Fantasy Cooking

[missmvicious]

So I am starting up an IRL campaign for the first time in a while which is exciting and the DM has tasked me with making fantasy themed food and drinks for the campaign. Back when The Hobbit first came out we had a LotR watching party to get in the right headspace and I had brought ring cookies complete with gold food spray paint and they were a big hit and since then the DM has been hoping for more such goodies.

So I thought to myself the playground would be a fun place to swap some recipes and find some inspiration.

I'll start us off. For Christmas I gave several of my girlfriends bottles of "Black Magic". I'd recently gotten edible shimmer and was all about giving shimmery alcohol to my friends.
The recipe I originally found called for one part vodka, one part coffee liquor with a dash of lemon juice. I was disappointed but not overly surprised when it came out brown rather then black despite it being from a list of "black" cocktails, black was the goal as my best friend is goth. I added some black food coloring and the edible shimmer both picked up from JoAnn fabrics baking section for about $2 each with coupons. I bottled up the mixture and the gifts went over great.

[startrashh]

This is a really neat idea for a thread! While my friends and I don't typically have any one specific "fantasy-themed" dish, we do tend to gravitate towards things that feel kind of medieval-esque - such as cutting up artisan bread and serving it with cheeses. Pro tip: herbal lavender jam is the BOMB. Our DM likes to put lavender jam on top of bread slices and calls it "fairy bread" because it's such a light, fun, unusual flavor.

I also brought honey mead to our most recent session. It was gooood.

Another fun thing, on St. Patrick's Day my party is planning on having an all-night session and playing D&D dressed as our characters. One of the members of our party has a rather... unique diet ingame, so to further reflect this, the player was planning on trying to make some kind of baked dish that looks like the special type of moss her character eats. I don't know what she's planning on cooking yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

[Ninja_Prawn]

find some inspiration.

I'm hardly the greatest cook in the world, but one thing even I can do is gingerbread. The great thing about that is that you can decorate them however you want - so gingerbread elves and halflings are totally on the cards!

I also bake a pretty mean fairy cake, and fairies are a fantasy creature, right? So there would be a place for them in a fantasy-themed spread.

My colleagues at Mage Hand Press also have some YouTube videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZvwjh4n1z4&list=PLfDubsfM3NUxgbesgHkmm8f_klAqkJ3Ou) of fantasy-themed cocktails that you might want to check out...

[inexorabletruth]

Some cool ideas I've seen, or thought of, or heard of:

Coin pouches filled with chocolate coins
D20 Cake pops or cupcakes
Mana or health potions (energy drinks or liquor died red or blue and served from a bottle that looks like a potion)


Sorry, I don't have recipes to share. I'm still learning to bake and am hoping to find some nifty ideas on this thread.

[Scarlet Knight]

My wife makes an Italian waffle called Pizzelles ( lots of recipes on the internet & no, I'm not handing over the family recipe :smallannoyed:) .

Our pizzelle maker has a choice of shapes, and we once made them, we then cut them in quarters before adding the powdered sugar, and told people they were fairy wings. Takes a little effort as they are delicate to cut if too thin.

Oh, we also made Jello jigglers, cut them into cubes, and passed them off as baby Gelantinous Cubes.

[missmvicious]

Another fun thing, on St. Patrick's Day my party is planning on having an all-night session and playing D&D dressed as our characters. One of the members of our party has a rather... unique diet ingame, so to further reflect this, the player was planning on trying to make some kind of baked dish that looks like the special type of moss her character eats. I don't know what she's planning on cooking yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Special moss? I wonder what food looks like Moss and what it would taste like :smallconfused:


I'm hardly the greatest cook in the world, but one thing even I can do is gingerbread. The great thing about that is that you can decorate them however you want - so gingerbread elves and halflings are totally on the cards!

I also bake a pretty mean fairy cake, and fairies are a fantasy creature, right? So there would be a place for them in a fantasy-themed spread.

My colleagues at Mage Hand Press also have some YouTube videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZvwjh4n1z4&list=PLfDubsfM3NUxgbesgHkmm8f_klAqkJ3Ou) of fantasy-themed cocktails that you might want to check out...

I'm surprisingly terrible at cutting out cookie shapes. They like always get distorted. Maybe I'm messing up the dough. The drinks look like bomb though.

[missmvicious]

hello
I hope Fantacy cooking is nothing but different types of cooking techniques with tasty and good for health,in restuarent have different types of food. fantasy cookers have dress code and decipline to do cooking food.

I think really the idea is that it aesthetically looks magical or like startrashh gets you into that role playing headspace.

