Tag: butter

Mrs. Hall’s Shortbread

Posted December 14, 2023 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

 

 

A meal inspired by ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL can only end with this dessert: Mrs. Hall’s shortbread! Although Mrs. Hall is known for dozens of delicious dishes, her shortbread is iconic. In fact, PBS even published an official recipe for these cookies! Naturally, that’s the recipe I used in today’s post (though I did spruce it up a tiny bit with a cookie mold!). The snowflake cookie mold used here is made by House on the Hill and was gifted to me by a family friend. This was my first time using a cookie mold, but it was super easy and fun. Definitely planning on using it again to make make Christmas cookies later this month.

I love how the finished cookies turned out. They’re super buttery, and the snowflake pattern shows up perfectly! My husband and son are especially big fans. Three cheers for Mrs. Hall and her shortbread! 😀

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Tilapia Meunière with Lime

Posted August 10, 2017 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

       

 

When I first read Man in the Iron Mask, I agonized over the fact that there didn’t seem to be any distinctive entrees in the book. Sure, there was a brief mention of quail, partridge, and other fowl (but only in passing). I went back to combing through the text, worried I wouldn’t be able to find anything, when I suddenly stumbled upon an idea: the alley of limes.

Five different times in the book, Dumas mentions that Athos likes to walk with his son down a path lined with lime trees on their estate. It’s where they have important conversations about Raoul’s future, and Athos’ increasing difficulty with walking the path is used to show how his age affects him.

Limes themselves aren’t an entree, but tilapia meunière is. It’s a variation of sole meunière, a simple, classic French fish dish that is traditionally served with lemon sauce (I used tilapia instead of sole because it’s easier to get). And Bon Appetit has a great recipe for sole meunière. I just swapped the lemon for lime, and I had the perfect entree.

The butter sauce is mild and delicate, with just a hint of bite from the lime. The acidity of the citrus cuts through the fat of the fish, resulting in a delicate dish fit for a refined nobleman like Athos! 🙂

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Star-Crossed Focaccia with Green Onion Parmesan Butter

Posted February 19, 2015 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments


Considering Romeo and Juliet is based in Renaissance Italy, I wanted to include at least one menu item that the characters would have likely eaten in that time period. Though focaccia has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, the current form of the dish first became popular in Romeo and Juliet’s day. I love this particular recipe because the dough doesn’t need to rise, and it’s got great herbed flavor and fun texture. The star shape, of course, is a tip of the hat to Verona’s famous star-crossed lovers.

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“Leeky” Cauldrons: Leek Soup in Pretzel Bun Bowls

Posted April 17, 2014 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 5 Comments

So often I feel like we overlook side dishes as an opportunity for creativity. I’ll admit, I’m the queen of zapping frozen peas in the microwave and calling it done. But since this dish was going to represent all the magical goodness that is Harry Potter, I felt honor-bound to push my boundaries and turn a simple soup into something special. Luckily, I think I succeeded!

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Pan-Seared Steak with Mushrooms and Onions: A Hogwarts House-Elf Specialty

Posted April 10, 2014 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 1 Comment


When I decided to do a Harry Potter menu, I knew I wanted to feature at least one recipe from the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. It has the most iconic Harry Potter foods (pumpkin juice, cauldron cakes, etc.), but it also has some lesser-known Potter recipes. I’ve spent ages drooling over the recipes in this book, and now is the perfect time to break one out! The scotch collops (aka pan-seared steak with mushrooms and onions) stood out to me from the rest. This is the dish that Harry, Hermione, and Ron are eating at the start-of-term feast when they find out all the food is made by Hogwarts house-elves. As you may recall, Hermione stops eating in protest, but the boys have no problem finishing their steak. After tasting it myself, I have to say, I’m on Harry and Ron’s side. 😉

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Roasted Hens in Woodland Wine

Posted March 13, 2014 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

The map in the background is a print reproduction of the map in at the beginning of the book. It can be purchased at wetaNZ.com (clicking the image will take you to the site). Use of this map is in no way associated with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, New Line Productions Inc, or The Saul Zaentz Company

I must confess, I’ve never been a huge fan of elves. Elegance and refinement aren’t really my thing (for more information, see last week’s post on the awesomeness of dwarves). However, I have profound respect for the elves’ ability to throw a party. While trekking through Mirkwood Forest, Bilbo and the dwarves stumble upon an elvish feast complete with music, dancing, and (of course) buckets of food.

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Bread and Butterflies

Posted January 3, 2014 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

It seemed only fitting that my first Book of the Month should be Alice in Wonderland. Since it makes such a great tea party theme, each of my recipes for this book will be of the finger food variety.  And with Valentine’s Day just around the bend, a dozen tarts or pasties make a great gift!

Let’s start the meal off with a mouth-watering appetizer, shall we?

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