Hey guys, I'm sorry about the delay in posts. This semester has been very busy, and I've written lots and lots of code. I wanted to take a moment to talk about SOPA, however. If you guys haven't heard, the US House is trying to pass SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act. The problem with that, however, is that it won't effectively stop piracy and could instead remove some of your favourite sites from the Internet, including Reddit, Facebook, Youtube, Tumblr, and blogs. For more information on it, Mozilla has a pretty nice page here that you may consider looking at.
If you're a US citizen, please contact your congresspeople about SOPA. The hearing is today, so please write your senators and house representatives as soon as you can!

Clams in White Sauce

There are times where you need to whip something up really quickly, and you don't have terribly many ingredients lying around.  Hopefully, you've got some milk, butter, and flour.  If you're really lucky, you've got a can of clams too.  If you've got all that, lets get started!

Ingredients:

1 can of clams
2 T flour
2 T butter
1 cup milk
1/2 an onion, diced
Oregano
Garlic powder

Equipment:
1 quart pot
1 spoon
can opener
measuring implements

Directions:
1. Heat up the pot, adding in the butter
2. Add the flour to the melted butter, mixing to create a roux
3. Once well mixed, add in the milk and clams
4. Stir in the spices
5. Once thickened, remove from heat

Serve on top of Orecchiette, shells, or spaghetti (or any other kind of noodle.  I'm not your boss.)
Should feed 4~5 people.  If you double the recipe, you can easily just add more flour and neglect to add extra butter.

Possible Alterations:
Everything mentioned here, except for the clams, goes into a standard white sauce.  You could use shrimp, tuna, mushrooms, or any other type of addition that you desire.  If you add cheese, you can make a pretty tasty cheese sauce.  If you don't have butter, you can use oil, or shortening, or probably even bacon fat.

Happy Gaming!

Carrot Curry

Saying I like curry is an understatement.  I put curry spice in my eggs, curry sauce on tuna, and have now started exploring making my own different varieties of curry.  My first attempt was from a vegetarian cookbook.  It was potatoes and peas, and it was good.  Not really great, but good.

Anyway, the recipe calls for half and half, which I don't always have on hand.  So, I asked myself what could be used that I do have on hand as a base.  The answer I came up with was Cream of Mushroom soup.  So, lets get started!

Ingredients:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup peas (frozen.  If canned, make sure it is drained.)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
Milk
Olive Oil
1 T Curry Powder (or more.  Curry powder is delicious!)
Garlic (There is probably some in the curry powder, but garlic is also delicious.)
Parsley

[ A note about curry powder: curry powder is actually a western thing, based on an eastern style of food.  McCormick makes a good curry powder, but where ever you're getting your curry powder might have different varieties that could be awesome. Feel free to go off the beaten path and try something other than the McCormick brand!]

Equipment:
Stir-fry pan/Wok
Spatula
Can opener

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in the pan
2. Add the sliced carrots and onion, and cook them until soft.
3. Add the peas, cooking until unfrozen.
4. Dump the can of soup into the pan, adding milk to thin it out.
5. Add the curry powder and garlic, stirring.
6. Remove from heat, and put on bowls of rice.
7. Add parsley to the top before serving

Makes 4~6 servings, depending on how much milk you put in.

Possible Alterations:
There are lots of other things you can put in a curry, and many things you can serve it on top of.  The potato-pea curry I mentioned earlier was pretty good, and tuna in curry is very tasty as well.  I'm sure there are many other things that you could add, and if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear from you.

As always, Happy gaming!

Product Review: Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup and Dip mix

It all started a few weeks ago. My girlfriend got sick, so I went to the store for orange juice, medicine, and soup. The problem comes that my girlfriend is pescetarian, and chicken noodle soup isn't going to do anything but make her more ill.  So, I went down the soup aisle, looking for a replacement that is savory and warm, but doesn't contain meat.  I found the Lipton soup mixes, and while I'd never used them aside for their intended purpose (making onion dip, obviously), I figured it'd be worth a go.

And it was.  It was warm and tasty, and it was good.  Not life changing good, but good none-the-less.  When I was reading over the box when one of the other recipes on the box caught my eye.  It wasn't for the dip, and it wasn't the one for slow-cooker pulled pork (although my mouth is watering just thinking about it.)

It was for gravy.  So, the next week we whipped up some of Blackmoonshine's cheese balls, made some boxed mashed potatoes, and covered the whole thing with mushroom gravy.

It was glorious.

The next step will be make poutine, American style.  I'm assuming that, too, will be glorious.

So, I guess what I'm really trying to say is this: Get some, stick it in your cupboard, and you won't regret it.  Should you make a mad dash to the store, right this instant?  No.  It's not going to change your life, it's not essential, but it is good, and worth having around.  So, next time you are in the store and thinking of this post, do it.  You won't regret it.

Arbitrary product score: 7 out of 10 cooks agree, keep it in the kitchen!*

*This isn't actually a statistic, I haven't actually asked 10 cooks, please don't sue me.

Blackmoonshine's Cheese Balls

Like this, without the meat. Or the cake.

Meatballs are fantastic.  Especially the Swedish variety they serve at Ikea. It's really the best reason to go to Ikea.  Other than all the other stuff they have at Ikea, that is...

Anyway, one of the things that stinks about meatballs, at least when one needs to worry about serving pescetarian/vegetarian friends, is that they involve meat.  Blackmoonshine, a redditor, shared this wonderful recipe with me.  It tastes great, especially when served with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes.  The best part is that they freeze very well, so you can make big batches and store them for use later!

Ingredients:
1 Cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped (Pecan meal is suggested by Blackmoonshine)
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 glove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
A pinch of red pepper flakes.

Equipment:
Blender or food processor
cheese shredder
2 large bowls
1 spatula
1 fork
measuring implements
Cookie sheets/baking pans
Wax paper

Directons:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, as specified
3. Using a 1 T measure, measure out balls and place onto baking sheets covered in wax paper
4. Place into oven until browned, roughly 20~30 minutes

Serve with gravy and mashed potatoes (making both from a box is totally fine.) Makes about 4~5 servings if served as a meal, or more if served as hors d'oeuvre.

Possible Alterations:
Adding spinach or parsley would be okay, as would adding any number of other things.  Feel free to experiment, and leave feedback in the comments.  Many thanks for Blackmoonshine for sharing this recipe with me.  It's been very nice to have these in the freezer for days when I'm looking for something delicious and don't have the time to whip something up from scratch.

As always, may your meals be delicious and your games epic!

Dump (or Wowie) Cake

We got hungry...

Dump cake, according to the internet, is a dessert that involves putting cake mix on top of fruit filling of some kind.  That is not the dump cake we're talking about.  Mainly because that dessert is poorly named.  You're not really dumping anything into the dish haphazardly.  You're layering fruit filling and cake mix.  So the "dump" part makes no sense.  On top of that, it's an odd form of cobbler, which while tasty, is not cake.  It's simply not a "dump cake".  If I ever write about it, I'll call it "Quick Cobbler", or something like that.  Right now, I'm taking back the meaning of Dump Cake to it's rightful owner.

What we are going to talk about is the first cake I ever learned how to make, and it's become my go for all sorts of cake-ingesting occasions.  The reason is because it is so damnably simple, and because it doesn't require eggs or milk.  In fact, if you bake anything at all, you probably have most of the ingredients hanging around your kitchen.  So, lets go on to what we're going to be dumping into a cake dish today!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Cocoa

1 1/2  Cup Flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 T vinegar (white or apple cider is good)
1 tsp. Vanilla (Imitation is fine)
1/3 cup Salad Oil (usually Vegetable, others are fine)
1 Cup cold water

Topping:
Powdered Sugar

Equipment:
1 large bowl
1 cake round
1 spatula
measuring implements

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Dump Sugar, Cocoa, Flour, salt, and baking soda into bowl. Combine.
3. Dump vinegar, vanilla, oil, and water into bowl.  Mix until smooth.
4. Put batter into greased, floured baking round.
5. Bake roughly 35 minutes
6. Cut around edges, and invert cake onto a dish.
7. Top with a coat of powdered sugar

Serve and enjoy!  Should make about 8 slices, more depending on how it is sliced.

