We have learned so very much over the past year, about blogging, photography, and historical cooking. The cookbook process was veritable trial by fire, and we had to accomplish a great deal in a relatively short amount of time. We’ve gone from photographing dishes in the kitchen with our phones:
…to published authors with an eye for edible aesthetics:
But now, about a year and a half after starting this blog, we find ourselves, ironically, approaching a crossroad.
In time, inevitably, we will run out of new Westeros foods to make. It seems nearly impossible, given the sheer size of the books, but in over a year, we’ve made hundreds of recipes. A far cry from our original goal of about 100 recipes, we’ve now completed more than
132 dishes, and over 208 total recipes!
Clearly, we got carried away.
But since we’ve enjoyed our time at The Inn so much, we would like to see it turn into something new, rather than just fizzle out. We have a few ideas, but as always, we’d love to get your input! An historical food blog? A medieval chatroom? A shadowy corner for Westerosi conspiracy theorists?
What would you like to see The Inn transition into? At least, of course, while we wait for The Winds of Winter, because you know that if GRRM writes it, we’ll try to cook it. ;)
And for fictional food from other worlds, be sure to check out Chelsea’s blog, Food Through the Pages.
Lord of the Rings? I’d love to see a whole section on Shire cooking. Lots of ale and root vegatables.
My boyfriend’s birthday party this year (his first since his 9-year birthday) was LOTR themed! :D
We found it next to impossible to dig up recipes or sites similar to the Inn for his Party of Epic. Sure, there are sites that tell you they enjoy tea, drink, tobacco, potatoes.. Nothing with the level of polish and realism/authenticity I’ve been spoilt by in haunting THIS lovely place.
I actually made a play for a Hobbit cookbook last year, but two separate somebodies had already beat me to it! I still plan to dabble a bit, since there are so many wonderful English dishes that would be just perfect for a Baggins. :)
I know I’m quite late to this party (literally just found your blog) but I just had to second the OP – what this world needs is a few brave souls to try and solve the lack of Middle Earth food. I’ve never seen a satisfactory LOTR cookbook.
Never fear! On my other blog, I’m bound to explore a few dishes here and there- they’re just too good not to! I’ve got two LotR recipes up now, and plan to do Lembas soonish. :)
I love you both and what you do here. I think that Game of Thrones is great and all but there are countless other sites that fan it up about the books without bringing what you bring to the table. I did not intend a pun in that previous sentence, but I choose not to rewrite it now that it’s there, and I acknowledge that someone could enjoy it if they so desired.
Anyway.
The most consistent delight of your recipes – Westerosian fandom aside – is taking recipes that sound exotic and/or medieval and unveiling versions of them that not only make more sense in the modern kitchen, but are, simply put, better. I am most excited not just by the wild recipes that you’re willing to try from the books (I’m a fan. I’ve replicated your snake and your locust recipes.) but by the original ideas that you have about food that makes sense for a world that’s very different from our own but can still be delicious. I’d love to hear more about the things that you know about great food and how to recreate it.
Thank you.
I’m with this guy, sorta. I actually don’t even read or like A Song of Ice and Fire that much (OH NO SCANDAL) but I fell into this blog because of your ability to take cooking that sounds exotic or difficult, and bring it home for us. I love both experimenting with the medieval versions, and also delighting in the modern versions, and a few of your dishes have become staples of my kitchen… without me even knowing or much caring for Westerosian fandom. While I think you could do Lord of the Rings or other high fantasy books, I think I’d much rather see medieval cooking… with maybe a few cameos from more exotic lands (traditional Russian! Middle Eastern!)
Also, you guys have inspired me to try to make my own fiction to table cooking blog, just saying! It’s not up yet, because I and my co-conspirator are busy, but ours is trying to re-create the foods from the Avatar: the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra universes. So much Asian cuisine!
It’s not up yet, because I and my co-conspirator are busy, but ours is trying to re-create the foods from the Avatar: the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra universes. So much Asian cuisine!
You are an amazing person, and I pray that you’ll let the entire universe know when and if you start a website based on your endeavors.
