AGC 54 June 25 2007 (Star Wars Saga Edition) (57:57)

With Mark Kinney, Chris Heim, Ben Balestra, and Mags The Axe. Mark introduces the show, talks about HyperiCon, and Free RPG Day. Games You May Never Have Heard Of: The Gold Digger Universe Sourcebooks! Chris brings us news of the Magic Pro Tour and Magic Game Day. Ultimate Gamer Test for spots on the Gleemax board. Gaming For Cheap Bastards: It's A Dog's Life! Mark returns to discuss the new Star Wars Saga Edition RPG. RPG Buffet: Elfquest and Wine! The GM Gourmet Podcast. Some feedback talk.


From the RPG Buffet:
Part of the fun of gaming is the chance to hang out with friends, and for this reason the RPG Buffet has an annual road-trip--every June, we all take a day off work and head to an area winery for wine tasting and camaraderie. It's an enjoyable change of pace from our usual pot luck supper, we all enjoy the time off from the office, and it's a great way to get to know members of your group better. And trust us when we tell you: nothing brings a gaming group together like an afternoon spent staggering drunkenly through the pick-your-own-organic-fruit patch, a glass of the local vintage in hand, gathering bushels of strawberries with which to bribe your GM later.

The nice thing about the gaming group road trip is, it's a very flexible concept. No wineries near you? Go catch a ball game, or a movie, or go to an amusement park. Hiking, the beach, caving--you can go anywhere or to any event you and your group feel like. Bring guests along--we've had non-gaming spouses and significant others join us for the winery portion of the day. Scheduling not allowing your group to take a day off and travel? Make reservations at a nice local restaurant and have yourselves a gourmet meal before heading off to game.

If a road-trip isn't practical, you can always have a wine-and-cheese dinner at your game. Here's our recommendations to help you build a menu--you can make your menu as large or small as you like:

- Roquefort goes well with Port
- Gruyere pairs with Sangiovese or Chianti
- Match Cheddar with Shiraz, Cabernet, or Champagne
- Camembert and Brie (especially baked Brie) go well with Cabernet and Champagne
- Camembert also goes very will with Chenin Blanc, and Chevre pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc
- Mozzarella with Zinfandel or a light Chianti
- Cream Cheese and White Zinfandel make a nice pair
- Mix Muenster with Beaujolais
- Colby and Gouda go good with Reisling
- Pair Provolone with Chardonnay.

There really are no firm rules about selecting wines to go with a particular food, including cheese. General guidelines suggest lighter, fruitier wines to accompany mild or young cheeses; fuller-bodied wines with aged cheeses. And, keep in mind that sparkling wines are magnificent with darned near any cheese. You'll find reasonably priced bottles from New York, California, France (Champagne), Spain (Cava) and Italy (Spumante).

A wine and cheese supper needs more than just wine and cheese. You’ll also want to provide lots of flavorful crackers and some crusty, hearty breads (French bread, brushetta, etc.). Add caviar if you're feeling really extravagant--there are some fantastic non-traditional caviars available at a fraction of the cost of the stuff they serve at the Politburo. Fresh, in-season fruit fills out a wine-and-cheese menu very nicely. Considering adding sliced apples (Gala, Golden Delicious, or Fuji), strawberries, grapes, melons, pineapple, peaches, or pears to the menu. Nuts are another popular item for wine-and-cheese suppers--pine nuts, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts--my favorite is to toast walnuts and serve them warm.

Don’t forget dessert: cheesecake and dark chocolate go very well with wine. And finally, some good quality coffee to keep people from getting too sleepy after all that fantastic food.

Serve cheeses at room temperature (trust us on this, the difference in flavor is enormous). Remove them from the refrigerator and arrange on trays or platters 30 to 60 minutes before you plan to serve. Make sure you've got plates, knives, and napkins for your guests, and that you've pre-cut the harder cheeses (Parmigiano Reggiano, that sort of thing) into bite-sized chunks so your gamers don't maul them later.



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Show links
HyperiCon
Variant Frequencies
Castle Perilous Games and Books
Free RPG Day Continued (Green Ronin Publishing)
Gold Digger (Wikipedia)
Gold Digger Universe Sourcebooks (Antarctic Press)
Magic Pro Tour and Magic Game Day (Wizards of the Coast)
Ultimate Gamer Test (Gleemax)
It's A Dog's Life (RPGNow/Beyond Belief Games)
Star Wars Saga Edition (Wizards of the Coast)
Elfquest
Joe Huber Family Farm and Restaurant
The GM Gourmet Podcast
Clay-O-Rama (Board Game Geek)
Claydonia Conquers the World! (Board Game Geek)


Promos
Podictionary
Carnal Knowledge (Charles Hodgson's Upcoming Book)
The Bear's Grove
GeekLabel Radio
PodCulture



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