SimmHER with Chef Luciana Lamboy

About Chef Luciana:

Luciana Lamboy is the chef & co-owner of Lockdown Kitchen, a COVID-era pop-up kitchen providing take-out & delivery meals. Luciana also works as the personal chef to filmmaker & activist Michael Moore. She has worked in restaurants throughout NYC, & was the recipient of a James Beard Scholarship that sent her to Europe where she worked in the Michelin-starred I Due Buoi in Alessandria, Italy.  Luciana also works as a food stylist & recipe developer for food media sites.

All recipes posted here are property of Chef Luciana Lamboy.

Episode 11: HONOURING MIKA BERRY

Guyanese-Style Bakes/Floats

About Mika Berry:

Mika Berry is an influencer in the Black gaming community. Her biggest achievement is raising $55 for Trans Life Life at her first charity fundraiser, an incredible milestone for her streaming community. Her streaming has helped her stand for LGBT representation in games we all love and consume, and to work with The Cookout and Black Gamers United, organizations that promote positivity in gaming.

Episode 10: Honouring Chrystal "WyldStayls"

Apple Crisp Pie

Chef Luciana makes apple crisp in honor of Chrystal “Wyldstayls.”

About Chrystal:

Chrystal aka “Wyldstayls” is a streaming lady gamer, graphic novelist, and content creator. Chrystal uses streaming as a platform to show how gaming can help combat depression and other mental disorders. You can catch her on Mondays and Fridays at 7pm on GamerGirl TV on Facebook.

Episode 9: Honoring Mary Kenney

Butterscotch Pie

About Mary Kenney:

Mary Kenney is an award-winning writer and narrative designer. Mary has written for some of the industry's most celebrated games, including this year's smash hit Spider-Man: Miles Morales and The Walking Dead, The Final Season for which she just received a GLAAD Media Award nomination.

Check out Mary’s Let’s Play podcast episode.

Episode 8: Honoring Julia Noomen

Vegan Bami

About Jedidjah Julia Noomen:

Jedidjah Julia Noomen, a game narrative designer, writer, and director based in Amsterdam. Julia has a background as a writer and director in theater, film, and immersive performance.

Read our interviews with Julia for our Career Spotlight series:

Part 1

Part 2

Episode 7: Honoring Brittany Lattanzio

Linguine with Homemade Pesto Sauce and Shrimp

About Brittany Lattanzio:

Brittany is the Senior Talent Manager at Team Liquid, a world-renowned professional esports organization, with over 60 championship-caliber athletes in 14 of the world’s top games. Brittany is responsible for managing player branding and works with players on building their stream presence, their YouTube content, and their social media channels.

Read our Career Spotlight interview with Brittany here.

Recipe:

Pesto:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)

• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

Procedure:

1. Preferably in a good processor but a blender can work as well you add your basil and pine nuts and pulse about 3-4 times.

2. Add your cheese and chopped garlic and pulse about 3-4 times.

3. Slowly stream your olive oil into the food processor or blender.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Linguine with Shrimp:

Ingredients: 

• 10 ounces dry spaghetti can also use linguine or fettuccine

• 3/4 cup basil pesto

• 1 pound medium to large shrimp peeled and deveined

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or equal parts garlic powder dried basil and dried oregano)

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved

Procedure:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions or until al dente.

2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the shrimp.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the shrimp and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

4. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until shrimp are just pink and opaque. Turn off the heat.

5. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the shrimp. Stir in the pesto.

6. Add the cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese to the pan. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

EPISODE 6: HONORING SHELLANIN

About Shellanin:

Shellanin is a cosplayer who is famously known for her Curly Cosplay. She reimagines each character with curly/afro hair textures creating curly-haired representation through characters we already know and love! Many of her cosplays including her Afro Puff Chun Li and Curly 2B have gone viral due to audiences being overjoyed to see representation of curly and afro hairstyles. She has even been able to work with brands like Verizon, Viz Media, VICE, and more in ways that display that it’s okay to cosplay your own way!

Panamanian Tostones:

Using the front end of the knife cut off both ends of the plantain. Next, peel the plantains. An efficient method for doing this is to make a lengthwise slit in the peel using the tip of your knife. Then, use your thumb to pull underneath, separating the peel from the plantain in a lengthwise fashion.