Hurrah! We welcome any and all fictional food blogs, and look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Cooking show!!!!!!!
Medieval cooking blog please! The way your refer to historical cookbooks has always struck me as the coolest thing in your blog and book.
And obviously Middle-Earth cooking would be cool too. I haven’t read Tolkien in a while and I can’t remember whether he describes food in any detail though.
A historical food blog would be awesome. Or something about westerosi crafts or lifestyle or fashion, or something. Or all of the above.
Somehow I don’t like the idea of this Inn wandering off into some other fandom. But it’s just me. :)
I would imagine that this blog is inspired from the books and all the tasty sounding food found in them. So I would say to continue cooking (or doing any other crafts) from the books that inspire you. You could even turn it into a book club of sorts. I love that I can dive deeper into a book with food because of this wonderful blog. So while a historical food blog is interesting, I find it would lack some of the magic that is here now. Either way though, I am sure I will enjoy whatever new venture you guys take on!
I’m gonna go with the non-committal answer of whatever you’re interested in. Where does your main love lie – in Westeros or in the cooking? Experiment a little with both if uncertain. But whatever route you have the most fun with, that’s the direction I say you take the blog in. Because when you’re having fun is when we’re having fun. It’s your eagerness and determination that this place such a fun read and place to discuss.
Well said!
Well, when you run out of canon, you head into fan-fiction. :)
I’m serious, sort of. In your researching of the historical record, climate approximations, and palates of the many regions of Westeros, you’re probably better placed than most to speculate about what the characters are eating when they’re not on the page or onscreen. Plus, there are areas of the world the book’s never really gone. What do they have for dessert in Castamere? How about the Fingers?
If you decided to expand to cover other books you like, I would read and love that. But if you want to stay in the Seven Kingdoms, I think you can definitely expand beyond the gospel of Martin’s words and use your imaginations. After all, in a few years that’s what the HBO show creators are going to have to do. :)
I like this idea. I think you could definitely develop more recipes that are inspired by the characters/events/places even if they’re not mentioned specifically.
One of my favorite things about the blog was how you guys took medieval and modern versions of the same(ish) recipe so I’d certainly be interested if the blog evolved more into a medieval thing too. Ultimately I’m going to keep coming back no matter what you guys decide to do :)
I think this sounds like a fun idea too.
Aw, thanks for the unwavering vote of support!
I agrre with those who says that the historical cooking blog is good idea, I think you should post recipes and write post about westeros and ASOIF themed posts.
My vote is for a historical food blog. It doesn’t have to be all recipes all the time. Posts about food more generally would be great too, and an interesting angle on daily life in historical times.
Second on the historical food blog!
I echo The Lord of the Rings, but I think a historical cooking blog would be fascinating. I’ve always enjoyed the way you guys post both a historical recipe and a modern recipe, so we not only get two recipes, but see how the dish has evolved over the years. I think that’s something really unique to Inn at the Crossroads!
I like the contrast of two different recipes as well.
Definitely this.
I would love to see either a historical cooking blog, or branching out to cooking from different fandoms. I like the idea listed above of a sort of ‘book club’ idea, maybe trying out recipes from a different book every couple of months (so you’re not too committed to one thing when Winds of Winter comes out!)
This could be lots of fun. Perhaps we can get a group of us to read the same book, and pick our favorite foods to make?
there’s an idea!
I am happy to follow whatever your decision may be, but I love the idea of the historical food blog. I would like to add, though, that it might be fun to try to bring up other Westerosi-style crafts and stuff, although that could be a reader-submission sort of thing, maybe. I would also like to keep things focused on ASOIF rather than branching out. Maybe a discussion group sort of thing, with talk about all our perceptions about what has already gone with the first books and speculation about what we think is coming in the future. I know when I have talked about stuff from the books with others in the past it tends to lead to greater appreciation, especially for small details that I might have overlooked.
And we must continue to have character-themed meals, lol. Those are choice! It is known.
Yes sir! The character themed meals will continue. It is known.
