Hosting is like magic.
When entertaining, one transforms their space into a place for guests, where they can feel welcomed, considered, and engaged. Through creative application of libation, entertainment, and care, one can partition their friends from their worldly woes, and make a night a once-in-a-lifetime moment. While there are a number of helpful how-to-do books on the subject, the ones that intersect with our nerdly niches are few and far between. That said, the burgeoning micro niche of tie-in cookbooks strives to tie food to function, helping coordinators elevate their book clubs and gaming groups with thematic and delicious dishes. In service of these heady goals, we've combed our shelves for some tasty tidbits you too can use for inspiration for your next dungeon delve!
Added Flavor
Never adventure on an empty stomach again, with recipes from across your favorite Dungeons and Dragons realms, and just as many stories to illustrate the importance of a well fed party! Heroes' Feast presents a hearty spread of sustenance ranging from quick snacks to bountiful banquets, and has options for diverse dietary needs and helpful hints and elaborations for chefs-in-training. I'm personally excited to try the Goldenstars, a dish served in the Yawning Portal that has the energy of an open-faced samosa. Thanks so much Durnan, I'll take ten!
This cookbook is a classic from Pandemonium's Past, as we celebrated its release with a banquet alongside some of our neighbors here in Central Square. A Feast of Ice & Fire does a terrific job of being well organized and insightful while not burying the instructions within the lore, making following recipes a clean and clear process. For the time between steps, the authors have included brief snippets about the recipes' histories in Westeros, and that of their real-world inspiration, which might appeal to the anthropologically minded. With the new season of House of the Dragon airing this summer, there's still time to assemble your watch (parties) and menus for the horrors yet to come.
I've always thought commander would be a better format if you played it at a tea party, and this book more or less confirms those suspicions. In addition to having plenty of options from across Magic's multiverse, the collection of recipes makes clear the difficulty, timing, and allergens of each dish, making it the most beginner friendly book of the bunch. One favorite flourish herein are the entrees of Gisa and Geralf, who's rivalry now extends to the best way to serve a chicken. Clearly the authors understand the worlds they're working with, both in food and in fiction, and I can't wait to give these recipes a go.
Games with Taste...
A hearty mystery-and-food themed d20 system, where each adventure comes with treat and tea pairings. Terrific for cottage-core one-offs, when you're feeling more peckish than pugilistic!
This zine only has one recipe in it, but its more about the journey than the destination. While enjoying some hearty Lamb Stew (or a soup of your own devising,) players play oddball critters making a soup and using the soup to help their communities heal and flourish.
Pairs Well with...
Although the following books contain no actualy recipes (in the traditional sense,) Recipe on Kmiydish Paper has you play as the recipe, as it changes and adapts over the course of its life. Perfect for a solo night in with a snack and a bev, this game is as thoughtful as it is replayable, and with plenty of different story paths to follow, it's a solid addition to any roleplayer's library.
What happens when you pair D&D with a technical instructional on wilderness meal-prep? You get a slice-of-life series, with fantasy biology and roleplaying tropes, enjoyable both in magna and anime forms! We're so excited about it that it's the subject of our next graphic book moot!
If you need a cozy read with some fantasy coffee and queer romance, look no further! Another book club favorite, where you can't help but root for our hunky protagonist Viv, orc barbarian-turned-barista, who's just trying to start over. With a little mystery and camaraderie, Legends and Lattes could just be your feel-good read of the summer.
And lastly, a treat for you!
Thank you for reading with us today! As a thanks, we've been given a recipe from our pal, DM Aidan Vielleux, who gave us permission to share it among our friends, which in this case means you! When hosting their own games, Aidan sometimes serves this very refreshment (when travelling through the Hazewood Remnant.)
---- Siiba ----
Misty, cold, and often beset by torrential rain, the Hazewood Remnant is a land of warm comfort foods and drinks. The people of the land have a rich food culture, benefiting from both a wide variety of culinary techniques and ingredients that pass through this trade nation’s borders from numerous caravaneers.
A staple of Hazewood cuisine are transitional meals, the idea that previous meals or drinks can add their flavor to the next, if the same container is used. The most common practice is pairing warm beverages in a bowl before using the same bowl for soup.
The most influential hot beverage is Siiba, a hot lemonade that is sweetened with brown sugar. Siiba is often enjoyed plain but it is commonly flavored. Citrus black tea, mint, cinnamon, blueberries, blackberries, and plum juice are just a few common infusions.
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Ingredients: Serves 2
1.25 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
4 cups of water
#1- Add the brown sugar and a cup of water to a saucepan and heat until it is dissolved. Bring to a low boil and frequently stir until the mixture has a syrupy viscosity.
#2- When the brown sugar syrup is nearly done, start heating up the remaining water and lemon juice in another saucepan. Don’t let it boil too much.
#3- Add the brown sugar syrup to the heated lemonade and stir it until thoroughly mixed.
#4- Remove from heat and serve in a bowl.
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(Optional)- Add extra flavor to your drink by adding blackberries when making the brown sugar syrup or steeping your choice of tea or spices in the finished Siiba.
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Ben Doane has been a member of the Pandemonium Team since 2019, and has been playing wargames, rpgs, and tcgs since 2004 and earlier. When not blogging, Ben runs the wargames and mailing departments, and also puts together the store's newsletters. Her current favorite game is Perils and Princesses.