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| The cleaning-hobbyist in me desperately wants to put this on a plate. |
There are a few major coagulated highlights that I'd like to cover to illustrate the franchise's minor obsession. The most endearing and obvious mention comes from the handsome bastard prince, the brave Grey Warden, our lovable, goofy companion from Dragon Age: Origins, Alistair.
The topic can come up as Alistair reveals the secret of his parentage to your Warden. He tells you he is the younger son of the assumed-late King Maric and your player character has a dialogue option to ask Alistair if he is hiding anything else. To which he replies in a predictably jocular fashion, "Besides my unholy love of fine cheeses and a minor obsession with my hair, no. That's it. Just the prince thing."
Video by moarinternets (see sources below)
Hawke can ask King Alistair what is happening in Orlais and he replies "the usual." And goes into detail, "Attempted assassinations, uprisings, fancy parties with stinky cheeses." His tone throughout is offhanded but laced with disgust. Probably because Ferelden cheeses and Orleasian cheeses are very different in every way imaginable.
Much of the fan community's love for Dragon Age's imagined love of cheese comes directly from Alistair. A little searching on Pinterest yields a pantry full of fan comics and art that bring these few lines to a whole new life. So to give some perspective here, I'll simply quote former Dragon Age lead writer, David Gaider, who puts it best:
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| The first 3 replies of to this tweet are top-notch, by the way. |
Dragon Age: Inquisition, on the other hand, has a blatant and fragrant love for cheese and displays great amounts of it sitting about in various environments and situations.
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| Credit: CNET Ferelden Fromagerie Picture Gallery (see sources below) |
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| Credit: CNET Ferelden Fromagerie Picture Gallery (see sources below) |
There also appears to be a strange magic circle ritual featuring cheese in the Temple of Mythal, in the Arbor Wilds:
Video by FluffyNinjaLlama (see sources below)
And then there is the infamous and unbreakable Wedge of Destiny. This unique shield for warriors is an excellent and rare item, though its edibility is in question. The Wedge of Destiny's tale from the the game describes a tale of chance:
"A good and colorful item for those who have hearty constitutions, this shield formed when a dragon shed her scales and fragments wafted on the soft and flavorful breeze into a dairy farm. Wielding it, Ser Jacques de Monterey was unstoppable until he fought par méchant, or dishonorably. His wistful last words as he lay full of holes: It was he who had failed, not the shield."
This description was, of course, an excuse for the writers to have a gas playing on words referring to Parmesan, Monterey Jack and Swiss. The delectable defending shield can be found in Crestwood, atop a hill west of the Three Trout Farm Camp, and can be equipped with a weapon and shield warrior level 6 or higher.
Dragon Age has a love and fascination with cheese, but beyond the world of Thedas, cheese has a variety of purposes - from snack food enjoyed with crackers and grapes to cooking with vegetables and meats. Cooking with cheese was probably my favorite way to handle and eat cheese of all kinds. I used to make a truly sinful macaroni cheese hotdish with sharp cheddar and could spread any brie on the toughest of breads. Homemade cheese sauces are tricky to master but taking the time to learn how to make a roux and add the right amount of cheese is worth the results. Despite my love and enthusiasm for cheese sauces though, I never really felt like I achieved that balance in my cheesy meals. My partner however can make a roux in his sleep and cook with cheese with the precision and fine finesse of an Orleasian chef.
All that said though, I feel it is important to note the weight of the topic of cheese as a cultural and economic staple in the world. My first recommendation, is to buy locally and ethically. And with that, I recommend searching for local dairy farmers and look up information about their animal practices. Find out where your food is coming from and if you don't like what you find out, find another brand. The cost of producing vast amounts of animal products for food is high. Extremely high. And our choices have far reaching consequences. I have avoided writing about vegan ethics because I do not want to present myself as 'preachy' or give the impression that I think all people should 'go vegan.' There is a stigma around veganism fostering a 'holier than thou' attitude. I reject that culture and live as I always have: your choices are your own, my choices are mine. I do not want to try to change people's mind about their habits because I believe people have to choose to think for themselves. What you choose to do is up to you. I choose to live as I see fit and believe everyone should have the right to choose to do the same, free of judgement.
I also believe that if anyone is willing to look at the suffering of animals and the drastic climate trends leading to an uninhabitable planet, then they are willing to make the choices that reflect a world they want to live in. I want a healthier atmosphere and a cruelty-free society. So I eat and live everyday to help the world be a little healthier and less cruel.
