Catherine – Strawberry Tart (Katherine)

Katherine is Vincent’s long-term girlfriend who evidently has a bit of a sweet-tooth. She’s rarely seen without a dessert in front of her that somehow she’s been able to only take a small piece from. If I were dining at Chrono Rabbit I can assure you I’d be on my third slice of whatever strawberry covered treat was on offer. The source of Vincent’s current anxieties, Katherine takes some pretty interesting and disturbing forms in his nightmares. Even her fork is seen as a threat to him, well, she is usually the one doing the killing in her dreams. I can see why Vincent is so scared; her underlying dark streak and relationship pressures are enough to make me nervous! But as long as there’s desserts, everything’s okay.

This recipe serves 6-8.

What you will need: A 9 inch (23cm) fluted tart tin with a loose base, 2 large mixing bowls, a sieve, a rolling pin, ceramic baking beans, piping bag, a small pot, cling film/saran wrap and greaseproof paper/baking parchment.

For the Shortcrust Pastry:

225g / 1 ¾ Cups Plain Flour

100g / ½ Cup Butter (Chilled and Cubed)

½ Teaspoon Salt

Water

For the Filling:

300g / 1 ½ Cups Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)

100g / ½ Cup Fine Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs (Room Temperature)

120ml / ½ Cup Soured Cream

2 Tablespoons Fine Sugar

To Garnish:

175g / ½ Cup Strawberry Conserve

120ml / ½ Cup Double / Whipping Cream

2 Tablespoons Fine Sugar

16 Fresh Strawberries

18 Fresh Blueberries

Making the Shortcrust Pastry:

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the salt and add water a tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together as a dough.
2. Wrap the dough in cling film/saran wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour before use. Meanwhile, lightly grease the tart tin and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F. Once chilled, roll out the pastry to an even thickness and line the tin. Cover with greaseproof paper/baking parchment and fill the pastry with ceramic baking beans.
4. Place the pastry in the oven and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes. Watch the pastry to ensure it doesn’t dry out or get too brown. Once it’s golden and firm it’s ready to come out. Remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper and leave the pastry to cool while you prepare the filling.

Preparing the Filling:

1. Turn up the oven to 220C/450F. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth. Don’t worry if it seems very liquid, this is normal.
2. Pour the mixture into the cooled and prepared pastry, leaving a small gap at the top, and put in the oven for around 7-10 minutes or until the centre has set.
3. Take the tart from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar together. Spoon just enough of the sour cream over the top of the tart to create a thin layer.
4. Turn the oven off and return the tart to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the sour cream has solidified.
5. Take the tart out and leave it to cool to room temperature before placing in the fridge for several hours or over night to chill.

Making the Strawberry Tart:

1. In a small pot, add the strawberry conserve. Warm through on a medium heat until the mixture becomes liquid. Allow it to cool for a minute before pouring a thin, even layer over the chilled tart. Place the tart back in the fridge until the strawberry conserve layer has set.
2. Meanwhile, whisk up the double cream with the sugar and spoon into the piping bag. Pipe cream around the entire edge of the tart.
3. Prepare your fruit for the top, check out this picture for how to arrange the blueberries and strawberries. Grab a milky coffee and enjoy the tart!

While I was trying to get a good look at the tart Katherine is eating during the game, I noticed that it actually changes a few times in one scene. It swaps between a sponge cake and the tart I’ve made above. I chose the tart as it was something a bit different to the previous recipes and it appears most frequently in the game. I went through 4 attempts at different varieties and combinations and then finally, I cracked it! A delicate cream-cheese layer, with caramelised sour cream topped with strawberries and blueberries is beautifully complimented by the smooth shortcrust pastry and whipped cream. Don’t waste your fork on your significant other, this treat is proof there are far better things to be forking.

