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.