Brotherly Games: Goat Cheese Lasagna

  My friend Valentin is writing Brotherly Games, including descriptions of the fantastic French cuisine. As an added bonus, here is the first recipe you can make on your own in order to get more into the feel of the story. You can follow Valentin here

From Chapter 5, as Henri made for himself and George:

Goat Cheese Lasagna

Ingredients for four persons; 

For the bolognese: 

• 500 grams of Minced beef meat. 

• 1 Onion. 

• 1 Garlic clove. 

• Extra virgin olive oil. 

• 4 Peeled Roma tomatoes. (Or tomato paste)

• Dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary.

For the béchamel: 

• Valençay goat cheese. (unless you're in France you probably won't find it in a supermarket,

• so you can either buy it in a cheese shop or replace it with a goat cheese bar.)

• 60 grams of flour.

• 50 grams of (preferably salted) butter. 

• 50 cl of milk. 

For the Lasagna: 

• Lasagna pasta. (I recommend Barilla.) 

• Parmigiano powder. (Can be replaced with Gran padamo, or Pecorino.)

1st step. 

Chop the onion and fry it with extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan. When the onions are caramelized,

add the minced meat and stir. 

Chop the garlic clove and add it to the meat. 

2nd step. 

When the meat is cooked, chop the peeled roma tomatoes and add them in the frying pan. 

Add some dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Stir and let the bolognese sauce cool. 

3rd step. 

Slice the goat cheese in small cubes. 

In a sauce pan, melt 50 grams of butter. When the butter has melted, progressively add the 60 grams

of flour while you stir. 

Let it cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Then add the milk progressively while stirring. 

When the 50cl of milk have been added, and the sauce is getting thicker, add the sliced goat cheese. 

When the goat cheese is fully melted, take the sauce pan out of the fire and let it cool. 

4th step. 

In a large rectangle Lasagna dish, lay one layer of the Lasagna pasta on the bottom of the dish

until they cover the whole bottom of the dish. 

Add the first layer of bolognese sauce, use only half of the sauce you have. 

On top of the bolognese layer, add ⅓ of your bechamel. Cover the bechamel with another layer of

Lasagne pasta. 

Repeat the process for the second layer, using the second half of your bolognese sauce, then the

second third of your bechamel, and cover it with your third layer of Lasagna pasta. 

On top of the last layer of Lasagna pasta, add your last third of bechamel to cover the pasta. 

When the bechamel covers the whole pasta, add a generous amount of parmigiano powder on top of it. 

5th step. 

Let the Lasagna cook in the oven for 40 minutes in a 210 degree Celsius convection mode. 

When the Lasagna is cooked, let it cool for at least 45 minutes before serving. 

Bon appétit! 

Brotherly Games: Carbonara Pasta & Granny's Risotto

 My friend Valentin is writing Brotherly Games, including descriptions of the fantastic French cuisine. As an added bonus, here is the first recipe you can make on your own in order to get more into the feel of the story. You can follow Valentin here

From Chapter 6, and made by Jean-Baptiste's father:

Carbonara Pasta

Ingredients for two; 

• 150 grams of Pork Belly.

• Half a lemon, or lemon juice. 

• 1 onion, or 1 shallot. 

• Fresh parsley. 

• 20 centiliters of sour cream. 

• 250 grams of Tagliatelle pasta (preferably not fresh one).

• 2 yolks.

1st step:

Slice the Pork Belly in thin rectangles (5cm long, 1,5cm wide). The pork belly should be sliced in a way that you have several layers of meat and fat. For an indication google the word "Lardons". 

Chop the onion or shallot, they should be sliced thinner and shorter than the pork belly. 

Slice the fresh parsley. 

Fry the pork belly along the onion/shallot without any added oil or butter. When the frying pan is hot

and the pork belly fat has started to melt add some lemon juice, roughly two spoons. 

2nd step. 

When most of the lemon juice is evaporated, whip the sour cream until it's fully liquid, and add it to the frying pan. Stir regularly. 

