Holiday Review: FRIENDS: THE OFFICIAL COOKBOOK

FRIENDS: THE OFFICIAL COOKBOOK

Friends: The Official Cookbook. by Amanda Yee. Insight Editions. 2020. 176pp, $29.99. And $44.99 for the GIFT SET which includes a Friends apron.

Did you know there’s an official Friends cookbook? It’s not directly in response to the unofficial Friends cookbook but, let me tell you, that one was very disappointing for one particular reason. That book didn’t incorporate the show enough into the recipes! Wow! You would think that’s TV fandom 101! Of course, you must make such a cookbook relevant to the show you are paying tribute to, right? Am I right? Of course, I’m right! Seriously, this book is the real deal, a perfect mix of pop culture and foodie goodness. And now you can get the book or the special gift set which includes a Friends apron!

Friends. Friends. And More Friends. Can’t Have Enough Friends!

I don’t know about you but I always felt there was a bit of a subversive thing going on with Friends. It was, or it seemed to me, pretty self-concious that it was treading water, a sitcom for the post-modern era that really had nothing new to offer so it would revel in that fact and not in an ultra-clever way like Seinfeld but in a mainstream way, in a way that it could have its cake and eat it too. In other words, it wasn’t out to make a statement or even be especially funny. To me, Friends was amusing, meant to be utterly escapist and fluffy comfy. And so it all adds up, in a weird but fun way, as a show waiting to be turned into a cookbook! Anyway, the book is jam packed with quite an assortment of very practical recipes with intelligent tie-ins to specific episodes. You could actually give this to someone and they could very easily live off eating food prepared from this book for a year, maybe indefinitely. It’s that good a cookbook! Who knew, right?

Definitely Not Vegetarian Lasagna! Yes!

Of course, I gave this a try!

Now, this is one serious cookbook filled with one recipe after another! Check out Definitely Not Vegetarian Lasagna! Yes! Well, of course, I had to give this a try and, if I do say so myself, I achieved excellent results!

And get a Friends apron too!

And, of course, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, this book has got you covered with a sumptuous holiday dinner recipe. Perfect! For this post, I was a bit less elaborate but not by much. So, yeah, I chose to make a lasagna dish from the book to start with and I encourage you to do the same. It actually was a lot of fun and I’m not exactly new to cookbooks. I’ve tried my fair share of them. I think the book, like the show, is oddly amusing while also quite attractive. The layout and design is very upbeat and engaging. Any fan of the show would find that book and show are in sync. That said, I highly recommend you get yourself a copy. And, if you were wondering, yes, Insight Editions does have other pop culture themed cookbooks for you to choose from. Just go visit Insight Editions right here.

Insight Editions’ Friends: The Official Cookbook is one of the bestselling cookbooks of the year. Now, fans of Friends can enjoy the book’s 100+ recipes and an exclusive, new-to-market Friends Apron in the FRIENDS: THE OFFICIAL COOKBOOK GIFT SET (Insight Editions; 11/10). The gift set is on-sale today!

• The Official Friends Cookbook. New for 2020, Friends: The Official Cookbook is the freshest officially endorsed Friends cookbook and features dozens of full-color images and delicious recipes from the beloved hit show. With over 100 recipes, readers will learn how to master Monica’s Friendsgiving Feast, Rachel’s Meat Trifle, Just for Joey Fries, Chandler’s “Milk That You Chew,” Phoebe’s favorite Faceless Foods, and of course, Ross’s Moist Maker.

• Gift Set Includes Exclusive Turkey Apron. Not available anywhere else, this high-quality apron features adjustable straps, a large front pocket, and Monica’s iconic holiday turkey recreated in glorious full color.