tastesoftamriel

[tastesoftamriel]

in the same vein as the slaughterfish ask, what are tamriels favorite ways to cook one of the nine divines most annoying creatures, the mudcrab?

Mudcrabs, how we love to hate you! These pesky creatures can be found near almost any body of water in Tamriel, and their meaty claws aren't just good for delivering a whopping pinch- they're good to eat, too. Here are some of my favourite mudcrab dishes from across Tamriel!

Altmer

Crab claw spring rolls are a quintessential picnic must-have in Summerset. Mudcrab claw meat is mixed into a light salad with mayonnaise, fish roe, and dill. The crab salad is then rolled into thin rice paper wrappers, and flash fried for a lovely crispness followed by the creamy tender mudcrab.

Argonians

Chili mudcrab is an Argonian dish that's known across Tamriel as being a dish of mystical deliciousness. Whole mudcrabs are cooked in a thick, rich chili sauce, and served with steamed buns for dipping. An alternate version uses whole black peppercorns and a spicy black pepper sauce (my personal favourite, truth be told).

Bosmer

Mudcrabs lurk in lakes and rivers across Valenwood, and are loved as a source of nutrition by Wood Elves. Most commonly, you'll find mudcrab gratin: steamed mudcrab meat with whipped eggs and cream, topped off with a generous layer of melted timber mammoth cheese. Delectable!

Bretons

Mudcrab cakes are a universal dish across Tamriel, but the Breton version is, in my opinion, the tastiest. Equal parts mudcrab meat and creamy, spiced mashed potato are rolled into thick balls, coated in panko breadcrumbs, and deep fried. The end result is then traditionally served with a white cream sauce.

Dunmer

Mudcrabs and ash yams don't tend to intermingle in the wild, but in the kitchen you'll find magic with these two ingredients. A bit like Breton mudcrab cakes, crab meat is mixed with mashed ash yam and pickled comberries. The mixture is then shaped into sausages and grilled on skewers on hot lava stones. The end result is juicy, umami, and very flavourful!

Imperials

Mudcrab pie is a specialty of Leyawiin, and people travel miles for it! Flaky mudcrab meat is gently cooked in a creamy, umami sauce, wrapped in flaky puff pastry, and deep friend. You can dip your pies in Argonian garlic and lime sambal as the locals do, if you dare!

Khajiit

Southern Elsweyr produces one of my favourite dishes in all of Tamriel: mudcrab curry. The whole mudcrab is cooked in a rich, flavourful curry and served with jasmine basmati rice and prawn crackers. Be sure to bring a napkin; eating mudcrab curry is a messy affair!

Nords

Steamed mudcrab legs can easily be made posh with a lovely browned butter sauce with slaughterfish caviar. Serve alongside fresh butter and rye bread, and you have a different take on a Skyrim classic!

Orcs

Cheese-baked mudcrab is an old Orcish favourite, where the meat of the crab is finely minced, seasoned, and popped back into the main carapace. It's then topped with a thick layer of echatere cheese, and baked until browned and gooey. Especially delicious on a cold day in Wrothgar!

Redguards

Mudcrab and oyster omelette is a port favourite in Hammerfell, and it's one of the best street foods out there in my opinion. The scrambled egg is whipped into hot oil and tossed with small fresh oysters, mudcrab meat, and scallions. Top with fresh chili, and you've got the perfect lunch!

[tastesoftamriel]

Chicken dumpling

Every race in Tamriel have their own signature dumplings, and in Skyrim, chicken dumplings are a staple. Brought over by the Dark Elves of Morrowind many years ago, these bite-sized morsels have been somewhat adapted and adopted to Nord tastes, and many a brawl has broken out at taverns over who gets the last dumpling! Give these tasty appetisers a try and you'll see why!

You will need:

1 sheet (320g) puff pastry

200g chicken mince

2 eggs

4 cloves garlic, minced finely

3 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chili oil

2 Chinese chives or spring onions, chopped finely

Salt and pepper, to taste

Soy sauce, for dipping

Method:

Preheat your oven to 220C/428F. Brush a baking tray liberally with vegetable oil.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken mince, one egg, salt and pepper, sesame and chili oils, garlic, and chopped chives or spring onions. Mix until even and well combined.

Lay out your puff pastry and cut into six even squares. Scoop a heaped tablespoon and a half of filling into the centre of each square.

To turn them into dumplings, gently grab the top left and bottom right corners to meet together at the top, and pinch together. Bring the other corners up to do the same.

Now, gently pinch all the pastry together, with seams of about 1mm of space. Make sure you get the bottom folds too, you want these dumplings to be airtight to prevent filling from leaking out!

Space your folded dumplings on the baking tray, with plenty room between them for the pastry to rise.

Beat the last egg and brush over each dumpling to give the pastry a nice glossy finish, and bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and piping hot. The chicken inside should be cooked through thoroughly.

Dip your dumplings in soy sauce, and enjoy!

