A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook (A Song of Ice and Fire) (42 page)

Pairs well with
Breakfast in Meereen
,
Duck with Lemons

Light, cold, and refreshing, this beverage is tasty enough to be craved, and just exotic enough to suit the far reaches of Volantis. When first mixed, the icy slush is a uniform pale foamy concoction. After a few moments, however, it settles into three layers: the crushed ice is on top, pushing down on the melon puree, and the straight juice falls to the bottom. The mint flavor complements the melon, and just a bit of carbonation makes things interesting.

2 cups 1-inch cubed honeydew melon

3 cups crushed ice

½ cup packed fresh mint leaves

One 12-ounce bottle ginger ale

⅓ cup honey

Add all ingredients to a blender. Pulse until the mixture becomes slushy. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Cook’s Note:
For a nice adult twist on this drink, try adding a splash of your favorite alcohol. We recommend vodka or Midori, but the recipe is well suited to experiment.

Honey-Sweetened Wine

Dany broke her fast under the persimmon tree that grew in the terrace garden.… Missandei served her duck eggs and dog sausage, and half a cup of sweetened wine mixed with the juice of a lime. The honey drew flies, but a scented candle drove them off
.
—A STORM OF SWORDS

Makes 3 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Chilling: 2 hours to overnight

Pairs well with
Breakfast in Meereen
,
Duck with Lemons

This beverage is a variation on ancient Roman mulsum, and is very refreshing and drinkable on a warm summer morning.

12 ounces semisweet wine, white or rosé

About 2 tablespoons honey

3 lime wedges

In a glass or pitcher, mix the wine and honey. The ratio is roughly 1 tablespoon honey per glass of wine, but add the honey slowly and sweeten to your taste. Squeeze the juice from one or two of the lime wedges into the mixture, and stir until everything has been incorporated. This beverage can be made ahead of time and chilled. To serve, pour it into three decorative glasses and garnish with the lime.

Feasting in Style

Cooking, eating, and drinking are closely tied to the Proustian memory, the experiences etched into our minds forever. When planning a feast, one must consider not only the food, but also the overall atmosphere. Serving dishes, lighting, flatware, table decor, beverages, and overall mood affect how your family and guests will experience a meal. You may have cooked your authentic Westerosi meal on your beautiful new gas range in your relatively high-tech kitchen, but when guests are seated and the meal is served, you can transport everyone to the decadence of King’s Landing, the insulated comfort of Winterfell’s halls, or the opulence of a magister’s villa in Pentos.

Strive to make the table as much a tactile experience as the meal itself. Heavy rough-spun linen and furs reflect life in the North, while sheer silks and gilding are more suited to King’s Landing. Choosing a tablecloth is the simplest way to begin the transformation—red for a Lannister meal, gray for a Stark, ornately woven fabrics from across the narrow sea, or a rough-spun black for meals with the Night’s Watch. Likewise, props—antlers, silver bowls, autumn leaves, pine boughs, exotic fruits, and flowers—add something special to the meal. And don’t skimp on the candles. Beautiful as well as authentic, candlelight creates a special experience.

Serving dishes and place settings should, ideally, reflect the location in which the guests mentally dine. Avoid starkly modern items, choosing instead earthenware casseroles, turned wooden bowls, and hammered flatware. Rather than the glasses given to you on your wedding day, opt for hefty pewter tankards and thick, handblown glass. Historical accuracy is not as important as creating an atmosphere consistent with the aesthetic of Ice and Fire. As modern consumers, we are so used to certain conveniences that something as simple as the absence of separate water and wineglasses will immediately distance the meal from an everyday culinary experience.

Thrift stores are a great way to inexpensively outfit a Westerosi table; they offer props, dishware, centerpieces, and cutlery. Also take a look through dusty attics and deep kitchen cabinets for items you may have forgotten.

Index

Breakfasts

Breakfast on the Wall

Breakfast at Winterfell

Breakfast in King’s Landing

Breakfast in Dorne

Breakfast in Meereen

Breads & Buns

Applecakes

Buns with Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Apple

Crusty White Bread

Oatcakes