Chelsea M-C

Empyrean Series – Spiked Lavender Lemonade

[Post first published on Patreon]

Life at Basgiath War College doesn’t leave much room for leisure, but at least the threat of imminent death makes every celebration sweeter?

This drink appears a couple of times in the three books we have so far, most memorably for me at a celebration dinner at the end of term. : bright with citrus, laced with something dangerous, and startlingly beautiful as the purple syrup sinks through the pale gold of the lemonade. The butterfly pea tea lends the syrup its deep violet color, which bleeds and swirls when you pour it in (a little like watching shadows move, if you know certain wingleaders). Serve it cold, sip it slowly, and definitely wait to enjoy it until after threshing…

Spiked Lavender Lemonade Recipe

Yield

1 drink (easy to scale)

Ingredients

2 oz limoncello
¾–1 oz lavender syrup (see below)
fizzy lemonade, to taste (or about 2 oz.)
Ice (optional)

Begin assembling in a champagne flute, or other tall glass: Add a few ice cubes and then pour in the limoncello, followed by the fizzy lemonade until you have a scant inch or so of space remaining in the glass. Add the lavender syrup, which should sink to the bottom and turn purple, giving the drink a beautiful appearance.

Don’t attempt walking the parapet after more than one glass!

Lavender Syrup (Small Batch)

½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1–1½ tsp dried culinary lavender buds
1 blue butterfly pea teabag, or food coloring (optional)

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir gently until the sugar has all dissolved. Add the lavender and teabag, and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Strain and chill until ready to use. The syrup will be a rich blue color, but the acid from the lemonade will turn it purple!

Dandelion Cordial

[Post first published on Patreon]

In the first warm days of spring, when the ground is still soft from thaw and the trees are just beginning to bud, the meadows burst into gold with dandelion blooms. Though often dismissed as weeds, these cheerful blossoms were once treasured as signs of renewal—gathered by herbalists and hedge witches alike to make tonics that stirred winter-sleeping bodies awake.

This dandelion cordial is inspired by 17th–19th century English flower syrups and cordials, where blossoms were infused into sugar water or vinegar for health and flavor. It captures the fleeting floral sweetness of early spring in a syrup that’s as lovely drizzled over fruit as it is stirred into sparkling water. Slightly citrusy, gently earthy, and pale gold in hue, it’s the sort of drink you might find at a cottage doorstep or on the table at Redwall Abbey.

Recipe for Dandelion Cordial

Makes: About 1 quart (4 cups) of concentrate – Prep: 10 minutes active + 12–24 hours steeping – Cooking: 10 minutes

Pairs well with: Cold sparkling water, tonic water, lemonade, or a drizzle over fruit salad

Ingredients:

2 cups dandelion petals (just the yellow parts, no green base)
Zest of 1 lemon (or orange, for a more floral twist)
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups water
1 Tbs. lemon juice, or to taste
Optional: A few slices of fresh ginger or a sprig of rosemary for depth

Gather fresh, fully opened dandelion flowers from unsprayed areas. Pull or snip off the yellow petals, discarding the green parts (which are bitter).

Place petals and citrus zest in a clean glass bowl. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups water with the sugar, lemon juice, and optional ginger or herbs. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour this mixture over the dandelion petals. Cover and let steep 12–24 hours.

After steeping, strain the liquid through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to extract all the floral water. Taste and adjust as needed, keeping in mind that you’ll be cutting with water to serve.

Pour into sterilized bottles or jars. Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or longer if frozen or processed for canning.

To serve, mix approximately 1:1 dandelion cordial and cold water or fizzy water for a little extra zip.

Something’s been brewing at the Inn…

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I go quiet sometimes. Life gets full, the kitchen gets busy, and the blog gets neglected in favor of actually cooking things and going on walks and, apparently, picking up rocks.

I’ve been doing a lot of that lately. Picking up rocks, I mean. And beans. And salt. And various other small beautiful things that seem to accumulate in my pockets whether I intend them to or not.

The thing is, all of that foraging and collecting has been feeding something I’ve been quietly building over on Patreon — a project called Fondue & Flagons: The Adventurer’s Cookbook, which is exactly what it sounds like and also somehow more than that. It’s a fantasy cookbook and worldbuilding sourcebook, and it has characters now, and stories, and recently it has started generating actual physical mail.

