I didn’t start playing PC games until very recently. Sure, I have a gaming resume full of obscure Asian MMORPGs, but that isn’t the core of western PC gaming. I didn’t have the thrill of experiencing Diablo or Diablo II when they first hit the shelves years and years ago. Because of this Diablo void in my life prior to May 2012, I never built up the nostalgia factor for Diablo II.

I never had a chance pour countless hours into a game only to be rewarded with a seemingly meaningless item. But, now it was my time to enjoy the grind for all of its worth. My time to figure out why so many people have figuratively chased the carrot on the stick. My time to become one of them.

But one cannot grind without proper nourishment. So, here’s a quick and simple Demon Hunter dish that can be made before your Nephalem Valor runs out.

UNIT COMPOSITION

1. salt
2. pepper
3. 1 teaspoon of olive oil
4. 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
5. basil
6. 2 heirloom tomatoes
7. 1 avocado
8. buffalo mozzarella

BUILD ORDER

Prep time will be about 15 minutes. Cook time to reduce the balsamic vinegar is about 5 minutes.

OPENING

1. Wash and slice your heirloom tomatoes into thin slices.
2. Cut your basil into thin strips.
3. Dice your avocado.
4. Roughly chop your buffalo mozzarella.

MID GAME

1. Pour 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan.
2. Place pan on medium heat.
3. Let balsamic vinegar reduce.
4. Remove and let cool.

LATE GAME

1. Now it’s time to assemble your caprese salad. Place your tomato slices on a plate.
2. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over your tomatoes.
3. Place mozzarella.
4. Place avocado on top. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle chopped basil over the salad.
6. Finish with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

And that’s all it takes to create this simple dish.

Now, back to item grinding. Those legendaries aren’t going to find themselves, now are they?

For what it’s worth, I’ve enjoyed my time playing Diablo III. The 200 and some odd hours spent in the realm of Sanctuary have been fun for me. Arguably, Diablo II and Diablo III are very different games. And yes, people have very strong opinions about each game — but I don’t let that bother me. The game is meant to be played, not bickered over. But, to each their own, right?

I like Diablo III and will continue to support it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a carrot on a stick to chase.

Last Saturday, I journeyed just a few miles north to San Francisco to attend the IPL TAC3 event. In short, it was amazing.

But before I dive into the details about my experience at the IPL TAC3 event, let’s talk about food! Specifically, food that kind of maybe looks like overseers. Maybe…

UNIT COMPOSITION

• salt
• pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup feta
• 6 black mission figs (cut in half)
• 1/2 cup of arugula

BUILD ORDER

Prep time should be about 10 minutes. Cook time should be about 25-30 minutes. This dish will serve 2 people. Since this recipe is very simple, you can adjust the ingredient amounts to accommodate more people.

OPENING

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (~176°C).
2. Cut your figs in half.

MID GAME

1. Place figs on a baking sheet (if you have parchment paper, place this on your baking sheet for easy clean up).
2. Salt and pepper your figs.
3. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over your figs. Make sure your figs are coated. You will want to have a little bit extra of balsamic vinegar to use for a salad dressing.
4. Roast in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. Figs will be golden and the balsamic vinegar will have been reduced.

LATE GAME

1. Remove figs from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
2. Place arugula on a plate.
3. Spoon up any reduced balsamic vinegar from the baking dish and drizzle it over the arugula.
4. Place figs over the arugula.
5. Sprinkle feta cheese over the figs.
6. Crack pepper over the dish.

And that’s all you need to do to make balsamic overseers. GGWP.
Now that you’ve learned this simple recipe, let’s talk about something more exciting: IPL TAC3.

I was able to attend the IPL TAC3 in San Francisco. Of course, driving and parking through San Francisco is a nightmare, but the fun I had at this event was all

worth it. This was my first ever Starcraft 2 event and I was completely overwhelmed.

I even had time to make a quick cheerful! (please excuse the poor quality of the following photos; they were taken with my iphone)

It says “Probe Parade”

I’m pretty sure it made zero sense to those looking at it, but that’s OK!

All of the pros were incredibly friendly. I took photos with most of the players and some of the pros even humored me by also copying my stereotypical Asian peace-sign gesture.

I even had a chance to speak to DoA (a little sad to hear the news that he’s leaving the IPL though)! If you haven’t had a chance to speak with DoA, I suggest you do so soon before he leaves for Korea. He’s a great guy on camera and in person. Thanks for the high five, DoA!

The games were incredible. I’m so glad I had a chance to watch pro matches in person. I felt like I’ve learned so much just by watching them live. I’ve even started practicing LiquidTaeja’s mass CC style. It’s been working so far, so hooray!

Anyway, the entire experience of watching pro games was amazing and I highly recommend that any SC2 fan should attend one of these events.