Possible Alterations:
The best part about this cake is that it almost always turns out moist.  The second best part is that it's very versatile.  Want to make a two layer cake?  Go for it!  Want to put icing on it instead of powdered sugar?  Why not!  It's a pretty standard chocolate cake.  Dress it up however you want.  I'm sure it'll be great at all the parties.

As always, bon apetit and happy gaming!

Tater Tot Casserole

The recipe for this came to my attention a couple weeks ago on Reddit.  I'm a follower of f7u12d (r/fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuud), and this recipe looked so simple that I just had to try it.  Turns out it's both delicious and cheap, so I just had to share.

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen tater tots
1~1 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or some other cream soup)
1/2 cup milk
1 can tuna
1/3 bag frozen vegetables

Equipment:
1 big bowl
1 spatula
cheese grater
9x13 casserole dish
can opener
measuring implements

Directions:
1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees F
2. Place the tots in a layer that covers the bottom of the pan.
3. Mix half the cheese, the condensed soup, milk, tuna, and vegetables in the bowl.
4. Pour the mixture on top of the tots, smoothing it out with your spatula.
5. Spread the remaining cheese on top of the casserole and place in the oven

Once the cheese has melted and browned, serve and enjoy!  Should feed 6~8 people (less if they're all considerable hungry)

Possible Alterations:
There are many things that can be done with this recipe.  It can use any type of cheese, any type of condensed cream soup, and the types of filler like tuna and frozen vegetables can vary.  The only thing I would really recommend would be to make sure to have some Sriracha on hand!

As always, happy gaming!

Carrot Salad

 There are a couple of reasons why carrot salad is cool.  Firstly, it is pretty damn tasty.  Secondly, it's dead simple, and doesn't require more than a handful of ingredients.  Thirdly, it's cheap.  Lastly, it stores well.

So, lets make some!

Ingredients:
4~5 medium carrots
2~3 handfuls raisins
1/2~3/4 cups mayo
Dill

Equipment:
1 large bowl
Spatula
Food processor
measuring implements

Directions:
1. After peeling the carrots and cutting the ends, shred the carrots in the food processor.
2. Move the shredded carrots into the bowl.
3. Add the mayo and the dill.  Mix it all up.

Makes 5~6 sides.

Possible Alterations:
This recipe is something I've never really messed with, just because it turns out great every time I make it.  If you have any suggestions though, I'd love to hear them in the comments!

Farmer's Markets: Why you should eat local

The environmental reasons for eating local are pretty good ones, but I'm not really here to talk about that. Instead I'm going to make my arguments based on the two things: taste, and price.

Taste
A lot of eggs claim to be farm fresh, and they might be. It's just that they're coming from farms that mass produce eggs using chickens in cages, and are probably a couple of states away from you. While mass produced eggs are cheap, they lack flavour. I'm all for omelets and spiced eggs, but adding things to eggs shouldn't be necessary to make them taste really good. When you get eggs from a farmers market, you get eggs that taste delicious all on their own. It almost seems a shame to even consider adding something to them.

Fresh vegetables are also great. If you walk down the produce aisle at Wal-Mart, the vegetables look alright. They look edible most of the time, but they don't look like something to be excited about. They usually look old and over handled, and that isn't mentioning the fact that they may have traveled a long way before they make it to your plate. While the produce found at a farmer's markets doesn't necessarily look as uniform as that found in the grocery store, the fruits and vegetables are usually in better condition. This, along with the fact that they have only traveled a relatively short distance, makes for much tastier meals.

Cost

All this was 4 dollars

The prices at your local farmer's market is usually comparable to the prices found at the grocer's, if not cheaper. The only exception that I have found are eggs, which usually run about 2 dollars for a dozen, as opposed to a dollar and change. Going near the end of the market can end up with a steep decrease in price too, or with vendors who will add things to your order at no extra charge. Sometimes the vendors will also be lazy with their math. I had one guy charge seven dollars for 3 lbs of beef tips that he was selling at 3 dollars a pound.

Finding A Market Local to You
Finding a farmer's market can sometimes be the hardest part of buying things from them. This is made especially difficult because of their transient nature. They're usually only open one day a week, for a few hours of the day. There are a few tell-tale signs of their existence, however. Firstly, there are usually signs that stay up all week, with the day and time of the farmer's market. These could be little signs by the roadside, or they could be large signs with the replaceable letters like old movie marquees. You can also ask people who live in your area about if there is a market in your area.

You can also Google it, and end up on this site, called Local Harvest. I've not had much experience on the site, but it seems to work pretty well. Just type in your zip code, and it'll list the markets in your area.

I hope this has been informative, and as always, happy gaming!

Quick and Dirty Fried Rice

Fried rice is a delicious, and makes for a pretty good meal. Sometimes you don't want to go out for Chinese food, or you are looking for a cheaper alternative. The good news is that you can make some at home pretty easily!

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice (White)
2 cups water
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot
1 stick celery
1 Green Pepper, diced
3 handfuls frozen peas
1-2 eggs, scrambled
Soy Sauce
Garlic
Oil (for frying)

Equipment:
Stir Fry Pan/Wok
Chef Knife
Cutting Board
Spatula

Directions:
1. Cook the cup of rice with the two cups of water, and chill in the fridge.
2. Heat the oil up in the pan. Once hot, add onion, carrot, celery, green pepper, and peas. Keep the vegetables moving.
3. Once the veggies are mostly cooked and the onions are translucent, add the rice.
4. When the rice has started frying, push it to one side of the pan. In the free space, scramble the egg.
5. Once the egg is scrambled, mix it into the rice.
6. When the rice is almost mostly fried, add soy sauce.

Should serve 3~4 plates as a main dish, and 6 plates as a side dish.


Possible alterations:
There are lots of things you can add to fried rice to make it really tasty. Of course, you can add meat, such as chicken or shrimp. Baby corn would also probably be a good addition, and I've heard rumours that adding some fish sauce is a definite must.

If you were unaware, fish sauce is a flavour enhancer, like soy sauce, that is made from fermented fish juice. It may smell terrible, but when mixed with other flavours, apparently makes for a savoury delicious taste that is hard to replicate. As always, comments are always appreciated!

Good Eats and Happy Gaming!

Whatever's in the Kitchen Pasta Salad

I've been moving these past few weeks, and I've been shorter on time than usual. Couple this with entertaining people, and you've got a need to make some food that's quick and stores nicely. I whipped this up from scratch the other day, and it turned out pretty well.

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (penne and rotini are both good choices. Tortellini would also work.)
1 15 oz can of Garbanzo Beans
1 15 oz can corn
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 cup onion (Note that, as my mom says, you can't have too much onion)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed

dressing:
3/4 cup oil
1/4 cup Vinegar (Balsamic is tasty)
2 T Mayo (add more if it tastes too vinegary)
Salt
Pepper

Equipment:
Bowls x2
Chef Knife
Cutting Board
Fork

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions
2. Once done, strain and dry the pasta
3. Mix pasta, bell pepper, celery, beans, corn, onion, and peanuts together.
4. Mix ingredients for dressing together. The dressing should be very well mixed before coating the salad.
5. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, stirring to coat the salad.

The pasta salad can be served immediately, and should serve a party of six.

Possible alterations:
There are many different variations on pasta salad. This article on All Recipes was very valuable to making this salad as good as it was. While this recipe could use some more work, it did turn out very well for being a spur of the moment thing. Any improvements, as always, are welcomed in the comments section.

Happy Gaming!

Ice Cream, Liquid Nitrogen Style

Ice cream is delicious, and it's best when you make it yourself.  Sadly, whipping up a batch of ice cream can be hard work when you do it the old fashion way.  However it's positively easy when you do it with SCIENCE!

As I mentioned last time, you should wear the appropriate safety equipment, such as goggles and gloves, and work with this stuff outside or with the windows open.  Also, avoid

Ingredients:
1 cp milk
1 cp heavy cream
~1 cp Liquid Nitrogen
2~3 spoonfuls of sugar
Fruits
1 shot raspberry schnapps
1 shot peach schnapps


Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the liquid nitrogen) in a bowl
2. Slowly stir in the liquid nitrogen.

