Welcome to the first edition of the Gaming Gourmet. As a long time gamer, I’ve noticed a trend amongst us. We eat horribly. Think of the last LAN party, all night D&D session, or even just a long session by yourself. What do you usually have handy to munch on. Chips, soda, candy, all tasty stuff, but all pretty darn bad for you. Once meal time comes around, I know more often then not instead of fixing something for myself, I’d hit the nearest McDonald’s or Jack in the Box. Again, tasty food, but not exactly the best thing for you.

I know what you are thinking, “Oh god here comes the rice cakes and tofu.” Don’t worry, you won’t be getting that. The thing about fast food is not that the food itself is so bad for you, it’s the cooking means and stuff they add that’ll get you. A burger from home would be a lot better for you then one from a burger joint, because you aren’t cooking it in a huge pile of grease, and you control just what goes into it and what goes on it.

Of course, the next thought that hits is probably, “I don’t have time for this. I’m close to the final boss of Final Fantasy XXX and I have to beat him now!” Fear not, because the recipes I present to you will come in two varieties. They will either be quick, so you’ll be back to your game in about 5-10 minutes tops, or they will require a minimum of monitoring, so that once you get it started, it can simply cook on its own, and you just have to keep an ear out for the timer. I’ll also cover some snacks, appetizers, side dishes, and even dessert just in case you have to impress somebody and can’t afford that 3 course dinner at Applebee’s. The recipes will be nice and simple, no fancy instructions or need to look up terminology from an obscure cookbook. I’ve learned how to cook through trial, error, and a few fires. It’s all about experimenting and having a rough idea of what you like. I’ll also do a run down of some basic kitchen needs, utensils, cookware, some seasonings, just things that are handy to have. Again, don’t worry, I’m not sending you out to get a $90 crepe pan. A lot of my recipes and techniques came about during my college days, where I was making minimum wage at a video store, and I had to make the most of what I had. A lot of the forthcoming recipes can be done in one or two pots or pans. Plus I’ll cover a few gadgets and other stuff for that techno geek in us all. What fun is cooking if you can’t have cool toys too?

Here is a simple meal that got me through many a night thanks to a super limited budget. It isn’t the healthiest from my collection, but it’s still leaps and bounds better for you then your standard fast food fare.

Garlic and Herb Cheese Tortellini with Italian Sausage. (Quick)

1 lbs ground Sweet or spicy Italian Sausage (choose your poison based on preferences).*

1 bag frozen Cheese filled Tortellini, or one package ‘Fresh’ Cheese filled tortellini**

4 Cloves of Garlic, or more or less to taste.

3Tbs butter/margarine

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tsp Oregano
1 Tsp Basil
1 Tsp Coriander***

1. Bring 4-6 cups of slightly salted water to a rolling boil
2. Brown the sausage in a 10″ skillet until thoroughly browned, and drain.
3. Cook the tortellini as described by the directions. Drain the pasta and the pot it was cooked in, setting both aside.
4. In another skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic, letting the garlic cook a bit. Once browned add the herbs and cook briefly to release the flavor.
5. Dump the pasta back into its original pot, and add the butter herb sauce, tossing lightly to coat all the tortellini.
6. Take the Italian sausage and add it to the pasta, again lightly tossing to mix it through.

Makes about 4-6 servings, depending on one’s appetite.