After a long day of binge-watching a geeky fave like The Witcher, you might get a little hungry. Luckily, we have some nerdy cookbooks to recommend so you can geek out while you cook.
Making food is fun any time of the year, but something about the fall and winter really makes people want to pull out their pots and pans. Even if you want to have an adventure in the kitchen, you may not know where to start. We have a list of cookbooks to inspire you to cook up something for yourself or maybe to share with others. Of course, these cookbooks take inspiration from the geeky shows and movies we love to watch while we eat—any of which would make for a great holiday gift, by the way.
The Witcher Official Cookbook – Provisions, Fare, and Culinary Tales From Travels Across the Continent
The first official Witcher cookbook just came out in November. Andrzej Sapkowski, author of the Witcher books, wrote the foreword for the cookbook. I appreciate that the authors of the cookbook note that you can swap out any milk products with unsweetened lactose-free products if needed. The recipes in the book are divided up by regions of the Continent. My favorite might be the “Infusions” area of the Kaer Morhen section, but all the food sounds amazing. Most of it is based on traditional Polish cooking. The photographs in the book are almost a work of art unto themselves, showing just how good the food of The Witcher looks. So cook and eat your fill, friends.
Heroes’ Feast: The Official D&D Cookbook
Heroes’ Feast is such a great cookbook that a cooking show was made based on the recipes. Each tasty recipe is full of lore from Dungeons & Dragons and crafted to honor every culture featured in the game. With this book, you can impress your friends the next time you get together to quest.
Binging With Babish
Andrew Rea started his YouTube channel, Binging With Babish, to try his hand at cooking foods from his favorite shows and movies. You can see his work on his channel or through his website. He also has several cookbooks you can buy, including Binging With Babish, which contains 100 recipes “recreated from your favorite movies and TV shows.” Now you can try making your own Chateaubriand from The Matrix.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook
There are MANY Star Wars cookbooks out there if you want to cook recipes from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. The Galaxy’s Edge cookbook is different because it features recipes inspired by the food you can eat at Disneyland in the Star Wars area of the park.
The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook: Sweet Treats for the Geek in All of Us
Rosanna Pansino’s hit YouTube channel turned into The Nerdy Nummies Cookbook. Pansino is great at making you feel like you can do amazing things in the kitchen. Her food creations are adorable. Even if your attempts end up looking like an outtake from Nailed It!, at least you know they will taste great.
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook has over 150 recipes. Using the original Hunger Games trilogy as inspiration, this book will leave you feeling anything but hungry. It may surprise you to find some tasty salad recipes. For our favorite boy, Peeta, there is an entire section devoted to bread. Or you can try your hand at making Finnick and Annie’s wedding cake.
The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book: Real Recipes for Joke Burgers
Everything about The Bob’s Burgers Burger Book is wonderful. It captures the quirky and fun vibe of the show in book form. Regarding ingredients, the authors note that the better the quality of ingredients you have, the better the end result will taste. Bob would be proud. All recipes are from Bob’s “Burger of the Day” menu. Now you can finally make the Baby You Can Chive My Car Burger that you’ve been craving all these years. (Spoiler: It’s delicious.)
The Geeky Chef Cookbook
A great thing about The Geeky Chef Cookbook is how many fandoms it includes in one book. There is a wide range of fun recipes, including Pokémon Poffins and Blue Milk from Star Wars. After finishing Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, this book had me covered with a recipe for Graf, a hard cider type of drink from the books. It’s really got a little something for everyone.
The Unofficial Bridgerton Cookbook
Fans of Bridgerton want to feel immersed in that Regency-era fantasy. Thankfully, The Unofficial Bridgerton Cookbook is here to help us get there. Make everything from the “Afternoon Tea” section and get your favorite teapot ready before settling in for yet another Bridgerton marathon. The book connects each recipe to the show and also adds historical facts about some of the ingredients used. There’s a recipe for “Gunter’s Ice Cream” so you can taste exactly what the Duke found so delicious when he licked the spoon clean.
Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat!
After a long day of mining and crafting, Minecraft players need to eat! The Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! recipe book takes inspiration from the game and turns it into tasty meals. From a lovely salad of Flower Forest Greens to the hearty-looking Suspicious Stew, the recipes are creative and can be crafted by chefs of different skill levels. The Blocks of Clay Fudge actually look like the pixelated blocks from the game.
(featured image: Ten Speed Press / Universe / Harvest / Illustration by The Mary Sue)