This past week I sent out the first round of Field Samples to my Patreon supporters: an assortment of little glassine envelopes of Herkimer diamonds, ramp salt, and runner beans, tucked in with a field notes card from a halfling scholar named Nibs and his considerably more chaotic dwarven traveling companion, Poppy. It is, I think, one of the most genuinely fun things I’ve made in a long time.

There’s more coming — more mailings, more stories, more small beautiful things finding their way to people who will know what to do with them. You can follow along as I build an immersive cookbook from scratch, explore the world with Poppy and Nibs, and If that sounds like your kind of adventure, the door is open.

Join the Friends of the Inn on Patreon →

New things are happening over there more often than they’re happening here, at least for now. Come join us!

Firefly Shipboard Snacks!

If you somehow haven’t heard by now, the cast of Firefly will be reuniting for an animated series!

I’ve had such a blast digging out all my old props and backdrops, it seemed only fitting to celebrate with some snacks as well. Working from left to right in the photo, I made some of Jayne’s pork jerky, some Spiro-balls, and a batch of Shipboard Crackers, made with canned chickpeas as the main ingredient for a protein boost.

One fact that surprises a lot of people is how little I circle back to finished cookbook projects, even if I loved a lot of the recipes. So often I’m pressing forward into what comes next, and whatever has struck my fancy. But it’s been a delight to revisit Firefly this week, especially amidst all the buzz and excitement from fellow fans.

I’m including the photos below in case you’d like to take a crack at them as well. Or, let me know if there’s another recipe you’d like to see! I’m going to delve into my notes and see if there were any fun ideas that didn’t make the final cut in the cookbook, due to space and time constraints.

Recipes for these three dishes are available over on Patreon.

Redwall Apple Pudding

(Recipe first posted on Patreon)

I was eleven years old the first time I attended a Redwall feast.

Not at the Abbey, of course—but in the real world, at a gathering with family friends who also adored Brian Jacques’ books. We spent the afternoon cooking and dressing up, surrounded by laughter and the scent of cinnamon, and then we all sat down together to a woodland banquet laid out on mismatched wooden and pewter plates. It was the first time I experienced the joy of bringing a fictional feast to life—and looking back, I think it planted the seed for everything I do now.

One dish from that day stuck with me more than the others: a simple “apple pudding” made by the other mom. I don’t know how she made it exactly—when I asked her years later, she couldn’t remember—but I’ve never forgotten the taste. Soft vanilla with a hint of apple flavor, like a cozy hug in dessert form. I’ve been chasing that memory ever since.

This is my best attempt to recreate it, with a little jazzing up because I can’t help myself. It’s not fancy—just a box of vanilla pudding mix and a handful of apples, gently sautéed with butter and brown sugar. But the result is pure Redwall style comfort, and pretty close to that elusive memory…

Redwall Apple Pudding Recipe

Makes: ~4 servings – Prep: 10 minutes – Chilling: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 box vanilla pudding mix (the cook & serve kind—not instant, for better texture)
Apple juice and milk (half and half per quantities on the box)
Pinch cinnamon, plus more for the topping
pinch nutmeg
2–3 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1–2 Tbs. butter
1–2 Tbs. brown sugar

Prepare the pudding as directed, but use apple juice in place of half the milk. Stir in a pinch each of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Let it cool slightly, or for an hour, covered, in the fridge, if serving much later.

Meanwhile, sauté apple slices in butter and sugar until tender and lightly caramelized. Add cinnamon if desired.

Spoon warm apples over the pudding and serve warm… or chill and layer them for a soft, sweet parfait. It’s also delicious with some granola sprinkled over the top.

Twilight Dream Cheese

[Post first published on Patreon]

Straining yogurt into cheese is a practice as old as dairying itself, found across cultures under many names—labneh, chakka, strained curd, and more. The method is beautifully simple: salt and hang until thickened, then shape or serve. This version, dubbed dream cheese by those in poetic moods, takes its cues from historical techniques but invites a fantasy twist through the addition of herbs, blossoms, or color. Whether packed into cloth molds or spooned onto flatbread, it’s an ideal way to use fresh milk and preserve a touch of early summer.

Light as cloud fluff and faintly tangy, this creamy delicacy is rumored to form when milk is left to rest beneath the silver glow of a waxing moon. Sweet herbs or crushed petals may be folded in, though some prefer it plain, served with honeycomb and wafer-thin bread at twilight feasts.

