Entry 34: Foods of Thedas - Pig Oat Mash for One

Image Description: The Pig Oat Mash recipe from the World of Thedas Vol. II cookbook, scroll down for source and link.

I have been keen to make the Hanged Man's famous Pig Oat Mash from the World of Thedas Volume II cookbook since I before I started this blog. But I have also been put off by this recipe for reasons that may be surprising. I observe a low fat, low oil, vegan diet so while the "two handfuls of dried salt pork" or "smoked bacon" was certainly a factor in my hesitation, the real reason that I was slow to cook up this glorified oatmeal recipe is more due to a core principle of all cooking and baking: flavor profile.

Spicy, sweet, bitter, sour, and salty (umami) are the main flavors human, elves, dwarves and even Qunari like to consume, and they enhance and balance each other in unique ways. The puzzle that I find in Pig Oat Mash as the recipe reads is that its flavor profile is all over the place.

As with all recipes in this cookbook, the recipe is frustratingly sparse on details and I stand by my assertions that there is no way any of the writers who drafted these Thedosian recipes actually tested them first. Pig Oat Mash is basically my case and point. The variation of salty, savory, and sweet, depending entirely on the apples and berries (and the state of the berries!) used leaves far too large of a margin for error in flavor quality. Just about every version I have read or watched of this famous Dragon Age goop online has people feeling disappointed by overly sour or confusing flavors.

Also, the recipe makes way too much and cooks for way too long.

And on the topic of bacon: animal or plant derived, why in the Maker's name would literally anyone ruin bacon by adding it to oatmeal? 

So I scaled back and modified this recipe to make it just something special an individual can enjoy for themselves for any special occasion.

Behold: Skyhold's Pig Oat Mash for One! Yes, it is purple. I used fresh blueberries, that's why.

Image Description: A sharply lit bowl of purple Pig Oat Mash (without the vegan bacon, as the Maker intended).

To start, I placed all my ingredients on my counter: Rolled oats, one small red apple, fresh blueberries, maple syrup, vegan bacon and a local lager.

Image Description: The above listed ingredients arranged elegantly in glaringly awful florescent light.

As said above, the original recipe lists an absurdly long cook time. Rolled oats take 10-15 minutes to cook through, even for the amount of oats suggested in the recipe. They are quick, healthy and delicious. Steel cut oats take much longer to cook. They absolutely need about 45 to 50 minutes to cook in the vague quantity described. But this kitchen mage does not have time to wait that long. Rolled oats is the way to go as they are just as filling and nutritious as steel cut oats, and have the benefit of easy, quick cooking.

Image Description: An above shot of uncooked rolled oats.

The bacon was trickier to adjust. I had never eaten vegan bacon before this recipe trial. I tried Lightlife to see how it holds up to my memory of animal bacon. It has a bacon-y flavor certainly, but has the texture more like turkey bacon rather than pig bacon.

Image Description: Lightlife Smart Bacon box in the background, plant-based bacon in plastic
packaging in the foreground. It looks like turkey bacon.

And for the beer, I choose one of my favorites, Kilt Lifter by Pike Brewing Company. I highly recommend checking out this brand and their line of beers wherever you procure alcohol.

To start, I peeled the apple.

Image Description: A two-image college, top: small red apple with peeler on a wood cutting
board; bottom: small red apple peeled with peeler on a wood cutting board with chopping knife in the background

Then diced into smaller pieces.

Image Description: A close up image of freshly chopped, peeled apple.

Then added the oats, apple pieces, blueberries, and water into a small saucepan.

Image Description: Uncooked blueberries, apple pieces, oats and water in a small saucepan. 

While the oats cooked, I added a small amount of cooking oil to a cast iron pan and cooked the bacon separately. With beer. It was wonderful.

Image Description: Three pieces of Lightlife plant based bacon cooking in beer in a small cast iron pan.

And then I poured the rest of the beer for myself after I flipped the bacon.

Image Description: A tall glass of lager in the left forefront,
a green and yellow lager can (now empty) in the right background.

The oats cooked quickly and the apple smelled delicious! And then the blue berries started to get mashed as I stirred, turning my oatmeal a weird purple. While I love this color for my blueberry spinach banana breakfast smoothies, I was decidedly put off by its presence in my oatmeal. If I try this recipe again, which is likely because I love oats, vegan bacon and beer for breakfast now, I will try using dried blueberries. And while I have not tested this, I think that the cook time will need to be increased a little and an additional tablespoon or two of water may be necessary to help soften the dried berries.

