Heresy 245 The Alpha and the Omega and what lies between

[LynnS]

2 hours ago, Melifeather said:

They do sound like cookies but they’re a sweetened biscuit. I’m going to try them too with some good Irish butter.

Don't forget to say F*** me!  I'll have to do a batch with almond extract and one with coconut extract since my sister is allergic to almond.  Now she knows I have the recipe, she's on my case.  I made her a batch of ginger cookies today.  So store tomorrow for ingredients.

 

[Melifeather]

1 hour ago, LynnS said:

Don't forget to say F*** me! 

Oh for sure! That sounds like the best part!

[LynnS]

1 hour ago, Melifeather said:

Oh for sure! That sounds like the best part!

You have to see it Melifeather.  It is so funny.  Ted Lasso on Apple TV.  I don't want to give anything away.  A big part of the experience is the element of surprise.

[Black Crow]

On 2/7/2024 at 4:23 AM, Mace Cooterian said:

@LynnS As it turns out, a good friend had also recommended Ted Lasso, which my wife and I completed a few weeks ago.  Outstanding!  Without divulging too much, my wife found a recipe for the "Ted Lasso Biscuits".  Let's just say that when you taste them you will tell yourself..."f*** me.

Oh...back on the subject at hand.  Part of my daily routine (morning rituals) is to visit this site (specifically Heresy @Black Crow) to make sure that I'm not missing anything.  I'm looking for a smart response from my keyboard,  but that might be what George is asking from his.  It aint there.

I just wanted to check in with everyone and let you know......I miss you.  So many good writers and literary critics and analysisers.  I simply can't do what you guys/gals do.  So here is a call out to a few that have inspried me over the years....this list is not meant to exclude anyone who has contributed.  I merely wanted to mention a few in hopes that thay might say hello and check in.

In no particualr order:

@evita mgfs

@Frey family reunion

@Grey Words

@Little Wing

@Lummel

@Toccs

@wolfmaid7

The list is only a start and not intended to represent all that have contributed.  It was a spur of the moment, and let me end this long post with one more call out:

@Black Crow

 

Still here, still alive and still living in hope, though there's a growing suspicion GRRM may now be aiming to wrap with WoW

[LynnS]

On 2/8/2024 at 7:28 PM, Mace Cooterian said:

Since we don't have new material to discuss, I suppose it's okay to post the recipe (thanks BC):

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspons almond extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• coars sugar for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment on the all sides.  Set aside.

In a food precessor, combine the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond and butter.  Pulse until just combined and the mixture starts to form a dough around the blades of the food processor.

Pressure the dough into the prepared pan using your hands to spread the dough into an even layer.

Sprinkle the tops of the bars generously with coarse sugar.

Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes or until just light golden brown.  Take out of th oven and allow the bars to cool completely before clining the bards into your desired size.

 

Well f*** me! Is that ever delicious.  Mrs. Cooterian gets the Golden Apron for that recipe!

 

[Melifeather]

8 hours ago, Black Crow said:

Still here, still alive and still living in hope, though there's a growing suspicion GRRM may now be aiming to wrap with WoW

That makes sense, but where did you read that little tidbit?

Winds, by all accounts, is massive in size and probably enough words for two books, but the words "a dream of spring" could just as easily be part of the final sentence if all of the major mysteries have been revealed in Winds.

[Melifeather]

4 hours ago, LynnS said:

Well f*** me! Is that ever delicious.  Mrs. Cooterian gets the Golden Apron for that recipe!

 

I noticed there is no leavening. Did you add baking soda or baking powder?

 

[LynnS]

2 hours ago, Melifeather said:

I noticed there is no leavening. Did you add baking soda or baking powder?

 

Nope.  I had to check twice to be sure. Just as per instruction.  I used a food processor on pulse as directed.  I substituted Fiori di Sicilia for almond extract (nut allergies).  I think you could use any number of extracts for flavouring.  It's lovely and soft, almost like a shortbread.  There is a thin cookie texture on the outside.  I think I could substitute the shortbread layer for millionaire bars with it.  And I think you can press it into tart tins for that purpose also.  Or top with crushed nuts instead of coarse sugar.  I baked for 40 minutes.  It turned out really well.  

