A Feast of Ice and Fire, a Cookbook Review

 Authors Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer have done a marvelous job with this Official Companion Cookbook. More than 200 glossy pages, including gorgeous photography of each dish and easy to follow recipes, this cookbook is a treat for fans of the books. just plain old cooks, and those interested in medieval cookery alike.

Each recipe comes with two preparations, a medieval version and a modern version.  Also included are recipes for sauces, doughs, and spice blends that will be used throughout the cookbook, each with historical notes and other interesting facts.

The organization of the recipes is very on brand, as we go to each location.  There is The Wall and also The North, both with very rustic and hearty meals.  Then we move on to the south, where we get a bit of seafood such as trout wrapped in bacon and broth of seaweed and clams, but also some real treats like poached pears. Next is Kings Landing where we get royals dishes such as almond crusted trout or Quail drowned in Butter, to the simple fare of the common folk in the city, including bowls of brown and oatbread. Lastly we get the exotic location of Dorne and Across the Narrow Sea, which include such exotic recipes as Honey Spiced Locusts and Dornish snake with Fiery Sauce.

Although there are a few truly exotic recipes that may be more for show than anything else for most cooks, the majority of the recipes are very approachable dishes.

Overall, this is a wonderful cookbook.  I have tried and loved many of the recipes, and look forward to trying many more.

White Beans and Bacon

Herbed Boiled Potatoes, Surprisingly Good!

 This certainly isn't the flashiest, most magical, or most exciting recipe in The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, but it is a solid one.  This recipe can be found in chapter seven, Lunch and Dinner in the Dining Hall, and does seem like something Ron would have wolfed down while Hermione watched with concern.

It reminds me a lot of my grandmothers German potato salad.  It uses an oil and vinegar dressing instead of mayo, as most American potato salads do, and it is served warm, instead of cold.  It relies heavily on the vinegar and herbs for flavor, and is a tasty, simple side dish suitable for a weeknight meal.

I served this side with a main of Ogri'La's Chicken Fingers, from the Official World of WarCraft Cookbook.  A very nice pairing, as this potato salad is very bright and herby, a good contrast to the richer chicken.   I have actually made this dish a second time with fresh mint and thyme instead of dill, and it was fantastic. I think it will work well with a variety of herbs, depending on your tastes.  I don't happen to have Tarragon vinegar, which seems very specific, abut again I think a variety of vinegars will work.  I've tried both a simple cider vinegar, and a much more complicated raspberry and lime balsamic, and both made a wonderful dressing, so this recipe is very suitable to substitutions and working with what you have in your fridge, pantry, or garden

The only thing I would change when making this in the future is I might add salt to the water when boiling the potatoes.  Otherwise it is good as written, but also very easy to change to suite your needs.  This will certainly go into our regular dinner rotation!

World Of WarCraft, Official Cookbook Review

World of WarCraft is more than a video game, more than an MMORPG.  It has become a cultural phenomenon.  Even if you have never played, you have surely heard of this juggernaut.

The World of WarCraft Official Cookbook is an impressive, hefty tome.  From the same authors as A Feast of Ice and Fire, this beast of a cookbook is over 200 pages of recipes on glossy pages with sumptuous photographs of each dish in theme appropriate settings. Each offering is broken down by skill level, cook time, and suggested pairings, and also contains bonus material about in game origins and other fun factoids.  The book is well organized into seven main categories, from spices to soups, main courses to drinks, everything is covered.  There is even a section that contains full suggested menu's for a variety of special occasions.

The recipes themselves are laid out in a very neat and easy to read format, and there is even a dietary chart in the back for those with food allergies or other special dietary needs to find recipes that fit those needs at a quick glance.

As a stand alone cookbook, this really is top quality.  Although it contains a few truly fantastical recipes for items that might be hard to find or not made only on special occasions, it also contains many recipes that one can use for every day cooking. 

Honestly, of all of my fantasy cookbooks, this one stands out for having the most recipes my family was interested in trying and including in a regular weeknight meal.  Fantastic while also being down to earth, this book has it all

  

Check out some of my reviews from this cookbook:

Greatfather's Winter Ale

Junglevine Wine

Ogri'La Chicken Fingers

Red Bean Buns

Spiced Blossom Soup