Supergalactic Xeno-Treat Smackdown Contest

This was a really fun one to put together! I got to whip some old culinary skills I hadn't used in a long time, and writing out the recipe and the ingredients and making it themed to all of the Star Citizen lore was a lot of fun! It also allowed me to learn a lot of interesting stuff about the Banu culture, and when I saw that Bacchus was an ocean planet I thought of all the wonderful seafood and how alien it already looks. Of course, it was a natural jump there to go with octopus, and then it felt right to jump to Indian influences with curry and the cultural love for food that is both cleansing and purposeful, as well as something that is communal and shared.

I thought of beds of rice topped with vegetables, meats, and lined with sauces. As the Banu culture loves to share, I was trying to think of ways that could make sauces finger foods. From there, I had to put my molecular gastronomy hat on and figure out a little bit of science in order to make the sauces that I needed. It was a balancing act trying to find the right combination of calcium and juice, but I wasn't trying for any definitive shape. I just wanted them to look strange and alien on the plate, and I was really happy with the end result.

The flavors are certainly a mix of all things. You get the softness of the spheres, the sweetness and spice in the mango habanero sauce, a nice cold burst of coconut milk aside a hot curry sauce, salty and well-seasoned cauliflower rice, savory octopus, a bitter crunch with bright green onions at the end. It was a difficult task to try and make all of that work together, but after some tweaking and some work it came together beautifully!

In the end, I felt like I was looking at a plate I'd see at a Banu Sauli gathering, and that made me happy. Everything is easily shareable with the hands, and thanks to the reverse spherification, the sauces can be handled with your fingers and placed into the mouth or stacked as high on any bite that you'd like.

I love doing fun things with food, and this was a great time! Learning the language was also fun and the dish name translates to Savory & Spicy Tentacle Stew. I'm no Banu linguist, but that felt like the best pronunciation. I'd love to see anybody elses attempts, and if you're worried about the reverse spherification, don't be! It might take a little bit of practice, but you have to keep trying to get anything right!

Happy Alien Week, and good luck to everyone who has entered! I've loved seeing the culinary creativity!