the cake is NOT a lie

When I first started this blog, in 2010, I figured, based on the lifespan of my Harry Potter fanart site, that I’d probably write about World of Warcraft for about five years before I wandered off to do something else.

Well, here I am at the five-year point, and I don’t seem to be wandering off to do something else quite yet. I’ll probably keep writing this blog for as long as I’m playing World of Warcraft, however much longer that may be.

Since my last blogiversary, I achieved both of my long-term WoW goals: playing a character of every class to the level cap and raid-healing (in LFR, at least) with a character of every healing class. I also managed to get two Alliance characters to the level cap, though I don’t feel like I’ve really “played Alliance” because I rushed them so hard with dungeons and such that I skipped large swathes of the Alliance lore. That was in Mists, of course — almost four months into Warlords, Kamalia is still my only level 100 character. There are lots of things I’d like to do with other characters, though, if only I could convince myself that my Garrisons don’t really need to be tended every single day…

I’ve been terrible about achieving blogging goals I’ve set in past years — I’ve had unfinished stories about my Undead and Worgen Mages sitting in my drafts folder for over three years (though I did finally publish the one about the Night Elf Mage this year) and I’ve still not written about the Grimtotem in the post-Cataclysm world — so keeping up with my custom thus far of posting at least once a week is about as much of a blogging goal as I want to make.

In honor of this big blogiversary milestone, have some Recipe:Delicious Chocolate Cake:

Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake
This cake is so easy to make and so yummy that I have never wanted to buy chocolate cake in a mix since I tried this recipe.
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c boiling water
2 eggs
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 3/4 c AP flour
2 t vanilla
1 c milk
1 t salt
3/4 c cocoa
2 c sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

German Chocolate Cake
This recipe comes from a family recipe book given to one of my sisters as a wedding present by the bishop of her singles ward.
Cake:

1 bar (4 oz) German sweet chocolate
1/2 c boiling water
1 c butter
2 c sugar
4 egg yolks
1 t vanilla
2 c sifted AP flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 c buttermilk
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Heat oven to 350 F. Line 2 or 3 deep 8 or 9 inch cake pans with waxed paper. Melt chocolate in boiling water; cool. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix well. Sift together dries. Add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating well until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Pour into cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool.

Filling/topping:

1 c evaporated milk
1 c sugar
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 c butter
1 t vanilla
1 1/3 c coconut
1 c chopped pecans

Combine ingredients except coconut and pecans. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add coconut and pecans. Beat until thick enough to spread. Makes 2 1/2 cups. Use to layer cake.

Mom’s Perfected Brownies
This is literally my mother’s perfected brownie recipe, not somebody else’s “Mom’s best recipe” from the internet somewhere.
3/4 c butter
6 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1/3 c brown sugar
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 T vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 c plus 1 T cocoa
1/2 t salt
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon, optional
(chocolate/other flavored chips and/or nuts are also good; use 1 c total of chunky mix-ins)

Line a 9 x 12 baking dish with foil or parchment, allowing the liner to overhang the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the liner and any exposed areas of the pan.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan. Allow the melted mixture to cool to about room temperature, then stir in the sugars. Beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, if using. Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Stir in the chips/nuts, if using.

Bake at 325 F for 30 minutes.

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Hearthstone Cookies

Hearthstone graduated from beta yesterday with what seemed to me to be a relative lack of fanfare — perhaps it had already been scheduled to “go live” this week, but got overshadowed by the hullaballoo surrounding the unexpected opening of Warlords pre-orders and boosts to 90?

In honor of Hearthstone going live, I’ve made some edible Hearthstones!

I used Millya’s Unconjured Cinnamon Bun Frost Cookies recipe, with a few modifications. I used 1/2 teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extract instead of a full teaspoon of vanilla in the dough. I replaced the brown sugar in the filling with blue sugar crystal sprinkles, and I used finely chopped almonds instead of walnuts or pecans. I also left out the cinnamon and didn’t replace it with any other spice, though I considered using ginger or cardamom.

I suppose I’ll try Hearthstone eventually; for now, I have way too many things I want to do in WoW to allow myself to get distracted by another game — even if it’s from Blizzard and uses a lot of familiar concepts from WoW. The Hearthsteed mount is not, at this time, a lure; to me, it looks kind of wierd and freaky, and I’m content (for the moment) with my total mount count.