Image Description: Cooked purple oats with apple and mushed blueberries in a small saucepan.

Consider yourself warned about fresh blueberries in oats. They are totally delicious and compliment the apple and oat flavors well, but the color may not make your breakfast pictures Instagram-worthy.

And there it is, topped with maple syrup and served, a glorious, hearty and certainly upgraded version of Pig Oat Mash: cooked oats with bacon and beer on the side. Skyhold's Pig Oat Mash for One!

Image Description: In the foreground, a spoon with cooked apple, blueberry and oatmeal.
In the background,A bowl of purple oatmeal, a plate of vegan bacon to its right and a glass of beer, partially shown).

I hope you give this easy, quick recipe a try and never make the OG recipe because it is truly an affront to flavor palates of all kinds. And remember to share on social media using the hashtag (#)foodsofthedas! Thank you!


Pig Oat Mash for One

Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients:
1 small red apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or dried
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cups water
2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon oil or cooking spray
2-3 slices of vegan bacon
1 16 ounce beer, ale or lager

Directions:
Add oats, apple, blueberries and water to a small saucepan. Heat over medium low heat until oats are cooked and apples are soft, stirring occasionally to keep oats from sticking or burning to the pan, about 8-10 minutes. Add to a bowl and top with maple syrup.

While oats are cooking, heat a nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat and add bacon. Pour in a small portion of beer. Pour the rest of the beer in a glass for yourself. Flip bacon after beer has cooked away, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook bacon until slightly browned, about another 2 to 3 minutes. See package instructions and modify process as needed. Plate and cover once cooked to keep warm.

Serve oatmeal, bacon and beer together as a delicious breakfast for yourself. You've earned it.

To make for two, double recipe; for three, triple; and so forth.
To store: don't. Reheated oatmeal is not something worth trying. Just enjoy yourself and eat it all up.


From my Skyhold to yours, wishing you warmth, cheer, and delicious food this festive season!

Walk always in the Maker's light.

END NOTES: Apologies for the terrible lighting in the pictures. In my region, we are reaching the period of near total darkness and florescent light makes for poor picture quality. Still, this recipe came together easily and it was super sweet to enjoy a beer with breakfast. 10 out of 10, totally recommend if you are staying in and hanging out at home for the day. I'll be back in January with another delicious recipe! Thank you for reading!


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month (mostly). 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 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, @foodsofthedas.


Foods of Thedas, formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

_

Source:

Dragon Age: World of Thedas Volume 2. www.darkhorse.com/Books/22-389/Dragon-Age-The-World-of-Thedas-Volume-2-HC
_

Entry 33: Codex Entry - Dragon Age Day is Upon Us!

Image Description: a large, red dragon silhouette overlaid a black backdrop with the words "Dragon Age Day December 4" in white over it. 

Good people and fans of the Dragon Age franchise, our day to celebrate is nigh! Yes, we just celebrated the 10th anniversary for Dragon Age: Origins and the 5th anniversary of Dragon Age: Inquisition earlier this season. But like last year around this time, the Dragon Age community is coming together (online) to celebrate all things Dragon Age!

Dragon Age Day is December 4 and it is an event made by fans for fans as an opportunity to share our love for this tremendously deep and engaging action RPG video game series, and its various media tie-ins.

Last year, Dragon Age Day (or Dragon 4ge Day as it was billed) events included online gameplay, discussions, and a charity campaign that raised over $7000 for Child's Play. This year the team working behind the scenes is excited to bring together an amazing set of events on Twitch.

On December 4 there will be round-the-clock streaming of gameplay by notable and loved streamers like Pirate Savvy, Ghil Dirthalen and The Exalted March, and yours truly! There will also be discussion, live tabletop RPG play, and another charity campaign to benefit AbleGamers!

AbleGamers is a nonprofit focused on providing resources to people living with disabilities to play video games, and raise awareness about disability and ability diversity in video game culture and fandom. This year, we are aiming to raise an ambitious $10,000 and have some great rewards to offer for donations through Tiltify.

