It was a very rainy, gloomy, chilly day, so I thought what better way to warm the soul than with some delicious hand pies. And with it being a holiday weekend, I thought it only fitting to be festive & make The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Festival Hand Pies.
If you’re not really sure what The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is & you’re not sure how festival hand pies tie into all of this, then buckle up & lets take a trip to the mythical realm of Tamriel.
Let me start off by saying that The Elder Scrolls V, commonly know as just Skyrim, is a video game. Since it’s launch in 2011 by Bethesda Studios, I think all who have played it would consider it much more than a video game, it really is it’s own little sub-culture. There are so many things that make this game my favorite of all time (and really the only video game that I play). And, for those that know me, I really am not much of a video game person, but the minute my (now) husband, brought it home back in 2011, I was completely obsessed. Both him & his dad can attest that I would not leave the room for hours on end because I became so immersed in the game. For those of you who love video games, I am sure I already have your attention, but for those of you who attest that video games aren’t really “your thing,” I just want to remind you that they weren’t really my thing either, but regardless, the primary subject of this post is food, which I think is something that we can all agree is top-notch!
Plot
Before delving into the recipe, there are a few things I would like to share about the game that I think will provide a bit more context to the recipe itself. First thing being, the plot.
Skyrim is a single player role-playing video game that takes place in the mythical realm of Skyrim, in the land of Tamriel (think of Skyrim as a country, Tamriel as a continent, & Nirn is the world it is located in). The game is open world, which means there are tons of side quests & tasks for you to do. The best part is, while the main quest & side quests are always there, you don’t have to follow them to be able to move forward in the game. You get to decide where & when you go & what you do at all times. This means that no two gameplays will be alike. Concerning the main plot, the land of Skyrim is heading towards a civil war of sorts & while your character is caught in the midst of the dueling Stormcloaks & Imperials (two separate armies with differing ideologies), the fabled, ancient dragons of old have returned to Skyrim causing destruction & devastation in their wake. During the course of gameplay, your character finds out that you are the legendary last “Dovahkiin” or “Dragonborn.” With this knowledge, it is your quest to slay the many dragons of Skyrim & absorb their soul while also gaining their knowledge & power.
Pretty cool, right?
Time Period
One of the things I love most about this game is the idea of the time period in which it takes place. Although Skyrim operates in a fictitious time period of its’ own, for reference, we can liken the time period to what we know as the Middle Ages. In Skyrim, you will certainly find no shortage of thatched cottages, castles, knights in armor, mages, alchemy, roaring hearth fires, & of course tankards of mead. It’s like if a renaissance faire (a really good historically accurate faire) was smushed into a video game.
Lore
The lore of this video game is what, in my mind, makes it so incredibly unique & special. The game itself has tons of lore both from Skyrim itself, & previous games, jam packed into various little details. During game play, you can explore castles & cottages & read actual books in the game that have pieces of Elder Scrolls lore in them. There is so much lore that Bethesda came out with an actual illustrated book of lore just from Skyrim alone. There are different races like the Dark Elves, Orcs, Nords, Khajiits, Argonians, etc. And on your journeys, you may even run into vampires, werewolves, tree-people called spriggans, hagravens, & many other fantastical creatures that have their own set of lore.
Scenery & Music
The scenery in this video game is arguably the most well-known thing about the game. Myself, and thousands of others, have fell head over heels for the amount of detail & beauty that has been packed into this video game. The jaw-dropping graphics & landscapes, among many other aspects of this game, have captured my heart & are one of the most incredible things I’ve seen in the world of videogaming. Granted, I haven’t played very many video games, but I’ve done a lot of reading & my words ring true! The soundtrack for Skyrim is yet another incredible addition to the game that brings such amazing ambiance to the gameplay experience. The music has some dramatic scores & suspenseful tracks for battle scenes, some mystical tracks for when you’re exploring the wondrous landscapes, & some cozy tavern music to warm the soul. I listen to the soundtrack on a weekly basis & I think I always will because it just gives me a sense of “home.”
Food
But, lets get down to the topic that you are all really here for.. the food! The food in Skyrim consists of consumable items that can temporarily alter your character’s stats. To replenish your stats, such as health, stamina, or magicka, or various other abilities, you can create dishes to meet your particular needs. To create these dishes, you can gather your ingredients by foraging the wilds, killing game (deer, rabbit, elk, etc.), stealing from unsuspecting characters, or buying ingredients at a market. There are endless amounts of tasty dishes you can create! In fact, the food has been such a pivotal part of Skyrim sub-culture, that it inspired author Chelsea Monroe-Cassel to combine & write recipes for well-known dishes throughout Tamriel (from lands like Skyrim, Elsweyr, Morrowind, etc.) and compile them into a book (which you know I bought). So, with my newly purchased Elder Scrolls cookbook in hand, I though I’d try my luck at making some of the recipes & sharing the deliciousness with you!
Festival Hand Pies
When it comes to the culture, lore, & rituals of Skyrim, the Fire Festival is one that is fairly well-known. The Fire Festival, also known as The Burning of King Olaf (gruesome & grim, I know), is celebrated annually in the capital city of Skyrim, Solitude. The festival is held by the Bards College & involves the burning of an effigy meant to represent the one-eyed King Olaf who betrayed Solitude & was therefore sentenced to burn at the stake.
But, aside from all that doom & gloom, this common festival food is flaky, savory, warm & great on the go. They’ll be sure to fill your belly regardless of whether you are celebrating the burning of an effigy or if you are just at home around a roaring fire on a chilly day!
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