the Jester
Legend
Right- the superhero in kitchen-safe armor, who hurls frying pans at his enemies.
D&D World Cuisine...
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Right- the superhero in kitchen-safe armor, who hurls frying pans at his enemies.
I once ran a Halfling Ranger/Bard TWF build...with twin iron frying pans. His passion was cooking. If he killed it, he tasted it.
He wanted recipes for everything, and had a side-market in spell components.
Once the main story arc of the campaign was finished, the rest of the party planned to take up the halfling's business model. We were going to run a high-dollar tavern with exotic foods, again while supplying spell components on the side.
One guy had hoped to use a Medusa (whose alignment had been altered by a Helm of Opposite Alignment) as part of the kitchen staff. She'd "stone" something to preserve it, then later, someone would use Stone to Flesh to recover the unspoiled food...
Unfortunately, the RW interfered, and the group broke up about a month afterwards.
As for ingredients...
Exotic acids for ceviche variants is a good idea. Certain poisons might also find their way to the table too, in a fantasy version of fugu.
Blood sausage and similar dishes might vary greatly in flavor depending upon the actual blood used. Salamander blood sausage, anyone?
And because it needs to be said, you know that somewhere out there would be a version of Andrew Zimmern munching down on something's stewed/barbecued/steamed/boiled/jerked penis.
He wanted recipes for everything, and had a side-market in spell components.
Once the main story arc of the campaign was finished, the rest of the party planned to take up the halfling's business model. We were going to run a high-dollar tavern with exotic foods, again while supplying spell components on the side.
One guy had hoped to use a Medusa (whose alignment had been altered by a Helm of Opposite Alignment) as part of the kitchen staff. She'd "stone" something to preserve it, then later, someone would use Stone to Flesh to recover the unspoiled food...
Unfortunately, the RW interfered, and the group broke up about a month afterwards.
As for ingredients...
Exotic acids for ceviche variants is a good idea. Certain poisons might also find their way to the table too, in a fantasy version of fugu.
Blood sausage and similar dishes might vary greatly in flavor depending upon the actual blood used. Salamander blood sausage, anyone?
And because it needs to be said, you know that somewhere out there would be a version of Andrew Zimmern munching down on something's stewed/barbecued/steamed/boiled/jerked penis.
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The 3.5 Dungeon Magazine Adventure "The Prince of Redhand" had a dinner party with all sorts of exotic ingredients.
My favourite course was zombie centaurs that were marinated and roasted, circulating among the diners offering perfectly seasoned cuts of meat off their own flanks. I found it both horrifying and incredibly practical.
My favourite course was zombie centaurs that were marinated and roasted, circulating among the diners offering perfectly seasoned cuts of meat off their own flanks. I found it both horrifying and incredibly practical.
Celebrim
Legend
I'm not sure that monsters were ever really designed with gastronomy in mind. They don't usually look appetizing.
But, I learned in Nethack that you can convert almost anything into a tasty meal with a high enough cooking skill, so who's to say.... I guess.
The main difference between my world and the real world of say the 13th century is I assume the fantasy world is by virtue of a basically unbroken written history, higher effective technology as the result of magic, and the continual open intervention by numerous activist gods, to be much more cosmopolitian. So, every foodstuff has pretty much migrated pretty much everywhere. Things that in our world were 'new world' foodstuffs are pretty much every already. You can get coffee, tea, potatoes, whatever just about anywhere. This opens up cuisine to the full range of real world possibilities and lets me get away with alot of food anachronisms, but I got to say I've never really considered the possibility of Fillet De Monster.
I guess I've always assumed that monsters generally are either not very appetizing, or else require such extensive preparation before they are safe to consume that the result is a potion and not a meal. About the only thing I can think of that might provoke gastronomic delight are the giant versions of edible species. Honey roasted giant cave cricket legs I can imagine, on the grounds that locusts are edible and insects aren't that far from crabs. But even something like a giant catfish doesn't seem likely to be a delight to me, because I know just how foul a 200 lb mudcat tastes compared to your typical young grain fed farm raised catfish. Octopus is hard and crunchy as it is, without trying to eat a fiberous tough old giant one. With few exceptions (tuna, for example) things that are tasty tend to be things that are small and young. A young spike isn't as impressive on your wall, but it is better eating than a mature 12 point. Mushrooms are best when they are small and the fruit is just forming. Big ones are fiberous and bitter.
