An Elemental Dinner Menu

Invite your Dungeon Master and your fellow players over for a nice meal that embodies the elements over which you’ve triumphed! This dinner will impress the troupe and will give you all a chance to talk over the campaign and make plans for your next one.

Décor

Everyone needs an excuse to get fancy once in a while, right? Here’s your excuse. Get out your nicest plates and silverware, light some candles, and use those cloth placemats and napkins you never bother with. Or, if you don’t want to get too crazy, go for a more rustic adventuring vibe. Cut placemats out of kraft paper and use twine loops as napkin rings. Either way, print out a menu and place one at each place setting.

The Food

This meal is hearty, delicious, and will work in any season. The recipes are extremely customizable, so feel free to change out ingredients as it suits you.

FIRE: SAGANAKI

Saganaki is a flaming cheese dish popular in Greece. Although it involves lighting alcohol in a pan, it’s not too tough to make, and it’s ridiculously delicious. (If you like fried cheese, that is!)

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 8 oz. kasseri cheese (cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices)
• 1–2 oz. flour
• 1 oz. ouzo, Metaxa, or brandy
• Lemon slice

Directions:

1. Begin heating some olive oil in a pan.
2. Wet the cheese slices with a bit of water, then coat with flour.
3. Panfry the cheese, turning once, until golden brown.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and bring over to your guests.
5. Pour the ouzo, Metaxa, or brandy over the cheese and (carefully!) light it on fire.
6. Squeeze the lemon slice over the cheese to extinguish the flame.
7. Enjoy straight out of the pan with pita or crusty loaves of French bread!

WATER: SHELL PASTA SOUP

There’s a lot of water in soup. Add some puntastic shell pasta, and you’ve got a dish that any ocean-lover will devour. The spinach in the soup adds to the effect by looking a bit like seaweed (but tasting much better!).

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Half a white onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup uncooked shell pasta
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Heat some olive oil in a pot on the stove.
2. Cook the sliced onion with the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper until onion is translucent, about 2–3 minutes.
3. Pour in the broth and water and bring to a boil.
4. Add the shell pasta and cook until al dente (around 8 minutes; refer to your pasta package’s directions for specific time).
5. Add in the chicken and spinach. Cook until the chicken is warm and the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
6. Serve in bowls and top with grated parmesan!

EARTH: ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

For the earth course, we’re going back to our roots. (I’m sorry; that was awful.) This is one of my personal favorite recipes. You can change up the veggies and seasonings, and it somehow always turns out wonderfully. (I personally love adding brussels sprouts to the mix for the last twenty minutes it’s in the oven, then throwing a bit of feta cheese on top of the finished dish!) It makes a warm and hearty addition to most meals, and will satisfy the vegetarians around your table.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lb. of yellow, red, purple, or fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 lb. of carrots (I love to use rainbow carrots if I can find them!), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 or 2 beets, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 red onion, cut into large slices
• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and separated into cloves
• Olive oil
• 2 tbs rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to make sure everything is coated in olive oil.
3. Spread everything out onto one or two baking sheets or casserole dishes.
4. Bake for 45–60 minutes, or until everything is tender and golden brown.

AIR: COTTON CANDY CLOUD COCKTAIL (OR MOCKTAIL!)

This sweet drink does double duty as a beverage and dessert. Best of all, the preparation makes for a fun show for your guests. They’ll love watching an airy cloud of cotton candy melt into this storm of a cocktail!

Ingredients:

• 1 small tuft of blue cotton candy
• Champagne or ginger ale, chilled
• Cocktail glass (I’d recommend a champagne or martini glass)

Directions:

1. Place the cotton candy in the bottom of the glass.
2. Pour the champagne or ginger ale over the cotton candy. As it melts, it adds its sweet taste and blue color to the drink!
3. Enjoy!

About the Author

Tara Theoharis is the creator of The Geeky Hostess, a geek party and recipe site and brand. When she's not coming up with weird cupcake flavors and punny foods, she spends her time playing tabletop games, attending cons, and binge-watching TV.