The Old Ladies may be thinking, “but Kam, didn’t you tell us on Saturday that you were giving up junk food, including cookies, for Lent?”. Well, yes, I did — I made an exception for these cookies because I’d been planning to do this for quite a while. I don’t literally observe Lent, anyway — Mormons celebrate Easter but don’t do the Fat Tuesday/Ash Wednesday/Lent/Good Friday thing. Although we have regular fast days on the first Sunday of every month, the concept of voluntarily abstaining from a luxury or indulgence of some kind for an extended period of time is still a good one. For some years now, my Mom and my sisters and (sometimes) I have chosen something to abstain from during Lent, using the Lenten season as a sort of way to supplement or reinvigorate our New Year’s Resolutions. One year, I chose just chocolate ice cream. During Lent, my ice cream consumtion as a whole — which was, at that point in my life, rather excessive — decreased, and afterward, I continued to be able to exercise more restraint. Hopefully, once these cookies are gone, I’ll still be able to resist junk food for the remaining time until Easter!

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Shado-Pan Green Cabbage Soup

Every day, when the Shado-Pan Trainee comes to pick up my green cabbages, he says,

I’m never quite sure if he’s being sincere or sarcastic.

On the premise that he is sincere, I decided to try to figure out just what sort of soup the Shado-Pan make with all those green cabbages I grow for them. This recipe is adapted from these two asian cabbage soup recipes that Google found for me.

Shado-Pan Green Cabbage Soup
4 servings

8 Dried Mushrooms (preferrably shiitake)
4 c Golden Carp Consomme, divided (or chicken or vegetable broth)
1 onion, thinly sliced
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 head of Green Cabbage, chopped
1 Juicycrunch Carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 inch knob of Ginseng, peeled and thinly sliced (or regular ginger)
2-3 T Thousand Year Soy Sauce
Cindergut Pepper sauce, to taste (asian chili paste or Tabasco sauce)
2-3 Scallions, shredded, including the green parts

Heat 2 c of the broth and soak the dried mushrooms for about 15 minutes.

While the mushrooms are soaking, caramelize the onions in a dry pot over medium heat. When the onions are just starting to turn brown on the edges, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and the garlic is starting to brown also.

Add the remaining 2 c of broth to the pot. Strain the mushrooms and add the mushroom-infused broth to the pot. Stir the ginger, carrots, and cabbage into the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Thinly slice the mushroom caps. Stir the mushrooms, soy sauce, and chili into the soup and garnish with scallions immediately before serving.

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Aska Mistrunner’s Mulgore Feast

Recipes for an RL kitchen inspired by the Thunder Bluff cooking quests (and one fishing quest).

Fresh-Hunted Fowl with “Magic” Mushrooms
Enoki mushrooms look most like the quest item graphic to me, so if you can find them, some lightly sauteed enoki mushrooms would be a nice garnish for this dish.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Lightly oil a baking dish.
Chop a large onion and distribute the onion pieces evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
Chop about half a dozen crimini mushrooms and distribute over the onions.
Place the Fresh-Hunted Fowl on top of the mushrooms and onions.
Season the poultry with salt, pepper, and Savory Spices (I used sage and thyme).
Cover the poultry with pre-soaked/reconstituted shiitake mushrooms.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, then remove the foil to allow the poultry to brown while baking for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the poultry tests done.
During the last 10-15 minutes of baking, lightly toast a tablespoon or so of Pine Nuts to use as a garnish.

Cornmeal & Pine Nut-Crusted Fresh-Caught Fish
If you cannot get freshwater fish such as trout, perch, or catfish, a white-fleshed ocean fish is also suitable.

Chop about 2 tablespoons of Pine Nuts as finely as you can.
Mix the chopped Pine Nuts with 2-4 tablespoons of cornmeal and Savory Spices to taste (I used parsley and dill).
Rinse and pat dry the Fresh-Caught Fish.
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper.
Dredge the fish first in Simple Flour, then in a lightly beaten Small Egg, then in the cornmeal & Pine Nut mixture.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of butter and/or olive oil in a skillet and fry the fish for 4-6 minutes per side, or until it is cooked all the way through. Broiling is another good method for cooking the fish.

Mulgore Spice Bread
The quest mechanic of combining Mulgore Spices with previously-prepared Spice Bread seems a little wonky to me — more like making biscotti, or something — but I think the quest text itself gives leeway to imagine the actual process as simply adding Mulgore Spices to the regular spice bread recipe while preparing it.

