A short list for tall orders

In the hectic world of heroes dinner must be ready on time, less you have uninvited monsters rolling around in your potato salad. This, paired with no real refrigeration to speak of can make for an interesting time getting meals on the table, because honestly, I have a lot to do patching up my company's 'battle wounds'.

I am the queen of can I-do-it-ahead-of-time?

For instance, I season my meats and marinate veggies before we head out, bag everything in zip-locks and even freeze somethings to help prolong the life of everything in the cooler. I actually only keep three things with me for seasoning on site: brown sugar, sea salt and Worcestershire sauce.

But this isn't to say I do EVERYTHING ahead of time! Some foods just don't do well reheated, and some are best freshly cut or cooked. (For the record, nothing I make is prepped sooner than the day before game-on)

Good example of this is breakfast:

Bacon: Cooked ahead of time. Take a baking pan, something with a lip on the edge that can handle heat. Line it with foil. Place the bacon (as much as can fit with just a little overlap) on the sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until desire crispiness. Remove from pan with tings and drain on paper towel. best part? once the grease cools just peels off the foil, roll it up to keep it trapped and throw away.

On site, I just toss it onto the griddle for a minute or so until heated. It gets crispy again realy fast and is just as good as if I'd done it there, and there is almost no greasy mess.

Eggs: Cook on site, reheating scrambled eggs just isn't as good. My trick for a big group? Use a pitcher to mix up a large batch of eggs with some milk, salt and pepper. the more milk the fluffier your eggs. You can only pour a small amount for each batch, but a crock pot on low will keep them warm and moist until even your latest riser is ready to eat!

Fun fact: My group requires four dozen eggs, two pounds of bacon and three dozen bagels each event for breakfast.

Knowing what kind of things can save you  time and hassle by doing before you're knee deep in nature and guests is an important bit of knowledge with any kind of meal.

And now, an easy treat for the summer months when you have a grill on hand. The perfect blend of do it ahead and right on site!

Wen and Rye's Grilled Cinnamon Apples

• Four apples, cored,peeled and sliced into six pieces or so (I prefer gala apples, but a tart granny smith is excellent here too!)
• Skewers
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 lemon

1. At home, peel and slice the apples into about six pieces. Place these in a zip-lock bag and drizzle with a little lemon juice. This keeps them from browning in the bag.
2. In a second zip-lock, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Seal up both bags.
3. On site, soak skewers in water for a few minutes (I do this when cooking the proper meal). 
4. Place apple slices in bag of brown sugar mixture, seal shut and give a good shake, coating the apples. Skewer the slices, as many as will fit, onto wet skewers.
5. Place on grill for about five minutes, turning as they brown. Cool before serving!

These are dynamite with a little whipper cream, or just as is! Make sure you let them cool a bit before serving, hungry adventurers don't always think before they bite :)

Joyous Journey!

The art of pleasing (and not slaying) everyone- respecting specialized diets and allergies

It would have been a very strange turn in events if Snow White and shook her head polietly and told the witch "Sorry, I have an allergy to apples, do you have any pears instead?"

I suppose in the times of great stories rarely did a tavern keep have to worry about vegetarians and severe allergies, but the truth of cooking for heroes int his day in age is that many people have restrictions on what they can eat.

Within my company alone, we have vegetarians, lactose intolerance, and kosher eaters. At any given time, we may have visitors at our table that have life threatening allergies to everything from tomatoes to certain spices.

When cooking for the hoard or a small group of friends, it's important to to be aware of dietary restrictions of those you intend to feed. I try and offer a vegetarian dish when I cook at camp as a courtesy. It's nice too for people who, unlike myself, are not big meat eaters or trying to eat a bit healthier.*

*Note: A lot of the recipes here are designed to recoup lost energy when running about slaying monsters and engaging in fierce political maneuvering. Plenty of it will be healthy, but don't expect TOO much to shrink waistlines.

Allergies on the other hand are more serious than a life style based diet.
A friend of mine with some pretty sever allergies gave the following advice when cooking for a group:

• Find out if anyone in you're feeding has allergies. Knowing what they're allergic to lets you give them the heads up as to what to avoid and what's okay. It can also help to know if they have an allergy, or an intolerance. The first can kill you, the second can leave you sick. It's an important difference so you know how diligent you both need to be.
• Save containers of ANYTHING you use that comes prepared. Honestly, I have learned this from personal experience. You never know for instance, where they stick tomatoes. I've found it in chicken broth and refried beans. Saving the ingredient lists helps you both be sure of what is in your cooking.
• A really nice thing to do is make a list of ingredients for the dishes you cook. Especially with a large gathering or adventuring in the woods where you might not get the chance to ask around or be quizzed.

These are important tips, these are not picky eaters (like my husband!) but people who have serious health concerns when it comes to food.

and now, ON TO THE FOOD!

This recipe was one I loved, but altered for a friend with a potato allergy and discovered I liked it much better in it's new incarnation. This soup is great right out of the pot, but also freezes beautifully.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 1 sweet potato, quartered
• 1 sweet onion, quartered
• 1 quart chicken (or vegetable) broth
• olive oil, salt and pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking pan (I love my glass pan for this) place chopped squash, potato and the onion. Drizzles with olive oil just until the veggies gets a nice sheen, you don't have to coat them. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender.
3. Add veggies, olive oil and all into a large pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
4. Remove from heat and blend using an immersion blender until smooth. (For a long time I didn't have an immersion blender, and just used a typical blender in small batches) Season with salt and pepper as desired!

If you like a little extra sweetness, add a bit of brown sugar when simmering. You can also add other herbs or spices to suit your tastes. This is such a great recipe because of it's ease and simple ingredients.

A note about broths: It was in my search for dreaded allergens that had me checking out the ingredients in different brands of broth and stocks. Turns out, my usual brand was full of ingredients that really didn't look like food to me. So check your broth before you buy, look for fewer ingredients, and make sure you recognize them all! I often find they tend to be less expensive, and the difference in taste is AMAZING!

Enjoy, and joyous Journey!

Armed with nothing but a cookie and a wooden spoon...

Ask anyone who dabbles in adventuring, and they will tell you that a key element to saving the day is a good meal. Whether you're fighting off villains or the daily grind, good, homemade food is essential to coming out the other side of any worthy adventure.

My name is Sasha and I'm mother to a troop of 21+ well meaning heroes. I play a game called Madrigal, a high-fantasy live action role playing game with around 100 others in New England.

About to become someones REAL mother for the first time, and leaving my friends to feed themselves for awhile, I thought about compiling some of tricks, tips and favorite recipes for eating far from a proper kitchen.

This blog will include all of these things along with stories and reflections on adventure, food, and the power of a dinner table filled with people you care about.

Even if the height of your fantasy experience is a good book, i hope you'll find enjoyment, a few new recipes, and maybe a little magic in the adventures hidden here!

Welcome, and Joyous Journey!