[tastesoftamriel]

When were sweetrolls invented and is there a reason the ones in Cyrodiil resemble cinnamon buns or muffins?

The truth is that we don't know who invented the sweetroll, when, or how. All we know is that the term "sweetroll" has been absorbed into Tamrielic vernacular as referring to a sweet cake or bread. This means that sweetrolls vary from Province to Province, making Cyrodiil's sticky cinnamon bun sweetrolls very different from Skyrim's honey-infused sweetrolls shaped in bundt tins. In Black Marsh, sweetrolls are rice cakes stuffed with palm sugar and grated coconut, and in Summerset a sweetroll is a soft brioche-like bun filled with a caramelised nut filling.

We can consider the popularity of the mainstream sweetroll to match the geopolitical powers of any given time. For example, late 3E Cyrodiilic sweetrolls were the most common form of sweetroll until Khajiiti caravans began peddling Nord sweetrolls across Tamriel as the standard bundt shape you see today. This sweetroll shape is based off a historical recipe from 2E Skyrim, making it an "authentic" Nord recipe that has been passed down through generations. The Nord sweetroll was also apparently the favoured style circa 2E, showing us that what goes around comes around- and that Nords are of course the undisputed masters of the sweetroll. ~Talviel

[tastesoftamriel]

All the races celebrated in different ways, I'm thinking festivals and things like that. How do their festival foods differ, in what and how its served?

Oh, how I love festivities, mainly for the food! Every corner of Tamriel celebrates with their own regional dishes, whether it's a summoning day or New Life!

Altmer

People across Tamriel celebrate Heart's Day on 16th of Sun's Dawn, but the Altmer truly outdo themselves in the hopes of attracting luck and love for the rest of the year. In addition to traditional treats like sweetrolls and candied rose petals, you'll find an array of sensual themed delights to enjoy throughout the day. Prosecco and raspberry mousse, chocolate-dipped strawberries, apple blossom choux puffs, and lychee and rose gelato are just a few treats you can enjoy!

Argonians

Argonians celebrate many festivals, but bonding rituals are particularly special. Couples are expected to...frolick quite vigorously, so a big feast beforehand is a must! Villages spare no expense when it comes to food, as these bonding rituals are usually political as well. Enormous seafood barbecue spreads are particularly common, boasting everything from lobster and grilled clams with chili sauce, to marlin sashimi, watercress and seaweed salad, marsh vegetables with saltrice, and lots of the finest caviar and oysters (aphrodisiacs, of course).

Bosmer

The Wood Elves are the undisputed masters of the Jester's Festival, celebrated on 28th of Rain's Hand. Be careful of what you choose to eat during this time, because in addition to seasonal delicacies like cheesy rabbit schnitzel and milk pudding, there will likely be pranks galore to go with. If you keep your wits about you, you'll be able to taste dishes and snacks like tarantula satay, wild boar sausages, timber mammoth milk custard, and bantam guar pie with a thunderbug carapace pastry.

Bretons

In Glenumbra, on 8th of Sun's Dusk, locals celebrate the Moon Festival in honour of Secunda, and is an evening of feasting and merriment. As the holiday falls at the end of the year, feasts include many preserves and a few seasonal dishes such as seafood gratin, spiced sweet potatoes, turkey stuffed with dried fruit, and many types of cakes and pastries.

Dunmer

Prior to the Red Year, and in more recent times since its rebuilding, the Dark Elves of Gnisis host a feast in honour of Saint Rilms. Rilms was known as a patron of beggars, and as such food is offered to the downtrodden. You'll find hearty foods like ash yam dumplings, scathecraw sautéed with bittergreen, fried saltrice with kwama eggs and ash hopper, saltrice and marshmerrow porridge, comberry tarts, and hot melted scuttle pies.

Imperials

The Imperials celebrate the Mid Year Festival on 16th of Mid Year, where traditionally tax increases are announced. To ease the disgruntled populace, feasts and food markets pop up across Cyrodiil, with all the choice that the Province has to offer. Whether it's mini sweetrolls on sticks or pancakes with roast goose and plum sauce, you'll probably find your favourite fare on offer! Think treats like coffee liqueur trifle, wild boar pastrami sandwiches, sun-dried tomatoes and bresaola with chili oil and buffalo mozzarella.

Khajiit

South Wind's Prayer, on 15th of Morning Star, is celebrated in the hopes of a good planting season across Tamriel. The Khajiit, especially in fertile Southern Elsweyr, observe the day by tidying, fixing farm equipment, preparing their seeds, and of course, feasting. The remains of the last year's crops, especially rice, fruit, and moon sugar feature heavily in dishes. Eggplant and beef tagine, roast chicken with root vegetables, grilled prawns on moon sugarcane skewers, rice noodle soup, and moon sugar pastries of every kind are just a sample of the dishes on offer.

