Butterbeer!

Here's the result of someone tackling the question of what the "Harry Potter" wizards' butterbeer would be like. Just the thing for cozying up by the fire. Or enjoying the latest fan flurry over a Dramione selfie.

Butterbeer
Adapted from "Eat What You Watch: A Cookbook for Movie Lovers" by Andrew Rea

Ingredients
1 large egg white (3 tablespoons if you're using pasteurized)
3 ounces butterscotch schnapps
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup ice
2 cups cream soda, chilled

Method
Combine egg white, schnapps, simple syrup, vanilla and cream in a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake well for 20 seconds. Add ice and shake briefly to chill. Fill 2 pint glasses or mugs three-quarters full of cream soda. Strain schnapps mixture over the top. Best not to be too vigorous in pouring, because between the cream soda carbonation and the egg whites, you've got a serious head to contend with.

Rating: Comfort booze. Dessert-ish, but not cloyingly sweet. Somewhat reminiscent of beer nog. Probably not something you'd indulge in every day, as it's very filling, but it could be holiday-ish.

Slow cooker chicken bacon ragu

 

It was 9 degrees this morning, a tad nippy for early November. Time for comfort food simmering on the stove or in the crockpot. This recipe definitely qualifies.

Slow cooker chicken bacon ragu

From Kitchn.com

Ingredients

6 ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped small

1 small fennel bulb, chopped small (reserve fronds for optional garnish)

1 cup diced onion

8 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons flour

½ cup white wine

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or you can use bone-in, which is what I had on hand, but be prepared to fish out the bones before serving)

1¼ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Method

Brown bacon in a large skillet. Leave in the pan and add olive oil if needed to make 2 tablespoons worth of total fat before adding fennel, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook for a minute or so. Add wine to deglaze the pan. Cook for a minute and transfer mixture to a slow cooker.

In the same pan, add a drizzle of a bit more olive oil, then brown chicken pieces lightly. Transfer to a slow cooker. In the same pan, heat broth and tomato paste and then pour over chicken and vegetables.

Cook for 4½ to 5½ hours on low, until tender enough to shred. Shred chicken in the slow cooker, removing bones as you go if you use bone-in. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over something starchy that will soak up the sauce like potatoes, noodles or rice.

Rating: The bacon really comes through and makes this quite tasty. The fennel pretty much disappears, but that didn’t hurt my feelings since I worried it might overwhelm things. A dish definitely worth putting in the rotation. A minimal amount of front-end prep results in a really nice winter comfort food meal. Actually, make that meals, since this hearty dish easily serves 8. We had it over potatoes the first time, but preferred the leftovers over wide noodles since that was less overly filling. The ragu can freeze and reheat well, so it’s a good make-ahead dish.