When the ice cream is done, feel free to dig in!

Possible Alterations:
The only real things that need to stay constant is the milk, cream, and liquid nitrogen.  Sugar is also probably pretty good to keep in there, but you may want to add to it.  Changing what you're using to add flavours is where all the action is going to happen.  Feel free to cut up some of your favourite fruits or candies and mix them in.  If you find anything particularly delicious, let me know in the comments!

Happy Gaming!

Fish Bake

The following recipe has been adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.  With how often I cook pescetarian, I'm always at a  loss as what to do with fish.  This recipe originally calls for baking the fish on top of a coal grill with hickory chips.  While cooking atop the grill is great during the summer time, sometimes starting the coals and cooking out is just too large of a time investment.  Baking in the oven works out great, however!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fish fillets
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper

Equipment:
Baking pan
Knife
bowl
fork

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Arrange half of the lemon slices in the bottom of a shallow baking pan.
3. In one layer, place the fish on top of the slices
4. Sprinkle fish generously with salt and pepper
5. Place the remaining lemon slices on top of the fish
6. Combine the melted butter with the minced garlic.
7. Pour the garlic butter mixture over the fish.
8. Basting frequently, cook the fish for 25-30 minutes, or until flaky.

Serve with the lemon slices and butter mixture.  Should serve a party of six.

Possible alterations:
Obviously, one could us the original recipe and bake the fish over slow coals with hickory chips on it.  One could also add different spices than just garlic butter.  Sage would probably bring something to the party, as would dill.  Chives might also be worth trying.  As for side dishes, some rice would be nice, as well as putting it on a bed of greens.

Good Eats and Happy Gaming!

TED Talk: Nathan Myhrvold: Cooking as never seen before

I was on Reddit when I stumbled across this.  I figured I should share.  I hope you find this as interesting as I do!

Also, I've done the math and I appear to be a few posts behind my goal of 52 posts this year.  This means you can all expect some extra posts from me this week so I can get back on track!

Orange-Honey Glazed Carrots

Seeing as this month is apparently "Good Recipes from Cookbooks", I thought I'd share one of the first recipes that I ever learned.  It is from "Cooked Up by Kids" from The Virginia Children's Hospital at Fairfax Hospital.  I've had this book for a very long time, so it's certainly seen better days.  Even though it is aimed at kids, it doesn't make the recipes any less delicious!

Ingredients:
6 carrots
3 T butter or margarine
1 T  honey
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T fresh parsley, minced

Equipment:
Cutting board
Vegetable peeler
A saucepan with lid
knife
measuring implements

Directions:
1. Wash and peel the carrots.  Slice them into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Place the carrots, along with the orange juice, butter, honey, and salt.
3. Cover and cook over low heat until the carrots are tender.  Should be about 20 minutes.
4. Once carrots are tender, uncover and cook slowly until the juice is mostly gone.
5. Stir until the carrots are glazed with the butter/honey mixture.
6. Remove from heat and sprinkle parsley over carrots.

Serve as the side to a all kinds of things.  Makes enough for a family of four, although the recipe should double nicely.

Possible Alterations:
I can't think of anything that I would do to make this recipe better.  It's simple and to the point.  If you think of anything, however, I would love to hear from you!

Good eats, and happy gaming!

Nomalicious Falafel Burgers

I've been doing research into recipes that will freeze and re-heat well, that are also vegetarian.  Of the many places I have been looking, cookbooks have been a great resource.  The recipe that I want to high-light today came from one such book, "The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook" by Kim O'Donnel.

I made a batch of these yesterday, and was really happy with the results.  So, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 cp dried chickpeas
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cp fresh cilantro or parsley (or 1/4 cp each), chopped
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4~1/2 cup olive oil


Equipment:
1x spatula
2x large bowl
1x food processor
1x measuring implements

Directions:
1. Soak the chickpeas at least 8 hrs at room temp.  They will be roughly 2cups when done soaking. Drain and set aside.
2. Pulverize the chickpeas in the food processor until the beans just form a paste that sticks together when you squeeze it in your hand.  Over processing the chickpeas will likely end up making bad burgers.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, save for the oil.  Combine by pulsing the food processor ~12 times.
4. Refrigerate batter ~1 hr, until firm.
5. Preheat oven to 350F (if your oven is more awesome than mine)
6. Remove batter from fridge and shape into patties, using scant 1/3 cup measure.  Handle batter as little as possible.
7. Place on a plate/baking tray and cover. A cutting board covered with parchment paper also works. Return to the fridge and chill for another 10~15 minutes.
8. Heat the oil in shallow skillet, and place the patties in the hot oil in small batches. Fry until golden brown (~3 minutes).
9. Flip the patties and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
10. Place on baking tray and place them in the oven to finish cooking.

Serve in pita, hamburger bun, or atop romaine lettuce, decorated with things like lettuce, tomato, and other burger fixings.  This will make somewhere between 6-8 patties.



Also included in the book is a recipe for Tahini sauce.  Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, and can be difficult to find, and can be pretty expensive once you do. This sauce is fairly tasty, but the recipe makes a lot, and it supposedly only lasts a few days.  The recipe is as follows:

Tahini sauce:
1 cp tahini, stirred well
1/4~1/2 cp lemon juice
1~2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  The sauce should be pourable, so add extra water if needed.  It should keep in the fridge for a few days.

Possible Alterations:
There are some other recipes included in The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook that has the same basic batter, but changes the spices.  If you're very curious about it, you should get a copy (buying is good, but don't forget about your local library!)

While I like the tahini sauce, I would probably not want to make that much of it ever again.  It's expensive, and ketchup, mustard, and mayo-sriracha sauce all do a fantastic job on the burger anyway. Also, I ended up adding way more garlic than recommended, as well as probably went a over the recommended amount of salt.  Tahini has a bitter aftertaste, so salt helps counter-act that.  I know this because I initially forgot to add the salt, and realized my error when I tasted the sauce.

All told, I will definitely give this recipe another go, especially to see how it handles the freezing/re-heating process.

Good eats, and happy gaming!

Melon Salads

July is upon us, which means for myself and my American readership that the month of the out-door picnic and fireworks.  To kick off this month of awesome food and good times, I'm going to introduce two recipes.  They're both very similar, but they have some key differences that definitely have an effect on the flavour.

First is a favourite of my family, and it makes an appearance at many cookouts throughout the summer.  It's referred to as Cucumber Melon salad, and while one can use just about any kind of melon, I like it with Watermelon best.

Cucumber Melon Salad

Equipment:
1x large bowl
1x small bowl
A Chef's Knife
A cutting board
A spatula or spoon
Measuring implements
Melon baller (optional)

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 cucumbers, quartered and sliced
8 cups watermelon balls (or cubed watermelon works fine)
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts
1T chopped kalamata olives

Dressing:
2 tsp olive oil (extra virgin is nice)
2T lemon juice
2T white wine vinegar
1T onion
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients for the salad in a large bowl
2. In a separate bowl, place the dressing ingredients and stir.
3. Pour the dressing into the salad bowl, and mix together.

It can be served immediately, but if dried mint is used the salad should set for a while for all the flavours to come out.

Now a lot of these ingredients can be a bit of an investment, especially if you don't have a place like Trader Joe's nearby to pick up pine nuts and olives at a good price.  There is, however, a much simpler watermelon salad out there.

Jeff Potter, author of "Cooking for Geeks", mentions this salad in the previously mentioned book when discussing tastes.  It does show how dissimilar flavours can come together to make some seriously tasty food.  His recipe is also much simpler than the Cucumber Melon salad, so it may be better for those of us looking to save time and money (which is probably most of us)

Watermelon Feta Salad

Equipment:
1 Large bowl
1 spatula/spoon
Measuring implements

Ingredients:
2 cups watermelon, cubed or scooped
1/2 cup feta cheese, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup red onion, sliced, soaked and drained
1 T olive oil (extra virgin is preferred)
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss to coat.

Bring it to parties, serve it around the table, just enjoy it.  It should be noted that this does not make nearly as much as the Cucumber melon salad, but the recipe should scale well.