Nords

On 13th of Sun's Dawn, Nords, especially those in Windhelm, celebrate the Feast of the Dead, where the names of Ysgramor's companions are recited (yes, all 500 of them). As you can imagine, this is quite tedious, but the feast is well worth it. I really love the mead-soaked fruit cakes that are a very distinct dish of the day! You'll also find things like lamb and juniper berry stew, jazbay grapes with cheese and cured ham, spiced sweetbreads, venison pie, and all the bread and butter you can eat.

Orcs

Malacath's summoning day is on 8th of Frostfall, and is understandably a big celebration for many Orsimer. Traditionally, feasts are held which feature the best Orcish cuisine, and in huge amounts! Ale and beer flow freely, whole bulls and goats are roasted on the spit, mammoth or timber mammoth meat and cheese is very likely to be present, and traditional delicacies like smoked bear paw and harpy brains are just some of the things you'd expect to find.

Redguards

The Redguards of the Alik'r celebrate Fiery Night on the 29th of Sun's Height, the hottest day of the year. To stay cool, festival goers enjoy a range of chilled snacks and drinks to while away the time until the cool night sets in. The night itself features a lively feast, which celebrate all things about the sun. Stuffed vine leaves with rice and pulled goat meat, cucumber and mint salad, pilaf with raisins and nuts, and cold fruit salad are just some of the dishes you can expect to find.

[tastesoftamriel]

Thank you everyone for the supportive DMs and donations over the past 24 hours, you have no idea how appreciative I am for you all!

I really don't want to take more than I deserve/need so please please don't Ko-Fi me anymore now I've hit my goal (unless you really want to)! I've also removed the goal from my page since it's been hit, so people don't get the wrong idea. I don't want to take advantage of anyone's generosity when my needs have been met.

Have the best week! Stay safe, eat well, be kind! ~Tal

[tastesoftamriel]

Update!

Thank you so much to everyone who donated and reblogged, and an especially enormous thanks to a really generous old friend of mine who almost doubled my goal! As my goal has now been exceeded, I definitely have enough to get my psychiatric appointment (happening this evening) as well as medication! Still feeling extremely wobbly today, but I just wanted to extend my gratitude to everybody. Having a mental disorder is the worst, but I'm doing my best and I hope that one day I can repay the favour!

And also: please get a fucking life to this person who literally doesn't know me, isn't following me, and thinks they're so smart. Thank you for invalidating my need for help, I appreciate it. Enjoy the block button!

Much love and have a great week to everyone but that person! ~Tal

Hey all, I know I've disappeared from Tumblr for a while but I'm in desperate need of help. My bipolar and anxiety is spiralling out of control and I need urgent psychiatric help. I am almost out of medication and need to schedule a psych appointment ASAP. I'm hearing voices, my anxiety is through the roof, I'm shaking and twitching for no reason, and I hate asking for help as I know everyone is strapped but I'm desperate. I have reached breaking point and am in urgent need of psychiatric care before I become a danger to myself again.

Alternatively if you don't want to donate, I offer affordable rune readings if you're into that sort of thing. They are £15 for 9 runes and I am currently running an offer that throws in a free Norse Magic oracle card reading until September 7. I work from 20:30 GMT +7 every night, though I may be off work for a couple of days depending on how soon my psychiatric/medication review happens. If this is something you are interested in, DM me or better yet, if you use Instagram, book in with me there at @runeswithtal

Thank you for your support and help. I feel awful asking for assistance but I'm at breaking point and really trying to keep it together right now. Reblogs much appreciated.

Stay safe, eat well, be kind. ~Tal

[tastesoftamriel]

Is there a Tamrielic equivalent to ice cream? Snow with syrup? Magically frozen juice pops?

Everyone loves an icy treat in Tamriel, especially those in warmer climes and in summer! Frost salts or ice caves are commonly used to keep ice cream and other desserts cold and fresh, and thanks to this, you can find different variations of ice cream everywhere, and each is unique to the different races.

Of all the races, the Dunmer are probably the only ones who aren't mad for ice cream, most likely because of the unfavourable weather conditions of Morrowind which make cold foods a rarity for the average Dark Elf. They do however enjoy chilled, sweet scuttle-based puddings after dinner, often flavoured with ingredients unique to Morrowind including sweetened comberry, marshmerrow, and even ash yam! These greasy desserts are just the thing to beat the volcanic heat, and are great washed down with a cup of shein or sujamma.

As I mentioned some time ago, Nords are no-frills about our ice desserts, since snow is found year-round throughout most of the province. Find some freshly fallen snow, put it in a bowl, and drizzle it with syrup, honey, nuts, snowberries, or whatever tickles your fancy!

The Altmer prefer lighter sorbets and gelatos, and these have much subtler and more intricate flavours- think lemon liqueur, rosewater, cantaloupe, or mint. Sometimes a small lime sorbet will be served as a palate cleanser between dishes, so ice cream isn't just for desserts in the Summerset Isles!

The Redguards make a delicious, though extremely sweet and very dense ice cream known locally throughout Hammerfell as Kulfi. Served in blocks, it is often made from condensed sweetened goat milk, and flavoured with saffron, pistachios, cardamom, and other spices. Though the desert heat may tempt you to order more than one serving, one block of Kulfi is more than enough- any more than that and your teeth may start to rot from the sugar!

