The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook: A Cozy Gift for Under $20

Man, I’ve seriously sunk too many hours into Stardew Valley, just lost in my little farm world. Planting, harvesting – it’s a whole job itself, right? But oh, the joy of cooking up characters’ fave foods in that pixel paradise. Those recipes are pretty basic, but there’s something about how they look that makes my imagination run wild with taste. Weird thought, but I never even considered making them for real until I stumbled across the Stardew Valley cookbook. No idea why I hadn’t before.

So here’s the thing, this official cookbook? It’s not just a fan project. It was actually put together with the guy behind the game, ConcernedApe, aka Eric Barone. And as someone who digs both the game and cooking, it’s now top of my wishlist for 2025. Who knew a game would inspire my culinary adventures?

Oh, right, the cookbook – it’s officially out there. Came out in May 2024, which means, yeah, I missed a whole year without knowing it. Typical. But on the bright side? It’s hit some rock-bottom prices on Amazon. Just a tad under twenty bucks now, so it’s a total steal if you need a gift for a fellow Stardew fanatic. Way cheaper than gifting the game itself, at least.

What’s inside, you ask? 50 recipes, straight outta the game. Ordered by season, which, I guess makes sense if you’re into that fresh-ingredient vibe. And get this, the recipes come with illustrations and are written like the game’s characters are talking to you. Wild, huh? They even have a slideshow preview, but I got totally sidetracked and didn’t check it out.

Oh, and if Stardew’s not your thing, don’t sweat it. There’s a bunch of other game cookbooks out there, believe it or not. Elder Scrolls, The Witcher, Fallout, Minecraft – they’re all jumping on the bandwagon. Heck, there’s even something for Pac-Man (like, what do they even eat? Dots?) and Borderlands, slated for 2025. Whole subculture I didn’t even know was thriving. Anyway, bit of a rabbit hole there, but… where was I?