I manage a restaurant so I get the uniforms and with specific techniques. Specifically I manage a pizzeria. I wonder if I can make a fantasy pizza. What would that be like? :smallamused:



Some cool ideas I've seen, or thought of, or heard of:

Coin pouches filled with chocolate coins
D20 Cake pops or cupcakes
Mana or health potions (energy drinks or liquor died red or blue and served from a bottle that looks like a potion)


Sorry, I don't have recipes to share. I'm still learning to bake and am hoping to find some nifty ideas on this thread.

Maybe you can try some of the ones posted here then. :smallwink:


My wife makes an Italian waffle called Pizzelles ( lots of recipes on the internet & no, I'm not handing over the family recipe :smallannoyed:) .

Our pizzelle maker has a choice of shapes, and we once made them, we then cut them in quarters before adding the powdered sugar, and told people they were fairy wings. Takes a little effort as they are delicate to cut if too thin.

Oh, we also made Jello jigglers, cut them into cubes, and passed them off as baby Gelantinous Cubes.

I had to google pizzelle and those would be so pretty.

Also I've got a seven year old who is playing too and I LOVE the idea of the gelatinous cubes for him. He's a third generation d&d player, I'm so proud.


https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/28378954_10157320914946840_9118086021519202341_n.j pg?oh=e7d62725afd8893a94ebae77302b32f3&oe=5B0D1CC8

[Brother Oni]

There's a manga series Dungeon Meshi which is a fantasy themed adventure series, where low on food and water, the party starts making use of the various critters they've killed as provisions. Since it's a Japanese series though, they've turned the food preparation into an art, complete with recipes in the manga.

http://i10.mangareader.net/dungeon-meshi/5/dungeon-meshi-6101647.jpg

I'm sure if you don't have giant bat, you can substitute a red meat, but I highly recommend not using real mandrake* and use another root vegetable instead (bonus marks if you cut it into a human shape before battering and frying).

There's plenty of other recipes that can re-flavoured appropriately. :smallbiggrin:

*No really, don't use real mandrake.

[missmvicious]

There's a manga series Dungeon Meshi which is a fantasy themed adventure series, where low on food and water, the party starts making use of the various critters they've killed as provisions. Since it's a Japanese series though, they've turned the food preparation into an art, complete with recipes in the manga.

http://i10.mangareader.net/dungeon-meshi/5/dungeon-meshi-6101647.jpg

I'm sure if you don't have giant bat, you can substitute a red meat, but I highly recommend not using real mandrake* and use another root vegetable instead (bonus marks if you cut it into a human shape before battering and frying).

There's plenty of other recipes that can re-flavoured appropriately. :smallbiggrin:

*No really, don't use real mandrake.

The Mandrake looks pretty rad.


I'm thinking of trying this Instagram recipe, they look like unicorn horns to me.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfvJsWphlKI/

[inexorabletruth]

Has anyone ever seen Nerdy Nummies (https://m.youtube.com/user/RosannaPansino)?

They aren't full recipes, and Rosanna Pansino assumes you have an awesome kitchen... which I don't. But still there is a wealth of ideas here.

[Togath]

Looking into stuff with agar agar or gelatin could be worth while. With a bit of sugar you can create stable gummy/jelly dishes in almost any shape(agar agar tends to be a little more prone to crumbling but less squishy and more able to show sharper edges, meanwhile gelatin can make something more like a gummy candy you'd buy in a store).
Maybe edible "gems" made from firm agar agar? It takes colour well and can be flavored with a wide variety of stuff(though strong acids like lime will melt it, as I discovered).

[inexorabletruth]

Maybe edible "gems" made from firm agar agar? It takes colour well and can be flavored with a wide variety of stuff(though strong acids like lime will melt it, as I discovered).

Something like... this?!

http://craziestgadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/swords-ice-cube-tray-500x357.jpg

[missmvicious]

Togath, Inex those look cool. Though I like the idea of gems, like loot you'd find. Glad to hear acidic stuff breaks agar agar down ahead of time, I think that would be frustrating to learn partway through. I've seen a water droplet cake made with agar agar and though its not entirely fantasy it is really cool!
http://42ebce7c49c69eef6f773b77.o3lcjkkarworfzqubecp.maxc dn-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-raindrop-cake-e1476828859562.jpg

[inexorabletruth]

Togath, Inex those look cool. Though I like the idea of gems, like loot you'd find. Glad to hear acidic stuff breaks agar agar down ahead of time, I think that would be frustrating to learn partway through. I've seen a water droplet cake made with agar agar and though its not entirely fantasy it is really cool!
http://42ebce7c49c69eef6f773b77.o3lcjkkarworfzqubecp.maxc dn-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-raindrop-cake-e1476828859562.jpg

What is this witchcraft?!