Breton and Imperial ice desserts are very similar, in that they are light, whipped, and generally dairy-based. Made with fresh cream, you can find a variety of flavours unique to local tastes, including Cyrodiilic brandy and raisin, caramel, seasonal fruits (berries are popular), and coffee. The main difference between the provinces is that the Bretons serve their ice cream in thin waffle bowls or cones, while in Cyrodiil they prefer serving it in regular glass or ceramic bowls with a spoon. In both provinces, ice cream is often served as a side to cakes and puddings, and is often drizzled with various flavoured syrups too!

The Khajiit make their ice cream (surprise surprise) with a dense moon sugar base, whipped together with fresh cream. Plain moon sugar is the most common flavour, sometimes accentuated with locally-grown vanilla beans, coconut, jasmine, and banana. They're the perfect treat to beat the scorching heat of Elsweyr, but if you're not Khajiit, just remember not to overindulge or you might find yourself very sick!

The Argonians are another race who don't particularly fancy cold desserts, especially the Saxhleel of Black Marsh who are cold-blooded and prefer not to chill themselves unnecessarily, unlike their kin raised in other provinces. However, a dessert commonly found at celebrations such as hatchings and bonding rituals is a chilled swamp jelly mash, mixed with chunks of grass jelly and fresh fruits native to Black Marsh such as mangrove sugar palm, swamp apples, and papaya, and is sweetened with scuttle bloom nectar.

In Valenwood, the Bosmer are batty for sweet icy desserts! Made from a base of timber mammoth milk magically frozen in caves similar to those they use to preserve their meats and rotmeth, they sweeten their ice cream with honey and sweetgnats, local insects with a naturally sweet flavour. This is often mixed with a splash of rotmeth, and is sometimes topped with a good scoop of crunchy honey-basted bacon bits. Delicious!

Last but certainly not least, the Orcs have a long love affair with ice cream, from their origins in the frigid Wrothgarian Mountains. Unlike the other races, their ice cream is made from sweetened echatere cream thickened with potato flour, and generally isn't flavoured with much more than a bit of frost mirriam or comberry. However, the luxuriously velvety rich texture more than makes up for it, and is the ideal finale to any Orcish meal! ~Talviel

[tastesoftamriel]

Hey all, I know I've disappeared from Tumblr for a while but I'm in desperate need of help. My bipolar and anxiety is spiralling out of control and I need urgent psychiatric help. I am almost out of medication and need to schedule a psych appointment ASAP. I'm hearing voices, my anxiety is through the roof, I'm shaking and twitching for no reason, and I hate asking for help as I know everyone is strapped but I'm desperate. I have reached breaking point and am in urgent need of psychiatric care before I become a danger to myself again.

Alternatively if you don't want to donate, I offer affordable rune readings if you're into that sort of thing. They are £15 for 9 runes and I am currently running an offer that throws in a free Norse Magic oracle card reading until September 7. I work from 20:30 GMT +7 every night, though I may be off work for a couple of days depending on how soon my psychiatric/medication review happens. If this is something you are interested in, DM me or better yet, if you use Instagram, book in with me there at @runeswithtal

Thank you for your support and help. I feel awful asking for assistance but I'm at breaking point and really trying to keep it together right now. Reblogs much appreciated.

Stay safe, eat well, be kind. ~Tal

[tastesoftamriel]

All the races celebrated in different ways, I'm thinking festivals and things like that. How do their festival foods differ, in what and how its served?

Oh, how I love festivities, mainly for the food! Every corner of Tamriel celebrates with their own regional dishes, whether it's a summoning day or New Life!

Altmer

People across Tamriel celebrate Heart's Day on 16th of Sun's Dawn, but the Altmer truly outdo themselves in the hopes of attracting luck and love for the rest of the year. In addition to traditional treats like sweetrolls and candied rose petals, you'll find an array of sensual themed delights to enjoy throughout the day. Prosecco and raspberry mousse, chocolate-dipped strawberries, apple blossom choux puffs, and lychee and rose gelato are just a few treats you can enjoy!

Argonians

Argonians celebrate many festivals, but bonding rituals are particularly special. Couples are expected to...frolick quite vigorously, so a big feast beforehand is a must! Villages spare no expense when it comes to food, as these bonding rituals are usually political as well. Enormous seafood barbecue spreads are particularly common, boasting everything from lobster and grilled clams with chili sauce, to marlin sashimi, watercress and seaweed salad, marsh vegetables with saltrice, and lots of the finest caviar and oysters (aphrodisiacs, of course).

Bosmer

The Wood Elves are the undisputed masters of the Jester's Festival, celebrated on 28th of Rain's Hand. Be careful of what you choose to eat during this time, because in addition to seasonal delicacies like cheesy rabbit schnitzel and milk pudding, there will likely be pranks galore to go with. If you keep your wits about you, you'll be able to taste dishes and snacks like tarantula satay, wild boar sausages, timber mammoth milk custard, and bantam guar pie with a thunderbug carapace pastry.

