Author Archives: Chelsea M-C

Interstellar Garden Salad

Dish: Interstellar Garden Salad

First appeared in: Star Wars Galaxies, video game, 2003

Planet: Coruscant – Region: Core Worlds

Maintaining a healthy diet can be difficult while traveling through space. Fortunately, scientists and bio-engineers have devised numerous nutritional supplements and mealstuffs to help interstellar travelers keep in fighting form. In fact, such a demand for healthier options has even been reflected in the offerings at classic diners and dives known for their rib-sticking grub.

This particular salad is a popular side at Dex’s Diner on Coruscant, where it features an array of ingredients from across the system, including Mandalorian oranges, Sriluurian raisins, and Wol Cabasshews, topped off with luptoomian dressing. Now, for the first time, Dex’s secret preparation for this refreshing salad has been revealed. It’s a versatile recipe that can be tweaked to reflect your deepest salad desires.

Interstellar Garden Salad

Makes 6 small servings

Prep: 15 minutes – Chilling: 2 hours

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber with skin
  • 1/2 cup mixed salad greens
  • ~1/2 cup assorted salad toppings
  •  2 Tbs. agar agar
  • freshly ground pepper

Simmer the cucumber in the water for around 10 minutes, then strain out the pieces, reserving the hot liquid and discarding the cucumber. Add the agar agar to the hot liquid, stirring until dissolved. Pour this mixture into muffin tins or other molds, filling each spot nearly full. Wait for 5 minutes, then scatter the various salad toppings in each serving, then place the whole tray in the fridge to chill for about 2 hours. If the salads need a little help coming out of the mold, dip the bottom of the muffin pan into some warm water to loosen them. Plate and sprinkle with a little freshly ground black pepper to serve.

A Taste of Rome

When in Rome, eat as the Romans do.

Or, in my case, as they did, nearly 2,000 years ago.

Even though these days I’m often up to my elbows in trying to create recipes for fictional worlds, historical foodstuffs remain one of my passions and big interests when time allows. So naturally, when planning a family trip to Rome earlier this month, I started in with looking for a restaurant that serves ancient Roman recipes.

It was something of a struggle. There are a number of places that are happy to have a costumed gladiator or centurion trot around the dining room. There are some restaurants tucked into ancient ruins (that’s on the list for next time). The search brought up heaps of articles about how the Romans only ate weird and gross food back in the day– these kind of misconceptions are one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to historical dishes!

But finally, there it was. Hostaria Antica Roma. A restaurant that actually serves historical recipes alongside modern dishes. What’s more, they were planning feast of all ancient recipes to celebrate Rome’s birthday, but it was the day after we were scheduled to leave. I quickly got in touch with the owner, Paolo, and shamefacedly explained that I had utterly failed at planning our trip, and we would be missing Rome’s 2,771st birthday by ONE DAY, and did they normally serve the ancient recipes? He assured me that they did, and that he would be happy to make a couple extra if I gave him a heads up.

Game. On.

So after a day of strolling the ruins of Rome, four of us- my husband, father-in-law, his wife, and me- found ourselves strolling down the Appian Way. Like, THE Appian Way. I feel like every time I turn around in Rome I’m geeking out about some other amazing historical thing. It’s super easy to do. We toured the tomb of Cecilia Metella then wandered the rest of the way to the restaurant. The weather was perfect, a far cry from what we had left in Vermont. Paolo greeted us at the door as we were laughing at the BBQ grill made out of a replica Roman chariot; I wouldn’t turn one of those down for the back yard! And then he ushered us inside to sit. Paolo gave us the chance to order from the menu, but we gave him carte blanche, and were promised a Roman feast in return for our trust.

Guys, I can’t even find the words to tell you how amazing this entire dinner was. In one’s life, there are probably only a few really stand-out meals, and this was definitely one of them. Even my in-laws, who have always been leery of historical recipes, were blown away. We began with platter after platter of antipasto dishes- cured meats, cheeses, grilled vegetables, seafood salad, and more–we needed a booster table brought over just to have enough room for all the plates.

Of especial interest to me was the libum (ancient bread from Cato’s writings) and an incredible herbed garlic cheese (based on a passage from Virgil’s Georgics). Both were just outstanding, the bread something akin to an eggy popover flavored by the bay leaves they’re baked on, and the cheese just out of this world, with flavors of coriander and garlic. I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t take a crack at recipes for both, so stay tuned for that.

