Month: February 2019

Well, we’ve made it to the last day. (Aww,) Jeremy, quit larking about moping. We have to buckle down for our last lovers’ fix. It’s a bit unusual because Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks are by far the most unusual yet compatible couple we’ve ever seen.

He was a werewolf from a young age who never even thought he’d have a friend in the world, none to expect a girlfriend. 

A Grrrrrl friend?        Oh, hush up and help me with the berry syrup please, Jere-measles! We need 2 cups of “Lupin-berry Tonks”!

Okay, fine! Keep your fangs in! No need to claw your business partner’s eyes out. We’re using a classic syrup recipe using corn starch. Blueberries and Raspberries have to be cleaned first to be sure there aren’t any germs or dust.

1/4 a cup of water splashes with the berries and honey. Another 1/4 later so it doesn’t evaporate too quickly. We don’t use a 1/2 cup all at once because we want the same consistency throughout.

Tonks is a playful, quirky, metamorphmagus auror from Hufflepuff house who brings fun to the reationship complimenting Remus being so disciplined and focused. They go together like berries and cream though she’s a and he a protective wizard/werewolf in the teaching industry with a passion for swinging jazz music. Here is their full story.

We start off by melted our white chocolate…now for the syrup, warm up the milk and stir it all up over the heat until it’s all melted together. It’s rather difficult trying to keep the chocolate melted against the cold milk, but when you get the right texture, it’s heavenly. Ah-ah-ah, no wands for this one. we need to keep things slow. Neither of them rushed into love, marriage or having “Teddy”. You never know what will happen, but keeping things slow is more preventative of mistakes. Now, finish it off with a splash of hot coffee. Very good! You must be a natural barista.

We do offer a substitution of special dark cocoa powder if you don’t like coffee. My muggle-born mum gets nauseous over coffee. I myself never got to liking the taste of dirt.

A metamorphmagus can change the outer appearance at will. Tonks’ hair was usually a spiked pink, but turned red when she was particularly mad. Perhaps you remember her animal noses at the dinner table. This chocolate delight has turned itself a shade of periwinkle. Then with the coffee/chocolate, you can darken it down a few shades of brown. We sometimes add a bit of food dye to the white chocolate just for fun. Isn’t that an idea for fun? Colored chocolates! 

Oh dear me, the day is over. Time to head home. Any road, we’re very glad you enjoyed our 4-day special. The romances of the magical world truly speak of how we can all share love

and maybe a cup of hot chocolate

in different ways.

We’ll be seeing you soon, we hope!

Oh goodness, gracious is it ever hot in the kitchen today!

It must be our newest edition: “The Blazing Love Bugger” inspired by Mr. Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown.

She’s a feisty little cupid with no sense of practicality. She’s rather intense like cayenne pepper. Ron, on the other hand is a jocose best friend with a faithful and loyal heart. She always loved a man with a fan-following. He always wanted to be adored after so many years of being kept aside.

Her name may be “Lavender”, but this cutesy is as hot blooded as a handful of cayenne Pepper. She was very much attracted and would not let go for anything. She mixed with Ron, represented by warm and friendly cinnamon.

That’s right, Luv. Splash in the milk. Now let things boil up a bit on the heat for a minute and a half. We need a hot pot for the spices to seep through with less clumping.

That’s cayenne pepper in red. We thought that since they were so hot for each other that poor Ron couldn’t take it anymore, plus Hermione getting burned in the process, why not add an extra big hit at the end of your drink? It’s a fun little joke for cheeky lovers that want to make their darling’s face blush. The cinnamon brings a sweet harmony to lull the drinker into a sense of loving warmth. Smell that and you’ll never guess there’s a surprise inside!

Don’t forget the cocoa powder, 30 seconds later a tiny drop of chocolate syrup. Froth it all together and BOOM! Be ready to test your friends with this saucy little girl. If you want to really kick them in the pants, add a red-hot pepper-imp. Any kind of hot peppery sweet will do just fine. If it’s too hot, we can spare a small heart or 2 fruity hearts.

Ready, Lauren?          Set,        FIRE!!

Come in, come in, you’re right on time. It’s Day 2 of our 4-day after Valentine’s Day special. Just as nice at half the price! Cho and Cedric’s Sweetheart Special is today! (Abbreviate that CCSS for short-hand quill.) Imagine, malted milk chocolate with nougat bursting out the seams!