And we are very excited that BioWare is participating in this year's events, making this celebration official! I cannot comment on the capacity of BioWare's role just yet, but follow the Dragon Age Day twitter account for updates.

BioWare announced their involvement via Twitter on November 3 as part of their celebration of Dragon Age: Origins' 10th anniversary.

Image Description: Official tweet from BioWare, you can also read the text here.

Finally, for the record, many video game news outlets have been all a buzz, hyping up somewhat misleading information regarding BioWare's involvement in Dragon Age Day. Some writers have asserted speculation that BioWare is "hinting" at updates for the next Dragon Age game but this is simply not true. BioWare's tweet announcing their acknowledgement and participation in Dragon Age Day events was only that and rumors of hints or teasers are based entirely on conjecture, not facts. Dragon Age Day is first and foremost a fan-made celebration for the fans! And second, an opportunity to donate to a noble cause to help other gamers enjoy the games they love!

My fellow volunteers and I are excited for this year's online events and ecstatic for BioWare's involvement!

A full schedule of events will be made available on various social media platforms as December 4 draws near.

For now, I can tell you I will be hosting a mukbang (eating show) on Giving Tuesday, December 3, ahead of December 4's main events. I will have a full Thedosian spread prepared and host a discussion on the Dragon Age Day Twitch channel. My mukbang will begin at noon Pacific Time, December 3. Mark your calendars and join me for a feast worthy of any Orlesian courtly gathering!

If you have any questions about Dragon Age Day or just want to know more, please feel free to comment below or check out the website: dragonageday.com

You can also donate now to AbleGamers through Tiltify and claim rewards while available! I hope you will share your love, art, stories, fanfic, and/or feelings for Dragon Age on December 4!

Walk always in the Maker's light.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month (mostly). 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 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, @foodsofthedas.


Foods of Thedas, formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

Entry 32: Foods of Thedas - Fereldan Turnip Barley Stew

Image Description: A bowl of colorful, freshly made Fereldan Turnip Stew accented with a green napkin, kale leaves,
onion, and for and spoon.

"Fereldan Turnip" is a common phrase, or insult, thrown around throughout the Dragon Age franchise. It is meant as a derogatory term for a person from Ferelden. It is about as common as "Dog Lord." To which I have two comebacks in the form of questions:

1) What's so bad about being a lord of doggos?

And 2) considering they are an excellent source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C, what's so wrong with being a turnip?

I was entirely unsurprised to find a turnip recipe in the World of Thedas Volume 2 cookbook but was pleasantly surprised to find it can be easily made vegan. And per my usual style, I modified the recipe further to incorporate more flavor and hearty goodness expected from warm, delicious stews.

To begin, I cleaned my counters, put away my clean dishes, and arranged my ingredients: turnips, white beans, canola or vegetable oil, white onion, carrots, celery, garlic bulb, Field Roast Grain Meat sausages, Italian flavor, peal barley, ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. I also used Better Than Bouillon vegetable base to make this stew as flavorful as possible.

Image Description: An arrangement if Fereldan Turnip Stew ingredients, minus the oil and Better Than Bouillon,
placed on a decorative tea towel.

And then I took time to take lovely pictures of my ingredients for you, dear reader, to enjoy. I live to serve, and not just food.

Image Description: An arrangement of five turnips on a wood cutting board.

Turnips are one of those vegetables I turned my nose up to consistently as a kid but I realize in my adulthood they can be used in a variety of ways and made quite delicious. I have glazed them with brown sugar, for example, and they were quite satisfactory. They are easy to wash, peel and dice. In this stew they work well with the barley, beans and other vegetables to make a hearty, filling stew that is excellent for lunch for the week or to serve to a group.

Image Description: An arrangement of two turnips, one peeled, one peeled and diced, on a wood cutting board.

The mainstays for any good soup or stew recipe: garlic, onion, carrot, and celery.

Image Description: A collage of two images. Top: A garlic bulb next to an onion on a
wood cutting board. Bottom: Four carrots and 2 celery ribs on a wood cutting board.

For the white beans, the recipe in the World of Thedas Volume 2 cookbook states beans should be soaked overnight and uncooked. But this leads to a very long cooking time. Also it means you have to remember to soak your beans overnight, which I never do. So I used my kitchen magic in the form of my Instant Pot. Instead of soaking the beans, I cooked them on the manual setting for 25 minutes with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes on the warm setting. The apple cider vinegar helps break up the bean cell walls for easier digestion. Canned beans will work just as well as freshly cooked beans.

