The sequel to D&D cookbook Heroes’ Feast has a secret, magical weapon

The first edition of the 2020 model is now available. Heroes’ Feast: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cookbook has earned quite a reputation — both at the New York Times, where it ranks among the bestselling cookbooks of the decade, and with my 10-year-old daughter, who swears by the simplicity of its one-pan buttermilk biscuit recipe. The authors have returned with a new sequel, titled Heroes’ Feast: Flavors of the Multiverse, a joyous romp through the dishes of the D&D multiverse. I’m happy to report that not only is it a great read, but it has the potential to level up the whole family when it comes to kitchen prowess.

Adam Ried’s recipes, which were often daring and thoughtful, made this original a truly magical piece. He is best known as the gadget man on PBS. America’s Test Kitchen. He’s also senior editor for Cook’s Illustrated, and when he’s not testing cheese graters or running down freelancers, he’s writing recipes on the side. Ried treats his recipes with the same level of attention he gives to product reviews. Just as before, I found them to be both approachable and repeatable — even for the youngest members of the party.

Ried does not stop there. Flavors of MultiverseThe original version of the song was more revealing. Heroes’ Feast. The recipes feel even more thematically entwined with the lore of D&D. While some collections hail from familiar, Earth-like locations such as Dragonlance’s wintry Solamnia and the vampire Strahd’s Eastern European-styled Barovia, others are quite a bit more exotic. He’s dreamed up dishes from Sigil, the Feywild, and even The Rock of Bral, an island port floating in outer space.

This expert curation will be enhanced by a crack team that includes Kyle Newman and Jon Peterson. Michael Witwer is also on the cover. It’s the same creative team behind Art & Arcana The following are some examples of how to get started: Lore & Legends, the definitive visual histories of 50 years of rich D&D history, and their presence imbues the cookbook with impressive authenticity.

Consider, for example, my latest favorite recipe: Emerald Chicken. It’s a spicy mélange of split chicken breasts and homemade roasted tomatillo salsa, bound together with a two-fisted umami bomb of wilted spinach and gently sautéed chicken livers. It’s a dish I would never have imagined combining all of that into. Ried makes it sparkle, while Newman, Peterson, and the Witwer brothers all helpfully explain how it migrated from Sigil, the City of Doors, all the way to Purskul’s Owlroost Head Inn and beyond to my kitchen. It’s the perfect mix of delightful fan service and step-by-step culinary exploration, with flavors and textures that are out of this world.

Photo: Matt Patches/Polygon

Yes, of course. Flavors of Multiverse has yet another narrative trick up its sleeve — a bThe following are some examples of how to get started: of plucky adventurers who narrate their own culinary journey in a series of humorous journal entries scattered throughout the book. Taking as its inspiration the recent batch of character-driven D&D rulebooks, including Volo’s Guide to Monsters and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, it’s a fun and frivolous thread that ties the whole book together.

No matter what tabletop RPG you prefer, Heroes’ Feast: Flavors of the MultiverseHighly recommended. Pre-ordering is available at $35 online and in your local bookstore. You can expect it in retail stores by Nov. 7 – just in time to celebrate the holidays.