Recipes from the World of Tolkien: Inspired By the Lege… (2024)

4.5 stars

full review to come

A special thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I first saw this recipe book inspired by The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings I knew I needed to try the recipes. Having watched the movies multiple times, I had to taste the mouth-watering recipes for myself. I'm not a fan of baking and have little baking skills, but I found these recipes so easy to follow and fun to make.

Recipes from the World of Tolkien is a beautifully illustrated hardback which includes 75 recipes arranged according to the Hobbits' six daily meals: Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea and Dinner/Supper. At the start of each meal is a brief description and at the start of each recipe is a short description or some history. It's really entertaining to learn more about the different meals as well as whose favourite meal it is (Men, Dwarves, Wizards or Hobbits). The illustrations are wonderful and captivating and make me want to rewatch all of the movies while eating different meals.

I tried two recipes, Westfarthing Fairings (page 68) from the meal Elevenses and Bilbo's Seed-cake (page 110-111) from the meal Afternoon Tea. Westfarthing Fairings is a recipe for biscuits. The recipe was easy to follow and quick and easy to prepare. My kitchen was filled with an aromatic fragrance of cinnamon and lemon. I felt like I was transported to Hobbiton, where Bilbo and Frodo's home is located. The recipe makes 12 mouth-watering biscuits which are so tasty and are perfect with a cup of tea. I have never tasted such biscuits before, the taste and smell are divine!

The second recipe I tried was Bilbo's Seed-cake which serves 10. This recipe took a bit longer to prepare since it has more ingredients, but the recipe was easy to follow. I did not bake my seed-cake for the full hour as the recipe suggested, but I guess it depends on which type of oven is used. The seed-cake is so tasty and definitely a new favourite. Move aside Banana bread! It has a rich taste and each ingredient bursts in your mouth. If you love citrus, you will love Bilbo's Seed-cake! This seed-cake can also be accompanied by tea. Any leftovers can be used in a trifle.

I'm definitely going to try more recipes and be transported to Middle-Earth. I do not like recipe books, but I absolutely love this one! Even if you have little to no baking skills (like me), you'll find these recipes easy and fun to make and you'll be rewarded with some tasty food, treats and drinks.

This review is posted on my blog:
https://willowscornerbook.wordpress.c...

** huge thanks to my sister who got me this book for my birthday! **

this was extremely pleasant. i read it all in one sitting, and i thoroughly enjoyed myself while doing so. i don't typically rate nonfiction books, but this was just so perfect that i had to. this book of recipes is filled with gorgeous illustrations and detailed descriptions of each dish's roots to the world of lord of the rings. reading this made my mouth water, so i'm definitely going to recreate these recipes soon. i'd highly recommend to every tolkien fan as this cookbook honors the source material and is fantastically well-done.

Combines two of my favourite things so yes I read it literally cover to cover so yes it totally counts as a book I read this year.

Such a fabulous cookbook, full of mouth-watering recipes and beautiful watercolor images of Middle Earth. I'll be using many of these recipes for Hobbit Days to come!

Made 3 recipes so far, all delish! Thanks Brendan (consulted Eric for the review)

this was a cute little cookbook! very British, with an interesting mix of recipes pulled directly from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings, as well as character, history, location, and peoples-inspired drinks. includes a good amount of vegetarian meals, and does draw from some cultures and flavors outside Britain. the illustrations are very pretty but jumbled, with about 4 different art styles used throughout. I'm not a big cook, but I think I'd try some of these with family!

Beautiful illustrated, with many and varied yummy-looking recipes. Tried out a couple of them for a LOTR movie marathon and they were a hit!

What a lovely book. Not only very workable recipes that definitely do reflect aspects of Tolkien's world, but also interesting short essays about the legendarium, and lovely line drawings on almost every page, with additional colour illustrations.

A book to read on a cold afternoon - and then cook from over the next few months!

«Tolkins Beschreibungen der Mahlzeiten sind detailliert und liebevoll und dokumentieren die Leidenschaft der Figuren und des Autors für ausgiebige Schlemmereien. Wer könnte den trostspendenden Kanincheneintopf vergessen, den Sam für seinen Freund und Meister Frodo mitten in der Wildnis improvisiert?»

