The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" - More Than 150 Recipes Inspired by the Hunger Games Trilogy

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The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" - More Than 150 Recipes Inspired by the Hunger Games Trilogy (The Hunger Games Companions)

by Emily Ansara Baines (Goodreads Author)

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 381 ratings · 51 reviews

"Here's some advice. Stay alive." --Haymitch Abernathy

When it comes to The Hunger Games, staying alive means finding food any way possible. Katniss and Gale hunt live game, Peeta's family survives on the bread they make, and the inhabitants of the Seam work twelve-hour days for a few handfuls of grain--all while the residents of the Capitol gorge themselves on delicacies a...more

Hardcover, 241 pages

Published December 1st 2011 by Adams Media (first published November 1st 2011)

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Jan 27, 2012 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: eats

"so, katniss, the capitol must be quite a change from district twelve. what's impressed you most since you arrived here?" asks caesar.

what? what did he say? it's as if the words make no sense.

my mouth has gone dry as sawdust. i desperately find cinna in the crowd and lock eyes with him. i imagine the words coming from his lips. "what's impressed you most since you arrived here?" i rack my brain for something that made me happy here. be honest, i think. be honest.

"the lamb stew," i get out.

caesar...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Karen! rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks

As far as cookbooks go, this one is pretty standard for a beginner or a teenager, which I presume is the primary target audience. I enjoyed that the author made attempts to link the recipes to the trilogy. While a lot of the recipes have good Hunger Games roots (mint tea, Peeta's bread, etc.), many of them....don't.

Many of the soups came off as more "Well, Greasy-Sae was always making soup, so I'm sure she made something like this soup..."

But you knew they were getting desperate when they came-u...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Jaime rated it 3 of 5 stars

Please note: the pokeweed listing in the appendix of this cookbook is DANGEROUSLY incomplete. Unless you know what you're doing, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COOK POKEWEED! ALL PARTS OF THE PLANT ARE POISONOUS! While the book does suggest that boiling it will make the leaves edible, boiling it once will not remove all of the poison (it also smells horrid when boiling.) The water must be changed AT LEAST TWICE. In addition, pokeweed can only be harvested when the plant is small (early Spring only.) If the p...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Lolly's rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-book-series-tie-in, cookbook

I adore cookbooks, don't ask me why. The entire bookcase nook off my kitchen is stuffed with them and there are several more individual books sprinkled around the place. I also love novels which feature food, and not just food but descriptive food. Entire meals, banquets, feasts, ales and punches and liqueurs. Food which draws me into the story and gives me an idea of the people involved, who's suffering through hardships, who's living the high life, why they're celebrating. So, quite naturally,...more I adore cookbooks, don't ask me why. The entire bookcase nook off my kitchen is stuffed with them and there are several more individual books sprinkled around the place. I also love novels which feature food, and not just food but descriptive food. Entire meals, banquets, feasts, ales and punches and liqueurs. Food which draws me into the story and gives me an idea of the people involved, who's suffering through hardships, who's living the high life, why they're celebrating. So, quite naturally, I love tie-in cookbooks, official or not, which take those fictional foods and beverages and bring them to life.

Admittedly, some tie-in cookbooks merely go through the motions: collecting a bunch of recipes from one of those huge online databases, without even bothering to check whether or not those recipes actually create something edible, changing the names to fit dishes found in the novel, slapping them together and calling it a cookbook. I've run into those and, man, are they disappointing. However, from the detail of many of the recipes found in The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, especially in regards to the desserts and breads, it's obvious Baines put quite a bit of time, effort, and thought into producing this work. The recipes, even the more outlandish ones, are easy to work with, with clear, direct instructions for the most part; in fact, most recipes only take up a single page and hints for substitutions and time-savers are given on many of them, along with other helpful cooking tips. Some of the recipes are quite simple, almost to the point of "Why was this included?" simple, such as Clover-Mint Tea or Propos Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Yet even the simplest recipe has meaning in the world of The Hunger Games and, while simple, those recipes possess just enough of a twist, a sense of being somewhat alien to our lives, that you realize, "Oh, that's why that was included."

As I pointed out, some of the recipes are rather bizarre, illustrating the lengths Baines went to to maintain a sense of authenticity. Such recipes as Fightin' Fried Squirrel, Wild Raccoon Sauteed in Bacon Drippings, and Hazelle's Beaver Stew with Rosemary Potatoes will probably only be made by the most fervent of fan; however they and their accompanying tips on how to work with wild game further demonstrate Baines's sincerity and her adherence to The Hunger Games universe. My only comment about the recipes is that, for some of them, Baines has taken what was eaten in a scene of the original novel and condensed it into a recipe. For example, in Chapter 4, when Katniss comes into the train car for breakfast, Peeta is dunking one of the sweet rolls into his hot chocolate; Baines turns this scene into a recipe for Attack of the Chocolate Chunk Muffins, which is a perfect blending of the two tastes. Authentic? Not really, but certainly delicious and definitely a lot easier to recreate for a cookbook. So I'm not really complaining about this kind of translating, just making a note of it.

