Gourmet Game Night: Bite-Sized, Mess-Free Eating for Board-Game Parties, Bridge Clubs, Poker Nights, Book Groups, and More

by Cynthia C. Nims

Have you ever accompanied an evening of game-playing with a bowl of salty chips or slabs of pizza? If so, you know that greasy fingers can be a distraction, with players interrupting the game to grab napkins or even lick their fingers—immediately before grabbing the communal spinner. Gourmet Game Night has the instead of relying on conventional convenience snacks and standbys, you’ve got imaginative, homemade options; instead of greasy hands and game pieces, you’ve got mess-free, bite-sized snacks.
 
Cookbook writer, magazine contributor, and culinary blogger Cynthia Nims offers inventive alternatives that make hands-clean dining easy,
 
• Edible wrappers around savory centers (Shrimp Cakes in Shiso Leaves, page 66)
 
• Bite-sized versions of unwieldy classics for easy grabbing between moves (Caesar Dip with Big Croutons and Romaine, page 18)
 
• Edible bases to support tender ingredients (Tuna Tartare on Daikon Slices, page 58)
 
• Innovative mini containers such as shot glasses for liquid fare (Chilled Avocado Soup with Roasted Poblano Cream, page 112)
 
• Neat sweet treats paired with gooey dippers (Brown Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Dip, page 34)
 
• And of course, party-friendly drinks poured by the pitcherful (Pomegranate-Mint Fizz, page 138)
 
 
Cynthia Nims’s creative and contemporary recipes will liven up any event where free hands are of the essence, whether you’re gathering friends for a poker night, rolling those dice for a board-game party, spicing up your bridge club, planning a family Scrabble tournament, or impressing your book club or knitting group! Indeed, Gourmet Game Night proves that you don’t need a fancy night on the town to have fun; instead, gather your friends for satisfying small bites—and hopefully a winning streak—at home.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Food, Cooking

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Cynthia Nims is a lifelong Northwesterner who grew up surrounded by some of the best food in the country. She has authored and co-authored over 20 books; the most recent is Oysters, released in January 2016 (Sasquatch Books). Cynthia holds the Grand Diplôme d’Etudes Culinaires from La Varenne cooking school in France, where she worked on numerous cookbooks with owner Anne Willan. Previously editor of Simply Seafood magazine and food editor of Seattle Magazine, Cynthia is now a contributor to Cooking Light, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Sunset, and other magazines. Among previous book projects is Salty Snacks, Gourmet Game Night and Rover's: Recipes from Seattle's Chef in the Hat. She also contributed content on Northwest cuisine to Williams-Sonoma’s Savoring America and to Culinaria: The United States. Cynthia is an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (currently Immediate Past President of the board of directors) and Les Dames d’Escoffier. Her blog, Mon Appétit, can be found at www.monappetit.com.

Reviews

[Molly]

I know, I know- the word 'gourmet' is in the title, but it also has the words 'mess-free' and 'poker nights.' I wasn't expecting shrimp cakes in shiso leaves. A) Don't know what shiso leaves are B) Not mess-free C) How long are you expected to spend on something that will take .5 seconds to eat? Kind of silly. Don't really recommend. I'll try to make the pretzels and if they're amazing, maybe I'll change my tune.

[Sherri]

Yummy delights! It's a step up from the usual cheese dip and chips and salsa recipes.

[Just - The romance reader]

Great, yummy looking photos. Tantalizing gourmet recipes.

[Mark]

Let me admit that I want to own this book for largely aspirational purposes. I wish I had the furniture and time to host proper game nights. That said, I have made a few things from this book. Here's how they went:

1. Caesar Dip with Big Croutons & Romaine: this was nice, but no one touched it.
2. Edamame Purée in Cherry Tomatoes: this was pretty, but putsy & not super popular
3. Crostini with Wild Mushroom Tapenade: also not very popular
4. Oven-Baked Potato Chips with Onion Dip: people loved the chips- the dip not so much
5. Radishes with a Trio of Dips: this was good- easier to make than some of the others, really tasty, and a novel idea for a healthier dip vessel

So, as you can see, so far I don't have a lot of crowd pleasers, and the recipes so far are a fair amount of work. But for me owning this book is worth it to keep the dream alive that someday I'll be hosting fabulous game nights once a month all winter long.

[Mari McR]

Sims offers an interesting idea of easy-to-hold, non-messy recipes for game aficionados. The recipes don't appear extraordinary and many require kitchenware that one might not have in their sets now, e.g., a dozen ramekins. I will try a few of the recipes, such as Aged Cheddar with Cherry-Almond Chutney and Banana Bread with Hazelnut-Cream Cheese Filling. We love game nights in my household, so these appetizer-sized recipes might just work out.

[Miss Clark]

Favourites:

Mini Shepherd's Pies
Brown Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Dip
Beef Yakitori
Banana Bread with Hazelnut-Cream Cheese Filling
Beef Empanadas with Black Beans and Jalapenos
Chicken and Walnut Empanadas

[Karla]

some great ideas! Nice photos, well written. Nice blend with activity. Ability level wasn't too challenging. Varied styles of bites as well. Loved it.

[Audrey White]

My two loves...cooking and board games.

[Tamara]

The ice cream sandwich page is by far the best one and well worth the time and effort to check this out from the library.

Also, one of the recipes was a good reminder of how wonderful the Nutella and banana combo can be, though I would probably not make the fancy little wafers to go with.

The rest was a bit frou-frou for my taste.

[Robin]

Great recipes for finger-food to serve at a party. I tried the chicken skewers and the bite-size berry meringues and they were a big hit at a picnic! I like that this cookbook has lots of pictures of the food - I usually won't make a recipe unless I can see a picture of it. :-)

[Kimberly]

Disappointing. I know that the title is "Gourmet," but there was very little in here that the average person would serve at a party. "Orange tuile cones with cassata filling"...okay really? That's not even the strangest one.

I did copy down a couple of recipes but over all this was a bust. :(

[Crystal]

This cookbook need more pictures.

[Nicole]

This book could hardly be more up my alley. I'll be adding it to my cookbook collection!