BA Shared Topic: Making a WoW Cooking Recipe IRL

Could I have found a better way to demonstrate "I don't know what I'm talking about?" This week's Blog Azeroth Shared Topic was suggested by me: Making a WoW Cooking Recipe IRL

Have you ever attempted a WoW cooking recipe IRL? Have you found someone else's recipe and tried to follow it?


There have been folks that have used their own Unidentified Cooking Utensils to produced recipes and some have worked better than others. Share yours!


Or perhaps you can follow a recipe. but not create one and there is this fascinating recipe that you need created for you by someone with the right skills?


The reverse might also be a consideration: What IRL foods are missing in Azeroth?
Everybody that plays WoW probably knows there are parts of the game they don't participate in as much as someone else might. An obvious example being not all players will or can raid. Other corners of play include PvP and RP. This week's topic is Food, which everybody has at least some experience, if not in the manner discussed today.

Those already in this circle probably know more about it than me, but it was me that dared suggest the topic, and mine is the first post in the thread, so it's probably my responsibility to play introductions.

I was introduced to the topic first in the forums and was happy to discover Tauren Chef, which happens to sell a cookbook and will send you three recipes for free. They aren't bad, but I'm very happy to suggest you look at Edenvale's Gamer's Fridge. She has more options, a wider variety, and I haven't found one I dislike.

The inspiration for this topic was one evening after mixing up a few stacks of Chocolate Cookies to post on the Auction House. I was barking in /2 to sell these for the You'll Feel Right as Rain  achievement and realized my house was understocked. My boys had finished off the Oreos, so what should I do? I had already done some experiments and while thinking about more and researching it online, I decided I'd suggest it as a Shared Topic.

The easiest step into this for a newbie is to take normal food and give it an exotic name. My boys were perfectly happy to have Rhino Dogs, despite my not doing a darn thing different from when we'd had Hot Dogs two days before. (Oh, my spouse was out of town. Why do I mention that?) The family already has a perfectly Delicious Chocolate Cake recipe that I will not muck up.

Step Two is when you actually do something different, albeit not necessarily a big step. Mixing Orange Juice, some rum and whatever exotic fruit juice happens to be on sale at the grocery and calling it Kungaloosh works fine. I haven't made a Kungaloosh I didn't like yet.

Step Three is to really experiment and do something you haven't tried before. With my daughter is Korea, the whole family has started to experiment with Asian dishes. I've tried Unagi at a restaurant, but next month (when the daughter returns) I plan to try this recipe for Blackbelly Sushi. I'm serious. Eel is something that tastes WAY better than you expect. It's sweet and despite not using a Cooking Fire, the Eel actually is cooked.:

A package unagi eel is about a half-pound. Thaw if you got it frozen. Try to get it skinned already. It should peel easily though. Just broil it until the eel changes color. Repeat on the other side. Usually the eel is long, and for this we'll cut it into long, thin slices.

You'll want about 3 cups of rice. Look for a sumeshi recipe if you don't know have your own. You'll also want a small cucumber and about 6 sheets of nori. Now I realize I've given this is the wrong order:
  1. Cook 3 cups of sumeshi.
  2. Cook the unagi.
  3. Wash and chop the cucumber.
  4. Roll the sushi, using the unagi and cucumber as your fillings.
All this is actually easier than trying Roasted Quail!
  1. Serve with wasabi or other preferred flavorings.

Days Eighty Two to Eighty Five - 2-5 July 2011

I had a lot of free time available over the long holiday weekend and I was able to devote a substantial amount of time to Kallixta. Beyond this, I managed to spend a lot of time on Martuska, too. As my Achievement Whore, I managed to complete The Flame Warden, leaving only Children's Week for Strange Trip. I also managed to join my guild in bringing down the Whale Shark!

As for Kallixta, I spent some time just questing in Hyjal and dinging 82 while Beating Pterodactyls and picking up Plenty of Pets. I also did some ore farming and with only half hearted trying, picked up Explore Uldum and Deepholm. I did not neglect the Auction House games I've been working on and to better play, I completed leveling my blacksmithing skill, earning Working Around the Clock. Another money making opportunity was picking up the Chocolate Cookie recipe, which sells well with a bit of You'll Feel Right as Rain promotion. I helped at least three guildmates earn that achievement. Sous Chef has another of those accidental things.