For my recipe, I folded into the yogurt the contents of a single blue butterfly tea bag, which gave the resulting cheese an amazing swirled blue color that just feels kinda magical. A bit of salt

This has been one of the most successful endeavors in my cheese-making binge, although I’ve learned a lot from my other mistakes, as well! For that, I’m delving deep into David Asher’s book on Natural Cheesemaking.

I’m smitten with this super easy recipe, and it makes for a dead sexy bagel in the morning, with that blue swirl of color and a little honey drizzled on top. I’m heartily tempted to pencil this in for the Adventurer’s Cookbook, as well. Perhaps in the Elven section? Poppy and Nibs might first encounter it after helping a half-sylvan apiarist gather pollen from moonbloom flowers—an act of service repaid with a twilight feast and this dream-laced delicacy.

Gosh I love what I do!

Recipe for Twilight Dream Cheese

Makes: About 1 cup
Prep: 5 minutes active, 12–24 hours draining
Cooking: None
Pairs well with: Seedy crackers, fresh fruit, Rambleberry Compote, wildflower salad, and good wildflower honey

Note on type of yogurt: You’ll need a brand that does not contain any additional thickeners, such as carageenan or corn starch, which will keep the yogurt from draining. I’ve had great luck with the Brown Cow brand!

Ingredients:

2 cups plain whole milk yogurt (see note above!)
Blue Butterfly Pea Teabags (I use this brand)
1/4 tsp. fine salt
Optional: honey for drizzling

Line a small strainer with cheesecloth or a clean, thin cotton cloth. Set it over a bowl to catch the whey.

Open the teabag and stir the contents into the yogurt, along with the salt. Spoon the yogurt into the lined strainer.

Gather the cloth edges and tie into a loose pouch. Suspend (I tied mine to a cabinet pull!) and let drain over a bowl for 12–24 hours, depending on desired thickness.

Once firm and spreadable, turn the cheese out into a bowl. Serve chilled, with a drizzle of honey if desired. Cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.

I haven’t tried it yet, but the finished cheese is just asking to be infused with some floral flavors, so stay tuned as I get to trying that eventually!

Puffy Pumpkin Bread – Tales of the Shire

“Dense and flavourful, it has all the butteriness of a pumpkin and a perfect crumbing that would leave Sandyman boasting for months.”

Warm and golden, this puffy pumpkin loaf is both celebration and comfort. The soft, enriched dough rises high in the oven, thanks to a milk-based tangzhong and a generous scoop of pumpkin purée that keeps the crumb tender. It’s shaped into a round loaf and clipped into segments before baking, creating the illusion of a plump little pumpkin when it emerges from the oven.

The flavor is light and delicate, balanced between sweet and savory earthiness. It’s been gently kissed by spice and has a colorful tint from both the pumpkin and the egg. With a cinnamon stick stem and a little greenery from the garden as garnish, it’s an autumnal hit that would make any hobbit proud.

The cooking in the game is customizable and fun, so I made my version sweet and spicy with the additions of sugar and cinnamon, taking my cue from the adorable cinnamon stick stem in the game image.

Puffy Pumpkin Bread recipe

Makes: 4 small pumpkin-shaped loaves
Prep: 25 min active, 1½–2 hr rising time
Bake: 25 min at 350°F

Ingredients

Tangzhong (starter):

3 Tbs. bread flour
½ cup milk
¼ cup water

Dough:

½ cup pumpkin purée (not pie filling)
⅓ cup milk (warmed to room temp)
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 large egg
4 Tbs. butter, softened
2¼ tsp. instant yeast (1 packet)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg (optional: pinch of cardamom)
4 cups bread flour (plus a little extra for kneading)

Finish:

Egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbs. milk)
Cinnamon stick or pecan half for the “stem”

Whisk flour, milk, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until thickened to a pudding-like paste (about 2 minutes). Cool slightly.

In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine pumpkin purée, milk, brown sugar, egg, softened butter, and the tangzhong. Test the temperature, and when it’s only just warm, add the yeast. Add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, salt, and spices). Mix and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, but not too sticky to handle, so add a little extra flour if needed.

Form into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic or a damp towel, and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour in a warm spot).

