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Serves 6

Hot Rolls

Coffee and hot rolls for breakfast, yum… unfortunately, it's going to be the last meal Kreacher serves our favorite trio. After they escape the Ministry of Magic, they end up wandering from forest to forest, hungry and wishing for one of Kreacher's wonderful meals (see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 7).

Rolls became popular for breakfast because they rise and bake more quickly than whole loaves of bread, but you would still have to get up pretty early to make these for breakfast. If you like your sleep, prepare the rolls the day before and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight. Then all you have to do is pop them in the oven. Otherwise you are going to be very tired.

¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon (1 packet) active dry yeast

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter

½ cup whole milk

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Combine the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a mixing bowl and set aside until puffy. Place the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts. Pour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the egg and egg yolk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Knead in the bowl or on a lightly dusted work surface until smooth and elastic, 10 to 15 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Grease and flour a baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Cut the dough in half, then each half into half again to form quarters, and each quarter into halves again to form 8 pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a 4-inch rope and tie into a knot, tucking one end under. If you prefer, simply roll them into ball. Place the rolls on a baking sheet and set aside to rise until doubled in volume, 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 15 minutes, rotating once halfway through the baking time, until light golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve while quite warm. The rolls become dense after a few hours and are best eaten fresh out of the oven, broken open and slathered with butter and jam.

Makes 8 rolls

Beef Casserole

Here's a nice, cozy scene: sitting around the table in Hagrid's hut, rain tapping against the windows, a fire crackling merrily in the hearth, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione rehash everything they know about the Triwizard Tournament. We have the ambiance, we have the sparkling conversation; the only thing missing is the good food. Our heroes and heroine have declined the beef casserole after finding a talon in one of their portions (see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 16).

Old-time Brits used to cook a huge roast for Sunday. Then they used the rest of the meat in other dishes with gravy or the like for the rest of week. Luckily, you can buy a small amount of beef and cook it fresh. Only a bit of work and well worth the effort, beef casserole is wonderful spooned over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta (wide egg noodles look most elegant).

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1½ pounds chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

10 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over the stovetop. Add half the meat in a single layer and cook over high heat until crusty brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the meat over and brown the other side. Transfer the meat to a large plate. Wipe out the skillet and add the other tablespoon of oil. Repeat with the remaining meat.

Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Heat the oil and add