The crowning event of the weekend was my finally running a Cataclysm dungeon as a Healer, Throne of the Tides! We were a bit overgeared and I didn't use my cooldowns much. No one was ever in real danger, I don't think. It was awesome! Still, despite my preparation and warning, my kids STILL tried to interrupt me! I don't think I've ever growled that loud.

Day Eighty One - 30 June 2011

Kallixta dropped heavily into the seat across from her friend.

"Now there's a picture of happy exhaustion!" Aldonza smiled with her pen stabbing into the air, gesturing to the paladin. "Fighting the good fight, making progress and pleased with yourself?"

Kallixta adjusts in her seat, the better to start unbuckling some of the armor. "Yes, yes and I'm not saying." She yields a wry smile before glancing back down to her fingers, pulling off some leg armor. "But there is SO much to do and I fear even this short break can make a difference. I mean, the Infernals seem to be passing from the Elemental Plane so easily! There are so many!" A short pause allows the paladin to plunk down the heavy plate piece onto the table top with a sigh. "I saw them, you know."

"Them?" Aldonza had just started to return her attention to the parchment before her, but some emphasis in the subject word brings her eyes back up.

Quieter now, Kallixta explains with a tremor in her tone. "Deathwing himself. And he had Ragnaros returned. I was dragonback, but I could see both clearly. It seems the breach to Fire must be huge. We're entirely on the defensive right now, trying to slow the invasion. My proudest moment was merely preventing plans from falling into enemy hands, but that shows what I mean. Defense. Strategically we need to find allies. The leadership seems to have ideas, but they all involve ancient allies and none are devotees of the Light."

Releasing the pen and some tension in her hands, Aldonza stares across the table. "It sounds so desperate, yet you had time to bring back another stack of ores?"

With a snort, Kallixta's face transforms from worried to familiar tolerance. "Yes. It's just the ones I trip over. I'm not actively seeking it now, like I had been. This is just what I stumble across. It's very useful stuff, you know." Her features start to harden again as her gaze drops to the armor on the table. "I suspect I'll be making an entire new set of armor in a short while. My current set is useful fighting the cold of Northrend, but I need the heat resistance this stuff offers."

"It's not just the armor, is it girl?" Aldonza points to the new necklace the paladin now wears.

A quick move confirms to Kallixta the necklace still hangs about her neck. "I got this from one of my Explorer League friends. I suspect there will be plenty of changes to my gear. Why I even changed my weapon!" With a face showing surprise that the weapon wasn't already in her hand, her hand smoothly finds the handle in a well-practiced motion. "A Mace, obviously. And again." Her nose wrinkles, demonstrating her reluctance. "Something the Druid Channelers seem enthused about. It does help in all the new healing duties I seem assigned." She pauses, glancing at the Human. "As you thought, there's demand and I seem to be picking up the knack."

The Human Mage gives a shrug, "We each do our part. I'm sorry yours seems so much more dangerous." With an embarrassed motion to the scroll before her, Aldonza continues, "I fear paper cuts from my glyph business. It could get infected and all those thousands of gold pieces would stop flowing our direction."

Day Eighty - 26 June 2011

This was the day. Fascinating that it occurred on Day Eighty of the journal. Kallixta was just short of 50% of the way to level 80 and I knew I had the time to get there. What I couldn't decide was how I was going to get there. I wasn't interested in Sholozar Basin any more and I couldn't get excited about starting in Storm Peaks or anywhere else in Northrend. I wanted to get going on the Cataclysm stuff, so I decided I'd have another run around Hyjal, mining Obsidium. If gathering wasn't quick enough, I could also kill a few mobs while the rested bonus lasted.

I found Kallixta was now plenty strong enough to handle the mobs and my flight path around the zone was much more familiar now, so I found myself making better progress than expected.

I hadn't seen many others in the zone, so I was surprised and annoyed when a troll ninja'd a node while I was fighting off some mob that was adjacent. I had time to tell him "Yer Welcome" before moving on. I was later pleasantly surprised to get a letter from the troll's Alliance side toon apologizing and sending me a recompense. I discovered I really wasn't that annoyed. I sent back a little present of my own as thanks for the apology. Have any of y'all gotten such apologies? Have any of you sent one? I know if it was a PvP realm, he could probably have killed me as well as taken the node and no apology would have been expected. I think this is why some has disdain for a carebear realm.

