CMON Feature Friday: Game Night Grub
Gaming is a social event. For some, it’s all about the game, itself. For others, it’s about the people they get to spend time with. Either way, you’re enjoying face-to-face interactions with friends, feeding off of their energy and sharing an experience with them. Eating a meal with a group of people has many of the same elements as gaming. It’s a social time spent gathered around a table, having a collective experience. It’s only natural that there’s a lot of crossover between board games and the culinary world. We eat and drink while we play (although that may be sacrilege for some readers), and there are countless games themed around food and drink. Games are a reflection of life and food is a huge part of our lives.
For this week’s CMON Feature Friday, we decided to look at some recipes that work really well with certain games. You may not want to play and eat, but these dishes will get you in the mood to game, or serve as a good source of sustenance during post game discussions.
Unfair and Homemade Corn Dogs (Source)
The sights, sounds, and smells of an amusement park are very visceral. They immediately transport us back to a time in our youth when we can envision flying through the sky on a rollercoaster or futilely tossing balls to knock over a tower of bottles. Unfair hilariously captures the fun of building your own theme park, with all of the rides, attractions, theatres, and food vendors you’d expect to see there. Nothing says fun fair food to us like a corn dog. We tracked down a homemade recipe that you can enjoy while you play.
Ingredients
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon black pepper
•1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 2 packages beef frankfurters
• wooden skewers
Directions
•In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in egg and milk.
• Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden skewers into frankfurters. Roll frankfurters in batter until well coated.
• Fry 2-3 corn dogs at a time until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.
You can begin perfecting the recipe now and be ready for Unfair’s release in Q2 of 2017 from CMON and Good Games Publishing!
The Grizzled and Raspberry Walnut Baked Brie (Source)
The Grizzled is a game about French soldiers fighting in the trenches during the First World War. From the names of the characters, to the backstory, to the iconic art, it all feels tres Francais. We decided to go a with a delicious Brie appetizer that can be enjoyed before, after, or during gameplay. Brie is named after the French region from where it originated and is one of the most popular soft cheeses in the world.
Ingredients
• 1 sheet frozen puffed pastry
• 1 round Brie
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Directions
•Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray.
• Lay the puff pastry on the baking sheet. Center the Brie. Spread jam evenly over the top of the Brie. Sprinkle walnuts on top of the jam. Fold the puff pastry over the Brie, sealing all openings.
• Bake for 20 mins or until golden brown.
Monstrous and Vegan Greek Salad (Source)
In Monstrous, you play Greek Gods throwing mythical monsters down on the mere mortals who have lost faith in your power. Greek food is rich and diverse, with a great deal of options to sample from. The Greek salad is very traditional and iconic when you think of Mediterranean food. We decided to go with a vegan option, because it changes very little about the recipe and can be enjoyed by everyone.
Ingredients
•1/2 red onion
• 1 cucumber
• 1 green pepper
• 4 summer tomatoes
• Vegan tofu feta cheese
• 40 black olives
• 1 teaspoon oregano
•Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
• Toss all the ingredients together with the desired amount of oil, salt, and pepper. That’s it!
Get your salad bowl ready because Monstrous will be available in February from CMON and Good Games Publishing!
When we sit down at a table with family and friends, whether it’s to roll dice, break bread, or both, it’s a golden time. We should cherish these moments and embrace the opportunity they give us to connect with one another and try new things.
