Gourmet Gaming

I love to play video games and I love to eat. Preferably at the same time. What's even better is eating the food from the game I'm playing while I'm playing it. Gourmet Gaming is updated every Wednesday. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-30172097-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

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This Christmas I received the most incredible gift from my partner's brother, Mark. 

Mark owns and runs the London based 3D design agency Chalk. Studios, and his gift to me was this beautiful 3D model of my very own Gourmet Gaming logo! 

Chalk. Studios | Facebook | Twitter

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Merry Christmas to all our Gourmet Gaming fans! We hope you have a great holiday whatever you're up to!

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Gourmet Gaming 'Game of the Year' 2014

Here at Gourmet Gaming we take a unique perspective on video games. Sometimes we're more concerned with consumables and medkits than frame rate, and we're proud of it. Tired of the same old games appearing on Game of the Year lists for the same old reasons? Then the Gourmet Gaming Game of the Year 2014 is for you! 

1. Best Food of 2014: I Am Bread

“Man shall not live by bread alone” my butt. Who doesn’t like bread? Seriously? I’m allergic to dairy, but if I had a problem with wheat or gluten I’m not sure I could go on. No bread, no pasta, no cakes - you guys are the real heroes.

2. Worst Food of 2014: Oddworld: New’n’Tasty

Gourmet Gaming does not advocate nor recommend the consumption of Mudokons or Mudokon by-products. Especially not in all new glorious HD.

3. Best in-game coffee chain: D4 - “Cafe Swery 65”

If there’s one thing we know about Swery, the creator of the incredible Deadly Premonition and D4, it’s that this man likes to eat. Follow him on Twitter or Instagram for endless food and drink pictures as Swery eats his way from gaming convention to gaming convention (while somehow remaining a perfectly normal size). 

We’d much rather visit the Cafe Swery 65 for our caffeine fix than a Starbucks any day. You could probably pick up a Sinner’s Sandwich while you’re there, or maybe even some The Pickles. 

4. Best “Seinfeld” episode: Alien:Isolation - “The Alien”

There’s no denying it. The ship in Alien: Isolation has a cereal collection Jerry Seinfeld would be jealous of. They’re even all contained in automatic cereal dispensers of the future (science finally got it’s priorities straight). In fact, one can’t help but feel the entire premise of Alien: Isolation is pretty much an episode of Seinfeld. There’s definitely a case of “Hello, Newman” any time that xenomorph shows it’s face.

Make sure to keep an eye out for a Superman Easter egg (we’re pretty sure you’ll find one). Totally.

5. Best chef: Trevor Philips - Grand Theft Auto V

Bet you thought I was going to make a meth joke - too bad! I’m here to applaud Trevor Philips for his inspired fusion culinary skills. Foreskins AND eyelids? In the same bowl?! The man is a genius. The employees at Trevor Philips Industries headquarters are certainly being spoiled, it’s like a Ferrero Roche advert in there. Leftovers? Save some for me.

6. Best game to play while eating: Super Smash Bros. Wii U

I literally can't imagine anything more frustrating. I suck at Super Smash Bros., but at least when I lose (aka fall off the stage after struggling to jump for the last 10 minutes) I'll have a cupcake at hand to smush in the face of my opponent before storming out of the room.

7. Best Free-gan: Booker DeWitt - Bioshock: Infinite Complete Edition

Did you know Bioshock: Infinite is actually the world’s first Free-gan simulator? 

Save the girl, wipe away the debt, yada-yada-yada - embrace the anti-consumerist ideology by picking up abandoned food throughout Columbia, foraging in bins for birthday cakes and beans. Booker DeWitt is a man of morals and morsels.

8. Best diet game: Dark Souls II

Looking to lose some weight? Forget to eat by getting entirely absorbed by the Dark Souls II diet system from From Software. Dark Souls II increases your chances of success by being a game you can’t pause, and allowing other players to invade your game at their very whim. Add a combat system that demands acute response time and involvement, with a detrimental penalty for death in cases of failure, and you’re sure to be in your size 000 pants in no time.

9. Best worst advertisement for an energy drink: Sunset Overdrive - Over Charge Delirium XT

A product that causes it’s consumers to turn into mindless, rage-filled creatures? Gaming allegory, anyone?

Games and energy drinks have long been intertwined. Is Sunset Overdrive the industry’s attempt to break gamers free from the shackles of the “gamer fuel” and “triangular corn snacks” identity? If so - give us a call.

10. Best use of food as positive reinforcement: Super Time Force

Rescuing fellow heroes, retrying over and over and over again, time travelling through TIME to save the world? I did it all for the cookie.

11. Most anticipated food of 2015: Bloodborne

“Blood Vials” and “Foul Smelling Pills” are the only two restorative items that populate the Bloodborne Wikia right now, but a combat system without blocking means there’s sure to be a wealth of consumables.

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Dreamfall: The Longest Journey - Mulled Wine

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey is a game I’ve only briefly encountered. A few years ago I began playing it during my annual winter desire for point and click adventures, but believe I abandoned it to play Dracula: Origins. I hear wonderful things though, and this recipe for Mulled Wine has definitely encouraged me to finally play it. 

Apparently, Mulled Wine is a speciality of Benrime's at the Journeyman Inn, and is traditionally served at the Arcadian celebration of the Winter Solstice with roast gipa.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 2-4.

