In which we discover that some millers are extremely unobservant, nixies are both powerful and patient, love can overcome many obstacles and it  takes a supernatural incident to keep a hunter away from his Jägerschitzel.

This is a really interesting story and has a lovely ending which as we know is not always guaranteed. This version is taken from the Grimm tale and Hans Christian Andersen hasn’t been anywhere near it though, which may explain that. I’ve never been sure whether he chooses the sad stories on purpose or its just the way those stories ended.

The recipe for this episode is Jâgerschnitzel

If you would like to know a bit more about some of the links and books I used to research this episode you can find them at Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

In which we discover that a Tartalo can actually be grateful, that every time you save a princess you need a new horse, a new outfit and a new sword and that you should always dispose of any dragon's heads responsibly. Additionally, we learn that you can know nothing about gardening and still grow beautiful vegetables and that it can take up to three days to kill a dragon.

The story for this episode is The Grateful Tartalo and the Erensugue as adapted from Basque Legends With an Essay on the Basque Language - Wentworth Webster, 1879

The recipe for this episode is Slow Simmered Broad Beans with Egg

If you would like to know a bit more about some of the links and books I used to research this episode you can find them at Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If   you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

In which we discover that a cautionary tale can be sometimes ineffective, that lots of cheese actually can be too much of a good thing and that  you should never follow fairies anywhere. There is also excessive dancing, fairies, towers of cheese and many tiny sparkling lights.

The story for this episode is The Boy Who Wanted More Cheese as told in Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks (1918) William Elliot Griffis

The recipe for this episode is Eggy Bread, Chilli & Gouda Stack

If you would like to know a bit more about some of the links and books I used to research this episode you can find them at Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If  you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

In which we discover that princesses aren't always heroines, that gardener's boys can be heroes and that being buried in flowers isn't necessarily a good thing. There are also fantastic forests of jewels, fairies, miraculous laurel trees, enchanted princes and the sheer joy to  be found in dancing.

This tale for this episode is The Slippers of Twelve Princesses, it's a Romanian tale with some dark elements but its also beautiful in places 

The episode recipe is Cauliflower Cheese, perfect cheesey comfort food for any occasion.

If you want to find out anything about the books or links I mentioned in the podcast you can find them in Further Reading.  This is also where you would find more information about the history of flowers as food and other sources of information in this week's podcast.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

In which we discover that life can be interesting if you accept the unusual, that a collop can be many things and that sometimes acquiring a prince can be a lot of effort. This tale also involves an amazing shoe collection, ice lakes, glass mountains, a prince who sleeps soundly, a bull with unlimited food and drink in his ears, magical fruit and incredible jewelry.

This tale for this episode is The Black Bull of Norroway,  a wonderful and joyful folk tale with a moral that slaps you round the  face rather than whispering in your ear but it seems like an appropriate  one in these tricky times.

The episode recipe is Bacon, Cheese & Mushroom Sandwich, excellent recovery food for the morning after the night before.

If you want to find out anything about the books or links I mentioned in the podcast you can find them in Further Reading. This is also where you would find more information about the history of collops and other sources of information in this week's podcast.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If  you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

In which we discover that without soup there would be no restaurants, that sharing can be joyful and that meeting a friend from the circus in an underground cask beer bar is one of the few things worth leaving a  Finnish meal for.

We also find out that we were making soup long before we had invented pots to cook it in and when recipe books made the move from potage to soup.

This tale for this episode is Stone Soup, a wonderful and joyful folk tale with a moral that slaps you round the face rather than whispering in your ear but it seems like an appropriate one in these tricky times.

The episode recipe is Lohikeitto, a wonderful yet fast & simple Finnish Salmon & Potato Soup.

If you want to find out anything about the books or links I mentioned in the podcast you can find them in Further Reading. This is also where you would find more information about the history of soup.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood.

In which we discover that castles can move, unicorns can be vicious, trolls aren't cautious and that you should always be prepared to give away a sandwich. A tale of stolen princesses, moving castles of precious metals, trolls, ravens, jealous brothers, waters of life & death, dragons, a unicorn, a lindworm, wild creatures and a golden ball.

Episode Tale - The Golden Castle That Hung in The Air from Tales From the Fjeld

Episode Recipe - Tomato Sandwich

If you want to know more about anything discussed on this podcast you can visit the episode web page or visit Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If  you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood

In which we discover that betrayal is occasionally inevitable, sometimes  all you need is a magical new frock & a talking fish and that apricots can be the key to overcoming misfortune. A tale of magical  fruit, horror, betrayal, disguise, posh frocks and a King who is not  easily fooled but fairly easily persuaded.

Episode Recipe - Apricot Crème Brulée

If you want to know more about anything discussed on this podcast you can visit the episode web page or visit Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood

In which we discover that you shouldn’t ask questions if you don’t want the answer, a shared love of food is an excellent foundation for a  relationship, figs can definitely surprise you and you can fit quite a lot in a candlestick.

The story in this episode is 'Dear as Salt', an Italian folktale with a vain and arrogant king, 3 princesses, 1 prince, 2 clever queens, an inheritance battle and a giant silver candlestick.  There are also adventures, delicious banquets, food theft, a wedding, jewels, excellent advice and finally an apology.

The episode recipe is Baked Figs with Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Honey Sauce

There is also extended fig folklore, fig history, fig based ecosystems and historic fig based healing remedies.  If you want to know more about anything discussed on this podcast you can visit the Episode web page or visit Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If  you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood

In which we discover that you can’t have a mortar without a pestle  especially if it’s gold, that kings make mistakes, the importance of clever queens and that even a capon can be symbolic.

This is the glorious story of how a clever peasant girl attracts a prince, loses a prince, gains a king, loses a king and then outwits him.  It's an Italian folk tale but has variants all over the world. There are fairies (well one possibly), a golden mortar, capons, pasties and cake as well as a cart that gives birth to a foal, a man who can fish in the street. If you want to know how you can travel without walking or on animal back, be neither naked or clothed, hungry or fed or arrive by neither day or night then this is the story for you.

If you would also like to know how capons fit in and how three cockerels are going to bring about the end of the world then stick around after the story for some fairytale analysis, folklore and a recipe for ambrosia.

There is also this episode's recipe which is Stuffed Capon and comes from a 15th Century recipe book adapted for modern cooks.

You can find a list of books, articles and web pages which contain more information about things contained in today's podcast in Further Reading.

You can also find out more at Hestia's Kitchen which has all past episodes and the connected recipes on the blog.  If you'd like to get in touch about the podcast you can find me on Twitter or Instagram at @FairyTalesFood