Fool of a Took Podcast
Fool of a Took is a weekly Lord of the Rings read-through podcast. Bookworms Pat (the Tolkien fanatic and annual re-reader) and Robbie Jean (read it 20 years ago) lead their spouses Chris and Laura (the “fools” who have never read the books) on this journey for the first time as they read a chapter each week and discuss it together.
If you haven't read the book before and are a bit nervous to start, this is the podcast for you! At its core, FOAT is a podcast designed to remove the intimidation many people have with committing to reading The Lord of the Rings. FOAT is about allowing those who have never read the books, as well as seasoned readers and avid fans of LOTR, to enjoy this journey together.
With foods and snacks inspired by the books, mead and wine to be drunk, and hot mics recording everything along the way, the questions still linger in the shadows: Will Pat and Robbie Jean help Chris and Laura finally reach Mordor? Will Chris remember anything from the previous chapter? Is there a LOTR fanatic still to be made? Find out only on Fool of a Took.
Fool of a Took Podcast
020 - Farewell to Lorien
Figuring out our Lembas bread equivalents, Gimli has his first crush, and Pat gives out presents for his birthday. This week we discuss book 2, chapter 8, "Farewell to Lorien", from The Fellowship of the Ring.
Today's "Food For Thought": Elven Lembas Bread
Yes!! I finally get to make Lembas bread! Probably one of the most recognizable foods from LOTR. I reviewed probably 15 different recipes before I found one that felt right: https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/lembas-bread-from-lord-of-the-rings/#wpzoom-premium-recipe-card. Spoiler: they're cookies. Also, I made a 2nd batch with half almond flour which was EVEN BETTER!
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Preheat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Sift or whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl or stand mixer bowl.
Add the butter and sugar, and beat into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Be prepared for a huge mess if you don't start slow and/or cover the bowl.
Add the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Roll out the dough about 1/2" thick. I put down some parchment paper and floured that to avoid making a huge sticky mess on my table. Then I added more flour, another sheet of parchment, and rolled over the parchment. Mess averted (mostly)!
Cut out 3-inch squares of dough, transfer to cookie sheet, and press two diagonal lines across the top of each to make an "X".
Bake for 12 minutes. Breads should be set and golden in color. Cool before serving. Wrap in banana leaves? Or green paper?
Notes: These tasted fabulous and held their shape but were very dry, likely by design. I wanted to make another batch subbing some almond flour for some of the wheat flour to make them a little more flavorful. I used half of each flour, but I didn't reduce the liquid (cream) to account for less wheat flour to absorb it. My almond flour dough was too wet and the breads spread out when I baked them... but the taste was amazing. I suggest reducing the cream by half, but I haven't tested this yet.
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Hi! Welcome to Fool of a Took Podcast, a show about friends reading the Lord of the Rings together. Here's the catch - 2 of the 4 hosts have never read the books before! Pat and Rj help their spouses Chris and Laura read the Lord of the Rings for the first time in a weekly podcast that discusses each chapter along the way.
With chapter snacks, fresh grog, and plenty of tongue wagging, you can be sure we’ll all be “cracked” by the end.
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Original music for the show composed by Chris Newhard
Got a question? Email us Foolofatookpodcast@gmail.com
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Chris
Robbie Jean
Pat
Laura