Some have complained about the lack of photographs in the cookbook. While I'm sure it would've been impossible to photograph each individual dish, I admit, it would've been nice to have had at least an insert of a dozen or so glossy photos of finished dishes. However, I don't find the lack of photos quite as annoying as others, mainly because I'm sure that, for one, the book was probably put out as quickly as possible in order to take advantage of the groundswell in popularity of the series, and, for another, this particular publisher, which seems to specialize in tie-in cookbooks, puts out a certain style of book which doesn't seem to allow for photos. We can always hope that perhaps a later edition will be published and will include those much-lamented photos. I will say this: Because it's obvious the publisher wanted to get this out as quickly as possible, there are some goofs. A step may be left out, portions may be off. I think, if you really want to work with this book, it might take some experimenting on some recipes to get them right and perhaps some adjustments, especially in regards to altitude.

As with most tie-in cookbooks, at the top of each recipe is a reference to which book and scene it came from, as well as what the recipe or the foods it contains means to a certain character. At the back of the book is a small section entitled "Katniss's Family Book of Herbs" describing some of the herbs Katniss surely gathered during her foraging trips outside the fence. Along with a brief description of the plant's appearance, each entry lists in what environment the plant can be found and how the plant is used. While you shouldn't go out looking to gather these wild plants based on this small guide alone (the lack of pictures to positively identify a wild plant would probably garner you a slow and painful death from poisoning), the guide is informative, providing yet another link to the novels and to Katniss's world. With a detailed table of contents and extensive index, The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook is a thoroughly entertaining companion to the novels. And I think that's the most important thing to remember, that this is a companion book. Yes, it's a way to ride the coattails of the series' success and a quite obvious marketing ploy. However, for fans of the series, it's also a fun bit of memorabilia and while the book will probably be more entertaining to read than to actually use, it's still worth a look-see, even if you only check it out from the library. Just remember, have fun with it and let the Games begin!(less)

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Feb 02, 2012 May rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks, read-2012

As a an unofficial companion to the "Hunger Games" trilogy, this book will definitely appeal to the fans. I actually enjoy reading the brief description with reference to the dish or ingredient prior to each recipe. It's been awhile since I have read the books so these little descriptions was a terrific reminder of the story. Some of them were also revelations to me because there was so much happening in the books that I had forgotten or didn't realize all of the symbolism with some of the refer...more As a an unofficial companion to the "Hunger Games" trilogy, this book will definitely appeal to the fans. I actually enjoy reading the brief description with reference to the dish or ingredient prior to each recipe. It's been awhile since I have read the books so these little descriptions was a terrific reminder of the story. Some of them were also revelations to me because there was so much happening in the books that I had forgotten or didn't realize all of the symbolism with some of the references.

As a cookbook, however, the book suffers from the usual complaint that I have with most cookbooks--the serious lack of photos! I am not asking for a photo for every recipe. After all, I'm pretty sure everybody has a sense of what shortbread cookies or apple sauce look like! But would it have really killed the publisher to have an insert of photos for some of the more exotic-sounding recipes like "President Snow's Sauteed Dove Breasts in Bacon Drippings" or "75th Hunger Games' Dutch Oven Tree Rat"? Speaking of tree rat, there are a couple of recipes in this book that have wild rats, squirrels or muskrats as the main protein. I gather that these recipes are meant to be tongue-in-cheek but I'm not too sure. In her "Wild Dog Stew" recipe, she substituted pork for wild dog so I'm confused by why she didn't substitute some other and more accessible protein for wild rat. Personally I think if you are going to put in a couple of rat/squirrel recipes in the book, you better provide some instructions on how to capture these critters or where you can purchase these meats. Her "Tips from Your Sponsor" on those pages just tell me that squirrels come in varying sizes and that beaver is gamier than other meat. The same advice also goes for the "Campfire Soups, Stews and Salads" section. How does one find Japanese knotweed, primrose roots, and rock tripe anyway? I get that they are some kind of plants but once again, it's not like I can go to my neighborhood Safeway and find these ingredients.

