~posted by Selby G.
Nothing screams fall for me like Harry Potter. The music, characters, scenery, the entire vibe of the books and movies epitomize what I think Halloween, and Fall, should be like. For the last couple of years my husband and I have the tradition to watch the Harry Potter movies again when the weather starts to turn and cozy slippers are required for puttering around the house.
It is not enough, however, to simply watch the movies. Food and beverages make any viewing experience better, and everyone has their own take on what is the best fare to come out of the wizarding world. There is even an entire cookbook of wizard food entitled The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz. However, this books lacks what many people would view as the most iconic treat from the series: butter beer.
My personal recipe for butter beer consists of a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped off with cream soda. Basically a rootbeer float, but the cream soda gives it the creamy taste which I assume real butter beer would have. You could spike it with a little alcohol if you so choose since the one in the book will give you a buzz.
If you aren’t satisfied with my admittedly lazy and simple version of butter beer then try a more elaborate recipe, such as this hot version of butter beer created by the Tip Toe Fairy. It actually contains butter as well as milk, brown sugar, cream soda and butterscotch topping, so if you are health conscious this might not be the drink for you.
Then again, healthy is not a word I would associate with any butter beer recipe I have found. You could try the wizarding world’s equivalent to orange juice and make some pumpkin juice instead.
Once you have the drinks you will need something to eat. Since Hogwarts is nestled somewhere in the heathered hills of Scotland I suggest some haggis, neeps and tatties. It is very traditional and not as disgusting as the recipe makes it sound. However, finding haggis in this country can be a bit of a challenge, so instead you could try bubble and squeak, yorkshire pudding or toad in the hole.
If you still have room for dessert then I suggest a pumpkin pasty or a cauldron cake. Although traditional pasties are usually savory it seems that witches and wizards really like their sweets so a pumpkin pasty is a lot like a mini pumpkin pie wrapped in dough. These cauldron cakes take a bit more work to make but they will satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Now that you have a magical meal you can sit down to read or watch your favorite installment of the Harry Potter series.
If you are more of a Lord of the Rings fan, you could try this hobbit feast from NPR.
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