As for crafts, I’m all for it. We made banners for our premiere party, and I’m working on an icon of Baelor the Blessed, as well as a map of Westeros, and a Cyvasse set. My artistic hobbies know no bounds. ;)
Cyvasse set? Make two, put the other on eBay or Etsy, and I’ll have a check in the mail that night. I’ve been thinking about building a set ever since I stumbled across this:
http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/58545-complete-cyvasse-rules/
Thanks for the link. I’d trolled through some of the earlier comments, but had yet to read some of the more recent updates. I’ve been imagining a much more straightforward game, without the relative strengths of pieces, and more like chess. Not sure anyone has actually tried to play through either version, although it’s on my to do list this week. :)
I vote for historical food blog! And, the recipes should be inspired by books, different books, including fairy tales for children and adults. Your idea of a book club is awesome. :)
I really like the idea of a historical food blog; I’ve been fascinated by the modern vs. historical versions of each dish and how food has changed over time. I’d be really interested in seeing even more of that.
I cast a vote for Lord of the Rings. There’s a surprising lack of good recipes on the web and no truly authentic cookbooks connected with LOTR. George R.R. named LOTR as the greatest movie(s) of all times in a 2011 interview, I guess J.R.R.’s world feels like a natural area to flow into.
Whatever you do, please keep the character-themed meals! You can branch out a little with those, including food that fits but is not specifically described on the books. And I don’t think you will risk running out of characters before the next book comes out, haha!
Greetings from Spain! ;)
I’m with others. Not necessarily Lord of the Rings, but there are many wonderful fantasy and science fiction books out there loaded with food. Harry Potter is one that has been done, though not nearly as well as you guys do it. Lord of the Rings does not have as much food, but there are certainly some dishes. Wheel of Time is a popular series. Brother Cadfael books have loads of fare genuinely from the middle ages. Find popular series in historical or fantasy genres that please you, find foods mentioned within, and then make them, and share with us the book, the quote, and the recipes. The book is the hook for the historical cooking.
Meatrolls and hot bubbly pies…
Haha, yeah the meatrolls would be pretty good. I’ve played with that recipe off and on over the years but I don’t think I quite have it down pat.
I think the bubbly pies are just single-serving-sized fruit cobblers, though. That’s how they sound. Or maybe like a Natchitoches Pie with fruit instead of meat.
How about an invading armies or spreading cultures sort of focus. Something as general as that will allow you to not only keep your inn at the crossroads title/focus but also allow you do explore many different cuisines!
Like various others who have replied, I’ve always adored the historic spin to the foods you created for Westeros and would absolutely love to see that continue! If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a student of history, is that that past is a foreign place. But what better way to understand it and make it more personal than to revisit the foods and meals people valued and loved?
At the very least, I would love to see that still meshed with other fantasy genres you may choose. Have fantasy meet history in a most wonderful crossroad.
I am of the opinion that what ever makes you guys happy to write about will be fun for us.
I would love for the rest of the books once written to make it into recipes on here(if past history holds true, we have a few years), and I love the historical recipes continuing.
I’m adding to my original thought, and agreeing with others: book foods. From whatever it is you are reading. I suggested LotR cause there isn’t enough out there, and what is, well, it’s sugar cookies for Lembas bread. I feel that with your experience in both the writing of this blog and the cookbook, you would be the best people to take a fictional setting (or real) and delve into what kinds of food they’d eat. It’d leave you open to all sorts of worlds.
Mostly, though, I would love to see what you would come up with for some sort of protein rich, high energy bread/cookie that also tastes good. And a Shire meal. And duck. And pork, beef, fish, poultry.
Fine, just keep cooking. Anything.
I’ll admit, I’d love to see an actual, usable recipe for something along the lines of Lembas bread (or cram that tasted good, lol).
Arrowroot cookies… LOL
I ‘still’ love them! :)
You have no idea how sad I am to not be writing a Hobbit Cookbook, but TWO other authors beat me to it last year! Still, I’ll be experimenting with some tasty shire fare, if only in preparation for the release of the movie in December.