Simply double (or even triple) the quantities below if you want to make a bigger batch.

What you will need: A pot, a peeler and a sieve.

Ingredients:

375ml / 1¾ Cup Red Wine

½ Lemon Peel

1 Orange Peel

4 Cloves

1 Cinnamon Stick

¼ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg

35g / ⅛ Cup Golden Caster Sugar

40g / ¼ Cup Molasses Sugar

2 Tablespoons Honey

35ml / 1.2 fl oz. Apricot Brandy

Making the Mulled Wine:

Add the Caster Sugar and Molasses to a saucepan. Add the Lemon and Orange Peel, the Cloves, Cinnamon Stick and some freshly Grated Nutmeg. Pour over 55ml / ¼ Cup of the Red Wine.

Bring the mixture to the boil on a medium heat, and allow the liquid to simmer for 5 minutes, or until it begins to thicken slightly.

Reduce the heat to low and add the rest of the wine. Warm the wine through, then strain and serve with slices of Orange.

This recipe is really incredibly easy to put together, and doesn’t take very long at all. I’m not normally too big a fan of mulled wine, but during my research I discovered creating a sugar syrup base is the key to perfection. Sweet and warming, with a bit of a kick, this is the perfect drink to settle in with, over Winter Solstice or Christmas.

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Game Masters: The Exhibition at The National Museum Scotland

The Game Masters exhibition, originally created by the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, has made it’s way to Scotland - the very country where, what is now officially the world’s most successfully video game, Grand Theft Auto, is created. 

Opening on December 5th at the National Museum, I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the preview.

The exhibition caters to a wide range of gamers, and gaming tastes. From the old school, to the well loved classics, obscure favourites and MMOs. There are even Singstar and Rockband booths, as well as a Dance Central “arena”.  There’s definitely something for everyone here to enjoy, from kids to core to casual, with details appealing to those simply with an interest in game design or art.

Starting with the Arcade Heroes, the exhibition moves through the timeline and genres of gaming.  Arcade highlights include Elevator Action, which I assure you is a somewhat accurate description of the game, and Robotron which is, quite frankly, an absolute acid trip.

With Game Masters making its way to Scotland, it features a welcome nod to the institution of Scottish games with a retrospective of DMA, the Dundee based studio responsible for the acclaimed title Lemmings. DMA would later develop Grand Theft Auto, and ultimately form Edinburgh based studio giant, Rockstar North.

There is an obviously vast array of Nintendo classics including Super Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda, as well as a selection of the many incarnations of Sonic the Hedgehog which, as a Mega Drive owner in my childhood, brought back a million 3AM memories.

Fumito Ueda, designer of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, receives his own dedicated display which I was delighted to see. There are some beautiful original concepts on show and both games are available to play, though sadly not in their HD re-releases.

Well known designers and contributors who have helped to define gaming receive their own honorary area, including work and wise words from the likes of Tim Schafer and Will Wright. Flipping through a copy of Will Wright's Sims design notebook, I was humbled to see a page which contained nothing but a tiny, crude drawing of a house blueprint, broken into a grid - I make the exact same drawings when designing my homes in The Sims.

Big names and big titles are one thing, but the finely curated selection of indie games and studios that fill the final hall are wonderful. It’s a real showcase of the variety of games, and ways to play we have today. Video games have simply never been more accessible, to both those looking to create and those looking to play. Video games, and how we play them, are constantly evolving and progressing.

The Game Masters exhibition is a testament to the fact that video games have finally found their place in a museum, as an expression of our culture, art and humanity.

Game Masters runs from 5 December 2014 - 20 April 2015. Tickets cost £10(£8).

A Game Masters Museum Lates event takes place on 13 February 2015.

The full list of playable games is available here.

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Costume Quest - Barf Roll-Ups

With Gourmet Gaming's first Halloween several years ago we held a vote for which Costume Quest Creepy Treats we should recreate - the winners at the time were the Pizza Sundae, the Mossy Log and the Choconana. With the release of Costume Quest 2 we felt it was only right we pick one of the runner ups of that vote as part of our current seasonal posts! Stealthily healthy and super sour, Barf Roll-Ups have Halloween covered.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe makes 8-10 roll-ups.

What you will need: A baking tray, silicon coated baking paper, a pot, a blender, a spatula and a sharp knife.

Ingredients:

250g / 2 Cups Fresh Chopped Pineapple

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice

55g / ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar

Green Food Colouring (Gel/Sugar Based)

2 Packets Sour Cherry Pop-Rocks

Making the Barf Roll Ups:

Line a baking tray with silicon coated baking paper. Blend together the Pineapple, Sugar, Lemon Juice and Green Colouring until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a pot and on a medium high heat, bring it to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer the mixture until it's reduced, and thick. This will take about an hour, and a lot of stirring.

Preheat the oven to 75C/170F. Pour the mixture onto the preprepared baking tray and spread evenly. Place the tray in the oven and forget about it for 5-8 hours. Yes, that long.

The mixture is ready when it's no longer soft to the touch, and just a little sticky. Turn the oven off and leave the tray in the oven until the oven has cooled completely.

Once cooled, remove the tray from the oven and carefully peel the baking paper from the roll-up. Next, slice the mixture evenly lengthways into strips, and then halve the strips.

Sprinkle some pop-rocks over the strips (you can sprinkle on both sides if you like), then roll them up. For storage, roll them around a strip of baking paper.

