A BACKGAMMON RECIPE - OR HOW TO MAKE A MEAL OUT OF BACKGAMMON
Myron Edwards
November 30, 2006
Isn't it amazing, when playing on your PC how you lose track of time, with your concentration at full power it's easy to forget how much time you have spent playing games, be it 'shoot em ups' or strategy games or something as engrossing as backgammon, and because you don't want to leave your position you sacrifice important things like meal breaks.
What a pity that it is!
We are all aware that food in all it glorious varieties, combinations, colours and ingredients is one of the great pleasures of life. Sitting down to eat in a fine restaurant or eatery is a joy to the mind and the body, usually unsurpassed in all its luxury, providing a memory that is fondly cherished.
Unfortunately this ambience does not extend to the PC pushing keyboard player especially in games such as backgammon.
Backgammon and food need careful thought. Tucking into a plate or a bowl of spaghetti is not the dish of the day when playing backgammon, especially if you're trying to balance the plate on your lap. Even if you place the dish closest to the screen the chances of a stray piece of pasta, slowly dripping from your mouth to the keyboard are only too obvious, also this piece of pasta is usually accompanied by some sort of sauce like bolognaise or carbonara, which could add more sauce to your emails, literally.
Furthermore anything too spicy such as Mexican or Indian which requires a good deal of finger work is also out. Chinese Peking Duck is a definite NO No! Because this dish requires the pancakes to have the customary plum jam painted onto the dough, complemented by thinly chopped vegetables, and the now cooked and shredded duck which is lovingly added onto the pancake, before rolling and placing into the mouth.
You can see how difficult this is, particularly if you're looking to play a double, or move your piece to a bearing off position. Just so impractical, so therefore let's look at what is good backgammon food fayre.
Well if the analogy is not too far removed from the truth, a bacon or gammon sandwich is always an acceptable meal, preferably without sauce.
Hamburgers or cheeseburgers which fit neatly into the hand without poking out are also a good easy meal to consider, as are crisps not to be confused with the US Chips or French Fries.
The question of nutrition in online backgammon is an important one, a delicious apple may sustain, for a quick game but a more wholesome alternative would be a Green salad placed into a small pita bread or whole grain bread sandwich. Not everyone likes salad, so this can be replaced with some chicken or ham, depending on your culture and your location.
A varied backgammon menu could also provide a stable diet for competition, however US tournament players may need to conserve their energy and go for something like Beef Jerky, which is always good for a long sustained match.
Northern Europeans tend to opt for a hot dish, rather than the cold plate, this of course excludes soup, as this tends to take concentration away from the screen and onto the bowl, coordination between spoon bowl and screen being a difficult thing to master. It is highly recommended that traditional dishes such as a full roast dinner, coq au van or paella also be avoided.
A Swedish Smorgasbord though delicious in its appearance and taste is also terribly restricting and not viable.
Therefore we are left with what can be best be described as fast finger food.
Hotdog without onions - Cheese Sandwiches or indeed most varieties of sandwiches that don't allow the contents to slide out, which is why doner kebabs are not good here, as they tend to lose their contents after a couple of bites. Chinese no, Thai No, French A la Carte or Cordon Bleu, or Nouvelle Cuisine, no. German Bratwurst possibly but with a long roll to accompany it, fish and chips no. In general the rule must be if it doesn't fit into one hand then it's a non-starter.
Probably the best food of all for backgammon is thought!
Backgammon is after all, food for thought.
www.p65.com To start cooking!
What a pity that it is!
We are all aware that food in all it glorious varieties, combinations, colours and ingredients is one of the great pleasures of life. Sitting down to eat in a fine restaurant or eatery is a joy to the mind and the body, usually unsurpassed in all its luxury, providing a memory that is fondly cherished.
Unfortunately this ambience does not extend to the PC pushing keyboard player especially in games such as backgammon.
Backgammon and food need careful thought. Tucking into a plate or a bowl of spaghetti is not the dish of the day when playing backgammon, especially if you're trying to balance the plate on your lap. Even if you place the dish closest to the screen the chances of a stray piece of pasta, slowly dripping from your mouth to the keyboard are only too obvious, also this piece of pasta is usually accompanied by some sort of sauce like bolognaise or carbonara, which could add more sauce to your emails, literally.
Furthermore anything too spicy such as Mexican or Indian which requires a good deal of finger work is also out. Chinese Peking Duck is a definite NO No! Because this dish requires the pancakes to have the customary plum jam painted onto the dough, complemented by thinly chopped vegetables, and the now cooked and shredded duck which is lovingly added onto the pancake, before rolling and placing into the mouth.
You can see how difficult this is, particularly if you're looking to play a double, or move your piece to a bearing off position. Just so impractical, so therefore let's look at what is good backgammon food fayre.
Well if the analogy is not too far removed from the truth, a bacon or gammon sandwich is always an acceptable meal, preferably without sauce.
Hamburgers or cheeseburgers which fit neatly into the hand without poking out are also a good easy meal to consider, as are crisps not to be confused with the US Chips or French Fries.
The question of nutrition in online backgammon is an important one, a delicious apple may sustain, for a quick game but a more wholesome alternative would be a Green salad placed into a small pita bread or whole grain bread sandwich. Not everyone likes salad, so this can be replaced with some chicken or ham, depending on your culture and your location.
A varied backgammon menu could also provide a stable diet for competition, however US tournament players may need to conserve their energy and go for something like Beef Jerky, which is always good for a long sustained match.
Northern Europeans tend to opt for a hot dish, rather than the cold plate, this of course excludes soup, as this tends to take concentration away from the screen and onto the bowl, coordination between spoon bowl and screen being a difficult thing to master. It is highly recommended that traditional dishes such as a full roast dinner, coq au van or paella also be avoided.
A Swedish Smorgasbord though delicious in its appearance and taste is also terribly restricting and not viable.
Therefore we are left with what can be best be described as fast finger food.
Hotdog without onions - Cheese Sandwiches or indeed most varieties of sandwiches that don't allow the contents to slide out, which is why doner kebabs are not good here, as they tend to lose their contents after a couple of bites. Chinese no, Thai No, French A la Carte or Cordon Bleu, or Nouvelle Cuisine, no. German Bratwurst possibly but with a long roll to accompany it, fish and chips no. In general the rule must be if it doesn't fit into one hand then it's a non-starter.
Probably the best food of all for backgammon is thought!
Backgammon is after all, food for thought.
www.p65.com To start cooking!
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