Category: Game of Thrones

Rosy Lemon Cakes
I had a very specific image of Sansa’s favorite treat in mind as I was reading Game of Thrones, so it took a couple of tries to get them right! I had a vision of small, almost bite-sized cakes on a platter, decorated prettily. I wanted them very dense, barely leavened, so I melted the butter and cooked them at a very low temperature. There are a million lemon cake recipes floating around, so I’ve tried what I imagined as regional variations. This one is inspired by Highgarden. I used rosewater in both the lemon curd and the lemon cakes; the Tyrell’s sigil is the Rose, which I thought was fitting as Marjorie was a decent ally for awhile to Sansa.

As a variation, I also made a Queen in the North version: Rosemary Lemon Cakes with rosemary and candied lemon.
Rosy Lemon Cakes

For the rosy lemon curd
Adapted from Ina Garten
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- zest of 3 lemons
- 4 eggs
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp rose water
- 1/8 tsp salt
Cream the butter, then beat in the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs one by one, then the lemon juice, rosewater, and salt.

Pour into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened (10 minutes or so, mine took longer). Remove from heat and cool completely. Can save in the fridge.

For the lemon cakes
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons rosewater
- pinch safflower for color (optional)
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spoon very lightly into measuring cups to measure)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar, rosy lemon curd, and optional rose petals to decorate
Heat oven to 275°

Whisk together well butter and honey, then whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Whisk in lemon juice, rosewater, and crumbled safflower.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt, then stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon into greased mini muffin cups, and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then overturn onto a plate to cool the rest of the way. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar, dollop with lemon curd, and garnish with a few sprinkled rose petals.
This is kind of an amalgam of these:
Fine Cakes translated by Gode Cookery
Medieval Lemon Cakes by Inn at the Crossroads
Lemoncakes from Geeky Chef (this is my favorite presentation, I may try the ones above again with just little lemon slices in the muffin cups)

This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 1: GAME OF THRONES in which Carrie and Diana discuss characters, regions and cuisines of Westeros and Essos, salt rite, food styling, and blood and boobs.
May 22, 2018
Buttered Leeks
Leek, leek, it rhymes with Reek.

This is an innocent side of green veggie that is secretly, luxuriously bathed in butter. Leeks are delicate, with such a softness to their sharpness that even my daughter who hates onion with the fire of seven hells was happy to gobble up.
Buttered Leeks
- 2 pounds leeks
- 3 tablespoons butter
- generous pinch salt
- several sprigs thyme to garnish
Trim leeks of almost all green (you can leave a little of the spring green stem) and slice vertically. Wash well to remove all grit, and slice into half moons.

Heat butter on medium heat, and add leaks, season with salt, and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until completely soft and wilted. Season if necessary, serve garnished with thyme.
June 8, 2016
Scalloped Turnips
The night is dark, and full of turnips.

Turnips are a staple of medieval cookery, and can often be used just as new world potatoes, whether sliced, mashed, or cooked into a soup. I recreated a scalloped potato dish I often cook for Thanksgiving using turnips instead, and their slightly sharper flavor worked well!

The final product was a teensy bit soupy when sliced, as turnips aren’t as starchy as potatoes, but I’m not going to tell you not to make this because it was delicious. Eventually I may try variations, such as adding carrots and/or parsnips, using slightly less cream, or adding cheese (as in these garnished turnips, basically a turnip gratin).
Scalloped Turnips
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 2-3 sprigs rosemary
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 large turnips (or 6 small)
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Heat oven to 350°

Butter a 7×11 baking dish (I know this is an odd size, so others will work). Place the garlic and rosemary along the bottom.

In a mixing bowl, mix whipping cream, salt, and white pepper.

Cut turnips into quarters (if they are small, just halves). Using a mandolin, slice a turnip at a time, dip in the whipping cream mixture, and arrange in layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle small butter cubes over the top, and loosely tent the dish with foil.

