HBN: Originally Founded in 2003 - http://www.hogwartsbynight.com
“I feel very strongly that there is a move to sanitise literature because we’re trying to protect children not from, necessarily, the grisly facts of life but from their own imaginations… And the child that has been protected from Dementors in fiction, I would argue, is much more likely to fall prey to them later in life in reality.” – J.K. Rowling on BBC Radio Dec. 10th 2005
The setting of this game is a mixture of three concepts. It is an Old World of Darkness game in which, instead of mages, there are Harry Potter witches and wizards and rather than having ‘just mortals’ we embrace Lovecraftian Mythos – or, to look at it another way, it’s a Harry Potter game in which mortals, vampires, werewolves, and faeries are much more than the simple stereotypes shown in the books!
Obviously, this takes a little bit of work, but it can lead to truly fun stories if we work together! In these pages, we will go over the basic house rules and setting information.
There is also a FAQ page that will hopefully address most common confusions, and a character creation guide with specific rules for various character types.
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Thursday, 16 February 2017
Cheddar, Brocolli & Potato Soup
The history behind my obsession with Broccoli Soup goes back to 1997 and a trip to the Virginia Renaissance Faire. On a cool evening there was nothing better than sitting down at a table, watching some wenches sing raunchy songs and devour hot cheddar broccoli soup out of a bread bowl. To this day I still crave it, and now I've managed to figure out a recipe that tastes exactly like my memories.
This dish is great if you have a lot of hungry gamer's to feed. I find soups a more healthy and hearty substitute to typical table junk foods.
This dish is great if you have a lot of hungry gamer's to feed. I find soups a more healthy and hearty substitute to typical table junk foods.
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| Cheddar Broccoli & Potato Soup made by TGCSanderson |
Cheddar, Broccoli & Potato Soup
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken stock
3 pounds baking potatoes
1 pound broccoli, chopped
2 1/2 cups Sharp/Strong Cheddar Cheese
Heat a large heavy pot and slowly pour in your onions and garlic. Stir in salt and pepper. Cook until golden, stirring so they do not burn (8 to 10 minutes, sometimes quicker on higher heat). While they cook, peel and dice your potato's, ready your broccoli.
Pour in potato's and onions, making sure the chicken stock is at the very least an inch covering your ingredients. Bring to a bubbly boil for roughly 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the potato's and broccoli are very soft.
Pour the soup into a blender in batches and turn the soup into a puree, pour back into the large pot. Mix in 2 cups of your cheese, saving the rest for garnish. Taste and Seasons soup to your liking and serve hot!
Best served with french bread or in a bread bowl. If you serve in the bread bowl I recommend covering with a bit of cheese and broiling slightly to melt the top before serving.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Eldritch Cocktail Bookshelf 2017 (Recommendations)
Over the years we have been blessed with the gift of great Cocktail Books. Our classic drink will always be a White Russian, but we will always have quite a few random favourites up our sleeves.
Here is a current book list of where we get our inspirations from!
"Cocktail Recipes Inspired by Horror Icons."
"Ultimate Bar Book" is the first and only guide to classic and new drink recipes. Loaded with essential-to-know topics such as barware, tools, and mixing tips, this book has it all. As a mistress of mixology, the author has the classics down to a Tthe Martini, the Bloody Mary, plus the many variations (the Dirty Martini, the Virgin Mary)."
"You fought through War and Peace, burned through Fahrenheit 451, and sailed through Moby-Dick. All right, you nearly drowned in Moby-Dick, but you made it to shore--and you deserve a drink!"
"Originally published by Constable in 1930, the Savoy Cocktail Book features 750 of the Savoy's most popular recipes. It is a fascinating record of the cocktails that set London alight at the time - and which are just as popular today. Taking you from Slings to Smashes, Fizzes to Flips, and featuring art deco illustrations, this book is the perfect gift for any budding mixologist or fan of 1930s-style decadence and sophistication."
"The 1950s were the golden age of the mixed d rink. Atomic Cocktails lets you in on the retro action with a '90s touch with drinks both old and new."
