Thanks to Media Lab Books for sending me a copy of The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook in exchange for an honest review.
Are you hungry after bingeing your favorite prestige streaming series and/or fleeing from those with cordyceps brain infections? Consider The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook: 70+ Sustaining (And Surprisingly Delicious) Recipes For Survivors. Fans of The Last Of Us show (and game) will want to sink their teeth into this fun, tasty homage. The cookbook is written by Ben Charman and Joe Charman with recipes by Isabel Minunni. It features recipe photos by Carol Kicinski, Julia Gennocro, Emma Joyce and Emily Zambrano.
The Unofficial The Last of Us Cookbook
To begin, let’s discuss the difference between an officially licensed tie-in cookbook and one that’s unofficial. First, don’t assume that an “official” cookbook will be of greater quality. For example, my library contains quite a few tie-in cookbooks. Some of my favorites are unofficial. Legally, an unofficial cookbook is not affiliated with the intellectual property in question.
The most obvious distinction between official and unofficial will be that the latter lacks episodic imagery and key art. There are no images of the characters or screenshots from the show in The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook. However, the book can discuss the characters and include facts and trivia related to the show and its production.
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And while official HBO or Naughty Dog images cannot be utilized, neither is necessary for your cooking and eating enjoyment. Plus, you can always add your own imagery. Just stream the show on Max or find a Twitch player who is running through the game as you cook. Voilà!
Furthermore, the lack of official imagery doesn’t hamper this book’s aesthetic at all. Each recipe is presented on a page that has been designed to look like it was cobbled together from the remnants of our collapsed society. The pages are made to look wrinkled and stained, with the various components written on scraps of paper and taped, paperclipped or pasted in. And on top of this, each recipe has a full-color photo of the food you’ll be preparing.
70+ Sustaining (And Surprisingly Delicious) Recipes For Survivors
While cooking from The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook, you’ll never forget what show the recipes tie into. This is for several reasons. For one, the cookbook is arranged into location rather than the more conventional “type” of food. Tracing the cross-country journey undertaken by Joel and later Ellie, means sections for Lincoln, Boston, Boulder, Salt Lake City and more. Within these sections are breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and drink recipes.
One aspect I very much enjoyed was how many of the recipes built off one another. For example, the Texas section includes a recipe for brisket (“Burning Down the House”). Later in the book, the Pittsburgh section has recipes for “FEDRA Fries” and the “Survivor’s Sub.” Both of these utilize leftover brisket from the earlier recipe. Likewise, the recipe for “‘Sauce’ of the Infection” yields a sauce that is utilized in many of the recipes throughout the book. Helpfully, this recipe comes with both tips for preserving the sauce and for making a vegan alternative.
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In addition, the book also includes brief sections on pantry essentials and “Rationing 101.” Even for experienced cooks, a brush-up on these important topics can be a good idea. Plus, because they are at the beginning of the book, they set the right tone for a book that ties in with a post-apocalyptic property like The Last Of Us.
Meanwhile, the recipes themselves are quite varied. This is true of both the types of food offered and the types of eaters who are being served. There are more conventional recipes, like pancakes and sandwiches. But some foods may test the mettle of the especially squeamish.
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This is particularly true of the Silver Lake section. As fans may recall, this location is associated with cannibalism. The majority of the recipes in this section lean into that idea.
In most cases, this association is limited to the recipe’s name and winking references in the accompanying text. But there’s also “Venison Who?!,” a venison soup that suggests chefs shape the soup’s dumplings using an ear-shaped cookie cutter. This could be a key dish at a particularly memorable dinner party (along with the “No-Questions-Asked-Ribs” and “Grilled Ears… Of Corn!”).
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There are other ways that the cookbook ensures its recipes are closely related to The Last Of Us, too. Remember those delicious-looking meals prepared by Frank in episode 3? Now you can prepare them for yourself. Meanwhile, the “Smuggler’s Chicken Sandwich” pays homage to a scene in episode 2 in which Joel and Tess are envious of Ellie’s sandwich. Having tried this recipe for myself, I can understand why others would be jealous. I recommend using sourdough bread.
Another recipe I tried was the “Cowboy Bowl.” Made with chilis and cut-up chuck roast, this was a tasty slow-cooking dish. Inspired by the cookbook’s penchant for reusing recipes, I used some of the leftovers to make an extremely satisfying burrito. On a tangentially related note, I relished “Squash the Beef,” a fried steak and gravy plate that was delicious with the suggested mashed potatoes and green bean accompaniments.
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Finally, I made the “Snow Way Back” cookies for my coconut-loving spouse. While nothing like this dessert directly appeared in the show, it pays homage to wintery Jackson Hole, Wyoming. But I was interested to learn from a note accompanying the recipe that the HBO series filmed its Jackson scenes in Canmore in Alberta, Canada.
Clearly, a lot of thought and care was put into The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook, and by people who have a deep familiarity with the franchise. I am looking forward to trying many more of the recipes it contains for myself. Fans of the show will adore this cookbook, and while I haven’t played the games myself, I suspect those fans will enjoy it, as well.
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With The Last Of Us Season 2 not arriving until 2025, now could be an ideal time to host a Season 1 rewatch party catered with dishes from this book. And if your guests are brave, you could prepare “Wing Roulette.” This perfect-for-parties recipe instructs you to make one of the chicken wings with extra spice to add a thrill to your appetizer that will have everyone talking.
Alternatively, you could use the cookbook to host a Solar Opposites Season 5 viewing party (IYKYK). But whatever your plans for The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook, adding it to your inventory will be well worth your while.
The Unofficial The Last Of Us Cookbook is available now at a local bookstore and/or public library.
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