I had completed another circuit of the realm and was extremely close to finishing my level. I knew it would take only another mob or two, so I made sure I'd be quicker to grab the screenshot.

Day Seventy Nine - 25 June 2011

With Dangerously Delicious, Kallixta succeeded at two things. This finished Chasing Marcia, but the reputation gain also put her over Honored with Kirin Tor. This last bit meant she qualified for another purchase for her Holy spec, Shroud of Dedicated Research.

I felt I had delayed long enough and it was time to give this "healing thing" a real try. I joined the LFD queue and awaited the die roll.

Halls of Lightning

Wow. My mind went blank. I couldn't remember if this was going to be easy or hard. The group didn't wait for me to get ready, despite my warning them I was a greenhorn. They were already fighting the first boss before I had a chance to put Beacon on the tank!

Small wonder two of the party died before the boss did. There was enough pause after that to allow me to get my act together. Suddenly I get the rhythm. I probably used Flash more than necessary as I was trying to better understand party needs and I definitely didn't use Holy Shock and Word of God as often as I should. There were a few cooldowns I managed, but everything went much better after the first battle. The trash was never a problem, it was only on the Bosses that I was hard pressed.

I'm sure I missed plenty of loot opportunities, as the party moved so quickly. I never saw anything I really 'needed' until the end, and I lost that. But I felt I earned the credit.

Later was the rescheduled Guild Run for Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj. Unfortunately we didn't have enough to qualify as a Guild Run, but sufficient for an easy RP run. That was the plan as we were supposed to explore the Ruins for signs of corruption by the Old Gods.

Despite leaving Righteous Defense up, Kallixta was only level 79 and couldn't keep up threat compared to the other level 85 tank. It wasn't a big deal and it should have freed me for the role play, but it just wasn't happening.

It was my third or fourth visit to the Ruins, although my first with Kallixta, so things were just familiar enough that I knew where we were going and what the bosses looked like. She picked up Qiraji Regal Drape, but I can't decide if I want to grind the reputation needed to complete. It isn't something I've done really, so it's within Kallixta's charter, if you will, but there's plenty of higher priority things.

After killing the final boss and gaining the achievement, the party spent a bit of time role playing. The worked a bit, but I wish I had prepared better. In fact, I strongly wish to repeat as a real Guild Run and with more effort at role playing during the whole thing.

In the post-action analysis with the Guild, I did hear one great suggestion. Include emotes in the macros! Then each "Judgement" would include some "Feel the Judgement of the Light!" emote. It isn't much, but sounds like fun. I'll give it some thought.

Day Seventy Eight - 23 June 2011

Tonight was originally going to be a Guild Run of Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, but it was rescheduled. I had already cleared my calendar, so I had some uninterrupted time. First time to do was finish the fire quests: Extinguishing Outland, Desecration of Outland, Flame Warden of Outland, The Fires of Azeroth


Last Fires at Area 51
 I next returned to Sholozar and managed to ding 79 while doing quests for the Avatar of Freya.

My but you have Big Feet, Freya
Something I did triggered 5 Dungeon Quests Completed, but I don't remember what the quest was and it didn't require entering any instances.

As explained before, I spent time on gearing my Holy Spec for hopefully a Dungeon Run this weekend, queued as a healer. Two items were crafted because Kallixta now qualifies from the level increases. The other items required visited to reputation vendors. She's also very close to Honored with Kirin Tor, like another Cooking or Fishing quest close, and she can get their cloak, too.
There's a crafted necklace that I've gathered the materials for. I just need to find a jewelcrafter. There are several in my Guild.

While we have great understanding of the significance of certain round number levels, I was happily surprised to remember that level 79 unlocks the final glyph spots. I think it's excellent to spread out some of these rewards to odd number levels, don you?

Day Seventy Seven - 22 June 2011

The plan tonight was simple, travel up and down Kalimdor, completing the fire quests:

Extinguishing Kalimdor
Flame Warden of Kalimdor
1000 Quests Completed
Burning Hot Pole Dance

Kallixta gathered several flight paths she hadn't collected before and raided Thunder Bluff, but didn't bother dying in Orgrimmar. I started in Darnassus and worked my way down the western side to Uldum, where Kallixta actually dinged 78 from a subzone discovery XP on her way to desecrating the horde's fire there! She then worked up the eastern side. It was all over in a reasonable time.