Official Stardew Valley Cookbook Makes It Easy to Cook Homey Meals

Given it is a farming sim, we’ve always been able to cook in Stardew Valley. Making meals to eat ourselves, give as gifts, or ship out for money is a critical part of the gameplay experience. Since it is based upon actual farming and cooking, many of these look familiar and, well, like things we can accomplish ourselves. So now, we’re about to see Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone and Ryan Novak release an actual Official Stardew Valley Cookbook that taps into all that on May 14, 2024, and it does so in a way that keeps cooking accessible.

So the first thing I really liked about the Official Stardew Valley Cookbook is that instead of being divided into things like appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts, it is split into seasons. Given we’re just about to head into spring and the farmer’s market near me is about to be open every week, I was really excited to see how I could take advantage of that. The Cheese Cauliflower was the first thing I made. The instructions were easy to follow, it didn’t require too many ingredients, and I felt like when it was done that someone could have easily adjusted the recipe to omit the garlic or thyme if they aren’t a fan. 

There’s a nice balance of recipes I recognized from Stardew Valley as well. So this isn’t a situation where there will be meals or items “inspired” by the game, but that I actually remembered making when in the game. So you aren’t going to see Algae Soup, but things like Lucky Lunch, Maki Roll, and Survival Burger are all there. I didn’t make the Survival Burger myself, just because the number of items needed was a lot and eggplant isn’t my thing, but it’s there and seemed really accurate! Not to mention, it’s also one of many dishes that could be made vegatarian or vegan-friendly with a few minor alterations during the preparation process.

What’s also a nice touch is that even though everything is arranged by season, I didn’t feel like it was too restrictive when reading through the recipes. While The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook version of Stir Fry includes shiitake mushrooms, purple carrots, and yellow onions, I substituted in traditional orange carrots and opted for broccoli instead of mushrooms. It was still great. And like, I still made the Banana Pudding that was in there, and it being a “Summer” recipe didn’t make it any more difficult to complete even though it is April. 

Plus, The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook maintains the right atmosphere. Recipes are attributed to characters from the game, like Linus or Pam. Other characters from the game will offer “comments” on each one. The art for each one is inspired by the actual game, with photos of actual food photographs scattered throughout.

I really like what Concerned Ape and Novak accomplished with The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook. There are a lot of matter of fact, fairly simple recipes here clearly taken from the game. All involve food you would eat on a regular basis, so it’s genuinely practical. Plus the vibes are impeccable and really capture the spirit of the game. It feels like a fun complement to the game. 

The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook will appear on May 14, 2024. It will be available digitally or physically. Stardew Valley is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PCs, mobile devices, and the PlayStation Vita. Stardew Valley is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PCs, mobile devices, and the PlayStation Vita.