The Redwall Cookbook

Members of my family are big fans of Brian Jacques's Redwall series. Among other things, we love to read about the feasts that the Redwall creatures put on and to imagine what each of the dishes would be like! One of my aunts began putting on a potluck Redwall Feast each fall. Guests are encouraged to choose a dish from a favorite Redwall book and prepare it to the best of our abilities and imagination. The Redwall cookbook has not only made our task a little easier, but has done it with wonderful stories and illustrations. Many who have critiqued the book have said that it is wonderful for children, and I agree that the recipes are simple enough for children to have success with, but as a Redwaller who has seen many seasons, I find the book very enjoyable as well. The recipes included are wonderful (you have not lived until you have tried Outside 'n' Inside Cobbler Riddle and Mole's Favourite Deeper 'n' Ever Turnip 'n' Tater 'n' Beetroot Pie) and they make it easier to imagine the other wonderful dishes that are included in the Redwall books. This book is a treasure and I enjoy it very much.

My Redwall fan loved the cookbook. It's really sweet!

I grew up watching the Redwall show on PBS Kids and have always had a special fondness for it. As an adult, I recently remembered it and decided to buy the cookbook on a whim—mostly out of curiosity and nostalgia. I’m so glad I did. So far, I’ve tried three recipes, and each one has been cozy, heartwarming, and genuinely delicious. My husband and I both love them, even as adults! The recipes are simple, intuitive, and full of comfort. They’re also surprisingly accessible—maybe even more so now than when I was a kid. What really makes this cookbook special for me is the thought of passing it down. I’ve chosen to keep it as part of my kitchen library for my future kids, in hopes they’ll grow up loving Redwall just as much as I did. If you grew up with the Redwall PBS series, I highly recommend this cookbook. It’s not just a nostalgic keepsake—it’s filled with recipes that are warm, creative, and timeless.

Just as hoped for: nice little stories of the characters from the book series, each related to a recipe given on facing page. Recipes are simple and lean toward vegetables and cheese. Great for children old enough to start helping to cook, or for young adults who grew up with the book series.

Great quality book, and good price. And timely arrival.

The adorable illustrations and stories plus the tasty recipes make a great gift for Redwall lovers, dibbuns and grownups alike -- and anyone else who appreciates cute critters or enjoys cooking. This was given as a gift to someone who loves the Redwall series. They immediately began working through the recipes and testing the results out on me, much to my delight, so it turned out to be an even better value than I suspected.

This was a pretty cute little book, and would be good for a young Redwall fan. I got it as a present for my brother, who has read every Jacques book and actually enjoys cooking. He found it really fun and cute. However, there weren't as many recipes as I was hoping, and it read more like a storybook with some recipes in it. Still, definitely cute and I know he was excited to see the mouthwatering meals of Redwall come to life!!

The Redwall Cookbook by Brain Jacques, and illustrated by Christopher Denise, is not just a book of recipes. Oh no, no, no, no. This is a series of recipes with stories linked to them put in seasonally order. Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. With many of the characters from the books making appearances as they show off their favorite dishes. From Gousim Shrew Shortbread to Harvestberry Sunset Pudd. Even a few peoms. Most of the recipes need an adult helping with them. Don’t let kids handle hot pans and such. I would give it a five out of five. And put it right up there with The Little House Cookbook and The Nero Wolfe Cookbook.

This might be the perfect book for beginner chefs with a hankering for Redwall fare and a tendency towards vegetarianism (although the Shrimp 'n Hotroot Soup is to DIE for), but if you're vegan, take note: about 1/3 of the recipes call for a good amount of cheese. That's not the end of the world (I don't particularly like heavy cheese recipes), because there's so much more going on in this book. It's beautifully-illustrated. The recipes are all framed in fun little stories. There's variety, too - salads, desserts, drinks, and stews. Most recipes are simple and easy to follow, which is perfect for little learning chefs. I've tried a few of the cheese recipes with vegan substitutes, and it tends to work well. I also just remove the cheese completely, or half/quarter it. That seems to work.