Edited February 12 by LynnS

[Melifeather]

5 hours ago, LynnS said:

Nope.  I had to check twice to be sure. Just as per instruction.  I used a food processor on pulse as directed.  I substituted Fiori di Sicilia for almond extract (nut allergies).  I think you could use any number of extracts for flavouring.  It's lovely and soft, almost like a shortbread.  There is a thin cookie texture on the outside.  I think I could substitute the shortbread layer for millionaire bars with it.  And I think you can press it into tart tins for that purpose also.  Or top with crushed nuts instead of coarse sugar.  I baked for 40 minutes.  It turned out really well.  

I mixed it with my hands because that’s how I usually make biscuits. It’s the best way to avoid over-mixing. I think this recipe is shortbread and would be good with a layer of finely chopped almonds and drizzled with chocolate.

[Black Crow]

On 2/11/2024 at 8:05 PM, Melifeather said:

That makes sense, but where did you read that little tidbit?

Winds, by all accounts, is massive in size and probably enough words for two books, but the words "a dream of spring" could just as easily be part of the final sentence if all of the major mysteries have been revealed in Winds.

The way I'm coming to see it is a simple question of logistics. 

[Mace Cooterian]

8 hours ago, Black Crow said:

The way I'm coming to see it is a simple question of logistics. 

Logistics and time.  If...and that's a big matzo ball...if, Wow comes out this year that will be 13 years since DoD.  If George still have another book to write and that takes another 13 years, he will be 88 when DoS is relased.  The man needs a break at some point.

But I agree, 13 years is a long time to amass a great deal of material (Volume 1 and Volume 2), or we get one big one and it ends as @Melifeather suggests with a "dream of spring".

[Mace Cooterian]

On 2/11/2024 at 10:26 PM, Melifeather said:

I mixed it with my hands because that’s how I usually make biscuits. It’s the best way to avoid over-mixing. I think this recipe is shortbread and would be good with a layer of finely chopped almonds and drizzled with chocolate.

Mrs. Cooterian did use a stand up mixer to mix the ingrediants and when she got ready to press them into place, it was a fine powder.  I really didn't think it would set.

I think shortbread is the best way to describe this and Mrs. Cooterian did place a layer of finely chopped almonds on the top.  I would think choclate drizzled on top of that would also be appropriate.

Thanks to you both for participating.  They really are very good.

[LynnS]

12 hours ago, Mace Cooterian said:

Mrs. Cooterian did use a stand up mixer to mix the ingrediants and when she got ready to press them into place, it was a fine powder.  I really didn't think it would set.

I think shortbread is the best way to describe this and Mrs. Cooterian did place a layer of finely chopped almonds on the top.  I would think choclate drizzled on top of that would also be appropriate.

Thanks to you both for participating.  They really are very good.

Yes, I wondered about the powdery consistency.  It's the butter and sugar finely granulated throughout that holds it together in the baking process once it is pressed into the pan.  It was fully mixed with the flour once it started sticking to the sides of the food processor.  

My brother-in-law loves it.  I asked him if he wanted to take them to work, but he doesn't want to share.   It is a shortbread; because Ted Lasso does say he calls it a cookie while the Scots/Brits call it a biscuit (originally to avoid a cookie tax).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortbread

On another subject;  I'm very entertained by Frey Family Reunion's thread on the general forum.  The idea that Sansa meant to poison Tyron; who then accidently poisons Joffrey; makes me laugh like a drain.  Although that's not exactly what FFR has in mind.

 

[Melifeather]

42 minutes ago, LynnS said:

Yes, I wondered about the powdery consistency.  It's the butter and sugar finely granulated throughout that holds it together in the baking process once it is pressed into the pan.  It was fully mixed with the flour once it started sticking to the sides of the food processor.  

My brother-in-law loves it.  I asked him if he wanted to take them to work, but he doesn't want to share.   It is a shortbread; because Ted Lasso does say he calls it a cookie while the Scots/Brits call it a biscuit (originally to avoid a cookie tax).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortbread

On another subject;  I'm very entertained by Frey Family Reunion's thread on the general forum.  The idea that Sansa meant to poison Tyron; who then accidently poisons Joffrey; makes me laugh like a drain.  Although that's not exactly what FFR has in mind.

