Lakeside Pasties – American Gods

“Shadow had no idea what a pasty was, but he said that would be fine, and in a few moments Mabel returned with a plate with what looked like a folded-over pie on it. The lower half was wrapped in a paper napkin. Shadow picked it up with the napkin and bit into it: it was warm and filled with meat, potatoes, carrots, onions. ‘First pasty I’ve ever had,’ he said. ‘It’s real good.'”

-American Gods, by Neil Gaiman

Thoughts:

Rich, savory meat and vegetables wrapped up in pastry. What’s not to love? Pasties are a traditional fare in the UK, where they feature a variety of fillings. Mine is a basic version, although I swapped in some buffalo meat in place of regular beef, and couldn’t be happier with the choice. Each bite has a combination of meat, veg, and flaky pastry just lightly coated with a flavorful gravy.

They are even better with a little sharp cheddar and/or sauce, such as chutney or ketchup.

Lakeside Pasties Recipe

Prep time: 45 minutes Makes: ~10 pasties

Ingredients:

pastry dough for 2 pie crusts
5 slices bacon
2 carrots, chopped small
1 medium potato, chopped small
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. meat (good beef, bison, venison, or lamb are all great)
2 Tbs. butter, divided
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 cup beef broth
1 egg, beaten, for wash

Fry the bacon in a large pan until just crispy. Remove the bacon, leaving the grease. Add the vegetables to the grease and cook for around two minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in about 1/2 cup of water, cover, and allow to simmer for another few minutes, until the potatoes and carrots can be easily pierced with a fork. Scoop out the vegetables, leaving as much of the liquid behind as possible.

Into the liquid, melt a Tbs. of butter. Sprinkle in a Tbs. of flour, stirring all the while. When this mixture begins to thicken, add the broth and continue to mix until the whole is one relatively smooth consistency. Pour into a separate bowl with the bacon and veggies.

Season meat with a generous pinch of salt. Melt another Tbs. butter in the pan, and brown the meat. Pour the gravy-veggie mixture back into the pan with the browned meat. Stir around to mix up completely.

Roll out the dough to a little under 1/4″ thick, and cut out 8″ circles. Fill with a heaping serving of the filling. Brush the edge with beaten egg, fold the dough over, and seal with a fork.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350F.

Mock-Sahlep

Arrowroot Mock-Sahlep

This drink is based on a winter-time Turkish beverage called Sahlep. Traditionally, it is made with wild orchid roots, and the taste proper sahlep, served out of giant brass urns, is incomparable. However, with the decline of wild orchids, it’s important to look for alternatives, especially when (to my knowledge) one can’t get true sahlep outside of Turkey.

Arrowroot powder is a quirky thing. Dry, the consistency is like cornstarch, with that inexplicably squeaky feeling. The taste has sharp anise undertones that mostly disappear when it’s cooked. The resulting beverage is thick, flavorful, spiced, and soothing. It’s heartening after a turn out in cold weather, or as a relaxing kind of nightcap before bed.

Proposed Location?

Braavos. I can’t quite say why, but I suspect because the bustling crossroad of cultures reminds me of Istanbul. I imagine the fishmongers, sailors, and other tradesmen retiring to cafes in the chilly evenings, or as winter sets in, for a nice hot mug of steaming goodness. I know I would!

Mock-Sahlep Recipe

Makes 1 large serving, or 2 smaller ones

Ingredients:

2 cups milk or water (milk is better!)
3 Tbs. cold water
2 1/2 tsp. powdered arrowroot
pinch each nutmeg and cinnamon
2 or more Tbs. sugar, to taste

Bring the milk to just under a boil. In a small separate bowl, combine the cold water and arrowroot. When the milk is bubbling, pour the arrowroot mixture into the pot, and whisk together. When the mixture looks thickened, add spices and sugar to taste. Pour into a mug and serve hot.

February Brewing Update

This was a fun month over at the brewhaus. I got Game of Brews up and running smoothly, and have ironed out most of the problems with the forums. With the actual brews, I’m trying to strike a good balance between meads (which take a great deal of time to ferment and age), beer (with which I’m not very familiar, but still enthusiastic), and cordials/infusions. There’s something of an art to keeping the brews cycling through the carboys- too many long term brews, and the carboys are tied up for overlong; too many short term brews, and there won’t be anything awesome to drink in 6 months.