"We've trawled the globe and pulled together a compendium of quirky happenings, anniversaries, birthdays and traditional events and, using our vast knowledge of the cocktail world, paired each one with an appropriate cocktail. Celebrate everything from Mandela's inauguration to aliens' alleged arrival from outer space."
Enjoy!
Here is a current book list of where we get our inspirations from!
Blasphemous Cocktails: Every Nightmare Deserves a Cocktail
by Dr Steve Wollett"Cocktail Recipes Inspired by Horror Icons."
The Ultimate Bar Book: The Comprehensive Guide to Over 1,000 Cocktails
by Mittie Hellmich"Ultimate Bar Book" is the first and only guide to classic and new drink recipes. Loaded with essential-to-know topics such as barware, tools, and mixing tips, this book has it all. As a mistress of mixology, the author has the classics down to a Tthe Martini, the Bloody Mary, plus the many variations (the Dirty Martini, the Virgin Mary)."
Tequila Mockingbird
by Tim Federle"You fought through War and Peace, burned through Fahrenheit 451, and sailed through Moby-Dick. All right, you nearly drowned in Moby-Dick, but you made it to shore--and you deserve a drink!"
The Savoy Cocktail Book
by The Savoy Hotel"Originally published by Constable in 1930, the Savoy Cocktail Book features 750 of the Savoy's most popular recipes. It is a fascinating record of the cocktails that set London alight at the time - and which are just as popular today. Taking you from Slings to Smashes, Fizzes to Flips, and featuring art deco illustrations, this book is the perfect gift for any budding mixologist or fan of 1930s-style decadence and sophistication."
Atomic Cocktails
by K. Brooks"The 1950s were the golden age of the mixed d rink. Atomic Cocktails lets you in on the retro action with a '90s touch with drinks both old and new."
Difford's Guide: 365 Days of Cocktails: The perfect cocktail for every day of the year
by Simon Difford"We've trawled the globe and pulled together a compendium of quirky happenings, anniversaries, birthdays and traditional events and, using our vast knowledge of the cocktail world, paired each one with an appropriate cocktail. Celebrate everything from Mandela's inauguration to aliens' alleged arrival from outer space."
Enjoy!
Eldritch Christmas Dinner (Deserts) - CONtingency 2017
Eldritch Christmas Dinner (Deserts) - CONtingency 2017
Ia! Ia! Merry Cthulhu-mas!
Holidays were in abundance at the Eldritch Lodge this year at CONtingency! With boughs sparkling, music driving the gamer's crazy and Matt pouring drinks it was only fitting for us to serve up a holiday dinner to go along with our Xmas themed shenanigans!
Below you will find the Deserts served at the Cthulhu-mas and Thanksgiving dinner games.
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We used a cookbook for our Fruitcake and Anniversary Cake. We tweaked the Fruit Cake by feeding the cake cherry brandy for three days before turning it out. For that reason I will not be posting the recipe's, you can get them from World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook by purchasing the book from Blizzard or Amazon!
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When mixing the Vanilla Cupcakes add in a few drops (or to taste) of Violet Flavouring. This can either come out too strong or too weak, I found if I could smell it across the room, it was good enough.
After the cupcakes come out of the oven, gently spread violet jam across the top. The cupcakes will still be warm and that is ideal, it allows the jam to melt slightly then cool across the cupcakes before you ice them. Ideally in the future I will be adding edible dried violet's as a topper to the cupcake. At the convention I added in a light edible shimmer glitter.
The icing was a standard buttercream with a couple drops of violet flavouring. Adding in a subtle purple food colouring to bring it to a lilac shade would also suit the violet cupcake decoration.
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For the holidays I will add in a teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg to my batters. At CONtingency they were a plain vanilla with standard buttercream
I added a swirl of holiday sprinkles and some red and green edible glitter to the frosting to make them pop. The case were holiday cupcake wrappers.
Enjoy!
Ia! Ia! Merry Cthulhu-mas!
Holidays were in abundance at the Eldritch Lodge this year at CONtingency! With boughs sparkling, music driving the gamer's crazy and Matt pouring drinks it was only fitting for us to serve up a holiday dinner to go along with our Xmas themed shenanigans!