I would love for you to continue with medieval food blogging and recipes. Perhaps from my other favorite fantasy, Camelot and King Arthur’s Court? Everytime I read the Westrosi books and find your recipes (I am just starting out with them) I am so intrigued by what you have cooked and want to go back and see if I might try it. Also, you haven’t done EVERYONE in the books as far as what they might want to eat, and I think that is a fun thing that you do that is interactive with the blog fans.
I came across your blog quite by accident when I heard about the cookbook and have loved reading it for the last couple of months (going back to the beginning of the blog of course). Please keep up the great work with your cooking and your blog
I’d love to see you focus on historical cooking. You could also, as others have suggested find another series that has a lot of food in it that would fit in a category of ‘historical cooking’. It’s the historical recipes that I find most interesting about this site. The SOIAF angle is simply what brought me here and adds a bit of… flavour.
You have to do another book with the recipes you didn’t use, a book of character based meals, a book of “fun with food”, the rest of GRRM’s books, then you can do Lord of the Rings and Narnia. Maybe do the Narnia recipes as kid friendly ones so I can introduce my younger ones to their first blog, the joy of cooking, and Narnia all at once.
i definitely second the narnia/kid friendly recipes, that would be really really fun.
Duly noted, and I love it. I’ll definitely come up with a few Narnia recipes for you and your kids!
I was hoping someone had brought up Narnia. I can’t think of very many foods mentioned within the stories, but the ones I can remember off the top of my head are ones I would really love to see you guys give a go.
That aside, I’ll come here to see what you come up with, regardless of what you decide to do!
I think the historical aspect of your blog interesting, especially when you show it alongside a modern recipe. So this is the vein you could seamlessly go into. But I’m completely cool with you delving into other books and foods inspired by them. :)
George has written a lot of books. I remember finding myself very hungry throughout Fevre Dream. Recipes from the antebellum Mississippi River area in the late 1800’s sound like a rich adventure. Not sure about the science fiction heavy novels. But keeping a theme of foods from George RR Martin would be cool.
Hi~
Perhaps you could continue to explore medieval cookery and slant it along the lines of say~what a character perhaps would eat~or feasts for events that happened in the past. We know that when Kaitlin and Ned Stark married there must have been a legendary wedding feast. And feasts for the birth of an heir. I always wondered exactly what they grew in the glass gardens up at Winterfell. George obviously reads your blog-so perhaps you could inspire him to include some of your medieval/Westerosi dishes in “The Winds of Winter” and “A Dream of Spring”… Who knows…
Hi Again!
We know that there are old books and manuscripts floating around the castles and manors of Westeros and beyond. Perhaps you could write an etiquette or how to manual for Septas or Maesters (herbology/medicine) that they would have used or read. Or write a new cookbook that would have been found in and put to use by the chefs in the kitchens of Winterfell or Kings Landing. It could include funny hints on pleasing specific lords or ladies–or other notes. Just a thought…
Well, I’m not far into the books at all, so I mostly followed this blog because of the beautiful food pictures, and I loved seeing how you would tweak medieval/ historical recipes so that they would fit with more modern tastes. I love the idea of a historical food blog, or a blog with other foods from similar series (I know that someone suggested Lord of the Rings.)
Good luck with your decision!
It is hard to imagine running out of food mentions in the ‘song of ice and fire’ but I suppose it’s possible. I’d go with book food, and with medieval foods when book food doesn’t present itself. I’ve also lost my recipe for smurf mcnuggets….
I feel like it would be a natural shift to another fantasy/history book setting. Inn at the Crossroads isn’t as specific of a title as, say, “The Westrosi Food Connection.” While the title fits well for your initial intent of the blog, it could easy evolve to a more encompassing project.
Recently, I read a few long passages in The Conqueror by Georgette Heyer, that talked about the food of the Norman court, comparing it to Saxon dishes and again, to feasts in Flanders. It’s not fantasy but the descriptions are really interesting and really not that far from a lot of the foods in the Song of Ice and Fire. I immediately thought of this blog, and that example is only one of so many more out there to draw from.