Possible Alterations:
The Cucumber Melon salad can, of course, be done with lots of different varieties of melon, or even mixtures of melons such as watermelon and honeydew.  Jeff recommends adding black olives, mint leaves, or red pepper flakes to his Watermelon Feta salad.  It's probably best to not add them all at the same time, although you should notice that the cucumber melon salad has both olives and mint, so it's probably worth experimenting with.

Jeff also mentions that anytime onions are going to be served raw, they should be soaked in water.  There are some very scientific reason behind it, but the TL;DR version is this: chemicals that are released when an onion is cut will stabilize as a gas.  It reacts with water to create sulfuric acid.  By soaking the onion, the chemicals that would end up reacting with the water in our eyes becomes dissolved into the water.  Drain off the water, and all the nasty stuff goes with it.  Problem solved!

Cooking for Geeks is a great book.  If it seems like something that interests you, definitely pick up a copy. I'd recommend a hard copy.  E-readers are cool, but I don't think they're up to the rigors of the kitchen.

Happy gaming!

The Amazing CLT

To round out our month of trying to be healthier players, lets talk about a wondrous sandwich which I call the CLT.  The CLT is made with three primary ingredients: cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  Unlike the BLT, where primary flavour comes from the bacon, the tomato actually brings the most to the party in the CLT.  These sandwiches are best with fresh, large tomatoes.

Equipment:
1 chef's knife
a cutting board

Ingredients:
slices of Mozzarella/Provolone cheese, 1~2 per sandwich
1~2 tomatoes, thickly sliced
Lettuce (Romain is nice), washed and ripped
Mayonnaise
Salt (Sea Salt is best)
Sliced bread, toasted

Directions:
1. Apply mayo to bread slices
2. Place 1~2 slices of tomato on the sandwich
3. sprinkle/grind salt over tomato
4. add cheese and lettuce to sandwich
5. close the sandwich

Serve!  1 medium sized tomato should yield enough for 3 or 4 sandwiches, at least.

Possible Alterations:
Sandwiches are very flexible, but aside from different sauces, there isn't much in the way of additions or subtractions one can make without making something that isn't a CLT.  That doesn't mean that they'd be bad, by any stretch though! 
Now it is also important to note that these sandwiches, while tasty, aren't necessarily the most filling things on the face of the planet.  They'd be best served with a side of some sort of hefty side dish.  One might consider rice and beans, or some kind of bean salad. 

Happy gaming!

Greek French Onion Dip

As much as I love crudités, they can be a bit boring.  Then again, so can chips and pretzels, and so many other snack foods.  There are several things that can be done to combat blandness, however.  The simplest, by far, is to have some dip with your snacks.

Dips can be a snap to make, and delicious to boot.  However, they tend to be made out of things like sour cream and mayonnaise, which are hefty in terms of calories and bad for people who are trying to be healthy.  Since this month is about getting some healthy snack options around the table, a run-of-the-mill dip just won't do. Luckily, I know just the thing.

Equipment:
Stirring Spoon
Mixing bowl
Measuring implements

Ingredients:
1 packet French Onion Soup Mix
8 oz Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp Mayo (or to taste)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in bowl
2. Let sit in refrigerator for 10~15 minutes

Serve with crudités, or ruffled potato chips.

Possible Alterations:
Greek-style yogurt can be pricey, and while I've not tried this recipe with plain yogurt, it certainly seems like it could work.  If you're willing to try it, please report back here and I'll update this post.  A friend of mine has also mentioned  that you can fake Greek-style yogurt by straining plain yogurt with coffee filters for a few hours, so that could also be something worth trying.  Also, if you're uncaring to how healthy your snacks are, you can substitute sour cream for the yogurt.  You may want to add a bit more mayo if you do, but you don't have to.  Of course, there is also the Bacon French Onion dip I mentioned a while ago.

Happy gaming!

Crudités 'round the Table

Your traditional snacks for D&D might include any of following: pretzels, corn chips, potato chips, cheetos, peanuts, and maybe popcorn.  All tasty things, but sometimes you need a break from the usual.  Enter Crudités.

Crudités (pronounced Crew-Day-Ta) is a fancy French word for something simple; Crudités is just sliced, raw vegetables.  They make a nice change of pace from your regular snacks, and they're simple to boot!

Ingredients:
4 large carrots
4 stalks celery
1~2 green peppers
1-2 heads Broccoli

Equipment:
1 carrot scraper
1 cutting board
1 chefs knife
1 paring knife 
1 plate (large is best!)

Directions:
1. Prepare the carrots:
     a. Scrape the carrots.
     b. Chop off the tips.
     c. Cut carrots into sticks
     d. Place carrot sticks on a plate

2. Prepare the Celery:
     a. Wash the Celery stalks.
     b. Placing the celery so that it is concave down.
     c. Cut off the leaves and base, and save the leaves for later use.
     d. Slice down the center lengthwise.
     e. Slice into sticks
     f. Place on same plate as carrots.

3. Prepare the Peppers
     a. Wash the peppers
     b. Remove the stem using the paring knife.
     c. Cut the pepper down the center.
     d. Remove the seeds with the paring knife.
     e. Cut into strips.
     f. Place pepper strips on the plate

4. Prepare the Broccoli
    a. Wash the broccoli
    b. Remove the stalk, and place to the side.
    c. Break up the florets (the tree-like parts)
    d. Take the stalk and cut it into manageable sticks.
    e. Place the florets and the stalk slices onto the platter

Serve immediately with dip or cover in plastic wrap for short term storage.  Place separately in plastic zip-top bags for the long term storage.

Possible Alterations:
Different vegetables can certainly be used.  Cucumber slices, or sticks, are delicious, as are asparagus stalks.  Cauliflower is also acceptable, but I don't find it as tasty raw as the previously mentioned veggies.  As always, suggestions are appreciated!

Happy Gaming!

A Big Ol' Bag of Salad

Salad. When people think of people sitting around a table, playing games, they don't think of salad. They think of people eating cheese doodles and pizza, and drinking large quantities of soda. And sometimes it's a true statement.

That doesn't mean it has to be all the time, however.

In this world of convenience, it's very easy to go to the store and get a large bag of salad. They make for a great side dish, or you can add extras like chicken or tuna to get a good, full meal.

Bag salads are great for when you don't have a lot of time to prepare, but I find them to be a bit more expensive than necessary. So lets make our own!

Ingredients:
1 head Romaine lettuce
3~4 medium-large carrots
3 sticks of celery
2~3 handfuls cherry tomatoes
~1/2 of a small-medium red onion

Equipment:
Cutting board
1 chef's knife
1 carrot scraper
Collander/medium sized bowl
1 Gallon zip-top bag

Directions:
1. Wash the lettuce, tear it up, and place into the gallon bag.
2. Scrape the skin off the carrots and remove the tips. Slice the carrots up and put into the bag.
3. Wash the celery, and chop off the base. Leaving the leaves on, slice the celery and place into the bag.
4. Wash the cherry tomatoes, and toss them into the bag.
5. Peel the onion, and slice off the roots and the stem. Cut in half, and dice. Place the remainder of the onion into a sandwich size zip-top bag, and store in the fridge.
6. Seal the bag and shake vigorously.

Store it in the fridge, or serve immediately.

Possible Alterations:
Salads are great, but they need a bit more than vegetables to make them filling enough to be an entire meal. This salad will store well, but storing it with things like nuts, chicken, or beans isn't going to be great. I recommend storing these things separately and then adding them before serving. This is especially handy if one needs to feed vegetarians/vegans, because then one simply does not add meat/cheese to their plate, and viola! No need for two separate salads!

I would also recommend that you store that other half of the onion diced in the zip-top bag, because it makes life easier.  Having pre-diced onion means you don't have to pull out the knife and cutting board every time you want to add a little onion to something.  Just pull out the bag, grab a handful, and toss it in.  If stored properly, the onion can last for a good number of weeks.

Happy gaming!

Product Review: Kool-Aid

Soda is expensive. At a dollar and 25 cents for a two liter and 3~4 dollars for a twelve pack, it can sometimes be prohibitively expensive.  I like Coke just as much as the next guy, but I'm not made of money.