Even with the right balance, things can go awry. My first round of Gose was much too salty, although it had some great flavors apart from that. The Yorkshire Oat Ale seemed like something you’d only give to horses when I bottled it, so we’ll see how that shapes up. I cracked open the first bottle of naturally fermented Maple-Cider, though, and it is a powerhouse of amazing flavors. I win some, I lose some, and I spend a lot of time at the homebrew store. I also have to occasionally combat the chill of the apartment by incubating my brews near the warmth of the oven. The housemates are not amused…

So here are the posts that went up in February. I’ve been working on a ton of other recipes behind the scenes, but you’ll have to stay tuned for those later! :)

New Posts:

Started:

Raspberry Cordial
Yorkshire Oat Ale
Elderberry Cordial
Blackberry Mead
Blood Orange Cordial
Breakfast Stout

Teff Porridge with honey and dates

“Beneath them, the plain stretched out immense and empty, a vast flat expanse that reached to the distant horizon and beyond. It was a sea, Dany thought. Past here, there were not hills, no mountains, no trees nor cities nor roads, only the endless grasses, the tall blades rippling like waves when the winds blew…” -A Game of Thrones

Teff Porridge with Dates

Thoughts:

This recipe comes courtesy of a suggestion by blog fan and reader Jessette. I’d seen teff for sale, but hadn’t the faintest idea what to do with it. Now, I’m eager to experiment. The seeds are tiny, even smaller than chia seeds, but they cook like millet or quinoa, but faster. It’s an ancient grain, dating back to at least 1,000 BCE, making it an ideal candidate for the continent of Essos.

Teff porridge is like a quirky, earthier version of breakfast oatmeal. The grains don’t break down completely, leaving tiny *pops* of texture. The dried dates match the darkness of the teff, and the honey-sweetness ties the whole thing together. I was instantly smitten by the tasty uniqueness of this morning breakfast alternative.

Proposed Location?

The Dothraki Plains, hands down. Teff comes from a type of African grass, which seems to particularly invoke images of the Dothraki Sea. One taster suggested that it would also make an excellent stuffing. I imagine the Dothraki women or slaves hunting rabbits and birds as they traveled, and using teff as a nutritious stuffing.

Recipe for Teff Porridge

Cook’s Notes: Teff porridge, as made by the Dothraki, could include any ingredients they had plundered from their enemies or gathered on the plains. Get creative!

Ingredients:

1 cup whole teff grain – not the flour
3 cups boiling water
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit, such as dates or raisins
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup honey, plus extra for serving

Pour the teff into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, and toast gently for 3-5 minutes until it gives off a nice, nutty smell.

Add the butter, boiling water, and spices. Increase heat to a simmer and stir occasionally to keep the porridge cooking evenly. After 10 minutes, add the chopped dates, salt, and honey. Continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, adding extra water if needed, until the porridge is cooked through to your liking.

Scoop into serving bowls, and garnish with extra honey and dates. Enjoy!

Teff Grains

Vintage Molasses Cookies

Thoughts:

This was a slightly tricky recipe, since it was only a partial list of ingredients. It comes from the family cookbook, The Way to a Man’s Heart (link forthcoming), which contains a wealth of recipes snipped from newspapers, other cookbooks, and scrawled onto cards, envelopes, and anything else that was near to hand.

With this recipe, I tested a range of sizes, shapes, and amounts of flour before deciding that the rolled and cut-out cookies were the best of the bunch. They have that familiar molasses-ginger flavor that many of us associate with the holidays, but the touch of coffee tweaks it into a different thing altogether. It’s very nice plain, but also great with a bit of simple icing for extra sweetness.

Recipe for Molasses Cookies with Coffee

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 Tbs. coffee
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. soda
4 cups flour

Cream together the butter, sugar, and molasses. Add the eggs, followed by the coffee and spices. Mix the soda, and flour, then gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet.

Continue to gradually add flour until the dough is such a consistency that it can be rolled out to 1/4″ thickness. Cut into whatever shape you like, and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350F, then remove to a cooling rack.

Take the Black, NYC

When Campfire asked us to consult for HBO’s “Take the Black” event in NYC, all we knew was that it would be some sort of release party for the season 2 DVD of Game of Thrones, but that’s about it. The details were all very hush-hush almost up to the event itself, but that only piqued the curiosity of hundreds of fans who turned out for the big evening.