[Dodom]

I once made a "dragon egg", by using a large plastic easter egg as a mold. I separated the whites and poured them in (it took 7 eggs for a half-giant-egg) and cooked it at low temperature until it hardened. Then I dug a hole for the yolk, soft cooked the yolk, mixed it with mayonnaise and spices and put it in the hole.

[missmvicious]

I once made a "dragon egg", by using a large plastic easter egg as a mold. I separated the whites and poured them in (it took 7 eggs for a half-giant-egg) and cooked it at low temperature until it hardened. Then I dug a hole for the yolk, soft cooked the yolk, mixed it with mayonnaise and spices and put it in the hole.

That sounds so intensly interesting. Are there pictures? Was it like a smashing hit? I mean I assume you served a party.


What is this witchcraft?!

Lol food is basicaly magic.

[Florian]

I´m too cheap to invest in minis and I also lack the nerve to paint them (my ex wife was really good at that, being a trained artist), but I make heavy use of battle mats, so I need something to place and move around, representing enemies. My solution to this is creating wine gummy monsters - you can eat what you kill. I grabbed some of my old Reaper minis and headed over to a small local 3D printer company to get some silicon molds for my most common enemy shapes, which I use to make the wine gummy.

Now I like cooking with booze and I'm pretty creative at that, so we have white wine and thyme-based ones, coconut liquor-based skeletons, sake and matcha-based samurai goblins, Imperial Stout-based Drow, so on.

I try to remember this thread and take some fotos before our next gaming session.

[inexorabletruth]

Does anyone remember Skyrim? :smallamused:

Apple Cabbage Stew! (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230232/cabbage-apple-soup/)

I'm not much of a stew eater... Texas is hot. Insulating foods are not a high priority around here. So, I will admit, I didn't even know this stew existed until Skyrim. My character was making it for his adopted kid (I know they don't need to eat, but I like to do it anyway) and I was like, these are real ingredients... not like horker meat (which I guess is walrus, and would be really illegal to eat). I wonder if someone invented a recipe for it?

Turns out is an old world recipe and has been around forever. :smallredface: Ok, I'm uncultured swine for not knowing this. But anyway, it looks delicious. See?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/35/52/c9/3552c9696b55669abe03adcb29f90936.jpg

[Brother Oni]

Turns out is an old world recipe and has been around forever.

You can also go proper medieval style in serving food - bread trenchers (a stale loaf of bread with all the insides scooped out to make a bowl) or a thick slab of slightly stale bread as a plate (which was traditionally given to the poor afterwards), spoons and knives (no forks yet) and eaten with your fingers, but now we're moving away from gaming snacks and more proper meals.

https://78.media.tumblr.com/e8e97c99c80cc97d8ccf7abeb9fe1599/tumblr_mnvdhjjGUj1qfg4oyo1_1280.jpg

https://thecuriouskitchendotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/2014-08-11_0001.jpg

I know there's A Feast of Ice and Fire, which is a companion cookbook to A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones, but the authors also have a website with a number of traditional recipes: Inn At The Crossroads (http://www.innatthecrossroads.com/).

[Jay R]

Ten or fifteen years ago, the husband of one of our players took sausage meat, shaped them to look like rat bodies, and put them it on shish kabob sticks. That session, our gaming group ate rat-on-a-stick.

For a Halloween party, he made two or three inch sausages, and put almonds on them to look like fingernails. He labeled them "ladyfingers".

[missmvicious]

So I tried the gelatinous cube this weekend. I think it very well, I used a jiggler recipe so that helped. My son was super into them. It would be cool to to get some gummy people to put in them.

I also made a batch with higher fortitude :smallwink: added some vodka like I was a sorority girl.

[saltstorming]

Ooh, this has given me things to think about. I often make cookies or the like when my group meets, I wonder if there’d be a way to fantasy-ize those...

[missmvicious]

Ooh, this has given me things to think about. I often make cookies or the like when my group meets, I wonder if there’d be a way to fantasy-ize those...

Sword shapped cookie cutters?

[Telonius]

I have heard of people re-labeling an energy drink as a "Potion of Bear's Endurance."

[Bohandas]

On a vaguely related note, tonic water glows blue under UV light. You just need a custom label and it'll look exactly like Nuka Cola Quantum from the Fallout games

[Brother Oni]

Ooh, this has given me things to think about. I often make cookies or the like when my group meets, I wonder if there’d be a way to fantasy-ize those...