There may only be two of them so far, but how about Scott Lynch’s Locke Lamora books?
Ooh, yes!
YES.
I’d love to see you guys take on the many dishes mentioned in Scott Lynch’s Gentlemen Bastards sequence. The dishes are more renaissance than middle ages, with a strong Mediterranean bent. But it’s a series with food descriptions as elaborate and intriguing as GoT, and involves cultures that prize the culinary arts, so I think it’d be a great fit.
Love them! I’ve made a few dishes from the series on my personal blog, and hope to continue with many more, including a workable recipe for Ginger Scald!
Medieval cooking blog! You could throw in a few fiction to reality cooking posts as well to spice it up.
It’d be really cool if you made dishes from other fantasy novels/shows, and it would still be keeping with the theme basically. Or inspired by fairy tales/that type of deal?
I LOVE fairytale foods!
My vote’s for historical food as well, but maybe with occassional highlights from other historical/fantasy series’? Like Lord of the Rings, etc. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Brian Jacques’ Redwall series, but if that author was still with us he and George could fill a library just with their epic food Descritpions.
There’s actually already a Redwall cookbook! You’re welcome. :) My very first fictional food love was Jacques’ Redwall series, which made even this picky eater of a child long for Deeper ‘n Ever Turnip & Tater & Beetroot Pie!
Historical food blog! (Yay!)
I love all your historical tidbits and facts when it comes to food, please continue to post historical recipes and food research its the best!
Hey! :D
Been loving the heck out of my new cookbook, thank you for writing it! On the site…Definitely continue the character themed meals, and I do like the idea of venturing into other fandoms, except I don’t read that many other book series’. I agree with the person that suggested experimenting in the directions YOU love. That’s what brings me back again and again. And the food.
So, yeah, historical fan food blog extraordinaire!!
I’d love to see this become a medieval cooking versus fantasy cooking website. There are a lot of fantasy books out there that include foods and you could compare the food they describe with medieval recipes and modern versions of the same.
Personally, I am really excited to try some of these dishes with my more adventurous friends at one of our gaming events. Having the ability to draw from more sources like Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire, Jeherg Chronicles, anything by Stephen Lawhead, Riftwar Saga, and on.
I even have an idea for your next book title:
“Dinners of Fantasy” or “How to Cook a Dragon”
I like your thinking. I’ll be exploring more fictional foods on my personal blog, so if you have any specific favorites or requests, let me know!
I definately agree to shift to a period cooking blog. It’s what you’ve really been doing all along: period cooking, but just renaming things with titles from Ice & Fire. I don’t see where anything even has to change all that much.
When you do finally run out of source material from the GoT books, then switch gears, and instead of revese engineering a dish from description in the books, simply pick a region of Westerosi, work out a plausible meal, and say, “this is a typical (insert name here) from the Iron Islands.” Or Braavos. Whatever.
“This exotic dish was discoved on a scroll found by some brave soul who wandered into the Shattered Islands.”
And yeah, why not wander into different universes if the mood strikes. It’s not like there aren’t countless other fantasy novels/series to play in. Most of them are basically set in modifed versions of post-imperial Europe anyway, so (for the most part) are pretty interchangable. Ice & Fire had a much wider geographical and cultural spectrum to draw on, as does Wheel of Time.
Hey, ultimately, you’re Scadian. Can’t find the info you need, or run out of source information? Make up something plausible, apply duct tape, quit fretting the details, and get back to having fun. And send one of the apprentices to town for more beer, we’re running low.
open a restaurant !
this! ^
I’m adding my vote for an historical cooking blog, with an added Westerosi twist. Some entries have already set a precedent, beginning with a quote followed by the statement “Why this should be in the next book”. Why not continue that? Post the result of a medieval or other old recipe and follow with the reasons why it would have been right at home in the Song of Ice and Fire universe.
I’d love to see, as some others have said, a food blog that continues to gain inspiration from fiction (especially fantasy fiction)!
