Bonus Episode!
Normally we’re two friends eating and drinking their waythrough fantasy books, theories, wingspans and more! But today, we are starting to talk about another book series called Assistant to the Villain AND we have bonus guests, Tori and Emily from Spilling Wine and Spoilers!
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Dark Chocolate Dagger Bark
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolates:
Place the dark chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. Do the same for the white chocolate in a separate bowl.
Spread the base:
Pour the melted dark chocolate onto the parchment and spread into a ¼-inch thick rectangle.
Swirl for drama:
Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the dark in thin streaks. Use a toothpick or butter knife to swirl patterns — think jagged, dagger-like lines.
Add the wicked toppings:
Scatter dried red fruit across the top (for that “bloodied dagger” aesthetic). Sprinkle nuts if using and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Set & break:
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm. Break into sharp, uneven shards (the more dagger-like, the better).
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Thievery Sauvignon Blanc
Description: It’s a Sauvignon Blanc from California —really light, crisp, and easy to drink. You get a little citrus, a little tropical fruit, and it goes down way too smooth. Basically, it’s the kind of wine that sneaks up on you — just like Evie’s questionable life choices.
The label says “some things are worth stealing,” which… yeah, that’s absolutely the Villain’s entire personality in one sentence. Sweet, charming, mildly concerning.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Gold–Book 5 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Golden Puff Cakes
Ingredients:
For the pastry(choux dough):
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup water
¼ tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
For the filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond, if you want a more courtly flavor)
For finishing(optional but very on-theme):
Honey drizzle
Powdered sugar dusting
Edible gold shimmer or flakes
Directions:
Make the pastry:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, and salt. Bring to a boil.
Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.
Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each until smooth and glossy.
Bake the puffs:
Drop rounded tablespoon scoops of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart.
Bake 20–25 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Do not open the oven early, or they’ll collapse!
Remove and cool completely.
Whip the filling:
Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the puffcakes:
Slice puffs in half or poke a small hole in the side.
Pipe or spoon cream inside.
Finish with flair:
Dust with powdered sugar.
Drizzle with honey in thin golden ribbons.
Sprinkle edible gold shimmer for Auren’s touch.
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Where the Land Ends Reserve Blend
This full-bodied, complex wine is like an adventurousjourney with bold notes of blackberry, fig, and tobacco weaving together in perfect harmony. Decant to reveal its rich, structured layers, and savor the dry elegance that pairs beautifully with BBQ, ribs, and cured meats. This winepromises to be a great beginning for your wine-sipping adventure.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Fire-Kissed S’mores Dip
Quick Version:
In a small bakingdish:
Eat with graham crackers, vanilla wafers, the cookie of your choice or even with a spoon because you’ve earned it!
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: The Rot Royale
A dark blackberry and elderflower champagne cocktail
Ingredients:
Garnish with a blackberry and a dried flower petal (because we're classy chaos)
It’s dark, floral, a little sweet, a little sharp—just likeAuren’s new vibe. It looks harmless until you drink it and suddenly feel like razing a kingdom to the ground with nothing but your trauma and glitter. 10/10, would sip while sentencing my enemies to magical oblivion.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
“Golden Rage” Salted Caramel Lava Mug Cake
Ingredients:
Optional: splash of vanilla, dash of cinnamon, or pinch of cayenne (for that extra bite)
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: The Reip in the Veil
A dark, moody gin-based cocktail with hints of floral andcitrus, swirling with shimmer.
Ingredients:
2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin (naturally purple)
0.75 oz elderflower liqueur (St. Germain)
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz lavender simple syrup
Edible glitter or shimmer dust (optional but fabulous)
Garnish: lemon twist or dried lavender sprig
Instructions:
Shake with ice, strain into a coupe glass, add shimmer, stir, and whisper “I’ll find you in every life” as you sip.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Easy Beer Bread
Ingredients:
Directions:
If you want, you can add cheese or bacon to this or other seasonings to change the flavor. You can also substitute lemon lime soda or seltzer water for the beer.
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Cupcake Red Velvet
Smooth, a little indulgent, and full of spicysecrets—just like our favorite gilded girl and her walking paradox of a fae king. With notes of blackberry, mocha, and dark cherry, it’s basically what Rissa tastes when she drinks Osrik’s terrible camp wine and pretends she doesn’t want to climb him like a tree.
