Winning And Dining?

We're big gamers in our house. But the physical requirements of corporeal bodies – which we've stubbornly refused to evolve beyond – means we need fuel to keep our meat-mechs moving while we're trying to game. That means food.

Lately, we tried to cram more gaming time into our lives by coming up with meals we can eat while gaming. Not all food is created equal when it comes to the gaming table; it's difficult to hold a big, juicy burger in one hand and a batch of cards in the other. However, we've devised some meals that work for us. Our criteria means that it (ideally) is balanced – protein, starch, fruit/veggie, etc. – and is easy to handle or put down while gaming. Some of our go-to options are:

• Pizza (a classic for a reason).
• Smoked salmon, crackers, cheese, and apples.
• Soup (not really "portable," but easy to put down for your turn . . . and soup remains warm and edibile for a long time). Two of our favorites are this potato soup recipe and this tomato soup recipe. This only works if the soup is made ahead of time and reheated in a microsave or kept warm in a slow cooker.
• Loaded baked potatoes (also not portable, but good for games with decent gaps between turns, since they're easy to put down). They are simple to cook and customize, and baked potatoes stay warm for a long before or after toppings are added.

As the chief chef of the house, I'm always looking for other ideas! If you have any good options to add to my rotating repertoire, feel free to drop me a line or share your ideas on the forums.

-- Steven Marsh