A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Companion Cookbook

This is a really informative, interesting and fun book to have. Like Chelsea and Sariann, I am a big fan of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, and have been for many years before Game of Thrones was produced, so once I found out about this book, the question I asked myself was not "Should I buy it?" but "When can I justify buying it?" I tried a few recipes from the blog first but some recipes were in the book alone, so I knew I needed access to both! Fortunately I decided to buy the book a few months ago and I have not regretted it.The recipes are easy to follow, the book is laid out brilliantly and the pictures are perfect. I love how Chelsea and Sariann compare historical versions of their dishes to modern variants. I have made quite a few dishes from the book now and all have turned out well.The only problem for me is that this book was produced by Americans,. As the measurements are done under the American system, I, as a Briton. need to use the conversion charts when I want to make something from this book, or guess at the quantities! The other issue related to that is the fact that a lot of the ingredients are not widely available in British stores, or have different names. it's fairly easy to improvise though. I contacted the authors via the blog and Chelsea said she would consider putting up a conversion chart on the blog for the British fans.On the whole, this is a brilliant book and I look forward to many years of faux-medieval feasting!

Loads of inviting recipes that cater to every season, occaision, course, mealtime and taste. The recipes are tasty and range from the extravagant, to the adventurous, to the everyday and even includes making drinks!It's a hardback with glossy pages and brilliant photographs. The major feature of this book is that they are not hit and miss recipes twisted round in an attempt to resemble the literature - the authors did an amazing job of sourcing authentic recipes. In fact, the book is presented with two versions of each dish - the original and the modern. The original dishes are usually labelled as ancient Roman or mediaeval Elizabethan and are surprisingly delicious, inviting and not that difficult to get ingredients for. The modern versions can be less hassle and are sufficiently different to the originals to give you choice.The sign of a good cookbook is if it changes the way you eat. I can safely say that ancient Rome and mediaeval food are a part of my repertoire and that's not going to change. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to cook, whether you're looking for inventive meals or if you want to be able to cook the mainstays, it really is that varied. Oh and if you just salivated over the food in the books and wanted to see what they really look like, the book's for you, too.

Having a Medieval Cook Book from the British Museum, I was intrigued to see how authentic this cook book could be. I'm delighted to say not only does it incorporate Medieval recipes, but also Roman and early French as well. Coming forward in time to more recent European recipes. The balance given with a modern take is very much appreciated , not everyone can get hold of Aurochs!!! I have tried several recipes since and these have been quite a good experience. Takes one out of the ordinary conventional attitude to combinations and spicing.

I hardly ever write reviews, but feel it necessary for this purchase. Firstly, book arrived in good time, (quicker that I expected).I bought it for some ideas for a Game of Thrones charity event in my pub, I have cooking professionally for some 30 years, so I know a good recipe book when I see one, and this one is lovely, it has a nice introduction from George R.R, Martin, it is well laid out with recipes ordered according to various locations from the books. A nice touch Is short passages from the books pertaining to the recipes on a page. But, most importantly, these are good recipes, they will work, there is information regarding ingredients, for example, the ingredients named in the books, medieval references and modern available substitutes are included. All in all it is an excellent cook book, and here's the thing, you don't have to have read or watched Game of Thrones, these are recipes that can be cooked and eaten anywhere at any time. First rate.

That this cook book is a labour of love is evident from the endorsement in the introduction by George Martin to the thorough research into medieval cooking that underpins the recipes. Each recipe has the passage from the novels that inspired it followed by the original historical material for the medieval recipe, which is really interesting to read. You then get two versions for each recipe: one based as closely as possible on the medieval source and one updated for modern tastes. This is a great idea and gives plenty of choice about the kind of dish you want to create. A nice touch are suggestions about how to put together a dinner party with a 'Game of Thrones' theme!I have cooked quite a few of the dishes now and am impressed that the recipes have been thoroughly road-tested and are achievable, reliable and tasty! The photos of the finished dishes are another great feature both atmospheric and inspiring.Most of the ingredient quantities are given in American cups with no conversion tables included. However, as a UK cook it was easy to find conversion information on any number of websites so don't let this put you off.A marvelous book that will introduce you to sophisticated and exotic taste combinations as well as rustic comfort food all with a twist of history and fantasy.