They were well rewarded: Northern-themed foods from Inn at the Crossroads, a performance of GoT music by Jason Yang and other musicians (I never get tired of hearing the Rains of Castamere!), and even a life-sized direwolf ice sculpture carved by Shintaro Okamoto studios. Inside Best Buy, attendees ascended the escalators past house sigil banners, and at the top came face to face with Jon Snow’s Night’s Watch blacks, and Longclaw. Around the back of the store, everyone could don a fur-collared cloak and say their words in front of a green screen. After some technological wizardry, the oathtakers appeared to be in a snowy forest. Very cool. The videos from that can be seen here.

When we arrived at the venue, an hour before people were invited to line up, there was already a line forming behind the metal barriers. Our gracious hosts at Campfire introduced us to the caterers who did a marvelous job with our recipes- especially the pease porridge and the meat pies. We designed the menu with cold weather in mind, and it was COLD; hopefully hot apple cider, warm meat pies, and peas porridge took the edge off for the intrepid fans who showed up to take the black. For the next three hours, Sariann and I chatted with fellow fans, gave interviews to some very cool people, and even signed a few cookbooks.

Those devoted enough to wait until midnight to buy the DVDs received swag bags from HBO containing GOT-themed iced sugar cookies and house-themed scarves complete with sigil. Sariann left sporting Lannister red, and I bundled up with a super-fashionable Targaryen black. I pretty much haven’t taken it off since.

Now, I’m off to go grocery shopping in my new scarf. I might buy them, or I might take them with fire and blood.

I haven’t decided yet. :)

My awesome Targaryen scarf

Check out these sites’ additional coverage of the event!

mulled cider lineup

awesome Take the Black cups

menu and foods, photo courtesy of Unspoiled! Podcast

chatting with folks in line

waiting by the food booth

action shot!

finished direwolf ice sculpture

abstract house sigils

raven decals inside Best Buy, during S2 dvd launch

Jon Snow’s costume

Longclaw on display

Daenerys and her dragong

Chelsea signing cookbooks

Jason Yang performing

Sariann signing

Friend taking The Black

Tyrion has rabbit ears

My awesome Targaryen scarf

these cookies were delicious

Sweet & Spicy Wings

Sweet and Spicy Wings/legs

Thoughts:

Although I still have a few dishes from the books to make and post, I occasionally like to change things up and include something new. This recipe is great because it is a familiar modern-world food, but with a slight unusual twist such that it could easily be included in a Westerosi party lineup. The recipe is also straightforward enough that it can be sized up for a larger group.

Proposed Location?

ot from the books, this recipe could definitely find a place across the Narrow Sea. The flavor profile of the rub is reminiscent of North Africa, both sweet and spicy. I imagine them being a kind of street food in Essos, where the trade routes would provide access to a wide variety of spices.

Continue reading →

Madame Corvaleur’s Chocolate Dusted Cherries – Red Seas under Red Skies

“Izmila Corvaleur was nearly of a size with Jean, wide and florid, prodigiously rounded in every place a woman could be round. She was undeniably attractive, but the intelligence that shone out of her eyes was sharp and contemptuous. In her Locke recognized a contained pugnacity akin to that of a street brawler – a honed appetite for hard contests. Corvaleur nibbled constantly from a silver-gilded box of cherries coated in powdered chocolate, sucking her fingers loudly after each one. Her own strat peti, of course.”

–Red Seas under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch

Thoughts:

Yep. Scott Lynch has done it again.

I personally liked the balsamic version of this recipe the best. I tried red wine, brandy, and sherry, also, but the balsamic really brought out the flavor of the cherries. Also, I think a non-alcoholic set of truffles is more appropriate to the scene in the book. I mean, would taking an alcoholic snack to a drinking game make sense?

However, to be scientific about it, I dutifully tried all the other versions. Of the boozy truffles, I like the red wine. The brandy was too strong for me, the alcohol overpowering the cherry. A lot of folks like this pairing, though, so I recommend trying several versions to see what you like best. A pinch of spice in the cocoa can also tweak them into something rather unique.

