Practical Magic
If you imagined me spinning around my kitchen listening to Stevie Nicks and Joni Mitchell while executing this Practical Magic menu, that vision would be 100% accurate. It would also not be an exaggeration to say that I’ve watched this movie at least 30 times. And that’s likely within the last decade. We’ve all had those movies we watch over and over with friends while talking about living in a big communal old house, all of us equally old biddies with too many cats, just like Aunts Fanny and Jet. And then of course with this particular film we all get so shitfaced on margaritas that we don’t even mind the somewhat mediocre ending because we’re scream singing “This Kiss” too loudly into the night to hear our own thoughts.
Or maybe that was just me.
In any event, you have to offer up praise to Practical Magic’s themes of sisterhood, and the acceptance of differences in oneself and in others. Witchy sisters Sally and Gillian Owens (played by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, respectively) both have their demons, and struggle as much with their inability to conform as with a colonial curse that seems to be plaguing their family. Childhood bullies become grown-up gossipers in their small New England town, and the struggle to achieve some sense of normalcy doesn’t really get easier for either sister until they learn to embrace the fact that normal isn’t really… normal. That was an invaluable message for me in high school when I first saw Practical Magic, and it still resonates today.
So here is a menu that you can cozy up to while watching Practical Magic– a cinematic mix of horror, romance, and female empowerment that was pretty uncommon for the 90’s. If nothing else, the movie will teach you to always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can. And also how to light a candle by blowing seductively on the wick.
The Movie
The Menu
You guys know the drill. Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog... Adder's fork and blindworm's sting... Barbados lime is just the thing. Cragged salt like a sailor's stubble, Flip the switch and let the cauldron bubble! How convivial!!! Add lime juice, lemon juice, triple sec, tequila, and ice to a blender and process until fully slushed. Use a lime wedge to moisten the rim of two glasses, and dunk each rim into a plate of kosher salt. Pour your margs in, and commence with a circular dance around the nearest table. Note, these drinks are best served at midnight and never after consumption of belladonna (it's important to be peppy for all the dancing). I wish I could take credit for this most amazing margarita recipe, but I'm admitting here that I unabashadly stole it from Ina Garten, who I suspect is actually a (good) kitchen witch. This hearty soup features all three sisters ingredients-- squash and bean types native to New England, and a bit of corn starch to thicken the base. I like to think of this recipe as a celebration of Sally and Gilly's sisterhood, as well as their tie to their ancestor Maria (the first Owens witch). When the weather gets cold, this brew will keep any good witch warm-- and could possibly be used to send unwanted spirits back to the grave? But you would of course need a full coven for that. Melt butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper until caramelized, about 8 minutes, lowering heat if necessary to prevent burning. Add garlic, sage, and rosemary with a pinch each of salt and pepper and continue to cook for another two minutes until the mix smells lightly like Thanksgiving stuffing. I hear the smell is just GREAT for the pores. Add chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add navy beans to the pot, and simmer for roughly 30 minutes. Add squash and cornmeal to the pot and simmer for another 2 minutes, waiting for the temperature to equalize and the soup to thicken a bit. Finally, add your kale to the pot and stir until just wilted (about 2 minutes). Season your soup with salt and pepper to taste, and serve! If you can't find navy beans, either activate the phone tree to see if your sisters have any, or sub in cannelini beans. If you don't have a sherrif's badge or other star shaped talisman handy, a bit of Maria's hanging rope will also help protect you from "dark and unnatural" forces-- like not having something flaky, buttery and cheesy to dip into the above brew. This recipe remedies that problem in less than half an hour! Preheat your oven to 400. Roll out 1/3 of a puff pastry sheet until about 1/8 inch thick and a little over 3 inches wide (the photo below is a LITTLE deceptive-- I doubled the recipe for testing). Add a bit of water to your egg and whisk until fully incorporated. Brush the surface of your puff pastry with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add your parmesan, sprinkling the surface of your pastry evenly and pressing slightly into the dough to prevent cheese from dropping off as you work with the dough. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut your pastry dough into long strips about 1/2 inch thick. Next, twist your dough to create a corksrew pattern (see below). Place on a parchment or sil pat lined baking sheet, with each "rope" strand about an inch apart. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper. Bake your rope pieces for 15 minutes until pastry has puffed and turned golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before serving as an appetizer or alongside your Owens brew. Blood on the moon is never a good sign, especially with a ring around it. But hopefully the addition of goat cheese, fresh mint, and Nigella seeds will banish any associated bad luck-- especially when it comes to love. Having a tiger's eye necklace wouldn't hurt either. First assemble your ingredients. To prepare your oranges, remove the rind with your fingers or a vegetable peeler, getting rid of as much as the white pith as possible. Slice into full circles, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Whisk olive oil, honey, and lemon juice in a bowl. Toss orange slices in your dressing and let sit for about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Now it's time to assemble your salad! Place your oranges on a shallow bowl or plate, and sprinkle mint and goat cheese on top. Finish with Nigella seeds. Turns out you can eat chocolate cake for all meals in my house-- even better if you blur the lines in this recipe and make pancakes chocolate-y enough to please both Aunts and Sally's little girls. Instead of Gilly's "special syrup", I opted for a slightly sweeter pancake mix topped off with whipped cream. Trust me it's still relevant. Begin by sifting all of your dry ingredients (excluding the chocolate chips) together in a medium sized bowl. Next, in a separate bowl, melt your butter and add your milk, vanilla, and egg (in that order, or the hot butter will cooking the egg)-- whisk together until fully mixed. Add this wet mixture to your flower mixture and stir to combine. Don't overmix! If you do, extra gluten will develop and you'll end up with chocolate rubber instead of chocolate pancakes. You'll know you're done stirring when you have scraped up all the dry ingredients from the bottom, but there are still some lumpies in your batter. Allow your batter to sit for about 5-10 minutes before cooking. At this point, you can throw in your chocolate chips. Melt half a tbsp in a non-stick skillet or griddle pan over medium heat until foaming. Using a 1/3 cup measure, pour batter into the pan and do your best to maintain a round shape. Cooking for about 40 seconds, until little air bubbles form at the top of the batter, then flip! I swear I flipped them in the air. I just couldn't do it while holding the damn camera. Cook for another 30 or so seconds, and set aside on a plate while you cook the remaining pancakes each in 1/3 cup batches. You should end up with 3-4 sizeable pancakes. I was bad and snacked on one as soon as it was done... Wrap pancakes loosely in plastic wrap and keep in a warm space (near, but not on the warm stove, is a good option). Now for the whipped cream: in a medium sized bowl, beat 1/2 cup of heavy whipped cream with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add vanilla extract and confectioners sugar, and beat for another minute until stiff. It's that easy! Now layer your pancakes, spreading some whipped cream between each layer and laying a big dollop on top. Dust with extra cocoa powder if you have it, and repeat after me: Black as night, erase death from our sight. White as light, Mighty Hectate make it right.
Midnight Margaritas
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Owens Sisters' Brew
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Maria's Hanging Rope
Ingredients
Instructions
Blood on the Moon Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Pancakes (with Cream)
Ingredients
Instructions
Epilogue
There’s a little witch in all of us. Except for the people who decided to green-light this prequel series based on Alice Hoffman’s novel(s). I have very strong feelings about this. Ya’ll deserve to listen to “You Were Always On My Mind” on repeat with no tequila to dull your senses.
For more menus, check out my movie directory here!