Some of my best gaming memories include food. A couple we were close with hosted many a family style RPG session, including full home cooked meals that could have been done by a Halfling run inn, but were made by a generous Human man. And everyone who’s been to Gamer Nation Cons recalls those Wednesday night dinners. Now Wizards of the Coast has a cookbook, Heroes’ Feast, for providing such a meal for your own tabletop gaming group.
With chapters for each race and menus from some of the D&D multiverse’s famed dining establishments, your own feast can be tailored to the party composition, or the campaign world. Alas, only a handful of dishes from each menu have recipes; the other items are just flavor text. Speaking of flavor, all the photographs make the foods look both beautiful and tasty. There is a final chapter of Elixirs and Ales, some of them non-alcoholic. The book concludes with some tips for combining meals and gaming without making a mess of both.
How easy are the recipes to use and follow? Pretty easy, actually, although a glossary of some basic cooking terms would be helpful for more novice chefs. Most are intended to serve four to six people, about the size of a standard adventuring party. My husband, Mark, tried out the first recipe in the book, Traveler’s Stew, recently. It’s easily the best beef stew I have had. Dark beer gives it an extra-rich and earthy flavor. (We used Guinness.) Mark picked up Heroes’ Feast only a month ago and we’ve already had it twice. We haven’t decided which recipe we’ll try next but I, at least, am having fun reading through them.
But, what if all your gaming is online? Or, your tabletop group isn’t playing D&D, or another fantasy RPG, anytime soon? Cook Heroes’ Feast recipes for your Star Wars, supers, Cyberpunk, etc. group. (Re-skinning is a gaming tradition.) Most muggle potlucks would be better for something a little different. And who doesn’t get tired of The Same Old Things for everyday suppers?
Heroes’ Feast is available in several formats at several price points. The regular hardback is US$22.30, a spiral bound version (which lays flat for convenience while cooking) is $35.99, and the Kindle (ebook) is $14.99. (All prices are from Amazon.) The Kindle version also gets you a $1.50 credit for Amazon’s Great on Kindle ebook selections.
Bon appétit, fellow gamers!
Linda Whitson
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