Below you will find the Deserts served at the Cthulhu-mas and Thanksgiving dinner games.
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We used a cookbook for our Fruitcake and Anniversary Cake. We tweaked the Fruit Cake by feeding the cake cherry brandy for three days before turning it out. For that reason I will not be posting the recipe's, you can get them from World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook by purchasing the book from Blizzard or Amazon!
Graccu's Mince Meat Fruitcake
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| Photo by Esther |
Chocolate Celebration Cake
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Holiday Cupcakes / Violet Cupcakes
The base of my cakes use my Basic Cupcake and icing Recipe.-----
Violet Cupcakes
When mixing the Vanilla Cupcakes add in a few drops (or to taste) of Violet Flavouring. This can either come out too strong or too weak, I found if I could smell it across the room, it was good enough.After the cupcakes come out of the oven, gently spread violet jam across the top. The cupcakes will still be warm and that is ideal, it allows the jam to melt slightly then cool across the cupcakes before you ice them. Ideally in the future I will be adding edible dried violet's as a topper to the cupcake. At the convention I added in a light edible shimmer glitter.
The icing was a standard buttercream with a couple drops of violet flavouring. Adding in a subtle purple food colouring to bring it to a lilac shade would also suit the violet cupcake decoration.
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Holiday Cupcakes
For the holidays I will add in a teaspoon of cinnamon and nutmeg to my batters. At CONtingency they were a plain vanilla with standard buttercream
I added a swirl of holiday sprinkles and some red and green edible glitter to the frosting to make them pop. The case were holiday cupcake wrappers.
Enjoy!
Eldritch Christmas Dinner (Sides) - CONtingency 2017
Eldritch Christmas Dinner (Sides) - CONtingency 2017
Ia! Ia! Merry Cthulhu-mas!
Holidays were in abundance at the Elritch Lodge this year at CONtingency! With boughs sparkling, music driving the gamers crazy and Matt pouring drinks it was only fitting for us to serve up a holiday dinner to go along with our xmas themed shennigans!
Below you will find the sides served at the Cthulhu-mas and Thanksgiving dinner games.
4 pounds (2kg) sweet potato's, peeled and diced
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups miniature marshmallows
(Optional) Lightly spray slow cooker dish with non-stick spray. This isn't necessary if yours is already a non-stick dish.
Peel all of the sweet potato's and cut into small pieces, place into a 4-qt slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and allspice. Stir mixture into and over the potato's.
Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours, or until tender. Pour into an oven safe casserole dish. Top with marshmallows. Broil or bake at Gas Mark 4 until marshmallows start to brown on top (careful not to burn). Serve Immediately!
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1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 dash black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups Fried Onions
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup fried onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at 350°F/177°C/Gas Mark 4. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
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100ml olive oil
2 tsp flour
fine sea salt, to serve
Place an empty roasting pan into a heated oven at 356°F/180°C/Gas Mark 6. This pan must be large enough to lay down the potato's into a single layer.
Peel potato's and cut into small 4 even sized pieces or 6 if using a large potato. Place into a pan on the cooker/stove top and parboil. While potato's are boiling for 2 minutes, pour olive oil into the hot roasting pan in the oven. Continue to heat.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. Now rough them up by shaking the colander back and forth a few times to fluff up the outsides. Sprinkle with the flour, and give another shake or two so they are evenly and thinly coated. Carefully put the potatoes into the hot fat as they will sizzle when they go in. Turn and roll them around so they are coated all over. Spread them in a single layer making sure they have plenty of room.
Roast the potatoes for 15 mins, then take them out of the oven and turn them over. Roast for another 15 mins and turn them over again. Put them back in the oven for another 10-20 mins, or however long it takes to get them really golden and crisp. The colouring will be uneven, which is what you want. Scatter with salt and serve straight away.
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Under no circumstances should you ever alter these ingredients with non-fat or low-fat, go all the way with this or you'll ruin it. You can alter the sugar to taste as the recipe was handed down by word of mouth and everyone has their favourite level of sweet/bitter.