1. Cut the plantain into individual slices at an angle (on a bias).

2. At this point you can start heating the pan. I would recommend turning the stove on to medium -medium high heat. Pour a generous amount of oil into the pan, so that all sides of the plantain are coated in the oil. Once the oil begins to bubble, carefully place each slice into the pan. You can use your hands or the spatula to do this. Spread the slices out in the pan to make sure they cook evenly.

3. It takes about 3-4 mins to cook in total, maybe about 1 min and half on each side. Should have a golden brown color.

4. Once cooked place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil and flatten with a coffee mug.

5. Return the plantains to pan and cook for an additional 1-2 mins.

6. Add a dash of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime if you’d like.

Tuna Tartare: 

Cut the tuna into 1/4-inch dice and place it in a very large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, wasabi, soy sauce, hot red pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Pour over the tuna, add the scallions and jalapeño, and mix well. Season to taste. Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for the flavors to blend. Serve on plantain.

Avocado Cream Sauce: 

1. Place the avocado, yogurt, garlic, and lime juice in the blender. Process until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper, according to taste.

2. Add to a piping bag (ziplock bag) and add to top of tuna tartare.

3. Enjoy.

Episode 5: Honoring Zainab “ZEE” Ebrahimi

In this episode, chef luciana makes Quinoa Black Bean Tacos

About Zainab “Zee” Ebrahimi:

Zee is a front-end software engineer who has spent most of her career developing front-end web applications. She has worked at companies such as Bit.ly and Skillshare with a focus on UI, which is what you see and what you interact with as a user of an app. She recently co-founded a company that is trying to explore the local community industry, and to bring people together and discover their neighborhoods.

Check out our previous Career Spotlight interviews with Zee:

Part 1 and Part 2

Quinoa Black Bean Tacos:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup Quinoa

2 cups vegetable stock or water

1 14-ounce can Black Beans

1 lime, juiced

Kosher salt & ground black pepper, to taste

for serving: charred corn tortillas, sliced avocado, cilantro lime crema, lime wedges, etc.

Cilantro Lime Crema

1 cup Greek yogurt or dairy-free alternative

1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro

2 limes, zested & juiced

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

water, as desired

Procedure:

1. Add olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion. Season with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent & fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. 

2. Stir the garlic into the skillet. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the chili powder, cumin, paprika & tomato paste. Stir to coat the onion & garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until very fragrant. 

3. Add the quinoa to the skillet, stirring to combine with the onion mixture. Let the quinoa toast for about 1 minute before adding in the vegetable broth. Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add black beans. Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Once the quinoa is cooked, remove the skillet from the heat but let it stand covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid. Squeeze the lime juice over top and fluff the mixture with a fork. Set aside for taco assembly.

4. Meanwhile, as the quinoa simmers, prep the cilantro lime crema. Add all listed cilantro lime crema ingredients to a bowl and combine, adding a tablespoon or two of water as needed to reach your desired consistency. 

5.  Add some of the quinoa & black bean mixture to a tortilla with sliced avocado. Top with a drizzle of cilantro lime crema. Finish with a spritz of fresh lime juice, & any toppings you like. 

Episode 4: Honouring GAMEHER SHANNON HUNT

IN THIS EPISODE, CHef Luciana makes Nutty spinach Basil Pasta

About Shannon Hunt:

Shannon Hunt is a freelance writer, author of the upcoming memoir She Slays Dragons, a regular blogger for sites such as SheSlaysDragons.com and a gameHER. She has been gaming since the early days of World of Warcraft. Shannon is also a sexual assault survivor and wrote a powerful and important piece for the*gameHERs blog on gaming and mental health: The Corner of Mental Health Avenue and Gaming Street. You can find her online at sheslaysdragons.com and on Twitter as @magnolia3169.  

REcipe:

Nutty Spinach Basil Pasta

Ingredients needed:

1/2 lb uncooked penne pasta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced 
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
1/3 cup of roasted pine nut

Procedure:

1. Boil the penne in salted water. For timing follow the instructions on the pasta packaging.
2. Rinse the penne with ice-cold water and shake through a sieve to remove excess water, set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, add the minced garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes until the garlic turns slightly golden in colour.
4. Add the spinach and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Drop in the penne and basil and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, stir well and cook for a further 2 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and toss in the pan until well combined.
7. Taste and add additional seasoning if needed.

