All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
I am a big fan of the Game of Thrones food blog Inn at the Crossroads. The blog authors, Chelsea Monroe-Cassel and Sariann Lehrer, are releasing their companion cookbook today. A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook blends their love of the foods of Westeros with authentic medieval recipes to create delicious food that will delight the taste buds of fans and non-fans alike.
The cookbook opens with an introduction by the series author George R. R. Martin. In his foreword, he relates why food plays a prominent role in the Song of Ice and Fire novels and how the official cookbook came to life. The introduction is so charming that it almost makes me forgive him for killing off my favorite characters. Almost.
The pages that follow take you on what the authors deem a "culinary journey through George R. R. Martin's world" without requiring a great amount of skill in cooking. I am someone who barely skirts by when making dinner, so I was thrilled to see that the recipes in A Feast of Ice and Fire are straightforward with clear and detailed instructions. I still had to Google some cooking terms here and there, like "cut in the butter," but the recipes are easy to follow with ingredients that aren't difficult to find – with the exception of snake and rabbit.
Many dishes are accompanied not only with great instructions, but also with the relevant passage of the books in the series (including the most recent, A Dance With Dragons) and medieval recipes as well. The medieval recipes serve as a basis for many of the Westeros recipes in the cookbook, and a modern recipe is also included for those with different tastes.
I had to try my hand at making the medieval lemon cakes. When I read A Game of Thrones, I spent a considerable amount of time daydreaming about lemon cakes, so they were first on my list to make from the cookbook. My lemon cakes were not nearly as pretty as the cakes in the cookbook photo, but when my husband tried one, he declared, "This is the best thing you've ever baked."
I also recommend the white beans and bacon side dish; a friend of ours brought it for our Game of Thrones premiere party, and I enjoyed it more than I expected. The cookbook is filled with other main and side dishes that would make great fare for any party.
A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook is a little pricey at $35, but it is worth every penny. The pages are packed with recipes fit for five kings, mouthwatering photos, and fascinating excerpts from medieval cooking texts. I might not be a great chef, but this cookbook is one of a rare few that inspires me to cook.