The three major deviations from this recipe are the Better Than Bouillon vegetable base, the Field Roast Grain Meat sausages (or seitan), and the kale.

Better Than Bouillon base is an excellent flavor booster for many recipes. Regular Bouillon vegetable broth cubes or powder will work too, but this vegetable base kicks up the flavor of the stew tremendously.

Image Description: a jar of Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base on a white tea towel.

Any kind of seitan, homemade or store bought, will work for the stew but I have a special love for Field Roast sausages. The Apple Sage and the Italian flavors are my favorite, and it was hard to pick between the two for this recipe. I settled on the Italian flavor though because it adds a unique spicy taste to the base flavors. Feel free to try either the Apple Sage or Italian flavor if you have Field Roast products available near you. Or you can see my seitan recipe to make your own! (It's an older entry when I didn't quite have my style or wording nailed down, but the recipe checks out.)

Image Description: A collage of two images. Top: Two Field Roast Grain Meat Italian flavor
sausages diced. Bottom: An unopened package of Field Roast Gran Meat sausages.

As for the kale, well, I like kale. My choice to add chopped kale was on a whim. And it was a good choice as it added some much needed color (aesthetics matter, folks) and additional nutrition. Kale is loaded with Vitamin A and Vitamin C, and compliments turnips well.

Image Description: A downward facing image of three kale leaves bunched together, one kale leaf chopped next to its stem and a kitchen knife on a wood cutting board.

And what a beautiful, delicious stew all of this makes.

Image Description: A large, black pot filled with cooked Fereldan Turnip Stew accented with a wooden spoon.

Exceptionally healthy, easy to make, and darn pretty in a bowl.

Image Description: A close up image bowl of colorful, freshly made Fereldan Turnip Stew accented with a
wooden spoon showing off how good cooked turnips can look.

I hope you give this Thedosian stew a try!


Fereldan Turnip Barley Stew

Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes*
Cook time: 55 to 60 minutes
Yields: 12 to 14 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup white beans, cooked or canned, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 medium-sized white onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 garlic bulb, peeled and diced
8 cups of water plus 8 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
1 pound turnips, peeled and diced
2 Field Roast Grain Meat sausages, Italian flavor, diced
1 cup peal barley, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 kale leaves, chopped

Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until slightly fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes. Then add carrots and celery, cook until slightly tender, stirring occasionally, about more 5 minutes. Add turnips, beans, vegan sausage, water and vegetable base. Scrape the bottom of the pot gently and stir until Bouillon base is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until beans are cooked and soft. Stir in peal barley and seasonings, re-cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Finally, stir in kale, re-cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat, stir, and allow to rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Store stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stew will keep for 7 to 10 days. For long term storage, store in an airtight container in the freezer; stew will keep for 3 weeks. To thaw, defrost on a counter overnight or defrost in a microwave before reheating through and serving.

Additional Notes:
The beans and pearl barley will continue to soak up the liquid after cooking, making leftovers very thick. To thin stew out, add hot water or additional vegetable broth.
For a gluten-free version, replace 1 cup of pearl barley with 1 cup of quinoa.

*Prep time dependent on how fast you can dice. I am a slow dicer and like listening to Ghil Dirthalen read codex entries while cooking so prep takes longer for me.

If you make and enjoy this delicious stew or try out any of my other Dragon Age-themed recipes, please post and share pictures on social media. Use the hashtag (#)FoodsofThedas!

Walk always in the Maker's light.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month (mostly). 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 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, @foodsofthedas.


Foods of Thedas, formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

_

Source:

Dragon Age: World of Thedas Volume 2. www.darkhorse.com/Books/22-389/Dragon-Age-The-World-of-Thedas-Volume-2-HC
_

Entry 31: Foods of Thedas - Butter Soup

Image Description: A white bowl with hot Butter Soup garnished with chopped green onions and Bac'n Pieces.

