It seems like every piece of popular media nowadays spawns a million spin-off products, from action figures to fan fiction to art shows. Sometimes we think the endless product-creation is a little tiring, but we do enjoy the ongoing trend of pop culture cookbooks. Recently we heard about The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook , which got us to thinking about all the recipe troves inspired by books, television, movies and music, from the questionable to the decidedly delicious. Click through to see ten of our favorite pop culture cookbooks, and let us know if we’ve missed any of your favorites in the comments!
The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook
In the world of the Hunger Games, you want to survive, you have to find food by whatever means necessary, whether it be hunting, gathering, working all day every day for a crust of bread. In this cookbook you’ll find enticing recipes that make you want to keep on living — Katniss’s Favorite Lamb Stew with Dried Plums, French Bread from the Mellark Family Bakery — and some, like Grilled Tree Rat with Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce, that might make you think twice.
Though we may have lost these celebrities, you can still honor their memories by munching on their favorite delicacies, dug up from old magazine articles, biographies and out-of-print cookbooks. Some highlights include Andy Warhol’s Ghoulish Goulash, Johnny Cash’s Old Iron Pot Family-Style Chili, Farrah Fawcett’s Sausage and Peppers, and the most enticing of them all, Liberace’s Sticky Buns.
The Unofficial Mad Men Cookbook
Though we can’t help but be pretty skeptical of the idea of a Mad Men cookbook (considering we can’t think of anything Don Draper puts to his mouth that doesn’t come in a highball), we’re interested to see what comes of this 70-recipe strong book. We do know that it gives tips on how to throw a successful ’60s cocktail party, which makes a little more sense.
In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy
Not being one to lift a finger herself, Miss Piggy calls on some of her famous friends to contribute recipes to her cookbook. Sample John Travolta’s Lobster with Three Sauces, Spicy Chicken from Liz Taylor, and Norman Schwarzkopf’s Sour Cream Peach Pie, all while being treated to advice and commentary from the lady herself.
Cookin’ With Coolio: 5 Star Meals at a 1 Star Price
All you have to know about this cookbook you can tell from the cover: yes, that is a combination burner and turntable. Inside, you’ll find recipes for “Finger-Lickin’, Rib-Stickin’, Fall-Off-the-Bone-and-into-Your-Mouth Chicken,” and “Soul Rolls” and best of all, learn how to be a “kitchen pimp.” We’re sold.
After all, who do you think really did all the cooking? Alice knows what she’s talking about — that’s a family of eight she’s feeding three times a day. Plus, you can learn the secrets of how to make sure all of your children end up TV-star beautiful.
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook
We don’t know about you, but we think the food in the Harry Potter universe sounds pretty good. Pumpkin Pasties, Treacle Tart and Peppermint Humbugs are definitely things we want to eat, and um, Acid Pops could be interesting too. The only downside of this cookbook is that it doesn’t include Butterbeer — guess we’ll all have to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for that one.
This tongue-in-cheek cookbook not only features recipes endorsed by members of the Soprano family (“If someone were sick, my inclination would be to send over a pastina and ricotta. It’s healing food.”), but also fun artifacts from the show. Now you don’t need to go to Olive Garden to say “when you’re here, you’re family.” Your friends and victims will just know.
Last Dinner on the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner
Well, this is rather morbid. Nonetheless, we think it’s interesting that they have recipes from not only the ship’s “Ritz” Restaurant, but also the first, second and third class dining saloons. Even so, we’re not sure we’d risk any meals from this book unless we were squarely on dry land.
This cookbook by Kathy “Cissy” Garver is filled with ’60s dishes that correspond to your favorite Family Affair episodes, all bolstered by charming anecdotes and nostalgic musings. We’re going to let you make up your own jokes here about cooking being a family affair, but rest assured, we thought of some.