Entry 18: Personal Favorite - Antivan Drip Coffee

Well, last Thursday, I had intended to post an eloquent entry full of information and tricks for seamlessly transitioning your kitchen to a castle of vegan sustainability. But it turns out taking a large topic and breaking it down into bite-sized chunks is more difficult than I initially thought. And frankly I have only been at this vegan, blogging lifestyle for less than a year, so I think it is fair to say I am still in need of some practice for consistency. In the midst of realizing this late one night last week, I also realized I needed some coffee.

So today, we are going to brew some hot and delicious Antivan drip coffee! Mmm, coffee. Coffee is as essential as lyrium here at Skyhold but not always made well. And depending on how you prepare your coffee, or where you spend coin to obtain it, you may not be getting the best brew possible. A clean, quick Antivan drip is fast, easy, cheap (in the long run), and delicious to the last drop!


So why Antiva? Well, you have this little comic I found awhile ago on Pinterest, by Shinga, to thank for that:

The more I think about coffee and Antivan culture, the more realistic the connection becomes.


My rogue partner over the years has created and perfected a seamless and efficient brewing method that certainly saves us quite a bit of coin. Every penny counts after all when you have to save to fill that hole in the wall.

I do not usually like to list products I use because I believe many of the recipes I share can be made by commonly owned kitchen tools. But we are passionate about coffee and we want to share that passion with you, so I have included a list of products used in this blog with links to where you can find them.


First up, make sure your materials are clean and your beans fresh! You will need: filters, kettle, scale, and your coffee beans, shown here in my partner's air-tight vault made specially for coffee beans.

My kettle isn't so clean on the outside, but it's always sparkling on the inside. I told you I was a mage, right?

We buy whole beans in bulk and store them in an air-tight vault. Buying whole beans and grinding them at home you can ensure a fresh flavor and aroma every brew.

And now for the filter-holder and carafe:

Yes, we make our coffee in a giant Slim Jim mug. 

But before you start measuring your beans, make sure whatever you are use to drink your coffee from is clean. My Templar and I have been through a lot together so it has some wear. It shows some stains and scars that may never fade. But that is not a valid reason for me to leave it to an oily fate. A clean coffee thermos matters because taste matters.

If you are curious why I call my tumbler my 'Templar', check
out my post on Instagram.

This is after a solid eight rounds of serious scrubbing.

Coffee leaves behind oils that accumulate over time. And over that time they can have a drastic effect on the taste of your freshly made coffee as well as leave an oder behind. Coffee tastes its best when brewed slowly and drunk from a warm, clean vessel.

Now on to the brewing! The basics steps are:

Measure 30 grams of beans on your scale, then ground. If you are making two cups, measure 60 grams. For us that means setting the timer to grind for 15 seconds. For two cups, we grind beans for 30 seconds.

Fold the filter to fit the filter holder.

Boil water. Remove kettle from heat...

And pour water into filter and carafe. Make sure the filter is completely soaked.

Set your kettle back on the stove, on a cool burner. Do not place it on the hot burner. Never pour boiling water over your grounds. Dump the hot water out of the carafe into the sink. Then add coffee grounds to filter, set on carafe and place the whole thing on your scale, then zero-out scale.

Pour 60 grams (120 grams for 2 cups) of hot - not boiling - water over the center of the grounds for about 30 seconds, allow to drain into carafe.

Then pour water over the center of the grounds until scale total reads 350 grams (700 for two cups, you will fill the filter almost completely with water).

Ignore the numbers pictured on our scale, we forgot to zero it out.

Allow water to drain until dripping lightly.

Remove filter from carafe and promptly place in your filter and grounds into your compost bin.

Call me an odd nug, but I think coffee is beautiful in all its forms.

If you do not have compost services in your area, contact your local Ban about that.

Pour brewed coffee into your clean tumbler or favorite coffee mug and enjoy!

Or doll up with sweeters and milks... If you're into that. This mage is hardcore and enjoys her coffee as black as the Void.


Common Coffee Missteps:

Pre-ground coffee is a waste fore it perishes far too quickly. And freezing your beans, whole or ground, isn't a good idea either. If you need to freeze coffee, freeze it whole bean and do not grind it until it is completely thawed to room temperature. (These two tips go together because my well-meaning grandmother - who may as well be the Dowager of the family - once sent us a bag a ground coffee that had been previously frozen. It was easily the worst cup on coffee I had ever had. And I've had coffee in the field deep in the Hinterlands!)

Do not pour boiling water over your grounds. Do not pour boiling water over your grounds. DO NOT pour boiling water over your grounds. Allow the water in your whistling kettle to cool slightly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pouring boiling water over your coffee grounds will burn your coffee and leech away the flavor like an Arcane Horror sucking away your life. Do not pour boiling water over your grounds.