Enter Kool-Aid.  At 20 cents a packet, it's reasonably priced, and it's actually fairly healthy as far as drinks that are not water are concerned.  And since you add in the sugar yourself, you can add less, or cut it with zero calorie sweetener (or just use zero calorie sweetener for it's entirety).

There are threefold issues I find with Kool-Aid. Firstly, one has to provide their own plastic or glass pitcher.  Secondly, one has to provide their own sweetener, either sugar or zero calorie.  Thirdly, it can stain skin and wooden utensils in its concentrated form.

For me, however, these are mostly non-issues.  If you don't have a pitcher, you should buy one.  They're great for juices from concentrate, home-made lemonade, Sangria and other mixed drinks one makes in large quantities, as well as kool-aid.
As for providing your own sugar, you should probably have some already.  It lasts forever, and it makes all manner of tasty things available to you. Like cake.

I'd also hope that you have something other than wooden utensils.  I love wooden utensils to death, but I also make sure to keep some plastic spoons and spatulas on hand.  There are just some applications where it makes sense to have them.

So, really, if you're looking for a way to save money around the table, skipping the soda and going with Kool-aid would be one way to get the job done.

Arbitrary product score: 8/10 (Go and get some.  It's tasty business!)

Sweet Potato Fries

Last week we covered how to make Salmon patties.  They're very tasty, but on their own they don't make a really filling meal.  So, you serve them with some Sweet Potato fries!  They're pretty easy to make, but can take a while, so prepare them in advance.

Ingredients:
Water
Kosher Salt (or Sea Salt)
1~2 Sweet Potato(es)
Olive Oil

Equipment:
1 plastic container/bowl large enough to fit the sweet potatoes
1~2 cookie sheets
spatula

Directions:
1. Peel (optional) and slice the sweet potato(es) into fry-shapes. (If unpeeled, make sure to wash them!)
2. Place them into the bowl and cover with water.
3. Add kosher salt to the water, and mix until dissolved.
4. Cover and allow sweet potato(es) to sit in the salt water for at 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Preheat oven to ~450 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Place the sweet potato pieces onto the cookie sheets.
7. Sprinkle olive oil onto the sweet potato pieces.
8. Place in oven until cooked all the way through.

One large sweet potato should make plenty for a party of 5~6.

Possible alterations:
This recipe could easily be adapted to using regular potatoes.  One can also add spices on the fries after they come out of the oven, or possibly bake them in after the olive oil is applied.  I've seen recommendations of using taco seasoning, but I haven't tried it.  If you try it, please let me know how it goes!

Happy Gaming!

Salmon Patties

Salmon patties are tasty, and a great way to have burgers while still catering to people who follow the pescetarian* lifestyle.  The problem with salmon patties is that, when bought preformed, they are quite expensive.  Just like hamburgers though, one can make them at home for a much more reasonable price!

Ingredients:
1 can (~15 oz.) Salmon
1 package (8 oz. ) Sour Cream
1 stick butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups corn flakes
1 stick celery, diced
~5 mushroom stems

Equipment:
1 spoon (for mixing)
1 bowl
1 gallon zip-top bag
1 large frying pan
measuring cups

Directions:

1. Open and drain the can of salmon.
2. Place the salmon in the bowl.  Pick out any large bones, such as the spine.
3. Pre-heat the pan.
4. Measure out the corn flakes and place in the zip-top bag.  CRUSH THEM!
5. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl.  Mix well.
6. Form into patties, and place in hot frying pan. DO NOT ADD WATER TO THE PAN.
7. Let the patties alone.  Once the patty is brown on one side, flip.

Makes enough for a party of 8.

Possible Alterations:
The celery and mushroom stems are just fillers.  The recipe has too much liquid without them.  They could easily be replaced with something else.  The reason one doesn't add water to the pan because then the patties will just fall apart.

Happy Gaming!

*Pescetarianism is the practice of maintaining a diet involving fish, dairy, and eggs while excluding other meats.

Flash Frozen Bacon!

A few weeks ago, some friends and I got to play with some liquid nitrogen.  Flash freezing bacon seemed like a good idea at the time, which is mostly because it is!  We also flash froze some tomatoes, which was also a pretty good idea.

Make sure that if you ever work with liquid nitrogen to be very careful.  Make sure to wear safety goggles, gloves, and shoes while handling liquid nitrogen. Liquid Nitrogen is VERY cold, and can do nasty, horrible things to you if you aren't careful.

Also, work outside or with the windows open. While nitrogen is in the air, as it boils off can displace the oxygen in a room. The oxygen that is important for your body to breath in. So, windows open or outside!

This is the first in a series of videos, where we mix science with noms!

Happy gaming!

Bacon French Onion Dip

Snacks around the table are just as important, if not more so, than having dinner itself.  One can buy dips from the store, pre-made, but it's usually worth it to make your own.  French Onion dip is a classic, and this interesting twist definitely brings something new to the party!

Ingredients:
1 cup J&D's Baconnaise
1 cup sour cream (1 cup is the same as 1 eight ounce package of sour cream)
1 packet french onion soup mix

Equipment:
1 spoon for mixing
1 bowl
Measuring cups

Directions:

1. Combine Baconnaise, sour cream, and french onion soup mix.
2. Let set in the refrigerator for 15~20 minutes.

Serve with thick ripple-cut chips and enjoy!

Possible Alterations:
Baconnaise is tasty, but it can be both hard to find and expensive.  Once could probably get a similar result by using mayonnaise mixed with freshly made bacon bits, although that would be a less healthy option.  It should be noted that Baconnaise is actually somewhat  healthier than real mayonnaise, and, like Bacon Salt, is both kosher and vegan friendly.

Happy gaming!

Product Review: J&D's Bacon Salt

According to J&D's website, Bacon Salt is a low sodium, zero calorie, zero fat, vegetarian and kosher seasoning that makes everything taste like bacon.  It is low sodium, zero calorie, zero fat and kosher certified.  It does not make everything taste like bacon.  The flavour is roughly akin to that of Bac'n Bits, the soy substitute for bacon bits made out of real bacon.

That being said, the spice definitely tastes good.  The problem with Bac'n Bits isn't the flavour of it.  The texture is all wrong.  It's the wrong kind of crunchy, and it erodes in your mouth.  Bacon Salt, on the other hand, will dissolve into whatever you are cooking, adding the wonderful faux-bacon taste to your concoction without adding that odd texture that bac'n bits would add. 

Adding it to Chili, Macaroni and Cheese, or any other cheesy, spicy, or starchy dish definitely adds a nice touch to a meal.  It pairs well with Garlic, Chili powder, Cumin, and any other spice that works well in a chili.  It is also good in a sauce made out of Mayo and hot sauce.

It's fun to play with, and can add something extra to the old, tried and true recipes.  It's definitely not a kitchen essential, however.  I use it only occasionally, but that is more to do with circumstance than anything else.

I would recommend purchasing it if you see it in the store and you have some cash laying around.  I wouldn't recommend running out and buying it right now, this very instant.  It isn't going to make your food magically better, and it won't make you the coolest kid in the apartment block.  I have no regrets buying it, and would buy it again should the grocery store have it in stock.

Arbitrary Product Score: 4 stars (wouldn't write home about it, would buy again.)

The Classic BLT

Bacon. Lettuce. Tomato.
Classic.
Assuming you like bacon, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more tasty vehicle for its consumption than the BLT.  Makin' Bacon can be time consuming, but making the sandwiches isn't.  Bacon is also remarkably affordable, as is lettuce, tomato, and bread.

Ingredients:
Bacon (I like thick cut bacon for sandwiches)
Lettuce
Tomato
Mayonnaise
bread

Equipment:
Knife
cookie sheet
Aluminum foil

Directions:
1. Cook the Bacon.  Baking is my preferred method, because a lot can be made at once.  It is recommended to do this beforehand. 
2. Toast the bread.
3. While the bread is toasting, slice the tomato and wash the lettuce.
4. Now that the lettuce has been washed, rip it into pieces.
5. When the bread is toasted, spread mayonnaise onto each slice.
6. Put the bacon, lettuce, and tomato onto a slice of bread, closing it up with another piece of bread.

Voilà!  One of the most delicious sandwiches in existence, and it's on your plate!