It’s like the muggles did back in the 1950’s for lunch dates; Ice cream sundaes, burgers and sharing a drink with 2 straws. It’s all so classic. Cedric treats Cho like a beautiful young lady. They’re sweethearts for sure. Their relationship is very traditional, from meeting at school, playful competition on the Quidditch pitch, (Well they can’t very well SHARE the snitch, hey?) to truly love everlasting and an occasional treat at Madam Puddifoot’s tea shop. 

This is how we honor the babes, darlings and treasures who fill up our lives with fuzzy feelings. First, we’ll need 3 scoops of malted milk courtesy of our house elf, Bubbly. She grows, steeps and dries out the seeds for us in the spring and summer. Next, we shave in 2 almonds. A charming Tri-wizard champion like Cedric needs protein for strength, while studious but shy Cho Chang can’t focus on her books without the fiber keeping her full just a tad longer. CAREFUL! Don’t put your fingers in the blade! 

A minute and a half on the heat will due just fine. Just a teaspoon of cocoa powder and almond milk to boost the magnesium and another 30 seconds over the flames will set it right. ***Here’s a secret from a cookbook down at “Flourish and Blots”: Nougat is mostly nuts, honey and egg whites, but it’s the processing that makes it irresistible. Never give it to someone with nut allergies. As Hagrid says, “They won’t thank you for that.”***

Very nice. Let’s pour in a spoonful of chocolate syrup to balance out the nuttiness. Sweethearts go mad for the endorphins in our double chocolate drinks every time. We recommend a nice 78% so it’s not too bitter in the dark or too sweet to tame. Sometimes we charge a sickle more for a teardrop of vanilla extract. The poor bean is fading into extinction out in the muggle world. Finally, we’ll whip it all together with the Flipendo spell and serve it with a caramel sundae for the lovely birds.

Quidditch fans love when we put an edible golden snitch on top. We’ve run out of those today the orders have been flying so fast, like the snitches themselves! Lauren’s dad is a muggle who took a spin around New York City where this shop makes edible golden flowers for ice cream!

You know what they say about Hufflepuffs having hearts of gold. It must be why the colors are that way for their house. 

If you’re having a bit of trouble with the apples of your eyes turning rotten, here’s a little advice from Cho about dating…https://www.pottermore.com/features/what-went-wrong-with-harry-potter-and-cho-chang

 

Hello, there! Welcome back to “The Hot Chocolate Bar”, the sweetest addition to Honeydukes that you’ve ever tasted in the wizarding world. Jeremy and I have been bustling around so much since St. Valentine’s Day. Now that the holiday itself has past, it’s time for our 4 day heart-lifting sales for those who can’t afford regular price, couldn’t make it on the day of, or just want the spirit to linger on a little bit longer!

Yes, yes. We’ve noticed some of the couples around town that inspired us to make some new cups. Lauren and I simply adore the treats for sweets like us and our customers. What are you standing around for? These customers won’t serve themselves! Step up to the cauldron and we’ll show you how to do it.

If you like adventure and having the courage to go one step closer, then it’s time to try our first cup, the “Harry-Ginny Ginger”. I think it’s absolutely invigorating! A nice little wake-up call with some breathe-easy orange and ginger to open up your air-ways. Usually, orange and ginger are used for colds and respiratory illnesses. Our silent partner Nick loves the scent.

She always admired him from the start, but these 2 complimentary Gryffindors took a big risk coming together with Ron in the middle. It’s hard for someone as well-known as Harry to find love when the battle rages right outside your common room, but that’s what makes the sweet moments all the more magical. Ginny is a brave, sweet and powerful like an orange, while Harry is the awkward ginger plant that though looking plain and out of place on the outside, can bring a huge punch, but needs that fruity flavor to become attractive. What’s more exciting than a kiss during battle? They don’t even have to say it, just “I know”.

First, we heat the milk in the cauldron. As it steams, chop up the ginger over the cutting board using the “Diffindo” spell so it’s in little tiny pieces. Put the pieces in with the milk and let it sit so everything can get to know each other. That’s key to any relationship. 

