Food for LARPs

Awhile back, I wrote a lengthy treatise on food at LARPs. This is a bit more practical, and I'm providing our go-to LARP food: pho. It's easy, convenient, tasty, and light. The recipe is after the jump; however, if you or loved ones have favorite recipes, please submit them! Either in comments or to collabnarration@gmail.com. I'd love to have a rotating recipe post feature.

Making LARPing Easier

by Zoe

After this past weekend, I realized, in the two years that the husband and I have been LARPing, it's just become astronomically easier. When we first started, we had loads of unorganized stuff, piles of costume changes, and food that didn't pack well. Now? It's a few totes, a bag, a backpack, and a cooler of food. In short, it's simple and easily transportable. I think this comes with experience: you slowly learn what does and doesn't work in terms of convenience and expediency. With that being said, I wanted to share a few of my organizational tips, and invite others to do the same. Most of these tips are targeted at PCs and NPCs. However, if you staff a game, you could take this organizational system, and expand it to a much larger frame. Oddly enough, they're also some the same organizational tips for seasonal fieldwork...

Spotlight on Mirror, Mirror: Goat Stew

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.

The Winter Revel: Forward to the Cold

Contributor: Zoe

Submission: non-fiction thoughts on Winter LARPing

LARP System: Accelerant

Characters: Tev/Esme

Location: Cambridge, MA

Some thoughts on how to stay safe and have fun during the chill of winter's cold. Check out LARPcast for a Winter Larping episode from Mickey and Bill.

With the Mirror, Mirror Winter Revel swiftly approaching, it's time to think about bundling ourselves out to weather the winds and chills. Admittedly, it has been a mild winter-- troublingly so-- and, with our fireplaces and woodstoves quietly unused, we look forward to fair weather and brisk battles on spring grass.

However, as longtime New Englanders are well aware, the shift from winter-to-spring is a fickle thing. We still face frigid evenings and wind chills that pierce deep into our bones. With that in mind, use this Winter LARPing key as a guide to help you through the frost...

Of Food and Feasting: Eating (Well) at a LARP

Contributor: Zoe
Submission: "Of Food and Feasting: Eating (Well) at a LARP
LARP (system): Accelerant
Location: Cambridge, MA
Character name: Esme Kingslocke, Tev
Years LARPing: 2, Nutritional Anthropologist

This was inspired by some discussions on livejournal and on forums-- please share, and add your own thoughts!