Possible Alterations:
I honestly can't think of anything that could possibly make this sandwich any better.

Vegetarian Noodle Soup

Soup is a great addition to any meal.  Most people invest in condensed soup, which is fine, but making your own soup is relatively easy.  I've recently taken to making this soup on the cold days, or when there isn't much food left in the cupboard.  While I'm not making it wholly from scratch, it does much for a much tastier soup than that which comes from a can.

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 package of Ramen soup
• 3~4 handfuls of shrimp
• pepper
• garlic powder
• Oregano
• Rosemary (optional)

Equipment:

• 1 3 qt pot
• 1 ladel

Directions:

1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil
2. Add the frozen vegetables and shrimp in slow increments, as to keep the water from cooling too much.
3. Once the vegetables and shrimp are thawed, add the spices to taste.
4. In the last few minutes of cook time, add the noodles from the Ramen soup package.
5. When the noodles are done, place on low heat.

The soups is now ready for consumption!  Serve it up in bowls with some crackers on the side, and you're ready to go!

Possible Alterations:
There are many possible things that can be played with to make this meal fun and exciting.  I've used mixtures of fresh carrots and celery with frozen peas and green beans before.  One could add cubed potatoes, or sliced okra to add some different textures, and to make it much more filling.  If you come up with any great or interesting twists, feel free to let me know!

Happy Gaming!

Ramen in Peanut Sauce

This next recipe is a bit more intensive than the previous recipes, mainly because it involves making your own peanut sauce from scratch.  There are a few things that need to be said first:

1. Make the sauce before you play start your session.  It stores well, so it can be made well in advance.  Just don't waste any time making it while you could be getting on with the rest of the recipe.  
2. You can buy peanut sauce from a jar at the store.  No one will think less of you, I promise.
3. I got the recipe for the sauce from eHow.com.  The Internet is a great resource for recipes, so if you have access to it, use it!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• ¾ cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup brown sugar
• Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 1 Lime or equivalent tablespoons of Lime juice (research shows ~2, but I like it much limier, so I'd say ~3 or a bit more)

 Ramen:

• 1 package Lime Shrimp Ramen
• 1 cup water
• 3 handfuls of Shrimp
• Hot sauce (optional)

Equipment: 

• 2x >2 quart pots
• 2 stirring implements
• measuring cups and spoons

Directions:
Sauce:

1. Place the peanut butter and the water into a pot on medium heat.
2. Once the peanut butter and water have mixed, add in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice.  Mix until combined.
3. Remove from heat

Store it or use it immediately, it's up to you.  I find that this recipe makes enough for four people, so double the recipe for a normal sized party.

Ramen:

1. Boil the water.
2. Add the noodles.
3. Once the noodles are cooked, add the shrimp.
4. When the water level is even with the top of the noodles, stir in flavour packet.
5. When the water is mostly boiled out, remove from heat.
6. Portion into bowls and top with peanut sauce.

Serve and enjoy!

Possible alterations:
Consider adding a sprinkling of chopped peanuts on top, and mixing in a dash of hot sauce.  The inspiration of this dish was Pad Thai, so any flavours that make their home there would probably work fairly well here.  Feel free to experiment, and I'd love to know what you come up with!

Happy Gaming!

Cheesy Ramen

I had a conversation with a friend at Walmart once, where she talked about having attempted to make cheese ramen by mixing canned nacho cheese with ramen made following the directions listed on the packaging.  It was described as being terrible. 

This lead me to ponder how one would make cheesy ramen.  What combination of ingredients would make a tasty concoction while still maintaining the cheapness and speed that makes ramen so awesome.

By George, I think I've got it!

Ingredients:
1 package shrimp ramen
1 cup water
~1/3 package of frozen mixed vegetables
4~6 oz. of Easy Melt (or similar) cubed
1/4 cup Milk

Equipment:
large stirring spoon
2 quart pot

Directions:
1. Boil the noodles in 1 cup of water
2. Add the frozen mixed vegetables slowly.
3. When the water level is even with the top of the noodles, stir in the flavouring.
4. Add the cubed Easy Melt, combining with the milk as needed.
5. When the mixture is of the desired consistency, remove it from heat.  If the concoction is too thick, add more milk.  If it is too thin, add more cheese.

Serve and enjoy! It should create two generous portions of ramen.  If more is needed (which is likely if you're entertaining), increase the amount of ramen and water such that there is one package for every two people, while increasing the vegetables at a 1:3 ratio.

Possible alterations:
Using other types of ramen other than shrimp flavoured is probably fine.  I'd be wary around the "oriental" flavour, however.  Adding shrimp or other types of browned should prove tasty, especially if it is the same as the flavour of the soup (e.g., chicken in chicken flavoured, beef in beef flavoured, etc.)

There's a lot of possibilities for this meal, so feel free to experiment.

Happy Gaming!

Classic Ramen with a Twist

Ramen is the food of college students.  It is cheap, it is fast, and it can be positively delectable when done properly.  It is so versatile and tasty that for the rest of the month, we will be discussing ramen in depth.  That being said, I find ramen cooked as per the directions on the back bland, boring, and tame.  This is probably why I don't make it by the directions on the back of the bag.

Ingredients:
1 bag Ramen with shrimp flavouring
1 cup water
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables
3 handfuls of frozen shrimp (optional)

Equipment:
1 2QT pan

Directions:
1. Boil the noodles in the 1 cup of water.
2. Add the shrimp and frozen vegetables slowly.  This is to ensure that the temperature in the pot doesn't get too low.
3. When the water level is even with the top of the noodles, stir in the flavouring.
4. When the water is mostly boiled out, remove from heat.

Measure out the noodles into bowls.  It should create two generous portions of ramen.  If more is needed (which is likely if you're entertaining), increase the amount of ramen and water such that there is one package for every two people, while increasing the vegetables and shrimp so that it is closer to a 1:3 ratio.

Possible alterations:
I have found that adding sliced hard-boiled eggs can be surprisingly delicious.  Sweet peas are also a good addition, if your bag of mixed vegetables does not already contain them.  Tofu makes a good substitute in place of shrimp, although you may want to consider browning it first.

Happy Gaming!

Why Encounters is Awesome (and March of the Phantom Brigade Chapter 1 Recap)

In these modern times of fast food, rush hour, and video games, it can be hard to find the time to sit down and play Dungeons and Dragons for hours at a time. That's why Encounters is so awesome. You show up with yourself and your dice, and you're ready to play. If you're unfamiliar with D&D Encounters, it is a series of weekly encounters sent out by Wizards of the Coast that are usually run at your local comic shop (if your local shop doesn't run them, and you think they should, talk to the manager/owner). 

The purpose of Encounters is threefold: introduce new people to D&D, show off new products such as Essentials or Fortune Cards, and provide a way for new players to meet veterans. Regardless of the technical purposes of Encounters, they're just a great way to meet people and play D&D.

The current season of Encounters has been going very well so far.  The first chapter just completed this past week.  The adventure began with our heroes as a part of a caravan of settlers, striking out to found a new town in the ruins of Castle Inverness.  After travelling for days by wagon, protecting the caravan from stirges and other creatures, the party arrives at the Castle.  Having proved themselves to Brother Splintershield (the leader of this expedition) and Malgram, the captain of the guard, ask them to ensure that the ruins are safe for the rest of the caravan. After having searched the courtyard (and run into some trouble!), the group reports their findings to the Malgram and Brother Splintersheild. The caravan moves in safely to the interior of the castle ruins. 

As they are unpacking, a shriek rings out. The center tower of the ruined castle, nothing more than a foundation a moment ago, reappears in all its former glory.  A few moments after, undead attack the fledgling village.  The adventurers defend Brother Splintershield against the undead as he performs the cleansing ritual on the town.  Brother Splintershield completes the ritual, thus protecting the town.  The enemies having been dispatched, a ghostly warrior approaches the town.  His name is Salazar Vladistone, and he is very displeased with the settlers for keeping him from his wife's grave.

As you can tell, it's been a very exciting story so far, and will only get more exciting as time goes along.  If you haven't played Encounters before, you should definitely consider it.  They are usually played at 6 or 7 pm on Wednesday evenings at a comic store near you.  To find a participating store, you can visit the Dungeons and Dragons website.

