"Bull mostly talks about women he definitely has a preference for them" "If both are unromanced he ends up with Dorian he clearly prefers men" The Iron Bull has a preference for dwarves thanks for playing
self admits to being the odd one out within the qun (he get too attached to people! he cares too much! he (despite excelling) doesn’t actually fit into the role they gave him!) creates a crew as a cover but gravitates towards misfits and outcasts (he gives a very utilitarian answer for why but frankly i see it more as him feeding some part of himself desperate to be seen as right by giving it to other people)
thinking of killing machine borne from lonely, caretaking child, whose own maternal figure feels he benefits from getting away… god that has to fuck with him. because he ostensibly can play the role the qun wants but not if he wants to keep his people— alive, most importantly but also his.
i do sometimes wish they delved more into him and his caring side and how that really works in a collectivist society but how it also clunks. like the protector framework he has is a needed framework… he can kill (despite a moral aversion to it) but only if it for care, for defense (then he can take a perverse delight in it). the needs of the many trump his own (until they don’t as evidenced by vasaad)
We all decided that according to the "recipes" given by Harding in game, she isn't really a big cook, but let me show you that pasta with cheese and apples can be absolutely delicious, as demonstrated by this traditional Swiss comfort food recipe that translates as "Alpine Herdsman's Maccaroni"
To feed 6-8 regular sized humans, elves or dwarves (or 4 big qunari), you need:
500g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-3cm cubes
500g smooth tube-shaped pasta such as short ziti/macaroni, or if you can't find those, use penne
300ml heavy cream
300g shredded cheese ("gratin cheese mix" or similar is perfectly fine). Gruyère/Emmental is great, but please don't use Mozzarella or processed cheese: wrong taste!
2 large onions, sliced thinly into rings or half-moons
Pepper, salt, nutmeg to taste
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 veggie bouillon cubes (enough for 1L of water)
Applesauce, as much as desired. Store bought or homemade both work! Rule of thumb: About one 400g can for 4 humans/elves/dwarves or 2-3 qunari
Optional: 1-2 sour apples, cut into thin wedges or cubes
Preparation:
Toss sliced onions in flour to coat, then fry in butter on medium heat until golden (will take 5-10 mins), set aside
2. Boil 2L of water, add bouillon cubes, and cook the cubed potatoes for approx. 8 mins on med-high heat
3. Add pasta, stir well, then let simmer, stirring occasionally, for another 10-ish mins until tender, drain
4. Add the heavy cream and 100ml water to the hot pan. Add pasta and potatoes and mix well to coat, then add pepper, salt and nutmeg to taste. Don't oversalt, as the cheese will be salty as well!
5. Preheat oven to 200C.
6. In an ovenproof casserole dish, add 1/2 of the potato-noodle-cream mixture, then top with 1/4 of the fried onion and 1/2 of the shredded cheese, then repeat, ending with the cheese.
OPTIONAL: You can add your sliced apple before topping with the cheese if you want it to roast a bit!
7. Bake for 15mins until top is bubbly and golden
8. Serve garnished with the remaining fried onions and a generous dollop of applesauce (and sliced apples if they haven't been added yet). Go ahead, mix everything, and enjoy!
This might not be 100% how Harding would make her Älplermagronen, but I'm sure she'd love it. Let me know if you try this recipe, and happy Harding Week :)
Addendum:
There is actually a shortcut if you don't feel like baking this dish in the oven. In this case, just dump all of the cheese into the pot after step 4 (make sure that both potatoes and pasta are well cooked) and mix everything until melted. Add more spices or salt if needed, then serve immediately with onion, apples and applesauce. That's actually the way the alpine herdsmen used to do it, straight from the cauldron*!
Optional:
You can add store-bought deep-fried onions as topping for added crunch, or add crispy bacon bits to make it non-Nevarran.
Älplermagronen goes well with a side salad such as lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette, and a cup of strong, unsweetened black tea to offset the heaviness of the dish.
*not that Cauldron, luckily!
As always, thank you so much @datvcompanionweeks for organising, it's been so much fun so far :)