An air-tight container and a good quality grinder make all the difference. If you are not able to obtain a fancy grinder, clean the grinder you use regularly (remember the oils thing? Coffee in all its forms leaves an oily film behind.) And an opaque, airtight container helps your whole beans stay fresher for longer.


If you are curious why we have all the expensive coffee equipment but lack a proper carafe, there's a rather dull explanation for that.

I broke our last two carafes and the giant Slim Jim mug is the only thing we are left large enough to hold two servings of coffee. It does the trick. And has a unique charm to it.

I hope you pick up your favorite flavor of beans and give this method a try, and then try it again, and again until you get that perfect brew that lifts your spirits as well as refills your mana and stamina bars!

Product list:
Bialetti Tea Kettle
Salter Ultra Thin Glass Kitchen Scale (we have an older model, link to the newer model)
Friis 16-Ounce Coffee Vault
Bodum Bistro Burr Grinder
Melitta Pour Over Coffee Cone Brewer and Filters (just about any kind of generic filters will do)

We used to have the Melitta Cone Filter Coffeemaker kit but if you are really into the Slim Jim mug, you can find it here. Be careful though, pouring with it takes practice.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on September 13. And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes and Dragon Age-related trivia and oddities!

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Want me to veganize your favorite recipe? 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 @FoodsofThedas on Twitter. You can also follow me on Instagram, @gourmetveganthedas.

If you try out any of my recipes, please share a picture on social media and use the hashtag (#)gourmetveganthedas.

Walk always in the Maker's light.

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Image Source:

Art of Shinga: https://artofshinga.tumblr.com/
Art of Shinga, Noli has coffee for the first time: https://artofshinga.tumblr.com/post/162806625492/noli-has-coffee-for-the-first-time

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Entry 17: Personal Favorite - Fereldan Bean and Vegetable Mash

Of all the nations of Thedas, there is one that I favor significantly. The many sovereignties within the Dragon Age universe offer us, the players, diverse and austere cultures to be immersed in. And while I enjoy Orlais and am fascinated by Kirkwall, Ferelden is dearest to my heart. It is a rich and rugged place that revels in its ancient history and folklore. It hosts demanding environments, from the deep Brascillian Forests in the east, to the wind-swept central valleys of the Bannorn, and further to the harsh and infamous Frostback Mountains marking its western boarder. From a previous entry, I briefly examined the Fereldan peoples have learned to appreciate form over function in many aspects of their lives to adapt and thrive in Ferelden's varied and asperous landscapes. There is so much of Ferelden that speaks to me on a personal level. I adore and greatly appreciate the natural world, especially dense, dark forests and sky-reaching mountains. And basic, yet delicious, foods. (My sense of fashion is pretty bland and practical, too.)

Source: Dragon Age Wiki, Ferelden

Here at my Skyhold, I am Maker-blessed to enjoy my own version of the mighty Frostbacks. And while the trails in the foothills are not as treacherous as the summer path out of Haven or as winding as those of the Hinterlands, they still present challenges and occasional dangers. I had the
misfortune recently of falling and injuring myself while hiking. The whole situation was a humorous and incredibly painful affair.

I had been worried lately that I was not enjoying the summer season enough and I was really looking forward to taking in the fresh, crisp mountain air as well as gazing upon the lush greenery of the trees. Instead, I fell and sprained my foot in the very beginning of my journey. Now I am spending much of my summer in a reclining chair, certain of a lack of sunlight and fresh air, with my foot propped up by cushions. The details of the story are on my Instagram if interested. I even managed to get a few nice images of the streams and trees before makeing my way to a healer.

Source: Dragon Age Wiki, Ferelden

As my Skyhold's head cook and resident mage, I had to think of clever ways to make meals without stressing or further injuring myself. After all, the sky may be split asunder and the plains may be on fire, but people still need to eat. Thankfully I had some help. A kind gamer friend sent me a low-maintenance, easy, and healthy meal I could make in quantity to enjoy for a full week! And the main ingredient is one of my favorite to work with as well as one of the healthiest of the Maker's creations: beans! There is something so satisfying and filling about well cooked beans and seasoned vegetables. I modified and personalized the recipe to my liking and I think it generally meets the standards for practicality often sought by the fertile valley's people.

So without further exposition, I am proud to present a nourishing personal favorite and original recipe: Fereldan Bean and Vegetable Mash.


To begin, I hobbled about my kitchen carefully to assemble my ingredients on my counter: Celery stalks, carrots, half of an onion I had diced earlier in the week, and some seasonings.