 

Here I have to apologize, because the dinner was so incredible that I basically forgot to take any pictures of it. I’m afraid I’m just not that kind of food blogger! But as is the pitfall of any food photo, they could not have done justice to the incredible flavor combinations. For the main courses, the in-laws ordered fall-off-the-bone lamb, my husband opted for the ancient lasagna, and of course, I ordered the chicken with garum sauce. That was basically the end of all conversation for the moment as we all made happy sounds over our foods. The lamb was divine, the chicken and garum was rich and flavorful (but really not fishy at all), and the lasagna was the best any of us had ever had, with layers of ricotta, beef, and fennel. Top all of that off with four different desserts and a few bottles of wine, and I was starting to feel like a happily plump Roman empress…

But one of the best parts for me was getting to meet Paolo. There are a lot of food nerds out there, but really very few that love historical cooking like I do. Paolo is one of them. And while he has served diplomats and movie stars, his first foray into historical foods was accidental, much like mine. I found in him a kindred spirit with a top-notch mustache. He was the consummate host during our visit, regaling us with stories and anecdotes, showing us the pair of Roman outfits made for him and his wife by the costume designer for the original Ben Hur. And we chatted historical food, swapping sources and camaraderie. It was awesome.

So listen: If you ever find yourself in Rome, or heck, in Italy at all, you MUST go pay a visit to Hostaria Antica Roma.

Quasi-Colonial Thanksgiving, 2017

It’s almost that time of year again! I’ve got some zany new recipes to try, and if they work, I’ll be posting the recipes in the next couple of weeks. One fun addition this year is that we’ll be using all our own eggs!

The thing I love most, perhaps, about approaching a holiday like this is that it takes away so much of the pressure that can do in what should be a festive time. Instead, it’s about the adventure of the cooking, and having fun together. And because we try to make the dinner with all local or homegrown ingredients, it gives us a proper appreciation for the effort that goes into growing and preparing the food. Looking back in time, it’s easy to marvel at the amount of hard work that went into keeping a family alive and fed. I’ll be raising a glass to all the hunters and housewives that have gotten us to where we are today!

Here’s how the menu for our oddball thanksgiving is shaping up so far:

Flair

  • Hand washing water – (also makes the house smell nice)
  • Beeswax and bayberry candles
  • Pewter, linen, antler, and assorted other period dishware

Appetizers

  • Pemmican – traditional
  • Thin oat and acorn cakes – 1702
  • Homemade cheeses

Main

  • Sausage Stew with corn and beans
  • Turkey, with salt pork stuffing – 1796
  • Poached Trout – 1700s

Sides

  • Cranberry Chutney – 1767, with some tweaks
  • Parsnip Pudding – 1702
  • Cheese Lofe – 1702

Dessert

Drinks

 Sources used:

  • The First American Cookbook, Amelia Simmons, 1796
  • The Compleat Housewife: or, Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion by E. Smith, 1754
  • Vinetum Britannicum, J. Worlidge, 1691
  • Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, Mrs. Beeton, 1861
  • The Way to a Man’s Heart, various authors, pre-1891
  • Dr. Chase’s Receipt Book, Dr. Chase, 1887
  • Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery, Karen Hess, 1749
  • Penn Family Recipes – 1702

The Verdict?

This was awesome!

We cooked a turkey in the ground, and it ACTUALLY WORKED!

 

Keep an eye out for the recipes for the gingerbread, parsnip pudding, and a post on those squirrels. ;)

Hearthstone Drinkalong, week two – Starseeker Sour

To celebrate the launch of the new Hearthstone Innkeeper’s Tavern Cookbook, I’m hosting a virtual drinkalong. Each week I’ll post the recipe on Tuesday or Wednesday, then we’ll make the drink on Thursday (or whenever you can!), sharing the photos of our drinks online. Be sure to tag your photos on Facebook and Twitter with #HearthstoneDrinkalong, along with the name of the weekly beverage so I can add them to each week’s gallery. This should be a blast, and give you a taste (literally) of what the new recipe book has to offer.

The Roster

Week 1: Grimy Goose

Week 2: Starseeker Sour

Week 3: Tauren Tumbler

Week 4: Deathrattle

Week 5: Mystery drink?

Week 6: Mystery drink!