Bretons

In Glenumbra, on 8th of Sun's Dusk, locals celebrate the Moon Festival in honour of Secunda, and is an evening of feasting and merriment. As the holiday falls at the end of the year, feasts include many preserves and a few seasonal dishes such as seafood gratin, spiced sweet potatoes, turkey stuffed with dried fruit, and many types of cakes and pastries.

Dunmer

Prior to the Red Year, and in more recent times since its rebuilding, the Dark Elves of Gnisis host a feast in honour of Saint Rilms. Rilms was known as a patron of beggars, and as such food is offered to the downtrodden. You'll find hearty foods like ash yam dumplings, scathecraw sautéed with bittergreen, fried saltrice with kwama eggs and ash hopper, saltrice and marshmerrow porridge, comberry tarts, and hot melted scuttle pies.

Imperials

The Imperials celebrate the Mid Year Festival on 16th of Mid Year, where traditionally tax increases are announced. To ease the disgruntled populace, feasts and food markets pop up across Cyrodiil, with all the choice that the Province has to offer. Whether it's mini sweetrolls on sticks or pancakes with roast goose and plum sauce, you'll probably find your favourite fare on offer! Think treats like coffee liqueur trifle, wild boar pastrami sandwiches, sun-dried tomatoes and bresaola with chili oil and buffalo mozzarella.

Khajiit

South Wind's Prayer, on 15th of Morning Star, is celebrated in the hopes of a good planting season across Tamriel. The Khajiit, especially in fertile Southern Elsweyr, observe the day by tidying, fixing farm equipment, preparing their seeds, and of course, feasting. The remains of the last year's crops, especially rice, fruit, and moon sugar feature heavily in dishes. Eggplant and beef tagine, roast chicken with root vegetables, grilled prawns on moon sugarcane skewers, rice noodle soup, and moon sugar pastries of every kind are just a sample of the dishes on offer.

Nords

On 13th of Sun's Dawn, Nords, especially those in Windhelm, celebrate the Feast of the Dead, where the names of Ysgramor's companions are recited (yes, all 500 of them). As you can imagine, this is quite tedious, but the feast is well worth it. I really love the mead-soaked fruit cakes that are a very distinct dish of the day! You'll also find things like lamb and juniper berry stew, jazbay grapes with cheese and cured ham, spiced sweetbreads, venison pie, and all the bread and butter you can eat.

Orcs

Malacath's summoning day is on 8th of Frostfall, and is understandably a big celebration for many Orsimer. Traditionally, feasts are held which feature the best Orcish cuisine, and in huge amounts! Ale and beer flow freely, whole bulls and goats are roasted on the spit, mammoth or timber mammoth meat and cheese is very likely to be present, and traditional delicacies like smoked bear paw and harpy brains are just some of the things you'd expect to find.

Redguards

The Redguards of the Alik'r celebrate Fiery Night on the 29th of Sun's Height, the hottest day of the year. To stay cool, festival goers enjoy a range of chilled snacks and drinks to while away the time until the cool night sets in. The night itself features a lively feast, which celebrate all things about the sun. Stuffed vine leaves with rice and pulled goat meat, cucumber and mint salad, pilaf with raisins and nuts, and cold fruit salad are just some of the dishes you can expect to find.

[tastesoftamriel]

Rorikstead brown cheese muffins

Note: this recipe is inspired by but does not appear in the Elder Scrolls

Rorikstead is Skyrim’s most fertile farming village and churns out all sorts of delicious fresh produce ranging from fruits and vegetables to meat and dairy. It’s my favourite place to buy ingredients, and when I was there I learned of a delicious brown cheese made from the whey of cow or goat milk by Cowflop Farmhouse.

This cheese, also known as brunost, is a local special in Rorikstead and after one taste, I was hooked. While the locals enjoy it on some good rye bread with a lick of strawberry jam, I figured that brunost would be a great ingredient to feature in my cooking as it really showcases an ingredient unique to my homeland of Skyrim. Here is my recipe for brown cheese muffins, which are perfect for breakfast and tea. They are flavourful on their own but are also good with fresh butter or jam!

NB: Brunost, or brown cheese, is native to Norway and they come in solid blocks that are cut with a cheese scraper. You can find it at specialty dairy shops or import delis, usually under the brand Tine. There are several different kinds of brunost, but my favourite for this recipe is fløtemysost, which has a delicious sweet flavour and a creamy texture. If you are lactose intolerant, try gjetost, which is made from goat’s milk and is firmer and more savoury.

You will need: 200g brunost, grated 175g plain flour 3 large eggs 75g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 200ml ricotta or cottage cheese 50g brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method: Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Grease two muffin tins well with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ricotta and butter.

Add the flour, baking powder, vanilla, and brunost, and mix until a thick batter is formed. The brunost will still be in shreds as opposed to dissolved, which is fine as long as it is evenly mixed through the batter instead of in clumps.

