Perhaps combining two of the best things ever, Daniella Zelli recreates food from video games. If you’ve ever wondered what peanut cheese bars from EarthBound taste like (they are delicious; “It’s the most incredibly crunchy, gooey, chocolatey, salty and creamy combination”) or the mossy log from Costume Quest (like a “chocolatey cloud”), look no further than gourmetgaming.co.uk. Zelli’s site is updated every Wednesday with a tasty new video-game-inspired concoction, complete with recipe and comparison photo.
The idea for the site began last year, when Zelli invited a group of friends over to play Deadly Premonition. She decided it would be fun to get into the spirit of the game by making the Sinner’s Sandwich, “a rather bizarre offering made of turkey, strawberry jam and cereal between two slices of white bread,” as she puts it. The sandwich was a hit, despite its unusual taste. “So when I started to think about the next game we could play together, it was only natural that I served up a game-inspired snack,” she says.
Creating a website journaling her culinary creations was the next logical step. “I decided keeping a blog about it might be fun; just to write about my love of games and food together but it seems more people were interested than I thought would be!”
It’s true: Gourmet Gaming surpassed 10,000 followers last month, and NPR even posted an article about Gourmet Gaming on its website. Zelli frequently receives requests from readers who want her to try creating a particular game-related concoction.
Zelli is clearly a talented cook and baker, despite the fact that she has had no professional training in this field. “I didn’t start cooking until I left home a few years ago. My mother cooked all my meals and for a while my boyfriend had to feed me!” she says. “I eventually decided I should probably learn to fend for myself so I just began cooking. I love food and cooking it is an even greater pleasure for me.” Just read a few Gourmet Gaming posts and you’ll soon be drooling on your keyboard–despite its name, even the Wasteland Omelet from Fallout: New Vegas sounds fantastic.
Wasteland Omelet from Fallout: New Vegas. (c) Daniella Zelli
Though she’s come up with dozens of game-inspired meals, Zelli says her favorite to make and eat was the Pizza Sundae from Costume Quest. “It’s so colourful and amazing to look at and tastes incredible. There’s also a lot of scope for customisation with it which is great–I think the Pizza Sundae should take over from the traditional Sundae. Pizza Sundaes are the future of dessert!” she adds.
Pizza Sundae from Costume Quest. (c) Daniella Zelli
Not every concoction is a smash hit, however. Zelli tried to make Scrab Cakes from Abe’s Oddysee once. “They were disgusting,” she says. “Seriously horrific, so they’ve been pushed aside to try again later!”
Still, in general Zelli has enjoyed eating everything she’s made. Sometimes she has to make substitutions, as she is lactose intolerant. This adds another layer of difficulty to the cooking process.
In a way, she says, there is a parallel between cooking and playing video games. “Both require a lot of dedication, concentration, skill and creativity,” Zelli says. “Elements of cooking appear in games too; like with potion or weapon crafting in RPGs. These elements were more popular in the past but now we have dedicated cooking games like Cooking Mama and the gamification of food and diet trends–I believe you ‘play’ Weight Watchers now!”
Zelli say she will give any game a chance, but really enjoys single-player, narrative-driven RPGs or adventure games. “I find games quite personal and I really love to get involved with the character and their journey, like the original Tomb Raider or Silent Hill. I’m also a big believer in point-and-click or puzzle based games; the Myst series ranks in my top games of all time and it’s great that these are seeing a resurgence in the online and indie development scene,” she says. However, her favorite game of all time is Shadow of Destiny. “I’d never experienced anything like it before or since and it hasn’t really dated, either,” Zelli explains.
Even though gaming is considered by many to be within the realm of guys, it’s never been an issue for Zelli. “I’ve been playing games all my life and I’ve never thought the fact I’m a girl means it’s an unusual interest or hobby,” she says. “It relates to me and what I enjoy; gaming is just a natural extension of who I am, like my love for films or reading. I think gaming is for everyone, it’s just about finding the type of game that interests you in the sea of genres that exist today.”
One thing Zelli would like to say to aspiring cooks–as she considers herself to be one, too–is to just keep at it. “It’s definitely one of those things that the more you do it the better you become at it,” she says. “Practice makes perfect!”
Daniella Zelli, creator of Gourmet Gaming
