Ok, so I received The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Muggles to Magic by Gina Meyers in the mail last week. The timing was impeccable, with the last installment of the movie franchise hitting theaters this weekend. My son, Jacob, is eagerly awaiting the grand finale of his favorite childhood series to be brought to life on the big screen, and is already anticipating some serious withdrawal. He has spent the last few weeks rereading the series to reboot his memory for the last hurrah. It is a bittersweet time in my home. But I digress.
Gina Meyers’ cookbook arrival to the rescue! She has conjured up a continued love of all things Harry Potter in an unlikely place: the kitchen.
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Muggles to Magic is an especially fun book for those with young children, and entire meals, parties, and special events can be made with its wacky, fun recipes like Frog’s Eye Salad, Harry’s Tea and Get Out of a Jam Cookies, Dumbledore’s Delightful Dumplings, Hagrid’s Hearty Potatoes au Gratin, Potter Stew, Ron’s Love Spell Cookies, and more.
Jacob and I will, I’m sure, try out several of these recipes. Potter Stew with Dumbledore’s Delightful Dumplings may just be our first Post-Traumatic-Potter-Withdrawal-Meal.
So, kudos to you, Gina. And to Jacob, enjoy the film and keep the magic of childhood alive!
Potter Stew
Gina Meyers, The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Muggles to Magic
2½ cups water
1½ pounds lamb cooked lamb, diced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 small onions, sliced
1 turnip, diced
2 medium sized carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 cups cubed potatoes
Place enough water to cover meat in a pot; add onions, turnip, carrots, celery, and potatoes and cook for 35-40 minutes. Thicken liquid with flour if necessary and serve stew with dumplings (recipe follows).
Dumbledore’s Delightful Dumplings
Gina Meyers, The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Muggles to Magic
2 cups sifted flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
⅔ cup milk
Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in butter. Add milk to make soft dough. Roll ½ inch thick on a floured board. Cut into squares, drop in hot oil, and cook for 20 minutes.
Makes 10 dumplings.
image: realmomkitchen.com 