Tolkin-Fans, ihr wolltet doch schon immer wissen, wie Lembas oder Beorns Honigkuchen schmecken? Dann begebt euch mit mir, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry und Gandalf auf eine kulinarische Reise! Ein Hobbit geht nicht ohne Frühstück aus dem Haus, klar. Nur ein gestärkter Körper kann sich mutig in Abenteuer stürzen. Mit dem Kochbuch, inspiriert von Tolkiens Legenden, begeben wir uns auf eine Expedition durch Mittelerde. Wir rasten im Gasthaus «Zum tänzelnden Pony», nehmen einen kräftigen Schluck Miruvor in Rosis Kneipe «Zum grünen Drachen» und schlemmen uns durch Mittelerde. Gestählt durch Lembas, dem heimatlichen Kanincheneintopf und Bilbos Kümmelkuchen, kann es losgehen.

Ihr ahnt es, es geht hier nicht vordergründlich um ein Kochbuch mit modernen Rezepten. Ihr werdet keine schicken Foodfotos von einem Küchenblogger finden! Gar keine Fotos! Dafür aber wunderschöne Illustrationen aus Mittelerde. Das ist ein Fankochbuch. So werde ich es auch bewerten. Das Fantasyland Mittelerde erinnert an das Mittelalter Englands, wie man weiß. Somit haben die Rezepte einen britischen Touch, und Reisende müssen bekanntlich Kraft tanken, entsprechend deftig sind die Gerichte. Wir beginnen mit einem herzhaften Hobbit-Frühstück: Porridge, Müsli, geschmorte weiße Bohnen in Tomatensoße, Fritata mit Speck und Pilzen – «Geschichten, die laut Sams Vater nichts für Hobbits seien. Anstatt sich mit Elben und Drachen zu beschäftigen, sollten sie sich besser an ihre Kartoffeln und ihren Kohl halten.» – und so folgt ein «Bubble and Squeak», ein Pfannkuchen aus gekochtem Kohl und Kartoffelstampf mit Speck, ein typisch englisches Resteessen.

Die Reise kann beginnen. Für unterwegs ein Kartoffelbrot, Birnen-Cranberry-Muffins; ein sehr leckeres Rezept. Wir treffen auf Beorn den Pelzwechsler, der sein Honigbrot mit uns teilet. In Bruch angekommen bereitet uns der Bauer Maggot «Waldpilze auf Toast» zu, ein Seelenessen, nachdem wir gerade so den Schwarzen Reitern entkommen sind. Danach gibt es «Dracheneier». Ein interessantes Rezept, dass wir auf der Basis von Soleiern kennen, hier asiatisch eingelegt in Sojasoße, die zuvor mit div. Kräutern geköchelt hat. Süßkartoffeln mit Blattspinat, Rösti mit einer leckeren Soße aus Tomaten, Avocado, Chili und Kräutern lassen uns entspannen.

Bei Tolkin wird getafelt; ein Hobbit ist ständig hungrig. So hat sich Robert Tusley Anderson Gedanken gemacht, was hinter den beschriebenen Gerichten stecken könnte. Wobei bereits real teilweise auf Traditionsgerichte in den Romanen Tolkins zurückgegriffen wird. Banocks gibt es nämlich wirklich – nur kaum einer kennt sie heute noch. Es sind Fladenbrote aus Schottland, die man mit Butter und Stachelbeer-Rosmariengelee aß, hier eine Variante mit Kreuzkümmelsamen bestreut. Bei den Elben kennt man Bruschetta: mit Feta und Waldfrüchten belegt. Als Wegzehrung gibt es Dattel-Sesam-Riegel. «Galadriel schenkte den Gefährten in Mallorn-Blätter gewickelte Lembas, damit sie für die kommenden harten Zeiten gewappnet sind.» – hier interpretiert als Maiskuchen vom Blech. Wir finden Rezepte für Eingemachtes, wie Gurken, «Würzige Rote Beete nach Zwergenart», Pfirsiche, Ale-Apfel Chutney, Kekse, Kuchen, Salate, Suppen, Pasteten, Fleisch- und Fischgerichte aber auch den berühmten Athelas-Tee, das Elixier «Mirovor», Glühwein aus der Zwergenwelt von Moria und «Orkgebräu», ein Gemisch aus Cider und Whisky. Gollum stellt uns sein Rezept von rohem Fisch zur Verfügung – ein Reissalat mit Lachs, Gurke und Avocado im japanischen Style – ein sehr leckeres Gericht. Und es gibt Fledermausflügel aus dem Düsterwald, angemacht mit Sojasoße, Zimt und Kurkuma (Psssst! Nicht verraten, es sind Hähnchenflügel). 80 kunterbunte Rezepte aus der Küche von Hobbits, Menschen, Elfen und Zwergen. Sehr lecker die spanisch angehauchten Rezepte «Gefüllte geröstete Paprika-Flammen» und «Kartoffel-Knoblauch-Suppe», die im Gasthaus zum tänzelnden Ponny serviert wird. Die Elben sind Vegetarier und hier bekommen wir «Rote Beete und Kürbis aus dem Ofen mit Ziegenkäse» oder einen leckeren Wurzeleintopf, die aus dem Buch herausduften.

