About this book and its authors ...

This book was not written by one author but by many.  Besides cooking, what all the authors have in common is a great respect for JRR Tolkien's epic story and a passion for Massive Multiplayer Online Games.  We were all brought together by our own seperate desires when we learned of a MMORPG to be based on LOTR that was being developed by Turbine and so it was that we made our ways to their forums.  Once met, we formed a community.  We have come and gone and returned.  At the time, when we met, the game was known as Middle-earth Online (MEO).  Now it's known as Lord of the Rings Online, or shortened to LOTRO.  Together we wait for Turbine to open the gates to Middle-earth.

This book was conceived during the christmas season of 2003, a time of year when, in the USA, it is customary for friends to share their favorite recipes with one another.  What began as a simple exchange on the forums became the book you hold before you now.  At the time, I had a simple idea to collect recipes from any forum member who would give me one.  Since LOTRO is known as a MMORPG, I requested that there be stories to accompany the recipes.  Once I received them I felt I had stumbled into a treasure trove.  I just could not bring myself to casually post them on a fan site where I feared they would lose their special uniqueness.  I also wanted to share this feeling with the people who contributed their stories and recipes.

Slowly an idea began to take the form of putting them into a small pocket book of prehaps a couple of pages.  Then Jolly Muddyfoot stepped in and became our primary contributor and soon a couple of pages turned into many more.  I would expressly like to thank Jolly Muddyfoot!

It was Bear who suggested that I illustrate a little book and it is only with his unyielding support and constant faith in me that I have finally accomplished this little quest which I set myself upon nearly 2 years ago.

I hope you will enjoy your copy of this book. I have signed and numbered your book so that you and everyone will know that you have a truly unique item.  I hope you will be happy by that.  But even more I hope when you hold it many years from now that you will remember the camaraderie we all felt when this humble little book began.

Namámie! Nai Hiruvalye Valimar. Naie elye hiruva. Namárie!

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author/publisher of this book.

This book is given as a gift subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, sold, hired out or otherwise circulted without the author's/publisher's prior consent, nor shall this book be disassembled for the purpose of circulting the pages either for sale or for gifts.