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Catherine – Summer Squash Pasta (Catherine)

Peppy, seductive and somewhat complicated, Catherine is Vincent’s dream girl and she’s thrown his life upside-down. I’m exactly half way through the game at the moment, and I’m rather confused about who Catherine is and what her intentions are. I’m trying to dissuade her; being polite but firm. Though Vincent’s exclamations when ogling a revealing text while sitting on the toilet make it very hard to resist… Not that I think Katherine is the better choice - I just want him to escape from both of them if he can! I’ve chosen the Summer Squash Pasta for Catherine because it’s the only dish that’s related to her in the game, when she orders it from Chrono Rabbit. Maybe it’s the source of her charms.

This recipe serves 3 – 4.

What you will need: A large pot, a large pan, a baking tray and a strainer.

Ingredients:

350g / 3 ½ Cups Penne Pasta

1 Medium Squash (Any yellow variety will do)

Butter

Salt & Pepper

1 Large Garlic Clove (Finely Chopped)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

½ Teaspoon Dried Red Chillies

100g / 1 Cup Courgette/Zucchini (Diced)

100g / 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (Halved)

250ml / 1 Cup Water

½ Teaspoon Dried Basil

Fresh Coriander

Fresh Parsley

Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

Making the Summer Squash Pasta:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/390F. Cut the squash in half and remove any seeds. Cover it with butter and season to taste with a salt and pepper. Bake the squash until it’s soft when poked with a knife. Depending on it’s size, this can take from 25-45 minutes.
2. Once cooked, remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool. Once cool, scoop out the flesh, purée it and set aside for later.
3. Warm a large pan on a medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry the garlic and dried chillies for about a minute then add the diced courgette/zucchini and halved cherry tomatoes.
4. Fry the courgette/zucchini and tomatoes until they begin to soften. Once soft, add the squash purée and slowly add the water to loosen the sauce, you might not need all of it. Reduce the temperature to low, sprinkle in some basil and season the sauce to taste.
5. Boil the penne pasta in a large pot as per the directions on the packet. When the pasta is ready, strain it and add it directly to the sauce in the pan. Mix it well so the pasta is well coated then serve with freshly chopped coriander, parsley and grated parmesan if desired.

Unfortunately there’s no comparison image for the Summer Squash Pasta as it’s never actually revealed in the game. The only instance of it is when Catherine arrives at Chrono Rabbit and is pretty excited that it’s still on their menu. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this dish; I like squash, but it wasn’t until I researched the idea of ‘summer squash’ that I discovered that the humble courgette, or zucchini, was to be one of my main ingredients. The sauce is incredibly light but rather creamy and the chillies add a wonderful warmth at the end. You could easily enjoy this dish hot or cold, so it’s a perfect transitional meal between winter and summer. Or girlfriends.

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Catherine – Pepperoni Pizza (Vincent)

My Valentine’s present this year was, somewhat ‘controversially’, the ‘Stray Sheep’ edition of Catherine. So to celebrate what’s quickly becoming one of my favourite games, I’ll be posting three recipes dedicated to the games three main characters; Vincent, Catherine and Katherine. Catherine is a marvel as a story-driven puzzle game that actually works; it’s practically an ideal combination for me! Vincent is a protagonist I have quite a soft spot for too - he’s my kind of guy, whether he’s a sheep or not (I think I just find fluffiness attractive). Vincent spends most of his time at The Stray Sheep where he enjoys a few drinks and, more often than not, a pepperoni pizza.

This recipe makes enough for 3 - 4 pizzas.

What you will need: A large mixing bowl, a sieve, a measuring jug, a rolling pin and a pizza tray or stone.

For the Pizza Dough:

500g / 3 ¾ Cups ‘00’ Flour

½ Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Fast Action Dried Yeast

½ Tablespoon Sugar

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

325ml / 1 ⅓ Cup Warm Water

Pizza Toppings:

250ml / 1 Cup Tomato Passata

Salt & Pepper

Dried Oregano

Hard Mozzarella

Sweetcorn

Pepperoni Slices

Making the Pizza Dough:

1. Sieve the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Meanwhile, take the warm water and add the yeast, sugar and olive oil. Mix it, and allow it to stand for a few minutes.
2. Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour the water and yeast mixture into it. Using a fork, scrape the flour in from the outside and mix well until a dough begins to form.
3. Flour a surface and turn the dough out, knead it well for about 5 minutes. Once it’s smooth, place it in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for about an hour. After an hour, or once it’s risen it’s ready to be made into pizzas.

