Food !!

[el_flesh]

[moan of delight, sounding much like 'the big O']

[ken]

Fabada Asturiana (Basque Stew)
I cooked this yesterday, on a roll of 0 to 10 against Jumbalaya, I would give it 5. I found the cooking time too long, only 2 hours at most needed, as the beans began to break up, and the black pudding skin split. Still, Grandma said she enjoyed it, came for seconds, so I am quietly content.

[ken]

Stop Press, for all you Gastronomes, today I had for lunch, a bottle of Hardys Crest 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, avec a St. Agur Blue Cheese, spread on, some Doriano Italian crackers. Oh, such bliss! A match made in heaven. The wine has a touch of Blackberry on the nose, that's all you need to know. Promise me that you will try it.

[el_flesh]

Hmmmmm St Agur is definitely available here, only I haven't actually tried it. Will have to head to the cheese shop.

[ken]

Puck was here for a while, he has gone off with Grandma to stay overnight at his Aunties'. Tomorrow they are going to London to visit Monopoly Sites. What a day out! He is really looking forwards to it. So, I decided to cook up some Lentils and Sausages for dinner, NOT Monster Sausage, I have to say.
I could not afford Serrano Ham, so used some locally cured bacon. Also added a sliced Red Capsicum.
"This lentil stew is very pleasant served on its own or with any roasted game birds.
Ingredients
• 225g/8oz green-brown lentils, such as pardina
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 head garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 200g/7oz carrot, finely chopped
• 100g/3½oz thinly sliced Serrano ham, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp pimentón dulce (smoked sweet Spanish paprika)
• 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned, chopped
• 125ml/4fl oz dry white wine
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation method
1. Check over the lentils for any little stones, then rinse in cold water. Tip them into a saucepan, add enough cold water to cover them by 5cm/2in and bring to the boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat
2. and leave them to simmer for about 30 minutes or until just tender but still a little al dente. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and set to one side.
3. Put the olive oil, garlic, onion and carrot in a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat and cook gently for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to colour. Add the Serrano ham and fry for another 5-6 minutes.
4. Stir in the pimentón, tomatoes and wine and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture cooks down into a thick sauce.
5. Stir the lentils into the sauce with 150ml/5fl oz of the reserved cooking liquid, the chopped parsley, 1½ teaspoons of salt and some pepper. Simmer for a further 5-6 minutes."
I have to say, it is very enjoyable, about 9 out of 10, to Jumbalaya.

spanish lentils.jpg

[cynthialee]

For my needs food at a game table is a need. I have some blood sugars issues (not yet diabetes but it runs in the family) and if I need food...I need food now!
When I game typically my wife and I show up with a tray of vegis from the market and a bag of pretzles and perhaps some corn chips and salsa. Others tend to bring sweets and my wife absolutely MUST have pez and one of her star wars pez dispensers at hand. Preferably Yoda or R2D2 I have noticed....

As we tend to game for 5-8 hours some where along the way we have to break for a proper meal. This meal is cutting into game time so typically it must be something fast and generally acceptable to everyone.
A pizza from papa murpheys often fits the bill. Simple take and bake. We pick it up before game time and pop it in the oven eventually.
Also on the potential menu for game day is simple mac and cheese with wieners cut up into it. Not a meal fit for a king or a GM but it is calories.
Sometimes we get lucky and my friend who hosts the game will have a hot soup on the stove cooking and we gnosh on home made soup.

The key to food at a game table is speed. The food need not be quality. Simple sustanance suffices for me.

Oh yeah....
A few of two liters of some form of soda pop and an energy drink for the GM (me) when she starts to crash.

[ken]

I have been looking through the messages that have been added to the site, whilst I have been in the Nether Regions. The word Cheese appears from time to time, which set me thinking, what are our favourite cheeses, individually & nation by nation. To set the scene, we are half way thro’ a Quest, we stop for refreshment; out comes the cheeseboard, (and some wine! The vin du Region, Perhaps)? On my board would be; a goat log, round and succulent. A Brie, (President, for preference). A Camembert, non-pasteurise. A Pipo-Crème, (a Blue with a difference, Vive La Difference)! A large portion of English Stilton, to round off the total pleasure!
But, what to supplement these morsels of desire? A California Zinfandel, (ever so lightly chilled). A South African Merlot. A red from the Baja Peninsular. A Cahor, or Vin de Bordeaux. (Lots of choice there).
Any Australians out there? Sorry, your reds are too oaky for me. Too much Tannin. English wines are, lets face it, over priced & totally mediocre, not enough sun.
Come on, you Men Of The World, whet my palate!!

wine2.jpg

[joec]

I'm back from the dead!

Myself and one of my players have gotten into homebrewing. It's a pretty damn good hobby. I've done an Aussie light ale, which turned out fantastic. I've got a stout bottled, and I'm fermenting a honey ale. Needless to say, it's going to be some good gaming soon.

[cynthialee]

I was once a homebrewer. I made bear, ale, wine, mead, and soda pop. One of my ex's was an alchoholic (somewhat under control but there were episodes...) and I decided that it would be cheeper on my wallet in the long run if I learned how to home brew.
My favorite brew to make is hefeweizen. Wine, I like a simple merlot. Mead is where I would get experimental. I have had some of the worlds worst mead and the worlds best mead come from my vats. Too bad I lost the note book (or my ex stole it) that had the notes on how I made that batch that came out tasteing like it was made by Dionysius himself.

I even tried my hand running a 'stil a few years back just to learn the skill. Gave away most of the 'shine to friends over the years in the form of home made liquers (I make an awesomely delicious kalua, my cream liquor is ok but not worth braging about), ussed some of it as solvent a few times, drank a quart or two myself and there is small amount left that is stashed back in a climate controled area aging in charred oak. Been there for about the last 5 years. I figure I won't touch it for at least Another 10. It is running at about 196 proof. (gotta love a reflux still)

[torilen]

so cynthia - where about do you live again, so I can come up and get drunk off what sounds like some
good shine?