So, down to business. This week’s offering is a mocktail inspired by the intrepid explorer Elise Starseeker:

This one was a fun drink to put together. I started with a simpler version of a historical lemon drink, but instead of adding the sugar in with the lemon, I opted for a flavored simple syrup. Lavender actually goes beautifully with lemon, and I added a dash of food coloring for extra pizzazz.

For the photo staging, I tried to mimic the cluttered study in that image above, with surveying tools, maps, etc. You can’t tell from the picture, but those flat maps are actually of parts of Azeroth; I spent several hours one day tea-staining them all. That lovely brass doohickey on the left is an antique surveyors compass that I couldn’t resist at a flea market when I was 15, and have been holding onto ever since.

Starseeker Sour recipe

For the simple syrup, you’ll need:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. dried lavender (available in many health food store bulk sections)
  • violet food coloring (gel is best for pure purple)

For drink:

  • 2 lemons
  • a little more water
  • ice
  • lemon wheel for garnish

Start everything off by making up the simple syrup: combine the sugar, water, and lavender in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat, cover, and let steep for around 20 minutes. Strain into a clean container, discarding the lavender. Add food coloring and set in the fridge to chill.

Once that’s done, you can actually assemble the drink. Combine the zest and juice of the two lemons in a measuring cup. Add enough water to get up to 1 cup, then strain into a clean pitcher. Add one part each of this lemon mixture and the lavender simple syrup to a glass filled with ice, then garnish and enjoy!

The simple syrup should keep in the fridge for at least a week. If you’d like to make a stronger version, add either plain or lemon vodka to taste.

 

 

 

 

Hearthstone Drinkalong, week one – Grimy Goose

Hey everybody!

To celebrate the launch of the new Hearthstone Innkeeper’s Tavern Cookbook, I’m hosting a virtual drinkalong. I’d happily serve you all myself, but until we actually get Wonka-vision up and working, we’ll have to make do! Each week I’ll be sharing a drink recipe, starting with several from the Hearthstone cookbook and moving on to some other quirky beverages.

Each week I’ll post the recipe on Wednesday, then we’ll make the drink on Thursday, sharing the photos of our drinks online. Be sure to tag your photos on Facebook and Twitter with #HearthstoneDrinkalong, along with the name of the weekly beverage. This should be a blast, and give you a taste (literally) of what the new recipe book has to offer.

Also, don’t forget to comment under this post for a chance to win some sweet Hearthstone prizes next week, including a couple copies of the cookbook!

Bottoms up! :D

The Roster

Week 1: Grimy Goose

Week 2: Starseeker Sour

Week 3: Tauren Tumbler

Week 4: Deathrattle

Week 5: Mystery drink?

Week 6: Mystery drink!

 

So this week’s entry is the Grimy Goose. This is a classic beverage from the heart of Gadgetzan, served up by the famous Talan in his bar:

It’s a variation of the classic vodka martini, dirtied up a little for the Gadgetzan crowd with some pickle juice. Combined with a bit of sweet vermouth, rather than the dry stuff, you get a thoroughly pleasing drink that has just enough nuance to keep things interesting. Give it a go!

For the photo, I tried to put together something that was both elegant and just a little grimy. The dishware and props are darker colors, and the background is dim to give the impression of a lengthy bar. The jars of pickled vegetables got mostly cropped out, but down on the bottom of the tray you can see a feather or two, just a little visual hint of “goose”. ;)

Grimy Goose Recipe

You’ll need:

  • 3 oz. vodka
  • 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
  • splash of pickle juice
  • ice for shaking
  • pickles, olives, and/or onions for garnish
  • a chilled glass

Combine the vodka, vermouth, brine, and ice in a cocktail shaker (a mason jar also works in a pinch!). Shake everything together and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with your pickled veg, and consider serving alongside an antipasto plate, fried food, and anything Italian.

Be sure to snap a photo of your delicious new drink and share it online with the hashtags #GrimyGoose and #HearthstoneDrinkalong.

 

 

 

 

Giveaways, a Drink-along, and more!

Everybody get in here! It’s Hearthstone Cookbook day!

As of today, the Official Hearthstone Innkeeper’s Tavern Cookbook is released out into the world for your snacking and imbibing enjoyment. It’s about 50 recipes with lots of delicious pub-style snacks and appetizers, plus a wide variety of cocktails and mocktails to satisfy just about everyone’s palate. This book was SO much fun to put together, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. You can read a bit more about it here.