Ich habe mich dazu entschlossen, eine kurze Rezension zweisprachig zu verfassen, da das Buch auf Deutsch nicht erhältlich ist, ich hier aber auf amazon.de bewerte. Für den englischen Text bitte etwas weiter runter scrollen. Ich bin ein Fan der Redwall-Bücher, und habe dazu die etwas seltsame Leidenschaft, gerne Kochbücher zu lesen - vor allem solche, die zu einem Franchise geschrieben wurden (*wirft einen Blick zu ihrem Star-Trek-Kochbuch und beschließt, dass es demnächst wieder Jambalaya à la Sisko gibt*). Jeder, der die Redwall-Bücher kennt, wird sich daran erinnern, dass dem Essen immer ein besonders großer Stellenwert eingeräumt wurde, ja, ich wage sogar zu behaupten, dass die Beschreibung der großen Feste oft ebenso lang ist, wie die Beschreibung eines Kampfes. Warum das so ist? Nun, Brian Jacques erklärt das im Vorwort zum "The Redwall Cookbook". Die Rezepte sind auch nicht einfach so "aufgelistet" - es gibt eine lockere, aber amüsante Geschichte, die alle Gerichte miteinander verbindet, und es gibt ein Wiedersehen mit Matthias, Konstanze, Mattimeo, und vielen anderen liebgewonnenen Abteibewohnern. Das Buch an sich ist unterteilt in die 4 Jahreszeiten, die jeweils mit einem Gedicht eingeleitet werden. Ganz im Sinne der friedliebenden Abteibewohner, sind die meisten Rezepte rein vegetarisch (ich glaube, nur in der "Shrimp'n' Hotroot soup" werden Garnelen verwendet), einige davon sogar vegan. 3***-Küche wird nicht darunter sein, dafür gute, einfache Gerichte (vom Salat über Vor- und Hauptspeisen, bis zu den Getränken übers Dessert), die sich einfach nachkochen lassen. Dass das Buch - wie viele englischsprachige Kochbücher - aber mit Fahrenheit anstatt Celsius und mit "Tasse" und "Teelöffel" anstatt Mililiter und Gramm arbeitet, sollte man als deutscher Leser vielleicht im Hinterkopf behalten. (In der heutigen Zeit gibt es sicher Umrechnungshilfen im Internet, aber außer bei Fahrenheit zu Celsius benutze ich das nie, weil ich es "urig" finde, mit Tassen und Löffel zu kochen, und ich glaube, Kindern macht das auch eine Menge Spaß.) Da Kinder sonst wenig für Gemüse zu begeistern sind, hilft es vielleicht ein wenig, wenn man den Bezug zu ihren Helden aus "Redwall" ein wenig ausnutzt. (Bei mir als Kind hat zumindest der Bezug zu Captain James Cook gereicht, um mir Sauerkraut Schmackhaft zu machen... und wenn He-Man gesagt hat, ich soll immer mein Gemüse essen... ja, das war schon beeindruckender, als wenn es die Eltern gesagt haben.) Wirklich begeistert war ich allerdings von den Bildern: Christopher Denise zeichnete so wundervolle Illustrationen für dieses Buch! Gerade die großformatigen Bilder sind detailreich, und Eltern, große Geschwister, Tanten, Onkel, Großeltern [...] sollten sich die Zeit nehmen, mit ihren "Dibbans" das Buch einfach nur einmal anzusehen und darüber zu reden, was auf den Bildern zu sehen ist. Man hat also nicht nur ein "Was ist das für ein Tier?"-Bilderbuch, sondern sogar ein "Was ist das für ein Gemüse?"-Bilderbuch und auch in gewisser Weise ein "Was ist das für ein Küchengerät?" Ich gebe allerdings einen Stern Abzug für den etwas hohen Originalpreis, vor allem, da das Buch nicht gebunden ist. ******************************************************************************************************************************************** I'm a fan of the "Redwall"-books, plus I'm having the strange habit to read cooking-books, especially those which have been written for a specific franchise (*looks towards her "Star Trek Cooking Book" and decides it's time for making Jambalaya à la Sisko soon again*). Everybody who knows the "Redwall"-books will remember that the descritpion of the great feasts sometimes is as long as the description of a battle. Why? Well, Brian Jacques himself explains it in the very beginning of "The Redwall Cookbook". The recipes are not just listed - there is a casual, but funny story which connects all dishes. Also there is a reunion with Matthias, Constance, Mattimeo and many other abbey-dwellers held dear. The book itself is seperated into the 4 seasons, each introduced by a poem. Wholly in line with the peaceful life of the abbey-dwellers most recipes are vegetarian (I think only in the "Shrimp'n' Hotroot soup" are some shrimps), some even vegan. You won't find 3***-cuisine, but simple, easy-to-make dishes (from salads over starters and main-course, to beverages, to desserts). German readers might find it a bit un-usual to find Fahrenheit instead of Centigrade, and cups and spoons instead of milliliters and grams. (But nowadays there are conversion-websites in the internet, but I don't use them - unless it's Fahrenheit to Centigrade - because I find it funnily quaint to use cups and spoons, and I think, kids will like it, too.) Kids are rarely fond of vegetables - but I think there's no harm in "exploiting" their love for their "Redwall"-heroes. (At least when I was a child the knowledge of Captain James Cook's expeditions helped to make me eat sauerkraut, and when He-Man told me to eat my veggies ... well, that was more intimidating than my parents telling me so.) But I was most excited by the wonderful pictures within the book! Christopher Denise drew SO wonderful illustrations! Especially the big ones are so full of detail, and parents, older siblings, aunties, nunkies, grannies and grampas [...] - they all should take the time to sit down with their "Dibbuns", just having a look at the pictures and a little talk on what they discover on them. So you don't only get a cooking-book, but also an illustrated: "What's that for a kind of animal?"-book, and a "What's that for a kind of veggie?"-book, and even a "What kind of kitchenware is this"? I only subtract 1* from the 5* because I find the price a bit high, especially for a paperback.

The drawings are very beautiful, the recipes look tasty ! Love this book !

Lovely book. Bought for my (grown up) brother who has always loved red wall and especially the food descriptions, and got myself one too. We both love it. Not many recipes but enough, and the ones I've made are all absolutely delicious. I highly recommend as either a great gift or just something nice to have in your own collection.

So cute and creative with the stories in between recipes. I can see how it would be great for kids too! Only tried one recipe so far but it was awesome!