It’s deceptively sweet with a little edge, kind of like whispering, “You’re the worst bad mistake I’m glad I never made,” while making direct eye contact.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Imagery Chardonnay
Crisp and elegant, this Chardonnay radiates aromas of apple, lime and pear. Subtle oak and the addition of Chenin Blanc, boost this wine's brightness and overall floral characteristics. Balanced flavors of red apple, citrus and honeysuckle coat the mid-palate, with a creamy finish. Natural varietal characteristics of Chardonnay shine through without being overshadowed by dominant oak notes.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
London Fog Scones
Ingredients:
For the Scones:
For the Icing:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Clean Slate
Clean Slate wine is produced in the Mosel Valley,a renowned region in Germany famous for its steep vineyards and slate-rich soil. The wine is a product of a partnership between Moselland and Winebow,with Moselland being the largest vineyard owner in the Mosel and a top exporter of Riesling. The unique slate soil helps retain heat, allowing grapes to ripen slowly and develop complex flavors.
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Bonus Episode!
Normally we’re two friends eating and drinking their way through fantasy books, theories, wingspans and more! But today, Jennifer is interviewing Indie Author Alex N Rose. We're talking about mood reading, pantser writing (someone who writes by the seat of their pants!), the Indie author experience and we do a little F/M/K at the end based on some of her characters from To Love the Reaper.
If you want to check out any of the books we talk about by Alex N Rose, please check her out, her books are on Kindle Unlimited but once you read them, you'll want to own a copy for yourself!
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Give us a follow on our socials:
If you have any book recommendations or comments about this book or questions, email us at: corksandcauldron@gmail.com
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Peanut Butter Oat Squares
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Ancient Roots
This red blend is smooth but earthy, like it clawed its wayout of the past just to sit in your glass and whisper, “you are not ready for this emotional spiral.”
It’s the kind of wine that lingers on your tongue like Slade’s guilt, with a finish that hits almost as hard as Auren whispering, “Where were you?” through clenched teeth.
So raise a glass—to ancient roots, severed ribbons, andmagical boys trying their best but still failing spectacularly. We’re going in.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Lemony Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Halos de Jupiter Viognier
These chapters are Auren’s crash and rebirth. She hits rock bottom. She grieves the loss of her ribbons—her magic, her identity, her wings—and for the first time, lets herself feel it all. She goes from denial to sobbing to clarity. It's devastating and honest, and when she finally says she wants to be strong, not just pretend to be fine, it's like her soul’s tectonic plates have shifted.
Now, enter Viognier.
So yeah, this wine isn’t just pretty—it’s resonant. Golden on the outside, powerful in its core, and named for a planet that governs transformation, expansion, and throwing lightning bolts when shit needs to change.
So pour yourself a glass of Viognier. Swirl it. Sip it. And toast to the girl who’s done falling.
She’s ready to fly.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glow –Book 4 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Blood Orange & Blackberry Smash (Mocktail OR Cocktail)
Recipe:
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Gleam–Book 3 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Gilded Spiced Nuts Recipe
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Sweet Ass Martini
Recipe:
Vibe: Fancy, a little flirty, and deceptively strong. Just like our girl Auren post-Glow Up.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Gleam–Book 3 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Better than Sex cake
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: “Liquid Gold” Sparkler
Because nothing says end of anera, beginning of a reign of glitter-fueled terror like champagne laced with gold shimmer and a splash of vengeance.
We’re toasting the final chapters of Gleam with a fizzy little number we’re calling Liquid Gold—a sparkling cocktail that tastes like freedom, rage, and just a hint of “I warned you not to underestimate me.”
Why this pairing?
Because Midas finally gets handled, and it deserves bubbles. Auren doesn’t just reclaim her power—she erupts with it, taking down a ballroom, a tyrant, and honestly? Our last nerve. The gold? Alive. The walls? Melting. The drama? Peaking. This is the moment she snaps the leash—and we are HERE for it.
Elderflower for Slade’s tenderness, lemon juice for the sharpness of betrayal, and champagne because... this is a fucking celebration.