Eingeteilt ist das Kochbuch nach Frühstück, zweites Frühstück, Elveness (ein Vormittags-Snack, der nach dem zweiten Frühstück eingenommen wird), Mittagessen, tee*zeit, Abendessen, Getränke. Es gibt schmackhafte Rezepte, eindeutig! Natürlich sind sie letztendlich wegen ihrer Deftigkeit in den Tageszeiten austauschbar; man muss blättern und suchen, weil es eigentlich kreuz und queer geht. Das macht aber nichts, denn beim Erkunden erfreut man sich an den den feinen Illustrationen von Mittelerde. Für wen ist dieses Buch etwas? Wer gern deftig isst, findet hier gute, einfache Rezepte, herzustellen meist aus heimischen Zutaten der Region; es gibt viele Gerichte mit Winter-Gemüse. Wer Kekse, Tarts und einfache Kuchen mag, Beilagebrote, der wird auch fündig werden. Und Tolkin-Fans werden sowieso begeistert sein – ach eine prima Geschenkidee.

J.R.R. Tolkien wurde am 3. Januar 1892 geboren. Er gilt als einer der angesehensten Philologen weltweit, vor allem ist er als Schöpfer von «Mittelerde» als Autor des legendären «Der Herr der Ringe» bekannt. Seine Bücher wurden in mehr als 80 Sprachen übersetzt und haben sich weltweit millionenfach verkauft. Ihm wurde ein Orden des Britischen Empire (CBE) und die Ehrendoktorwürde der Universität Oxford verliehen. Er starb 1973 im Alter von 81 Jahren. Tolkien zeigt sich schon als Kind fasziniert von alten, längst vergessenen Sprachen und Mythen. In Oxford spezialisierte sich der Stipendiat, der seit Kindertagen in seiner Freizeit zum bloßen Zeitvertreib Alphabete kreierte und neue Sprachen komponierte wie andere Menschen Musikstücke, bald aufs Altenglische und beschäftigte sich vor allem mit mittelalterlichen Dialekten der westlichen Midlands. W.A. Craigie, ein Kenner besonders der schottischen Volksüberlieferungen, führte ihn in die isländischen und finnischen Sprachen und Mythologien ein. Das Finnische wie das Walisische wurden später Grundlage für die Elfensprache im Herrn der Ringe. 1924, gerade 32 Jahre alt, wurde Tolkien als Professor für englische Sprachen nach Oxford berufen und blieb mehr als vierzig Jahre.

Robert Tuesley Anderson ist Schriftsteller, Dichter und Herausgeber und lebt in den südlichen Hochebenen von Schottland. Wie viele andere verliebte er sich schon als Kind in Tolkiens Bücher und kämpfte sogar mit den obskuren Details der Quenya-Grammatik. Dieses Buch hat ihm die Möglichkeit gegeben, zwei lebenslange Leidenschaften miteinander zu verbinden: gutes, hausgemachtes Essen und High-Fantasy-Schreiben.

I love this and can hardly wait until Hobbit day next year to feast like a hobbit!

"Recipes from the World of Tolkien" by Robert Tuesley Anderson is a delightful and imaginative cookbook that I would rate with four stars. As a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, I found this book to be a creative and enjoyable way to immerse myself in the culinary aspects of Middle-earth.

The concept of the book is charming and well-executed. Anderson takes inspiration from the richly described meals and foods in Tolkien's universe and translates them into recipes that can be recreated in our world. This approach not only appeals to fans of Tolkien's work but also to anyone who enjoys thematic cooking. The recipes range from simple to moderately complex, catering to a variety of skill levels in the kitchen.

One of the strengths of the book is the way it captures the spirit of Middle-earth. The recipes are accompanied by references to the scenes or characters associated with them, making each dish feel like a part of Tolkien's world. This connection adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the cooking process, especially for those familiar with the stories.

The presentation of the book is also noteworthy. The layout is user-friendly, with clear instructions. The aesthetic of the book complements the theme, with a design that evokes the rustic and hearty feel of the meals enjoyed by hobbits, elves, and dwarves.

