Do you love books and cooking? If so, you need to check out these literary-inspired cookbooks! Ranging from general book lover’s cookbooks, to cookbooks related to specific authors and books, to books of drink recipes inspired by literature or specific authors, these literary recipes are sure to be a hit in your own home, at book club, or wherever else you decide to share the fun. So check out these 21 best literary cookbooks to cook up some literary food today!
Just released: Martha Lloyd’s Household Book, which is filled with recipes Jane Austen loved! Buy it now or scroll to #11 on this list to learn more!
1. The Book Lover’s Cookbook by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen
Looking for literary cookbooks that share ways to make famous food from your favorite novels? If so, then The Book Lover’s Cookbook is for you!
Featuring recipes inspired by celebrated works of literature and the passages they’re inspired by, the recipes in this book are sure to be a hit. This cookbook features delicious and delightful recipes, including Mrs. Dalby’s Buttermilk scones (from James Herriot’s All Things Bright and Beautiful), Mr. Casaubon’s Chicken Noodle Soup (from George Eliot’s Middlemarch), Carrot Pudding (from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol), Turkish Delight (from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe), and tons more!
And while you’re cooking, you may even be inspired to pick up an old favorite book again. This is the ultimate in food and literary pairings—a culinary and literary delight you’ll enjoy having in your kitchen for years to come!
Buy The Book Lover’s Cookbook now!
2. The Little Library Cookbook by Kate Young
Another fun cookbook if you’re looking for literary meals recreated is The Little Library Cookbook. This cookbook features 100 recipes from your favorite books, with many of them taken from beloved works of fiction including classics and contemporary bestsellers!
Whether you’re interested in trying Paddington Bear’s marmalade, clam chowder from Moby Dick, or tarts that the Queen of Hearts would be jealous of, this cookbook features tons of recipes perfect for every occasion—from family dinners to parties and celebrations.
Book lovers of all ages will both enjoy cooking and eating these delicious literary treats, so this is one cookbook you will definitely want on your shelves!
Buy The Little Library Cookbook now!
3. A Literary Tea Party by Alison Walsh
Are you a tea and book-loving cook? If so, then A Literary Tea Party is the cookbook for you!
This cookbook brings food from classic books to life, but with a teatime twist! You’ll find recipes including Eeyore’s “Hipy Bthuthday” Cake, Jo’s Gingerbread from Little Women, Queen of Hearts’ Painted Rose Cupcakes from Alice in Wonderland, and plenty of tea and beverage recipes as well so you have everything you need for the perfect literary tea party.
With 55 recipes accompanied by photographs and book quotes, you’ll feel as if you are sitting down to tea with Winnie-the-Pooh, Bilbo Baggins, Alice, Sherlock Holmes, and plenty more of your favorite literary characters. This is a cookbook you won’t want to miss!
4. Eat This Poem by Nicole Gulotta
There are plenty of cookbooks featuring recipes from novels, but your literary foodie cookbook collection wouldn’t be complete without a cookbook inspired by poetry as well! And that’s where Eat This Poem comes in.
This literary feast inspired by poetry features 25 poems accompanied by 75 recipes that bring their words to life. Featuring poets including Marge Piercy, Mark strand, Mary Oliver, Billy Collins, and Jane Kenyon, these delightful poem and food pairings will make your mouth water as they bring the richness of words to life on your plate!
5. The Book Club Cookbook by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp
If you’re looking for recipes to bring to book club or recipes inspired by fantastic book club books and authors, then The Book Club Cookbook is the recipe book for you!
Whether you’re making Roman Punch from The Age of Innocence, Sabzi Challow with Lamb from The Kite Runner, Annie Barrows’ Potato Peel Pie from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, or any other number of incredible novel-inspired recipes, this cookbook is sure to provide you (and your book club!) with delicious food and conversation.
Buy The Book Club Cookbook now!
6. Voracious by Cara Nicoletti
Described as “A hungry reader cooks her way through great books”, Voracious is another cookbook that book lovers everywhere would enjoy.
Featuring fifty recipes inspired by beloved books, this cookbook takes you from breakfast sausage in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods, to the perfect soft-boiled egg from Jane Austen’s Emma, to grilled peaches with homemade ricotta in tribute to Joan Didion’s Goodbye to All That, and lots more! If you love to curl up with excellent books and delicious food, this cookbook filled with recipes and stories is a great choice.
7. A Literary Holiday Cookbook by Alison Walsh
If you love famous feasts in literature and want to recreate them for your own holidays, then A Literary Holiday Cookbook is the perfect festive literary recipe book for you!
This cookbook contains plenty of incredible meals for holidays around the year, including Deviled Raven Eggs and Coffin Pizza Pockets from Edgar Allen Poe for Halloween, Skillet Cornbread with Homemade Butter and Venison Pot Roast from The Little House on the Prairie for Thanksgiving, and Turkey Roulade and Jo’s Gingerbread from Little Women for Christmas. There are so many fun and fancy literary meal ideas in this festive cookbook that you’ll want to cook from it all the time, not just on holidays!