These took forever to make, in a zero effort kind of way. And as someone who can handle my sour, these were sour to me, so you have been warned! It's great to know how easy it is to make fun and semi-healthy roll-ups. Experiment with adding different fruits and candy toppings!

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Don't Starve - Pumpkin Cookie

It's October! My favourite month! The colours, the light, the food, Halloween and of course - pumpkins. October sees a month of seasonal recipes from a selection of scary games on Gourmet Gaming. I've held off doing a Don't Starve post until now, as with all the amazing looking dishes available, Pumpkin Cookies were a clear winner. 

Lightly spiced, soft and sweet these cookies are sure to warm you on a dark Autumn evening, keep the monsters at bay and most importantly restore you sanity.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe makes 30-35 cookies.

What you will need: A large pot, a baking tray, 2 large bowl, a sieve, a cookie sheet.

For the Honeycomb:

2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup

100g / ½ Cup Sugar

1½ Teaspoons Baking/Bicarbonate Soda

For the Pumpkin Cookies:

250g / 2 Cups Plain Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking/Bicarbonate Soda

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

½  Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

½  Teaspoon Ground Cloves

½  Teaspoon Salt

180g / 1½ Cups Rolled Oats

200g / 1 Cup Butter

60g / ¼ Cup Molasses Sugar

165g / ¾ Cup Light Brown Caster Sugar

110g / ½ Cup Sugar

3 Tablespoons Honey

1 Egg Yolk

150g / ¾ Cup Canned Pumpkin

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

100g / 1 Cup Raisins

Making the Honeycomb:

Grease a large non-stick baking tray or tin. In a large pot, add the Sugar and Golden Syrup and bring to the boil on a medium heat. Once the mixture is bubbling, turn the heat down low.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes, then add the Baking/Bicarbonate Soda. Stir it in quickly, the mixture will puff up, then pour it out into the pre-prepared greased tray. 

Allow the mixture to cool and set before breaking up and crushing gently.

Making the Pumpkin Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Sieve the Flour, Spices, Bicarbonate/Baking Soda and Salt together into a bowl. Add the oats and mix.

Melt the Butter. In a separate bowl, beat together the melted Butter, Molasses, Light Brown and Granulated Sugar until smooth. Add the Egg Yolk and mix well.

Add the Canned Pumpkin and Vanilla Extract to the Sugar and Butter mixture and stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients and Raisins to the batter and mix.

Use a good tablespoon of dough per cookie and space them well on a cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 14 minutes. Once golden, remove the cookies from the oven.

While the cookies are still warm, press a few pieces of the crushed Honeycomb into the top of each cookie. Once cooled, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely before serving.

Creating this recipe (and eating an abhorrent amount of cookies) has made me even more desperate to get to play Don't Starve. A survival game about eating and making food? This sounds like it was made for me.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Super Time Force - Cookie.

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Day 1 - Thursday

Breakfast: Egg, Bean & Mushroom Hotpot, Chocolate Croissant, Latte @ EAT

An early morning flight on 3 hours sleep called for a warm breakfast followed by breakfast dessert of a chocolate croissant and a latte. I was worried about when I’d next get to eat so I loaded up. I made a mess of the croissant as usual, creating a rain of pastry. I contemplated picking up the lost flakes of pastry off the table, but thought better of it. I regretted the decision the moment I got on the plane.

Snack: Nuts

Rounding up everyone for lunch was like herding cats. I resorted to some nuts I had brought with me for such a situation. It stopped me from eating my own hand, which I obviously needed for a weekend of gaming.

Lunch: Veggie Burger & Fries @ Nando’s

A few weeks ago I made my first ever trip to a Nando’s, I didn’t even think they provided anything but chicken but it turns out they have a pretty good vegetarian selection. I ordered the medium veggie burger with fries. When the dish arrived, and the waitress called it out, the words “that’s not chicken” were loudly announced by a member of our table. The restaurant turned to stare at the vegetarian, like I was there to rescue all the chickens from their mouths. Insensitive comments about my dietary choices were made. The burger was good.

Dinner: Nothing

I was impossibly full from a late lunch and then standing. While everyone else opted for a pub dinner, including a bowl of mashed potato formed into a phallus, I was suddenly pleased I’d decided not to eat. On our way to the pub I did see the world’s smallest bunch of bananas in a grocers, and this delighted me greatly. So much so I made a Cards Against Humanity card about them.

Day 2 - Friday

Breakfast: Muesli

The Kensington flat we rented for the weekend provided free cereal. I usually eat granola every day, so muesli seemed like a good replacement. There were a lot of flame raisins and chewing them made my jaw sore.

Lunch: Veggie Burger & Fries @ Byron Burger

Are you noticing a trend? I could happily eat burger and fries every day, and I almost got away with it too. Byron is a beautiful proper burger joint, and their veggie option was a classic portabello mushroom and goats cheese offering. Their fries were exceedingly good. Lunch was almost a write off when we discovered they were out of onion rings, but we survived. The owner sat at our table to split our bill for us when we were taking too long. It was a weird experience. But I forgave him as a provider of tasty burgers.

Snack: Skittles

I had a sudden desire for Skittles. D needed bandaids for his finger so we went to Boots. People questioned whether or not Boots, a pharmacy, would have Skittles. “Of course they will”, I said, “they’re a health food.”