3rd step.

When the sour cream is boiling, turn off the fire. Add the sliced fresh parsley and stir. 

Boil your pasta as your sauce cools. When the pasta are ready, you can either add the sauce to the

whole pot or add it individually, to each plate. You can add some pepper. 

Finally, add the yolk to your plate and stir the pasta. 

You can use sliced cheese. Either Parmiggiano, or Grand Padamo, or Pecorino. 

Bon appetit! 

From Chapter 5, George asking Henri to make grandmother's risotto:

George's and Henri's Granny's Risotto

Ingredients for two:

• 200 grams of Risotto rice. 

• Cheap white wine.

• Extra virgin olive oil.

• 100 grams of peas. 

• 150 grams of Dried duck breast. 

• 5 button mushrooms. 

• 25cl of sour cream.

• Fresh chive. 

• 1 pear. 

• 0.1 grams of Saffron. 

• Honey. 

1st step. 

Peal the pear, take the seed out, slice the pear in little cubes of roughly 2cm and put it in a sauce pan.

Add water and honey and put it on low heat for 15 minutes. 

2nd step. 

Slice the Duck breast in very thin lamela. \

Slice the fresh chive. 

Slice the mushrooms. 

3rd step. 

Put two spoons of extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan and put the risotto rice in the pan when it's hot. 

Let the rice fry for 2-3 minutes without letting it burn. 

Add 30cl of white cooking wine. 

4th step. 

When most of the white wine has evaporated, add the mushrooms and the peas. Add 10cl of hot water

in the frying pan. (Never let the frying pan getting dry, add water if necessary) 

5th step. 

After 10 minutes of cooking the risotto, whip the sour cream until it's liquid and add it to the frying pan. 

Add the pears, the slices of duck breast, the fresh chive, and the saffron. 

Reduce the heat and let the cooking finish on low heat. 

6th step

When the rice has absorbed most of the sauce, add two spoons of honey, some pepper, and stir. 

Serve the risotto in soup plates, add some fresh chive on top and it's ready! 

Bon appetit!

Whine of a training sub during a pandemic

============

The pandemic has caused a lot of disruption. Here is a post and response on this topic, here with permission

============

I quite recently became a slave trainee, I have a normally complicated situation, I am bi and married and a family man. I disclosed as much as I knew and what I thought of myself to my wife (before we started dating that is), I don't usually think that hiding is a good strategy in general. She said she understood and that she would have been OK if every now and then I might have had the need to explore and/or enjoy some activities with males.

As stated, I recently started training as a sub, Master knows everything about my situation and He is a generous and incredible mentor. I started during the pandemic. Things are getting difficult, no privacy, no traveling, no real outlet for a side of me that by now deeply needs some care and escape. We are all learning how a pandemic truly impacts everyday life, and especially how this affects "extras".

I found myself in need to vent, I am not a sub through and through, I am actually a switch, I do not bottom and I particularly enjoy in real life to dominate men. So I had to do something, I thought it was not the place of a sub to be whiny and bother his Master but He also has a mentoring role and He cares for his property. So I wrote to Him, I kept it short, I hoped it would not have bothered Him. It was the whine of a not so committed to a particular predicament sub in training, I worded how I so need to physically serve Master, be used by Him, be trained, be spoiled or punished, be unleashed or tied and left to beg, be shown or told to please Master's "friends" ... This situation really feels like being caged and denied of pleasure...it's getting to me.

It did some good, I felt better, I felt a tiny bit less caged. I wonder how subs and masters feel about my action, do they approve of it? Do they despise this self-serving moment? I am new and I find so many interesting subjects to ponder on and think about. It would be great to be able to discuss this with others, see their perspectives.

End of this nonsense… PandemicsPandemics sucks!

==================

The response:

==================

If you cannot whine to your Master, who can you whine to? Not being there for a sub in need means the man is no Master. I know your Master responded positively, telling you he understood and was there or you. Including the phrase "If I cannot support you, you cannot serve me." This is a truism. When the sub is in need, the Master must do all he can to bolster the sub.