Bake one medium Succulent Sweet Potato at 375 F for 45-55 minutes or until well-softened.
Turn the oven up to 400 F after you take out the sweet potato.
Lightly grease a 10″ round or 9″ square baking dish.
Allow the sweet potato to cool somewhat, then peel it and mash the flesh into a thick puree.
Beat 2 Small Eggs, 1/4 c melted butter, 2/3 c brown sugar, and 2 T Honey into the mashed sweet potato. (This recipe is quite sweet and would still be very good with the brown sugar omitted, using only the Honey for sweetening.)
Whisk together 1 c cornmeal, 1/2 c Simple Flour, 1/2 c whole wheat flour, 1 T baking powder, 1 t salt, and Mulgore Spices (I used 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t nutmeg, 1/4 t cardamom, and 1/4 t ginger).
Blend the wet mixture with the dry mixture just until all the flour is moistened.
Fold in 1/2 cup Pine Nuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 27-30 minutes, or until the surface is lightly browned and springy (or it tests done with a toothpick).
Adapted from “Pumpkin Cornbread”, in “Recipes from the Old Mill: Baking with Whole Grains”, p 115, by Sarah E Myers and Mary Beth Lind, Good Books (Intercourse, PA), 1995

Candied Sweet Potatoes
This Pilgrim’s Bounty recipe also originates from Mulgore.

Bake 2-4 medium-small Mulgore Sweet Potatoes at 375 F for 30-45 minutes, or until softened.
Turn the oven up to 450 F after you take out the sweet potatoes.
Lightly grease an 8″ square baking dish.
Peel the cooked sweet potatoes if desired, and cut them into thick rounds. Arrange the rounds in a single layer in the baking dish.
In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 c butter. When the butter is melted, whisk in 3/4 c Honey, 3/4 c water, 1/4 t salt, 1 T cornstarch, and Autumnal Herbs (I used 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t ginger, 1/4 t nutmeg, and 1/4 t allspice, but that was a little too strong — perhaps 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/4 t ginger, and a dash of nutmeg would be better, by allowing the flavor of the honey to be the dominant note).
Cook the honey mixture until it is slightly thickened, then pour it over the sweet potatoes in the baking dish.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Before serving, garnish the candied sweet potatoes with Sweet-and-Spicy Candied Pine Nuts (below).

Sweet-and-Spicy Candied Pine Nuts
Combine these tasty nuts with your favorite dried fruit(s) to make Tauren Trail Mix!

Preheat the oven to 300 F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Whisk together 1/3 c brown sugar, 2/3 c white sugar, 1 t salt, and Autumnal Herbs (I used 1/4 t paprika, 1/4 t cardamom, and 1 t cinnamon).
Beat 1 egg white with 1 T water until frothy but not stiff.
Stir 1 c Pine Nuts and 1 c roasted & salted sunflower seeds into the beaten egg white, then add the sugar mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Spread the sugared nuts on the baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Break the nuts into small clusters after they cool.
adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Sugar-and-Spice Candied Nuts

Shu’halo Wedding Stew
Orgrimmar has a Cajun-flavored crawfish cooking quest (Crawfish Creole), so this Mulgore crayfish dish draws on Native American-inspired succotash and “three sisters” recipes, with sweet potatoes replacing the squash.

Simmer 1/2 c white or red beans in plenty of water until tender, 2-4 hours (or longer, if necessary). When more liquid is needed, add chicken broth.
Break some dried “Magic” Mushrooms into small pieces and soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes to rehydrate.
When the beans are close to done, peel & chop a Succulent Sweet Potato and a carrot or two into small chunks and add them to the broth. Return the mixture to a simmer.
Chop an onion and a green or red bell pepper and saute until the onion and bell pepper are tender.
Add 1 clove of garlic, minced, 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (or a can of diced mild green chilis, which I use because I’m a wimp about capsaicin), and Savory Spices (I used 1 1/2 t cumin, 1/2 t oregano, and 1/2 t sage) to the onions and peppers and stir until well-combined.
Add the onion & pepper mixture, the rehydrated mushrooms and their soaking liquid, 1-2 chopped tomatos, 1/2 c frozen lima beans, and 1 c sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen or canned) to the beans & sweet potato.
Bring the whole mixture to a simmer and cook for another 10-15 minutes or until all the legumes and vegetables are tender.
Add 6-8 cooked & shelled Stonebull Crayfish tails or Giant Freshwater Shrimp (26-30 per pound size) to the stew and simmer for another 3-5 minutes, or until the shellfish are warmed through. Uncooked crayfish or shrimp can be used, but will need to be added earlier, with the lima beans and tomatos.