 

It's been awhile since we've had a new topic to discuss and this is one that I've never explored before. It seems far fetched to me. I think the book confirms quite clearly that this was plotted out by Lady Olenna and Littlefinger. But its been fun going over the various passages that are brought up.

[LynnS]

1 minute ago, Melifeather said:

It's been awhile since we've had a new topic to discuss and this is one that I've never explored before. It seems far fetched to me. I think the book confirms quite clearly that this was plotted out by Lady Olenna and Littlefinger. But its been fun going over the various passages that are brought up.

Yes, it has been fun to read and I like the psychological exploration.  I don't really have anything to discuss.  I have some general guesses or plot developments I'd like to see.  I hope we get something new soon.  I'm not that interested in House of Dragons except for what we could learn from Cregan Stark. 

[Melifeather]

3 hours ago, LynnS said:

Yes, it has been fun to read and I like the psychological exploration.  I don't really have anything to discuss.  I have some general guesses or plot developments I'd like to see.  I hope we get something new soon.  I'm not that interested in House of Dragons except for what we could learn from Cregan Stark. 

The HBO House of the Dragons is quite good actually. They've stuck to the original story pretty well and the actors are just so darn good! Paddy Considine was incredibly good as Viserys!

[LynnS]

44 minutes ago, Melifeather said:

The HBO House of the Dragons is quite good actually. They've stuck to the original story pretty well and the actors are just so darn good! Paddy Considine was incredibly good as Viserys!

There were some interesting things that came out of the show; that made me wonder how involved GRRM was in the writer's room.  Not writing episodes specifically; but throwing out ideas that would work with book canon.   The white castle that Viserys dreams of building.  Cersei dreams of something similar:

Quote

 

A Feast for Crows - Cersei III

"Would that we could do the same to the rest of this foul castle," said Cersei. "After the war I mean to build a new palace beyond the river." She had dreamed of it the night before last, a magnificent white castle surrounded by woods and gardens, long leagues from the stinks and noise of King's Landing. "This city is a cesspit. For half a groat I would move the court to Lannisport and rule the realm from Casterly Rock."

 

Make of that what you will.

We did to see dragons and something of their nature.  Aegon's prophecy is another that makes sense and doesn't conflict with book canon.

I'm have no sympathy for Larys Strong at all.  I don't care if he has a club foot.  He's a psychopath and a creep.  He probably is skinchanging rats.  The less I see of him, the better.  

[Melifeather]

6 minutes ago, LynnS said:

There were some interesting things that came out of the show; that made me wonder how involved GRRM was in the writer's room.  Not writing episodes specifically; but throwing out ideas that would work with book canon.   The white castle that Viserys dreams of building.  Cersei dreams of something similar:

Make of that what you will.

We did to see dragons and something of their nature.  Aegon's prophecy is another that makes sense and doesn't conflict with book canon.

I'm have no sympathy for Larys Strong at all.  I don't care if he has a club foot.  He's a psychopath and a creep.  He probably is skinchanging rats.  The less I see of him, the better.  

The description of the white castle made me think immediately of Whitewalls which was on the shores of the Gods Eye a little over a generation ago. It was the location where Lord Butterwell abducted Egg and Bloodraven had the castle destroyed. Interestingly Ned's Ferry is very close by and it's my pet location for where Lyanna was actually found...the ruins of a tower long fallen and not that far from Harrenhal. But I digress...

9 minutes ago, LynnS said:

I'm have no sympathy for Larys Strong at all.  I don't care if he has a club foot.  He's a psychopath and a creep.  He probably is skinchanging rats.  The less I see of him, the better.  

[LynnS]

29 minutes ago, Melifeather said:

The description of the white castle made me think immediately of Whitewalls which was on the shores of the Gods Eye a little over a generation ago. It was the location where Lord Butterwell abducted Egg and Bloodraven had the castle destroyed. Interestingly Ned's Ferry is very close by and it's my pet location for where Lyanna was actually found...the ruins of a tower long fallen and not that far from Harrenhal. But I digress...

OHHH! That's very interesting.  

[LynnS]

I keep poking around looking for some news or an update.  Is no news, good news?  If he was close, would he say anything about it, or keep it to himself?  There would be an awful frenzy and he'd get no peace.