For the seasonings, I chose dill seeds, parsley, and a homemade blend of garlic powder and salt for a wholesome flavor with paprika for a bit of kick.

Then I placed my white beans  - also known as Navy or Great Northern beans - in my Instant Pot (remember, this mage prefers to make use of fine magical equipment).

If you do not have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you an soak and cook your beans according to the packaging. Or you can use canned beans if you are short on time.

Spell cast and beans cooking!

And while my beans cooked, I peeled and chopped my carrots.

Then I chopped my celery stalks.

The white onion I had chopped ahead of time. It was initially for another recipe, but I chopped too much, so I am glad I saved it for an easy recipe like this one.

As my white beans continued to cook, I sauteed my onions with some water over medium heat on the stove.

Once slightly brown and softened, I added the carrots...

And the celery.

After about 5 to 8 minutes, I moved on to my favorite part: adding the seasonings. Check out the recipe below for the exact amounts.

At this point, my beans had finished cooking in my Instant Pot, but I needed to allow them to remain on the Warm setting for about 15 minutes to get them to a nice mash-able consistency.

I tasted some of my cooked vegetables and realized they needed more flavor. So I decided to add what I had left of my whole grain garlic mustard.

Then I turned the heat down to low, placed the cover on the pan, and stirred my vegetables occasionaly as I waited for the beans to finish cooking completely. Covering the vegetables is important to maintain moisture for a prolonged period. This helps soften the cooked vegetables. Stirring occasionally keeps them from sticking to your pan and burning. I cooked my vegetables for about 10 minutes on low and kept a small cup of water on hand to splash into the pan if anything became really stuck. You can also use a cooking oil, like olive oil, when you first prep the pan for cooking to avoid sticking and burning.

Mmm, looking wholesomely delicious!

At last, the beans were cooked and ready to be mashed!

I gently mashed the beans partially with my potato masher. I found that some of the beans were still a bit under cooked, but most were the perfect texture for mixing. And from here to the end, the steps were easy. I just added the beans to the vegetables, stirred everything together carefully, and then removed the pan from the hot stove.

Here we have a nearly finished product waiting to be served.

And served! Hearty, healthy, and delicious! Just what any Fereldan craves.

As stated above, I made enough to provide me with meals for a full week and this wholesome dish certainly made for excellent lunches. This bean and vegetable mash can be enjoyed right out of your favorite bowl with some ground pepper sprinkled on top, or spooned into toasted slices of bread. Add a little lettuce and tomato to that along with some more mustard, and you have a lovely sandwich to enjoy!

I enjoyed mine with toast on the side and some fresh, homemade orange-carrot juice. And because of my injury, I was off clean up duty! This is both a good and a bad thing, as I am basically a Senior Enchanter in the school of kitchen-cleaning magic and my roguish partner is not. But I expect to be fully on my feet again by next week. (Thank the Maker!)

You can store your bean and vegetable mash in your refrigerator for up to two weeks or in your freezer for up to two months.


Fereldan Bean and Vegetable Mash:

Ingredients:
1 c white beans, soaked overnight
1/2 white onion, chopped
5 or 6 carrots, chopped
6 or 7 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dill seeds
1/2 tsp paprika
1 Tbps whole seed mustard
A small cup or dish of water
(Optional: 1 Tbsp of olive oil instead of water, heat in pan before adding the onion)

Directions:
Begin cooking your beans in a pressure cooker or according to packaging. Add onion to a pan over medium heat, saute with water until slightly brown and soften. Add carrots and celery. Stir occasionally and allow to cook until slight soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Use water to scrape stuck or burnt vegetables from pan as needed.

Add seasonings and mustard, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once vegetables are soft and beans cooked, remove cover and pour beans in with the seasoned vegetables and stir carefully until well mixed. Remove from heat, serve, and enjoy!



Many thanks to Discord user LuluDominari, who I met on The Viet Vegan Discord server, for the amazing recipe and cooking ideas. Maker smile on you, friend!


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on Thursday, August 23. And have a look at my previous entries for other recipes and Dragon Age-related trivia and oddities!

Have any friendly suggestions or cool ideas? Want me to veganize your favorite recipe? 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 @FoodsofThedas  on Twitter. You can also follow me on Instagram, @gourmetveganthedas.

If you try out any of my recipes, please share your results on social media using the hashtag (#)gourmetveganthedas.

Walk always in the Maker's light.

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Image Sources:

Dragon Age Wiki, Ferelden: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Fereldenfile=Ferelden_mountainside.jpg and http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Ferelden?file=Ferelden_countryside.jpg

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