Feast on your favorite Star Trek foods from The Star Trek Cookbook by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel! Come with me as I see what it takes to make Klingon blood pie or Bajoran Ratamba Stew. And don’t worry, we will wash it down with some Romulan Ale!
The research that went into this book is insane. Each recipe has a source (the show, video game, movie, etc.), culture it’s from, and diplomatic plating ideas (you don’t want to create a galactic political incident, do you?). Chelsea also gives you the difficulty, prep time, cook time, and what pairs well within the book.
Book Layout
The book is broken down into eight parts:
- The basics: sauces and garnishes
- Sides, starters, and snacks
- Soups and stews
- Breads and baked goods
- Mains
- Desserts
- Drinks
- Menu suggestions
Each section has a nice assortment of options and storytelling for the recipes within it.
Recipe Testing
I enjoyed the menu suggestions because sometimes I know what mood I want to set for dinner but have no clue what foods accomplish that feat. In the section, you get eight different menu suggestions ranging from breakfast to a buffet, with the page numbers of each of the dishes recommended.
There are some dishes that any Trekkie will recognize, including Rokeg Blood Pie and Gagh (both of Klingon origin). Since the recipes are from out-of-this-world locations, it’s no surprise that the ingredients may also be a bit hard to come by. Internet food and speciality shops will be your friend for many of the recipes.
I would have liked to see the drinks have non-alcoholic alternatives for those of us who don’t like to partake in spirits, but most seemed easy enough to modify just by asking the right person. The Icoberry Spritzer (Federation) was an alcohol-free drink that I became quite fond of. It mixes blueberries, blackberries, simple syrup, and your choice of an unflavored soda or citrus soda. I ended up doing a different ratio than what the recipe called for, but improvise is the name of the game when it comes to mocktails.
Something else we tried were the Krada Leg Skewers (Klingon). On Earth, we would call these turkey meatballs. An ingredient we were not prepared for was anchovies. I couldn’t taste them in the final product, but they were interesting to cook with for the first time. This recipe ended up not being our thing because it tasted a bit dry, but we are confident if we made them with a juicier meat, that wouldn’t be a problem.
The Talaxian dish, Chadre’kab, is essentially cheese grits (which is probably a foreign food to some of our readers who are not from the south). These were pretty good and the cheese it called for was a different variety than we generally use.
Interview with the author
I had some time to talk to the author, Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, about her love for Trek and what it took to put this project together.
GeekDad: What was the inspiration behind this cookbook?
Chelsea: I used to watch Next Gen with my parents when I was a kid, so I’ve always liked Star Trek. I think it’s a hugely hopeful and compelling setting, showing us a future that could be, without shying away from humanity’s tumultuous past. So as a fan, it had been on my short list of projects I’d love to tackle for a cookbook. I was delighted when I finally got the email asking about my availability!
GD: How long did the research and the planning take for all the recipes?
Chelsea: From the initial call to final draft approval was probably about a year, but the bulk of the recipe testing was more in the 6-8 months range. Granted, it was during the pandemic, and a kitchen renovation made it extra tricky!
GD: Who is your favorite Star Trek character, and why?
Chelsea: I love some of the amazing women in Starfleet, like Captain Janeway, Seven of Nine, Jadzia Dax, Lieutenant Uhura, and so on. They just show such resilience and drive to do the right thing, support their crews, and do some really cool science on the way.
GD: Do you have a favorite dish in the book?
Chelsea: Several! My favorites include: Quadrotriticale Salad, Deviled Regova Eggs, SFRs (Starfleet Food Rations), Denobulan Sausage, Chadre’kab, Spatchcocked Tribble, Osol Twists, Uttaberry Cruffins, and Raktajino.
GD: Of all the cultures/shows represented, which one did you enjoy working with the most?
Chelsea: The Vulcans were a bit of a challenge because despite being one of the best-recognized cultures, thanks to Spock, we know surprisingly little about their foods! The Andorians were also fun to cook for because they lived on a frozen moon, which would necessitate all kinds of clever food solutions. I also felt it was important to really represent them as a founding member of the Federation.
Make sure you engage your vessel to the nearest bookstore today to pick up The Star Trek Cookbook.
Disclaimer: GeekDad was given a review copy of this book.