Boots had Skittles. I refused to share. And mourned when I dropped a precious red one in the line for Alien: Isolation.

Dinner: Soft-shell Crab, Grilled Prawns, Thai Green Curry, Steamed Rice and Iced Black Tea with Lemon @ Addie’s Thai

Firstly, my iced tea was delicious. Everyone else foolishly opted for beer, and conversation swiftly moved to moon cups where we destroyed the dining experience for everyone within ear-shot. After D's failed attempt to get everyone to share a selection of dishes, myself and D chose 3 dishes to share between us. We cannot go to a restaurant that has soft-shell crab and not order the soft-shell crab, which was in the most amazing dry onion and curry sauce. The grilled prawns were butterflied and cooked to perfection, while the green curry was sweet and fragrant. It was genuinely some of the best Thai I’d ever had, and I’m glad I squeezed it in.

Day 3 - Saturday

Breakfast: Muesli

A creature of habit, I opted for muesli again. The same chewing occurred. I thought about pastries and was sad I didn’t have a coffee the size of my head. I thought about the Thai from the night before.

Lunch: Foxe’s Fruit Glacier, Roasted Carrot & Fennel, Feta Wrap with Harissa Hummus @ Crussh

Originally, I was told it would be at least another hour until lunch. We played Olli Olli 2 and I decided to eat my last Foxe’s fruit glacier I had pocketed which came with our bill from the meal at Addie’s Thai. Within 5 minutes the plan changed and everyone decided to go to the Pizza Express in Earl’s Court “as per tradition”. I saved my fruit glacier for later. Everything at Pizza Express had meat on it, and I can’t really eat too much cheese so I wandered to Crussh which had a surprising selection of lovely fresh foods not swimming in grease. I went for the carrot and feta wrap, and returned to Pizza Express where I sneaked my lunch in to sit with my friends. I ate my wrap and attracted guilty stares from pizza munchers. Everyone got dough balls, and I thought about the time I ate 20 dough balls, a pizza, and a slice of double chocolate cake on my first Pizza Express trip as a child, after which we went to see Independence Day and I was scared of the Aliens and the sheer amount of dough I had consumed only added to the horror.

I ate the rest of my fruit glacier for dessert.

Dinner: Innocent Veg Pot Rendang Noodles with Prawns, Coconut Macaroons, Nakd Cocoa Bits

It was decided that due to the fact we were going to the EGX afterparty at Namco Funscape that we should pick something quick up at the Tesco for dinner and eat at home. Myself and D went light with an Innocent veg noodle pot and added some prawns, D got chocolate eclairs for dessert and out of jealously and desperation I finally settled on some chocolate coconut macaroons and Nakd cocoa bits which were on offer. When we got home, food didn’t happen right away so I ate most of the Nakd cocoa bits to keep my 'hanger' at bay. Eventually I caved and cooked the noodles as I became too hungry. I ate alone before everyone else. I had a chocolate coconut macaroon and a cup of tea after, and decided that wasn’t the best dessert. I envied the chocolate eclair even more.

Day 4 - Sunday

Breakfast: Porridge and Latte @ Starbuck’s

After attending EGX in the morning, and by attending I mean waiting on the sofas by DOTA, or the “Dofas” as they became known, for the others to arrive, the queues were just too big and we had afternoon plans. We decided to leave and find breakfast. It was surprising how small and obviously packed all the cafes were along Earl’s Court so we had to resort to a Starbucks. I was left with the only option of porridge and a latte, which was rather decent though I somehow managed to get honey all down my t-shirt and had to change in the disabled bathroom. 

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The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask - Chateau Romani

In the very early, naive days of Gourmet Gaming I created a less than inspired Lon-Lon Milk cocktail which prompted my very first wave of complaints. "Lon-Lon Milk is just milk!", "Alcoholic milk is Chateau Romani!" you all cried, and I listened. My limited Zelda knowledge (as far as I'm concerned the best Zelda game is Link's Awakening) and my desire for a milky drink for my party left me embarrassed among my peers, so I thought it was about time I set things straight. Milky, nutty, spiced, sweet and sharp, this Chateau Romani is sure to restore all your hearts and boost your magic, so get your Rupees ready.

Chateau Romani label by txuspeKH on DeviantArt - I was going to make my own but this one was perfect already!

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 2.

What you will need: A cocktail shaker, a fine grater.

Ingredients:

200ml/6.5 fl oz. Sweetened Almond Milk

100ml/3.5 fl oz. Milk

30ml/1 fl oz. Fresh Espresso

35ml/1.2 fl oz. Amaretto 

30ml/1 fl oz. Morgan Spiced Rum

30ml/1 fl oz. Licor 43 - Cuarenta Y Tres

30ml/1 fl oz. Sugar Syrup

35ml/1.2 fl oz. Fresh Cream

Whole Nutmeg

Ice

Making the Chateau Romani:

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with the Ice and shake well until chilled. 

Strain the drink into a jar and garnish with some freshly grated nutmeg.

"It seems that drinking Chateau Romani makes your magic power last for three days..." Proof of Membership is required for this incredibly alcoholic yet seemingly innocent tasting vintage milk - I can assure you the properties of this interpretation are also potent. The combination of sweet and spiced liquors gives this chilled drink a warming kick. I like to think of it as a Romani Ranch White Russian.

Like this? You might also enjoy The Legend of Zelda - Red Potion.