To celebrate, I’m fixing up some festivities and prizes for next week. I’ve got some fun Hearthstone/WoW items as well as several cookbooks to gift out, and the entry period is from now until the end of next week! I’ll do a rolling list of winners, one a day starting Monday, for the various prizes, so be sure you get your names in the virtual hat!

I’m also planning a super fun weekly drink-along using recipes from the cookbook and beyond. Stay tuned for more on that soon- Do you prefer #ThirstyThursday or #StonebrewSaturday? Weigh in here!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below telling me what food or drink you’d put on the menu if you were in charge of your own tavern.

All Souls Trilogy – Soul Cake

I have a secret librarian who has been sending me all sorts of books that I might not know to pick up on my own. They range from rather saucy YA novels to some really interesting pseudo-historical series, and I’ve had a blast working my way through them. One of the most recent was the All Souls Trilogy, written by Deborah Harkness. There’s time travel, vampire, witches, and daemons, and some really excellent food descriptions.

Our first recipe from that series actually comes as the result of a mis-remembering. I was positive that cakes were mentioned right around the time of All Hallows Eve (it turns out they’re for Christmas carolers), but once I had it in my mind, I couldn’t shake it. So, onward we plunge!

Although these soul cakes are not canon to the All Souls trilogy, they would certainly fit in well, as they are dated back to at least the mid 1600s, and quite possibly much, much earlier than that. Traditionally, they were made to give out on All Souls Day, November 2nd. The poor would go door to door, offering to pray for the dead in exchange for alms in the form of these little cakes.

I had some trouble finding an old recipe for soul cakes, but found several references to them being oaten, or containing spices or currants. So, in for a penny, in for a pound, I included everything. What a delight these would have been to the poorer classes, who probably never encountered such rich flavors except on such special occasions such as this.

As for the little lanterns, jack-o-lanterns were originally made from turnips! I’ve always wanted to try it, and this recipe shoot was the perfect excuse. The only hiccup is that these awesome little turnip lanterns started turning up in the 1800s. So while the cakes precede the lanterns by several hundred years, the tradition of handing them out likely continued into the 19th. century. And hey, I told you there was time travel involved!

And I promise I’ll go canon for the next All Souls recipe. You know I can’t resist making a caudle… ;)

Recipe for Soul Cakes

makes: 2-3 dozen, depending on size       Baking: ~15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 rolled oats (a little more is fine)
  • 1/2 tsp. each ground cinnamon, ginger, and mace
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup dried currants
  • 2 heaping Tbs. candied peel
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup ale or semi-sweet white wine (sherry is also delicious)

Preheat the oven to 375F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, oats, spices, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Rub in the butter until you have a nice even crumbly consistency. Stir in the currants and candied peel, followed by the egg. Begin gradually adding in your beer or wine until the dough comes together into a workable consistency.

Lightly flour your counter or work surface and roll out the dough to about 1/4″ thick. Cut into rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

If you’d like to ice the cakes, wait until they are completely cooled, then mix powdered sugar and a pinch of nutmeg with a little milk until it’s nice and thick, but can still be drizzled. A cross shape is traditional, but use any design you like!

 

Tips for carving turnips:

I found two tools invaluable: a melon baller to hollow out the turnips, and those little ribbon cutters used for carving clay. If you’ve got some schmancy pumpkin carving tools, I’m guessing those will work great, too. Because the carved turnips are so much smaller than pumpkins, battery powered votive candles work really well for illuminating them, but small stubs of candles can also work. You may need to cut a vent hole in the back to keep the candle burning.

Awesome Dragon Mugs!

The Starks are always right eventually, and with winter also comes the gift giving season. I occasionally share products on the blog when I find something I really fall in love with, and today is another of those days.

Aren’t these fabulous?!

They’re designed by the whimsical and talented artist Nicola Robinson, whose work is showcased on her site, Teeth and Claws, as well as on her Etsy site. Her designs can be purchased as art prints, cards, coasters, and just recently, these awesome mugs, which I was fortunate enough to receive in the mail a few months ago. I could barely wait to start trying them out in photos.

The mugs are fine English bone china, lightweight and just the perfect size for an afternoon tea. The original designs are just slightly raised, lovely to run a fingertip over.

So, whether you’re sharing tea and seedcake with some unexpected guests in the Shire, or planning your next bout of aerial combat with Temeraire, or looking up a good recipe for bubbly pies on Pern, these mugs make an ideal addition to your kitchen.

What do you think? What would be your perfect pastry or breakfast item to serve alongside these beauties?

