This week, the animated series Bob’s Burgers announced that they will be releasing a cookbook based on their show’s famous burger pun specials and our first thought was, “Well of course! That makes total sense!” Many of our fave TV shows feature food, though, and instead of drooling at the sight of it, we think it’s time to actually make some of those foods we love to look at onscreen!
Here, we’ve compiled nine cookbooks based on TV shows that you can buy now!
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1. Bob’s Burgers
Fox’s most underrated animated show, Bob’s Burgers, is about a family who runs (and lives above) a burger shop and every week, the show’s writers sneak in a food pun on Bob’s daily specials board. By now, you’d think that they would’ve run out of puns, but the specials keep on coming, from the “Blondes Have More Fun-Gus Burger” to the Christmas special, the “Cheeses Is Born Burger.” Brilliant, right? Well a Tumblr account called The Bob’s Burger Experiment has been tracking all of these specials and actually creating them and now, an official cookbook is in the works. Finally, we can learn to make a “Beet-er Late Than Never Burger”!
2. Portlandia
Portland is portrayed as a weird hipster place on the popular IFC comedy Portlandia and they’re not completely wrong. Hip people do live there and you can find hip food trends all over Portland like pickling your food, food trucks, and organics galore! Stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein have taken aim at Portland’s food reputation many times on their show, whether they’re pretending to be serious chefs at a photoshoot or using “cacao” as a safe word. In their official cookbook fans can learn how to make marionberry pancakes and borscht. (BUY IT)
3. True Blood
Sure, the main source of sustenance on True Blood might be, well, blood, but that didn’t stop the popular vampire series from creating their own cookbook! With Fangstasia and Merlotte’s Bar as one of the show’s main locations, the cookbook expands on the menus there so you can learn to make your very own hoecakes, biscuits and gravy and sweet tea! (BUY IT)
4. The Sopranos
Italians take their food very seriously and we saw that often on the hit mobster show The Sopranos. This 2002 cookbook was put together by chef Artie Bucco and explores the finest in Italian cuisine, from arancini to zabaglione. Definitely a meal fit for the Sopranos. (BUY IT)
5. Mad Men
Food was very different in the ’60s, recipes that looked like a good idea then make us want to puke now but there are still a number of staples that have remained timeless like steak tartar and spaghetti and meatballs. This unofficial Mad Men cookbook takes its inspiration from the hit drama series and contains over 70 recipes from the kitchens, bars and restaurants seen on the show. Don’t worry, there are plenty of drink recipes in there so the Don Draper in you can enjoy a stiff whiskey sour. (BUY IT)
6. Downton Abbey
Speaking of cuisine from the past, Downton Abbey is another show that often features elegant dishes of foods, but are probably things we wouldn’t make nowadays. Regardless, an unofficial cookbook exists for those who are interested in learning how to make Lady Mary’s crab canapés or Mrs. Patmore’s Christmas pudding! (BUY IT)
7. Game of Thrones
Same as the two above, Game Of Thrones also has an unofficial cookbook that will teach you to put together your very own feast, but hopefully you won’t poison your friends… (BUY IT)
8. Friends
Between Joey Tribbiani’s love of food and the show’s many memorable Thanksgiving specials (not the mention the fact that their regular hangout is at a coffee shop!), it totally makes sense that Friends has its own cookbook. This 1999 cookbook promises to teach you how to make garlic-infused pasta, meatloaf and rum-toffee sauce, but we want to know: does it have the recipe for Rachel’s famous Thanksgiving trifle? (BUY IT)
9. Top Chef
Okay, this one’s a no-brainer given that Top Chef is a food competition show (the best one, we may add), but if you want to challenge yourself and see if you can cook the same food these all-star contestants are cranking out, then we highly recommend the Top Chef cookbook. Bonus: there are no time limits and Tom Colicchio won’t judge you if you mess up. (BUY IT)
