  The pear, the pear and the maiden gruyere... Season 3 Episode 3: The Bear and The Maiden Fair The Bear and The Maiden Fair by Hold Steady That's right - this week, we are talking about the sheer awesomeness of Brienne of Fucking Tarth. It's a complicated dance, this episode, with hairy bears (Jamie, that beard looks good on you), damsels in distress and a catchy, ironic little tune. If there is one damn thing Brienne of Tarth is not though, it's a damsel in distress. Nothing feels more wrong in Westeros than Brienne of Tarth forced into a pink dress because we all know that she really belongs in a suit of armor with a valyrian steel blade in her hand, about to save the day.
We follow our Brienne as she pledges herself first to Renly Baratheon, avenges his death and then takes an oath to serve Catelyn and then Sansa Stark. She hands the Hound his own ass, and (unwillingly) steals the bear-loving heart of Tormund the Wildling, honestly, who can blame him? But however complex the circumstances, we can count on Brienne to act out of honor - she has the heart and spirit (and skills) of a true knight. Her respect and loyalty are not easily won, and it's a mark of the depth of her understanding of the real story behind the 'Kingslayer' when she finally addresses him as Ser Jaime, as a true knight. Jaime rises to this new and unexpected show of real respect, by doing her a solid in return, by saving her life. So here we are with this week's recipe for our most brave and honorable knight: A Brienne of Tart, if you will - a special tart more savory than sweet (naturally), filled with pears, onions and Grrruyère cheese in a shell of golden puff pastry and as the song says, finished with just a drizzle of sweet honey.
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It's February 2019 and Valentine's Day is fast approaching, the day where we all take moment to celebrate love, passion and romance. But this is Game of Thrones and here love can get a teeny bit complicated - let's take for example the infamous Red Wedding, not named for the red of wine and roses, oh no. And if you happen to be King in the North Robb Stark, relationships are especially complicated - with love and desire on one side and on the other, betrayal, death and revenge. A brutal lesson for House Stark in the form of the Red Wedding.
This Valentine's Day we remember (the north remembers!) the devastating consequences of Robb Stark's personal love story with a recipe for 'Red Wedding' cakes - mini molten red velvet cakes, a beautiful little dessert cake hiding a dark surprise. Those wedding guests might have really enjoyed these little treats, had they not been so severely interrupted. So rude. |