However, the reason for the four-star rating, as opposed to a perfect score, lies in some of the recipes themselves. While most are well-thought-out and delicious, a few seem a bit too modern or out of place, slightly breaking the immersion into Tolkien's world. Additionally, while the book covers a good range of dishes, it could benefit from a broader variety of recipes to fully explore the culinary diversity of Middle-earth.

In terms of thematic integration, Anderson does a commendable job of tying the recipes to their respective origins in Tolkien's lore. The book is not just a collection of recipes; it's a culinary adventure through Middle-earth, offering a unique way to experience the world Tolkien created.

"Recipes from the World of Tolkien" by Robert Tuesley Anderson is a delightful and well-crafted cookbook that offers a unique culinary journey for fans of Tolkien's universe. It is a creative and enjoyable way to bring a piece of Middle-earth into our kitchens and dining tables. The book combines engaging recipes with a thematic charm that will surely appeal to Tolkien enthusiasts and culinary adventurers alike.

J.R.R. Tolkien is among the great writers of the 20th Century. He created an entire mythological world full of Hobbits, Wizards, Trolls, Dragons, Elves, Humans, and many more creatures. More importantly he made them come alive as entities that needed rest, food, poetry, and drink along with other aspects of life. This recipe book brings reality to the food and drink that one supposes was served in Tolkien’s world. It is well written and well illustrated. I enjoyed the insets that tied the recipes to the characters within Tolkien’s writings. It is a great companion piece to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. My only problem with the book and the recipes is that I’m having difficulty in deciding which ones I’ll put together and serve—will it be the Roasted Stuffed Pepper Flames, Barliman Butterbur’s Blackberry Pie, Turin Turambar Tarragon Chicken, or….? Yum.

I was really hoping to like this, being quite a Tolkien fan. My initial reaction to thumbing through it was very negative. I strongly dislike most of the illustrations. Looking in the back, there are over a dozen illustrators credited. There is everything from landscapes, to black and white coloring page drawings, to bizarre renditions of fruits and vegetables. No photos of any of the food. Recipes don't quite fit with the pieces of story they are meant to represent. Gollum's Raw Fish becomes a complex sushi recipe with all kinds of things Gollum would never eat. Beorn's Honey Cakes are actually banana muffins. There are other Tolkien cookbooks out there. I will be returning this one to the library.

This book is just gorgeous, from the pretty watercolor illustrations to the cute sections of meals. What about second breakfast? It's in there along with elevenses, dinner and supper. Visually this book feels like stepping into the shire. While I love books with pictures of the food and its one of my favorite things in a cookbook I think it would look weird with the theme the author is going for. The author has created recipes that are referenced throughout the books and the influences mostly seem to be from Scotland and Ireland with recipes for things like overnight oats and Bannock with recipes like bruschetta and sesame bars sprinkled throughout. Most the ingredients and the recipe seem easy enough to follow.

Puanım 4/5 (%80/100)

İçindeki görseller ile birlikte okuması çok keyifli bir kitap olmuş. Tolkien sevenlerin koleksiyonuna eklemesini düşünüyorum. Onun dışında gerçekten güzel yemek tarifleri de var. Bazı tariflerde bulması zor malzemeler olabilir ama genellikle yapabileceğiniz şeyler var. Tarifler güzel ve açık yazılmış, takip etmesi kolay. Ben birkaç tanesini kesinlikle deneyeceğim, özellikle de kahvaltı kısmındakileri. Benim en çok gözüme çarpan şey sayfaların kuşe kağıt olmaması oldu. Çok ince kalitesiz kağıt değil ama yine de böyle güzel bir baskı kuşe kağıtta olsa çok daha güzel olurdu. Kısaca, Tolkien severlerin ve özellikle yemek yapmaya ilgisi olanların kaçırmaması gereken bir kitap. Ben bir şey pişirmem diyorsanız da alıp kitaplığınıza ekleyebilirsiniz.

This is a sweet cookbook that has recipes inspired by “Tolkien’s World” both the Middle Earth people depicted in the Similarion, Hobbit, and Fellowship books as well as the foods that might have been eaten by Tolkien himself in England. The recipes feature lots of mushrooms, beets, potatoes, oats, and the various breads (biscuits, pancakes, cakes, and cookies) that would be good for teas. As a special nod to Gollum, who likes his fish cold and still wiggling, there are some sashimi recipes. There are a couple of vegetarian recipes including one with chickpeas cooked tagine-style.

It’s not most innovative cookbook, but it does have a place for the Lord of the Rings nerd in your life.

