Who doesn’t love the “The Princess Bride”? Even if not everyone is obsessed with the film, I’ve never met anyone who hated it. However, I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a person so captivated, so enchanted, so driven by obsession with “The Princess Bride” until I read “The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook: 50 Delightfully Delicious Recipes for Fans of the Cult Classic” by Cassandra Reeder, aka The Geeky Chef.
With its cast of wonderful characters, fun fantasy setting, and loads of memorable quotes, creating a cookbook full of themed titles recipes wouldn’t be too difficult. But Reeder didn’t phone this in for a quick buck, they dove deep. The author referenced the film, the book, read autobiographies of actors involved in the film, watched documentaries, and more, to come up with 50 thoughtfully crafted recipes.
“The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook” is divided into 6 main sections: Drinks and Cocktails (Booze!), Soups and Stews (Are you ladling around with me or what?), Appetizers and Accompaniments (Do you always begin meals this way?), Main Courses (Prepare to dine!), Cakes, Pies, and Tarts (I’ll eat you both apart! I’ll bake you both together!), and Other Desserts and Candies (Skip to the end…). There is also a section highlighting vegan, vegetarian, and kosher replacements and another dedicated to party planning where the author put together themed meals such as Storming the Castle Banquet and Buttercup’s Farmhouse Supper.
The recipes range from surprisingly simple to dizzyingly complex, with most of the ingredients being readily available at the local grocery store. When it came to choosing a recipe to try, you KNOW it had to be a cocktail. AND, if you know me, you also know it HAD to be a rum cocktail! I’ve had a long love affair with the classic rum cocktail Dark n’ Stormy, so I was intrigued with Reeder’s “Princess Bride” version, The Sea After the Storm Dark and Stormy.
The traditional Dark n’ Stormy is very simple, ginger beer with a dark rum floating on top. Sometimes with a little lime and/or bitters. Reeder’s version is upgraded to make it prettier while maintaining the overall original taste of the original.
If you’re looking for some food and drink “Princess Bride” related fun, I highly recommend “The Unofficial Princess Bride Cookbook”. You can learn more here.
Get your own copy here. (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
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Take ALL the information about working with crystals, what they are, charging them, correspondences, etc. from “Crystal Basics” and SMOOSH it into a tight 40 pages. Then offer over DOUBLE the original entries about specific crystals, and you’ve got the “Pocket Encyclopedia.” The individual entries appear to have just as much information, just in a smaller font. That said, the OG “Crystal Basics” has a lot to offer, with more information and an easier to read larger font. I hate to be that, “get them both” reviewer, but having both would be an absolute boon to the serious crystal enthusiast. However, if you don’t mind smaller fonts, are looking to save a little cash, or like the idea of carrying a crystal reference book with you when visiting your local metaphysical book shop, “Crystal Basics Pocket Encyclopedia” is the one to get.
Horowitz is well known in occult circles and having all these assorted writings conveniently gathered is an excellent read. “Uncertain Places” offers a unique perspective on many subjects ranging from secret societies, the nature of Satanism, a legendary obituary for the late James Randi, an interview with David Lynch, new thought, and more. Horowitz is an eloquent and persuasive writer and you can’t help finishing “Uncertain Places” with a deeper understanding of the author himself. However, what I find appealing about even his strongest opinion essays is the feeling that you wouldn’t be harshly judged by Horowitz for disagreeing, as long as you could explain why. 
I almost ignored the press release for “The Witches Almanac: Sorcerers, Witches and Magic from Ancient Rome to the Digital Age” by Charles Christian. I mean, these days the new age/witchy marketplace is overloaded with almanacs. However, this doesn’t really feel like an almanac. More like a self-contained reference book.
I do not need another spellbook. I do not need another spellbook. I kept telling myself that over and over again as I looked at the email asking if I wanted a review copy of “The Witch’s Spellbook for Beginners: Enchantments, Incantations, and Rituals from Around the World” by Sarah Bartlett. However, the name Sarah Bartlett rang a bell, and that’s because she’s the author of 
Anyone that has known me for awhile knows that the only thing I find more interesting than magic is the people who practice it. Therefore, the graphic novel, “Witches of World War II” by Paul Cornell with art by Valeria Burzo was too juicy to pass up. Although a work of fiction, Cornell shows some genuine occult nerd bona fide with his creative use of actual history and well-established magical lore to tell the tale of the greatest magicians of the era coming together to battle Nazi Germany. Shall I introduce you to our colorful cast of character?
Cornell takes this band of magic makers on a fantastical wartime journey filled with intrigue, heroics, a cameo from Winston Churchill, and Valiente punching a Nazi. Along the way you see magic and scams, learning that the line between magician and conman can at times be thin, and that both can be effective in times of war. Burzo’s artistic style worked well with the story and did an excellent job rendering these characters.
Cait Johnson’s “Witch Wisdom for Magical Aging” is divided into four parts, reflecting the four seasons. Each season is represented by a witch to offer guidance and regale you with tales of iconic females. “Witch Wisdom for Magical Aging” features spells, rituals, and DIY projects to help the reader.
If this is your first time checking out The Magical Buffet’s Favorite Things list, welcome! I started doing the list as a response to the overwhelming popularity of Oprah’s Favorite Things that she does each year. I started with the argument that I’m far more relatable than Oprah, with the whole me being broke as opposed to a multi-millionaire. That evolved into The List as you see it today, which is 10 things that have been featured on The Magical Buffet website since the previous year’s list was published. So, although many of these items were published this year, you’ll find slightly older ones too.
7. The Bavarian Illuminati: The Rise and Fall of the World’s Most Secret Society by Rene Le Forestier and translated by Jon E. Graham. From my review, “This is 912 pages of pulse pounding intrigue and yawn inducing bureaucracy that was originally published in 1915 and hasn’t been available in English until now.” Yes, it is a pricey spend, but if you’re interested in occult societies, this is an interesting look at the OG of societies. You can read my full review 
I’m a huge fan of the horror genre, however I’m a big scaredy cat. I will spend hours reading plot synopses of horror films and novels, reveling in the versatility of the genre. That’s why when given the chance to review “Sacred Lamb”, a slasher movie inspired comic by Tim Seeley with illustrations by Jelena Ðordevic and lettering by Steve Wands, I said, “Sure!”
The story follows social media influencer Kellyn West, who live streamed killing her fan, turned stalker, turned slasher killer, by beating him to death with a backhoe. And thus begins her journey to Sacred Lamb, a quaint town that no one knows exists, where West, and survivors like her, are locked away to be forgotten by the outside world and any would be copycat slashers, or killers back from the dead. Once in Sacred Lamb we’re introduced to a trope’s gallery of survivors of assorted killers. In town, our EVs go to group therapy, terrorize each other, plot escapes, and mostly, wallow in their fate. However, when killings begin to occur in the government’s best kept secret location, we start to see what makes a “killer” and what makes a “victim.”
And if there’s one thing Lecouteux does, it is MORE. All of his books are dense with just everything to be found on the subject matter smooshed into a binding, and “King Solomon the Magus” is no exception. The author uses The Bible, the writings of Yosef ben Matityahu HaCohen (better known as Flavius Josephus), and the classic book “The Thousand and One Nights” as primary sources to demonstrate the universality of Solomon the King and Solomon the Magician. No stone is left unturned. Solomon’s relationships with animals, with the djinns, and with his people are explored. The places he lived, the magical talismans he created and used, and more are all discussed. The text is fully illustrated, including images I’ve used myself in crafting protective talismans.