Punch down and divide into four equal pieces. Shape these into slightly flattened balls. Using kitchen shears or a very sharp knife (or both!), score the dough along the sides and top to approximate the shape of a pumpkin. Press a cinnamon stick into the middle of each small loaf. Cover lightly and let rise again until puffy (about 45 minutes; heat the oven partway through).

Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool for around 10 minutes, then press the cinnamon sticks back down if they’ve risen while baking.

These wonderful loaves are best enjoyed the same day they’re baked, and even better while still warm. Consider serving with some cream cheese, honey butter, or a steaming bowl of soup.

Smokeshow Cocktail – Crescent City series

Happy Monday, everyone!

And a big thank you, Sarah J Maas, for finally putting some more detailed food and drinks into your books!

“Ithan peered into his dark glass, at the amber liquid that looked and smelled like whiskey, though he’d never seen whiskey with smoke rising from it. “It’s called a smokeshow,” Roga drawled. “Whiskey, grated ginger, and a little draki magic to make it look fancy.” – House of Flame and Shadow, Sarah J. Maas

Every now and then, an author gives us a moment that’s so vivid, so specific, that it practically leaps off the page and into our glass. This is one of those moments, and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making it ever since first reading through the Crescent City series.

When Roga hands Ithan a mysterious smoking drink in House of Flame and Shadow, it’s described as dark and amber, with a bite of ginger and a haze of rising smoke. And in a world like Crescent City—where angels, shifters, and ancient magic brush elbows at the bar—it’s only fitting that even the cocktails come with a flourish.

This version of the Smokeshow is a broody little number: rich whiskey, warm ginger, a touch of sweetness, and just enough visual drama to hint at danger. Whether you’re raising a glass to the stars, or sipping something strong to steel yourself for what comes next, this one delivers.

It opens with the intense smokiness of the actual smoke, as well as the peat from the whiskey. Quick on the heels of that comes the warm sweetness from the honey and ginger, as well as a rounding out from the citrus. You’re left with a lingering taste of smoke and spice, like an ember glowing in the dark.

Recipe for Smokeshow Cocktail

Makes 1 cocktail (but can be scaled up)

Pairs well with: sharp cheeses and picked veg, shadowy secrets, low lighting

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Lagavulin Scotch, or other smoky variety (3 Tbs.)
1/2 oz. Cardamaro (1 Tbs.)
1/2 oz. ginger-honey syrup, made ahead (see below; 1 Tbs.)
1/4 oz. orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Curacao (1/2 Tbs. or 1 1/2 tsp.)
1 dash Angostura bitters
a cinnamon stick, for smoke
Large ice cube

Ginger-Honey Syrup:

(Enough for 1–2 cocktails)

1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. boiling water
1/2–1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

Stir honey and boiling water until completely dissolved. Add grated ginger, stir, and let steep for around 5 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove solids. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Cocktail Preparation

In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine whiskey, Cardamaro, ginger-honey syrup, orange liqueur, and bitters.

Stir until well-chilled, about 20–30 seconds.

Strain into a coupe or lowball glass — neat or over a single large ice cube.

Light the end of a cinnamon stick until it’s smoking. Drop the smoke into the glass, and cover with a coaster to trap the smoke. Uncover and serve straightaway, before the trapped smoke has a chance to dissipate. Enjoy with care! ;)

Pale Green Faerie Wine – The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black

[Post first published on Patreon]

No one drinks faerie wine without consequence. Its taste is alluring—like summer gardens and hidden laughter—but beneath the sweetness, there’s a sharpness that leaves your thoughts hazy and your heart a little too open.

This version, infused with fresh mint, cucumber peel, and blueberries, mimics the flavor described in the revels of Elfhame, in Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series: light, herbal, and deceptively refreshing. A whisper of thyme draws out the green, grounding the wine with something wild and woodsy. Over time, the blend settles into something reminiscent of white sangria, but with an edge.

To mimic the appearance of the true fae wines—described in the books as glowing, with flecks of gold—this version includes a drop of green food coloring and edible gold luster dust. Swirled into chilled white wine, it shimmers with unsettling beauty.

In retrospect, I would like to try adding a little pinch of ground mastic, which I obtained for some obscure recipe testing for GoT. It would lend the drink an excellent strangeness, and a bit of a piney taste. So, whoops, I guess I’ll need to whip up another batch! ;)

What say you? Would you brave a sip of faerie wine?

