Love and Deep Space Dishes
//cross posted from the lads subreddit//
I saw a post a while back asking what kind of dishes the LaDS guys would have if you were to condense them into a menu and I maaaaay have been watching a few too many collab cafe vlogs so the idea popped back into my head again.
Xavier
So we all know Xavier can't cook, but if, big IF, he does cook, it would be simple, homey, comfort food. I'm talking hot pot, stews, curry (probablyy from a box/kit) that kind of thing. His section has to include hot pot, BBQ, and hearty meaty dishes with spicy variants of the dishes. Probably crock pot style stews that don't need to be measured or timed really. Based off vibes, I'd include a meat curry with a bunbun shaped mound of rice, cute bento plating style. Grilled meat kababs are a must and call back to his 4* card Day of Snow. As a bonus, pocky, sour candy, and spicy chips (or takis) can be thrown in as an extra in reference to his first secret times card and Unique Aftertaste.
For a dessert, I'm thinking, some kind of starfruit dessert, like a tart or starfruit tanghulu would be fitting for him. We need to include egg tarts (which are actually pretty easy to make if you use a pre-made Philo dough) from his 4* memory card when he almost destroyed his apartment. Maybe even homemade ice cream (the kind you make with ziplocs, ice, salt, and heavy cream.or with an ice cream maker if you wanna get fancy lmao) in reference to the ice cream in Sweetness Persuit.
Honey milk tea and chamomile tea are def in his recipe section. And since beer seems to appear a few times in his cards, a michelada cocktail (lager plus salt, lime juice, hot sauce, other spices to taste) would match perfectly for Xavier and his savory pallet.
Zayne
Zayne, our local dessert connoisseur, would have a mix of healthy savory dishes to nourish the body, and a variety of desserts to nourish the heart. In his section, you'd have to include the crab dish he and MC made in their first secret times story. The short rib and tomato stew from his birthday card is another fitting addition. I feel like simple easy dishes would be in his section as well bc as well renown cardio thoracic surgeon and a workaholic, he doesn't have much free time to cook complicated dishes in his free time, so so I can see healthy stir fry dishes in his section. I can also see his section having some tips or recipes for meal planning and batch cooking so he doesn't need to actually /cook/ during the workweek. None of these dishes include carrots.
The Dessert section is where I see him truely coming through, however. We need to include macarons with a grid of different flavor combos, some kind of petite four with pear compote or a pear gelee. Perhaps snowman cupcakes. a super indulgent hot chocolate recipe (fully from scratch) should definitely feature in his section as well. Would also need to include the popsicles he and MC shared as children and tried to have again in his second bond story.
Drinks wise, I can see mocktails here bc ya boy can't handle alcohol. Definitely sweeter ones, perhaps a mudslide or a mojito?
Rafayel
Boi knows 1001 sea creatures and the best ways to eat them. You KNOW his section is full of seafood dishes. Anything that showcases le fruit de mer, ya know. I'm thinking oysters in white wine, seafood paella, blackened or grilled salmon, red snapper en papillote, lobster with a nice garlic n herb butter, fish and chips, a simple shrimp scampi, etc. But I can also see his fried chicken sandwich with onion rings in there, the dish he made with MC in their first secret times. I can also see the limited edition tuna croissants he steals from MC from the 4* card Daybreak's Touch in that section and the veggie rice porridge he makes MC in Flowery Words.
For sweets, strawberry tanghulu from his Myths 4* card would feature. I for Raf, I feel like the sweets in his section would be light and refreshing, like a Panna cotta with dragonfruit compote/jelly, perhaps some kind of experimental gastro confections with dragonfruit juice orbs/caviar in a clam shell shaped pastry, creme brule that Raf brulee'd himself with his evol.
For drinks, i could see a cocktail made with prosecco or champagne (low key based on banquets and dirges) or a strawberry daiquiri.
Sylus
I can see Sylus's dishes making you feel poor lmao. I'm thinking a well prepared steak, wine braised shortribs, Coq au Vin, don't ask me why, but a mushroom pasta with a light drizzle of truffle oil and a creamy sauce. Perhaps a risotto. Definitely some kind of meat with a red wine reduction sauce, since we all know Sylus likes his red wine lol. His flavor profile would be rich, meaty, and indulgent. However, the food, while spiced, wouldn't be particularly spicy like Xavier's.
I can also see his desserts being just shy of cloyingly sweet, based off the dialogue between him and MC in the period secret time where he added waaaay too much sugar to her tea. They're indulgent and rich. I can see a black forest cake, dark chocolate truffles molded to the shape of jewels and filled with a pomegranate and cherry compote, chocolate lava cake with a berry syrup drizzled on top. I can also see alcoholic cakes. Like a sponge drizzled with spiced rum, grenadine, or amaretto with a ganache.
For drinks, I can see a red wine sangria being in his section. I'd also include a pom fizz and a crimson bulleit punch bc they're super on brand for him.
Caleb
Caleb and nostalgic comfort food are synonymous. Like he has his elevated dishes he makes as an adult, and nostalgic dishes from when he and MC were kids that he still loves to make. Braised chicken wings, are a specialty. Like Xavier, I can see simple, homey comfort food, but Caleb's is the kind that feels like a warm hug after a hard day. But i can also see things kids would enjoy making, like pancakes since he's been cooking for MC since they were young. I can so see a classic chicken noodle soup that he probably has made for MC while sick at least once. Chicken congee or a sunny side up egg on warm rice as a simple breakfast Caleb defiantly has a famous signature soup he makes once the weather starts getting cold that he always makes and I KNOW he has some kind of award winning chili with the perfect amount of spice. Caleb also makes the crispiest (and fluffiest) croquettes and a banging spinach and sausage quiche. Don't ask me why, the foods just seem fitting.
Desserts would include a classic apple pie, lemon drizzle cake (lemon in particular based off that part with the lemon candy in his birthday card and MC lowkey gaslighting him into liking lemon/sour treats), chocolate truffles with an orange creme filling.
For drinks, I can see a Creamsicle (orange liqueur like grand Marnier or triple sec with a cream liquors like Bailey's or Five Farms), appeltini (bc obviously), and an air mail cocktail, but also mulled cidar - spiced, warm, comforting and nostalgic.
Feel free to comment with other foods y'all think should he included bc its lowkey kinda cool how often food feature for the boys and rarely intersect.