By the way, for those friends who know me well, I did manage to find a couple of recipes from this book to add to my recipe collection. Don't worry. I only plan to serve you "Smoked Gouda Grits", "Katniss Craved Cheese Buns" and "Ginger, Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup". I'll save the "Fightin' Fried Squirrel" recipe for another time! ;) (less)

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May 05, 2013 Desiree rated it 1 of 5 stars

Again, as I did with the author's Unofficial Downton Abbey cookbook, I have to give this a one. No pictures. Did she even make these herself before putting them in the book? Putting in recipes that aren't even really recipes, that everyone knows how to do, is she just trying to fill up space to say there are 150 recipes in it? Recipes with meat that you can only really use if you or someone you know is a hunter (and a very good one in order to catch a squirrel), and a lot of grammatical and stor...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of The Hunger Games and good cookin

Shelves: cookbooks, the-hunger-games, emily-ansara-baines, the-unofficial-hunger-games-cookboo

I love to cook, and the Hunger Games Trilogy is one of my favorite book series. My sister got me this book for Christmas as something of a joke, but it actually has a lot of great recipes. It's fun to see the author make connections and interpretations between the books and food, especially when they end up being tongue in cheek.

The recipes are also great. I was worried that they would be generic--they really aren't, particularly in the poultry section.

One thing that a lot of people seem to mi...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-books, food-and-drink

This past weekend I made the District 3 Rolls and the Capital Grade Dark Chocolate Cake. Yum!

Food in the Hunger Games trilogy is loaded with meaning. Nothing is mentioned by accident – every single food item underlines what is happening in the books, and this cookbook is an excellent way to dig deeper into just how important food is to this trilogy.

The book is filled with delicious recipes, both decadent dishes reflecting the ultra rich Capital and basic hunt- and-forage type food that would be...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Tiffany Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

The recipes themselves are not necessarily remarkable. There's an entire section devoted to game like raccoon et al that's not readily available to those in urban/suburban locales. Others are clearly just very loosely inspired by the book(s). There are a few, though, that seem to make the mark (for example, the goat cheese balls on basil leaves were fantastic; we served them on the Mellark french bread alongside blackberries to recreate the meal Katniss shared with Gale before the Reaping Day fe...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Deborah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Like a lot of book/movie cookbook tie-ins, I was prepared for this book to be a little goofy. Some of the text is, but a lot of it is actually pretty good. Lots of the recipes sound interesting to try--especially the bread and dessert ones--though I don't think I'll be attempting anything from the "Wild Game for Wild Girls" chapter (Wild Raccoon Sauteed in Bacon Drippings, anyone?). The author attempts to have recipes that both sound like the fancy, rich things they eat at the Capitol and the si...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Delicious Strawberry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cooking

This is a cool cookbook, but caution is a must. Many of the recipes call for exotic things (whether it be flora that can not easily be obtained at your grocery store) or animals that you normally do not eat (raccoon, for example) so while I say go ahead and give this cookbook a try, this cookbook is more for the experienced cook. Some of the recipes have a high yield, so you want to try halving the recipe, depending on who you are cooking for. Some of the recipes have more common ingredients and...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Natalie Wright rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks

I LOVE this book. Got it for my birthday from my hubby & was so happy that he found something that combined two of my favorite things - cooking and The Hunger Games! If you love the Hunger Games, pick this up.
As a cookbook, the only problem is that a large number of the recipes call for game meat or other ingredients that are not widely available. That makes it more authentic of course, but not as useful as a cookbook.
I'll definitely be cooking from this book but mostly it is enjoyable as a...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Jack rated it 5 of 5 stars

I got this as a Christmas present for my mum, and it is a really good, informative book that puts a personal creative element into the Hunger Games. Recreating things such as Finnick & Annie's wedding cake, Katniss' Cheese Buns and other recipes is great, and I can't wait to try some of them.

Only downside I have to this is that it has some grammatical errors to it, and some of the ingredients are virtually impossible to buy (E.G. Squirrels), but apart from that it is brilliant and great fun!...more

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Jan 16, 2013 M.c. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, biblioteca

Wow, I am actually impressed. I expected this to be chockablock full of chicken and beef substitute recipes for the various game meats eaten during the series. Nope, there are recipes for muskrat,beaver and squirrel in here too. Nice selection of recipes from breakfast foods, breads, stews, vegetables, meat dishes and desserts. Excellent attention to detail as each recipe includes a reference to the book and chapter said dish is consumed.

I checked this out from the library. I might have to add t...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Agraywolfe is currently reading it Recommends it for: Everyone who loves this book and or Cooking

Recommended to Agraywolfe by: Santa did with a nudge from me.

I am loving every recipe of this book. I have made several. I have a picky eater for a husband so I was not sure he would eat the things I was making. Well I was wrong. I have made the Wild Dog Optional Beef Stew and I think I got one serving out of the 6 it made. My husband downed it for the next two days. And he said the left overs were even better after letting everything meld together. I am working my way though this book on my blog on blogspot. I can't wait to get started on the next recipe...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Jez rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

This. I can't explain how happy this made me when I flicked through it on my birthday late last month.

