The Video Game Chef: 76 Iconic Foods from Pac-Man to Elden Ring, written by Cassandra Reeder, features a fun and exciting collection of recipes inspired by favorite video games from the 1980s to present day. A few highlights include Yoshi’s Cookies, Smoked Desert Dumplings from World of Warcraft, Sea Salt Ice Cream from Kingdom Hearts II, Suspicious Stew from Minecraft, and Cheese Curry from Pokémon Sword and Shield. I will also be sharing her Chili Dog Recipe following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Epic Ink in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Cassandra Reeder
Cassandra Reeder is an author and recipe developer. She created the blog, The Geeky Chef, in 2008 as a way of sharing her passion for fictional food and drinks inspired by books, movies, television, and video games.
She is also the author of The Geeky Chef Cookbook, The Geeky Chef Drinks, and The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook. Cassandra is currently based in Portland, Oregon with her family.
The Video Game Chef
Cassandra begins The Video Game Chef with a short introduction before jumping into a few kitchen tips and guide to using the book. The video game theming is infused into every page from the font and styling to even Mods, Hints, and Easy Modes.
Chapters are divided based on year: The ’80s and ’90s, The Early 2000s, 2010 to 2015, and 2016 to Present. The contents page has a list of included recipes with page number and game inspiration for easy reference.
Illustrations are provided by Trey Conrad. In lieu of photographs, many of the dishes are paired with a vibrant drawing of the finished meal along with elements from the game.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English. Each recipe has a headnote with background information about where it makes an appearance in the specific game, yield, tricks, and more. The dishes are also labeled Beginner, Normal, or Expert depending on difficulty level.
Chili Dog
The kids requested the Chili Dog inspired by Sonic Unleashed (with appearances well before that in the comics and ’90s cartoon series)! They particularly love how often Sonic enjoys chili dogs in the newer movies and were excited to see a recipe included in the book.
These hot dogs are topped with a spiced ground beef sauce and optionally grated Cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeños, and finely chopped onions. It all comes together easily (difficulty level- beginner) with minimal prep and only about 20 minutes of cooking.
The Chili Dogs are best immediately after assembling while still warm. Lightly toasting the buns will act as a barrier at first, but the bread will soak in the sauce with time.
We kept the heat minimal for the family. It can easily be adjusted more or less based on personal taste. For more of a kick, stir in a big pinch or two of ground cayenne pepper.
The instructions include heating the hot dogs on the grill, but you can also make them in a skillet. Place a bit of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the hot dogs, turning frequently, until heated through- about 5-6 minutes. Toast the buns in a toaster oven set to low for 1-2 minutes.
Other Video Game Dishes
I also made Spicy Food (aka Superspicy Curry), Grilled Cheese, Creamy Heart Soup, and Mixed-Fruits Sandwich.
The Spicy Food comes from Kirby’s Dream Land in 1992. It later became a special item called Superspicy Curry in the Smash Bros. series. This delicious curry has a homemade roux as the base. It is then simmered with pieces of chicken, onion, bird’s eye chili peppers, carrots, potatoes, and apple.
The Grilled Cheese was inspired by one of my favorite games growing up, The Sims 2. Slices of fluffy Shokupan (or Texas Toast) are filled with a combination of Cheddar, Gouda, and Gruyère, then pan-fried until golden on each side.
The Creamy Heart Soup is from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (another favorite!). This refreshing soup has a blend of fresh and frozen strawberries, honey, cream, milk, orange juice, sour cream, and yogurt. To serve, it is topped with heart shaped red guava or strawberries and rounds of kiwi and watermelon.
The Mixed-Fruits Sandwich was a particular hit with my daughter. From Animal Crossing: New Horizons, this refreshing sandwich highlights all the fun fruit in the game. Shokupan slices are covered in a homemade whipped cream (so so good!) with mandarins, peaches, pears, and strawberries arranged down the middle.
The Video Game Chef is a great pick for those interested in recipes inspired by video games. There is an incredible variety for every skill level from drinks and snacks to mains, sides, and desserts. There are also quite a few vegetarian options.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require further searching include hibiscus tea leaves, bird’s eye chilies, almond flour, speculoos, achiote seeds, roasted seaweed, chili crisp oil, Szechuan peppercorns, dried lavender, shichimi togarashi, bonito flakes, cheese curds, and more.
Chili Dog Recipe
Excerpt from The Video Game Chef
Chili Dog
Ingredients
Chili Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 pound (450 grams) 90% lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Pinch cayenne pepper optional
- 1 can (15 ounces/425 grams) tomato sauce
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Hot Dogs:
- 8 all-beef jumbo hot dogs
- 8 hot dog buns sliced
- Grated cheddar cheese for topping, optional
- Pickled jalapeños for topping, optional
- Green or red onions finely chopped, for topping, optional
Instructions
To make the chili sauce:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook until it is browned, breaking up any large pieces, about 8 minutes. Drain the excess fat, if necessary.
- Stir in the tomato paste; chili, onion, and garlic powders; cumin; and cayenne (if using) until thoroughly combined.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomato sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
Meanwhile, cook the hot dogs:
- Heat a grill to medium-high heat. Place the hot dogs on the grates and grill, turning once, until well-marked and heated through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Turn the heat off and heat the buns on the warm grill until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
To serve:
- Place the hot dogs in the buns and smother them with the chili sauce. Top with cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeños, and green or red onions, if desired.
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