FAQ

Q: What on earth is this blog all about?

A: Well!  We are fans of the author George RR Martin, whose series A Song of Ice and Fire has recently been turned into a series by HBO.  In the original books, there is frequent mention of food, most of which sounds mouthwatering (there is a lot of bacon).  We had the idea one night to make dinner based on one of the dishes, and the whole thing sort of snowballed out of control! 

Q: Why do some posts have more than one recipe?

A: Most of our posts have a modern recipe and an older take on the same dish. When available, we use medieval recipes, but have also drawn from Ancient Roman and Elizabethan cookbooks. This approach not only showcases how tastes have changed over the centuries, but also introduces readers to some amazing historical recipes that often outshine their modern counterparts.

Q: How many recipes will you make?

A: The exact number is hard to pin down, but we hope to make every dish in the books (within reason and legality!).  The concordance of all listed foods and beverages is quite long, but there is some overlap.  For example, we probably don’t need to post every time a character mentions beer, and there will likely only be one suckling pig, rather than two.  Our current estimate from the first four books is right around 160 recipes, of which some will be combined into the same post, and some are drinks. We’re still counting up the dishes from Dance with Dragons!

Q: What do you think will be the hardest thing to recreate?

A: There are a few daunting prospects, such as a boar’s head with an apple in the mouth, or a whole suckling pig.  Other difficulties may arise from the actual procuring of ingredients, such as squirrel, capon, gull’s eggs, etc.  Surprisingly, we already have a source for rattlesnake…

Q: Is it true that you are writing a cookbook with these dishes in it?

A: Yes! We are delighted to confirm that we are working with Bantam/Random House to create A Feast of Ice and Fire, the Official companion cookbook to Game of Thrones. It’s due out May 29th. Read more about that here.

Q: Some of my favorite posts have disappeared! Whyohwhy?!

A: Due to copyright issues with the forthcoming cookbook, we’ve had to take several recipes down. But fear not! We’ll continue to upload new Westerosi recipes to tide you over while you wait.

Q: I want to make some of your dishes, but can’t find or afford the specialty ingredients.  What can I do?

A: Innovation is deep in the heart of any culinary exercise, not to mention perfectly in keeping with the culture of both the Middle Ages and of Westeros.  Ingredients could not be guaranteed, and so substitutes were often made.  If you like the sound of stewed goat but all you have is lamb, go for it!

Q:  If I run into trouble, or have a question, can I get in touch?

A: OF COURSE!  You can email us, post on Facebook, or send us a note on Twitter. We would love to hear from you about your recipes, and are happy to answer any questions, if we can!

Q:  I love what you’re doing, and would love to support your efforts!  How can I do this?

A:  First, we love you.  Second, you could make a donation to our food fund.  All the money donated through this blog goes towards buying the ingredients that we use to bring you the foods of Westeros.  Also, you can shop around at our Zazzle Store. We only get a small chunk of those profits, but you can help get the word out about us, and look stylish while you cook!