Book Review: The Princess Bride: The Official Cookbook

The Princess Bride Cookbook: the Official Cookbook by Jenn Fujikawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world… except for a nice MLT. Mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomatoes are ripe. They’re so perky, I love that.” – Miracle Max

I admit it. I have a weakness for fandom cookbooks. They tend to be over the top whimsical, pun-laden, and filled with pictures. There’s a heck of a lot of them out there pairing food and wit with movies, television shows, books, comics, games, characters — yes, Hello Kitty has a cookbook — and even those mouse-based theme parks. Whatever you’re passionate about, you are likely to find a themed cookbook to feed your fannish hunger.

Back in the early 90s, this reviewer contributed recipes to an unofficial Northern Exposure cookbook, which we titled Canned Moose. It was never distributed beyond our little band of merry mooseketeers, but that creative experience left me with a permanent appreciation for fandom cookbooks.

The Princess Bride is a movie beloved by many, of course. With such a huge fan base, it’s no surprise that this isn’t the first cookbook based on the movie to be published, but I believe it’s the best. It excels in not just the quality of content, but also in the professional polish given to the editing and layout. (One previously published cookbook which shall remain unnamed was unable to stand up under the weight of its typos and grammar gaffes. Even the TITLE has a typo.)

But Jenn Fujikawa has got it right. There’s a playful joy and brightness to her cookbook that’s lacking in other attempts. The recipe titles are wonderfully clever (Six-Fingered Sandwiches, Anyone Want A Peanut?), delightfully punny (Hash You Wish, Bread Pirate Roberts, Have You The Wing), and convey the story (Inigo Montoya’s Taste of Revenge, Two Wove’s Kiss Cookies, The Grandson’s Soup and Sandwich). The food photography is outstanding – even Miracle Max’s Miracle Pills are displayed on plates so pretty I wish they were mine.

What I’ll be trying first: R.O.U.S.es – Rolls of Unusual Size. These are fresh-baked bread stuffed with savory ham and cheese and decorated to look like a rodent. What could be better?

Once I purchase a packet of butterfly pea flower powder, I’m going to whip up an “Inconceivable” color-changing drink. Before reading this cookbook, I was unfamiliar with butterfly pea flower powder (try saying that fast five times). A quick google search taught me that it’s readily available, easy to use, and apparently delicious. I appreciated learning about a new-to-me ingredient.

After the recipes, you’ll find menu plans for picnics, parties, happy hours, and intimate date and movie nights to help you enjoy the cookbook to its fullest. And once the party is over and you’re happily fed, there’s only one thing left to say…

“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” – Dread Pirate Roberts

My thanks to author Jenn Fujikawa, BenBella Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital review copy of this book.

View all my Goodreads reviews