Contributor: Zoe
Submission: Recipe
Character Name: Tev
Part of the Spotlight to Mirror, Mirror series.
Awhile ago, I posted an entry about the joys of cooking-- LARP cooking, specifically. One of the best parts of LARP cooking is the chance to theme your food. It adds to the IG atmosphere, and can serve as a subtle way to enhance your character (see what I did there?) A lot of standard fantasy LARPs offer us little in the way of authentic culinary adventures-- stew, bread, stew, bread, stew, cheese. And, if we want to be really accurate, little in the way of spice and other tasty additives. Mirror, Mirror, however, is great in that it allows you to be a character from any universe. This, of course, expands our options. Because Chris and I play characters from the "Dark Sun" universe, we're going with a middle-eastern/fantasy Persian stew. Yes, I said stew, but this is a far cry from the mucky, humdrum messes of yore.
Goat Stew
Serves six.
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 onions, chopped roughly
2 large carrots, don't peel, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 lbs goat meat, boneless, fat removed, cube into bitesize pieces
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, seeds and white parts removed, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 T each cumin and curry powder
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
1 c vegetable stock
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 T chopped parsely
1 T chopped basil
1. In a large bowl, combine garlic, onion, carrots, celery, and the Scotch Bonnet pepper.
2. Season the meat with salt, pepper, cumin, and curry. Toss together with the vegetables, cover, and marinate for at least 3 hours.
3. In a saucepan, heat the oil, and add the goat and veggies. Cook until the meat is browned. Stir in the tomato paste and the stock. Simmer until the meat is tender. (About 2 hours.)
4. This entire recipe can be done in a crockpot, though cooking times will be longer.
Be careful when handling the Scotch Bonnet pepper! Protect your eyes, nose, and hands!
Optional changes: Substitute chickpeas or lentils for the goat to make this vegan or vegetarian. If you eat beef, it can make an easier-to-find substitution for the goat, as will chicken. Add in more veggies, like squash, zucchini, or eggplants, to make this a larger meal.
I didn't realize you were cooking at Meow Meow as well! I find your comment "the best parts of LARP cooking is the chance to theme your food." thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteI set out to (quasi) run a Tavern at MM because I had never cooked at a LARP for others before. In my approach I went with what was logisitically do-able; namely food that could be cooked either on an electric griddle or with boiling water. So I ended up with (suprisingly appreciated) Cup Noodles, and as assortmet of Eggs, Hash Browns, Grill-able Sandwich Meat (Turkey/Ham) and toastable Bread/Wraps. It never occured to me to theme-out the food. Very good suggestion.
It's so much easier than you think it's going to be. "Fantasy" era foods were designed to be portable, convenient, and rich in nutrients-- perfect for a LARP. Of course, we use modern accessories like a crockpot and plastic-wear, but it can be a great way to get pumped for an event.
DeleteCheck out some of the teams at MM this weekend-- I know Thousand Roads (Grum) brought white rice and the appropriate accouterments last event.
This was great! But as a note if you want to use a slow cooker for this you need to let it go all day. This will be worth the time as the goat will become wonderfully tender and flavorful.
ReplyDelete