Making the Pepperoni Pizza:

1. Preheat the oven to the maximum temperature. Flour a surface and roll out the dough to fit your pizza stone or pan.
2. Spread a few spoons of the passata on top of the rolled out dough and spread it out. Season the passata to taste with salt, pepper and oregano. Next add the mozarella, sweet corn, and finally the pepperoni. Put it in the oven to cook until golden then serve hot.

You can’t ever go wrong with pizza. I think Vincent and his friends know this which is why there’s rarely a scene at the Stray Sheep without it. When I was researching the dish, I had thought about making a Japanese version of the Italian food foundation. There were some interesting combinations; noodle bases and tofu toppings to name a few. But there was one consistent ingredient that is apparently very popular on Japanese pizzas and that’s sweetcorn. I love sweetcorn (though in my travels I came across many people who felt it was too sweet to be anywhere near the top of a pizza), and to be honest with you in the past 2 weeks, between moving house and making this dish, I think I’ve eaten about 7 pizzas, most of which had sweetcorn. Am I a pizza yet? I hope so.

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Request: Persona 4 – Aiya Rainy Day Special Mega Beef Bowl

Back in the initial days of Gourmet Gaming I made the Steak Skewers from Persona 4. It was one of my earliest requests and the first popular post that seemed to strike something within the incredible Persona fan-base. I thought it was only fair that after a slew of new requests for the Aiya Rainy Day Special Mega Beef Bowl that I repay their kindness and revisit Persona 4 as a game that’s helped make Gourmet Gaming what it is today. To be honest the thing that sold me on making this dish was the idea that this “bowl is a portal to the meat dimension”. A meat. Dimension. Let’s think about that for a moment… Do you think you have enough understanding, knowledge, courage and diligence to face this challenge?

This recipes serves 2.

What you will need: A large wok, a frying pan and a large bowl.

Ingredients:

250g / 1 Cup White Rice

500g / 17oz Frying Steak

4 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon Cornflour

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil

100g / 1 Cup White Onion (Sliced)

1 Teaspoon Garlic

1 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger (Grated)

1 Teaspoon Red Chilli (Chopped)

2 Teaspoons Chinese Five Spice

200g / 1 Cup Brown Chestnut Mushrooms (Quartered)

50g / 1 ½ Cup Pak Choi (Sliced)

150g / 2 Cups Bean Sprouts

2 Teaspoons Dark Soy Sauce

250ml / 1 Cup Beef Stock

1 Egg

Preparations:

1. Boil the rice as per the instructions; usually 1 part rice to 2 parts water.
2. Slice the steak into strips and place them in a bowl. Add the light soy sauce, cornflour and mix well. Leave the beef to marinate for about 15 minutes.

Making the Aiya Rainy Day Special Mega Beef Bowl:

1. On a high heat, heat the wok then pour in the olive oil and sesame oil. Add the beef and fry until browned (about a minute or two) then remove from the wok and set aside.
2. Add the onions to the wok and fry them until soft. Add the garlic, red chilli, ginger, Chinese five spice and lightly fry.
3. Add pak choi, bean sprouts and mushrooms and stir fry for several minutes. Once lightly cooked return the beef to the wok.
4. Pour in the beef stock and dark soy sauce. Allow the mixture to reduce for about 5 minutes.
5. Heat a little oil in a separate frying pan and fry the egg until lightly crispy, then remove from the pan and set aside for later. Feel free to poach the egg or leave it raw for authenticity.
6. By now your rice should be cooked; spoon the rice into a bowl then layer on the beef and top with the egg. You’re now ready to face the Aiya Rainy Day Special Mega Beef Bowl Challenge!