Little cookie figurines for battles - you kill 'em, you eat 'em. :smallbiggrin:

[inexorabletruth]

So, for D&D today, I was low on ingredients, and fell back on an old favorite.

Kronk's Spinach Puffs. They're so easy to make. I'll get you the recipe.

They're a nice handheld savory dumpling that is nutritious and surprisingly filling. I modified the recipe I use do to the limited ingredients without spending time on a shopping trip. Time was a factor.

Here's hoping they turn out ok...

Thin crust pizza dough
Sauteed spinach
Grated carrots
Onion
Chopped celery
Diced ham
Basil
Garlic salt
Parsley
Pepper
Himalayan Pink Salt

I added shredded parmesan to half the Puffs, for the guests who could eat cheese. I'm lactose intolerant, which makes me sad.

I normally add rice to the Puffs to absorb the moisture of all the veggies being baked, but as I said, time was a crunch, and I didn't think I had time to spare to stream the rice, then cool it before adding it to the mix.

I know Emperor's New Groove isn't quite D&D fantasy, but there's enough magic and high adventure in the movie to give it that feel. Plus, they're just fun to make and eat, and talk about.

[Bohandas]

I saw an episode of The Simpsons where they made cookies that looked like bloody spearheads usig christmas tree cookie cutters and red sprinkles

[inexorabletruth]

Update on the rushed spinach puffs. Definitely always take the time to make the rice.

Bad is a strong word, but they weren't great. Here is the recipe I usually use:

1 14" thin crust dough (stretched)/ 8oz ball
1 pound of sauteed spinach
1 cup of rice (your choice)
1 white onion
1/3 cup of crumbled bacon (optional)
Himalayan Pink Salt to taste
Shredded cheese (optional)




First boil the rice in 2 cups of water. Once they're cooked, transfer the rice to a bowl and cool in the refrigerator.
Then, saute the onions in a teaspoon of oil, or 2 tsp of water, until they are translucent.
While they're cooking, chop the sauteed spinach and drain it.
Preheat the oven to 425F
Add spinach to the onions and cook and stir for about 5 minutes.
Stretch (or roll) the raw dough out flat, cut into 4ths, so they have 3 distinct points.
Remove the Spinach mix from heat and let cool.
Scoop out chilled rice and spread evenly around the crust quarters, leaving about a finger's width of visible dough around the edges.
Add 1/4 cup of spinach mix to reach quarter, and salt, shredded cheese, and bacon if preferred.
Then fold points together to make the puff. Sprinkle cheese and bacon on top of the non vegan puffs to mark them and decorate them.
Bake in the oven on a baking sheet for 25 minutes. If it's not crisp all the way, cook for another 5 minutes.



Anyway, that's what I usually make, and it's a hit. Going rogue was a bad call.

[2WheelsGood]

Look for tankards and metal goblets on evilbay etc, collect funky bottles (miniatures and gift sets of liqueurs?) and test tubes for serving brightly coloured drinks just wash them properly and label them to avoid a mouthful of Eau de Cologne .

“Lembas” crispbreads and cheese?

Sausages on sticks and/or cheese and pineapple on sticks - you could make heraldic banners on self adhesive labels for the sticks or try to find some cocktail sticks shaped like swords.

Cake decorators gold and silver spray, biscuits and a sweet “boss” for miniature shields?

Hard boiled eggs - you can draw on the shells?

Mini “dragon eggs” - the chocolate ones with a candy shell?

[2WheelsGood]

French style “Tarte aux Pommes” with The apple slices as dragon scales

[Serpentine]

Togath, Inex those look cool. Though I like the idea of gems, like loot you'd find. Glad to hear acidic stuff breaks agar agar down ahead of time, I think that would be frustrating to learn partway through. I've seen a water droplet cake made with agar agar and though its not entirely fantasy it is really cool!
http://42ebce7c49c69eef6f773b77.o3lcjkkarworfzqubecp.maxc dn-edge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/the-raindrop-cake-e1476828859562.jpg
Ha! I've had one of those before.
If any of you has a chance to try it but aren't sure if you should: I would say it's definitely something that's worth trying, if only to say that you did. BUT I would also say it's probably not worth getting a whole one just for yourself. Go out for dinner with a bunch of friends, and order one to share so you can all have a bite.


I once made a "dragon egg", by using a large plastic easter egg as a mold. I separated the whites and poured them in (it took 7 eggs for a half-giant-egg) and cooked it at low temperature until it hardened. Then I dug a hole for the yolk, soft cooked the yolk, mixed it with mayonnaise and spices and put it in the hole.
Damn, you went all out.