That’s what you said when you asked me on our first date almost 3 years ago. “I’d like to get to know you better”. <kiss>

 Now, time for some chocolate powder and don’t forget the orange zest. Juices bring acidity while zest keeps the flavor without the mess. Zest is the fruit skin. just enough so the outer skin falls in. Don’t go past the yellow into the white skin. That part is bitter. A little mix over the heat and there you have it! Let’s strain out the bits and pieces and have a taste.

Doesn’t that open you up? It’s bright, colorful and not by any means boring. I’ve just come over a cold, so that will be for me. 

The next mix will be in tomorrow. Cho and Cedric’s sweetheart special will melt your heart.

Yes, this is a full session focused on the simple matter of “That vegan stuff” or “that gross thing in the health-food section”. TOFU

We’ve been trying to master the art of the tofu scramble for a month now. It’s kind of like making “huevos rancheros”, only without the huevos. (That’s eggs for all of us non-Spanish speakers who didn’t watch “Dora” as kids) This would be good if you need a lot of soy and nutrients like calcium but none of the dairy.

For weeks now, we’ve been trying to master this 1 recipe that seems to pop up on dozens of tofu cooking guides, the one that YouTuber “It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken” calls: the breakfast of vegan champions, <fanfare!> Tofu Scramble

This is her video.

The first thing we noticed when buying tofu was the variety of firmness. There’s Firm, Extra Firm and Super Extra Firm. Firm tofu is easy to crumble into pieces, but it takes the longest to prep. You don’t want it to squish into a pancake, like that time we used a 20 lb kettle-bell in a bowl to squeeze out the extra liquid and it made the coolest sound! But if you don’t get enough of the water out, you get less than perfect, really squishy results that literally crumble to pieces.

Our next step: The spices. We’ve had luck with spice combinations like chili powder, paprika and red pepper flakes, or that garlic, onion and black pepper one, sometimes we put in pre-made blends like ones made with different powdered cheeses, Italian herbs, and sun-dried tomato and peppers. But we don’t go overboard with anything.

Let me clarify Lauren’s point. By “overboard”, we mean don’t put in too many spices, otherwise everything will just mask over and you’ll end up with too much to tell which is what and what goes with anything. We do realize you need to have a ton of the spice itself because tofu acts like a sponge and absorbs whatever seasonings you put in it. Tumeric is a bit bitter, but it gives a curry flavor and a nice golden yellow color. Plain tofu is bland. Remember Lauren’s motto: Bland is boring! You need lots of salt, about 4 pinches at least. Most people use black salt because of the high sulfur and charcoal levels making it smell more like eggs, but there’s a little shop in Lake George called “The Olive Oil Co.” that sells an array of salts that you can taste for yourself and add to whatever you want.

It doesn’t sound so yummy, but it’s what makes it more like real eggs. We’ve found if you  cook everything else first, take it all out, then brown the tofu on both sides (leave it on the heat long enough to caramelize) that’s where we get flavor. You can fold everything else in the skillet with it at the end.

As for sauce, YES, ADD IT! Like when we made tofu tikka marsala.

Big flavors are key. We tend to use mushrooms and bell peppers. We’re looking into cranking up the heat with chilies and jalapenos. Overall, tofu is a lonely drama queen. High maintenance and needs constant compliments.

If you just want a nice appetizer, we recommend taking some of the extra firm tofu, cutting and salting it like mozzarella cheese and throwing it into a bowl of spinach, tomato chunks and balsamic & olive oil dressing, or maybe a vinaigrette for a vegan friendly capresse salad. We used it in one of our soft spring rolls a few weeks ago, and it was delicious!

Wait, what if you don’t want eggy tofu and need it to somehow taste like chicken because your vegan friend is coming over to watch the match? It’s easy: Drain the water, cut it up, freeze it overnight, and when you want to use it, dredge it in corn-starch and coat it in some sauce like this guy from England who calls himself “The Easy Vegan” on YouTube. Isn’t that neat? He even has a fish version we need to try here…

See? This isn’t just some weird vegan cardboard goo gone wrong from outer space. It’s a soy bean wonder block with many different uses.

