Taste of Skill, Part II

Crafting: Cook Quest

This quest is for Cooks that have maxxed out their experience (280) at the Journeyman level. You will need to complete this quest before you can continue to earn XP, and to open up new recipes.

You can get this quest from any Novice Cook; the one I happened to be near was Jaspera, in Bywater. She tells you that you are ready for more complicated recipes, and it's time to return to Alken Chubb to show him your progress.

STEPS:

1) Talk to Alken Chubb. Alken Chubb will be standing in front of the bar at The Green Dragon Inn in Bywater (31.8s, 69.6w). This time Alken wants some proof of your progress--he requests that you make him a Serene Stew. If it is "just right," he will give you further culinary instruction. Select "Continue Quest" to advance to the next step.

2) Collect the Cut of Beef. Collect the Water. Collect the Spiced Potatoes. Collect mountain basil. Collect the Green Onions. Alken tells you:

"Serene Stew requires just the right combination of fresh ingredients or it will turn into a bowl of slop that I wouldn't feed to even the unfriendliest and most rude neighbor!"

He continues:

"Here is the recipe, and here too are my notes on how to make the finest Serene Stew you could ever hope to make. You may find them useful."

If you happen to have any of these items in your inventory, your quest will automatically update. I purchased the Water and Cut of Beef from a Novice Cook, as well as the Shire Seasonings you'll need for the Spiced Potatoes. The tater (for the Spiced Potatoes) and the Green Onions are items that I had previously harvested. You may be able to find them from an NPC (though I did not see them on the Novice Cook, Grocer or Provisioner outside the Green Dragon Inn), the Auction House, or just wander around for a bit with your crop tracking on until you find 'em! The Spiced Potatoes only take 1 tater and 1 packet of Shire Seasonings. Mix it up (it's a Journeyman recipe), and you can check that off your list.

Finally you'll need some mountain basil. Be sure to read the note that Alken gives you (it will be in your inventory); here is what he says about the basil:

"You can pick this from atop a hill in the Lone-lands. Travellers sometimes bring me some, but I'm all out. They call the place Weathertop, and apparently the finest basil grows only at the top."

There are two ways I know of to find this stuff. The longer and more grunt-worthy path is the one I took, and is as follows (after that I'll list the EASIER path):

Trek to the Lone Lands, head to the Weather Hills, and then climb that mountain! At the very top you will find a large bush of Mountain Basil (31.2s, 36.7w). This will not show up on your radar if you have Crop Tracking on, and you'll only be able to pick one. The monsters in this area are in the high teens, so bring along some help if you need it. Now then, Gilmur and Risi told me that the basil also grows at the base of Weathertop, facing west, while you are looking at the mountain (31.4s, 35.9w). I wish I had known that a day earlier!

3) Craft Serene Stew for Alken Chubb. When you're done, talk to him. He will be impressed, and grant you extra knowledge.

4) After you speak with them and select "Finish Now", you get some Serene Stew, and you receive a new title (Journeyman Cook), as well as gaining the Characteristic: Craft Cook Complete Proficiency Tier 2.


Special thanks go out to Wren for providing this quest writeup!
Wren has entered 612 LOTRO quests.