In 1939, cinema and the world were changed with the release of The Wizard of Oz. A world that was only seen in black and white became vibrant and colorful. On the screen, moviegoers saw the beautiful world of Oz. This was a world that was almost beautiful enough to eat. Now, over eight decades later, an official cookbook has been released that allows people to celebrate their love of going “over the rainbow” in the kitchen, at the dining table, or even in front of their televisions.
The Wizard of Oz: The Official Cookbook has over 70 recipes inspired by this Hollywood classic. The recipes are inspired by different parts of the movie and include the following collections of recipes:
- Kansas: Antie Em’s Recipe Box
- Over the Rainbow
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road
- The Wicked Castle
- Emerald City
There is also a section in the back that helps with dietary restrictions, conversion charts, safety tips for frying, a glossary, and even a section that organizes recipes by type.
First off, I love cookbooks. This cookbook, in particular, I really enjoyed. As I read through the recipes I found myself quite frequently being transported to growing up in the midwest. There are quite a few recipes that seemed familiar but changed a bit as I went through this cookbook. There are also some fun new recipes that I look forward to trying. All of them are accompanied by beautiful pictures of either the food or from the movie. Sometimes there are both.
In general, most of the recipes feel like they did come out of Kansas. This is especially true with the ones in the Kansas section. However, in the other parts of the book, there still seems to be a connection to that state. As the cookbook continues through the storyline of the film, the recipes do a really good job of taking their inspiration from different parts of the story.
The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and make sense. There are some different levels of difficulty. In general, just about any cook should be able to make the recipes throughout the book. However, some recipes might take some more time, care, and patience to get right. For instance, making “glass pears” might be a bit challenging. At least, I think it would be for me as I’m definitely not a pastry chef!
I should also note that this is a book that has recipes for foods that are found in the Midwest. Some of these might not be everyone’s cup of tea. For example, there is a recipe for Chicken Liver Pate. I immediately had flashbacks to my grandmother from Wyoming when I saw this recipe. Some of the recipes for The Wicked Castle section also have a dark look to them that may not be appetizing to everyone. However, they look like they should be delicious and I look forward to making my way through them!
On the flip side, there are some other recipes that are MUST MAKE! This includes the ‘There’s No Place Like Home(made) Apple Pie’ recipe, the ‘Pull Up to the Table Bacon Cheddar Biscuits’ recipe, and the ‘If I Only Had a Heart-Shaped Ravioli’ recipe to name a few.
The Wizard of Oz: The Official Cookbook is a fun cookbook that will be able to be enjoyed by cooks of all ages and skill levels. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the 85th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz and has plenty of recipes that are perfect for watching the movie or having a party themed to this movie, or for Wicked for that matter! This book gets a solid hat-tip. It’s a great Christmas present for fans of this story who love to cook!
Daps Magic received a sample product or experience for this review in exchange for an honest review. The views of the reviewer are wholly their own. Read the full disclosure policy at dapsmagic.com/disclosurepolicy.
Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
