I live in a house full ofMinecraftfans. We have our own server, more copies of the game than plates in the cupboard, and enough merchandise that I regularly have to suppress the thought of how much it cost. The one thing we didn’t have was a Minecraft cookbook. Until now.
A Minecraft cookbook is a curious thought. While we all know the famous cake and cookies from the game, I wondered what else could be in there. Would it just be full of pork chops and chicken recipes? Would the foodfeellike it came from Minecraft? To discover the answers I tested a few recipes from Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! on my family.
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First up was Suspicious Stew. I chose this because it’s a staple in the game and the recipe is something every one of us can eat, despite having various allergies and a vegetarian in the house. It’s a hearty stew that combines potatoes, lentils, mushrooms, carrots, and onions with a few extra ingredients I never would have put in a stew. I mean, would you think to add soy sauce to a stew? I certainly didn’t.
After minimal prep and just 20 minutes to cook the stew was ready. So, what did the family think? I was a big fan. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I’ve made it again since. However, for the kids, it lived up to its name.
“What’s this?” “Why is there green in it?” “Are those mushrooms?” and the slightly more random “Why did you cook the carrots?” all awaited me as I served up the stew. Suspicion was definitely in the air as the kids all eyed the simmering pot. I’d love to say they got over their suspicions and enjoyed every spoonful of it but they are kids, so they did not. “It’s ok, I guess” was the highest praise this got, but for anyone who isn’t deathly afraid of vegetables for reasons they can’t explain, it’s a great choice.
For a better chance of success, I went sweet and simple next with the Blocks of Clay Fudge. This may be the fastest I have ever made something that tastes so good. Blitz some cookies in a blender, heat up some condensed milk, add some chocolate, and mix it all together. Job done. It takes longer to cool than it does to make.
I’m pretty sure no one thought it looked anything like clay Minecraft blocks, but that may have been because we all ate it faster than you spend mining for clay in the game. Who cares what something looks like when it tastes this good? Fudge probably isn’t the right word for it since it’s more cake-like than I expected, but when it’s that delicious, it doesn’t matter. While the name isn’t as fitting as the Suspicious Stew, the recipe is easy to make and went down very well indeed.
At this point, the youngest wanted to join in so we searched the book for a recipe that appealed to him. He finally settled on Hoglins and Lava, which was essentially mini sausage rolls and hot sauce. As suggested in the book we used frozen puff pastry. I was glad not to be shamed into trying to make it from scratch, especially since producing puff pastry that actually puffs is a baking skill I do not possess. If pre-rolled is good enough for Mary Berry, it’s good enough for me.
This was a great recipe because it was very easy for my son to join in. Pastry rolling, cutting, and wrapping up mini sausages is nice and easy and he absolutely loved doing it. He was even more excited that his Hoglins looked “exactly like the picture.” Despite the cutting being a little wonky, and the whole thing looking very much like a child made it, the result was a success. We did cheat on the hot sauce a little, and our lava was made from ketchup. That’s the beauty of cooking, there’s always room for experimentation, and a number of these recipes can easily be slightly adjusted for your preferences.
The entire book is mostly simple recipes that kids could help with, matching well with the wide demographic Minecraft attracts. Some of the recipes are more complex and look incredibly impressive, but many are just nice and simple twists on regular foods. Each one has an accurate time for how long it takes, and all list the dietary needs they cater to. I especially liked the section at the back that pairs together recipes that complement each other under different themes, in case you want to provide a Minecraft-themed picnic.
Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! contains a good range of easy-to-cook recipes with enough theming to keep kids interested. The only downside is that not all recipes contain a photo of the finished dish, something which I do miss as having the image as an inspiration and serving idea is preferable for visual learners and inexperienced cooks alike. While I’ve not eaten my way through the entire cookbook yet, we are very much working on it. I don’t think the Mooshroom Burger would be a hit with the kids, but I can’t wait to have the time to make Glazed Terracotta Cookies. Yum.