Now you may ask… what is this? It is kind of like a casserole/quiche macaroni. We're not really sure where Grandma got it but it has been a staple at Leslie family holiday dinners since before I was born. Call it a Clan Leslie comfort food.
AMERICAN MEASUREMENTS
Pre-Heat Oven to 375F
8oz Thin Spaghetti
Hand Grate 2 packages of Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar (save a little to cover the top)
2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
Half Cup Whole Milk
4 Eggs
UNITED KINGDOM MEASUREMENTS
Pre-Heat Oven to 190C (Gas Mark 5)
227G Spaghetti cooked al dente
Hand Grate 350G of Extra Mature Cathedral City Cheddar (save a little to cover the top)
2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
120 ml of Whole (Full Fat) Milk
4 Large Eggs
Cook Spaghetti while you grate the cheese, mix all of the ingredients together. I like to mix the spaghetti while it is resting with the sugar to give the noodles some sweetness while the noodles are sticky. Do not overcook the noodles, I recommend al dente as hot noodles will continue to cook themselves.
Place mixture into a covered casserole dish and cover, bake for 45 minutes. Once finished you can take the lid off and put a little butter on top to put a brown or crispy top on the dish.
Enjoy!
Ia! Ia! Merry Cthulhu-mas!
Holidays were in abundance at the Elritch Lodge this year at CONtingency! With boughs sparkling, music driving the gamers crazy and Matt pouring drinks it was only fitting for us to serve up a holiday dinner to go along with our xmas themed shennigans!
Below you will find the sides served at the Cthulhu-mas and Thanksgiving dinner games.
Sweet Potato Casserole (Slow Cooker Recipe)
Ingredients:4 pounds (2kg) sweet potato's, peeled and diced
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups miniature marshmallows
(Optional) Lightly spray slow cooker dish with non-stick spray. This isn't necessary if yours is already a non-stick dish.
Peel all of the sweet potato's and cut into small pieces, place into a 4-qt slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg and allspice. Stir mixture into and over the potato's.
Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours, or until tender. Pour into an oven safe casserole dish. Top with marshmallows. Broil or bake at Gas Mark 4 until marshmallows start to brown on top (careful not to burn). Serve Immediately!
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Classic Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 dash black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups Fried Onions
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup fried onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Bake at 350°F/177°C/Gas Mark 4. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
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Classic Roasted Potato's
1kg of potato's100ml olive oil
2 tsp flour
fine sea salt, to serve
Place an empty roasting pan into a heated oven at 356°F/180°C/Gas Mark 6. This pan must be large enough to lay down the potato's into a single layer.
Peel potato's and cut into small 4 even sized pieces or 6 if using a large potato. Place into a pan on the cooker/stove top and parboil. While potato's are boiling for 2 minutes, pour olive oil into the hot roasting pan in the oven. Continue to heat.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. Now rough them up by shaking the colander back and forth a few times to fluff up the outsides. Sprinkle with the flour, and give another shake or two so they are evenly and thinly coated. Carefully put the potatoes into the hot fat as they will sizzle when they go in. Turn and roll them around so they are coated all over. Spread them in a single layer making sure they have plenty of room.
Roast the potatoes for 15 mins, then take them out of the oven and turn them over. Roast for another 15 mins and turn them over again. Put them back in the oven for another 10-20 mins, or however long it takes to get them really golden and crisp. The colouring will be uneven, which is what you want. Scatter with salt and serve straight away.
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Grandma Gena Leslie's Macaroni Casserole
Grandmas spaghetti macaroni family dish. Handed down by word of mouth.Under no circumstances should you ever alter these ingredients with non-fat or low-fat, go all the way with this or you'll ruin it. You can alter the sugar to taste as the recipe was handed down by word of mouth and everyone has their favourite level of sweet/bitter.
