Fandom du Jour: Licensed Cookbooks Offer Fans a (Literal) Taste of Their Favorite Fantasy Worlds

In the words of Ratatouille’s Chef Auguste Gusteau, “Anyone can cook.” And with an abundance of officially licensed cookbooks available, anyone can indulge in their favorite fandoms, too.

“Fans love any extension of their fandom,” says Kat Sarfas, category manager for cookbooks at Barnes & Noble. “That’s why we love books that are made into movies or games, and why we might display figurines of our favorite characters or wear a shirt showcasing our favorite show. Fans are always looking to live just five more minutes in their favorite world.”

For those who already have a closet full of themed apparel and accessories, a collection of the latest Funko Pop! figures, and an assortment of action figures, cookbooks are a natural next step into your favorite world. Fandom cookbooks help transport fans to their fictional comfort places, like the Hogwarts dining hall, a dinner party at the Beast’s castle hosted by Lumiere, or even the Dutton Ranch dinner table. The books even feature exclusive content with subtle notes just for loyal fans.

While the actual recipes are indeed the star of the show, these books’ pages are brimming with details that are more about offering a full sensory experience — not just tasty food. “It’s a whole different way [for fans] to embrace their favorite entertainment, even if they can’t cook,” says Paul Ruditis, executive editor of lifestyle and children’s publishing at Insight Editions, which publishes licensed cookbooks inspired by everything from Harry Potter to Happy Days and more. “The recipes themselves are wonderful, but the detail that goes into the selection of the food, the naming of the dish, and the flavor text that explains why the food is connected to the show makes the entire book an experience for the reader, even if they never attempt a recipe.”

Ruditis explains that the entire team working on the books, from the authors to the food stylists and everyone in between, is committed to connecting with the source material and intimately learning its universe in order to be able to fully express it through a dining experience, whether that is a meal, a snack, or a drink. The result? Cookbooks infused with everything that we love about a show or fandom — not only in the recipes themselves, but also in the book’s text, photography, and illustrations that surround the recipes.

"We are just as excited about these shows and movies as the fans are. We’re fans ourselves,” Ruditis says. “If we’re doing our jobs right, everything in these books should make the fans feel like they are experiencing their favorite entertainment in real life. They get to feel it, smell it, taste it. It’s not just a meal, it’s an entire sensory experience connecting them with something they love.”

Sarfas notes that Barnes & Noble has seen steady growth with licensed cookbooks in recent years. People are more open about their fandoms and seek to show them off through merch, and publishing is now meeting those demands. And the proof is in the pudding: A lot of these books land on best-seller lists at book retailers and publications like The New York Times.

While the pandemic may not have contributed directly to the increase of general cookbook sales, it certainly did provide a boost for pop culture-inspired cookbooks. Remember when we were stuck at home binge-watching Netflix shows (new and old) and baking banana bread? Fandoms were a great way for people to connect during tough times when all we had were movies, TV shows, and games. And all of those entertainment properties gained traction on social media, helping guide publishers in deciding which cookbooks to focus on next.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and each cookbook offers a unique experience for the reader. Some of them are written from an in-universe perspective as if you’re reading a cookbook that exists in the fiction of the show, fully immersing you in that world. For example, you can swing into Insight Editions’ recently released Spider-Man: The Official Cookbook, which showcases recipes for dishes from New York City alongside ones inspired by the Spider-Verse.

Other cookbooks allow us to explore our own world, like Insight Editions’ new Encanto: The Official Cookbook, which focuses on real-life Colombian cuisine, or Disney: Cooking with Magic, which highlights the long history of the studio and includes recipes with titles inspired by a century of Disney films, including Best Gumbo You’ve Ever Tasted (The Princess and the Frog), Soup du Jour (Beauty and the Beast), Very Tall Buttercream Birthday Cake (Sleeping Beauty), and more.

These cookbooks pair well with gamers, too. Exquisite Exandria: The Official Cookbook of Critical Role from Penguin Random House features recipes for delicacies from Exandria, accompanied by the histories of each land and iconic culinary tales from Vox Machina, the Mighty Nein, Bells Hells, and more. Scholastic released The Official Five Nights at Freddy’s Cookbook in October to coincide with the theatrical release of Five Nights at Freddy’s. The book features fan-favorite characters and recipes inspired by the video games, including Freddy Fazbear’s Pepperoni X-Press and Chica’s Ultimate Thai Chicken Burger.