You can also make a vegetarian version of this dish by replacing the beef with tofu and the beef stock with vegetable stock. I don’t know if it’s because it was 11PM by the time I got to eat this after a horrible mix up with my food delivery or if it actually is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Either way this wasn’t much of a challenge for me as I practically inhaled the dish. I’ve had egg fried rice before, but I had no idea how awesome a fried egg on top of a stir fry would be - all this time I’ve been missing out! It’s a rich, spicy and sweet dish that would, funnily enough, be a perfectly reinvigorating meal on a cold or rainy day. So the next time it rains, why not make this dish and set yourself a challenge of your very own! It’s sure to improve some aspects of your personality (your friends can thank me later). Aiyaaaaa!

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Request: Persona 4 - Steak Skewers

Megatenn began following me in the early days of Gourmet Gaming and sent through a request forever ago for some Persona based foods (I believe Mystery Burger and Steak Skewers were on the list). After what seems like an eternal winter, this weekend there was some fabulous weather and I felt a fresh and light Asian inspired meal might be in order - so Steak Skewers were the ideal choice. I’ve never played any of the Persona games but I remember an old housemate having Persona 4 and I spent quite a few hours watching him play - I am however a big fan of many Atlus titles so I must annoy him during the week and see if I can borrow his copy. Speaking of Atlus I am VERY excited for Catherine! I watched the review last night and.. Wow. Cara (who wrote about me on Feed The Gamer several weeks ago) and Ben came over to help demolish the meal; I was rather nervous cooking something I had never made before for other people. In order to eat the food, however, they were forced to watch the Catherine review - it seemed like a fair trade. 

This recipe serves 4.

What you will need:

Wooden Skewers, griddle pan, grater

Ingredients:

300g of Sirloin Steak

300g of Chicken Breast

Or 

200g of Tofu

For the Steak/Tofu Marinade:

150ml Dark Soy Sauce

3 Stalks Spring Onion (chopped)

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

1 ½  Tablespoons Flour

1 Clove Garlic (grated)

1 Teaspoon Ginger (grated)

1 Teaspoon Red Chilli (deseeded, chopped)

For the Chicken Marinade:

2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoons Chilli Flakes

1 Teaspoons Ginger (grated)

1 Teaspoon Garlic (grated)

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

For the Satay Dipping Sauce:

3 Tablespoons Crunchy Peanut Butter

1 Teaspoons Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoons Soy Sauce

1 Clove Garlic (grated)

1 Teaspoon Ginger (grated)

1 Tablespoons Sugar

1 Teaspoon Chilli Flakes

2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice

Milk/Coconut Milk

Optional Serving Vegetables:

Asparagus Spears

Red Onions

Chestnut Mushrooms

Preparing the Steak/Tofu:

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cube the steak into 1 inch pieces and store in a separate bowl.
3. Pour half of the marinade over the steak, mix well, cover and place in the fridge for several hours.
4. Store the rest of the marinade in the fridge for later - as you will use this as extra sauce for serving/dipping.

Preparing the Chicken:

1. Cube the chicken into 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken and mix well.
3. Cover and store the chicken in the fridge for several hours.

Preparing the Satay Dip:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Slowly add the milk/coconut milk a tablespoon at a time until a creamy but firm consistency is reached. 
3. Cover and set aside for later.

Preparing the Skewers:

1. Skewer the steak and chicken onto skewers - 4 pieces on each.
2. Heat a griddle pan to a medium heat and cook.
3. If you are making the tofu version - cook the skewers in a frying pan with some olive oil.

I served the skewers with thin egg noodles, ribboned  carrot and cucumber salad and skewered asparagus, mushroom and red onion that was roasted in the oven.

I was so hungry I inhaled my tofu version, which from what I can recall was really tasty, but I’ve since been told the food was actually delicious. I’ve amended the Satay recipe slightly to reduce the amount of Soy Sauce as I found it slightly salty so it should be more balanced now. Although that Satay was piled precariously high on the steak at one point in the meal! I sadly couldn’t find a good enough image of the Steak Skewer in the game to compare, but I did find this lovely drawing of it (if you have an in-game shot, please send it!). After eating those Skewers I am now even more intrigued to play Persona 4 - it will definitely be making an appearance at our gaming night, Warp Zone, in the near future!

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