Sariann Lehrer

The title "The official Companion Cookbook" makes it sound a bit like a rip-off, like it's trying to cash in on the hype around Game of Thrones.

It is not. This is a wonderful cookbook with a bunch of nice recipes. I have only tried a few of them, but they were wonderful (Crusty white bread is very tasty, especially if you eat it when it is still warm from the oven.

I had some problems with the measurements, as I am european, but that is hardly the fault of the book. My only factual problem with the book is that all the main dishes are too much for one or even two people. The emphasis really is on Feast of Ice and Fire.

Still, I will try out some more dishes. And: This book is not exclusively for good cooks. I am a pretty inexperienced cook and had no problems so far.

So, yeah, I can recommend this cookbook.… (mehr)

I feel like it'd inaccurate for me to give it a full five stars as I didn't actually make anything in this book, but it was a nice read. I read the blog as they were making dishes, and would probably be more likely to refer to that for recipes though it looks like in process of publishing, some recipes are book-only alas (makes sense, though- got to have something worth paying for, after all). Having medieval versions & modern versions are excellent, though I do wonder if we can really call anything 'authentic' if from a fantasy verse? They do an excellent job at translating old cookery book recipes, though, especially adapting for a modern kitchen.… (mehr)

Even if you're not a fan of the books/show the recipes in here are fantastic. I like the fact that they've given you both a historical version and the modern version of the recipes. I've found quite a few recipes to add to my collection and those who are more adventurous (from across the Narrow Sea with snake and locust) or those who's husband won't die if he eats fish (King's landing has a good amount of seafood recipes) will probably pick up even more. Don't forget the lemoncakes!

Recipes are arranged by what regions you would commonly find them in the realm, not by type of dish, which was fine with me. Especially since there's an index, a table of contents, and the beginning of each section tells exactly what's there. And for those who have trouble designing their own menus, the kind authors have done that for you. And even if you choose to ignore the prepared menus, they gave suggested pairings with each recipe. They've also included a little snippet from the books regarding each recipe.

Very happy with this book.… (mehr)

Our family recently hosted a potluck medieval/Game-of-Thrones themed party. Of all the food that was shared, the following came from this cookbook: lemonsweet, beer bread, leek soup, Sansa salad, buttered beets, pork pie, honey cakes, and fruit tarts. All the items were delicious, but most of the guests chose the pork pie, made with ginger, dried currants and dates, as their favourite.

The cookbook was well laid out, with photographs of all the dishes (even the honey-spiced locusts, which we left off our menu). The recipes were easy to follow, and there were both medieval and modern versions for many of the dishes. I really enjoyed the cooking and the meal itself, especially the fact that it involved mostly natural unprocessed ingredients. However, the amount of butter and egg yolks that went into the meal was mind-boggling. This is not the type of food to indulge in on a regular basis, but it made for a fun evening.

This cookbook is perhaps not the one to choose if you’re mainly interested in authentic Medieval cookery, but if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll probably enjoy it very much. It includes an introduction from G. R. R. Martin himself and many quotes from his books.… (mehr)