Whisk the eggs and sugar with a balloon whisk until light and fluffy. Add this to the batter and whip until completely blended through.

Pour the mixture into the muffin tins, about ¾ full so they have space to rise, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crisp on top. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tray.

Can be kept for up to a week when refrigerated in an airtight container.

[tastesoftamriel]

The Screaming Mermaid

Port Hunding's finest tavern!

Starters and nibbles

Port Hunding cheese fries

Our signature snack for cheese lovers, with a secret blend of cheeses from across Tamriel and beer-battered chips

Mudcrab madness

Mudcrab legs, claws, and roe, served steamed with garlic butter or fried with smoked habanero mayo

Scallops n' scampi

Fresh, beer-battered scallops and scampi served in a basket with lemon and tartare sauce

Stros M'Kai seaweed salad

Redguard-style seaweed salad with radishes, carrots, mixed salad leaves, and spicy garlic tahini

Mains

Salt-baked sea bass

Whole fresh sea bass baked in an Iliac Bay sea salt crust, served with spiced potato mash

Stros M'Kai grilled seagull

Tired of those pesky seagulls? Time to get your revenge! Served with crab fried rice

Goat seekh kebabs

Classic spiced goat mince kebabs, with tabbouleh and saffron rice

Grilled lobster

Whole lobster, grilled over a coconut coal fire and served with red hot Alik'r-style sambal

Desserts

Sweet almond cigars

Deep-fried rolled filo pastry filled with crushed candied almonds. Served with salted caramel dip

Semolina pancakes

Fluffy and delicious, with a spiced honey syrup, crushed pistachios, and banana ice cream

Coconut split

Coconut gelato and banana ice cream served in a fresh coconut, with shredded coconut, sweet whipped coconut cream, and candied almonds

Cookies galore!

A selection of freshly-baked almond, pistachio, honey, and date cookies of the day, with a pot of fresh mint tea on the side

[tastesoftamriel]

Caramelized goat nibbles

These tasty morsels have been a staple in the Alik'r for centuries, and are often served as an appetiser, as part of a tapas platter, or hors d'oeuvres at any establishment from the humblest to the most luxurious. This recipe dates back from the Second Era and was generously given to me by the famed Sisters of the Sands Inn in Sentinel, which had withstood the test of time as much as this recipe has.

You will need: 2.5 kg goat meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 2 tsp garam masala powder 1 tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp ground sea salt 2 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp onion powder ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp paprika powder ¼ cup tomato sauce (passata) 1 cup soft brown sugar Olive oil, for basting

Method: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil and brown sugar, and stir well. Wrap in cling film and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge (9-12 hours is ideal).

Preheat your oven to 200C/392F. Cover a baking tray with foil, and baste liberally with olive oil.

Remove the goat pieces from the fridge and drain away any excess liquid and the bay leaf. Roll each goat piece lightly in sugar and place them on the baking tray, evenly spaced apart. Once they are all laid out, baste them again lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn the pieces over carefully, baste with a little more olive oil and sugar, and place back in oven for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. These nibbles can be eaten hot or at room temperature, depending on your preference.

[tastesoftamriel]

Is there a Tamrielic equivalent to ice cream? Snow with syrup? Magically frozen juice pops?

Everyone loves an icy treat in Tamriel, especially those in warmer climes and in summer! Frost salts or ice caves are commonly used to keep ice cream and other desserts cold and fresh, and thanks to this, you can find different variations of ice cream everywhere, and each is unique to the different races.

Of all the races, the Dunmer are probably the only ones who aren't mad for ice cream, most likely because of the unfavourable weather conditions of Morrowind which make cold foods a rarity for the average Dark Elf. They do however enjoy chilled, sweet scuttle-based puddings after dinner, often flavoured with ingredients unique to Morrowind including sweetened comberry, marshmerrow, and even ash yam! These greasy desserts are just the thing to beat the volcanic heat, and are great washed down with a cup of shein or sujamma.

As I mentioned some time ago, Nords are no-frills about our ice desserts, since snow is found year-round throughout most of the province. Find some freshly fallen snow, put it in a bowl, and drizzle it with syrup, honey, nuts, snowberries, or whatever tickles your fancy!

The Altmer prefer lighter sorbets and gelatos, and these have much subtler and more intricate flavours- think lemon liqueur, rosewater, cantaloupe, or mint. Sometimes a small lime sorbet will be served as a palate cleanser between dishes, so ice cream isn't just for desserts in the Summerset Isles!

The Redguards make a delicious, though extremely sweet and very dense ice cream known locally throughout Hammerfell as Kulfi. Served in blocks, it is often made from condensed sweetened goat milk, and flavoured with saffron, pistachios, cardamom, and other spices. Though the desert heat may tempt you to order more than one serving, one block of Kulfi is more than enough- any more than that and your teeth may start to rot from the sugar!

