The Hunger Games Party: What We Ate (and sound off on what you thought of the movie in the comments PLEASE?)

One of the great things about The Hunger Games books is that there is so much detail about food. Not surprising, seeing as food and hunger are central themes in the story. Suzanne Collins spends entire pages describing meals, conversations over meals and what Katniss thought people were feeling/thinking during meals. Three meals were described in especially great detail, the Reaping Day dinner (fish stew, strawberries, basil wrapped goat cheese), the lamb stew with plums and the lunch with Cinna in the Capitol (chicken in orange sauce, peas and onions, honey colored pudding and flower shaped rolls).

Given the importance of food and hunger in the books, I am truly bummed the movie didn't touch on Katniss' family's hunger or even the sheer deprivation that most of Panem was in. A win provided food for the district and the winner's family for a year and made winning The Hunger Games so important to the citizens (aside from the obvious you win, you live).

Below are a couple recipes for you, should you feel like being a crazy and making Hunger Games themed food. Either way, be sure to comment if you saw the movie and tell what you thought. What did they leave out that has you the most hacked off?

"Coal Truffles" and Peeta's Nut and Raisin Rolls

Coal Truffles

Two full packages of Girl Scout Thin Mints Cookies
One package of cream cheese, room temperature
One package of chocolate candy melts

Pulse the cookies in a food processor until they make a sandy texture.
Add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture comes together. It will be very soft and difficult to roll into balls at this stage, so place in the fridge to firm up - about an hour.

Melt candy melts on stove top double boiler or the microwave. Roll the truffle mixture into on inch blobs (not perfect balls) and dip into the candy melts. After they set roll in chocolate powder. It covers imperfections and makes it look even more coal-like.

Chicken in Orange Sauce

Chicken in Orange Sauce

3 lbs frozen chicken breasts
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp each cumin, oregano, cloves
1-2 tablespoons capers
Salt and Pepper to taste
several clementines peeled and separated
3-4 cups cooked rice

Unceremoniously dump everything except the clementines into a crockpot set to low and walk away for four hours.

In four hours come back, dump all the liquid from the crock pot into a saucepan and cook down to half its volume. Then add the clementine slices and cook until warmed through. Break up the chicken breasts in the crock pot, add sauce back to the mixture and serve over rice.

*this is what I did this weekend. It was good, but I think next time I would rub the spices on thawed chicken breasts,  sauté them on the stove and then make a sauce after.

So. That was our food and our party, now feel free to sound of about the movie in the comments. Oh and if you are trying to comment via your phone, it has been a challenge. Try a computer ;)