Adventuring! It's not just for the table anymore!

This is called 'outside'.

Dungeons and Dragons is awesome.  Cooking is awesome.  Reading is awesome.  There are lots of things that we nerdy folks get up to that are just plain cool.  Sadly, it just so happens that a lot of them end up with us being inside, not doing much physically.  Which is a pity, because there is a lot of awesome things that we can do that are out of doors.

Today Katie and I decided to change things up with our Saturday, and went hiking.  I brought my camera along, because photography happens to be in my list of hobbies, and it was a really nice day.  So, we went adventuring!

Yeah, we climbed up there.

When we think of adventuring, we think of epic heroes going on quests to slay dragons and save the world from evil.  But there is also an element of exploration, going to interesting places and seeing new things.  While going on maintained trails in national parks is not as exciting as actual trail blazing, it makes a pretty good proxy.  Especially if you're willing to go off the beaten trail a bit.

You can visit places like this!

If you're not used to hiking, there are some certain things you should know. Mainly, there are some precautions you should take before heading off into the wild.  Firstly, make sure to bring water, a pocket knife, a cell phone, an extra pair of socks, and a couple of friends.  A First Aid kit is also a very good decision, and can make an important difference in your hike.  You may also want to bring some trail mix or granola bars, and consider making a picnic out of it if you plan to spend a whole day out.

Unless you have a map, a compass, and the knowledge of how to use them, I can't in good conscience recommend that you leave the beaten trail by more than a few feet.  This doesn't mean you shouldn't look off the beaten path for interesting things to explore!  Just be certain to be safe and not get lost.