AMERICAN MEASUREMENTS
Pre-Heat Oven to 375F
8oz Thin Spaghetti
Hand Grate 2 packages of Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar (save a little to cover the top)
2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
Half Cup Whole Milk
4 Eggs
UNITED KINGDOM MEASUREMENTS
Pre-Heat Oven to 190C (Gas Mark 5)
227G Spaghetti cooked al dente
Hand Grate 350G of Extra Mature Cathedral City Cheddar (save a little to cover the top)
2 Tablespoons of Granulated Sugar
120 ml of Whole (Full Fat) Milk
4 Large Eggs
Cook Spaghetti while you grate the cheese, mix all of the ingredients together. I like to mix the spaghetti while it is resting with the sugar to give the noodles some sweetness while the noodles are sticky. Do not overcook the noodles, I recommend al dente as hot noodles will continue to cook themselves.
Place mixture into a covered casserole dish and cover, bake for 45 minutes. Once finished you can take the lid off and put a little butter on top to put a brown or crispy top on the dish.
Enjoy!
Eldritch Christmas Dinner (Turkey) - CONtingency 2017
Ia! Ia! Merry Cthulhu-mas!
Holidays were in abundance at the Eldritch Lodge this year at CONtingency! With boughs sparkling, music driving the gamer's crazy and Matt pouring drinks it was only fitting for us to serve up a holiday dinner to go along with our Xmas themed shenanigans!
Below you will find the Turkey Recipe used during Cthulhu-mas 2017 and CONception 2016's Thanksgiving!
Sides will be posted as a separate entry.
Ingredients
1 16- to 17-pound turkey (thawed, remove insides, head, etc...)
3/4 cup thawed butter
Salt & Pepper
1 Lemon (thinly sliced)
1 Large Onion quartered
Herbs: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
6 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 cups Apple Cider (Alcoholic or Pressed Apple Juice)
Roast the Turkey
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F/177°C/Gas Mark 4.
Length of time: Roughly 20 minutes per pound
Rub turkey generously on and under the skin with butter, salt and pepper. Place quartered onions, garlic, and lemon slices around/on/under/inside turkey as you like. Gently rest herbs around or on top of the turkey so they will not fall off when cooking/rotating/basting. The butter helps the turkey baste itself from the inside out, crisps the skin. Pour cider over the top of the turkey and into the roasting pan before placing into the oven, you may want to reserve some of the cider for the first hour of basting.
While roasting the turkey, baste with the turkey's own juices mixed with the apple cider every 30 minutes until the turkey is done. I tend to rotate my turkey once an hour if it is very large. If you are brave you can finish off your turkey by flipping it upside down for the last 40 minutes (I never have, but I have been told it can encourage the turkey to be more juicy). Remove any herbs etc... off the top of the turkey for the last half hour or so to ensure the entire turkey has browned on top. If it starts to get too brown and may burn, cover with foil.
Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F/79.4°C
Remove turkey from roasting pan; drain any accumulated juices from main cavity unto a large measuring cup or bowl. Discard lemon's, reserve anything else you may want to place on serving platter with turkey (garlic, rosemary, onion).
Place the Turkey surrounded with any extras on a serving platter. I recommend that you wrap the turkey with a wet cloth and foil as it rests to prevent it from drying out. This also helps retain the heat for at last 30 minutes before needing to carve it. Do not let it sit out more than 2 hours at room temperature to keep it safe to eat.
Serve Turkey with Gravy
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1/2 cup butter, cut into about 8 pieces
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups pan drippings (You can supplement with chicken stock)
Roux
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour. If it does not have a very subtle bubble to it, add a little more butter. Reduce heat to low; whisk until roux is golden brown, about 2-4 minutes (do not burn).
Gently mix in the pan drippings into the Roux stirring to combine until smooth (it will steam a bit the first pour). If the mixture is still too thick, add in chicken stock until gravy is to the thickness you desire. Add salt and pepper until it is seasoned to how you like it.
Enjoy (Don't forget the stuffing and cranberry sauce)!
Holidays were in abundance at the Eldritch Lodge this year at CONtingency! With boughs sparkling, music driving the gamer's crazy and Matt pouring drinks it was only fitting for us to serve up a holiday dinner to go along with our Xmas themed shenanigans!
