I ordered this softcover after seeing it on a wishlist; the title caught my eye, and when I realized that it's a mix of writer's-guide, gamer-geek fandom, and food-history book, I had to have it! It's by a Newfoundland author of fantasy novels, and presents some practical tips for including realistic food-related scenes in fiction (or in fantasy role-playing games) - and perhaps even adding food-centric plots. (Grain-subsidy riots, anyone?) I liked the author's breezy style, and some of her anecdotes about her attempts at medieval-type food prep were hilarious. (The rendering-lard one was especially so, as it involved a massive spill of pig-fat that left the family dog and cats in - pardon the expression - hog heaven.)

While I already knew much of the information here, including the time it takes to snare rabbits or properly dress a deer, I did learn some things - including the history of the Beothuk, indigenous peoples of Newfoundland, who were declared extinct by the 1860s due to conflicts with European settlers and the subsequent loss of their land and hunting grounds. Other indigenous peoples are cited as well, for examples of hunting and food-prep skills that visiting adventurers might need to learn...

An enjoyable read, even though I'm not planning to run any food-themed D&D scenarios just now!

I'm sending this to BCer Spatial in Virginia to fill a wish. Enjoy!

*** Released for the 2018 Royalty release challenge. ***

Wow! Thank you for the wishlist book, GoryDetails! It's actually one that I didn't think would ever find its way to me! Goes to show that you just never know! :D

That was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I knew it would be interesting but Ball really knows how to make dry non-fiction easy to read. If you like snarky humor with your food reads, you can't go wrong with this wonderful introduction to the foods and drinks of historical (mainly) Britain.

This book is geared more towards writers of fantasy and historical fiction but even if you are not a writer, you will find many interesting facts and recipes!

I was thinking of trying a few...definitely not the Mushroom Ketchup! Eww! Even the cat sprayed it. That tells you something right there. I thought maybe I might try the meat pasties but I don't keep lard (or Crisco) and I'm not a good enough baker to substitute well. Or the Pease Pottage, since hubby bought several bags of split peas instead of lentils for the Coronavirus shut-in, but it seemed bland. Then I thought the Soldiers' Couscous would be a good choice for us! We tend to make Mediterranean/Turkish fare anyway and that would make a good (and easy) meal. I rarely have a whole chicken around, but I think I'll copy the recipe and try it the next time I do! Yum!

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Sending to my sister-in-law (sister really!) in Ohio! She's been experimenting with different farming techniques, cooking/recipes, and food preservation techniques for quite some time and we had a good laugh about the mushroom ketchup recipe. So, I thought she might enjoy this cool book!

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