Traveling the Kingsroad – a plan for a feast menu

Many of you have been asking for inspiration for your S7 feasts, so I thought I’d put together this little idea list. One of my favorite “themes” for a meal we did was one where we “traveled” the Kingsroad, sampling dishes as we went. This was pretty early on in the days of the blog, but it was a fun and different way to build a menu. These are fairly straightforward routes along the main North-South Kingsroad, but feel free to alter the route to include other places, such as the Iron Islands.

So, without further ado, let’s get going! And be sure to throw any extra suggestions into the ring, as well!

Note: italicized dishes are in the GoT cookbook, A Feast of Ice and Fire

The Dorne to Castle Black Menu

Perhaps you’ve heard of rebellion brewing in the North, and want to explore possible allies. Or maybe, like Tyrion, you just want to see the Wall and ah… look out over the end of the world. This listing takes you from the heat of Dorne right up to the freezing expanse of the far North.

Appetizers – Dorne

Olives, grapes, and stuffed grape leaves –

Soup/Salad – King’s Landing

Sansa Salad – Chestnut Soup – Ginger Soup with Autumn Greens

Bowls of Brown

A quick Tipple and Nibble – Riverlands

Cider – Wine – Ale

Syllabubs –

Hard Sausage and Oatcakes –

Main – Winterfell

Honeyed Chicken – Lord Manderly’s Pie –

Roasted Aurochs – Rack of Lamb

Dessert – Castle Black

Shortbread with Honey Caramel – Maple Snow Candy – Roasted Chestnuts

Roasted Quince/Apple – Apples with Goat Cheese

Buns on the Wall – Berries in Sweet Cream

–

The Castle Black to Dorne Menu

Have you been sent south to recruit new brothers for the Night’s Watch? Or perhaps your Northern lord has sent you to explore whether there is any truth to rumors of a foreign queen landing on Westeros’ shores.

Appetizers – Castle Black and Winterfell

Fried Black Pudding – Deviled Eggs – Mini Toasts with Haggis – Smoked Oysters

Pemmican – Cod Cakes – Sansa Salad – Beef and Barley Stew

Oatcakes – Cold Fruit Soup

 Soup/Salad – Riverlands

Seafood Stew – Leek Soup – Salad of Beans, Onions, and Beets

Sister’s Stew

Main – King’s Landing

Game Hens with Gravy – Skewers of Meat and Veg – Boiled Beef

Trout wrapped in Bacon – Stewed Rabbit

Dessert – Dorne

Sherbet – Creamcakes – Helva – Stuffed Dates in Honey – Walnut Pie –

–

The Hedge Knight Menu

Or maybe with all the turmoil across the seven kingdoms, you feel you would just be better off on the road, living off the land and occasionally stopping in an Inn when you’ve enough coin.

Appetizers

Smoked Oysters –

Fiddleheads –

Oatcakes –

Soup/Salad

Seafood Stew – Foraged Salad –

Main

 – Roasted Rabbit – Potted Hare or Potted Salmon –

Trout in Bacon

Dessert

Candied Ginger – Roasted Chestnuts

 

NW – Fruit Compote

Fruity Compote

I don’t know what the weather’s like where you are, but here in New England we are getting some seriously unseasonably chilly, rainy weather.

Not. A. Fan.

So naturally, I have been craving stews, pasta, and other hearty, filling dishes. In Westeros, that means looking toward recipes from the North, from Winterfell and Castle Black, which is where today’s simple recipe comes from.

This easy dish can be served either alongside a meat course or as a dessert in its own right. It makes use of ingredients commonly found in Westeros, even at the Wall: dried fruit, a few spices, and a touch of tangy vinegar. The warmth of the cinnamon and the bite of small ginger bits mixed among the fruit would be a welcome part of a meal in the frigid north, while the tender stewed fruits an infrequent treat. Consider serving with pork, beef, or lamb.

Night’s Watch Compote Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes   –   Cooking: 30 minutes

Makes: about 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 apples and/or pears
  • 1/4 cup dried dates, diced
  • 1/4 cup dried figs, stemmed and quartered
  • 1/4 cup dried currants
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1 heaped Tbs. diced candied ginger
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/2 c white wine
  • 2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • water to cover

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, and add just enough water to cover. Cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the fruit is soft, but not mushy, and most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the cinnamon stick, and transfer the compote to a serving dish or clean jar. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Best served warm.