Bake for an hour, until turnips are soft and easily pierced. Raise heat to 425° and remove foil. Cook another 15 minutes until top is golden. Rest 15 minutes before serving.
From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North
May 4, 2016
Rosemary Lemon Cakes
No Game of Thrones menu, especially one themed Queen in the North, is complete without the iconic lemon cakes.

Previously I had made a southern Highgardenish version delicately flavored with rosewater, dolloped with a rosey lemon curd. Now that Sansa is back up north outside of Winterfell, presumably heading to the Wall, I started dreaming of a fragrant, piney, northern version of her favorite treat. Rosemary pairs so perfectly with lemon, and I made pretty candied lemon slices to decorate.

These turned out delicious, and were even better over the next couple of days.
Rosemary Lemon Cakes

For the candied lemon slices
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1 large lemon, cut into thin slices
In a saucepan, heat sugar with 1 cup water and the sprigs of rosemary. Bring to a boil, swirling the sugar to dissolve it. Gently drop in lemon slices in a single layer and lower heat to medium low. Simmer gently, flipping occasionally, for 15 minutes, until rind softens. Remove to a wax-paper lined baking sheet, cool for an hour, then move to the fridge for an hour. When ready to use, slice the lemon slices into quarters.

Reserve the syrup, you will use it for the lemon cakes.

For the lemon cakes
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 egg yolks
- zest and juice of one large lemon
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (spoon very lightly into measuring cups to measure)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- candied lemon slices (above)
- lemon rosemary syrup (above)
Heat oven to 275°

Whisk together well butter and honey, then whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Whisk in lemon juice and rosemary.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt, then stir into wet ingredients until just combined. Spoon into greased mini muffin cups, and bake for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then overturn onto a plate. Brush liberally with the reserved lemon rosemary syrup (slighly warmed), and top with a candied lemon slice. Cool completely.

Even better the next day!
From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North
May 1, 2016
Mawmenny
As a lover of both medieval and desi food, I get excited when they collide, as in this dish which is basically a medieval curry. Thanks, Spice Route!

There are lots of variations, some with chicken, beef, or mutton (or a mixture), some cooked in wine, some in almond milk, some sweetened with sugar and dates, all spiced with cinnamon and cloves. (See this recipe, which sources a few olde receipts). Some were colored red with sandalwood, most garnished with nuts.

Because of the warm spices and the almonds, I made mine similar to a Mughlai korma, and it turned out rich, fragrant, and lovely.

As Game of Thrones fare…

This is the upscale version of bowls of brown – that is if better ingredients were available than stale bread, meat gristle and sewer water! When the hipster noble houses start gentrifying Flea Bottom, you can look for mawmenny establishments to start popping up for sure.

Note: if you don’t have all the spices, or if you’d rather use beef or chicken than goat, go for it! Medieval chefs are resourceful. This recipe is very versatile, use whatever meat and at least the cinnamon and cloves and you should be good.
Mawmenny
- 2 pounds bone-in goat cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (you can also use lamb, beef, or chicken)
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped, divided
- salt & pepper
- 2 1/2 medium onions
- 2 inches ginger, peeled and chopped
- ground spices: 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons ghee, divided (or you can use half and half butter and oil)
- whole spices: 1 stick cinnamon, 8 cloves, 2 black cardamoms
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup almonds, ground
- 1/4 cup almonds, slivered
Marinate meat in wine, 2 cloves garlic, and generously seasoned with salt and pepper, for at least an hour and ideally over night.

Grind together onions, 4 cloves garlic, ginger, and ground spices. On medium high, heat 3 tablespoons ghee, and cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently at first and constantly at the end, until liquid has evaporated and the mixture has darkened in color. Crank the heat up to high and add whole spices and the meat (along with the marinade), and cook, stirring, until liquid has mostly evaporated and meat is sealed, being careful not to burn. Add sugar, ground almonds and water to just cover, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is very soft, 2-2 1/2 hours (will be less for chicken, only 20-30 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat a tablespoon of ghee and fry the slivered almonds, stirring gently, until golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

When meat is ready, remove cover, raise heat and thicken up the sauce, stirring frequently. When it’s thick enough, garnish with almonds and serve hot with bread.
From Game of Thrones menu Queen in the North
April 26, 2016
Queen in the North Menu

Happy Game of Thrones season! I’m celebrating per usual by cooking the food and listening to a TON of podcasts (also contemplating rereads and wearing geeky t-shirts).

