Fogpot Stew
"Smells like Matron Cardin is on the pot tonight. Let's get back before the line gets too long!"
In a city where there is no darkness to signal the night, it is our habits which establish the day. In the Fog Zone, it is the rich aroma of stew which signals the evening rest. Large communal pots throughout the city, stewing for bells until the aroma of spices fills the air. Before the spire tolls call the day to a close, the stewpots call everyone home.
Most of the residents of the undercity are too poor to afford prismem hearths for slow sustained cooking, or the rare meat available through the Lightbringer Fog Market. Instead, neighbors band together to provide all the ingredients for a shared meal.
Most of the residents of the undercity are too poor to afford prismem hearths for slow sustained cooking, or the rare meat available through the Lightbringer Fog Market. Instead, neighbors band together to provide all the ingredients for a shared meal.
Recipe
Any meat available
Mixed Root Vegetables
Glowcap Mushrooms
Spice blend
Preparation and Serving
Family elders tend to take on the task of managing the pots for stewing. The large prismem hearths are designed to collect a small amount of fire and maintain a steady heat for long periods. The stew tenders need only add ingredients at the proper time and add some extra fire should the hearth start to grow cold.
With the ingredients being different each time, there is no set recipe for fogpot. Instead, it is a community and concept. The stew itself is easily adjusted based on what is available. Some ingredients do stand out and add a little extra touch.
The root vegetables form the base of the stew. While these may be bought from the market, there are many homes which have rooms dedicated to tuber gardens. These rooms are filled with soil beds or buckets and lit by radiant lamps if the families can afford them.
Glowcap mushrooms are the next most common ingredient and often form the base of the stew if no meat is available. While any glowcap mushrooms can be used, the two most common varieties are the yellow and green glowcaps. Yellow glowcaps are grown on platform gardens on the highest rooftops and offer a refreshing burst of heat to the stew. Green growcps grow in the plant rooms of homes without light. They give off a soft glow and provide a touch of glim to any fogpot.
Spices are almost as hard to come by as a good cut of meat. Most families collect and blend their own fogpot spice mix, distinctive to their pot. The occasional spice trades offered through the market are quickly grabbed by any who can afford it. There are also some spices available as bejew trades through web sellers.
Fogpot minders take pride in calling everyone home before the spire bells can do so. Once it is time to eat, they will start to bang the sides of the pot with their ladle. As the sound is carried to the next pot that minder will add to it, until all active fogpots are clanging. Once the clanging stops, it is time to collect your bowl and eat.
Comments