Below you will find the Turkey Recipe used during Cthulhu-mas 2017 and CONception 2016's Thanksgiving!
Sides will be posted as a separate entry.
Apple Cider Glazed Eldritch Turkey
Herb-Roasted Turkey With Apple Cider Gravy
10 Servings
Ingredients
1 16- to 17-pound turkey (thawed, remove insides, head, etc...)
3/4 cup thawed butter
Salt & Pepper
1 Lemon (thinly sliced)
1 Large Onion quartered
Herbs: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme
6 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 cups Apple Cider (Alcoholic or Pressed Apple Juice)
Roast the Turkey
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F/177°C/Gas Mark 4.
Length of time: Roughly 20 minutes per pound
Rub turkey generously on and under the skin with butter, salt and pepper. Place quartered onions, garlic, and lemon slices around/on/under/inside turkey as you like. Gently rest herbs around or on top of the turkey so they will not fall off when cooking/rotating/basting. The butter helps the turkey baste itself from the inside out, crisps the skin. Pour cider over the top of the turkey and into the roasting pan before placing into the oven, you may want to reserve some of the cider for the first hour of basting.
While roasting the turkey, baste with the turkey's own juices mixed with the apple cider every 30 minutes until the turkey is done. I tend to rotate my turkey once an hour if it is very large. If you are brave you can finish off your turkey by flipping it upside down for the last 40 minutes (I never have, but I have been told it can encourage the turkey to be more juicy). Remove any herbs etc... off the top of the turkey for the last half hour or so to ensure the entire turkey has browned on top. If it starts to get too brown and may burn, cover with foil.
Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F/79.4°C
Remove turkey from roasting pan; drain any accumulated juices from main cavity unto a large measuring cup or bowl. Discard lemon's, reserve anything else you may want to place on serving platter with turkey (garlic, rosemary, onion).
Place the Turkey surrounded with any extras on a serving platter. I recommend that you wrap the turkey with a wet cloth and foil as it rests to prevent it from drying out. This also helps retain the heat for at last 30 minutes before needing to carve it. Do not let it sit out more than 2 hours at room temperature to keep it safe to eat.
Serve Turkey with Gravy
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Turkey Gravy from Scratch
Roux Ingredients1/2 cup butter, cut into about 8 pieces
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups pan drippings (You can supplement with chicken stock)
Roux
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour. If it does not have a very subtle bubble to it, add a little more butter. Reduce heat to low; whisk until roux is golden brown, about 2-4 minutes (do not burn).
Gently mix in the pan drippings into the Roux stirring to combine until smooth (it will steam a bit the first pour). If the mixture is still too thick, add in chicken stock until gravy is to the thickness you desire. Add salt and pepper until it is seasoned to how you like it.
Enjoy (Don't forget the stuffing and cranberry sauce)!
Monday, 13 February 2017
Eldritch Eggnog
Eldritch Eggnog (Alcohol Optional)
Serves 8
3 cups (700ml) whole milk1 cup (240ml) double cream
3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds removed
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
5 eggs, separated
2/3 (130g) cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175ml) Dark Rum
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Whipped Cream for garnish (optional, I prefer spray can/store bought)
In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, cinnamon, vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, and nutmeg. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and allow to steep.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until combined and thick ribbons form when the whisk is lifted. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to mix until the mixture is combined and smooth. Add dark rum, and stir. Refrigerate overnight (up to 3 days) or drink hot (this is equally as yummy!).
Before serving you are supposed to beat the remaining egg whites in a large bowl until they reach stiff peaks then fold them in. I've never had much success with this method. I tend to beat in half of the egg whites, mix the best as I can and then remove any floating whites left on the surface of the nog.
After the final step (if you attempt it), garnish with whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg. Enjoy!
Eldritch Potato Soup & Bread Recipe's
As promised to Our Players and Lodge Members, the Eldritch Potato Soup Recipe!
This dish was cooked up in a slow cooker on 'low' all day in the Cocktail Lodge at CONtingency 2017; it did not survive the night! By request here is the full instructions for those who wish to try and replicate its decadence! Enjoy!
