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bookish_brooklyn's review against another edition
2.0
The recipes were cute enough, but the author could've done better expanding on the Narnian lore.
bardicbear's review
3.0
The Narnia Cookbook is a collection of recipes for dishes served in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. There are two parts to this book, the first is the recipes themselves, second the descriptions of each written by Douglas Gresham.
As far as the recipes go I didn't find anything really exciting. For the most part they are fairly traditional fare that I already know how to make such as scrambled eggs or roasted potatoes. A few others, such as Eel Stew, I just have no interest is making. That being said, from a kid's perspective, even if the dishes themselves are familiar learning how to make them could be a new and interesting adventure. In addition to that the recipes are specifically designed to be cooked as they would have been cooked in Narnia so they use very few processed ingredients or appliances such as mixers or food processors. It would be a great way for kids to more about where their food comes from as well as basic cooking techniques.
The commentary that accompanies each recipe was my favorite part of the book. Gresham, Lewis' stepson, discusses a variety of topics including: which recipes were favorites of Lewis, origins of words and dishes, difference in ingredients in our world vs Narnia, and what type of Narnian creatures prefer each dish.
There is also a small section at the back that lists typical menus for various Narnian meals such as tea with Tumnus or a State Banquet at Cair Paravel.
As far as the recipes go I didn't find anything really exciting. For the most part they are fairly traditional fare that I already know how to make such as scrambled eggs or roasted potatoes. A few others, such as Eel Stew, I just have no interest is making. That being said, from a kid's perspective, even if the dishes themselves are familiar learning how to make them could be a new and interesting adventure. In addition to that the recipes are specifically designed to be cooked as they would have been cooked in Narnia so they use very few processed ingredients or appliances such as mixers or food processors. It would be a great way for kids to more about where their food comes from as well as basic cooking techniques.
The commentary that accompanies each recipe was my favorite part of the book. Gresham, Lewis' stepson, discusses a variety of topics including: which recipes were favorites of Lewis, origins of words and dishes, difference in ingredients in our world vs Narnia, and what type of Narnian creatures prefer each dish.
There is also a small section at the back that lists typical menus for various Narnian meals such as tea with Tumnus or a State Banquet at Cair Paravel.
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