General Nerdery Retrospective

Ah, what an experience it has been, writing for this blog.

While not my first rodeo, this blog has been my most prolific one to date and the most fun.

Sure, not every article has been a gem and the half-hearted introduction post as well as the late-night navel-gazing on the nature of Undertale were cringe inducing in particular, but by and large I had a lot of fun.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have articles that I was proud of, in particular the ones on Nerdy Noms and Geeky Libations.

  Writing these helped teach me that sometimes, you just gotta have fun with writing, and that not every article needs to be an attempt serious, world-shattering or helpful and that if you can channel that feeling of fun, you'll get some good results and enjoy the process better.

Unfortunately, I didn't learn much in the way of keeping up with a weekly blog, other than that sometimes, you just have to do it. Blogging is a commitment, at least if you want an audience and/or a good grade in class and sometimes it clashes with other commitments like work or other classes or finally beating Resident Evil to prove that you're still not traumatized from when your dad made you play it as a child.

...

That being said, this was an overall good experience and I did learn a little about myself and the craft of writing from blogging. I'd definitely blog again and will probably do so soon, maybe even under the same name. Till then, seeya.

Also, here's the T-Rex I promised.

Hi!

A Toast to the Drunken Moogle

Drinking and nerdery, is there a better combination? What's better than arguing about Yoshi's status in Mario (friend? servant? domesticated animal?) while having yourself a Yoshi cocktail or discussing why Aerith needed to die in Final Fantasy VII over a glass of Phoenix Down?

While there are many places on the web to find yourself a recipe or ten, none can even get close to the amount of concentrated alcohol and awesome that is...

Established in 2009, this Tumblr-based blog of alcoholic recipes has since become a veritable compendium of geeky libations.

Despite the name, The Drunken Moogle has more than gaming-based drinks, with cocktails inspired by a variety of titles ranging from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to "The Hunger Games".

The site has taken a bit of a break lately, with the newest cocktail posted being April 1, 2015- understandable since they have been working on a book since then.

Even with the almost year-long hiatus, the archive has more than enough recipes to keep even the most intrepid (and nerdy) mixologist busy.

Here are a few of my favorite cocktails from The Drunken Moogle:

Yoko Kanno

Rye Whiskey, Sake, Cointreau with just a dash of Peychaud's brings this smoky, complex cocktail to life, based on the legendary composer Yoko Kanno, more specifically, the "Cowboy Bebop" soundtrack. So turn the lights down low, put on "Adieu," and sip this one slow. Cigarettes and bitter memories are optional and highly recommended. 

Subspace Speed Pass

If you want a hard drink but want to skip on the pathos, the Subspace Speed Pass is the way to go. This "Scott Pilgrim" themed shot is based on Ramona Flowers and much like its inspiration, it is quirky, adorable and will hit you over the head like a gigantic mallet. Parfait Amour, Midori, Blue Curacao and vodka give this tall shot a deceptively girly look and a kick that will knock you on your ass if you're not careful. Just like Ramona Flowers!

Bloody Alice

Based on "American McGee's Alice," this cocktail is a modified Bloody Mary that substitutes blackberry brandy for the vodka and omits the worcestershire sauce. Also, substitutes the standard celery stalk with a stainless steel knife. After all, we're all mad (and drunk) here.

Stardust Reverie

Borderline diabetes inducing and endearing, this is the perfect cocktail for people who like drinking and hate the taste of alcohol. This combination of Pop Rocks, Japanese Star Candy, Soda, Vodka make for a visually striking drink that is also incredibly tasty. Just remember that it's an alcoholic drink though, and take it easy on these, lest you wake up to a barrage of rainbow colored stars.

Nerdy Noms

From Lembas Bread to Nuka cola, we've all wondered just how some of the more interesting foods in fiction tastes like, but with the following websites, you don't have to.

Below are sites that provide  recipes for some our favorite fictional foods, allowing you to finally try it for yourself, as well as my favorite recipe from each one.

Gourmet Gaming

Though this Tumblr-based blog hasn't been updated in a year, it has quite the archive of foods based off of or taken directly from various video games. What sets this blog apart is that it has a suggested difficulty rating for each recipe, denoted by 16-bit hearts rating from a half-heart (the easiest recipes) to five hearts (the hardest).

The site has a gamut of recipes across all skill levels, so weather you want to start out with the "Sims Autumn Salad" or advanced enough to handle the ubiquitous Cake from Portal, Gourmet Gaming has something for you.

As a bonus, Gourmet Gaming has some alcoholic libations for some of the mature gaming set.

My Favorite:

Beyond Two Souls - Asian Beef

Mmmmmm...non-specifically Asian...

 While "Beyond Two Souls" is an average game at best, this dish, inspired by a scene in which the main character has to make dinner for a prospective boyfriend, is quite tasty and at one and a half hearts, is quite simple to make.

The Geeky Chef

Branching out from gaming-based edibles, we have the Geeky Chef. There are recipes from Star Trek, Harry Potter, My Little Pony and more. Though the recipes are mostly desserts and drinks, there is the odd entree or hors d'oeuvres. If you like what you see, the site also has an associated cookbook with additional recipes. Also, the site takes the odd submission now and then, so if you have an idea yourself, you might be able to see it on the site.

My Favorite:

Lembas Bread

Perfect for fueling the Fellowship.

 

 You can't beat the classics and it's hard to get more classical than "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien. In the book (and movie), the Elves of Lothlorien gave this filling bread to the Fellowship of the Ring, to help them on their journey.

Feast of Fiction

The most prolific fictional food resource, the Feast of Fiction is a Youtube channel that features weekly videos of the hosts Jimmy Wong and Ashley Adams making nerdy noms in true cooking show fashion, with the help of the occasional guest or two. If you have trouble following along with the action on the screen (like a normal person), fear not, the recipe and instructions are right in the video description. Has a blog that is now mostly defunct, with entries from 2012 and older here.

My Favorite: 

Toriel's Butterscotch-Cinnamon Pie

Ahh, the signature dish of everyone's favorite goat mom from the surprise 2015 hit "Undertale". It might not recover all your HP, but is sure to be good for your SOUL. 

So, with several world's signature foods at your fingertips, you can add some geeky variety to your cooking repertoire or maybe even get together your own Feast of Fiction, either way, happy nomming!