A while ago I had a fantasy/gaming themed birthday party and made a bunch of food for it. I'm afraid I can't remember many of them, though... I know grilled leeks (https://addaltmode.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/20160423185729_1.jpg?w=1024&h=640) was one (and it turns out my best recipe book has a recipe for it - see below), and I think a rabbit terrine (basically a savoury meaty jelly). I think I tried to do a "gelatinous cube" jelly, but iirc it failed pretty bad.
I also managed to make sweetrolls that came out pretty great. I'm afraid I don't remember what recipe I used (I think I probably just Googled it), but I've been bumming about on Aliexpress... And I think I'm going to have to buy this baking tray (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/20-cavity-silicon-moule-muffin-tray-cups-for-silicone-3d-cake-cupcake-mold-decorating-baking-fondant/32851116470.html) and make more, teeny, sweetrolls.

For general fantasy-themed foods... Turkey legs are always a winner. Nothing makes you feel like a barbarian like shoving a cartoonish stick of meat in your face. Goat is probably worth considering, and if you can get it you could try quail or squab (pigeon).
I think ginger bread, as in the cake/bread, not the biscuit, has a lot of potential, too.
Honey carrots - especially if you can get purple carrots instead of orange ones (also, if you decide to boil purple carrots instead of/in addition to baking them, you can save the water and use it to dye food, drink, clothes, whatever).
Purple bread - use a potato bread recipe, such as the one below, but use purple potatoes or purple carrots instead of normal potatoes.
My grandmother's date loaf recipe might have some potential, too...
I'm also gonna throw in my Impossible Pie recipe, because it's magic.


This isn't the grilled leek recipe I used, but I think it's pretty much the same thing (except I didn't do the squishing bit):

Steam young leeks (or simmer them in lightly salted water) until tender, then drain and press under a light weight for an hour. Brush with extra-virgin olive oil and barbecue, turning once or twice.

2 cups plain flour
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
20g butter, grated
2 potatoes, cooked and mashed - or purple sweet potatoes or carrots
1 1/4 cups warmed buttermilk
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 180oC.
2. Sift flours together into bowl, add soda, salt and sugar, mix.
3. Rub butter into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4. Mix in mashed potatoes.
5. Pour in combined milk and egg.
6. Mix to form a dough.
7. Shape into a round loaf and place on a greased oven tray.
8. Using a knife, mark bread into 8 pieces. Dust top with flour.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until it sounds hollow when tapped.
10. To make crust soft, brush with melted butter while still hot.

NOTE: When I make this in future, I will leave out the bicarb soda and maybe use a bit less SR flour, and/or shape it into smaller loaves, because the last couple of times I've made it it's turned into this weird mushroom cloud shape. On the other hand, if you're making this for a fantasy themed thing, maybe a weird shape will be fine.

Serve with fancy cheese (e.g. brie) and preserved meat (e.g. salami, prosciutto), or try with a nice, thick jam or preserve.

2 tablespoon butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups dates (and chopped walnuts, optional), chopped
2 teaspoons soda
2 cups boiling water
3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
4 empty, clean baked bean/soup tins (can opener-opened, not pull-tab opened)

1. Combine butter, brown sugar, dates (and walnuts) and soda.
2. Pour over boiling water.
3. Add flour.
4. Generously grease tin cans and line with baking paper if possible (this isn't in the original recipe, but it's a nightmare to get them out if you don't at least grease the hell out of them).
5. Evenly distribute mix between tin cans.
6. Cover tins with aluminium foil.
7. Place tins in a large pot filled with enough water to come to ~halfway up the tins.
8. Bring to a boil and steam for ~1 1/4 hours.
9. Slice into 1cm or so slices and serve. Options include:
- Cold on its own.
- Toasted with melted butter.
- Microwaved with custard.

4 eggs
1/2 cup butter/margarine, melted
1/2 cup plain flour (or a little more)
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut (or a little less)
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 180oC.
2. Blend all ingredients.
3. Pour mixture into 25cm greased pie plate.
4. Bake for 1 hour, until centre is firm.

The flour settles to form a crust, the coconut forms a topping, and the centre is an egg custard filling.
I've heard of savoury variants, but never tried it myself.

[Giggling Ghast]

For the Dragon Age series, the devs have actually put out a number of recipes in the second world lorebook to make and a few have tried their hand at them.

http://blog.bioware.com/2015/11/23/a-very-thedosian-thanksgiving/

A fan on Reddit also just started this blog about Thedas cuisine.

https://www.reddit.com/domain/gourmetthedas.blogspot.com/