A young, dimunitive gelatinous cube might possibly be edible, but it probably doesn't taste any better than say a jellyfish at best, and at worst has all the flavor of a slime mold.
There may well be some fantastic creatures that are good eating, but they are unlikely to be the same ones that present serious challenges to high level adventurers.
But, I learned in Nethack that you can convert almost anything into a tasty meal with a high enough cooking skill, so who's to say.... I guess.
The main difference between my world and the real world of say the 13th century is I assume the fantasy world is by virtue of a basically unbroken written history, higher effective technology as the result of magic, and the continual open intervention by numerous activist gods, to be much more cosmopolitian. So, every foodstuff has pretty much migrated pretty much everywhere. Things that in our world were 'new world' foodstuffs are pretty much every already. You can get coffee, tea, potatoes, whatever just about anywhere. This opens up cuisine to the full range of real world possibilities and lets me get away with alot of food anachronisms, but I got to say I've never really considered the possibility of Fillet De Monster.
I guess I've always assumed that monsters generally are either not very appetizing, or else require such extensive preparation before they are safe to consume that the result is a potion and not a meal. About the only thing I can think of that might provoke gastronomic delight are the giant versions of edible species. Honey roasted giant cave cricket legs I can imagine, on the grounds that locusts are edible and insects aren't that far from crabs. But even something like a giant catfish doesn't seem likely to be a delight to me, because I know just how foul a 200 lb mudcat tastes compared to your typical young grain fed farm raised catfish. Octopus is hard and crunchy as it is, without trying to eat a fiberous tough old giant one. With few exceptions (tuna, for example) things that are tasty tend to be things that are small and young. A young spike isn't as impressive on your wall, but it is better eating than a mature 12 point. Mushrooms are best when they are small and the fruit is just forming. Big ones are fiberous and bitter.
A young, dimunitive gelatinous cube might possibly be edible, but it probably doesn't taste any better than say a jellyfish at best, and at worst has all the flavor of a slime mold.
There may well be some fantastic creatures that are good eating, but they are unlikely to be the same ones that present serious challenges to high level adventurers.
Nerfwright
Explorer
The Jester,
Your story hour for that campaign is the reason I found EN World; I was googling for all-halfling foodie party ideas, and you *nailed* it. So, um, thanks!
Giant Land Crab = 'Dirt Lobster' still makes me smile.
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Aeolius
Adventurer
My first 3e PC was Nok, a portly half-orc bard (Worf Sings!) with skills as a chef and taxidermist. He wore a bloodied leather apron and attacked with meat cleavers.
I've always wanted to see a Monster Manual done in the style of a cookbook.
Granted, in an undersea setting, food plays a significant role. With few taverns serving standard fare, the PCs have to be resourceful. When a meal is provided, it could just as easily be fish, seaweed, urchin, or krill. One favored beverage is inkwine, the better varieties being made from the ink of krakens.
Since the early 80's my central kingdom in my homebrew has had wyvern steaks as a delicacy.
Compounded by their rarity. Oh, there was a mountainous forest with plenty of wyverns in it nearby. However the overall level of NPCs in the area was 1st to 3rd.
Some merchants organized hunting parties. Young nobles got into it of course. etc. etc. Great bit of flavor (pun intended) for that area of the campaign.
Compounded by their rarity. Oh, there was a mountainous forest with plenty of wyverns in it nearby. However the overall level of NPCs in the area was 1st to 3rd.
Some merchants organized hunting parties. Young nobles got into it of course. etc. etc. Great bit of flavor (pun intended) for that area of the campaign.
the Jester
Legend
The Jester,
Your story hour for that campaign is the reason I found EN World; I was googling for all-halfling foodie party ideas, and you *nailed* it. So, um, thanks!
Giant Land Crab = 'Dirt Lobster' still makes me smile.
That is awesome to hear!
In my first 4e game, the party's cook is a dwarf from the far east (who they simply call Cook). He is a rogue with the Martial Power "Uses clubs" build, and he uses a frying pan as one of his weapons of choice.
Though I couldn't justify giving out a magical frying pan for combat, thankfully the pcs include several ritualists that were willing to enchant one for him.
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