It is difficult with your family, work, and the world pandemic. I know never once have you been far from your Master's mind. With every day he wishes to see you kneeling at his feet. To stimulate your intellect, as you stimulate his.

Not merely with the desires for submission, but in all your life, you Master will do all he can for you, to comfort you in difficulty, to encourage you to success.

This is not nonsense. It is difficult for so many of us. Lives and nations in confusion. Lean on your Master, he will always be there for you. Today, his hand is metaphorically on your head. When possible, it will be there for real.

I can speak with a specific authority here. Not simply as a Dom, but as the Master of this submissive. 

Use and Abuse in Language

 “Come over, I want to use you”

“I am so going to abuse you tonight”

Say these to your sub and he will become excited. The power exchanges/bdsm dynamic uses the words “use” and “abuse” in titillation. There is no more wrong with this than calling your friend a “lunkhead” or “motherfucker”. Insults between friends show the strength of the connection, that disparaging remarks are not taken with malice. 

“Use you” and “Abuse you” in a Dom/sub context exhibit the power exchanged, that the Dom will do physically what he has done verbally. “Use” and “Abuse” are common terms for the sexual and kink related activities where the sub will take what the Dom dishes out. This is the thrill of both of them, a form of foreplay. The words are expressed and taken in a positive manner since that is the nature of the relationship. 

From a linguistic angle, there is a difficulty here. I’m not speaking of someone overhearing and taking the words at face value, but of how to relay when actual harm is intended or done. Saying “That sub got abused last night” could mean the sub had a fantastic time he wished would never end, or it could mean he was exploited and should be contacting the authorities. From the words alone, we cannot tell. Context is needed. 

This is not a unique situation in English. “Cleave” needs a modifier so one can know if it is to adhere or separate. The prevalence of “Use” and “Abuse” and their synonyms for the mutually enjoyable activities Doms and subs engage in means that where in standard or vanilla English they are negative, they are positive in the D/s realm. As in other arenas where common terms have alternative (often radically alternative) meanings, D/s know that unless the negative meaning is expressly indicated, it is the positive, in context meaning. 

When the general English definitions are indicated, it is a matter of more weight than when used in general English. A sub who has been abused in the wrong way has willingly gone into a situation of possible danger and had that danger realized. Because some level of positive abuse is expected, it is linguistically more difficult to relay that actual harm has occurred. D/s practitioners have to overcome in their minds the positive attributions of the terms. Like so much emphasis, this is done with more words. 

Many subcultures and organizations co-op common words for their own needs. It’s a normal part of subculture and language. Often the terms can be misunderstood by those not involved who have no basis to know the specialized meaning. For those who do understand the specialized meanings, more effort is needed to express that the specialized one is not meant. 

Your Internal motivation becomes his external motivation

 Your internal motivation becomes an external motivation of your partner. When a sub has that great energy of service, when he really gets into the session, that energy in the sub bleeds over to the Dom. Seeing the enthusiasm, feeling it, spurs the Dom to new heights. 

It flows the other way as well. A Dom excited to see a sub will encourage the sub to greater submission. This greater submission does not have to be pushing limits or tolerances, but the even better mental submission to be in the place they should be. 

BDSM scenes are partnerships, both parties participate to the ultimate end. Both need to be engaged. The more engaged, the better not just for yourself, but the sub you are working with. Or the Dom, if you happen to be the sub. 

Performers, public speakers, and others learn to read the mood of a room in order to be successful. An obvious example is a comedian in a club. If a few jokes about current events fall flat, he will switch to perhaps dating. Continuing on a line that the audience is not appreciating will not let him keep that gig. And as the audience responds in a positive manner, the delivery gets better. This is true of all forms of human interaction. 

If you enter a room and see someone crying in sadness, your mood changes. Your mood can change as you discover a partner stressed. How you react is a response to them and how you are feeling. If you are also sad, you two could have a pity party. If you are elated, you can bring up their mood. 