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The Sims - Autumn Salad

Gourmet Gaming has a long standing affection for The Sims. As a young teen with my cousin planning our amazing apartment we were going to live in and the parties we were going to throw (as if), to the creepier end of the spectrum of trying to figure out what my children may look like with the various people I may had considered future partners, and creating scale replicas of every home I've ever lived in (this is what you do when you study architecture for 4 years). I'll admit to even being a Sims-Snob, looking down on those who remove ladders from pools or create doorless rooms. If there's one food that's been consistent across every incarnation of the games, it's the Autumn Salad. Given the Autumnal launch date for The Sims 4, I think it's only fitting we give a seasonal twist to the first post of September.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 2-4.

What you will need: A griddle pan and a large bowl.

Ingredients: 1 Aubergine 1 Courgette/Zucchini 2 Bell Peppers (Red, Yellow or Orange) Chicory 1 Red Onion (Sliced) Piccolo Tomatoes on the Vine Tender Baby Salad Leaves Baby Gem Lettuce Fresh Herbs:

Coriander/Cilantro

Parsley

Chives

Salt & Pepper Olive Oil

For the Salad Dressing: 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Tablespoon Wholegrain Mustard 1 Tablespoon Honey 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar Salt & Pepper

Making the Salad Dressing:

Combine the Olive Oil, Wholegrain Mustard, Honey and White Wine Vinegar, seasoning with Salt & Pepper to taste. Whisk the mixture until well combined.

Preparing the Vegetables:

Warm the griddle pan on a medium heat. Thinly slice the Aubergine, Courgette and Bell Peppers. Lightly coat the vegetables with a little olive oil.

Once the griddle pan is warm, lay the vegetables on the pan in an single layer - you may have to do this multiple times to grill all the vegetables depending on the size of your griddle pan. Grill both sides of the vegetables, flipping them once done.

Chop the Chicory into 4 wedges and lightly grill until seared.

Making the Autumn Salad:

In a large bowl, combine the Tender Baby Salad with the torn Baby Gem Lettuce. Add the grilled Aubergine, Courgette, Bell Peppers and Chicory.

Add the Piccolo Tomatoes and sliced Red Onion, as well as the Fresh Herbs. Pour the Dressing over the salad and mix well, or keep it on the side to add individually after serving.

This salad is full of flavour from the grilled vegetables, contrasted with the sharp herbs and sweet kick of the honey-mustard dressing. It can be eaten as a stand-alone meal, or portioned up to go alongside grilled chicken or halloumi. You can see why so many vegetarian Sims get the Warm Fuzzies after eating this classic dish.  

Like this? You might also enjoy The Sims - Goopy Carbonara.

[gourmetgaming]

Alan Wake – Dreamy Cherry Pie & Drowning in Darkness Coffee

I'm a long time David Lynch fan, and surprisingly Lynch is probably one the biggest influences on videogames, and in particular, the survival horror genre. I've waited almost 10 years for a definitive edition of Twin Peaks to be released, and now it's finally available on Bluray. Coincidentally, being a David Lynch fan means being a fan of cherry pie, and damn fine coffee. Pie and coffee crop up as homage to Lynch in numerous survival horror games, but the most iconic for me is the Dreamy Cherry Pie available at Triple D's Oh Deer Diner in Brightfalls, from the vastly underrated Alan Wake. Served with a blacker than black Drowning in Darkness Coffee, of course.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 8.

What you will need: A 9-inch pie dish, a cherry pitter (or a small sharp knife) cling-film, a pastry brush, a grater, a large pan, a sieve, a mixing bowl and cling-film/saran-wrap.

For the Pastry:

350g / 2¾ Cups Plain Flour

1 Teaspoon Salt

30g / ⅛ Cups Light Brown Sugar

225g / 1⅛ Cups Unsalted Cold Butter

30-60ml / ⅛ -⅓ Cup Cold Water

1 Small Egg

1 Tablespoon Milk

Granulated Sugar

For the Filling:

1kg / 35oz. Fresh Cherries

100g / ½ Cup Caster/Superfine Sugar

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 Vanilla Pod

2 Tablespoons Cornflour

Juice of Half a Lemon

3 Tablespoons Ground Almonds

Making the Pastry:

In a large bowl sieve in the Flour, Salt, Sugar and mix. Cut the Butter into chunks and add them to the flour mixture. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles crumbs.

Add the Water gradually and mix very gently until a smooth dough begins to form - you wont need all the liquid.

Lay some cling-film on your work surface and turn the pastry out onto it. Form the pastry into a ball, split it in half and then wrap each portion in some cling-film. Place in the fridge for an hour.

After an hour - lay a large piece of cling-film on a clean counter. Remove one of the pastry portions and place it in the middle of the sheet. Lay another equally sized piece of cling-film over the top and roll out the pastry (always roll pastry from the centre out) - using the cling-film like this will stop the dough from sticking to anything.

Once the desired size and an even thickness, remove the top layer of cling-film. Pick up the dough using the cling-film underneath and swiftly flip it over onto the pie dish - cover with cling film and return to the fridge to chill.

Do the same with the second piece of dough, but instead, once rolled out keep it covered with the cling film and transfer it to a flat baking tray and then pop it back in the fridge - this piece will be your pie crust.

Preparing the Filling:

Using a cherry pitter (or a knife and a lot of patience), remove the stones and stalks from the cherries. Transfer the pitted cherries to a large pan, and add the Caster Sugar, Lemon Zest, and Vanilla Pod.