Fall is here! Time to unpack the sweaters, bring in the harvest, enjoy the changes in the trees, and huddle up to the fireplace, preferably with a bowl of soup. Soups and hot beverages are some of my favorite parts of this season. Last month, I showed you how to make and serve the Anderfels drink, Nordbotten Fruit Stew, from World of Thedas Vol. 2. I illustrated how to serve it cold for summer and hot for fall. This month, in anticipation of colder temperatures and longer, darker nights, I made up World of Thedas' Butter Soup. 

This deliciously wholesome soup lives up to its description:

"This is a simple, tasty soup that is both inexpensive and easy to make."

Ultimately though, this kitchen mage made plans to level this cooking quest up from its bare-bone basics. There are a few ways this soup can be served to satisfy any soup-lovers pallet. 

To start, I gathered my ingredients: potatoes, half of one yellow onion, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, salt and pepper, coconut milk, vegan butter, large elbow macaroni, Not-Chicken Broth cubes, and green onions. Not pictured: arrowroot, Bac'n Pieces and vegan sour cream. The full recipe and serving suggestions are listed below.

Image Description: An assembly of Butter Soup ingredients arranged aesthetically on a clean, white dish towel accented with rainbow stripes. 

This soup starts as all good recipes do: with chopped onions cooked in oil.

Image Description: Chopped white onion resting on a well-worn teak cutting board.

Once onions are slightly golden, I stirred in seasonings and spices. I allowed everything to heat through for 2-4 minutes.

Image Description: Slightly golden chopped onion stirred with salt, pepper, cinnamon stick and bay leaves in a
well-worn, ceramic pot.

Then I added the potatoes, water and broth cubes.

Image Description: A close-up of diced potatoes, cooked, chopped onions, and a cinnamon stick.

I placed a cover on the pot and brought it to a boil, then simmered it down. While the potatoes cooked, I prepared my pasta. The Butter Soup recipe has frustratingly scant flavor and texture details. So the choice of pasta is yours to make. I chose large elbow macaroni because I had it in my pantry and I must say I liked it considerably. I highly recommend it. Other pastas that work well in soups with chopped vegetables include farfalle, penne, rigatoni, and ziti. This soup can be blended to make a creamier soup. If blending, use large elbow macaroni or rigatoni.

Image Description: A white colander filled with cooked large elbow macaroni over a sink in evening sunlight.

Once potatoes and pasta were cooked, I combined them with the vegan butter, Not-Chicken Broth, and coconut milk. I found I added too much coconut milk so I have some suggestions for adjusting the amount listed below in the full recipe below.

Image Description: A large, heavy bottomed, black pot with cooked Butter Soup and a white ladle.

To help the soup thicken, I added some arrowroot. Corn starch can also be used, but I prefer the silky texture that arrowroot provides.

Image Description: A tablespoon of water poured into a small, white ingredients bowl holding arrowroot powder.

And done!

Image Description: A ladle full of cooked potato dices and cooked pasta over a backdrop of hot, yellow Butter Soup.

Simple, inexpensive, and thoroughly delicious.

Image Description: A white bowl filled with Butter Soup, garnished with chopped green onion and fresh cracked
black pepper.

You can enjoy Butter Soup with whole vegetables and pasta if you are in the mood to dine with Charter and Scout Harding. If you want to dine with Vivienne and Dorian, though, we need to bring this recipe to the next level.

As stated above, this is a soup that can be blended into a creamier concoction. A standing blender or an immersion blender work well for the job. And then you can garnish with green onions, Bac'n Pieces (or Bacon Bits - yes they are vegan) and additional salt and pepper to your liking.

Image Description: A white bowl of blended Butter Soup, garnished with vegan sour cream, chopped green onion
and fresh cracked black pepper.

I hope you give this hot and filling Thedosian soup a try!


Butter Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yields: 12-14 services

Ingredients:
10 cups water
4 large potatoes, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 Not-Chicken Broth cubes
8 ounces large elbow macaroni or pasta of your choice (see recommendations above)
7-13 ounces full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup vegan butter
2 tablespoons arrowroot and 2 tablespoons water

Garnish:
Green onions, chopped
Bac'n Pieces
Vegan sour cream


Directions:
Add one tablespoon of vegan butter to a large, heavy bottomed cooking pot and melt over medium heat. Add onions and stir. Cook until slightly golden brown. Add spices and seasonings, allow to cook another 2 to 4 minutes or until fragrant. Add potatoes, water and broth cubes. Stir well. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, prepare pasta according to package instructions. Once potatoes are cooked, add cooked and drained pasta, the remaining vegan butter, and coconut milk. Stir gently over low heat until butter and milk are well mixed. If serving whole, add 7-8 ounces of coconut milk. If blending, add 10-13 ounces of coconut milk.

