Wookiee Hut Cuisine presents: Winter's Day by Susu & Rosie Winter was selected as Princess Leia's companion at a very young age, and the two girls grew up practically as sisters. Winter resembled Leia physically, and the two girls would even wear wigs and trade clothes to get through classes or to give Leia relief from her aunts' scrutiny. They played and got into mischief together and were the best of friends, inseparable and comfortable in each other's company. But when Leia decided to run for Alderaan's seat in the Imperial Senate, the subject of her companion became a serious one. The palace insisted that Leia needed more than a friend and playmate. She needed a guard, an aide, a social secretary, someone who could go undercover for her, or could act as her decoy and double. The royal staff discussed assigning several women to Leia, similar to the plan devised for Leia's mother when she was Queen, then Senator, of Naboo. Of course, Leia knew nothing of the provenance of the palace's suggestions; even so, she thoroughly resisted efforts to remove Winter. She argued with her father that Winter could do everything the palace required, she just needed to be given a chance! She knew more than Leia about lots of stuff -- she was a natural learner. Just because she hadn't been specially selected to be a bodyguard and etiquette policewoman, it didn't mean Winter wasn't suited to the job! Bail Organa promised that Winter could always be part of Leia's personal staff, but Leia retorted that Winter was good enough to simply BE her ENTIRE staff. Hadn't she attended self defense classes and practices with the princess? Winter had been part of every tutorial and experience required of Leia. Organa and Leia's aunts argued back that Winter had simply been an observer -- she hadn't been groomed and trained with this important job in mind. Leia and Winter struck a deal with the palace staff -- Winter would undergo rigorous testing in the span of one day. If her skills were as native and intuitive as Leia claimed, she should not need time for preparation; besides, being Leia's sole aide would be a high-pressure, stress-filled situation, requiring improvisation and confidence. Though Leia complained it was unfair, Winter agreed to the terms; she would perform the tasks assigned to her, sit through interviews, and do what was required to convince the palace. She didn't want to leave Leia either! Winter was grilled about geography, politics and etiquette; she performed native dances from a dozen different systems; her elocution and diction were tested, as was her ability to draft laws and bills, and to create editorial pieces for distribution to Leia's future constituency. It was during this quizzing that it was confirmed that Winter posessed a photographic memory, one that did not lose any information. Her mind was highly organized and her responses appropriate to the scenarios and situations thrown at her by the testing committee. She had done well in marksmanship, and in procedures to protect or recover the princess in difficult and compromising situations, such as kidnapping, arrest and politically delicate meetings. She could speak in Leia's voice and manner, and measurements concluded that she was a bit thinner and taller than Leia, but was otherwise capable of being Leia's double. At last, the final test had come ... Winter would cook and serve a formal meal for the palace officials who were judging and critiquing her. Within a restricted budget, she was told nothing could be too spicy or greasy; none of the food should offend in any way. In fact, none of it should call too much attention to itself, yet should provide an outlet for conversation if necessary. How did she do? Read on ... the rest of the story lies within the menu! Menu: Tortilla Tapatoes | Good for a Date Thick, White Soup | Cucumber Salad | Elegant Salt-Encrusted Whole Fish | "Birds" | Caramel Mocha "Surprise" Torte Tortilla Tapatoes Politicians tend to be conservative eaters, no matter their politics. Winter surmised that the food needed to be dressed up versions of food that children like to eat. The flavors are popular and "safe," and are not aggressive so that they don't become the showcase of the meal. After all, everyone knows that any meal organized around social obligations or fundraisers is not about the food! And yet, it had to be appealing and tasty. Not that simple to do! In addition, there was the limited time and money budget to consider. Winter didn't have a lot of resources to play with, so she decided to keep it simple. For the first course, Winter chose a recipe that basically has only two ingredients. It's so simple to make, and is deceptively delicious, yet if the conversation got heated, it wouldn't distract the speakers from making their points. 3 large potatoes, cubed 3 tablespoons oil 4 eggs salt, to taste pepper, to taste Boil the potatoes in water till they are tender. Drain well. Sauté in oil in a non-stick skillet till they start to color. In a bowl, beat the eggs, then tip the potato cubes into the eggs. Mix well to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, then pour it back all at once into the hot skillet. Cook on medium-low heat till it's set. Slide the omelet onto a plate, then flip it over back into the pan to cook the opposite side. When firm and lightly browned, slide out onto a serving plate and but into wedges to serve. Serves 4 to 8. Back to the Menu: Winter's Day Good for a Date Thick, White Soup Feeding politicians and etiquette-bitches is a bit like dating, menu-wise. There are so many things you should not order in a restaurant on a first date. Anything that required slurping, has the potential to stain, or anything that squirts or has the potential to be superheated. Nothing that requires extreme dexterity or unfamiliar hand or mouth motions, either! Potato and leek soup can be served cold, thickened with cream. Even without these amendments, the soup is thick and white, so no drips and no stains! 