Dinah Bucholz - The Unofficial Narnia Cookbook: From Turkish Delight to Gooseberry Fool-Over 150 Recipes Inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia

To the memory of my beloved grandmother, Mima.

She spoke seven languages, had a most elegant handwriting, and was an awesome cook.

Copyright 2012 by Dinah Bucholz

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Source of Production: Bang Printing, Brainerd, Minnesota, USA

Date of Production: October 2012

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CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First, I thank God, who is the source of all blessings. Second, I thank my idol. Thats my husband, Heshy. Joking aside, its thanks to him that this book ever got written. He had borrowed The Magicians Nephew on CD from the library for the kids to listen to on a long road trip, and when we returned home, I was inspired to reread the whole series. And amazingly, it was full of food! If not for Heshy getting that audiobook, I would never have taken that fateful second look at The Chronicles of Narnia. Also, he rushed home from work during that last frantic week before my deadline to get that dang cork out of the bottle of wine I needed for a recipe I was testing. And I could go on, but I would probably need a second book to detail all the help and support hes given me.

By far the most important contributor to this book is Chef Chris Koch. He developed all the recipes I could not test due to my kosher diet, plus all the recipes that I technically could test but whose ingredients are impossible to find in the kosher market (like venison and game birds). Some twenty-odd recipes for this book come from this wonderfully creative chef.

Many thanks to my agent, Jason Ashlock. Jason cares not only about finding the best publishers for his clients but also about helping them expand their careers and grow as authors. Im learning a lot from Jason, and I just love his energy and enthusiasm.

Thanks also to my team of editors, Kelly Barrales-Saylor, Regan Fisher, Kristin Zelazko, Aubrey Poole, Rachel Edwards, and Steve Geck. Their care and thoroughness in editing the manuscript ensured the best possible resultand taught me a lot about writing.

Thanks to Chef Mike Gershkovich of Mikes Bistro on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for answering my questions, and to Chef Peter Greweling of the Culinary Institute of America for helping me find an accurate candy thermometer. Finally, Im getting consistent results with my candy making! Thanks also to food expert Harold McGee for sending me important information in response to my inquiries.

I am grateful beyond words to J. K. Rowling. Her work inspired me to write my first cookbook and to continue a career as a literary cookbook author. I am also grateful to C. S. Lewis, whose enchanting series serves as the inspiration for this book.

How many ways can you say thank you? I need a thesaurus here! In no order of importance, I thank Ayala and Israel Tarshish, Jack Polatsek, Abe and K. K. Polatsek, Elchanan and Annette Frankenthal, Cheryl Albert, Yaffa and Yakov Yermish, Yitz and Frimi Levi, my friends and neighbors for their enthusiastic tasting, and the engineers at Aterrasys.

I must not neglect to mention my mother for her encouragement, and for telling anyone and everyone willing to listen about her daughter, the author; my father for teaching me moral clarity, a lesson I hope I am learning well; and my parents-in-law for their unconditional love and support. I would like to list my siblings and their spouses for their love and support and for spreading the word about my books (free publicity and all that), but Ill go over my word count, God bless them! Sibs, you know who you are.

And of course, my children, Elisheva, Sarah, Eliyahu, and Toby, whose honest opinions led to better results with the recipes of which you, the reader, will enjoy the fruits.

INTRODUCTION

C. S. Lewis wrote, Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably. He also said, You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. Dont you just love this guy? Hes a kindred spirit with those of us whose favorite pastimes are eating and reading. Lewis once said that he wrote a lot about food not because he thought that was what kids wanted to read about but because he just liked lots of good eating himself. Yes, you really could just love this guy. (By the way, C. S. stands for Clive Staples, so its no wonder his friends called him Jack.)

I like lots of good eating myself, and also lots of good cooking. My greatest love, though, wasand still isreading good books. I was enchanted by such classics as Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, and Five Children and It. The concept of afternoon tea in these old-fashioned books captured my imagination, and I longed to revive this delightful custom. I used to daydream about having tea with my friends, with my little pinkie sticking out and eating small cookies.

When I started reading the Harry Potter books as an adult, my fascination with the quaint, old-fashioned foods and customs that still survive today in Great Britain only increased. During the period that I was writing The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, I discovered The Chronicles of Narnia series. Somehow this classic series had passed me by when I was little, and now my oldest daughter was reading them. I fell in love. Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle. Trumpkin the Dwarf. Tumnus the Faun. But best of all, the food.

Lewis wrote with obvious relish about the food his characters ate. He didnt leave it to his readers to imagine what Lucy had for tea with Tumnus or what the magician fed her for lunch; instead, he listed every food with loving detail. We know exactly what the Pevensies took with them on their journeys and what they foraged for on the way. We learn some good lessons in cooking from Centaurs and Fauns and even Calormenes.

Its hard to pick a favorite food scene. The scenes with Puddleglum, who is absolutely certain the children will hate his food, are unforgettable. When they protest that his eel stew is delicious, he is sure then that it will disagree with them. Lasaraleen makes you want to laugh as she drives Aravis frantic over the sumptuous snacks Lasaraleen commands the slaves serve. You also cant help wishing you could eat some of those whipped cream and fruit jelly dishes while youre laughing.