Episode 3: Honouring Kylie Vernoff

In this episode, chef luciana makes Cacio e Pepe and Crispy Brussels Sprouts

About Kaili Vernoff:

Kaili is best known as the fiery Susan Grimsaw in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Miranda Cowan in Grand Theft Auto V. Kaili is also the fabulous host of the*gameHERs Let’s Play Podcast. Her recent acting credits include Law and Order SVU, The Enemy Within, House of Cards, Grey’s Anatomy, Hulu’s The Path, and many, many more.

RECIPE:

Cacio e Pepe and Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients needed:

1/2 lb. pasta

2 tbsp. butter, divided

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 

Coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 c. freshly grated pecorino, plus more for garnish

3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish

Procedure:

1. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil. Add a generous amount of black pepper and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add ⅓ cup reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Whisk in remaining butter then, using tongs, toss pasta into butter mixture.

4. Add cheeses and toss constantly until the cheese is melty, removing the skillet from heat when about half the cheese has melted. (If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with more pasta water.

Crispy Brussels with Balsamic Glaze and honey

Ingredients needed:

1 pound Brussels sprouts - trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze 
1 tablespoon of honey

Red pepper flakes to taste

Procedure:

1. Heat a large cast iron or similar sturdy bottomed skillet over medium high. Add the oil. As soon as the oil is hot and shining (but before it starts smoking), swirl to cost the pan, then add the halved Brussels sprouts. Shake the skillet a little and prod them so that as many as possible are cut-side down. Let sit completely undisturbed for 5 to 8 minutes, until they develop a dark, tasty, caramelized sear.
2. Add the salt and pepper. With a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the Brussels sprouts. Continue cooking, stirring every few minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are browned all over and just turning tender inside, about 6 to 8 additional minutes.
3. Drizzle balsamic glaze and honey on top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and course salt to taste

EPISODE 2: HONOURING SHARON MUTHU

In this episode, Chef Luciana makes chicken cordon bleu

About Sharon Muthu:

Sharon voices characters in multiple hit games; including Call of Duty: Black Ops, Agents of Mayhem, Diablo III and the upcoming Iron Man VR from Marvel. She also stars as Dr Bellum in the acclaimed Netflix animated series, Carmen Sandiego. Sharon is also a proud ambassador of the Dark is Beautiful campaign.

Recipe:

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients needed:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

16 slices Swiss cheese

½ lb ham, thinly sliced

peanut oil, or vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups panko bread crumbs

Creamy Dijon Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

¼ cup dijon mustard

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure for Chicken Cordon Bleu:

1. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, tossing to coat evenly.

2. On a surface, place a chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until about ½ inch (1 cm) thick with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan.

3. Remove the plastic wrap and place 2 slices of Swiss cheese, then 2 slices of ham, then another layer of Swiss cheese, and another layer of ham. Evenly roll the chicken and place onto a new sheet of plastic wrap.

4. Wrap the chicken in the plastic wrap tightly and use the excess plastic on the sides to twist, firming up the roll of chicken cordon bleu as you work. Tie the excess plastic. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then chill the rolls in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat a tall-sided pan with 2 inches (5 cm) of oil to 325°F (170°C).

6. After the rolls are set, prepare 3 dishes, one with the flour, one with beaten egg, and bread crumbs. Dredge the chicken first in the flour, then the egg, and then bread crumbs.

7. Place the breaded chicken cordon bleu in the oil and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until the outside is an even golden brown. If a good color is achieved and the chicken’s center is still not 165°F (75°C), place the chicken cordon bleu on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and finish the chicken in the oven at 325°F (170°C) until that temperature is reached.

8. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a 1 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the garlic until soft. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute.

9. Add the milk and whisk until fully combined with the roux and no lumps remain. Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened.

10. Add the mustard, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine. Remove the pan from the heat.

11. Slice the chicken and serve drizzled with Dijon sauce.