Buy A Literary Holiday Cookbook now!
8. The Wizard’s Cookbook by Aurelia Beaupommier
If you’re looking for a more thematic cookbook that contains literary elements, then The Wizard’s Cookbook is one you will definitely want to check out!
In this cookbook, you’ll find recipes inspired by your favorite magical stories—including some literary ones like Chocolate Frogs from Harry Potter, Elven Waybread from Lord of the Rings, and Children en Croûte from Narnia. There are plenty of food and drink recipes here to create a magical dining experience for yourself or to enchant your guests!
Buy The Wizard’s Cookbook now!
9. The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For
If you’re intrigued by the idea of a literary feast to die for, then you simply must grab a copy of The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook!
This cookbook features 100 recipes from your favorite mystery authors, including James Patterson, Sue Grafton, and Louise Penny. Each mystery writer included contributed a recipe to the book, and wrote a personal note about it revealing the links between food and foul play.
With “hard-boiled breakfasts, thrilling entrees, cozy desserts, and more”, you’re sure to enjoy this mysterious and delicious cookbook if you’re a fan of mystery, murder, and delicious mayhem!
Buy The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook now!
10. The Jane Austen Cookbook by Maggie Black and Deirdre Le Faye
For fans of Jane Austen who love to cook, The Jane Austen Cookbook is a delightful treat!
This cookbook features over 100 recipes enjoyed by the Austens in their everyday life, as well as at balls, picnics and supper parties. If you’ve ever been intrigued by or curious about the items Austen characters eat at their social engagements, then this is the cookbook for you.
This cookbook features recipes modernized for today’s cooks…including Buttered Prawns, Wine-roasted Gammon and Pigeon Pie, White Soup and Salmagundy, and plenty more. You are sure to enjoy this taste of Jane Austen’s life as you get the chance to try recipes enjoyed by her and the people of her time!
Buy The Jane Austen Cookbook now!
Looking for items to give a Jane Austen lover? Check out these incredible Jane Austen gifts!
11. Martha Lloyd’s Household Book: The Original Manuscript From Jane Austen’s Kitchen
Speaking of Jane Austen, another incredible cookbook all Austen fans will want to get their hands on is Martha Lloyd’s Household Book!
While The Jane Austen Cookbook features some recipes modernized for today’s cooks, Martha Lloyd’s Household Book is the original facsimile of the recipe book used by Martha Lloyd while living with Jane, her sister Cassandra, and their mother at the cottage in Chawton. Martha even ended up marrying Jane’s brother Francis Austen, so as you can see she was a huge part of the Austen’s lives!
And now you can own a copy of her manuscript cookbook in full color that features recipes and remedies handwritten over thirty years and used by the Austen family. Whether following the recipe for white soup as mentioned in Pride and Prejudice or trying Jane’s favorite foods like toasted cheese, this cookbook manuscript is sure to be a delight for all Austen fans!
Buy Martha Lloyd’s Household Book now!
12. Shakespeare’s Kitchen by Francine Segan
For fans of the bard, this Shakespeare’s Kitchen cookbook is an exciting look into food from William Shakespeare’s day!
But this cookbook not only gives insight into Renaissance recipes that people ate in Shakespeare’s time; instead, it also provides recipes that cooks today can use to re-create old recipes with currently-available ingredients. With a range of dishes including salads of fresh herbs and vegetables, fowl, meats, broths, dried plums with wine and ginger-zest crostini, lobster with pistachio stuffing and Seville orange butter, and tons more…well, the recipes in this book are sure to intrigue and delight!
And with food-related quotes from the Bard sprinkled throughout and the texts of the original recipes included as well, this recipe book is sure to be a hit with any Renaissance literary fan.
Buy Shakespeare’s Kitchen now!
Looking for more Shakespeare-themed items book lovers will adore? Check out these exciting gifts for Shakespeare fans!
13. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table by Maya Angelou
Another delicious cookbook that literary fans will love is Maya Angelou’s Hallelujah! The Welcome Table!
In this cookbook, Angelou shares a lifetime’s worth of memories alongside recipes she loved from throughout her life—from the maple cake her mother made to brighten her spirits, to short ribs and stories about her time as a cook at a Creole restaurant, to her first experience of a savory onion tart, and plenty more delicious recipes and stories. This poignant collection is filled with tried and true recipes and features over 100 recipes from Angelou’s heart and home!
Buy Hallelujah! The Welcome Table now!
14. Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan and Frankie Frankeny
If you’re looking for a cookbook that both kids and adults will enjoy, then the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook is the way to go!