4 cups potatoes, diced 3 cups leeks or onions, sliced 8 cups water 1 tablespoon salt Simmer all the ingredients in a pot till tender. When done, mash or blend to form a smooth, thick liquid. Serves 6 to 8. Back to the Menu: Winter's Day Cucumber Salad This salad is actually something between a vegetable dish and a sauce. Winter served it as a side dish with strong-tasting fish; it mediated intense flavors and complemented them, even cooling the dish down. The portions can be small, so that diners don't get too full before the main course. Filling people to moaning stage is an etiquette no-no, by the way! 3 cucumbers, peeled ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon dilltips (also called dillweed), dried 1/3 cup white vinegar 1 teaspoon powdered sugar 1½ tablespoon sour cream paprika, hot or sweet, to taste Thinly slice cucumbers, using a box grater or madoline slicer. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt to draw out the bitter liquids. Set aside for 30 minutes. When drained, place in a bowl and sprinkle with garlic powder, dillweed, vinegar, sugar. Mix well and store covered in plastic wrap till ready to serve. Mix in sour cream and garnish with powdered paprika, either sweet or hot. Back to the Menu: Winter's Day Elegant Salt-Encrusted Whole Fish This is a tricky dish, but only in concept. A whole fish is stuffed with herbs and the covered complete with coarse salt, and the whole thing is baked. It comes out intense and succulent, and doesn't taste of salt! It's brought tableside so the guests can be suitably impressed, then the salt shell cracked apart, the fish skinned and filleted, portions plated tableside. It takes a lot of style and patience to carry it off, and it impressed the palace judges when Winter served a dozen boneless portions without looking rushed or frazzled. She didn't even break a sweat, so confident was she in this dish. 1 whole salmon, about 2½ lb/1 kg, cleaned, gutted handful of fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary 6 lb/2½ kg coarse salt or kosher salt 2 egg whites ¾ cup water, cold Heat the oven to 475°F/225°C. Stuff the belly cavity of the fish with the herbs and close it well, so salt doesn't get into the cavity. In a large bowl, mix together the salt, egg whites, and water. Put some salt down into the bottom of a roasting dish large enough to take the fish. Place the fish on top of that and bury it with the remaining salt. Pack the salt "paste" down firmly. Bake the fish for 30 minutes, then turn the oven off, but leave the fish in there for another 10 minutes. At the table, crack the crust carefully with a mallet, then lift the salt away with the skin, and serve the meat. Make a big show of it! If you wish, you can put melted butter and lemon wedges on the table in advance, so your guests can dig in immediately! Serves 4 to 6. Back to the Menu: Winter's Day "Birds" A particular tiny bird dish was all the rage on Alderaan, simply because the preparation was so fussy and the birds were not successful breeders, either in the wild or in captivity. Despite their semi-endangered state, the wealthy clamored for them. To everyone's surprise, young Winter served this course of moist, stuffed birds, and they wondered how she could have afforded and procured them. Little did they know, it was a more common nerf-like creature, sliced thinly and rolled around stuffing. She simply shaped them to resemble boned, amputated avians. It's simple to make and impressed everyone! thin slices of beef round, pounded thin (each about 4 ounces -- maybe you can get the butcher to pound them for you?) salt, to taste pepper, to taste ¼ cup mustard, spicy 8 slices bacon 1 large dill pickle, cut into very thin spears 2 onions, once cut into slices, the other diced 1 tablespoon flour ¼ cup oil 1 carrot, diced small 2 ribs celery, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ cup red wine 1½ cups stock 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper Lay out the beef and season with salt and pepper. Spread with mustard and place two slices of bacon on each, along with a quarter of the pickle slivers on each. Top with sliced onion, then roll up like an eggroll -- fold in the long sides, then roll up tightly into a cylindar. Secure the roll with a couple of toothpicks. Coat with flour and fry in a lidded kettle (like a Dutch oven) to brown the surface of the meat. Remove from the pan and set aside. Put the diced onion, carrot, celeery into the hot pan and sauté till the onions are translucent. Stir in the tomato paste, wine and stock and mix thoroughly. Put the rolls back into the pan and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and allow to cook for about an hour. At the end of the hour, remove the rolls again and raise the heat to make the sauce. Boil to evaporate to a gravy, then season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Return