The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Wizards and Non-Wizards Alike (Unofficial Cookbook Gift Series)

Love the book! Would buy again.

Fun.

When we decided to get this for my son who was a Harry Potter fan, I knew he'd love the idea. I love the idea just as much. I will agree that there are a few items here and there that are not readily available but you just make adjustments. You google what can you use in place of it, and most of the time it turns out just fine. Of course some of the recipes are going to feel "wrong" or not "tasty" but it's European recipes. Every culture you have different "tastes." My son who is 10 loves to read through and pick out something he thinks he wants to try and they have come out delicious. The Citrus Sandwich Cake with Mango Filing was off the hook. Again, it wasn't what I expected yet delicious! This doesn't feel like a beginner's cook book. You have to know some basics when it comes to cooking and baking. I really love the way they put little bits of information on recipes. For example on Bangers and Mash, "During wartime rationing, sausages were so waterlogged that they made exploding noises when they fried, earning the British nickname "bangers." I can see where people can find the recipes not "family friendly" but I don't feel you can really get the true feel of the meal if it was all simplified. My son helps me with the recipes and it does become a family event. He then gets to experience the idea of trying food from another culture. Overall a fun and great addition. Again, if you could land yourself on "Worst Cook in America" you might want to reconsider this buy.

My nine-year-old Harry Potter fan grandson is greatly enamored with this cookbook, but I'm not so enthused. The format and recipes follow the books well and he instantly lit up at the thought of having Cauldron Cakes for breakfast among other things he recognized and was eager to try. I'd hoped he could make the recipes himself but they are much more elaborate than I expected. Some require roasting nuts, tempering eggs, boiling sugar, deep-frying or using the food processor, for example, not things I want a nine-year-old trying. Many of the processes seem needlessly complex like making a sugar syrup for lemon pops instead of just whisking the sugar into the cold liquid until it dissolves (which we did and it worked fine). I did appreciate that my grandson was interested enough in tackling some recipes that he was willing to learn about kitchen gadgets and processes. He learned how to measure and what various terms meant and was proud of his results, but I changed some things to facilitate his being able to work more independently. He learned about substitutions because a number of the ingredients were not available in my well-stocked kitchen. I actually had a pie pumpkin for example (for pumpkin juice) and turbinado sugar but don't keep things like dried currents or mincemeat on hand all the time. I usually cook from scratch so have raw ingredients, but many recipes still required a trip to the store. I was surprised more shortcuts weren't included to appeal to kids or inexperienced cooks who wanted to try their hand. Some of the recipes had two pages of instructions and most of the book is in miniscule font that I had trouble reading. On the good side, the layout of the book was great fun for my grandson. Each recipe starts with a paragraph about where the dish was included in the stories, who made it, etc. Then there was an interesting sidebar with history of the dish in English cuisine (interesting to me anyway :). There's a good index at the back and the book starts with a table of contents that lists chapters with descriptive names. The recipes are sometimes grouped chronologically and sometimes by food type, like the first chapter `Good Food with Bad Relatives' refers to things Harry ate with the Dursleys, while a later chapter is `Desserts and Snacks at School'. It's not so easy to find the recipe you want that way, but lots of fun for the fan to read by those groupings. Bottom line: There's a lot good about this cookbook, but it's not for kids to cook from except for a few recipes. It is great reading for fans, both young and old, and would be fun for adult fans to cook from if one doesn't mind fairly involved processes. Things are described well, a great help for less experienced cooks, and we've enjoyed everything we've tried so far although I don't think we'll be trying the Steak and Kidney Pudding (where would I find the lamb or ox kidneys anyway) or the Black Pudding or Stewed Tripe and Onions :). Still they make for fun reading. A great plus for me is that the whole idea of eating 'Harry Potter food' is beguiling enough to tempt some timid young eaters around here to try something new. I just wish the recipes weren't quite so elaborate.

I admit, I first came across this book on my Kindle, and believed it to be some small thing with a few recipes sprinkled in, amongst some quotes and excerpts from the books. However, boy - was I mistaken! This book is amazing! It's still small as far as most books go, but it's chock full of just about every recipe ever referenced in a Harry Potter novel (even some of the more obscure ones, such as Kreacher's one-time mention of onion soup, and the choco-nut sundaes the late Florean Fortescue gave to Harry free in Diagon Alley.) It also has fully detailed descriptions of said recipes - and even some historical information that made me, both a Potter-phile and an Anglo-phile, extremely happy. My one regret is that I hadn't come across this book sooner when my gran, who was born in Norwich, was still alive. I'm actually a bit teary, as I imagine what it would have been like for us both to stew over the stove while we tried to put together one (or several) of these recipes that may as well have come straight from her own mother's cookbooks. I can even hear her slight English twang that she still kept, even after 50+ years in the States, explaining what kippers actually are, and how to make the best dishes even on a low budget, which is where most of these recipes originated from. I will definitely enjoy this book for years to come, and would most certainly order more in future, especially to pass the recipes on to my own grandchildren whilst getting to keep my own book for myself! xD

I got this for a friend who is a huge fan of Harry Potter and this was awesome!! The outaide of the book was stunning! even if you dont like to cook, this would still make a great pice to add to your collection. It looks like a spell book on the outside. The side of the page are worn and rough to give it that old look. The quality is top of line, with a beautiful look throughout l. Once you open the book, you are then entered into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It is laid out like most cook books, based on what kind of course you are making, but this recipes are fun, and most are easy to make. Which is great for the whole family and kids to get into the kitchen and cook! Also the are work is wonderful. It has the same feel as tho you are looking and reading another Harry Potter book. This is a must for any Harry Potter fan.

Super fun idea for a cookbook! Bought it for my adult daughter. She grew up reading Harry Potter, so this was a fun gift idea!

My nephew has used his Mine Craft cookbook extensively, and I thought he needed new material. This certainly fit the bill interest-wise! He is a Harry Potter fan, loves to cook, and was delighted with the gift. I don’t know if he’s tried any recipes yet I liked the introductions for each recipe that tie each one to the book, explaining when it was mentioned, what was happening, and citing the book and chapter where it can be found. Also appreciated the little notes in the margins that explain more about the food’s history in either HP lore or English tradition. It has no pictures; it is meant to look old-fashioned. The recipes are arranged by theme, like Treats From The train, or Recipes From a Giant and an Elf, so there is no one chapter containing desserts for instance. This works for those who like to work their way through a cookbook as they’ll get a nice assortment as they go, also an assortment of skill levels needed (or supervision/assistance for younger cooks?) I’m not sure I would like finding recipes using that format, but I do appreciate that the ingredients used are easy to find! This does not seem to be a children’s cookbook exactly, but there is a wide range of recipes included. There ARE some for less experienced cooks but many more for when they expand their experience and skill (or with assistance). There is plenty to challenge any cook. Includes simple ideas for Sundae toppings, how to brew English tea, cook bacon, or make chive scrambled eggs, as well as moving on to a variety of breads, or muffins, hard candy, tarts and pudding, to poached salmon, beef casserole, or Molly’s Meatballs With Onion Sauce. Most complicated might be Christmas Cake For Grownups (with an impressive 26 ingredients) sounding worthy of The Great British Baking show! I bought a 2nd copy initially with gifting in mind, but I may keep it for myself!