Fantasy foods to bring you into another world

by Kelly Chia, Staff Writer

I frequently fantasize about the types of foods my Dungeons and Dragons character eats: soups, loaves, and chunky legs of meat and vegetables laid out like a magnificent feast. And during the Halloween season, what better time to dress up as your favourite fantasy character and eat what they would eat? So here are five recipes to help you truly embrace the life of whoever (or whatever) fantastical creature you dress up as. 

Lembas bread for a day out in the woods

My current character is a young elf who loves snacking on buns with her brother. Also known as the elven bread in Lord of the Rings, this is the type of food I imagine she would bring with her. Supposedly eating lembas bread will sustain you for twelve days. While I’m not sure it will last you that long, this bread is an easy treat sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 cups unbleached flour

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Then, add flour and mix. Add some flour to a surface and begin kneading the dough for about five minutes.
3. Roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut into 3–4 inch squares. Score the squares with a knife diagonally. Place on a buttered baking sheet and bake for 20–25 minutes.

This recipe uses only three baking essentials you’ll easily find in your house: butter, brown sugar, and unbleached flour. It makes six servings, and you can wrap them up in banana leaves to really make them feel like the ones in Lord of the Rings.

I’d optionally pair this bread with jam or honey to sweeten the deal! 

Cream of mushroom soup to soothe the soul

A classic soup, Taste of Homes’ recipe for cream of mushroom tends to be rich and is perfect for a cozy night in. It’s essential to have some sort of soup or stew with your fantasy meal, because it’s easy to make in a large batch and it’s really filling. Soup is the perfect thing to perk up the soul of whatever weary adventurer you’re dressing as this Halloween.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• ½ pound sliced mushrooms
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans of chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• ½ cup of white wine 
• Garlic powder (to taste)
• Thyme (to taste)

1. In a large pot, set to medium-high heat and saute mushrooms and onions. 
2. Add half a cup of white wine to the mushroom and onion mixture. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and 1 can of broth into the mixture. Bring to a boil.
3. Cook and stir for two minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
4. Reduce heat, add cream.
5. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The acidity of the white wine really helps the soup pop. This recipe makes six servings.

Bonus: to go an extra step and have that rustic feel, serve the soup in bread bowls. Here’s a recipe for making your own. 

Gotcha Pork Roast from Food Wars

This dish is a genuine stunner: it looks like roast pork, but is actually just mashed potatoes wrapped in bacon. Based on the hilarious anime, Food Wars, where every episode brings new and explosive, crowd-pleasing recipes, your friends will adore this huge dish. After all, every feast needs something to look at, and this is one beautiful dish! 

Ingredients:

• 6 white potatoes
• 3 eringi mushrooms
• 1 large white onion
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 2 tablespoons of butter 
• 2 packs of thick-cut bacon
• 250 ml of red wine
• ¼ cup of sweet sake
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 sprig of parsley
• Salt (to taste)

1. Set the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel and slice the potatoes into quarter slices.
3. Chop mushrooms and onions into small cubes.
4. Steam the potatoes over medium heat for about 15–20 minutes.
5. In a separate pot, add a tablespoon of butter. Set to medium heat, and pan fry onions and mushrooms until caramelized.
6. Mash potatoes in a large bowl, and add onion and mushrooms until evenly mixed. Add some salt.
7. Pick off rosemary and set aside.
8. After five minutes or when the mixture is cool to the touch, begin forming the mashed potatoes into a log shape. 
9. Set all the slices of bacon on a baking sheet. Then, taking the log-shaped potato mixture, place it in the centre of the slices of bacon. 
10. Begin wrapping bacon around the potato mixture, making sure to cover as much of the surface as possible.
11. Tie twine around the roast a few times. Add rosemary underneath the twine.
12. Put the roast into the oven for 30–45 minutes. Turn the roast halfway through.
13. Meanwhile, add the wine to the pot. Bring it to a boil. 
14. Add butter and soy sauce, cook for 2–3 minutes. This will be your sauce.
15. Remove the roast from the pot, removing the rosemary and twine. 
16. Pour the sauce over the roast, add garnish, and serve.

My friends and I decided to make this dish on a whim after watching the first episode of Food Wars where this is featured. This is so good on a cold spooky Halloween night. This makes 6–8 servings. 

Quincy’s Caps ‘n Maggots (Chicken, mushroom, and rice pot)

This recipe comes from TikTok user Quincy who makes all sorts of recipes in their online tavern, Quincy’s! I’m sharing this recipe partially because their videos are so comforting, and capture the warmth you’re meant to feel in a tavern. This recipe is no exception. 

Based on a pirate’s feast from the game, Sea of Thieves, this protein-heavy dish is especially perfect if your friend group dresses up as a roving group of pirates (or hungry university students). The best part? This can all be made in one pot!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• ½ of a yellow onion
• 6–8 small mushrooms
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of rice

1. Dice up onion and mushrooms.
2. Dice up chicken breasts into cubes.
3. Set heat to medium-high. Put oil in the pan, then saute chicken for about five minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
4. Remove the chicken, then pour onion and mushrooms into the pot. Saute for about two minutes, or until fragrant.
5. Add cream of chicken, chicken broth, and rice. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, and stir occasionally.

This hearty recipe is quite creamy, with easy-to-obtain pantry ingredients! It makes four servings.

Mulled Cider to be merry

Finally, your drink of choice! There’s nothing quite like cider for a tavern table and it’s definitely less time consuming than making your own mead. The cinnamon and apple scents will really evoke autumnal coziness, and your kitchen will smell delicious for the Halloween party you’re throwing. 

Ingredients:

• ½ gallon apple cider (non-alcoholic)
• 1 orange
• 12 whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 15 allspice berries
• 2 tablespoons of unpacked brown sugar
• 3 ½  tablespoons of cumin*
• 3 ½ tablespoons of coriander*

1. Set heat to medium-high. Pour apple cider into a pot, cover, and heat. 
2. Slice orange into thin slices, and add to the pot. Then, add the rest of the ingredients into the pot.
3. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the mixture, covered, for about 20 minutes.
4. Strain the mixture with a sieve into cups.

*The recipe recommends you use 7 pods of coriander pods, but in case you can’t find that in your supermarket, I’ve included this alternative, which should still give some earthy warmth to the drink!

If you’d like, you can add a bit of rum or bourbon to your drink to add some spice, but this drink will warm you up just fine without. The citrus and spices will definitely go down well with all the other foods on this list. This recipe makes eight servings.