This cookbook is perfect for you if you’ve ever wondered what green eggs and ham really taste like, or if you’ve ever wanted to try other wacky recipes such as Cat in the Hat Pudding, Moose Juice and Schlopp, Sneetch Salad, and more! Plus, the pages are laminated so you can easily wipe off any spills that result from whipping up a batch of Seuss-themed food.
Buy Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook now!
15. Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes by Roald Dahl, Felicity Dahl, and Josie Fison
Along the same lines as the Dr. Seuss cookbook above, another wacky but fun cookbook for kids and kids-at-heart is Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes!
With foods described as both “mouthwatering” and “deliciously disgusting”, this cookbook is sure to be a hit…especially with a younger crowd. Inside, you’ll find lots of recipes including Lickable Wallpaper, Stink Bug Eggs, Eatable Pillows, and other delicacies found in Dahl’s books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach.
The easy, step-by-step recipes and fun illustrations make this the perfect playful cookbook for kids, and if it’s a hit you can also get the second cookbook Roald Dahl’s Even More Revolting Recipes!
Buy Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes now!
16. The Little Women Cookbook by Wini Moranville
For those who love Little Women and the March sisters, The Little Women Cookbook is a dream come true! It’s like having the world of Little Women right in your very own kitchen.
If you’ve ever wondered about the various foods mentioned throughout this story, then now is the time to try some of them for yourself. From Blancmange, to Bonbons with Mottoes, to Amy’s Picnic Lemonade, to Hannah’s Pounded Potatoes, and more, the 50 recipes in this book are easy to make and will bring the magic of Little Women to life each time you try a new recipe.
Buy The Little Women Cookbook now!
Love Little Women? Find more gifts for Little Women fans here!
17. The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler
Another magical literary world with fun recipes to try is The Secret Garden, and that’s where The Secret Garden Cookbook comes in!
While this tale follows Mary Lennox as she brings an abandoned garden back to life, it also delights in good food and simple, hearty fare. In this cookbook, you’ll find recipes for items such as English Crumpets, Jam Roly Poly, Sticky Gingerbread Parking, as well as more substantial savory fare for dinnertime or snacks. It’s the perfect cookbook for anyone who loves this delightful tale!
Buy The Secret Garden Cookbook now!
18. The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook by Kate Macdonald
When thinking about classic books with fun foods to try, it’s important not to overlook the world of Anne from Anne of Green Gables. And if you want to try foods from Anne and her friends in Avonlea, then you absolutely need to get a copy of The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook!
If you’ve ever wanted to try Diana Barry’s favorite Raspberry Cordial, try Anne Shirley’s Liniment cake (without the liniment), eat Poetical Egg Salad Sandwiches, or try Marilla’s Plum Pudding, then the recipes here are sure to bring a smile to your face and happiness to your stomach. This is the perfect cookbook for kindred spirits who love cooking as much as they love reading!
Buy The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook now!
Interested in other Anne of Green Gables items too? Check out these delightful Anne of Green Gables gifts!
19. Dinner with Mr Darcy by Pen Vogler
While we’ve already mentioned a few other Jane Austen cookbooks, it would be remiss not to also mention Dinner with Mr Darcy! After all, who wouldn’t want to eat dinner with Mr. Darcy?
The recipes in this book are inspired by the novels and letters of Jane Austen, but are updated recipes for authentic Regency dishes. It also contains other information related to eating in Austen’s time, including information about table arrangements, kitchens and gardens, mealtimes, and more. So on the whole, this cookbook is an excellent way to get an idea of the flavors of food and mealtime etiquette in the early 19th century!
20. Drinking with Dickens by Cedric Dickens
As you can see, there are quite a few exciting literary cookbooks for book lovers to enjoy. But did you know there are also some fun drink-related literary recipe books you might also enjoy? One you might want to consider is Drinking with Dickens, which is actually by the great-grandson of Charles Dickens.
In this book, you’ll find memorable drinking scenes from Dickens’ books alongside an abundance of recipes based on the drinks of Dickensian England and America. These include Ginger Beer, Dog’s Nose, Hot Bowl Punch, Milk Punch, Mint Julep, Sherry Cobbler, and more! If you love Dickens or are curious about drinks from his time and the Victorian sources that share information about these drinks, then this is a fascinating recipe book to try.
Buy Drinking with Dickens now!
21. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist by Tim Federle
And last but not least, another drink recipe book that is both fun and literary is Tequila Mockingbird!
This punny guidebook pairs novels with classic and cutting-edge cocktails. Inside, you’ll find drinks with names like The Pitcher of Dorian Grey Goose, The Last of the Mojitos, Romeo and Julep, A Rum of One’s Own, and more! This is the perfect little recipe book to give to as a gift for book lovers or to keep for yourself, and if you need even more cocktail ideas there’s also a sequel (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margarita) for even more whimsical drinks and bar bites.
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