We have 1 or 2 vegetarian/vegan friends, but we want to talk to at least a few more. Since Miam Bialeck, Paul McCartney, Davy Jones and Alan Cumming are unavailable to us, we need some chat from the audience. Are you a tofu conesouer? Do you know someone who makes a mean tofu anything? PLEASE tell us! We love sharing. “Sharing is Caring!” (Yes, we love the movie “The Circle”. It’s one of our favorite moments.) Won’t you PLEASE share your thoughts, opinions and innovations with us? 

Pretty please, with a cherry tomato on top? It’s FREE and we’ll give you a shout-out!

On the second to last weekend in January, I was sick with my brother’s cold. (Thanks a lump!) The last thing you ever want to do in the kitchen is cross-contaminate especially if you’re Orthodox Jewish and everything is separated by meat and dairy. I don’t want to germ up the kitchen, so I was temporarily banned from the kitchen. One thing that everyone remembers at least once on a sick day is some kind of soup. Chicken, Beef, Bone broth and vegetable are favored in America. But since my mother was busy making pizzas for dinner, we ordered from our Vietnamese friends at Saigon Spring

They make excellent vegan pho (Pronounced fuh) filled with sweet snow peas, mushrooms, tofu and rice noodles. 

I prefer the spicy lemongrass with steak, beef and pork. It’s truly aeromatic and full of flavor.Vietnam really knows how to make use of their agricultural roots. 

Experts say it was originally created in the Nam Dinh/Hanoi area of the northern part of Vietnam back in 1887 when France was conquering the country. It was “Said” because elders passed down their traditions orally. There wasn’t anything written down about early pho. The French had beef stew. The Vietnamese learned it was okay to eat a cow and created their own version of beef stew. There was one thing though…”pot au feu” meaning “pot on fire” implying all-day cook time was mispronounced, giving the name “pho”. If anyone just calls it “noodle soup”, they simply don’t understand what it takes.

That’s right, Lauren. Pho is prepared in older fashions than most soups with variations depending on the region of origin and the chef himself/herself. “Pho Bac” is a northern Vietnamese dinner created in the Nguyen dynasty, while later southern styles like “Pho Nam” uses a rainbow of ingredients that the pho bac couldn’t afford during the time, like chicken and tripe. South Vietnam was way more abundant in food sources than the north. 

Professional chefs don’t let their secrets slide unless you’re truly worthy to learn it. If you’re the impatient type, this is a challenge, especially since the broth alone takes at least 3-7 hours to cook. What can I say? A brisket, meat and bones need time to seep. Roasting ginger and onions on an open flame is long too. The taste of the broth should be beef and sweet. Tendons, tripe, beef flanks, beef balls and rare beef steak make for a very satisfying soup. The time and effort used in making pho is what makes the eating it so worth while and inspires such gratuity for everything it took to cook it. 

Bean sprouts, basil leaves, lime and jalapeno are put to the side with some hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce served like a yin-yang sign next to your bowl for dipping. Never squirt it directly into the soup! It will ruin the flavor synchronization. Pouring hot sauce over anything just makes it all taste like the sauce, masking over the natural beauty of the ingredients. I know it’s weird for us to fish things out of our soup and dip it into a sauce, but it’s a clever compromise for when it isn’t sweet or spicy enough.

The jalapeno slices, basil leaves, sprouts and lime are on the side for you to add in as much as you like. I like 2 slices of jalapeno and a squeeze of lime for brightness. If you break the jalapeno up first, it makes it even spicier than just slipping the slice in the broth whole. Don’t ever try to rub your eyes after handling jalapenos without wiping your hands off first. The oil is there invisibly and it will sting and rash. We’ve both suffered the consequential pain and redness. If it happens, wash it out with water for 5 minutes and scrub your hands clean of any oils left from the pepper.

Jeremy, I’d rather fill the broth with bean sprouts and basil leaves with a squeeze of lime only if it needs more ‘zing’. They put these things on the side because basil turns black and bean sprouts wilt if they sits in the broth for too long.

There’s a really neat website dedicated to pho here if you want to read more about the history, cultural meaning and recipes we haven’t seen yet. https://www.lovingpho.com/pho-opinion-editorial/history-and-evolution-of-vietnamese-pho/

Do you have a pho recipe at home? If you try one from the website tell us! Show us! We’ll be lad to hear and maybe try it ourselves. Table PHO 2, YO!