Remove pot from heat. Add arrowroot and water to a small bowl and stir gently. Then add arrowroot mixture to soup, stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.


To Serve:
Ladle cooked soup into bowls or soup cups, garnish with your choice of Bac'n Pieces, vegan sour cream, chopped green onion and/or salt and fresh cracked black pepper. And serve!

To blend, add soup to a blender in batches. Blend thoroughly. If using an immersion blender, blend soup in pot. Ladle creamy soup into bowls or soup cups, garnish with your choice of Bac'n Pieces, vegan sour cream, chopped green onion and/or salt and fresh cracked black pepper. And serve!

Store soup in an airtight container in refrigerator. Soup will keep, blended or whole, for 5-7 days. For longer storage, store soup in an airtight container in freezer. Soup will keep for 2-3 weeks. To thaw, set in refrigerator overnight, or defrost in microwave. Then add to a cooking pot, heat through over medium-low heat and serve.


If you make and enjoy this wholesome soup or try out any of my other Dragon Age-themed recipes, please post and share pictures on social media. Use the hashtag (#)FoodsofThedas!

Walk always in the Maker's light.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month (mostly). 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 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, @foodsofthedas.


Foods of Thedas, formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

_

Source:

Dragon Age: World of Thedas Volume 2. www.darkhorse.com/Books/22-389/Dragon-Age-The-World-of-Thedas-Volume-2-HC
_

Entry 30: Foods of Thedas - Nordbotten Fruit Stew

Image Description: Two tall glasses of Nordbotten Fruit Stew wwith orange wedges and ice on a wooden cutting board.

Summer's end is here so let's make some celebratory drinks while we can!

For much of this year, I have focused my recipe content on person creations or adaptions of recipes I love but this will now change. For the rest of the year, blog entries will feature real Dragon Age food. Dragon Age: World of Thedas Book Volume 2 has within it a unique cookbook, real recipes made for Dragon Age and in turn for us, the fans.

Image Description: Bulk dried fruits, a small scale, and a bag of sugar.

This month's recipe from Thedas is an Anders beverage. Nordbotten Fruit Stew is a sweet, rare specialty drink of the Anderfels. It is largely made from rehydrating dried fruit with some spice and citrus. It is one of the easiest recipes I have had the pleasure of putting together. And there are a few different ways to serve and store this delicious concoction.

As usual I adapted this recipe to what I had available and to my tastes. The changes from the original recipe are slight so call it a regional difference. This is how Skyhold makes Nordbotten Fruit Stew! Or punch. Or juice. You'll see in the pictures. Or you can scroll all the way down for the full recipe.

Nordbotten Fruit Stew's taste is uniquely fruity, like the perfect spicy, warming blend of the flavors of summer and fall. It's refreshing when chilled and served with ice, and wholesome when enjoyed hot from a mug or tea cup. This is an excellent recipe for hazy end-of-summer parties or for cozier fall get-togethers.

To start, I set out my ingredients: dried apricots, prunes, raisins, dried cranberries, white sugar, an orange and a cinnamon stick.  I chose to weigh my dried fruit as measuring bulkier goods by volume can be inaccurate. The exact weight measurements are listed in the recipe below.

Image Description: From top left, clockwise - a bowl of dried apricots on a scale, next with cranberries, then prunes, and then raisins. 

Then I added everything except the sugar to a large pot...

Image Description: Dried fruit in a large pot with a sliced orange and cinnamon stick arranged like a flower.

And added ten cups of water.

Image Description: Dried fruit rehydrated in a large pot with a sliced orange and cinnamon stick mixed, and water.

This next part is the easiest: cover and set aside for 4 hours. (I wish I could say I played Dragon Age for 4 hours while the fruit rehydrated but alas my life has been busy in other ways.)

After 4 hours, I stirred in the sugar and brought the pot to a gentle boil.

Image Description: A cup of sugar with a bag of sugar in the background.

Once boiling, I reduced heat to simmer for about 10 minutes, covered, and stirred occasionally.

