Hunger Games Movie Inspires "Unofficial" Cookbook (2024)

OMG. Hunger Games, the movie, hits theaters this Friday, spurring a fever pitch of Facebook chatter, pre-movie party planning, and the release of unofficial Hunger Games companion literature, including a cookbook.

The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook: From Lamb Stew to "Groosling" features more than 150 recipes inspired by the hugely popular young adult trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. Cookbook author Emily Ansara Baines offers recipes that seek to recreate the assorted dishes and edibles described in the series, from the meager breads and roadkill-type stews of District 12 to the lavish meals dished up in the Capitol.

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For those who have not yet succumbed to the grim allure of this post-apocalyptic fantasy, Hunger Games is the tale of Katniss Everdeen, the unwitting revolutionary heroine in a messed-up world where natural resources are scarce and the government maintains total control over the fate of the populace. In this world, known as Panem, the have-nots reside in one of 12 districts, each with its own industry and ingredients, and the more comfortable citizens live in the Capitol, which reaps the riches from each district. Once a year, the government holds a competition called the Hunger Games, in which teenagers chosen by lottery compete to the death in an arena until just one kid survives, thereby illustrating the powerlessness of the citizenry.

Food and hunger are ever-present themes in this trilogy, making a cookbook a pretty logical extension. The characters hunt game and forage to feed their families and trade anything of value for scraps of food. As readers, we're there when Katniss travels to the Capitol and first tastes a rich lamb stew with dried plums. And now superfans can prepare an approximation of this same dish and really immerse themselves in the Hunger Games experience.

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Other recipes in the cookbook include: District 12 Drop Biscuits, District 4's Seaweed Bread, Greasy Sae's Spicy Vegetarian Chili, French Bread from the Mellark Family Bakery, Capitol Creamy Spinach Fettuccine, Chilled Raspberry and Cherry Soup, and Plutarch Heavensbee's Roasted Suckling Pig Surprise. Baines introduces each recipe in the cookbook with a blurb explaining where the reference to the dish can be found in the book and its significance.

Released in December 2011, The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook is Baines's first foray into companion cookbook writing, but not her last. She also penned a book of recipes inspired by another facebook-sweeping, pop-culture phenomenon: Downton Abbey. The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook: From Mrs. Patmore's Apple Charlotte to Lord Grantham's Hot Toddy is slated for release in September 2012. To hear an interview with Emily Ansara Baines, entitled Hunger Games Fireside Chat, visit youtube.

Hosting a Hunger Games movie pre-party? Try some of these recipes that range from meager breads and bites to tummy-filling delights worthy of the Capitol:

Potato Rolls

Start the meal with these simple potato rolls — mashed potato keeps their texture light and fluffy.

Endive-Beet Salad with Herb-Crusted Goat Cheese

Katniss's sister Prim leaves her a basil-wrapped piece of goat cheese from her scraggly goat, Lady, on the day of the reaping — your guests can enjoy this tart cheese on a bed of endive and roasted beets.

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Chickpeas and Prunes

Katniss can't get enough of her first helping of lamb stew with dried plums (or prunes, as they're otherwise known) — treat your guests like Capitol royalty with this Moroccan version served over couscous.

Blueberry and White Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

As Katniss boards the train to the Capitol, Peeta's dad hands her a plain bag filled with cookies — bring some of these cookies to the movie and munch along with the characters.

Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is an everyday treat at the Capitol — make a big batch for your guests to sip before heading out into the wilds of the movie theater.