Recipe for Pale Green Faerie Wine

Makes: 1 bottle (750 ml)

Pairs well with: stone fruits, soft cheeses, and dangerous company

Ingredients:

750 ml crisp white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio recommended)
2 Tbs. honey
3 sprigs fresh mint
1 sprig fresh thyme
peel of 1/2 cucumber
1/4 cup blueberries, halved
green food coloring
Gold edible luster dust (similar to these)

In a small pot, gently heat honey with ¼ cup of the wine until dissolved. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the wine along with the herbs, blueberries, and cucumber peel. Allow to steep for 4-6 hours, then strain and return to the bottle or a decorative serving carafe. Add food coloring and edible glitter. Periodically give the mixture a gentle swirl to remix the golden flecks. Serve chilled, and consider garnishing with edible flowers.

Ideal for:

Serve ice cold, in crystal or clear glass goblets
A party drink for fae-themed events, book clubs, or revels of questionable morality
Stunning addition to a picnic basket

Halfway Through Summer in Faerie: Recipes, Revelry, and a Hint of Magic!

Summer has always had a touch of magic about it—but this year, we’ve stepped through the garden gate and into a world just slightly sideways of our own.
We’re now halfway through Summer in Faerie, a seasonal celebration filled with whimsical recipes, secret garden crafts, and just enough mischief to make the ordinary feel enchanted. 🌸✨

Whether you’ve been following along through Patreon or just now stumbled into the glade—welcome. Here’s what the faeries have been up to so far… and a glimpse of what’s still to come.

🌼 What We’ve Created So Far

So far, this summer’s recipes and rituals have included:

🌸 Sugared Blossoms – Edible flowers crystalized into glimmering garden confetti
🌬️ DiY Windchimes – an easy and rewarding craft to add magic to your gardens
🧈 Fairy Butter – A fun historical curiosity that gussies up a tea table
🚪 The Fairy Door Project – Whimsical entryways to invite a bit of mischief into public spaces
🌼 Dried Flower Confetti – Pressed petals and floral punches for magical celebrations
🍀 4-Leaf Clover Lollipops – Luck-preserving sweets perfect for faerie feasts
🪨 Story Stones – Painted or printed prompts to spark endless imagination
🌞 Dandelion Cordial – A golden syrup kissed with sunshine and nostalgia
🧺 Acorn Cap Baskets – Tiny foraged vessels fit for pixie gifts or treasure hunts
📜 Adventurer’s Cookbook Excerpts – Join Poppy and Nibs as they encounter curious characters and magical recipes on their culinary travels

🌙 A Glimpse Ahead…

As the wheel of the season turns, we’ve still got plenty in store:

🐝 Bee Bread – a colorful layered bread inspired by stacked pollen in a beehive
🧀 Dream Cheese – A soft, herbal spread kissed with honey and fae whimsy
🍷 Dewdrop Cordial & Whimsywine – Iridescent drinks laced with herbs and color-changing enchantments
🍄 Fairy Ring Soup – A clear, shimmering broth with floating mushrooms and edible flowers
💖 Fae Spice Dust – perfect for dusting over cookies, cocktails, and so much more
🌿 Foraged Wildflower Salad – A scatter of herbs and petals that taste like midsummer sunlight
🍬 Cotton Candy Fizz Bombs – Sparkling magic orbs that dissolve into shimmer and fizz when dropped into your drink
✨ Crafting with Mica – various uses for art projects and gardening
Teacup Cakes – baked right into antique teacups for added whimsy
📄 Lessons in Paper-making – with tips on adding flower petals and shimmer
And an end-of-season celebration with a secret garden feast you can host yourself

The fae may be fickle, but they’re never dull. And the final stretch of the season is where their magic shines brightest.

✨ Want to Join the Feast?

Most of the Summer in Faerie magic is happening on Patreon, where supporters get:

Early access to every recipe and tutorial
Printable downloads (recipe cards, zines, activity sheets)
Behind-the-scenes stories and lore
The joy of helping this world—and this work—continue to grow

Even the smallest pledge helps bring this seasonal spell to life. 🌙

🔗 Join the Faerie Circle on Patreon

If you’ve been meaning to join, or have simply been watching from the hedgerow… now’s the perfect time to step inside.

The fireflies are gathering, the meadows are humming, and the faeries are saving you a seat…