So raise your glass and say it with us:
To cages burned. To ribbons cut. To golden girls who bite back.
Cheers, bitch. 🍾✨
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Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Slow Cooker Honey Glazed Ham
Ingredients:
Thicken the honey glaze (optional):
Directions:
(Optional) Thicken the Glaze:
*As it sits off the heat it will thicken up more
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Sweet Ass White - Prairie Creek Winery
This episode’s chapters had one major development: Slade and Auren finally get it on. And to honor thatlong-awaited, tension-loaded, ‘took-you-long-enough’ moment, we’re cracking open a bottle of Sweet Ass White from Prairie Creek Winery. Because yes—after all the brooding stares, the nighttime walks, and emotional wallshigher than the Ranhold battlements—they finally tap that sweet ass. And it is, indeed, sweet.
Cheers to consent, chemistry, and breaking a bed.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Gleam–Book 3 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Alton’s Ginger Ale Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
Directions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Unsinkable – Red Table Blend
We chose Unsinkable because these chapters are all about surviving the wreckage and refusing to drown.Auren gets knocked down—emotionally, physically, metaphorically—and she still rises. Over and over. She’s hit, humiliated, gaslit, and haunted by her past, but still she claws her way back to herself.
This wine is bold, unyielding, and full-bodied—just like the energy in these chapters. It's not about being unbothered. It's about being unbreakable, undeterred, and yes, unsinkable. And let’s be real: the only thing going under in this episode... is Midas’s grip on control.
So pour a glass, toast to emotional resilience and fae-level forearms, and let the drama wash over you—because we? We don’t sink. We simmer.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Gleam–Book 3 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Buchteln Buns
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Nutrl
We’re doing some nutrl’s because we’re recording after work, and this is what I had on hand. If we wanna stretch for it, it’s because now both 6th and 4th kingdom are on neutral terms?
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Gleam–Book 3 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients:
Coating
Instructions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Berry Dazed by Prairie Creek Vineyard
Description: Berry Dazed is a sweet red wine, with blueberry & pomegranate flavors! It is a sweet, fruity drink. the perfect wine cocktail. serve chilled, on the rocks, or blended.
Berry Dazed by Prairie Creek Vineyard is the wine pairing this week! Largely because 1) I got this wine on sale and2) Auren was berry dazed at the end of the last book so it felt fitting.
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Bonus Episode!
Normally we’re two friends eating and drinking their waythrough fantasy books, theories, wingspans and more! But today, we are starting to talk about another book series called Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It’s a dark bully, m/f, Paranormal Romance series and well, Jen really enjoys it! This will be the first of a series of bonus episodes for this book series.
Other Bonus episodes that are going to be coming your way:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Fae Fire Fizz
Description: Also known as a vodka and sugar free 7-up. It’s crisp, deceptively simple, and packs a hidden punch—just like a Celestial heir. The word “Fizz” gives it that light, sparkling vibe from the 7-Up, and “Fae Fire” hints at danger and allure (very much in line with Tory and Darcy’s chaotic charm).
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glint –Book 2 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: Telling Old Stories from WInc
Description: Smooth, moody, and a little dangerous—like a secret whispered between enemies-to-lovers during a tense standoff. It has flavor notes of dark cherry, hints of clove and spice, Earthy undertones and a long finish.
Why it pairs with Glint:
This wine is called Telling Old Stories, and what is Glint ifnot Auren telling herself the same old stories—until they stop working? It’s the taste of realization, rebellion, and rewriting your damn narrative. It’s also the wine you drink while yelling, “YES, GOLDEN GIRL, GET MAD!” when she rips the cage door off its hinges.
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Two friends eating and drinking their way through Glint –Book 2 of the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy!
SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1-5
Recipes for food and cocktails mentioned in this episode:
Special Dark Cocoa Powder Brownies
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Wine/Cocktail Pairing: The Velvet Devil
Description: This red is lush, smoky, and just sharp enough to keep you on edge. It’s Midas’s condescension in a bottle. It’s Slade’s purring deception. It’s the drink you pour when a girl finds her spine and finally—finally—says no to the cage.
So pour yourself a glass of The Velvet Devil. Let it burn a little. Because this episode? It’s not soft. It’s not sweet. And it sure as hell isn’t safe.
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