On a medium-high heat, cook the cherries until softened and juices have appeared. Remove the vanilla pod. In a small bowl, combine the Lemon Juice and Cornflour until a paste is formed.

Add the cornflour mixture to the cherries and mix well. Preheat the oven to 175C/350F.

Making the Dreamy Cherry Pie:

Remove the preprepared and now chilled pie dish. Remove the cling-film and cover the base of the pastry with the Ground Almonds, then pour the cooked cherries into the dish.

Take the second rolled out piece of pastry, remove the cling-film, and place it over the cherries, covering the entire top of the pie. Trim any excess pastry, then pinch the pastry together along the sides to seal it.

Beat together the Small Egg and Milk, then use a pastry brush to wash the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top of the pie with a generous amount of Granulated Sugar, then bake the pie for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.

Once cooked, allow the pie to cool before serving with a large, black Drowning in Darkness Coffee.

Sweet yet slightly tart with a crunchy sugar crust, this is a pie worth stopping for. As well as coffee, a generous scoop of vanilla ice-cream also goes down well. When eating cherry pie and drinking coffee, I believe it's customary to give thanks to Lynch for all the incredible games he has influenced – where would we be without Silent Hill (most notably the spectacular Silent Hill 2), Alan Wake, or the very game that inspired Gourmet Gaming, Deadly Premonition? The gaming world would be a little more guns, and a lot less surreal.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Silent Hill – Butter Cake.

[gourmetgaming]

Edinburgh Foodies Festival 2014

“Foodies Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of food & drink, returns home to Edinburgh this weekend for its biggest festival yet, transforming Inverleith Park into a culinary paradise filled with Scotland’s finest produce, street food, and culinary masters.

Having started as a small event in Edinburgh eight years ago the festival has now grown into Scotland’s most loved food and drink event, with over 200 artisan producers, pop-up restaurants, international street food and Scotland's culinary maestros for visitors to tuck into.”

Weather isn't the kindest in Edinburgh, and one might think trying to hold an outdoor food festival, even in the month of August, is a risk – and indeed it is. Summer is a day on, day off affair in Scotland, with one day of blissful sunshine being followed by a day of torrential rain, followed by a day of sunshine and so the pattern goes. Fortunately for us, Saturday was a day of sunshine. And as indicated by the rather epic queues on arrival, we thought we'd venture out to find our lunch at the Foodies Festival.

Our first stop saw us tuck into some grilled halloumi and hummus ciabatta as well as barbequed racks (and I mean racks) of beef and lamb. One man left with a plate of neolithic proportions that resembled a meal Fred Flintstone might have enjoyed.

Searching for something sweet, we turned to homemade marshmallows from Tipsy Mallows, with a peanut-butter and chocolate creation, as well as local artisan (and Stay Puft fan) The Marshmallow Lady for her Oreo cookie delights.

Jugs of Pimm's were the order of an unexpectedly sunny afternoon, despite my jealously at those wandering around with coconuts adorned with straws and cocktail umbrellas.

Lavazza handed out bags of the most adorable tiny samples of their amazing coffee (as an Italian, I put nothing else in my espresso maker) and we received bags of Walker's new Market Deli range of gourmet crisps.

We also brought home a collection of Kwan's Chinese seasonings and sauces, a regular stop on the Foodie Festival visit and local staple of our kitchen cupboard.

Our final stop was at Heavenly Ice-Cream where I had a scoop of Equi's 'Belgian chocolate' (obviously) and 'cherry Maria'. I managed to steal a taste of the most chocolate chip laden 'mint choc-chip' I've ever seen too.  Inedible treats included an adorable puppy in a bag.

Having somehow never been to a food festival before, it was an incredible feast of foods from all cultures and kinds, with an answer for whatever you fancy. Local and international brands brought together for a delicious day of discovery, I'll definitely be back.

The Foodies Festival also offers masterclasses and presentations by famous chefs as well as a VIP treatment. If you're in the United Kingdom, the next stops are at Battersea Park and Oxford South Parks. 

[gourmetgaming]

Thank you to everyone who sent in a questions, I’ve tried my best to answer them and I hope you find it interesting! It’s always a pleasure talking with each of you.

There will be no recipe this week as I’m away on my first summer holiday in over 10 years - so the next update will be on my return at the start of August. I’ll also be attending and covering the Edinburgh Foodies Festival in August, and then I’ll be in London for EGX in September. Maybe I’ll meet some of you there!

Don’t forget, you can always follow Gourmet Gaming on Twitter or Facebook to keep up to date with my travels and happenings - there’s often tasty food pictures!

Max Reyes asked:

Tell us a little bit about the chef behind the blog!

My name is Daniella and I am a 26 year old female. I’m originally from Ireland, but I swiftly escaped and moved to London in my late teens where I studied Illustration. I soon moved to Edinburgh, where I currently live, and have worked as a digital designer and in the games industry on several big projects you might have played. I have no formal cookery training, other than an Italian mom (standard). Games have been in my life for as long as I can remember, and so has eating - I used to be pretty chubby in my younger years. I had a nap one day and dreamed of this blog, so I made it, and now you are reading this because 50,000 people decided the blog was pretty cool too. Thanks!

Clayton Foster asked:

What’s your favorite recipe of yours to make?

