirty Rice because of the earthy flavors of the ground liver used in its making.

Apparently deer sausages are hanging above the stove curing in the heat, but much of the carcass is still not accounted for.

[brian333]

Tonight's menu includes Venison Pot Roast, cooked in its own juices with onion, celery, and garlic. Potatoes and carrots simmered in the au-jus are served, and the roast, cut in thin slices across the grain and laid upon a bed of barley gruel, doesn't need a knife to cut. A roll with a crispy, shiny brown top and fluffy, springy interior accompanies a thick, foamy black ale to complete the meal.

Some observers claim that Bentin didn't even have to chew his roast, and to the astonishment of all, he was actually seen smiling as he polished his empty plate with the remnants of his roll. Of course, we all know Bentin never smiles, but by morning all that remains are cold potatoes drizzled in the au-jus, which many patrons have for breakfast.

[brian333]

Ground venison and onions are browned together in butter, then diced summer squash is layered over it with finely chopped winter greens on top. After three minutes covered with a heavy lid the pan is removed from the fire and allowed to rest. A bed of rice is prepared upon which the casserole is laid, served with buttered slices of warm black bread. A glass of Dark Cormyrian Red is recommended. After the meal a spice cake with candied pear is offered.

[brian333]

As rain flirts with the treetops and cold gusts alternate with warm South winds, patrons of the Regal Griffon are greeted with the aroma of sauteed onions and garlic.

Bentin appears to be wolfing down a platter of mashed potatoes covered in browned onions and thinly sliced sausage which is topped with crumbles of cheese. He forks out a mouthfull from a bowl of buttered candied carrots from time to time and washes it down with gulps from a mug of mulled cider.

As he is finishing up his meal, a fat half-orc dressed in white comes out of the kitchen with a plate which has a three inch cube on it. The cube is dark brown on top and bottom and off-white on the sides. It jiggles slightly as it is set before Bentin. As Bentin savors the first bite, the half-orc returns from the bar with a tumbler containing a finger of Cormyrian Aged Whiskey.

As the half-orc returns to the kitchen patrons of the inn can be heard ordering Bangers And Mash with Bread Pudding for dessert.

[brian333]

An unfortunate bee-sting leads the half-orc to a honeybee hive in a farmer's shed. He is later seen behind The Griffon screening honey and rendering wax.

In the morning the Regal Griffon is serving biscuits in honey. But all day a large ham is cooking over the stove, and with every turn of the spit a new coat of honey is painted on. The secret spices and crispy hide combine to make a bacony-sweet aroma which permeates the inn.

The highly anticipated evening meal is sliced ham on poached asparagus tips. On the side is a serving of roasted yam with a honey-cinnamon glaze.

Bentin burps over his second yam as the half-orc serves a honey custard for dessert. By 9 o'clock, the ham bones go into a rendering pot, but the yams and asparagus tips hold out to the end of the night.

[brian333]

In the morning venison breakfast sausages and hominy grits with butter appear on tables in the Regal Griffon Inn. The sausages are peppery and have a tart herbal aroma, but the grits mute the intense flavors of the ground meat.

In the evening Bentin and his wife are served at his favorite table by the half-orc, who presents a large bone-in roast with a crusty exterior. When Bentin points out the choice spot from which he wants his slice, the chef reveals the interior of the roast, which is a juicy violet color studded with garlic cloves. Ms.Bentin prefers a crusty edge piece, then negotiates for a second piece of the crust when the first appears too small for her appetite. Served with the roast is a crusty cornmeal bread and cubed, honey-glazed pumpkin. A dark Cormyrian red wine accompanies the meal, and as the couple relax over the last bits of their meal, the half-orc comes from the kitchen carrying two bowls of honey-glazed pecans and butter-braised apples. Two shot-glasses of Thunderstone White Whiskey accompany the dessert.

Before the Bentins have finished their meals, the venison roast is reduced to scraps and bones, and customers marvel at the flavor and tenderness of the roast, which the chef explains is a result of the dry-ageing process.

[brian333]

A huge bowl of pumpkin candy sits on a table near the entrance of the inn.

The pumpkin is cut into one inch cubes and boiled to tenderness, then tossed in a mixture of honey, ground nutmeg, and assorted other spices. The pieces are then baked until the coating crisps and tossed in a white sugar concoction flavored with the nectar of mallow flowers. It is flavorful and very sweet. So sweet that most adults enjoy one or perhaps two pieces.

At first the candy is dry, even a bit dusty on the surface but soft and creamy inside. By evening, what remains in the bowl has gone sticky. Just prior to sunset the village children learn of the confection and what remains quickly runs out of the door clutched in sticky fingers.

[brian333]

Cabbage soup with venison sausage has become a regular menu item at the Regal Griffon. But this evening Bentin orders, "Something special."

The half-orc comes out of the kitchen with a pickled beet and onion salad, then sets up a tray covered with a towel in front of the fireplace.

He spends a few minutes arranging the fire, first pushing the burning wood to the back, then creating a pile of coals in the front. He shoves four new potatoes into the coal bed, then takes a three-tined skewer from the tray.

On the skewer he begins with one end of a long strip of bacon. He then takes out a disc of meat that is about an inch and a half thick and four inches across. The meat is almost purple in color and of nearly uniform texture. He sticks that onto one tine of the fork, wraps the bacon strip around it, then secures the loose end. With the skewer forks fully inserted into the meat, he holds it about one inch from the pile of coals.

Within moments the aroma of seared meat permeates the common room of the inn, but the half-orc patiently waits, holding the skewer steady in the intense heat. After about three minutes he flips the meat and holds it over the coals. The first side appears almost, but not quite charred.

As the second side toasts, juices try to rise, and he sprinkles what appears to be coarse salt and pepper over the steak. After about three minutes he spends another minute crisping the bacon and sets the steak on a wooden platter.

He uses the skewer to retrieve the small potatoes from the fire one by one. The charred outside is removed simply by squeezing the potatoes, and their creamy white insides pillow onto the platter. He sprinkles a pinch of the salt and pepper over that as well, then places the platter on the table. He finishes with a generous dollop of butter cream on both the potatoes and the steak.

He goes to the bar and half-fills a mug with ale, then finishes it with cider. He places that on the hearth and sprinkles a brown powder into it before picking up his tray and returning to the kitchen.

A spicy aroma fills the common room, and in a short while the ale begins to foam. A waitress stirs the concoction then sets it in front of Bentin, who has almost finished wolfing down his meal.

When multiple orders of "Something special" are placed, guests are disappointed to learn that their dinner does not come with a show, but they seem quite pleased by their charred dry-aged venison steaks with new potatoes.