Love the Middle Earth artwork with and between recipes.
The chapters are divided between breakfasts dinner, elf, dwarf, hobbit food and beverages. Lots to choose from and like how Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and Silmarilon are represented and the foods are inspired by different scenes of the books. Borrowed it from the library, so many want to use will be buying this book to add to my book to cookbook collection!! If you are a Tolkien fan you will enjoy just reading this book even if you aren't a cook!

I needed to broaden my reading list and a cookbook seemed just the ingredient I needed for a well balanced reading list this year.

Plenty of Tolkien inspired meals are included in this bookSpiced Apple Butter. There is a recipe for Mead, and I always wanted to learn how to make that. The Fish and Chips recipe also looks very tempting.

Mr Anderson has set up the chapters using the outline of Hobbit meals; breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses... I like that outline. Good read and fun trying out the foods listed within the covers.

There are some lovely-sounding recipes in this book, and I'm hoping to try a few this summer. As measurements are metric and oven temperatures are in the British system (a temperature in Celsius and then Gas Mark), I'll need to do a bit of conversion. I was particularly pleased to see Lembas are made as a kind of cornbread, one of my favorite foods! There are also plenty of beverages, ranging from tea to mead and mulled wine.

This book is like revisiting Tolkien’s work with a new perspective. I love those books and read them countless times as a kid. Now as someone who loves to cook I can enjoy the feel of Middle Earth at home with my meals. I look forward to cooking my way through this book (and may add to my review as I do). I have read it cover to cover and the recipes do look good. Personally I do not eat grains or beans but most recipes are still adaptable or already compliant for my eating style.

A beautiful book, filled with illustrations and a detailed description and background of each recipe. It's evident that the author has a deep knowledge of Middle-earth which is important! The recipes are fun, and definitely derive from the magical world of Elves and Hobbits, Dwarves, Orcs and Men! There are a range of recipes that are vegetarian and vegan as well, so there is something for everyone! Lovely book to add to my Tolkien-related collection!😊

You know, I didn't expect much, coming from other fantasy-inspired cookbooks.

But this really hit the spot for me. There are lots of baked goods, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and dishes that are really down-to-earth in a non-gimmicky way.

This is one of those rare cookbooks aimed at fans that still works as a cookbook and isn't just recipes the author had lying around with some questionable connection to the book/movie in question stamped on.

Would recommend, even to non-fans!

I spotted this cookbook at the library and I'm glad I decided to try it. The layout and the illustrations are my favorite aspects of this by far. The recipes sound great, but I don't know if I'd ever make any of them myself. For most of the recipes except for a couple, I'd have to go out of my way to get various ingredients for them. Like I said, though, they sound great. I do wish there were pictures of what the completed dish should look like.

This is far more than a mere cookbook. This is a visual tribute to the world of Tolkien, with stunning illustrations scattered throughout the book, making it a suitable tome for a coffee table display rather than a book to cram into the cooking collection. It is also an excellent collection of Tolkien trivia about Hobbits, Elves, Wizards, and Men, and the worlds they inhabit.
The book is an excellent gift for any Tolkien fan, whether they are cooks or not.

These recipes are delicious! Filled with simple, easy-to-follow instructions made with easy-to-find or easy-to-substitute ingredients, there is something to satisfy every palate and diet. Whether you want to feast like a Hobbit of the shire or a traveler of Middle Earth or just really want to make Second Breakfast, this cookbook covers it all.

Very nice, imaginitive and cozily illustrated.
Most recipes just fantasy of course, like Túrin Turambars Tarragon Chicken, "We like to think the delicious dish below might well have given this stern, grief-stricken hero a few moments' respite duing his hapless struggle to overcome the doom laid on his family by the evil Morgoth".

This recipe book is so fun! My sister loves The Hobbit so I wanted to find recipes that could really give us the full immersion experience the next time I visit. The pictures are beautiful, the recipes are unique (I'm dying to try them!), and the inclusion of facts/movie scene info/background was so wonderful, I can't wait to share all of this with my sister!

Beautifully illustrated; lovely quality paper, ink, and binding; great sections talking about the recipes and relating them to Tolkien's works. That being said, from my initial perusal I question some of the recipes or their instructions. There are also some examples of very poor writing and/or editing sprinkled throughout which I found to be jarring as the rest is well written.

May 5th, 2022
An excellent cookbook with lots of Lord of the Rings inspired recipes. I've already made several recipes, but I can't wait to try more. Lots of various Middle Earth trivia in there as well.