Shu’halo Birth-Day Cakes
Packed with nutrients to help a new mother get back on her feet quickly! Best eaten piping hot from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Lightly grease a muffin tin.
Chop an onion and saute it in butter or oil until tender.
Add 1 t paprika, 1 t cumin, 1 finely minced clove of garlic, and 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, to the onion and stir for another minute.
Whisk together 1 c cornmeal, 1 c Simple Flour, 1 T baking powder, and 1 t salt.
Beat 2 Small Eggs, then whisk in 3/4 c milk and 1/4 c oil or melted butter.
Gently stir together the egg mixture and the cornmeal mixture until the cornmeal is mostly moistened.
Fold in the onion mixture, 3/4 c sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen or canned), and 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tin.
Place a cooked Stonebull Crayfish tail or Giant Freshwater Shrimp (26-30 per pound size) on top of the batter in each muffin cup.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden-brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

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Pilgrim’s Bounty Photo Album 2011

Since Pilgrim’s Bounty started, I’ve been getting lots of hits on last year’s Pilgrim’s Bounty Photo Album, and I’ve felt a little badly that there isn’t really much to see there. This year, I’ve had more time to spend on in-game holiday activities, so I can share with you a few ideas I’ve had for Pilgrim’s Bounty outfits to complement Kirina’s suggestions.

First, let’s look at some ways to jazz up the Pilgrim Costume quest rewards with snazzy accessories.

A black (Nightsky) or white (Aurora/Shadow Council) hood is an excellent alternative to the Pilgrim Hat when worn with the dress. A hood doesn’t work so well with the suit, however.

The white hood looks especially nice. With a dark-colored book offhand frill, this combination would make a great Nun costume.

If you are (or were) Gilnean, the Pilgrim clothes look great with the Top Hat.


(But then, doesn’t just about anything? :P)

A simple way to add some extra flair is to use a pair of bracers that only partially covers the white cuff of the Pilgrim sleeves.

Most level 60 epic bracers are perfect for this; the Arcanist Bindings are shown on the left. On the right, Kazuliza takes it to eleven with the Antique Silver Cufflinks and Battered Jungle Hat. Above, Kymberlea is wearing the Sage’s bracers with her Pilgrim Dress. Both Kazuliza and Karrieanna (above) are wearing saddle shoes, which are easily obtained from Durotar or Elwynn Forest.

Taking that idea one step further, try wearing the Pilgrim suit with some coordinating shoulders, gloves, and boots.

Kelisanna is wearing the Bandit’s shoulders, gloves, and boots.
Kaprikka is wearing the Aurora Mantle and Silver-Thread gloves and boots.

Or wear the Pilgrim Hat & Boots with a different suit in between!

The Black Festival Suit from the Lunar Festival is ideal for this. So are the Shadow Council tunic & pants. Kregga is also carrying two cleaver-style axes — one bloodied, the other clean.
The male Tauren Commoner is wearing the Resilient set. The female Tauren Commoner is wearing a dark brown version of the Ancestral Robe that is, sadly, not available to players.

Oddly, the Pilgrim Hat is brown when worn by a Goblin or a Worgen. But, as Akabeko reminds us, the Puritans didn’t wear black all the time. Brown is a beautiful color to wear for an autumn celebration, anyhow.

Left, Durable tunic & trousers; right, Goblin Acolyte (lvl 1 Warlock) robe with Golden Filigreed Shirt. The Rustic Workman’s Shirt would also go well with the Goblin Acolyte Robe.

Left, Gilnean Neophyte (level 1 Priest) Robe; right, Draenic Silk Robes.

With its rich autumnal colors, the Royal Dangui is another fancy dress suitable for Pilgrim’s Bounty.

Katelyra is also wearing the Belt of Dark Schemes.

Here are some ideas for plain, simple, rustic outfits inspired by the hardworking farmers for whose bounteous harvests we give thanks at this time.

Kinevra’s Harvester’s Robe was awarded from a quest in Old Westfall and is, unfortunately, no longer available in the game. If you saved yours, it’s perfect for this holiday. Kivrinne’s Unkempt Robe still drops in Eversong Woods and Azuremyst Isle. The tailored Grey Woolen Robe is a sleeved version of the Unkempt Robe. The soft brown Forsaken level 1 Priest robe and weathered purple Darkmoon Robe also share this style.