Exploring the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons is pretty exciting, battling monsters and visiting strange locales.  But don't forget that there is some pretty cool and interesting things happening outside our own front door.  So, take a weekend and go exploring.  You'll be glad you did!

~~~~~~~BONUS!

Quick and Dirty Trail Mix

Silly tree, that's not Trail Mix!

Ingredients:
Peanuts
Raisins
Small Pretzel sticks
M&M candies

Equipment:
1 Gallon zip top bag

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in the bag in desired proportions.
2. Shake the bag vigorously.
3. Enjoy!

Possible Alterations:
Just about anything can go in a trail mix.  Anything from Gorp (Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts) to more complex concoctions involving mini-marshmallows and popcorn are fair game.  All that matters that it is filling, and energy providing. Nuts of any kind are great sources of long term energy, and sugars are great for quick energy.  Having the two together in one handful is what makes trail mix both tasty and useful for hiking.

Happy Trails, and Happy Gaming!

Dirty Veggie Rice

If you need something filling, rice is the place to turn.  Rice is inexpensive, and is great on the side as well as in the main course.  On nights when I don't have much in the way of foodstuffs, whether I'm about to go home for break or I haven't done any grocery shopping, this dish is fantastic, easy, and filling. 

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Curry powder
Black pepper
Salt
Butter

Equipment:
1 large stirring spoon
1 2 qt pot
1 butter knife
1 rice cooker (optional)
measuring cups

Directions:
1. Put the rice, water, and mixed vegetables into the pot
2. Add Garlic powder, Chili powder, curry powder and stir.
3. Grind some salt and black pepper onto the mixture and stir.
4. Slice some butter into the mixture.
5. Turn on heat and cook the rice.

Good news, you're done!  This recipe will make two heaping bowls of rice, or four well portioned bowls of rice.  It can also be served as a side dish.  The recipe should easily scale to feed more people.

Possible alterations:
Consider adding tuna or chicken to the mix, as well as using celery or onion in the dish as well.  Black beans or kidney beans would also be a good addition

Happy gaming!

Product Review: Avanti Mini-kitchen

The equipment we cook our food on can have a large affect on the food we prepare.  Making red sauce in an iron pot will result in ruined sauce, and having a dull peeler can make doing things like peeling potatoes and making carrot sticks a pain.

So, as you can see, something like what you are actually using to cook the food, e.g. your stove, can make a huge difference, especially if you're trying to be time efficient. If you want your food done in a timely manner, then don't get the Avanti Mini-kitchen.

The Bane of my Existence

I've been using the mini-kitchen for months as my primary cooking apparatus, and it's been positively horrendous.  Water will not boil in any reasonable amount of time unless you put a lid on it, and even then you can't simmer things once you get things going.  The burners only have two temperatures: On and Off.  There is no nuance. You cannot put something on warm. They are either on, or they are off. Which is stupid, because it HAS a temperature knob already on it for the oven.  I'm not entirely certain if they were just lazy or they didn't think it was important. It doesn't matter either way, because the end result is the same: a difficult time either not burning things or having noodles and rice boiling over all the time.

These scones took
two hours to make.

If you think that maybe the oven will work like a dream, then you're going to be sorely mistaken when you try to bake something.  Everything takes longer to make in this oven.  Things that should take 20 minutes to bake, like scones or cookies, take two hours.  I made some perch the other night for dinner, and it was done two and a half hours late, just in time for bed. Pies can take four hours to make.  This is usually exacerbated by the fact that you're usually hungry when you start making the meal.

Another problem with the oven is that you can't fit a regular sized cookie sheet into it, because the oven is about an inch too small.  Everything must be done using brownie pans. It isn't a truly terrible thing, but it is awfully inconvenient.  It also makes things like frozen pizza difficult, just because of the size issue.

Lastly, they left out a mighty important feature, which would be the ability to have both the oven and the burners on at the same time. This might seem like a little thing, but if you want to make baked fish, rice, and mixed vegetables, something is going to go cold.  And be prepared to wait, because you're going to be there for a while.

Arbitrary Product Score: Two thumbs down (Just walk the other way)

Quick 'n Easy Shells and Cheese

Why buy shells and cheese in a box when you can easily make the real thing yourself?  Shells and cheese is simple, quick, and can be quite inexpensive.

Ingredients:
1 lb of large Shell noodles
6~8 oz. of Colby cheese (Cheddar, American, or even Easy Melt are also good choices)
Milk

Equipment:
large stirring spoon
3 quart pot

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.  I recommend adding some olive oil and some salt to the noodles while they boil.  The oil helps prevent the noodles from sticking together, and the salt raises the boiling point of water.
2. Shred the cheese.  Place to the side.
3. Once the noodles are done, strain them and put them back in their pot.
4. Add a handful of sliced cheese and stir. Once the cheese is melted, pour some milk into the pot.  Repeat this process, alternating adding cheese and milk until the cheese runs out.  Add enough milk to keep the mixture from being difficult to stir, while not making the mixture soupy.

Congratulations, you've just made some tasty Shells and Cheese!  This will feed a party of 6-8 people.

Note: If you are using Easy Melt/Velveeta, you can't really shred it.  Just cube it into small bits, and toss it in there.  It's just about making the cheese small enough and have enough surface area to melt quickly.


Possible alterations:
To make a larger and more filling meal, consider adding half a bag of Mixed Vegetables or some canned meat.  One can also add salsa or chili if it is available.  I would also recommend using some spices.  Cumin, Chili powder, and Garlic powder are a good combination.  Curry powder is also a tasty addition, and can replace Cumin if you don't have it.  Bacon bits can also be a very tasty addition.  Consider also adding a can of tuna or some sliced up hot dogs.

All told, just have fun with it and feel free to experiment.  Happy gaming!

The Land of Ko

I've been working on a campaign setting for a while now, and I've only just started really fleshing it out.  The following is a brief description of the "Land of Ko", an interesting and largely unexplored land:

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The land of Ko is a very large continent. It is so large, in fact, that is has yet to be fully explored. The North of the discovered continent is composed largely of seaside, dotted with small villages and the occasional port city. Sea trading occurs between port cities, the tiny archipelago that lies northward of the mainland, and the delta region to the far east of the continent. The Northern cities gradually give way to the plainslands to the south. The plains are best described as gently rolling, grassy, and wide. There a numerous villages found in the plains, as well as many halfling encampments.

To the south the plains give way to foot hills, and eventually to a large mountain range. The dwarves make these mountains their home. At the eastern edge of the range, where to mountains meet the forest, there is a beautiful city nestled, home of the Eladrin. The city is not visible during the day, except for through a large archway found at the edge of the city's footprint. The area past the large mountain range is largely unexplored, due to the dangers of crossing the tall peaks.

To the east of the plains is the forest. The forest is a vibrant place, filled with creatures or all kinds. Elves act as stewards of the forest, living in small villages that blend into the trees. Deeper into the woods, towards the east, the forest turns to swamp. The swamp is a dark and murky place, dangerous both in it's topology and in the creatures that live there. Smelling strongly of decay, it is said that the victims of the swamp still haunt it's aphotic interior.

As one travels further east in the swamplands, it begins to give way to the delta region. The delta region is a lively place, with a very odd culture. There is much trading between the cities located in the north, the archipelago, and various other islands. As such, the make up of the region is a mish-mash of cultures and races. If there is anything a person could ever want to find, they could find it in the delta.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is just a very rough sketch to get a feel for the land as it is so far.  There will definitely be more work to be done with it, especially naming all the places.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this setting goes, and how players will react to it.  

Happy gaming!

Delicious 4 Bean Chili

Chili is awesome. It's delicious, simple, and cheap. It is also very warming, which is great in the cold winter months. The best part about chili is its simplicity, however.  If you have a crockpot you can just set it up before the session, turn it on when everyone gets there and just let it cook until everyone's stomachs start growling.  This recipe is also vegetarian friendly, which is definitely a plus.

Ingredients:
1 can corn
1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans (dark or light, it doesn't matter)
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 large sweet potato

note: all cans should be ~15 oz, except for the tomato paste, which should be 8 oz

Garlic powder
Chili powder
Curry powder
Ground Ginger

Equipment:
Can opener
spatula or a spoon
Large spoon for stirring
Crockpot

Directions:
1. Open all the cans and empty them into the crockpot.  You can strain the cans before putting them into pot, but I recommend just dumping it in there juices and all.  You will probably need to use a spatula or spoon to get the tomato paste out of the can.
2. Turn the crockpot on.
3. Peel and dice the sweet potato.  Add to chili once prepared.
4. While stirring, add the Garlic powder, Chili powder, and the Curry powder.
5. Let sit until the chili is nice and warm.

Once ready, serve and enjoy!  Feeds a party of 8, with more to spare!

note: When making this recipe, I found that the sweet potato needed somewhere between five to six hours on high to cook all the way.  If you start your game at 1pm, then the chili would be ready between 6 or 7pm.  Be aware of when your party may want to eat.  It's far easier to keep the chili warm than to change the laws of physics.

Possible alterations:
Diced jalepenos are a great addition, and gives it a nice kick.  Use them sparingly, however.  Add too many and you'll need lots of milk for people to get through your chili.  This incarnation of the recipe is vegetarian friendly, but meat can definitely be added to make more filling than it already is.  Just brown some ground turkey or beef and add it to the chili.

Consider serving with sweet potato fries, yellow corn chips, or corn bread.

Egg Salad Sandwiches, FTW

Sandwiches aren't good all the time, but they have their merits and can be a nice change of pace.  Egg salad is very filling, and it pairs well with soup.  It also helps that, so long as the salad is prepared ahead of time, it's a quick meal as well as inexpensive.

Ingredients:
12 hard boiled eggs
~1 cup Mayonnaise
~2 tbsp honey mustard
~2 tbsp spicy mustard

Equipment:
1 mixing bowl (glass or metal is best)
1 spoon for mixing
1 egg slicer (optional)
measuring spoons
measuring cups

Directions:
1.  Remove the shells from the eggs
2.  Coarsely dice the eggs and place in the mixing bowl
3.  Add the mayonnaise and the two mustards
4.  Mix well
5.  Store

Now you're prepared to serve up the sandwiches at a moments notice!

Possible alterations:
Adding some salt and pepper to the salad can add a little bit of flavour, if it needs it.  Relish or chopped celery also adds some good texture to the mix.  As for the sandwiches, a little bit of lettuce and a slice of cheese is a great addition.  Serving it with soup has  many added benefits, such as making the meal more filling and giving time for the sandwiches to be put together.  I recommend New England style clam chowder.

A note on hard-boiled eggs:  
Either putting the eggs in to boiling water or placing them in water and then bringing the water to a boil works fine.  Putting the eggs into boiling water is supposed to make them easier to peel, at the cost of over cooking them.  Bringing them to a boil makes the eggs tastier, but at the cost of making them more difficult to peel.  You can also place them into boiling water for roughly 30 seconds and then transfer them to cool water which is then brought up to a boil.  This takes a more complex set-up, but does make for a good middle ground.  In the end, all that matters is that the eggs are hard-boiled, so do whatever floats your boat!

Feel free to experiment, and Happy Gaming!

The Good Meal, Defined

Generally speaking, anything filling and tasty can qualify as a good meal. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get to the table, and the price might not be an object.  Thanksgiving takes ages to prepare and certainly isn't cheap, but I think we can all agree that it makes for a good meal.

The definition of a good meal changes around the table, however. It is not just lots of delicious food placed on a plate.  It is any meal that will facilitates longer, more enjoyable sessions. This means having meals that are both tasty and filling (from now on referred to as "good"), involve a short amount of perceived time from kitchen to person ("fast"), and not break the bank ("cheap").

That's right, one looks for all the points of the golden triangle around the table: Good, Fast, and Cheap. Usually one can only ever have two points of the triangle at once: You can have something good and fast, but it'll cost you. You can get something fast and cheap, but it won't be good. You can get something good and cheap, but it's going to take a while before it's ready.

Food, however, seems to be able to cheat this rule.  By doing as much prep work as possible before hand, one can keep the cooking time down while keeping the price low. If done properly, the end result will be good. This way, the party gets to experience the whole triangle while only one or two people has to pay for the extra time. A good example would be the sandwiches from Arkhosian Tombs and Grilled Cheese sandwiches.

If you sauté the onions, green peppers, and mushrooms before hand, then putting it all together becomes loads quicker. If you toast the sandwiches instead of grilling them, the cook time is reduced even further, because many sandwiches can be cooked at once.

This idea of keeping the time down on cooking can be vitally important to keeping the game going. If too much time is spent on preparing and eating dinner, the momentum of the game gets used up and it can become very difficult to get everyone back around the table. I've seen many sessions end because everybody wandered off while dinner was being prepared.

Some people will try to solve this problem by only doing sandwiches or other quick meals that can be prepared in seconds and eaten around the table. While this may work to solve the problem of people wandering away while dinner is being prepared, I would not recommend it as a solution for two reasons. Firstly, while sandwiches can be very tasty and very quick, anything that can be made in seconds using just meat and cheese isn't going to be very filling. Secondly, dinner also gives the players (and the DM) the opportunity to get up and stretch their legs, use the rest room, or get some fresh air without interrupting the session. This helps people fight off the fatigue and mental tiredness that comes from a long session, allowing them to come back to the table refreshed and ready to have more fun, which is really the whole point.

So remember, sometimes a group may be lagging or not enjoying themselves. Usually a break is all it takes to get everyone back to full capacity, and dinner is a great way to allow for that break. Keeping it quick and simple is very important because the forward motion of the game can dissipate if a short break turns into an extended rest.  While it seems hard to capture all the points of the triangle, it only takes planning and preparation to pull off a good meal.

Bon Appetit and Happy gaming!

Happy New Year!

Things have been very quiet around here this past year, but all that is going to change! It's a new year, and I've got lots of ideas kicking around that I'm looking forward to writing about. The format for posts is going to change, hopefully to something that is going to be easier to read and better for getting down to the cooking. The short stories followed by a recipe is wonderful, but it was just too much to keep up with. Besides, if someone is looking for a recipe, they shouldn't need to read an entire short story to get to it! The less time needed reading recipes, the more time left for cooking.

This doesn't mean that there isn't going to be any short stories, however! While they won't be as frequent, I intend to keep writing them and posting them every few weeks. I've also got some ideas floating around that I think will make things both smoother and more exciting around the table.

The update schedule will be to post something a week, for a grand total of 52 posts for the year 2011. This posts will include ideas for improving RP, short stories, as well as recipes.

Best wishes in the new year, and stay safe!