Lately the cookbook has been getting a lot of good press. Or at least, press. I find it sort of odd (but not at all surprising) that most reviewers -- and God bless them for even noticing my little ol' cookbook, it means so much to me -- keep bringing up the "weird" stuff that's mentioned in the cookbook, like "grilled tree rat" and raccoon, etc, instead of the recipes that make up the bulk of the cookbook-- the scrumptious desserts served at The Capitol, or the bread baked at Peeta's bakery, or the filling stews (made with relatively 'normal' ingredients). So I just wanted to say to anyone considering the cookbook, MOST of the recipes are incredibly easy to make, from picking out the ingredients to removing them from the baking pan.
Anyway, here's some of the things that different publications have had to say:
The Hunger Games Fireside Chat - Savanna New reviews my cookbook. Of all the articles out there, I think she's the only one who has actually cooked something FROM the book-- and she does an amazing job, too! Thanks Savanna! :)
The Wall Street Journal - I actually owe writer Alexandra Alter a carton of wine. Her article -- which landed on the front page of the WSJ this past Thursday -- is what got the cookbook suddenly noticed by most other presses.
Boston Globe - If only I could find a hard-copy of this newspaper to check if it made it in there, too!
Boingboing.net - This got me tons of street cred with my 'nerd' friends.
Flavorwire - I read flavorwire everyday, so opening it up on my computer to discover my cookbook on there was a huge surprise and delight.
However, one of the most thrilling moments of all occurred earlier tonight when my boyfriend and I hit up our local Barnes and Noble. As a lark, I decided to check if they had my cookbook in stock. I really didn't expect them to. And then, low and behold, by the childrens' section I found this display:
I was so excited I had to take a photo with it, giant oversized sweater and all:
So yeah, today was awesome. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family (and hopefully readers). Thank you all.
Hi Emily, my name is Hamilton and I am writing to you from myhungergames.com. We are planning to discuss your cookbook on our next podcast - the plan is for the four of us to each make one of the recipes (one of our editors is getting a copy today) and talking about our experiences as well as our thoughts on the book and fictional food in general. We would love to be able to give away some copies of the book as well and have you as a guest on the podcast. Please contact me at admin@myhungergames.com if you are interested. Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteFinding your cookbook was a delight! Normally I wouldn't take the time to track down an author, much less write them. But what won me over as a fan were the "Tips from Your Sponsor" notes at the end of each recipe. What a great touch! Totally in keeping with the books, and just the hint of assurance needed for amature chefs such as myself.
This is a copy of the review I just submitted to Amazon. If you ever do an update, you might want to include the "edible flower" tip for the Hope Salad. The reaction (trust me) is worth it. :)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply fantastic!, January 5, 2012
By LBD (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" - More than 150 Recipes Inspired by The Hunger Games Trilogy (Hardcover)
I was hooked after reading the lamb stew recipe, and I downloaded this book at once. After reading over the descriptions for some of the more vivid meals (and in a fit of madness I admit) I decided to schedule our first annual District 12 appreciation day.
We started with Mrs. Everdeen's mush combined with Trash Taters. Lunch was Hope Salad and Wild Mushroom Soup. For dinner we feasted on rabbit stew. All in all we probably cooked enough calories in one day to feed the typical District 12 family of four for a month! And every single dish was incredible. The stew fell apart on the fork, it was so tender, and mush combined with vanilla and cream isn't entirely indeible (in fact it's entirely tasty!). Our only failure of the day was Peeta's raisin bread which, unfortunately, fell at altitude (come on, I'm trying to bake bread in District 2!). But all in all it was a marvelous day, and quite a treat to get to know some of the supporting cast (namely, the meals!)
I have a few suggestions if you want to try this.
1. watch the portions. The yield for each recipe is enormous. If you're cooking for two cut everything in half.
2. remember that you need to reduce liquids if you're cooking at altitude. Peeta's famous raisin walnut bread will need some severe tweaking if you want it to work in District 2!
3. A cool addition to Katniss' Dandelion (Hope) salad - go to your local Whole Foods and snag some edible flowers. They sell them in little plastic cartions in the refridgerated herb section. I'm telling you, when I brought it out decorated with things like pansys and roses *in* the salad it brought the house down. Ha!
We've already scheduled a "Capitol Feast Day" for when the movie is released. Until then, may the food be ever in your favor!
Lisa
caesarsiamese@yahoo.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEmily - We would love to collaborate with you about featuring your menus on our tours of the Hunger Games sites. We're planning to feature the basic menu from Susan C's book on our tours - and I would love to talk about collaborating with you to highlight your recipes. I purchased your book. Can you write back to visit collaboration efforts with us? Thanks so much! Leigh T. - info@hungergamestours.com
ReplyDeleteI bought the book a while ago & talked about it with my students. This week I am cooking a bunch of recipes from your book and reproducing them on my website. At the end of the week I will be giving away a copy of it! I thank you for your book and think it is great. All the best!!
ReplyDeletehttp://teacher-chef.com
Rachel (teacher-chef)