They combine two GeekDad obsessions: Star Wars and baking. What could be better?
A few years back, two cook books — Wookiee Cookies: A Star Wars Cookbook by Robin Davis and The Star Wars Cookbook II:
Darth Malt and More Galactic Recipes — helped inspire my kids to try new foods AND start cooking for themselves. (Yes, my children used to be so picky they wouldn’t eat eggs or hot dogs.) I was even quoted in a parenting magazine crediting Wookiee Cookies with helping my younger son learn to read! Because if your little sci-fi fans are eager to start doing things for themselves, these are the kind of high-interest books you’ll have to pry out of their hands.
For the most part the recipes are old family stand-bys, but the names are irresistible: Yoda Soda, Obi-Wan Kebabs, Sandtrooper Sandies. Twin Sun Toast is the traditional bird-in-a-nest, but using a slice of bread big enough for two holes to hold the sunny-side-up eggs. We made these together for years, until Anthony hit the double digits and began scrambling his own omelets instead.
We substituted fish sticks for franks and homemade biscuit dough for store-bought breadsticks-in-a-can when we made Tie Fighter Ties, and cut one hot dog into halves instead of using two foot-longs when making Darth Double Dogs — both variations on pigs-in-a-blanket — but the results were just as good.
And although we haven’t tried them ourselves, many recipes such as Padme Pad Thai and Dark Side Salsa may appeal as much to grown-up Star Wars fans as young ones.
Both books include fun and tasty photographs by Frankie Frankeny, who also helped create The Star Wars Party Book: Recipes and Ideas for Galactic Occasions. All are worthy of a place on the kitchen bookshelf of any Jedi Apprentice.