1 large onion, chopped
4 Cups chicken broth
5 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (save 3 tablespoons for using as topping when serving the dish)
3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)
1⁄4 cup butter
2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
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1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream (optional)
8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
1 cup of fried onions (store bought)
cheese, for sprinkling (I prefer a strong cheddar)
Combine first eight ingredients in a large crock pot (saving some chives to top the dish later); cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato's should be tender). Sometimes I will sneak in a few finely chopped carrots for extra texture.
Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened. How much you smash the potato's is based on your preference. The more you mash the creamier it will become.
Stir in cream, cheese and chives.
Top with sour cream, fried onions, sprinkle with bacon, more cheese, then sprinkle a few chives on top.
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200g coarse ground wholemeal flour or all purpose flour
275g plain flour
300ml buttermilk (Look below for recipe)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 pinch salt
6 tablespoons good quality honey
Preheat your oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
Remove the rosemary from the stalk.
In a large bowl, mix the rosemary and coarse flour with the sieved plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and the salt.
Add the buttermilk and honey. Mix till you get a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead till the mixture is smooth. Shape into a round loaf approximately 20cm in diameter, and cut a cross over the top then cut another cross so that you can see 8 triangles on the top. Alternatively, divide the dough in half and shape into two smaller loaves.
Bake on a lightly floured baking tin for 30 to 40 minutes for a large loaf, 20 to 30 minutes for two smaller loaves. When it's ready, it will sound hollow if tapped on the base.
Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Cover with a clean damp tea towel if a soft crust is desired.
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Step 2: Grab one small fresh lemon. Stir in a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. Stir to combine. Allow to rest and become thick, stir again to fully mix and test that it has thickened.
Step 3: Use in place of buttermilk in the recipe as it calls for.
Enjoy!
This dish was cooked up in a slow cooker on 'low' all day in the Cocktail Lodge at CONtingency 2017; it did not survive the night! By request here is the full instructions for those who wish to try and replicate its decadence! Enjoy!
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| Eldritch Potato Soup beckons you! |
Eldritch Potato Soup
6 to 8 large baking potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2 -inch cubes1 large onion, chopped
4 Cups chicken broth
5 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (save 3 tablespoons for using as topping when serving the dish)
3 garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)
1⁄4 cup butter
2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
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1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream (optional)
8 slices bacon, fried & crumbled
1 cup of fried onions (store bought)
cheese, for sprinkling (I prefer a strong cheddar)
Combine first eight ingredients in a large crock pot (saving some chives to top the dish later); cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours (potato's should be tender). Sometimes I will sneak in a few finely chopped carrots for extra texture.
Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened. How much you smash the potato's is based on your preference. The more you mash the creamier it will become.
Stir in cream, cheese and chives.
Top with sour cream, fried onions, sprinkle with bacon, more cheese, then sprinkle a few chives on top.
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Eldritch Farm Bread (to eat with the potato soup!)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional)
200g coarse ground wholemeal flour or all purpose flour275g plain flour
300ml buttermilk (Look below for recipe)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 pinch salt
6 tablespoons good quality honey
Preheat your oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
Remove the rosemary from the stalk.
In a large bowl, mix the rosemary and coarse flour with the sieved plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and the salt.
Add the buttermilk and honey. Mix till you get a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead till the mixture is smooth. Shape into a round loaf approximately 20cm in diameter, and cut a cross over the top then cut another cross so that you can see 8 triangles on the top. Alternatively, divide the dough in half and shape into two smaller loaves.
Bake on a lightly floured baking tin for 30 to 40 minutes for a large loaf, 20 to 30 minutes for two smaller loaves. When it's ready, it will sound hollow if tapped on the base.
Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Cover with a clean damp tea towel if a soft crust is desired.
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Making your own buttermilk
Step 1:Pour 1 cup of milk into a bowl or large glass.Step 2: Grab one small fresh lemon. Stir in a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. Stir to combine. Allow to rest and become thick, stir again to fully mix and test that it has thickened.
Step 3: Use in place of buttermilk in the recipe as it calls for.
Enjoy!
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