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“Cooking for Halflings & Monsters: 111 Comfy, Cozy Recipes for Fantasy-Loving Souls” by Astrid T


A Delightful Collection Of Dreamy Recipes!

Tolkien scholar Astrid Tuttle Winegar’s “Cooking for Halflings & Monsters: 111 Comfy, Cozy Recipes for Fantasy-Loving Souls” is a delightful collection of recipes featuring grown-up comfort food for all your favorite storybook reads.

The research and testing that went into putting together each of the delectable dishes in Winegar’s grand opus was obviously an enormous undertaking for the author who personally created, tested, captioned, and illustrated each one of her 111 recipes—including recipe substitutions and variations for those with specific dietary needs, not to mention those of us who are of the vegetarian persuasion. Each of the eight chapters featured in Winegar’s book is complete with an introduction to the lifestyle of whatever fantasy creature may find a certain dietary menu appealing—a hobbit, elf, or wizard, and is geared toward a specific venue set one might frequent in their particular fantasy world—a café, inn, or pub. Fortunately for us mere mortals, these homey, comfort-food recipes also happen to be tailor-made for everyday people in our own world who enjoy everything from pub-style grub to more elegant fare.

As an historian and a tremendous fan of Tolkien (Who isn’t?!), who has developed into a pretty good cook since I was a youngster standing knee-high by my French grandmother’s side, I can attest to the fact that the recipes contained in Winegar’s remarkable collection are easy to follow and deliciously satisfying. The author’s notes on methodology, cooking in various altitudes, conversion charts, ingredients, and measuring and baking demonstrate her vast knowledge and experience with the cooking arts. I personally tested “Chloe’s Macrows ond Chese” (aka “Chloe’s Macaroni and Cheese”) and found the dish to be both easy to make and deliciously satisfying. “Stout and Sturdy Chicken and Dumplings”—using the recommended leeks—is now a family favorite with its light cumin fragrance wafting through the entire house enticing hungry appetites to our supper table. And, all I have to say about “Elfryda’s Apple Crisp” is YUMMERS!

I must mention that did find the ebook version formatting of “Cooking for Halflings” a bit hard to follow—with recipe titles often listed at the bottom of the page for a prior recipe, and I experienced some confusion paging back and forth between the chapters where recipes were resorted and duplicated. But, I loved the collection itself so much that I will be ordering the paperback version—which should ensure my favorites can be easily tabbed and found for the future joy and happiness of my friends and family..

Congratulations to the author on this award-winning cookbook! This book will be permanently featured on my website under IHIBRP 5 Star Recommended Reads!

Find “Cooking for Halflings & Monsters: 111 Comfy, Cozy Recipes for Fantasy-Loving Souls” by Astrid Tuttle Winegar on Amazon & Kindle here.

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