Kikimaia is wearing the Forsaken level 1 Mage robe, a similar aesthetic to the Unkempt Robe.

The Forsaken, with their pale, bloodless flesh, don’t really need the Pilgrim’s Boots because they can easily imitate the effect simply by wearing Brocade Shoes.

Kivrinne is wearing the Brocade Vest and Tattered Cloth Pants and carrying a Buzzer Blade and Flesh and Bone.

The Frayed Robe, another drop from low level zones, provides a similar look to the Pilgrim’s/Native/Tauren lvl 1 Druid robe, especially when combined with the Wise Man’s Belt.

On the left, Kiki is wearing it with the Golden Filigreed Shirt; the Rustic Workman’s Shirt would also look nice. On the right, layering the Frayed Robe with the Sen’jin Doublet adds some blue and white striping that improves the resemblance to the Pilgrim’s Robe. She’s also wearing the Willow bracers.
The Dokebi tunic and trousers worn by the male Orc Commoner are a pants-outfit style match for the Frayed Robe. The female Orc Commoner is wearing the Thistlefur Robe.

Kaohana and the Tauren cooking trainers are wearing the Greenweave Robe.

Kaohana is also wearing the Wise Man’s Belt; the green version of the belt worn by the NPCs isn’t available to players.

Kivrinne was riding the Magic Broom when she logged out for the last time before the Hallow’s End celebration came to a close, and she was still riding it when she logged back in after the holiday was over.

She stayed on that broom for as long as she possibly could, but when she wanted to help out with the Pilgrim’s Bounty cooking, she finally had to give it up.

Finally, because I’m silly and couldn’t resist the idea —

Hallowed Helm, Flax Vest, Gossamer pants, Knitted Belt, Journeyman Boots

I’ve been leveling up my alts’ cooking with Cynwise’s excellent guide. If you want to level up your IRL cooking skill a little this Thanksgiving, these recipes are staples of my family’s Thanksgiving tradition:

Thanksgiving Cranberry Jello
3 oz raspberry jello (1 small box)
1 c cran-raspberry juice
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 c sour cream or plain yogurt
0.5 c chopped walnuts or pecans

Bring the juice to a boil, then add first the jello, then the cranberry sauce, stirring after each addition until it is fully dissolved. Cool the resulting mixture in the pan until it is partially set, then pour into an 8×8 glass baking dish and swirl in the sour cream and nuts. Continue to chill until fully set. To feed more people, double all the ingredients and use a 9×13 baking dish.

I use a 100% juice blend for the liquid. A sprinkle of cardamom mixed with the sour cream is a nice touch.

Dixie Salad
pomegranates
apples
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans
8 oz sweetened whipped cream, cool whip, or vanilla yogurt

Toast the chopped nuts. Seed the pomegranates. Chop the apples. Mix the pomegranate seeds, chopped apples, and toasted nuts with the whipped cream.

My grandmother’s version of this recipe calls for 4 pomegranates and 1 apple, but you can make it with any proportions of pomegranate-to-apple that you wish. I used 3 apples and 2 pomegranates last year. You can peel the apples if you like; I prefer to leave the peels on for extra color in the dish.

Count the blessings of this year, and may the next one be even more bountiful!

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Verna and Salma’s Westfall Stew

Likewise, if you’ve ever played a Human all the way through Elwynn Forest, some of the next people you will meet are Verna Furlbrow and Salma Saldean:

The essential components of Westfall Stew are:

Okra — you can get this vegetable fresh, frozen, or canned, depending on your location and the season

Stringy Vulture Meat — leftover roasted chicken or turkey (perhaps from Pilgrim’s Bounty) would work fabulously for this. You could also use raw poultry. When you add the Stringy Vulture Meat will depend on whether you are starting with raw or leftovers.

Goretusk Snout — a hard cooked sausage such as polish sausage, kielbasa, or andouille sausage

Murloc Eye — scallops, but you could choose something different to suit your taste

Based on these ingredients, Westfall Stew sounded a whole lot like a gumbo of some kind to me. I consulted a handful of gumbo and jambalaya recipes, then basically made it up as I went along.

Chop an onion, a couple stalks of celery, and some green bell pepper. Mix the chopped vegetables together in a bowl. Mince a clove or two of garlic (depending on how much garlic you like), but keep it separate from the other vegetables.

