7  | 

I found this helpful Thank You! Your vote will be tallied soon!

A great read and a butterbeer; who could ask for more?

See my take on recipes for English Onion Soup Inspired by Molly Weasley and Butterbeer, plus links to more of my Harry Potter-inspired recipes, at the bottom of this post!

At the end of next week the last book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be released, bringing to a close 10 years of waiting. I find I'm chomping at the bit  and apprehensive at once, I want to see what becomes of Harry, but this is the end of the story, as well. I did know it was coming, didn't I?

I prepared myself by re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and reminding myself of  what to expect. Just what do I expect, though? I have as many questions as the next reader; Will  Harry find the Horcruxes and bring Voldemort to his end? Will Hermione and Ron survive, if so,  will they finally give in to the relationship that has been building for six years? Will Snape be  found and brought to justice? Does Snape NEED to be brought to justice? Was he really guilty, or just doing what he had to do? If so, why did he value his own life more than Dumbledore's?  Will Hogwart's re-open? Is R.A.B. Regulus Black? If so, did he destroy the Horcrux before Voldemort killed him? What will Dumbledore be able to do from his portrait? Can he still offer support? Will he? Several of the other portraits are quite vocal, so it makes one wonder.

These are questions my oldest daughters and I are discussing quite frequently in recent days.  We don't agree on all the answers, but it certainly is fun to guess at what might be in store. Our  book is in a warehouse awaiting delivery to us on July 21st, and we will try and remain patient as our turn to read comes; with three of us, that's easier said than done!

All that being said, I have been in the midst of reading and re-reading about foods within the HP  books, and busy whipping up a few recipes to share. So far I've covered Pumpkin Pasties, Pumpkin Juice and Rhubarb Crumble with Custard. Now it's on to the sixth book for the newest recipes.

Harry is picked up at his aunt and uncles home on Privet Drive by none other than Dumbledore  and taken to see a teaching candidate for Hogwarts. He is then dropped off at the Burrow, the  home of the Weasley's, and immediately asked, of course, if he is hungry. Mrs. Weasley wastes no time in feeding Harry:

"She tapped the pot again; it rose into the air; flew toward Harry, and tipped over; Mrs. Weasley  slid a bowl beneath it just in time to catch the stream of thick, steaming onion soup." - Harry  Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (chapter five, Page 83-hardbound edition)

I agonized over these last two recipes; the first for onion soup, and the second for the ever- popular butterbeer. I had realized, early on, that many of the mentions of food in J.K. Rowling's books may be nothing other than her thinking to herself, "Harry needs to be eating something ...  may as well be ____". I also realized that many of the foods were completely from her imagination, and therefore, took more thought on her part. In other words, for some things I'm sure she had a clear idea, and for others, maybe not.

So, when I decided to do the onion soup I did a bit of research. English onion soup is NOT French onion soup. It may be served with the typical crouton and melted cheese on top, or, as Molly Weasley likely did, without. I'm assuming this because directly after pouring Harry's soup, she offered him bread. I also went on the fact that the Weasley's are quite poor. Most English versions of onion soup contain an equal mixture of Stilton and cheddar cheeses. The Weasley's  would most likely not be using the more expensive Stilton, so I made this recipe with cheddar  only.

As for butterbeer, it's something drunk in every single HP book. Sometimes it's referred to as  being served hot, sometimes the implication that it's alcoholic is given, but the most common  way it's served is straight from the bottle. Bottled beer indicates "fizz" to me, so I based the recipe on that as a foundation. We are split here on our views of it, but mostly it's liked.

Onion Soup--Inspired by Molly Weasley
3 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups beef stock
3 cups half and half
4 oz. finely shredded white cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon or so of oil. Add onions and  cook until wilted and just beginning to brown. Add garlic and beef stock. Simmer until onions are softened, about 30 minutes. Add half and half and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted thoroughly. Thicken with a roux of flour and water -- pouring roux into pot and stirring constantly so that lumps do not form. Season with salt and pepper once the soup is thickened to your liking.
Makes 4-6 servings

Almost Harry Potter Butterbeer
12 oz lemon-lime soda (like 7UP or Sprite)
2 tablespoons instant butterscotch pudding mix

Do NOT add the pudding mix to the soda-it will absolutely fizz out over the top -- I know this, sadly,  from experience. DO put the pudding mix in a large glass and add an ounce or so of the soda to it -- stirring all the while until smooth. Add the remaining soda and drink away! Makes one butterbeer.

This recipe is a result of my original idea, which was very well liked by my kids. I was not so sure, and continued to make several different versions. This is the one that we settled on. It  doesn't get thick at ALL, no worries there.

And don't forget to check out the Harry Potter-ish recipes I've already posted:

• My Hogwarts-Inspired Pumpkin Juice
• Pumpkin Pasties Straight From the Hogwarts Express (a.k.a. My Oven)
  
• Rhubarb Crumble and Vanilla Custard at Grimmauld Place

I've included photos that were not posted here over at my personal blog; Cooking with Anne.