I pretty much learned to cook as I made things for the blog - so I regularly make quite a few of the recipes, such as Lava Cookies, Koopasta, Mac’n’Cheese and Pizza. My Portal Cake 2.0 which was my birthday cake this year is the tastiest thing I’ve eaten in a long time.

Sarah Smith asked:

What game food do you absolutely refuse to make?

I feel like making anything from Cooking Mama would be cheating! But apart from that, nothing is off limits. Not even a Slowpoke tail…

David Anderson asked:

What’s your favourite colour?

It’s probably a nice Peacock Blue or French Grey.

thatdarnrabbit asked:

What is your favorite recipe to make on a rainy day?

If it’s raining and cold, I will likely want carbs and or cheese - so I’ll usually load up on Mac’n’Cheese (one of my all time favourite foods). It should be known that I hate rain more than anything else in the world ever. Especially Edinburgh rain because it is relentless. Rain calls for anything that may possibly cancel the bad mood it brings on.

Markatansky asked:

Are there any game dishes you wish you could make but can’t because they’re not humanly possible?

There are some game dishes which are obviously harder to recreate than others, but as I learn more and more dishes seem possible. I don’t think any would be impossible. Impossible isn’t usually a word I believe it.

Anonymus asked:

Favorite childhood videogame?

My favourite game when I was kid was Mickey’s Castle of Illusion followed closely by World of Illusion on the Sega Megadrive. It was the first game I ever completed age 6 or 7, and I repeatedly played both of them. It was awesome to play the remastered version on Xbox 360, it was like reliving my childhood how I imagined it - which to be honest is the perk of HD versions or remasters of older games on newer systems.

beatcreep asked:

Whats your favorite type of cuisine to make/eat?

That’s a very difficult one because I love all food all the time, but I do like to stick to a theme when I’m making a meal. I’ve grown up with Italian food, so that comforts me the most I think. I’m weirdly quite good at cooking Asian cuisine too. Burgers. And fries. If it’s fried, I will eat it. Fried. Fried is my favourite type of cuisine to eat. It totally counts as a cuisine.

unknowableunknown asked:

What’s one food/drink you’ve tried really hard to make but just couldn’t get right? Did you ever figure it out? How did you deal with the frustration of repeated failure?

There are a lot of foods I’ve tried and failed to make, often at the last minute (funny that…) Some, I’ve figured out over time, by rethinking the process and learning from what failed. Some foods I just can’t seem to ever get right - like the Boiled Creme Tart from Skyrim. It can be very, very disheartening and depressing - as with all failure. But how you deal with failure is what’s important, not whether or not you’ve failed. I just refuse to give up, take a step back, and try again later.

[gourmetgaming]

Portal – The Cake 2.0

It was my birthday on Tuesday and I wanted to bake myself a pretty special cake – but I was at a loss as to which one. I asked the community on Facebook and Twitter what video game cake was their favourite, and the response was naturally a resounding “The Cake is a Lie”. Although this was my first recipe on Gourmet Gaming, I felt perhaps it was apt to revisit it and see how far I've come since the blog started, especially since I hit 50,000 Tumblr followers last week. Oh, so many rookie mistakes! Why was the original cake chocolate – it's obviously black forest (coincidentally, also my favourite)! So, as a gift to both myself and all of you, please enjoy this updated recipe for Portal Cake - forever sans fish shaped garnishes.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 10-15 (or 1).

What you will need: Three 8-inch round sandwich tins, greaseproof paper/baking parchment, 1 large mixing bowl, 1 small bowl, a whisk, a small pot, a piping bag and nozzle, a knife or grater and a spatula.

Ingredients:

175g / 1¾ Cups Butter

75g / ¾ Cup Dark Chocolate

200g / 7oz Whole Milk

1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice

300g / 2⅓ Cups Plain Flour

375g / 1¾ Cups Golden Caster Sugar

25g / ¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

1 Teaspoon Bicarbonate/Baking Soda

100ml / ½ Cup Espresso

Salt

2 Eggs

For the Filling:

1 Can (425g / 15oz ) Cherries (Drained)

4 Tablespoons Black Cherry Conserve

2 Tablespoons Kirsch (or Cherry Juice)

500ml / 2¼ Cups Double/Heavy Cream

5 Tablespoons Icing/Confectioners Sugar

For the Decoration:

100g / 3.5 oz Dark Chocolate Bar

8 Cherries

1 White Birthday Candle

Baking the Cake:

Grease the Sandwich Tins with a little butter and line with the Greaseproof Paper/Baking Parchment. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Melt the 75g Dark Chocolate and Butter together over a bain-marie.

Add the Lemon Juice to the Whole Milk and set aside for 10 minutes. Combine the Flour, Golden Caster Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Bicarbonate Soda and a pinch of Salt together in a large mixing bowl.

After 10 minutes, whisk the Eggs and Whole Milk together, then add the Chocolate and Butter, mixing until well combined.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Add the Espresso and mix well until smooth. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the three prepared Sandwich Tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes – an inserted skewer should come out clean to indicate they are ready.

Once the Cakes are baked, set them aside to cool slightly before removing from the Sandwich Tins to cool completely.

Making the Cake:

Once the cakes have cooled, take what will be the middle layer of cake and pierce it several times. Brush over with the Kirsch or Cherry Juice.