For my part, I’m really interested in the historical re-creation portion of the blog. I enjoy seeing old recipes re-created and what that teaches us about how people lived in the past. The fact that there’s a Westerosi twist just makes it that much more fun. And seriously, you guys need to do a second cookbook as well ….. :-)
I have to say; I love the Game of Thrones Cookbook! While I am technology savvy, some things will never feel as good as the old way, and propping a copy of the cookbook open with salt shakers while I bake Bacon Pies and Medieval Biscuits is an incredible experience!
I’m hoping that you ladies will continue to release cookbooks until all of the recipes are available in print form.
As for the blogs themselves, it depends on what you ladies want to do! If you are interested in continuing your cooking work (as I imagine you are), then start to shelve this blog under the umbrella of a larger cooking blog and free yourselves from medieval recipes to explore all sorts of cooking: Southern, Victorian, New Age, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pacific Northwest… an infinite amount of recipes await you, and the Game of Thrones project may just be, ultimately, a gateway into introducing the greater art of your cooking to the world.
These are all great suggestions, but I wanted to toss out another one: recreating the meals from Steven Brust’s “Vlad Taltos” books. Brust puts as much mouth-watering detail into the meals at Valabar’s as GRRM puts into his dishes. :D
Excellent! Thanks so much for the suggestion, as I’m always looking for new sources! Do you have a favorite food from that series? I’m planning on making some klava.
Squee! I would love to read a good klava recipe; he always seems to disappointed when people bring him coffee. ; )
I agree with many of the commenters: fantasy food. So many fantasy tales are peppered with great food (LOTR, The Kingkiller Chronicles by Rothfuss, and many others) based in history, that I think you could really open yourself up nicely to a wider range.
I’ve really enjoyed the blog and the cookbook!
I think you should become the “fantasy chef.” I am very partial to Westeros fare, however you can expand into other food fiction. The medieval and historical ideas would be interesting but, I believe you can be more encompassing in order to have more possibilities. Also, though a recipe from the Hunger Games may make me die inside a little it’ll gain more exposure and allow you to reference your point of view. A Fantasy Chef can recreate dishes from history, from alternative history, from other genres of fantasy, and science fiction, etc. Hell you should get a show on the cooking channel called Fantasy Chef.
You don’t need to stick with the fantasty novels for food ideas, what about real time (though not our time) books? Shakespeare has been done, and probably would feel much like Westeros when researching. Jane Austen has been done but could be done more. Dickens? Trollope? Wodehouse? 18th or 19th century novelists in general? Even 20th century as more and more of us no longer have contact with anyone who remembers ‘before the war’ and foods mentioned in novels of the time can seem QUITE foreign.
There are some really great cookbooks that address war-era cooking. One of my favorites is “Foods that will win the War”, because it also includes some staggering statistics, like how much extra grain the reduction one slice of bread per family, per day in the US could provide our allies. It’s a fascinating look into a time when there was very little waste, especially given how many of us live today.
I’d love to see this blog keep doing historical cooking, especially renaissance and medieval, and perhaps branch out to other books (maybe with guest bloggers?)
Thought of a good Fantasy series for food. Anne McCaffery’s Pern. They are always cooking in that one.
Ooh, excellent. I read a few of those back in high school, but it might be time to revisit, if there’s food at stake. :)
Of course I’d love to see a continuation of foods from the book series, but I agree with some of the other commentors, foods from other series would be amazing to see as well. My picks being LotR and Pern from the ones previously mentioned, and my own suggestion of Discworld fare. I know there’s already Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook, but it would be interesting to see your take on foods like Distressed Pudding, Sausage inna bun, and of course the infamous scumble (it’s made from apples. Well, mainly apples) since you’ve done a few alcoholic beverages before. Perhaps even, if you’re feeling particularly adventerous, Wow-Wow Sauce.
I love a lot of these ideas, especially the LOTR and Discworld ideas. What about switching tack a little and doing some post-apocalyptic fare?
Cool idea! Do you have anything in particular in mind?
Well we could do foraged foods, how to make tinned food more exciting (perhaps by combining the two?). I’m running through some ideas of my own will message if I come up with anything good.