Having a sub come for a session and simply tying him up and delivering a few smacks to his butt while thinking of the roast you have in the oven will make the entire scene feel flat. He will know you are distracted. It will sap his interest. This is different from being aloof as part of the scene. Scene-aloof is still engaged, it is a veneer of separation while being fully involved. Being distracted sucks the energy from both of you. 

A Dom in a neutral mood faced with a sub all but jumping in anticipation will be more driven. A sub approaching a session and seeing a wicked smile on his Dom’s face presaging untold experiences will have that combination of excitement and dread grow. 

What is true for a scene is true for a lifestyle. A sub could have a bad day at work, so his Dom may need to hold him, or spank him, depending on what the sub needs and will be cathartic for the sub. A sub would have to adjust what he is expecting based on the mood of his Dom as well. The motivation of the one to improve the mood of the other will have an effect. May not be a complete change, but an effect nonetheless. 

How your partner is anticipating and experiencing the scene will not be your entire motivation, but it will be a motivator. The mood motivation can be positive or negative, and it is incumbent on both sides to recognize and adjust with it. How you start out will make it to your partner, your passing time will make it to your partner. Good or bad, these are intimate times, there are few barriers in place, so what you feel is more open and you are more receptive. 

The Dom is the Key

 There are so many kinks to explore, it’s truly amazing. One thing can make or break any kink, especially one you are just exploring: the Dom. A Dom who knows his way around the kink and can introduce the sub to it rationally is so important. For bondage or pain, this means the sub is taken care of and not in any danger. 

Let’s look at a kink that can go well, or horribly based on how the Dom manages the sub: financial domination. If done properly, the sub gives up extra funds, money that would have gone to coffees, entertainment, but not money for bills. The sub can still put aside for savings at a sensible rate. What the sub is out is stuff he does not need. Add in budgeting advice, and the sub has a great set of new lessons to learn. 

The Dom also benefits, as he gets “free money” to use as he sees fit, and has the submission he deserves. 

If FinDom is new for the sub, this ethical FinDom makes is something the sub can continue to enjoy for years to come. It’s a positive, growing experience. If the Dom causes serious financial hardship, other hardships will result, pushing the sub from that experience and possibly more. 

Not every kink will match every sub. That’s a given. You would be hard pressed to find a sub into everything. Introducing the sub properly, so the initial experiences are positive will make it better for everyone. 

The same is true with any other kink: pain, bondage, ABDL, and so on. Many subs are willing to try a kink they have little or no interest in for their Doms, and how we as Doms guide them there will help develop their interest. The early stages need to be much more about enticing the sub and providing him a sense of safety so he will come back. A sub that embraces a kink is better than one that merely tolerates it under orders. 

A Dom may have the skills when exploration starts, or may need to learn them. If the Dom needs to learn, tell the sub. A sub will presume the Dom knows what he’s doing as part of his mindset. Warning that the Dom is learning means the sub will be alert to problems. It will also increase the trust the sub has for the Dom, since the Dom is being open and honest. 

This is one area a sub can take the lead. If the sub is familiar with a kink the Dom is not, the sub can be an invaluable teacher, able to relay what is happening, to provide reactions good and bad. Good partners can explore together.

Inside Erotica

Writing erotica is an interesting endeavor. I discovered you can't use "he did this, he did that" a lot when both are men. Another is how language is used. I began chatting with the author of two stories on Nifty:

The Royal Prisoner

Brotherly Games

Valentin is doing wonderful work on these, and I teased him a bit about how his being a Frenchman, his English is excellent, but different from how natives like me use it. So now I go over his work to help him out for native English. So the upshot is I get to see what he's done before most anyone else. 

If you have a favorite story, write the author. I have a list of stories out there, and I love hearing from readers. Even if the story is old, give a comment or email. The writer will appreciate it, and it's possible you will have influence on the story. I love when readers give me ideas and use a lot of them. 

Encourage and inspire the writers who make the stories you enjoy. Y