Mix the drained Canned Cherries with the Black Cherry Conserve. Whisk the Double/Heavy Cream with the Icing/Confectioners Sugar until it's softly firm and spreadable. Keep 4 tablespoons of cream aside for decorating the cake.

Take the bottom layer of cake and fill with the Cream, adding half the Cherries. Top with the Kirsch/Cherry soaked middle layer, then top this with Cream and the rest of the Cherries. Add the final layer on top of this to complete the cake construction.

Use the remainder of the Cream to completely cover the entire cake, top and sides.

Decorating the Cake:

Taking the Bar of Dark Chocolate, use a large, sharp knife to create chocolate shavings. Alternatively, use a grater to grate the chocolate – or use a combination of the two.

Sprinkle the chocolate shavings onto the top of the cake, and gently press the chocolate onto the sides of the cake, covering all the cream.

Fill a Piping Bag with the 4 tablespoons of cream set aside, and using a nozzle, pipe 8 flowers of cream on the top of the cake.

Place a fresh Cherry onto each of the cream flowers, then place the White Birthday Candle in the centre before serving.

11PM, after an epically long day at work, the chocolate shavings not sticking to the cake and destroying the original base I had made – I was ready to throw it in the bin. Baking this cake is not for the faint hearted. However, you will be greatly rewarded with one of the most delicious cakes ever. Sharp, with deep flavours and a rich, chocolate sponge balanced beautifully with the cream – it's a masterpiece. The cake is a lie no more, this is the only recipe you need.

Don't forget you can still get your questions in for the Gourmet Gaming 50K Q&A! Ask me anything!

Like this? You might also enjoy the Portal - The Cake is a Lie.

[gourmetgaming]

I can't believe it, but 3 years (and 1 year of hiatus) later Gourmet Gaming has passed 50K followers. I'd like to say a huge thank you to all of you for loving the blog, talking with me, and sharing in it. I feel very lucky to have such a positive, contributive and passionate group of followers.

As part of celebrating Gourmet Gaming passing 50,000 Tumblr followers I've decided to do a Q&A post.

If you have any questions about food, video games or myself you can send me a message - http://www.gourmetgaming.co.uk/ask and I'll post my responses to some of them next week.

Thank you again. I could never have imagined 50,000 people who got as hungry as I did playing video games. <3

[gourmetgaming]

BioShock: Infinite – Hot Dog

It was recently Independence Day in the good ol' US of A. And, like anyone who lives outside the USA, I thought it featured Will Smith, aliens and Jeff Goldblum (like all the best stories). But actually, it's an important day of inspiration for all people of the world in its message – the moral sense of rights and equality for all people. Once such game that touched on these important issues, albeit in an alternate and much later time, was BioShock Infinite. So I thought what more fitting than to feature an all American food from a game that recently reminded us of how much progress we've made, but yet how far we still have to go.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 4.

What you will need: A pot and a bowl.

Ingredients:

4 Hot Dog Buns

4 Hot Dogs

Yellow American Mustard

For the Relish:

4 Large Pickles (Diced)

½ Roasted Red Pepper (Diced)

½ Roasted Yellow Pepper (Diced)

½ White Onion (Diced)

175ml / ¾ Cup White Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Teaspoon Wholegrain Mustard

½ Teaspoon Coriander Seeds

Preparing the Relish:

In a pot, bring the White Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Wholegrain Mustard and Coriander Seeds to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, and thickened slightly.

Take the mixture off the heat, and add the Diced Pickles, Roasted Red Pepper, Roasted Yellow Pepper and White Onion. Mix well and season to taste.

Transfer the relish to a clean bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Preparing the Hot Dog:

Cook your Hot Dogs as per their instruction, or how you like them. Slice the Hot Dog Buns in half.

Spread a layer of the Relish onto the bun, then place the Hot Dog on top. Finally, add a garnish of Yellow American Mustard.

I was rather impressed with the pickle relish – it's light, fresh and crunchy with just the right notes of sweet and sour. Combined with the mustard, it's a wonderful flavour. Hot dogs are everywhere in Columbia (were they the real cause of the oppression... ?), and frankly, it makes me wish there were hot dogs everywhere in real life too.

Like this? You might also enjoy the BioShock: Infinite – Finkton's Baked Beans.

[gourmetgaming]

The Legend of Zelda – Red Potion

I haven't been feeling too well the past few days. I've been home from work, feeling restless and tired – you could say I feel a little empty. Lacking in something. It's also impossibly hot at the moment, and heat and ills don't go well together. So when thinking about what I could do to make myself feel better, I found myself seeking comfort. I wanted a potion that was a total cure-all – so who better to turn to than Link. This refreshing fruit juice smoothie is full of all that good stuff you need to help refill your hearts.

Click 'Read More' for the full recipe!

This recipe serves 2.

What you will need: A blender.

Ingredients:

50g / ¾ Cup Frozen Raspberries

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Ginger

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

250ml / 1 Cup Apple & Raspberry Juice

100ml / ½ Cup Coconut Water

1 Tablespoon Honey

Making the Red Potion:

Combine all the ingredients into a container and blend until smooth. Serve chilled.

I decided to make the Red Potion as an actually healthy drink because it made sense. While an alcoholic cocktail concoction can be fun – there's nothing like drinking something that actually has restorative properties! So raise your bottle high above your head, and then drink! There's a reason a Red Potion appears in every Zelda game.

Like this? You might also enjoy the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Yeto's Soup.