I've yet to create some of the awesome recipes it inholds. It has a hell of a lot of recipes, I don't know if I'll be able to create them all! From District 11’s signature bread to Finnick and Annie’s wedding cake. Some of the recipes particularly got my attention, especially the district breads! It doesn’t have all of them but as I remember it has 11’s, 12’s and 13’s. It has a few of the Mellar...more

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May 15, 2013 Amanda (Amanda's Weekly Zen) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like this cookbook. Brings you back to the books with each recipe and many of the recipes are easy. They range from "yeah I would eat that" to "sounds neat but way to much work." Already tried the Irresistible Hot Chocolate (except I blended it with ice because it is much to hot where I am right now for Hot Chocolate). Good read and good eats.

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Jun 07, 2012 Anna rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'm going to be one of 'those people' who insist that cookbooks must have pictures. At least one! Even an illustration would've been okay. Otherwise, how can I enticed to want to make these recipes -- I don't even know if these have been tested. Not that too many people I know will actually make the dog or squirrel game recipes.

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Nov 21, 2012 Diana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: zzz-2012, cookbooks, dystopian

So glad I didn't waste any money on this. Most of the recipes can be found online in other guises, and there are no pictures. (I really like cookbooks with pictures.) The extra bits were nice to read (Tips from your Sponsor and recipe introductions), but I guess dystopian novels don't lend themselves much to cookbooks.

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Apr 27, 2012 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book basically takes really good recipes from other sources and adapts them to fit in with a "Hunger Games" theme. I admire the author's taste in recipes as well as her audacity in repackaging these recipes to take advantage of the trilogy's popularity. File that under "W" for "Wish I'd thought of it." Most of them have decent ingredients, although one that I saw, which is basically Red Lobster garlic/cheesy bread, uses Bisquick. The copy that accompanies the recipes is inventive and its ow...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Angie (Mind Malfunction) rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook is an uninspiring and bland cookbook. What I look for in a cookbook, are vibrant photos with inspiring recipes. This cookbook didn't have any of those. There was actually a recipe for fruit in a bowl. Give me a break, I know to wash fruit before placing it in a bowl. This is not a cookbook but more of a novelty.

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Mar 12, 2012 Laurie Carroll rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cook-books

This cookbook is surprisingly filled with simple, good-for-you, easy to make recipes. All ingredients are clean, fresh, whole foods. Ok, I'm not sure if wild dog would be considered in that category, but you could always substitute beef or venison. I made the black bean soup last week - delicious!

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Jan 11, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great for fans of the series! I love the recipes I have tried so far. Don't see a real use for ones that call for squirrel or rabbit but I'm going to try them with beef or chicken just to see how they taste. Most are easy to make, with ingredients found at your local grocery store.

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Jul 24, 2012 Sophia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, how-to

These recipes are fun variations of the food from the book. But Fried Squirrel? Just a smidgen over the top? Just a smidgen? Also, although many of the foods ARE symbolic, some of the symbolism in the little intros to the recipes is very, very contrived.

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Jan 07, 2013 Becca Elwood rated it 5 of 5 stars

A fun one for the cookbook shelf. :) I rather enjoy tweaking the recipes for what ever veg and proteins I have available where I am ( military spouse so the grocers tend to vary pretty widely). Inspires my creativity every time.

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Aug 31, 2012 Lady Belinda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbook, hunger-games

I love cookbooks inspired by books. Some of the recipes are really weird...(fried squirrel)...but some of the recipes actually look great. I have already marked 3 recipes that I plan on making tomorrow. Can't wait to try them!

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Feb 02, 2012 Iroquois rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-nonfiction, ya

didnt personally try to cook anything from the book but there were some interesting recipes, including fried squirrel! lol
I found it amusing as tie-in, better than boring pictures of the film stars.

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Aug 25, 2012 Lori Levise rated it 3 of 5 stars

An odd collection of recipes of dishes that are mentioned in The Hunger Games. Good as a collectors item. Will be useful if I need to cook for someone who is a big fan of the series. Well written recipes. Just different from other cookbooks I have in the content.

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Mar 24, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: cookbooks, age-high-school, nonfiction

Inspiration for our Hunger Games party foods.

p. 83 -- Prim's Basil-Wrapped Goat Cheese Balls
p. 86 -- Prim's "Getting By" Goat Cheese Spread
p. 87 -- Clover-Mint Tea

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Dec 09, 2012 Jake rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting recipe book for cooks and chiefs who are fans of The Hunger Games francise and want a taste of the foods featured in the books and movies.

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About Emily Ansara Baines

Emily Ansara Baines is the author of two cookbooks: The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook and The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook. She has also worked as a professional baker and caterer throughout the East Coast, most recently in New York City.

She he graduated with honors from the University of Southern California where she studied creative writing under Aimee Bender and T.C. Boyle. Her short st...more

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The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" - More Than 150 Recipes Inspired by the Hunger Games Trilogy (The Hunger Games Companions)

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