the rolls to heat again. Serve with a starch, like potatoes, noodles, rice or bread rolls. Serves 4. Back to the Menu: Winter's Day Caramel Mocha "Surprise" Torte While this dessert was being served, Leia's aunts noted that her behavior was superlative, better than usual. On the other hand, Winter, who had served and performed impeccably up until now, had made several major social and serving errors. The cake slices were cracked and uneven, served sloppily, and the plates arranged haphazardly. She did not remain "in the background" as a server, her fingernails appeared to have suddenly become chewed, and for some reason she smelled funny. The committee sadly reported to Winter that they thought she'd snapped under the pressure of the day, even though the meal was delicious (especially this cake!). If she could fail under test conditions, they didn't think she'd suit real, unpredictable situations. Winter smiled, and pulled off her hair -- it was Leia! The well-behaved princess was actually Winter in disguise! Leia's aunts realized then that Winter was more an ideal princess than the princess ... something that should not have been a surprise to anyone. Everyone enjoyed the cake and caf, and Winter became Leia's sole aide thereafter. (By the way, making this cake is a lot of steps, but none of them is difficult. Give yourself plenty of time, and if you make a mistake, don't worry about it! Cover it with whipped cream, and serve it with a smile anyway.) Cake (Note: You will need to make this recipe three times. Do not triple the quantities, each batch should be made separately as you're ready to bake them.) 3 eggs, separated 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons sugar Preheat oven to 350°F/160°C. Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl and egg whites in a large bowl. Into the egg yolk bowl, add vanilla, flour, baking powder and sugar. Beat with electric mixer until smooth and thickened. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Carefully fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Butter and grease a round springform cake pan, or spray with a non-stick cooking spray. Spread batter in the pan so that it's level. Bake until lightly brown; watch it carefully. Let cool for a few minutes; loosen from pan edges and remove from pan. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the cake horizontally into two layers while it's still warm. Repeat these steps two more times to make six layers of cake. Creme 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup very strong coffee 1 cup sugar 2 oz semisweet baking chocolate 2 cups butter, softened (2 sticks) 1 tablespoons vanilla extract In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and mix with the flour, cooking till the flour just starts to color. Add the coffee with constant stirring, and add the sugar. In a microwave-safe bowl, break up the chocolate and microwave for about 20 seconds, then stir (chocolate melted in the microwave will retain it's shape even when it's melted, so stirring is the only way to tell if it's completely melted. Be careful, the chocolate can burn!). Turn off the heat under the coffee mixture, then stir the melted chocolate into the coffee mixture. Let it cool completely. Beat the butter until it's creamy, then add to the cooled coffee/chocolate base. Stir while adding the vanilla extract. Assembly cake layers mocha creme ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon water 1 cup heavy cream, whipped extra butter Reserve the nicest looking, flat layer. Spread the creme onto the other layers then stack atop one another. The top layer has creme on top, with the top layer without any creme, held in reserve. Any extra creme, spread around the sides of the cake. Put the top layer on a piece of foil or wax paper, to be worked on. In a small skillet, put sugar and water together and heat quickly till the sugar is completely dissolved (swirl, don't stir!) and the sugar starts to turn amber-colored. Using a palate knife or spreader, quickly pour the caramel over the cake. Draw a knife through some extra butter and score the hardening caramel into 12 or 16 even wedges. Scoring the caramel will help prevent it from cracking when cutting and serving. When the caramel cools and hardens, place that layer on top of the cake. Be careful not to touch the caramel with your fingers, or you'll leave marks. Decorate with whipped cream. Do not use Redi-Whip or any of the aerosol can-style creams -- they have too much air pumped into them and the cream cannot support itself and tends to collapse. Back to the Menu: Winter's Day Disclaimer: All content is made up, and no profit or lucre is expected, solicited, advocated or paid. This is all just for fun. Any comments, please e-mail the author or WOOKIEEhut directly. Flames will be ignored. Characters and situations are based on those which are the property of LucasFilms Ltd., Bantam Publishing, Random House, and their respective original owners and developers. The rest is this story's author's own fault. This story may not be posted anywhere without the author's knowledge, consent, and permission. These recipes are provided "as is," and neither Wookieehut nor any person associated with the website is responsible for any success or failure of the recipes, nor any implied effects. If there are questions, please email the author. 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