Stardew Valley is about to join the likes of World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 when it gets its own cookbook in April. If you've spent any time with Stardew, you've probably taken great pains to set up your crops, milk your cows, and establish a supply line for the very important logistical task that is making chocolate cake to present to Abigail. Now you'll be able to replicate the feat in real life with official recipes from none other than Stardew creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone.
Releasing in April 2024, the Official Stardew Valley Cookbook (here it is on Amazon) is co-authored by Barone and Ryan Novak (The Stardew Valley Guidebook, Hollow Knight Wanderer's Journal). It's said to feature "over fifty mouthwatering recipes accompanied by vibrant photography and original illustrations," and like the game is organized by season. Farmer's lunch in the spring, crab cakes in the summer, and pumpkin soup for fall are a few of the game favorites that have been confirmed for the project.
The book will join a pantheon of cookbooks based on videogames, some of which are on my bookshelf. The FF14 cookbook in particular has lots of great recipes in it, like the Ishgardian almond cream croissants that remind me of my favorite French bakery and the Cawl Cennin, which is a delightful take on a Welsh leek and potato soup (just go light on the lemon juice).
One chef has even made a name for herself specifically as a creator of videogame-themed cook books, turning a Game of Thrones food blog into a career making cookbooks about videogames: Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, who we interviewed in 2017 about her World of Warcraft cookbook, went on to create actual meatspace recipes for everything from Star Wars to Overwatch to The Elder Scrolls.
It's not every day that the creator of the game in question takes direct involvement in its cookbook companion, though. Barone's got a lot on his plate at the moment: the first update to Stardew Valley since 2020, his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, and a secret third project—and he's gotta leave room for Pink Cake. Perhaps we'll finally find out what's in those Strange Buns when the cookbook releases in April.