If you are using raw Stringy Vulture Meat, cut it into bite size pieces, then sautee it in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the surfaces are no longer pink. Remove to another dish and set aside

Sautee the Goretusk Snouts in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When the pieces have browned, remove them to another dish and set aside. You can put them in the same dish as the Vulture Meat.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add ~3 T butter and 1/4 c flour to the drippings in the pan. Stir the flour and butter together and keep stirring. The mixture will slowly darken as the milk solids in the butter and the starches in the flour caramelize.

At about the point when you start wondering if you’re doing quests in Outland, dump in about half of the bowl full of chopped vegetables and the minced garlic. Keep stirring until the flour has darkened to a reddish brown color and the onions have become translucent, another 5 minutes or so.

Pour into the pan a cup of chicken broth. Add two large tomatoes, chopped, including the juices, or a can of chopped tomatoes with juice. If you are using fresh tomatoes, you might want to use two cups of chicken broth to have enough liquid.
Season with Autumnal Herbs — bay leaf, thyme, oregano, sage, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil.

Add the Goretusk Snout pieces and Stringy Vulture Meat to the stew. If you are using leftover roasted Stringy Vulture Meat, now is the time to put it in. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chop the Okra. Add the chopped Okra and the remaining onion, celery, and bell pepper to the stew and allow to simmer for another half hour while you cook enough rice to suit the number of people you are feeding.

When the rice is ready, add the Murloc Eyes to the stew and cook for another 2-5 minutes until they are no longer translucent.

Ladle the stew over the rice and enjoy!

This turned out well enough, I think, to send in to Angelya’s Harvest Festival Bake-Off. 😀

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Galgar’s Cactus Apple Surprise

If you’ve ever rolled an Orc for more than about a minute, you’ve met Galgar:

I found some prickly pears cactus apples at my grocery store this week, and thought I’d try my hand at figuring out just what Galgar’s Cactus Apple Surprise might be.

Azeroth cactus apples are spineless and can be picked safely with bare hands, but real world prickly pears are covered in tiny, needle-like spines and must be handled and prepared carefully.

Thick Leather Gloves or perhaps some rubberized Shilly Mitts are probably a good idea; I just used three layers of plastic grocery bags. The fruits must be washed and scrubbed to remove as many of the spines as possible. Then the thick skin can be cut open and the pulp scooped out.

I have also cut up some Glowing Fruit (starfruit/carambola) and Skethyl Berries (kiwi).

Because of the many seeds, most uses of prickly pears cactus apples involve pureeing or juicing the pulp, followed by careful straining. The puree or juice is then made into sauces, syrups, jams, or jellies that can be used in all the same ways a raspberry sauce, syrup, or jam might be used. Because Galgar speaks of a treat that can be consumed in “pieces”, however, I thought I’d try making a cactus apple variation of the famous New York Times Plum Torte.

1/2 c softened butter (churned from Ice Cold Milk, of course)
3/4 c sugar
1 c Simple Flour
1 t elemental blasting powder (baking powder)
pinch of Salt
3 Small Eggs or 1 Giant Egg, lightly beaten (2 large eggs)
pulp from 6 cactus apples (or 12 halved and pitted Savory Snowplums, if you want to make the original)
2-3 T sugar to sprinkle on top

preheat oven to 350
lightly grease an 8×8 square baking dish or a pie plate
whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder
cream together the butter and sugar
stir the flour mixture into the butter and sugar; when thoroughly blended, stir in the eggs and beat well
you should have a smooth, silky batter
spread the batter into the pan
spoon the cactus apple pulp evenly over the top of the batter
sprinkle sugar generously over the fruit
you may also add some Holiday Spices (cinnamon), though I chose to omit them

bake for 40-45 minutes

BTH came surprised me by coming home for lunch just as I was about to put the torte in the oven. He amused himself for awhile by playing Starcraft II, then hovered over the oven waiting for the timer to go off. I had to make him wait long enough for me to take a picture before cutting into it.

He said that it tasted alright — which I thought was good of him, since prickly pear cactus apple is something of an acquired taste — but he had real trouble getting past all the seeds. I had a hard time with the seeds, too.

This rather experimental dish wasn’t enough of a success to be worth submitting to Angelya’s Harvest Festival Bake-Off, and the prickly pears cactus apples were expensive enough that I’m probably not going to buy more for further experimentation.

Given the results of this torte, I think that Galgar’s Cactus Apple Surprise is probably made with a puree or juice of the fruit, after all — perhaps something like these prickly pear lemon bars, or maybe a prickly pear locoum.

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