Hello fellow nerds! A little while back I wrote about the Firefly: Big Damn Cookbook and how awesome it was to prepare recipes inspired by the show. Well, that got me thinking, are there other cookbooks themed around our favorite fantasy books and movies and such? Hell yes, there are! Here are a few that look absolutely delightful.
The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook
If you’re a fan of Skyrim, Morrowind, and Tamriel then you’d love this cookbook. It has recipes like orsimer venison, saltrice porridge and sunlight soufflé! It also features drinks like the snowberry cordial which is always fun. The design is delightfully fantasy-like and the recipes have a lovely range from the Nords to the Bosmer.
The Wizard’s Cookbook: Magical Recipes Inspired by Harry Potter, Merlin, The Wizard of Oz, and More
This cookbook is a grab bag for nerds who love a variety of magical worlds. From Dungeons & Dragons and Harry Potter to Legend of Zelda and Mary Poppins, this spellbound book has recipes for any kind of fantasy lover. It has great meals like scarecrow bread, soufflé omelet Saruman, and dragon eggs. Beginner and expert dishes are available!
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook
I really loved the dishes in The Hunger Games, how over-the-top the Capital was in contrast to District 12, and this cookbook promises to deliver on them all. Recipes like smoked Gouda grits, beef stew from the seam, and spicy seafood gumbo. It’s has a ton of recipes, too, over 150—so it’s bound to keep you busy.
Recipes from the World of Tolkien
Ever wonder what an Elf might eat, or what a Hobbit would prefer for a second breakfast? This cookbook might be just the one you need. With meals like lembas bread and whole-wheat molasses scones, you know it’ll be perfect foods for your next grand adventure! This cookbook also features some lovely illustrations and callouts to Tolkien’s most famous works.
The Pokémon Cookbook
This one just looks absolutely adorable and the perfect addition to any chef’s Pokédex. It only has 35 recipes total, but the range is really what caught my eye for this list: from pizza and desserts to ramen and mashed potatoes. And all the meals seem pretty easy, too, like something you could make with your kids! It has some TV-show like illustrations and almost a comic book feel design.
Heroes’ Feast: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cookbook
No doubt you’ve heard of Dungeons & Dragons, but did you know that most sessions go for hours on end? You’ll need to feast sometime during that game and this book is perfect for that. Tuck into recipes like traveler’s stew, halfling chili, and Sword Coast seafood bouillabaisse, and use all that extra constitution to defend the innocents from the next hoard of dragons.
This is why I love being a fantasy nerd. Not only do we get some amazing fanart and fanfiction, spinoff series and TV-shows inspired by our favorite books, we even get to cook dishes from the fantastical worlds we love so much! And as a Firefly: Big Damn Cookbook owner, I’d say it’s a pretty fun way to spend an afternoon. Cook on, fellow nerds, cook on.
Jennie Ivins
JC Kang
I bought Heroes’ Feast for a friend of mine, and she seems to have got a lot of use out of it. I was expecting something more silly and comical, but apparently a lot of the recipes are really good (she recommends the spiced potatoes)!
I love clicking on a website and seeing EXACTLY what I want more of! I’ve really been enjoying my Galaxy’s Edge cookbook, and wanting to do more from A Feast of Ice and Fire…
Recipes from the World of Tolkien looks like some of my Christmas shopping sorted! Perfectly legitimate to browse through a to-be-gifted copy to see if you need to order a second one, right?
I feel like the Hunger Games cookbook should have recipes that begin “First catch your rabbit”…