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A decadent collection of magical dishes and feasts created by the herbalist, witch, chef and co-owner of Catland Books, Melissa Madara.

The feast is a meeting place between family and friends, between humans and gods.

This decadent collection of enchanting dishes is an indispensable companion to kitchen witchcraft, revealing the storied history and seductive art of magical cooking. With witch, herbalist and chef Melissa Jayne Madara as your guide, explore five facets of the occult through food: traditional recipes, the wheel of the zodiac, devotional meals to the planets, seasonal feasts to celebrate solstices and equinoxes, and practical spellwork.

Recreate a pagan feast of lamb roasted with milk and honey, with cheesecake baked in fig leaves for dessert.

Celebrate a Gemini birthday with herbed fondue, followed by lemongrass pavlova.

Align with the poetic pleasures of Venus with edible flower dumplings, or commune with Saturn over blackberry pulled pork sandwiches.

Enjoy the vibrancy of the spring equinox with herb and allium quiche with a potato crust, radish salad with cherry blossom vinaigrette and jasmine tea shortbread.

Share an evening of storytelling over mugwort and catnip divination tea, or embody an otherworldly spirit with ritual bread masks.

Packed with ancient knowledge, practical advice and witchcraft expertise, this book will help you develop your craft through culinary creativity. Gather, share, and rediscover the most fundamental of human rituals: the divine indulgence of the senses and the soul.

MELISSA MADARA is a witch, herbalist, storyteller and chef. They are a co-owner at Catland Books, editrix at Venefica Magazine, and the curator of Catland's private courtyard garden, where they grow a variety of medicinal, magical and poisonous plants. Melissa's work as a chef has been experimental, running the gamut from traditional french pastry to molecular gastronomy to health-focused meal planning. Their magical practice is similarly eclectic, inspired by the praxis of chaos magic, with most of their research focused on ancient religions, traditional witchcraft and plant folklore. Melissa has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, and many other media outlets. Their writing has been published in Venefica Magazine, Susie Magazine, and Fiddler’s Green. Their work on kitchen witchcraft has been featured in Vice.

Lisa Marie Basile is an author, editor, and poet based in NYC. She is the author of Light Magic for Dark Times, The Magical Writing Grimoire, and City Witchery, along with a few books of poetry. She is the founding editor of Luna Luna Magazine, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Catapult, Narratively, Sabat Magazine, Cunning Folk, and more. Lisa Marie is also a chronic illness and foster youth advocate. In both her magic and advocacy work, she aims to focus on accessibility and creativity, as well as the magic in the mundane.

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The Witch's Feast: An Evening with Melissa Madara and Lisa Marie Basile