Image Description: Simmering, steaming Nordbotten Fruit Stew stirred with a wooden spoon.

I painstakingly waited another 10 minutes to allow the stew to rest, then served myself a tea cup of this aromatic, flavorful delight.

Image Description: An elegant tea cup of steaming fruit stew.

And then waited about hour for the stew to cool before transferring to a pitcher. At this stage, I explored different ways to serve and keep the stew. Scroll down for full serving directions.

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher.

I let the stew chill overnight to allow it to cool thoroughly. As a punch, you can simply pour or ladle the stew into a punch bowl and serve after chilling.

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher posed next to two tall glasses, filled with ice, on a wooden cutting
board with a sliced orange.

From the pitcher with fruit remaining, I used a small, metal strainer to pour a glass over ice without fruit bits or pulp. I also poured myself a glass with fruit just for fun.

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher poured into a metal strainer on a tall glass.

Ta-da!

Image Description: Chilled fruit stew in a pitcher posed next to two tall full glasses, rimmed with orange halves,
on a wooden cutting board.

To drain into a juice, use a funnel, a square of cheesecloth, a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid, and lots of patience.

Image Description: A wooden spoon carefully scooping chilled fruit stew from a pitcher onto a cheesecloth strainer.

And you can cut a larger square of cheesecloth to squeeze juice from the rehydrated fruit into a bowl...

Image Description: A large cheesecloth square laid over a large, metal strainer fixed to a metal bowl and filled with rehydrated fruit.

And then use a fine strainer or fresh cheesecloth to drain into the bottle or jar.

Image Description: Top - A full small metal strainer over a small funnel.
Bottom - A drained small metal strainer over a small funnel.

I got about 12 servings out of this strained bottle of delicious Nordbotten Fruit Stew. And the whole process of getting to this end point was a lot of fun. 

Image Description: A full, sealed bottle of Nordbotten Fruit juice on a wooden
cutting board with a sliced orange in the lower foreground. 

I hope you give this truly Thedosian treat a try!

Nordbotten Fruit Stew:

Ingredients:

8 ounces dried apricots

4 ounces dried prunes

4 ounces raisins

8 ounces dried cranberries

1 orange, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

10 cups water

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brandy (optional)

Directions:

Place dried fruit, orange, and cinnamon stick into a large cooking pot. Add water, cover and set aside for four hours. 

Once fruit is relatively rehydrated, add sugar and stir. Place pot on stove and bring to a boil over high heat. Keep covered, stir sparingly. 

Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and stir. Allow to cook covered for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir once more. Allow stew to cool slightly (if adding brandy, stir in now). Ladle into tea cups to serve warm, include fruit if desired; or chill overnight in refrigerator before serving cold.

For serving cold:

Stew from a pitcher - pour into a tall glass over ice. To exclude fruit and pulp, place a metal strainer over a glass and pour fruit stew over ice. Chilled Nordbotten Fruit stew will remain for 3 to 4 days.

Fruit punch - Pour chilled stew into a large punch bowl with ladles. To keep cold for a prolonged period, add ice to a very large metal bowl, then place punch bowl in ice. Nordbotten Fruit punch will remain fresh for 6-8 hours. 

Fruit juice - Using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and a funnel, pour stew into a bottle or tall jar with a tight-fitting lid. Press or squeeze excess stew from rehydrated fruit with a fresh square of cheesecloth into a bowl, then using a fresh strainer, pour excess into bottle or jar. Seal bottle or jar and return to refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Serve in juice glasses or low ball glasses with ice if desired. Nordbotten Fruit juice will remain fresh for 5 to 7 days. 

Image Description: A nearly empty tall glass of Nordbotten Fruit Stew, a sliced orange,
and full bottle of juice on a wooden cutting board.

If you make and enjoy this amazingly delicious Nordbotten Fruit Stew or try out any of my recipes, please share pictures on social media and use the hashtag (#)FoodsofThedas.

Walk always in the Maker's light.


Like what you are reading? Great! Come back for a new entry on the third Thursday of each month (mostly). 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 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, @foodsofthedas.


Foods of Thedas, formerly Gourmet Vegan Thedas.

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Source:

Dragon Age: World of Thedas Volume 2. www.darkhorse.com/Books/22-389/Dragon-Age-The-World-of-Thedas-Volume-2-HC
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