BUTTERBEER!!

So, as I've been reading Harry Potter again (for the BILLIONTH time), and also been obsessing over Heston's glorious feasts, I screamed when I found this recipe for butterbeer. Yes, you heard that correct. Butterbeer. 

Butterbeer, as Heston Blumenthal points out in his Tudor Feast, is not just Harry Potter’s favourite tipple, it’s also a bona fide Tudor recipe made from ale, sugar, egg yolks, nutmeg and butter. If you’ve always thought that beer is good but could benefit from a few more calories, then this is the drink for you.

I heated some beer in a pan over a medium heat till it bubbled. Then I took it off the heat, added the egg, sugar and nutmeg mixture, put it back on a low heat and stirred for a couple of minutes until it went the colour of strong tea meets cloudy apple juice. By this point the kitchen smelled of mulled wine which was a more pleasant odour than you’d expect from a pot of warm eggy beer. I whisked in a little butter and the brew was complete.

Rich, caramelly and super-sweet. There’s a reason Heston serves it in tiny glasses. The dentists round Hogwarts must be raking it in.

Recipe for butterbeer

Ingredients
500ml ale
Yolks from 2 medium eggs, whisked
60g sugar
Dash of nutmeg
15g unsalted butter

Method: How to make butterbeer
Pour the ale into a warm pan on a medium heat. When the beer begins to come to the boil take off the heat and add the whisked egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg.

Return the pot to a low heat (to stop the eggs from scrambling) and stir for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter. Decant into your finest flagon and chug.

How exciting!!

The Nostalgia of Innocence.

Sometime last year, the subject of cartoon crushes came up in one of my classes at college. I have a feeling I brought it up, but basically, we were confessing who we had crushes on in cartoons (mainly Disney films, for the obvious reasons) when we were younger.
One of my friends admitted she had a thing for Simba, which was met with a variety of reactions, all quite funny, suggesting things like beastiality and such. (For her sake, Simba does have an attractive voice, and if he were a man, I'm sure he'd be quite attractive).

I was thinking about this, and who I said. For the record, it was Derek from the Swan Princess, and Tulio form the Road to El Dorado. (I've obviously got a type). But this got me thinking about all the Disney films, you know, back when they were GOOD.
Good in my books generally means that
1. There is one of more musical numbers.
2. There is love. And a happy ending.
3. There is no Nicholas Cage, Zac Effron or any other of those Disney-pop youths.
4. It is animated.
5. There is a clear distinction between good and bad. You know who is who.

And THAT is why old Disney films are so much better (with the exception of The Princess and The Frog, because that looks good).

Isn't it just delightful?

I now have a keyboard that works! Huzzah! But I broke my camera. I might as well put it out there right now that I am a black hole slash death zone for all technological gidgets and gadgets. So, if you're a robot, be careful.
Glad I got that one off of my chest.

Now. I (finally) saw Inglourious Basterds, after so many of my friends had stood up and positively declared, "Oh, Crystal, you will LOVE it. Absolutely LOVE it!".
"Yes, well I don't really like war films."
"Oh, but it's NOT a war film at all!".
"No, Nazi's are not directly related to war, are they? When you see a Nazi the first thing you think about won't be that episode in the 1940's that people refer to as a war."
"Oh, don't over exaggerate. You'll love it."
"I think I'll just see 500 Days of Summer instead." (Now, that was a film I loved)
Well. It's a Tarrantino film, which means I'll be undecided until tomorrow, when I'll either declare that I love it because I've forgotten all the gore, or I'll despise it, because that gore kept me up all night.

One thing I do love in it is Melanie Laurent. And her oufits. Recently I've had this massive thing for hats. I love the forties style hats, but I'm also loving those Oliver Twist ugly-as-anything hats. And the rest of the costumes. That was delightful. And this is delightful. Enjoy!

I'm a cat.

Oh, My Darling

It's the Fantasy of it all...

I like poetry and you.

And thus I begin...