Be Our Guest

by Ross Fertel, Food Eater

15th January 2021

Shore Leave is tournament legal today. This set features five personnel with the new Chef keyword plus one that can give someone that feature. You will notice that not every character in Trek who has shown culinary mastery is in this set. Design was selective in that regard. Here are some other people from Star Trek that might have this keyword on a future version:

Hoshi Sato was a fan of cooking, to the point where she not only snuck in a hot plate (something Trip probably either never knew about or chewed her out upon discovering) but she substituted for the ship's chef when he fell ill.

Speaking of Chef on the NX-01, we did see him from the neck down in Catwalk. Probably not on the menu but just throwing it into the universe.

Early on in The Original Series, “Charlie X” had a chef seen preparing items for the crew. That is not including the brigade of chefs seen working tirelessly in The Undiscovered Country.

While we do have a Bajoran affiliated Benjamin Sisko, his father Joseph is quite the renowned Creole chef. He knows about his customers and is willing to modify the menu to accommodate them. His restaurant is generally full and a cool place to go.

Neelix is the most renowned chef in the franchise but Tuvok did show an aptitude for desserts, though he did have to fry his brain in order for that aspect of his personality to raise to the surface. He did preclude future cheftastic creations at the end of the episode “Riddles,” but who knows what he might want to go back to as time marches on.

Like all people who put a lot of time and energy into preparing food, there are a lot of people who put in their time and effort to get this set out to you. Playtesting, Rules, Creative, Art and Programming all worked hard to get these cards in your hands.

What better way is there to show your appreciation than by baking cookies. [Editors' note: Please do not send cookies to the Committee through the mail.] Neelix has shared his favorite recipes in the articles leading up to release, but here is a personal favorite of mine, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 'borrowed' from the Clinton family and general crowd pleasers.

1 ½ cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup solid vegetable shortening

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two baking sheets. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Beat together shortening, sugars and vanilla in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture and rolled oats. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by well-rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Send them in for everyone to enjoy. [Editor's note: Again, please do not send us cookies!]

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