The Sword and Laser discussion

I’m surprised nobody else has posted about the food descriptions in this book yet!
While you’re having your enemies-to-lovers adventure on a strange planet, what are you nomming?
Well our menu so far (as of chapter 2 because I only just got started) is:
Oatmeal with blue cheese salad dressing
Freshly killed Space venison (served well done because the parasite survey isn’t finished yet)
Anyone fancy recreating this delicious dinner?

And in Barrayar there's a holiday feast that Cordelia mostly describes as one dish of meat after the other, a bit disgusted that the cuts let you know that you're eating an animal rather than something grown in a vat (as was Betan custom).

Food continues to take a pretty important role in the ongoing series...

(view spoiler)[ Bug butter..... (hide spoiler)]

As of chapter three we have a new addition to our menu - Barrayaran field rations! Described by Cordelia as having the taste and texture of pulverised shoe leather. Yummy.

I vote for Oatmeal with blue cheese salad dressing with a side of pulverized shoe leather or maybe alligator jerky.

or maybe this: https://upsidefoods.com/food

Savoury oatmeal is a thing.



I suspect it was chosen for it's "Ew, gross" connotations but it isn't necessarily bad. It's kind of like risotto but with grains instead of rice. You'd probably get tired of it awfully fast though (the blue cheese dressing version.)

There was a Ma Kosti's Cookbook with recipes from the books, but I couldn't locate it. I think it was just something Lois McMaster Bujold had printed for cons, but I'm not sure.

(view spoiler)[I'm thinking later in the series with the bug vomit. I mean bug butter. (hide spoiler)]

Snort, thanks for that.. I found

(view spoiler)[
Poached Salmon in Bug Butter Sauce:

- 475 ml (16 fluid ounces) dry white wine (Vorkosigan Blanc)
- 475 ml (16 fluid ounces) properly treated water
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 2 lemons, unpeeled, sliced
- 900 grams (2 pounds) salmon fillet with skin
- 1 scallion, top only, thinly sliced
- 1 recipe Bug Butter Sauce (see below)

Put the wine, water, bay leaves, parsley and sliced lemons into a large deep skillet and cook until it simmers.

Place the salmon, skin side down, in the skillet. Add more treated water if the salmon isn’t covered by liquid. Cover the skillet and simmer over a low heat until the fish is just cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Place fish on a plate, cover it and chill completely (*not* in the staff refrigerator),
about 3 hours.

To serve, peel the skin from the fillet and remove any brown flesh. Put the fish on a serving plate, garnish with scallion and the remaining lemon slices.
Serve with Bug Butter Sauce
Slice more fresh lemons for garnish.

Bug Butter Sauce

- 235 ml (8 fluid ounces) plain bug butter (non-fat yoghurt)
- 1 English cucumber
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) olive oil
- 10 ml (2 teaspoons) lemon juice
- 3 ml (1/2 teaspoon) minced garlic
- 2 ml (1/4 teaspoon) lemon zest
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) finely chopped mint leaves
- Salt and pepper
Line a strainer with a thin cloth (bandana or even a paper towel) and put the strainer over a bowl. Put the bug butter in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 3 hours. (Or just use 120 ml of Plain Greek Yoghurt.)

Seed and coarsely grate the cucumber. Drain it well. In a medium bowl, stir together the thickened Bug Butter and olive oil. Stir in the cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, zest and mint. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.
(hide spoiler)]