Traditionally, my sister – lovely and generous, with a great house and also HBO – hosts a premiere party for our friends (I’ll link up past parties for the awesome menus) but unfortunately this year she was on a work trip. Hmph, priorities. We’ll probably be able to rally for another ep this season, but I didn’t want to forgo the premiere dinner, so I planned a somewhat humble menu for home. I based it around Sansa, our brave Queen in the North. I think I truly fell in love with her in dark form, watching her descend the staircase in her black mockingbird dress. In the book it was with her heartbreakingly beautiful snow castle scene. She’s had a terrible time and this season I think we’re hoping she’ll get what we all want – REVENGE! I mean…anyway…

I present, our Queen in the North menu! If it looks like something you’d enjoy, check back, I’ll be adding the recipes to the site in the coming weeks.

Queen in the North

Mawmenny

A medieval style wine-marinated spiced goat curry

Scalloped Turnips

A recreation of a scalloped potato dish I love, adapted to be less anachronistic #FuckOlly

Buttered Leeks

Rhymes with Reek, dead simple, and my daughter ate them without protest. What else can I say?

Barley Bread

This was only so so….working on a recipe I can get behind

Rosemary Lemon Cakes

I’m creating variations that follow sweet Sansa around the map, these are the Northern version. See my rosey Southern version (for House Tyrell, especially Margaery) on Fiction Kitchen Podcast

Recipes coming soon! The North remembers. Will also link up some other awesome bloggers cooking A Song of Ice and Fire food, as well as all the podcasts I enjoy.

April 24, 2016
Game of Thrones Potluck: Across the Narrow Sea

We picked Across the Narrow Sea as our second Game of Thrones potluck. I was super impressed with the menu we came up with – it was fresh and exotic and delicious!

Across the Narrow Sea – The Menu

Thanks to all the dear friends who contributed!

Appetizers: Fruit, olives, manchego drizzled with honey, toasted pita bread,
yogurt honey tahini harissa dip
(No recipe, except maybe for the harissa, so I’ll add that later).

Harira – Moroccan Chickpea Soup
(Everyone loved it, and I can’t believe I forgot to snap a picture of this!).

Iced Green Minty Drink
(From A Feast of Ice and Fire)

Dolmades with Avgolemono
(Recipe coming)

Greek Salad
(Just romaine, red onions, tomatoes, feta and kalamata olives, but I made a nice dressing with lemons, honey, garlic, parsley, mint, dill and olive oil)

Pomegranate Goat
(Inspired by Goat with Firepods and Sweetgrass but I irreverently changed pretty much everything, my version of recipe coming)

Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks
(From Inn at the Crossroads)

Magister Illyrio’s Dubious Mushrooms
(From Inn at the Crossroads)

Olive Oil Cake with Citrus Fruit and Yogurt
(Inspired by Olive Oil and Rosemary Cake, my recipe coming)

Appetizer spread.

Iced Green Minty Drink (delicious! Honeydew, mint and lime. Non-preggos added vodka. Not the prettiest snap because I couldn’t wait to take a sip.)

Glorious dolmades. So lemony!

Greek Salad. Nothing special, just something fresh and green.

Pomegranate goat turned out beautiful – very rich, sweet and spicy.

Yummy chicken.

Dubious mushrooms.

Citrusy olive oil cake. I love this cake, literally the easiest and most versatile cake I’ve ever made.

Some of the recipes came from or were inspired by Inn at the Crossroads blog or A Feast of Ice and Fire cookbook, and the rest have Greek or North African influence. I dressed my daughter up Sindhi style (which we will just pretend is Dothraki style) and for our listening pleasure played my Niyaz Pandora station.

Check out our first potluck, Winterfell.

March 22, 2013