Welcome back, Geeky Gluttons, to another episode of Munchies & Minis!
For those just joining us, Munchies & Minis is my tabletop RPG-inspired live cooking show. Once a week, I make a snack or meal to pair with a side of dice rolls. You can catch me on Twitch (unless indicated otherwise on social media) Wednesday nights at 7 pm EST.
In our last video, we made pear-stuffed eggplant inspired by Pathfinder by Paizo’s Inner Sea Taverns supplement. This week, we return to the D&D’s Forgotten Realms for a taste of Maztica with some achiote turkey tamales.
Far West of Faerun
I will admit I developed this recipe for two reasons. The first was that I was craving Mexican food after Thanksgiving. The second was that a Thanksgiving dinner for two produced an insane amount of turkey leftovers. So with that, what better time was it to visit the continent of Maztica?
Maztica, named after the local goddess of earth and life, is essentially the Forgotten Realms version of Central America. We see it in its monuments and cultures, including the Nexalans (Aztecs) and the Payit (Mayans). We also find it in its varied jungles, deserts, and savannahs. Unfortunately, its chapter in 2nd edition Dungeons & Dragons lore includes an Amnish (Spanish) continental conquest. What can I say, folks? This was written almost 30 years ago.
That said, I’m sad that the Bard Volo never made it to the Maztican shores. Had he created a travel guide, I’d develop all sorts of re-creations. With that, I’ll do what D&D fans do best and make up my own content.
The Payit bear a strong resemblance to the Mayans in their culture and their location, similar to the Yucatan peninsula. The latter made tamales with banana leaves instead of corn husks. Your grocery store might not be as accommodating (mine wasn’t). And while they did domesticate animals, you were more likely to find dogs, deer doves, duck, and turkey on the menu. That’s right, folks, Mexico has indigenous turkeys!
So with my recipe, I blended lime zest, garlic, and cumin into my masa mash. I then marinated some cooked turkey in achiote sauce. Achiote is commonly sold as a paste made from crushed annatto seeds, spices, and masa. Though fun fact: you can buy it in premade sauce form. It’s tangy and aromatic. I don’t know if I can properly describe its flavor other than unique, but I freaking love it.
You know how I mentioned an abundance of turkey leftovers earlier? Well, good news! This recipe will make you an abundance of Maztican tamales. Unlike your thanksgiving leftovers, though, you can freeze these after steaming them. And then you can microwave them up to three months later for a quick snack or last-minute game night!
Want to learn how to make some Maztican Turkey Tamales for your adventuring party? Watch the video or find out how to get the recipe card below!
Maztican Turkey Tamales
Sing for your Supper!
This video will always be around to cook along with. But I also have the printable PDF recipe cards available for my Ko-Fi and Patreon supporters.
This week, my blog post and Munchies & Minis recipe cards are available in exchange for a $2 donation on my Ko-fi page.
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If you join my Patreon community at the “Kitchen Twitch” ($5/month) level or higher, you will not only get access to ALL of my Munchies & Minis recipe cards. You’ll also get blog-post Spotify playlists, community polls, random digital and physical swag surprises, AND a welcome gift of my Lord of the Rings recipe cards and playlists.
I hope that this episode inspired you to start a culinary campaign of your own. Next week, I’ll continue the third season of Munchies & Minis with a recipe chosen by my Patreon subscribers!
Make sure to join me live Wednesday on Twitch from 7 pm – 9 pm EST. OR you can catch the archived episode on YouTube.