Insight Editions’ Yellowstone: The Official Dutton Ranch Family Cookbook includes dishes from the show with even more of a personal touch: Chef Gabriel Guilbeau, who just so happens to be the actor who plays Gator in the show, wrote it. “There’s a slice of Americana to Yellowstone that connects with the cookbook buyer,” Ruditis says. “To have the book written by the actual chef, who started out behind-the-scenes on the show and then became a beloved character on the show itself — that’s the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle that’s fairly impossible to replicate.”

Just like in some of our favorite fantasy worlds, the possibilities are endless, and publishers aim to make sure there’s something for everyone.

Whether you’re a skilled home chef or not, publishers insist these cookbooks are for you. “For most people, cooking is already an act of love. It makes sense that you would want to blend that experience with the films, TV, games, and comics that also bring you joy,” Sarfas says. “And even if you never host that Game of Thrones feast, it’s fun to imagine what it would be like if you did!”

Generally, licensed cookbooks offer recipes for every skill level so anyone can join in on the fun. There are practical dishes made to be accessible to both casual and loyal fans, as well as more advanced recipes available for those who want to host an extravagant, themed dinner party.

Ulysses Press’ licensed cookbooks draw inspiration from board games, which make them a natural fit for game night entertaining. Catan: The Official Cookbook is the perfect way to add authentic food and beverage to your next game night. The book includes breakfasts, lunches, snacks, main course showstoppers, drinks, and more, as well as vegan, vegetarian, and dairy-free options for you to satiate that appetite you built up along with your settlements. Beyond the food, the book also features iconic game artwork and facts from the world of Catan.

“Die hard fans will certainly appreciate some of the deep-cut references scattered throughout the books, but in general all the recipes and the references can be used for fans and chefs of all experience levels,” says Casie Vogel, vice president publisher at Ulysses Press.

Likewise, the publisher’s new-for-2024 Ticket to Ride: The Official Cookbook offers dining car menus inspired by destinations throughout the U.S. and Canada, taking fans on a cross-country journey the same way the game does. Readers can enjoy New York’s famous pizza paired with San Francisco’s iconic mai tai, or New Orleans’ shrimp po’ boy followed by Little Rock’s decadent possum pie.

Ghostbusters: The Official Cookbook from Insight Editions features recipes from Jenn Fujikawa (@justjennrecipes), a content creator who regularly shares her own original recipes with her followers through her website and social channels. Her recipes for the book are inspired by the franchise’s films, such as a mushroom dish thanks to Dr. Egon Spengler saying, “I collect spores, molds, and fungus,” or an extra-large Twinkie inspired by Winston Zeddemore’s iconic line, “That’s a big Twinkie.”

“Everyone flips open fandom-based books hoping to find something dedicated to their favorite character or scene,” Fujikawa says. “By filling the cookbook with familiar references, it makes fans feel comfortable and allows them to try out recipes they may not be interested in otherwise.” All of the recipes in the book have a difficulty scale, so you know what you’re getting into before you even start. “But again, if you love a particular character and just really want to make that recipe — no matter your skill level, I say go for it!”

Another part of the fandom cooking experience is connecting with other fans. After all, food is meant to be shared and is often the centerpiece of social gatherings. Ghostbusters: The Official Cookbook spans 40 years of ghostbusting, from the 1984 original movie to Ghostbusters: Afterlife. “Afterlife is filled with fun new characters and storytelling for a whole new generation,” Fujikawa says. “My hope was that the cookbook would tie that vast fandom together. Ghostbusters now reaches different generations and hopefully families will cook together while rewatching the movies.”

With today’s inclination toward streaming over appointment TV, people don’t necessarily watch the same shows at the same time with the opportunity to discuss them the next day. These licensed cookbooks are a new way for friends and families to get together to share in their appreciation for fandoms in a less immediate — but still very meaningful — way.

“There was a time when the 8 p.m. hour of television was the family hour, when the entire family would gather around the TV to watch their favorite shows together. I like to think we’re re-creating that classic family hour with our cookbooks,” Ruditis says.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is to have fun — whether you have your own cooking style, want to add your own twist to the recipes, or you’re looking to try new ingredients. “Cooking should be fun and not stressful,” Fujikawa says. “If people want to change it up they can. Or even if it’s out of necessity. I’ve run out of ingredients before and had to improvise, and sometimes it turns out even better.”

Whether you’re looking to whisk up some magic with friends or mix up some potions for yourself, your favorite places are just around the corner — all you have to do is turn the page.