The unlucky prince Alistair did not want the throne. He did not want to make those choices, but he could not stop himself from working to always do the right thing.When my Warden handed him the throne of Ferelden, he accepted his responsibility. He made a choice. He made a commitment and he chose to stick with it, no matter how hard it was, especially on days when everyone around is chowing down on hot, juicy gooey cheese and meat... Sorry, my point is my second recommendation is to make a choice: choose to eat vegan.
When I first considered veganism and cheese came up in my mind, I could not help but feel aghast at the kinds of cheese substitutes available. But over time I became more proficient with my cooking spells and have both refined and broadened my tastes. Now I am eager to find what is out there that can make a vegan meal as 'cheesy' as can be. However, I honestly do not have a lot of experience in this arena yet. I have a wish list of vegan cheese recipes I want to try out but I need time, patience, and practice before I debut any Personal Favorites on this blog. My wish list is largely made up from cheese recipes from One Green Planet and Mary's Test Kitchen. From One Green Planet, there is a piece that boasts a huge and flavorful variety of homemade vegan cheeses made through various complex methods - like a Vegan Boursin (or Gournay) and a Vegan Sriracha and Lime Cheeseball. Mary's Test Kitchen features a few vegan cheese recipes with detailed how-to videos, including an Aquafaba Mozzarella recipe and an Almond Gruyere recipe. There is also a vegan Red Curry Mac and Cheese recipe from The Viet Vegan that is high on my list to try out. If you want me to make a Personal Favorite entry all about mac n' cheese recipes or any other cheese recipes, please let me know if the comments below.
Probably the easiest vegan cheese recipe I have found and enjoyed so far is a tofu cheese recipe from Cheap Lazy Vegan. This recipe was so remarkably easy and fun to make. And I used it for a fantastically delicious teriyaki mushroom onion pizza.
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| Folks who follow me on Instagram may recognize this pizza. |
I mean really, that looks good, right? Oh Maker, does that look good!
I will likely write about vegan cheese again so you can certainly count on an exciting and flavorful cheese-focused Personal Favorites entry in the future. As soon as I get around to chipping away at that wish list, I'll pick something easy and delicious to share! Thank you for reading!
Like what you are reading? Great! There is more to come in the next few weeks!
Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Please feel free to comment below. You can also email me at foodsofthedas@gmail.com, message me at AGSamuels on Reddit, or tweet me at Essem_Jay on Twitter.
You can also follow me on Instagram at @gourmetveganthedas.
Walk always in the Maker's light.
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Sources:
Dragon Age Wiki: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Age_Wiki
Dragon Age, Alistair Dialogue: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Alistair/Dialogue
Dragon Age, Wedge of Destiny: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Wedge_of_Destiny
moarinternets: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChGtORCq0re5VocZWpLN4CQ
moarinternets, Dragon Age: Origins - Alistair Reveals His Father: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce1lk36R5OU
David Gaider, Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/349436464628645888?lang=en
CNET: https://www.cnet.com/
CNET, Ferelden Fromagerie: the many cheeses of Dragon Age Inquisition: https://www.cnet.com/pictures/ferelden-fromagerie-the-many-cheeses-of-dragon-age-inquisition/
FluffyNinjaLlama: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMhDL-BLChwxDqvWCpoGVrQ
FluffyNinjaLlama, Failed cheese-summoning ritual in Temple of Mythal (Easter Egg): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHN2yaQ9bk
One Green Planet: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/
One Green Planet, 20 Amazing Vegan Cheeses You Can Make at Home: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/amazing-vegan-cheeses-you-can-make-at-home/
Mary's Test Kitchen: http://www.marystestkitchen.com/
Mary's Test Kitchen, Aquafaba Mozzarella: http://www.marystestkitchen.com/aquafaba-mozzarella/
Mary's Test Kitchen, Almond Gruyere: http://www.marystestkitchen.com/almond-gruyere-vegan-cultured-cheese/
The Viet Vegan: https://thevietvegan.com/
The Viet Vegan, Red Curry Mac and Cheese: https://thevietvegan.com/red-curry-mac-cheese/
Cheap Lazy Vegan: http://www.thecheaplazyvegan.com/
Cheap Lazy Vegan, Vegan Pizza Toast & Tofu Cheese Recipe! (Super Easy and Lazy): http://www.thecheaplazyvegan.com/2018/03/14/vegan-pizza-toast-tofu-cheese-recipe-super-easy-and-lazy/
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