As Thanksgiving marches closer, it’s time to get serious and think about the true reason for the season: food. (And maybe family and friends.) While some are gleefully chowing down, others might feel the pressure of making something for their loved ones. As this can be stressful for many, let’s take a minute to gain insight or inspiration from our favorite pieces of media!
“Dungeon Meshi” Phoenix Confit
“Dungeon Meshi,” or “Delicious in Dungeon,” is a manga-turned-anime by Ryoko Kui. It follows a party of adventurers going on a journey to revive their lost party-mate before it’s too late. Along the way, they cook up the monsters they fight in the dungeon. With a premise so focused on having a good meal, it was difficult to only choose one.
Although it hasn’t been shown in the anime yet, the Phoenix Confit would be an easy meal to prepare and make because of how similar it is to our non-magical counterpart. For those who aren’t Gordon Ramsey, confit is a traditional French cooking and preservation technique. You cook the meat slowly in a fat, like oil or grease, at a low temperature. Traditionally, one would use duck or goose in a dish like this, but The New York Times has a good recipe where they switch it out for chicken.
“Hannibal” The Kidney Meat Pie
The 2013 NBC series “Hannibal” is a re-imagining of the books and movies. It follows the FBI agent Will Graham as he catches serial killers, with Hannibal Lecter as his eccentric psychiatrist. It’s a beautifully intentional show, and what’s fun about it is how it utilizes food and cooking in relation to Hannibal’s character. Take the kidney meat pie from episode five of season two. This plot-relevant dish symbolizes Hannibal’s temporary win over Will Graham. By framing Graham for crimes he hasn’t committed, Hannibal avoids being caught. In all his self-indulgence, he even designs the pie crust into the iconic “Silence of the Lambs” mask Will Graham is forced to wear.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: human meat is hard to come by, ethically. But thankfully, many accounts contradict themselves on what human meat actually tastes like, so no one is going to notice if you switch it out with something else. People often use steak or lamb kidneys for this recipe, for example, this homemade recipe from PicnicOnABroom, uses beef stew meat and lamb kidney for their pies.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” Chili Dogs
If you want a more shareable and cost-effective meal, then try a simple chili hot dog from the Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise. Although Sonic’s love for chili dogs has been a part of his character for almost 30 years, it’s not until 2008 with Sonic: Unleashed where he gets to enjoy a chili dog in the games.
It was actually the comics and television shows that brought this trait to audiences. Reed Shelley, the son in the father-son duo that worked on “The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” series, mentioned that it was most likely his father who came up with the idea. It was a way to tie a signature icon to the character, similar to how Homer Simpson is with his pink-sprinkled donut. And fortunately for you, you don’t even have to travel to Las Vegas to be served one in the official Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe. In the first Archie Comics issue of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” there’s a detailed recipe for readers like you!
“Charlie Brown” Thanksgiving Spread
Let’s shake things up a little by having a meal without meat! This option is great for a Friendsgiving and is the least strenuous item on the list. It comes from the holiday special “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” Charlie Brown enlists the help of Linus and Snoopy in making a Thanksgiving dinner for his friends, which turns out as good as you’d expect from two children and a dog. Although Patty didn’t seem to like the food, I’m sure it’ll pique your interest.
This nostalgic meal consists of golden-brown toast, popcorn, jelly beans, pretzels, and what I assume is a strawberry milkshake. Although not as fancy as some other items on this list, that’s part of the appeal. There’s no pressure in a meal that requires little to no prepping.
“Ponyo” Ramen Noodles
It wouldn’t be a fictional menu without a recipe from Studio Ghibli’s fictional cookbook. As an adolescent, I probably couldn’t explain the plot of “Ponyo” in a succinct way, but what I did remember were the pot of ramen noodles that were presented to Ponyo and Sosuke.
The truth of the matter is that these ramen noodles aren’t that different from other recipes. The recipe consists of instant noodles, a soft- or hard-boiled egg, green onion, and a piece of ham. But that’s because it’s not supposed to be special, but rather a convenient comfort food that many have grown up on. According to producer Toshio Suzuki, the reason why Ghibli food looks so good is due to the fact that Miyazaki himself has cooked them. It comes from a place similar to a lot of his other works; a real-life experience or memory transformed into the cozy animation we know and love. If you want this cozy feeling for dinner then a great recipe can be found on Sylviawakana.com, where you can find more easy Japanese recipes like this one!
