Authors: Alan Kistler
Tags: #recipes, #cookbook, #Game of Thrones
Makes 2 loaves
2
1
⁄
2
cups boiling water
1
3
⁄
4
cups steel-cut oats
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
3 tablespoons butter
1
⁄
2
cup warm milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1
3
⁄
4
teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
1 cup whole wheat flour
4–6 cups bread flour
1
⁄
4
cup cornmeal
1 large egg
1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
A Word of Wisdom
Oats boast so much protein that they are considered one of the most nutritious grains. The Night Watch would likely keep several oat varieties on hand for their culinary needs, including groats, steel-cut, and rolled.
Umma’s Morning Loaf
Blind Beth sees the stars in her dreams, but during the day the world is black. Even a task as simple as getting dressed and going to breakfast in the morning becomes a worthwhile practice session, training her senses so she may function without sight. The smell of Umma’s morning loaf is a beacon in the dark for her, a scent to follow to the promise of nourishment and the day’s true beginning. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 45 — The Blind Girl)
Makes 2 loaves
1 cup warm water
3 tablespoons honey
1
3
⁄
4
teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
3 eggs
1
⁄
4
cup olive oil, plus more as needed for tops of loaves
2 cups fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels
1 cup scallions, finely chopped
1
1
⁄
2
cups cornmeal
1
⁄
2
cup whole wheat flour
3
⁄
4
teaspoon kosher salt
3–4 cups bread flour
1
⁄
4
cup cornmeal
A Word of Wisdom
Cornmeal gives this bread a lovely, sweet flavor and a hearty texture. Any type of cornmeal will do here, including yellow, white, blue, or red. Be adventurous!
Soft Flatbread from Across the Narrow Sea
In the Seven Kingdoms, nearly everyone enjoys loaves of hearty bread with their meals. But across the narrow sea, Daenerys, Tyrion, and many others prefer plates of soft flatbread to go with their figs, olives, and cheese. Even the Dornish royalty have adopted it to serve alongside their finest small plates. This variety — a simple pita bread — pairs nicely with
Balerion Fish Roe Dip
,
Doran’s Favorite Chickpea Paste
, cheese plates, and other exotic spreads and samplers. (
A Dance with Dragons
, Chapter 2 — Daenerys)
Makes 5 breads
1
1
⁄
2
cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
3
1
⁄
2
teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packages)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3–4 cups bread flour
A Word of Wisdom
Don’t brown your flatbread! This bread must remain pale if it is to be flexible. If you let it get too dark, it will become hard like a cracker. Watch the clock carefully unless you prefer your flatbreads to be quite crispy!
Trident Flax and Fennel Hardbread
Brienne and Jaime may be an odd pair of companions, but they at least agree that starving in the Riverlands is not an option conducive to long life. Hardbread may not be the most appealing meal for a Lannister who prefers the finer, softer luxuries in life, but it keeps them well on their march. This version spruces up the traditional flour-and-water combination and adds a provincial, earthy taste with a little grain and herb. (
A Storm of Swords,
Chapter 11 — Jaime)
Makes 12–15 crackers
2
⁄
3
cup warm water
1
⁄
3
cup olive oil
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
2–3 cups whole wheat flour
1 egg white
A Word of Wisdom
Hardbread, also known as hardtack, could chip sailors’ teeth after a while. Better to make a cracker version like this one than trouble yourself with a long-lasting loaf.
In a realm where winters last for years and bring with them a unimaginable, bone-chilling cold, warm soups and stews become an essential meal. Fit for all tastes, ingredients, and occasions, these hearth-fired and cauldron-cooked dishes can accommodate anyone’s means and needs.
A good salad is key as well. Whether the ingredients are cultivated or foraged, these vegetable dishes may be lighter fare, but are still a staple of a well-rounded diet. Reminiscent of the summer’s “salad days,” they may be the last holdouts of warmer times, too. Because they’re susceptible to the coming deep freeze, large bowls of greenery will become more and more scarce as food stores dwindle in winter, but the wealthy and noble may enjoy their greens for a little while longer.
When vitality and health are so prized, cherished, and important to survival in a harsh world, soups, stews, and salads not only help the people of Westeros to make it through the harsher times, but remind them that nature moves in cycles and warmer times will come again.