In any case, the truffles are remarkably simple to make, and decadently rewarding when you do. The marinated cherries burst when you bite into them, and the chocolate-fruit flavor is a classic pairing for a good reason. The chocolate truffle coating has a rich and silky texture that will melt in your mouth. Delicious as they were, I couldn’t eat more than about six of them in one sitting, but then, I’m no Madam Corvaleur.

I also had much more ambitious ideas for the photo above, but I’ll probably have to wait until someone makes me a Carousel Hazard set. Which I would love, by the way. Just saying… ;)

Chocolate-covered Cherry Truffles Recipe

Soaking Cherries/Truffle Mixture: sits overnight Prep: 30 minutes

Makes about 20 truffles

Ingredients:

Chocolate-covered Cherry Truffles

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or sweet red wine
30 dried cherries
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
a pinch of mahlep (optional)

Soak the cherries in the balsamic overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off heat, and pour in the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted, and the whole mixture is smooth. Let cool overnight.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or wax paper. Scrape out a spoonful of the truffle mixture, flatten, and shape around a cherry. Roll in cocoa, and set aside. If you like, you can combine a bit of mahlep or other spice with the cocoa; this will give the truffles a bit of extra, exotic kick.

Chocolate-covered Cherry Truffles

Brewing Update

So after a good deal of deliberation, and a lot of input from you all (thanks!), I’ve come to a decision about how to deal with the brewing recipes on the blog.

As of this week, I’ll be moving the actual recipes over to

www.GameofBrews.com

But fear not! All previous posts will stay up here, and I’ll continue to do a monthly update on this site about what’s going on over in the brewhaus. In that way, those of you who are moderately interested in my brewing exploits (but are predominantly here for the food and don’t want to be overwhelmed by the brews) can follow the links to full articles at your whim.

I have decided to move the brewing for several reasons. While I agree with many of you who feel that food and booze go together, moving the brewing posts to their own blog will give me more room to grow over there. There is such a wealth of information about brewing history, styles, techniques and so on that it seems a shame to try and squelch it into too small a space.

The new site will feature both brewing recipes and food recipes that are directly tied to the brewing process, using spent grain, brewed beer, yeast, etc. Because I’m far from an experienced brewer, I invite you all to come along with me on the adventure-wagon that is my kitchen, and learn as I learn. I hope that this new site can be a community of new and experienced brewers to learn from one another, share ideas and enthusiasm, and explore the extant and possible brews of Westeros.

And hey, with now three blogs to manage and update, I’m bound to be well fed pretty much all the time. :)

Almond Crusted Rolls – Gentlemen Bastards series

“‘Barrel-boy!’ the Sanza brothers hollered in unison; a moment later a small almond-crusted bread-roll arced from between their seats, hit Bug right between the eyes, and plopped down onto his empty plate. Bug tore it in half and responded in kind, aiming well despite his wobbliness.”

–The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

Thoughts:

When I first read this passage with an eye towards food, I had a vision of a brioche-like roll, topped with sliced almonds. I don’t know why that roll in particular, but it’s what I thought of, and in the end, it’s what I made.

In addition to being topped with almonds, there is a dash of almond flour in these little brioches as well. The result is a melting, buttery, slightly nutty roll that will be gone before you realize you’ve eaten it. Seriously. I ate three, back to back. The almonds on top give a crunchy counterpoint to the soft dough, and compliment the flavor of the almond flour. They’re wonderful for breakfast, or any other time of day, but be sure they get their fair share of attention. They deserve it.

Recipe for Almond-Crusted Brioches

Makes 8 rolls

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. coarse salt, plus a pinch for tops
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 large eggs, 1 additional egg for wash
1/4 cup milk, room temperature

Combine the flours and other dry ingredients. Rub in the butter. Beat the eggs into the milk, then gradually add the mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Knead the dough for several minutes until it gains an elastic consistency. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, put in a warm place, and allow to rise for a couple of hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Deflate the dough, and divide into 8 equal pieces. Smooth out each ball of dough by stretching the dough down and pinching it at the bottom. Place the dough in brioche tins, or in a standard muffin tin. Allow to rise again, this time for around 45 minutes. Brush with beaten egg wash, and sprinkle some slivered almonds on top.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350F, until the tops are a beautiful golden brown.

Like this recipe? Check out other recipes from the Gentlemen Bastards series.

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