Elsweyr Fondue, Grilled Leeks, and Black-Briar Mead

So much has been going on lately!  I've been taking all kinds of trips all over the country and am planning more soon.  I wish I could talk about all of them in detail, but I will just say that I'm preparing for something, and I'm very excited about it.  After traveling to different states, I've been daydreaming about traveling to different states and different countries almost constantly, and I've been trying to come up with a Travel Bucket List.  Here's what I have so far:

1. England.  Not just London either, but Oxford, the Cotswolds, the Yorkshire Dales, Birmingham, and many other places I haven't even realized are there yet.  I've been to England twice already, but I need to take Kyle with me this next time.  I just love being there.  Having lots and lots of ancestors that are from there, I feel like I'm making a pilgrimage to the Motherland each time I go.

2. Argentina.  I have been infatuated with South America ever since I got the Amazon Trail CD-ROM game in like, 1996.  Argentina has always held a sense of mystery and exoticism that I've always been attracted to.  So much so that I did my 5th grade project on it.  I secretly want to hang with South American natives, drinking maté and dancing the tango.

3. Prince Edward Island, Canada.  If only because Anne of Green Gables was set there, and it looks gooorgeous.  My trip would, of course, be during the summer and not during the butt-ass-cold of winter.  And then I could pretend I'm Anne Shirley, traipsing about the countryside and getting into Scooby-Doo scrapes, turn-of-the-century style.

4. Washington State, USA.  I never had a huge burning desire to go there until Kyle's mom and brother moved out to Puyallup, WA, and I started to see pictures of lush, green forests and majestic mountains.  It looks like a beautiful place to be (almost reminds me of the Alps), and it has an alternative side, too - with lots of unique shops and cool, organic and ethnic restaurants - which is right up my alley.

5. Iceland.  Maybe it was seeing it from an aerial view as we came into the airport for our flight connection, but there's something other-worldly about Iceland.  It actually looked a lot like Mars from my IcelandAir jet.  And their language!  So alien and beautiful to my ears.  I want to hear moar.  Also, they have crazy Northern Lights, as seen in this picture.

 

6. Arizona, USA.  I went once in elementary school, and absolutely loved it.  There is a very quiet, serene beauty in the deserts of Arizona.  Once again, it appeals to my sense of mystery and exoticism, and I don't even need a passport to feel like I'm in a different world.

7. Cairo, Egypt.  Another childhood fascination of mine was ancient Egypt and its culture.  Seeing the pyramids at Giza and experiencing that culture firsthand would be an experience I don't want to miss.




These are just a few places, of course.  There are many others that are on my much longer list.  But one of these days, when I have the time and the financial resources, I will get on a plane and go!

Anyway, back to food!  In this entry, you will find the bulk of the Skyrim meal I made.  Not featured here are the Sweet Rolls I made to go along with it.  All the recipes are from the same lovely blog as last time, Gourmet Gaming, and all the food is inspired by the video game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and is reminiscent of something a Viking would have eaten long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

 Black-Briar Mead*

1 cup mead (I used Chaucer's)

1 cup dry hard cider (I used Hornsby's)

1 cup cloudy apple juice (I used R.W. Knudsen)

2 tablespoons honey

1 cinnamon stick

1 packet of mulling spices (comes with Chaucer's Mead)

1. Add all the ingredients to a pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
2. Sieve and/or funnel the mixture into a bowl or bottle. Enjoy warm or chilled.

 Leeks, ready for the choppin'.

Sliced leeks!

Boil them leeks.

 

 

 Grill them leeks.  Or... fry 'em if you don't have a grill.  They still taste awwwesome with some garlic, salt, and pepper.

Grilled Leeks*

I bunch leeks

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt & pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1. Slice the leeks vertically in half and wash thoroughly in cool water. Place the halved leeks in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 minutes or until cooked about half way through, then drain and instantly submerge the leeks in a bowl of ice cold water to stop them from cooking any further.
2. Dry the leeks with paper towels, and season with a olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Warm a frying pan on medium heat.
3. Lay a few leeks at a time, open side down, on the pan. Try to keep them intact so they still have their shape. Turn them gently every few minutes to prevent from burning. Once cooked, lay on a plate or tray to serve.

Melt the cheese and ale, etc...

 All the fixin's are ready for some hardcore dipping!

Elsweyr Fondue... made especially for you by your Khajiit friends. Mrrow...

Elsweyr Fondue*

1 cup ale (I used Ballantine)

1 cup mature gruyère cheese, grated

1 cup emmental or Swiss cheese, grated

1 tablespoon flour

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon sugar

For dipping:

1 French baguette, ripped into bite-size pieces

Apples, chopped into bite-size pieces

Sausage, sliced

Raw broccoli

Raw carrots

1. If you're lucky enough to have a fondue pot with a heater, use that. If, like me, you're an unfortunate soul who does not have one, use a medium-size heavy pot to melt your ingredients.
2. In the pot, heat the ale on medium heat, but do NOT allow it to boil.
3. Mix the grated cheeses with the flour until lightly coated. Add the cheese a little at a time to the ale, stirring gently. Reduce heat to low.
4. Once the cheese has melted, add the nutmeg and sugar and mix gently. Garnish with a little more fresh nutmeg and serve with apples, bread, vegetables, and sausage to make it a meal!

There was so much food I had it for lunch at work the next day, and the day after that!  I am such a leftover junkie.

 NAAK!  (Look it up under Dragon Language ;) )

*Source for all recipes in this post is the wonderful Gourmet Gaming!