Breton and Imperial ice desserts are very similar, in that they are light, whipped, and generally dairy-based. Made with fresh cream, you can find a variety of flavours unique to local tastes, including Cyrodiilic brandy and raisin, caramel, seasonal fruits (berries are popular), and coffee. The main difference between the provinces is that the Bretons serve their ice cream in thin waffle bowls or cones, while in Cyrodiil they prefer serving it in regular glass or ceramic bowls with a spoon. In both provinces, ice cream is often served as a side to cakes and puddings, and is often drizzled with various flavoured syrups too!

The Khajiit make their ice cream (surprise surprise) with a dense moon sugar base, whipped together with fresh cream. Plain moon sugar is the most common flavour, sometimes accentuated with locally-grown vanilla beans, coconut, jasmine, and banana. They're the perfect treat to beat the scorching heat of Elsweyr, but if you're not Khajiit, just remember not to overindulge or you might find yourself very sick!

The Argonians are another race who don't particularly fancy cold desserts, especially the Saxhleel of Black Marsh who are cold-blooded and prefer not to chill themselves unnecessarily, unlike their kin raised in other provinces. However, a dessert commonly found at celebrations such as hatchings and bonding rituals is a chilled swamp jelly mash, mixed with chunks of grass jelly and fresh fruits native to Black Marsh such as mangrove sugar palm, swamp apples, and papaya, and is sweetened with scuttle bloom nectar.

In Valenwood, the Bosmer are batty for sweet icy desserts! Made from a base of timber mammoth milk magically frozen in caves similar to those they use to preserve their meats and rotmeth, they sweeten their ice cream with honey and sweetgnats, local insects with a naturally sweet flavour. This is often mixed with a splash of rotmeth, and is sometimes topped with a good scoop of crunchy honey-basted bacon bits. Delicious!

Last but certainly not least, the Orcs have a long love affair with ice cream, from their origins in the frigid Wrothgarian Mountains. Unlike the other races, their ice cream is made from sweetened echatere cream thickened with potato flour, and generally isn't flavoured with much more than a bit of frost mirriam or comberry. However, the luxuriously velvety rich texture more than makes up for it, and is the ideal finale to any Orcish meal! ~Talviel

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Old Hroldan Inn

Food good enough for Tiber Septim himself!

Light bites and snacks

Elk jerky bites

Home smoked and dried. Perfect with ale or mead!

Reach-style sausage roll

With Reach peppercorns, juniper, and flaky all-butter pastry

Two-egg quiche

With chicken and pine thrush eggs, smoked salmon, bacon, and thyme

Meals

Cream of mushroom soup

With speck, wild foraged mushrooms, and homemade black garlic

Rabbit pot pie

With thyme gravy, vegetables, and juniper berries

Markarth-style roast suckling pig

With snowberry jelly and frost mirriam

Venison haunch roast

With rosemary and juniper gravy

Karth River salmon bake

With goat cream cheese, mashed dill potatoes, and freshly caught salmon

Stuffed pheasant breast

With herbed sourdough stuffing

Sweets

Rorikstead brown cheese muffins

With snowberry jam and clotted cream

Apple and Nord mead pie

With custard or clotted cream

Goat's cheese cheesecake

With almonds and spiced snowberry coulis

Spiced poached apples

With mascarpone and cinnamon-mead jelly

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Caramelized goat nibbles

These tasty morsels have been a staple in the Alik'r for centuries, and are often served as an appetiser, as part of a tapas platter, or hors d'oeuvres at any establishment from the humblest to the most luxurious. This recipe dates back from the Second Era and was generously given to me by the famed Sisters of the Sands Inn in Sentinel, which had withstood the test of time as much as this recipe has.

You will need: 2.5 kg goat meat, chopped into bite-sized pieces 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 2 tsp garam masala powder 1 tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp ground sea salt 2 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp onion powder ¼ tsp ground cloves 1 tsp paprika powder ¼ cup tomato sauce (passata) 1 cup soft brown sugar Olive oil, for basting

Method: In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the olive oil and brown sugar, and stir well. Wrap in cling film and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge (9-12 hours is ideal).

Preheat your oven to 200C/392F. Cover a baking tray with foil, and baste liberally with olive oil.

Remove the goat pieces from the fridge and drain away any excess liquid and the bay leaf. Roll each goat piece lightly in sugar and place them on the baking tray, evenly spaced apart. Once they are all laid out, baste them again lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn the pieces over carefully, baste with a little more olive oil and sugar, and place back in oven for another 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. These nibbles can be eaten hot or at room temperature, depending on your preference.

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Does Tamriel have hot chocolate? If so, what different kinds do you think would be served throughout the continent?

While not every race traditionally consumes cocoa, trade across Tamriel has meant that it's spread far and wide. Of course, every Province has a special way of preparing my favourite drink (after mead, of course).

Altmer

Hot chocolate? How about chilled? The High Elves love to mix their cocoa powder with crushed ice to make a deliciously refreshing beverage that suits the climate of Summerset perfectly. Usually made with bitter dark (or sometimes white) chocolate, these chocolate slushies are sometimes blended with espresso, berries, or whipped cream.

