The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook was published by Adams Media in 2012 and contains "more than 150 recipes inspired by the Hunger Games trilogy". There are nine chapters filled with foods either directly from Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games books or inspired by characters and/or scenes in the series. There's also an appendix after chapter nine titled "Katniss's Family Book of Herbs" detailing some of the prominent herbs and plants Katniss did or may have encountered! After a very informative introduction discussing the role of food in the series and preparing the reader to discover foods for both the overindulgent capitol inhabitants and the meagerly-fed people of the districts, the book begins with breakfast, continues with bread, then soups, stews, and salads, and goes on to appetizers and sides, through various types of meats (divided into fours chapters), and concludes with desserts. One of the meat chapters, titled "Wild Game for Wild Girls", is filled with recipes that only hunters, or friends of hunters, could make, adding to the authentic and well-researched nature (nature, exactly) of this book. If you're not a hunter, rather than brushing past or decrying this chapter, simply get creative in making substitutions–that is one of the themes of the series after all; making due with what you have.
All in all, this book is incredibly detailed and shows the amount of research and work Emily put into it. A potential drawback is that there are no pictures of the finished foods! But that's coming from a very visual person. The way the book is designed, it's more of a read-through and almost workbook; the contents fit very well with the book's style and layout. This would make a great gift for those who love to cook and explore new recipes, but also any fan of the Hunger Games because of its discussion of the important themes in the series.
Note: In the sponsor tips section for this recipe, Emily gives alternate fillings for the turkey: brie cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil, and white cheddar, apricot preserves, and fresh rosemary. Apricot and brie is a great combination too!
Also to note, as with all of my cookbook reviews, the recipe below is in my own words so as to include my experiences and input.
Monterey Jack, Bacon, & Green Chili Stuffed Turkey Breasts
Ingredients:
2 (2 lb) Turkey Breast Halves (I couldn't find this exactly so I got an almost 3 lb breast)
4 Whole Mild Green Chilis (from a can)
8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, cut into 8 slices
4 Bacon Strips, crispy cooked (I baked mine in the oven on a wire rack so they wouldn't shrivel)
5 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat your oven to 350ºF. Slice a pocket into the turkey breast(s). Cut open the green peppers & place a piece of bacon & 2 slices of cheese inside (like a chili, bacon, cheese taco). Place two filled chilis into each breast (or if you have one big breast, put all four chilis in), cutting the pocket(s) in the turkey wider if needed, but making sure not to cut through. Close the turkey breast(s) & secure with toothpicks or baking string.
2. Grease a (broiler-proof) baking dish & lay the turkey breast(s) in it. Dab a little olive oil onto the breast(s) & then sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Cover the dish with foil & bake for about 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of the meat registers 160ºF on a meat thermometer. (The instructions for the 3 lb turkey breast I bought said to pour about 1/2" of water into the baking dish & to bake for about 45 mins to an hour. I did this–covered in foil–& the meat turned out so perfect & moist! I also put a few extra cooked bacon strips on top before baking & tucked a few carrots around the sides.)
3. Remove the foil & drizzle more olive oil over the turkey breast(s). Broil the turkey for about 5 minutes or so so the top(s) can brown (I removed the bacons strips from top of the turkey before I broiled it). Remove from the oven & let sit for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, cut the turkey into diagonal slices.
Nice post. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThe best way to check for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. The minimum safe internal temperature is 165 degrees. If you pierce the breast with a fork, the juices should run clear. If you use a convection oven it will reduce the turkey breast cooking times above by approximately 25 percent. To be safe use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.
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