Wizard’s Cookbook Read online

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Because this book would not be what it is without them,

  I want especially to thank:

  all those who, with their professionalism,

  talent, and creativity, have brought these pages to life;

  Didier, who was the first to believe in this book, and Corinne;

  Marjorie, for her great ideas at just the right time;

  Peter and Alexia for their photographs and styling;

  Moshi Moshi Studio for their graphic design;

  Liguori for his help with Doctor Strange and Warcraft;

  the team at Le Relais Bernard Loiseau for their geat kindness and generosity with their time; the team in charge of the youth section of the Bayeux Municipal Library;

  Laurence, for her unfailing enthusiasm;

  Lina, Naël, and Elian for their spontaneous comments and contagious good humor; Yannick and Yannaëlle, whose friendship has buoyed me up;

  C., P., Ch., E., and O., thank you for being you, thank you for being there;

  Cyril and Emily for their love, their humor … and their patience;

  and, above all, you, the reader, without whom nothing would be possible.

  Copyright © Éditions Solar, 2016

  First Skyhorse Publishing Edition 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

  Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected].

  Skyhorse® and Skyhorse Publishing® are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.®, a Delaware corporation.

  Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Cover design by Michael Short

  Cover artwork by Moshi Moshi Studio

  ISBN: 978-1-5107-2924-7

  eISBN: 978-1-5107-2928-5

  Printed in China

  PREFACE

  This book is the result of a conversation between friends. Nibbling on a small piece of cake one day, one friend remarked that it was worthy of Mary Poppins, another suggested that Gandalf might have preferred sipping a little pick-me-up to eating cake, while a third friend pointed out that the White Witch of Narnia excelled at making enchanted Turkish delight.

  This exchange piqued my curiosity and an idea started running around in my head: when witches and wizards aren’t busy casting spells, saving the world, or plotting sinister schemes, what do they like to eat? It sparked an investigation that proved to be enthralling. Refusing to be intimidated by piles of dusty books of spells, browsing miles of shelving, and viewing many hours of film and television series, I found many djinn, magicians, fairies, witches, and wizards of all shapes and sizes who would let me in on the secrets of their small treats and great feasts, and shared with me the secrets of their grimoires—magic textbooks. And while some recipes have been inspired by the various universes the magicians inhabit, the great majority have been taken directly from their adventures.

  From the Babylon of Bartimaeus, 3,000 years ago, to Circe, the interstellar sorceress of Ulysses 31, from the ubiquitous Harry Potter to Puck, the impish nocturnal wanderer from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from traditional fairy tales (The Snow Queen, Snow White) to today’s superheroes (Doctor Strange), not forgetting the magicians of the digital universe (World of Warcraft) and the familiar faces of the big and small screens, I invite you to discover the tasty dishes of all of these magical beings.

  To make things easier, this book has been divided into main chapters. The first covers everyday cooking, the food we serve without fanfare to friends and family, which is easy to put together with the usual contents of a modern sorcerer’s cupboard. The second fits the small dishes into larger ones and lets you create feasts for sorcerers of all ages. The third chapter is given over to sweet treats and small indulgences, since magic and decadence have been inseparable since the dawn of time. Finally, the last section is devoted to the art of potions, those precious elixirs that sorcerers put to many different uses.

  Now it is your turn to savor this book and the wonderful stories behind the recipes. Don’t hesitate. Pick up your wand, get your best cauldrons out of the cupboard, and remember, above all: “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” (Roald Dahl)

  Aurélia Beaupommier

  My Who’s Who of Sorcerers

  THE SORCERER’S TABLE

  MAGICAL FOOD FOR EVERYDAY

  Dishes making the most of the modern sorcerer’s cupboard to add wizardry to your everyday meals.

  FEASTS FOR SPECIAL DAYS

  Enchanting dishes to celebrate special occasions: your first wand, your first magic carpet ride, or just a gathering of sorcerers close to your heart.

  MARVELOUS SNACKS AND SWEETS

  Mesmerizing sweets and desserts, able to temper even the most ferocious dragon with their irresistible decadence.

  BEWITCHING POTIONS

  Potions, elixirs, philters, and nectars that can quench thirst, charm taste buds, and inspire true love.

  ALADDIN

  Aladdin, a boy from the poor part of town and hero of the tales of the One Thousand and One Nights, meets a powerful sorcerer named Jafar. Jafar asks him to fetch from a mysterious cave a humble lamp that he is unable to reach himself. Aladdin is suspicious and refuses to hand over the lamp until Jafar helps him out of the Cave of Wonders. Furious, the sorcerer shuts Aladdin in the cave, which is why, in need of light, Aladdin rubs the lamp and discovers it houses a genie who can fulfill his wildest dreams with his extraordinary powers. But Jafar wants to get the lamp back and will stop at nothing to use the powers of the genie to his own advantage.

  Recipes on pages 19, 20, 21, 125, 126, 173.

  THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY

  The Bartimaeus Trilogy is a series of novels published between 2003 and 2005 by Jonathan Stroud. Bartimaeus, a djinni who is some five thousand years old, irreverent, sarcastic, and in possession of a caustic sense of humor, is summoned up in the London of the twentieth century by Nathaniel, a gifted young magician. Bartimaeus will help him evade the traps and unravel the plot cooked up by a dark magician, Simon Lovelace. Later on, Nathaniel, now John Mandrake and the youngest Minister in history, finds Bartimaeus again, who is in better shape than ever to deal with a formidable conspiracy mixing treacherous magicians, powerful demons, indestructible golems, and stubborn rebels.

  Recipes on pages 33, 34, 36, 69, 70, 119, 120, 168.

  ASTERIX AND OBELIX

  Getafix is the resident druid in Asterix’s small village in Gaul, described in cartoon form by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. The village is famous for forever resisting the Roman invaders. Dressed in a venerable white tunic to match his equally venerable beard, along with sandals and a red cape, as wise as he is knowledgable, you would never start out on an adventure without first consulting Getafix. It is Getafix who prepares the famous magic potion—whose secret recipe can only be passed down through the druids by word of mouth!—which gives superhuman strength to those who drink it, allows the villagers to fight their enemies, and lets Asterix and Obelix overcome many perilous predicaments.

  Recipes on pages 93, 175.

  BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

&nbs
p; Transformed into a bestial creature as punishment for his selfishness, the prince shuts himself away in his palace until the day a poor merchant who has lost his way asks the Beast for shelter. The next morning, the merchant picks a pink rose from the palace garden as a gift for his daughter, Beauty. It provokes the wrath of the Beast, who demands that Beauty comes to live in the castle as punishment for her father’s theft. Living together in the strange house, which is inhabited by invisible servants and where dishes appear and disappear like magic, Beauty and the Beast come over time to know and love each other, thus breaking the spell. This tale, whose oldest version dates back to the second century, has been brought to the screen numerous times, including most recently the 2017 adaptation starring Emma Watson.

  Recipes on pages 99, 101.

  BEWITCHED

  In this series, first broadcast on television in 1964, Samantha is a witch who has lived incognito for many centuries among humans and who then marries Darrin, a 1960s advertising man who knows nothing about the existence of witches. The couple would enjoy a life of unclouded bliss—if Samantha’s mother Endora did not contrive to make Darrin’s life impossible with her spells; if their daughter Tabitha could stop herself from using her powers in the presence of the neighbors; or if magic-induced disasters did not constantly disturb their not-so-peaceful existence. Fortunately, thanks to her powers and sense of humor, Samantha always manages to fix things with a twitch of her nose.

  Recipes on pages 42, 65, 67, 137.

  DOCTOR STRANGE

  In this comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Stephen Strange has risen rapidly to become the world’s best neurosurgeon but he does not handle the success associated with this meteoric rise well. He becomes selfish and arrogant, letting patients suffer in favor of wealthier clients who can afford his services. Following a car accident that damages his hands, he loses his legendary dexterity. Strange feels his life is ruined and plunges into a deep depression. He then hears about a Tibetan healer, the Ancient One, who could be his last chance. A master of the occult sciences, the Ancient One does not cure Strange but trains him in magic to make him a powerful sorcerer.

  Recipes on pages 58, 105.

  BROCÉLIANDE FOREST

  Merlin, called “The Enchanter,” stands out as one of the most famous wizards of all time. A whimsical magician, he knows everything about everything, commands the elements and animals alike, is fond of games and pranks, and is a shapeshifter and astronomer. A tireless time traveler, he is said to have had a hand in facilitating the construction of Stonehenge, King Arthur’s accession to the throne with his famous sword Excalibur, and the creation of the legendary Round Table. Viviane, or the Lady of the Lake, makes Lancelot a knight and protects King Arthur. It is also said that, in love with the Enchanter Merlin, she had him drink a love potion and, because of it, he will now live forever in Brocéliande forest.

  Recipes on pages 138, 149.

  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

  A tabletop role-playing game later adapted into video games and movies, the world of Dungeons & Dragons has also inspired many fantasy novels. The heroes, represented by the players, exist in medieval fantasy worlds where they go on quests, solve puzzles, thwart plots, or confront curses that have been placed on them. The characters belong to different races (elves, dwarves …), and have various occupations (thieves, warriors …), but have personalities ranging from very good to utterly evil. Their actions and experience thus have different repercussions and affect the game play.

  Recipes on pages 47, 87, 89, 91, 145, 176.

  FANTASTIC BEASTS

  A sorcerer from the world of J. K. Rowling, Newt Scamander is a “magizoologist,” a specialist in magical creatures, and also an alumnus of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the early twentieth century Newt travels over hill and dale to create a bestiary cataloguing magical creatures and their habitats and behaviors. Several animals escape when he makes a stopover in New York, risking exposing the magical community.

  Recipes on pages 64, 113.

  HALLOWEEN

  Also called “Samhain,” this pagan festival is celebrated on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day. For sorcerers it is the equivalent of New Year’s Day for humans, albeit with magical powers. Very popular in the magical community, Halloween is an occasion for gatherings, bonfires, and feasts, where there is singing and dancing until morning, sometimes in the company of a few spirits of the dead. This vital celebration within the magical community is also much celebrated by children, when it is an occasion to swap tricks for treats.