Argonians

Cacao plants grow well in Black Marsh, and hot chocolate is a local delicacy that's said to boost your health and stamina. Unlike other races, Argonians add very little sugar to their cacao, mixing it with hot water and coconut milk until a runny paste forms. It's very bitter, but I personally enjoy it more than coffee!

Bosmer

Non-Green Pact adherent Bosmer love their cocoa as much as anyone else, but of course, it has some Valenwood flair. If you've never tried crispy bacon bits on top of your whipped cream and hot chocolate, have you really even lived? Obscenely unhealthy, and absolutely a must-try for any hot chocolate lover.

Bretons

If you're picturing the ideal fancy hot chocolate with marshmallows, whipped cream, caramel sauce, cointreau...look no further than High Rock (of course). Served in towering glasses or mugs and laced with anything you could possibly desire in a hot chocolate, you'll find nothing but satisfaction with Breton-style hot chocolates.

Dunmer

House Hlaalu first popularised hot cocoa through trade, and of course the beverage has a local twist on Vvardenfell. Roasted cocoa beans are crushed together with fresh, sweet marshmerrow and a bit of comberry, and mixed with a diluted, sweetened scuttlecream. The end result is a bittersweet and flavourful beverage that hits the spot when you're ashed in!

Imperials

It wouldn't be an Imperial-style hot chocolate if it isn't thick enough to stand your spoon up in! More akin to a thick chocolate soup than a drink (not that it's ever stopped anyone from glugging it), the cocoa drink of Cyrodiil is usually accompanied by churros or sugar cookies for dunking.

Khajiit

Moon sugar caramel hot chocolate. I could just leave my description at that, because words cannot convey the sheer delight that this beverage summons. Cocoa beans are grown across Elsweyr, and the Khajiit know their chocolate. Topped with whipped coconut cream and a dash of cinnamon, this (very) sweet treat is immensely satisfying to drink.

Nords

Hot cocoa is a drink preferred by the wealthy of Skyrim, and it's never really caught onto the mainstream. Here, we simply mix melted milk chocolate into hot frothy milk, and sometimes add a splash of mead. Some Nords also like their hot chocolate topped with snowberries and cream, which is admittedly delicious.

Orcs

When we're talking about hot chocolate, the Orsimer take the "hot" bit very, very seriously. Dark cocoa powder is mixed with lard, milk and sugar, and heated to scalding temperatures to make sure the mixture does not congeal. It's almost impossible to drink without burning yourself, so proceed with caution if you dare!

Redguards

Spicy and aromatic, the Redguards flavour their cocoa with coconut sugar, vanilla beans, cinnamon, and a touch of chili powder to create the most divine hot chocolate. The mixture is stirred into hot goat's milk, and is sipped from small metal cups. Absolutely mouthwatering stuff.

[tastesoftamriel]

Spinner's Taboo Salad

Traditionally made by Bosmer in Reaper's March who are non-adherent to the Green Pact, this salad is a perfect example of Bosmer-Khajiit fusion cuisine of Northern Elsweyr. With an eclectic array of wholesome ingredients and a sweet-and-spicy peanut sauce, this is the perfect vegetarian main or a side for satay.

Note: This is a traditional Indonesian salad dish called gado-gado, which has a number of regional variants. This particular version is how I've eaten it since I was a child, and still gets served in the family home at least a couple of times a month! Thank you @nacrene-archaeologist for all your support and enthusiasm for Indonesian food!

You will need:

1 cucumber, sliced

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

50g string beans, sliced

1 large tomato, sliced

150g cabbage, shredded

2 eggs, hardboiled and sliced

100g tempeh, sliced

100g firm tofu, cut into cubes

For the sauce:

3-4 chilis, chopped (I like bird's eye chilis)

2 tbsp kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce), plus extra to serve

2 large shallots, chopped finely

400g peanut butter, any texture

Around 150ml hot water, depending on the consistency of the sauce you prefer

1 tsp salt

25g roasted peanuts, chopped

Prawn crackers (kerupuk) or arrowroot crackers (emping), to serve

Method:

In separate pots, cook the vegetables first. Boil the cabbage in salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. The potato should take about 10-15 minutes until tender, and the green beans only 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Fry both the tofu and tempeh together in very hot oil, to ensure the outsides are nice and crisp. The tofu will take less time than the tempeh to cook as you don't want it to be crunchy all the way through. Once again, set both aside to cool while you make the sauce.

To make the sauce, dilute the peanut butter with hot water, a bit at a time. I like my sauce to be not too sticky but not watery, so adjust the water level to your preference.

Add the salt, kecap manis, peanuts, chopped chilis and shallots to the peanut butter. Stir well until combined thoroughly.

To assemble your salad, mix together the raw and cooked vegetables, followed by the egg, tempeh, and tofu. Add a liberal amount of peanut sauce on top, and finish with a crushed handful of prawn or arrowroot crackers, and an extra swirl of kecap manis if you wish!