  Recipes on pages 23, 73, 133, 165.

  GOOSEBUMPS

  To read R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series is to enter into bewitched worlds populated by terrifying creatures (ghosts, werewolves …) who lurk in the most unexpected places (mirrors, clocks …) or else right next to you (at the museum, fairground …). Among them is “Mr. Bad Boy,” the evil ventriloquist’s doll Slappy the Dummy. Carved from the cursed wood of a wizard’s coffin, he only comes to life when someone reads the mysterious phrase written on a piece of paper in his jacket pocket. Slappy then won’t rest until he has enslaved his new master, or, as in the 2015 film, tries to set free all of the monsters contained in the books of the series.

  Recipes on pages 83, 96, 117, 177.

  HARRY POTTER

  A series of novels by J. K. Rowling adapted to film, this saga recounts the adventures of a young orphan boy who one fine day discovers a world of whose existence he was hitherto unaware. Not only does he learn that he has magical powers, but also that he is the Chosen One awaited by an entire wizarding community to defeat the most powerful dark wizard of all time, and murderer of his parents, Lord Voldemort. At Hogwarts, he learns magic and forms a tight bond with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and they become an inseparable trio, whether joking with the impressive but kindly headmaster Albus Dumbledore, or having to attending the potion class of the somber Professor Snape.

  Recipes on pages 75, 76, 115, 121, 155, 157.

  THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

  Link is the hero of The Legend of Zelda video game series. A native of Hyrule and recognizable by his tunic and green cap, he fights valiantly against the forces of evil to come to the aid of Princess Zelda and save the kingdom of Hyrule. Even though his sword and shield are always by his side, he is perfectly adept with a sometimes surprising set of weapons (boomerang, ocarina …). He draws his powers from the Triforce, the relic concentrating the power of the gods, of which he holds the Courage segment.

  Recipe on page 159.

  THE LORD OF THE RINGS

  In the universe created by J. R. R. Tolkien, Gandalf, an immensely knowledgable wizard, friend of the hobbits, and leader of the Fellowship of the Ring, is the formidable adversary of Sauron and Saruman. The latter is a white wizard who was sent to Middle-earth to fight against Sauron before his ambition led him to succumb to the mirages of the master of Mordor. Radagast the Brown is a wizard living on the edge of Mirkwood. While he supports the fight against Sauron, he prefers the company of animals and plants to men. Beorn meanwhile is able to take the form of a giant black bear. He lives between Mirkwood and the Misty Mountains, which he protects from goblins and orcs. The Ents for their part are the powerful and ancient guardians of the trees of Middle-earth.

  Recipes on pages 27, 29, 31, 123, 151, 152, 153.

  THE LION KING

  Rafiki is the great shaman of the Pride Lands. The old mandrill—wise, experienced, and sometimes eccentric—advises the animals and the King, guiding them to consider the right questions, both for themselves and for the welfare of all the animals of the Pride Lands. This animated film, inspired by Osamu Tezuka’s manga comic Kimba the White Lion and William Shakespeare’s classic play Hamlet, takes us deep into the heart of the power struggles, rituals, and superstitions of the savanna.

  Recipe on page 63.

  MAGICA DE SPELL

  The relentless Magica De Spell is a duck-witch and sworn enemy of Uncle Scrooge. Origi
nally from the slopes of Vesuvius, where her lair is located, she is relentless in her attempts to make herself rich by every magical and alchemical means at her disposition, including black magic. Her dream is to steal Scrooge’s Number One Dime—the first dime earned by the richest duck in the world!—so she can melt it into an amulet that would bring her a fortune greater than the famous Balthazar. And nothing will stop her from reaching this goal! Not even a trip back through time.

  Recipes on pages 51, 129.

  MARY POPPINS

  With her parrot umbrella, prim hat bearing flowers and cherries, carpetbag, and excellent letters of reference, Mary Poppins seems the most respectable of nannies. From the moment she arrives at the Banks’ family home at 17 Cherry Tree Lane, however, her methods seem rather unconventional. The children’s room tidies itself up while Mary whistles like a robin. When she takes the children to the park, she leads them inside chalk pictures drawn by her friend Bert, where they spend a day having adventures in a magical world. A visit to an old uncle ends in laughter while taking tea on the ceiling and an innocent stroll becomes a wild jig across the rooftops of London. This novel by P. L. Travers was made into a film in 1964.

  Recipes on pages 39, 111, 112, 160.

  A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

  Puck is a mischievous and rebellious elf, a favorite of Oberon, the King of the Fairies. Able to take on the appearance of creatures that can be terrifying or amusing, cunning or friendly, he likes to have fun playing tricks and leading travelers astray in the night.

  Titania is the Queen of the Fairies, elves, and goblins. In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, she is the wife of Oberon. Having provoked Oberon’s jealousy and anger, he orders Puck to cast a spell on the Queen, which will make her fall in love with the first creature she sees, even if it is a donkey.