Review: The Unofficial Simpsons Cookbook : From Homer’s Forbidden Doughnuts to Marge’s Pretzels, Famous Recipes from Your Favorite Cartoon Family

For over 30 seasons we’ve seen multitudes of characters from The Simpsons take part in all sorts of culinary creations that are typically eaten by Homer Simpson. So, if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Hey, I would like to make that!” well, then The Unofficial Simpsons Cookbook is going to be your new bible.

As ascertained by the very long title, the hardcover book from Laurel Randolph features all sorts of recipes inspired by the longest-running animated sitcom in primetime. From Marge’s pretzels, Homer’s Donuts, Krusty Burgers, and everything in between, this 160 page trip down memory-lane has easy-to-follow instructions to create some very easy drinks, food, desserts, and more. Gone are the days where you may not have something from this cookbook already in your pantry(as an example, I made Marge’s Lemonade from ingredients I already had lying around the kitchen and it was delicious). I also can’t recall a cookbook that has had this many recipes for donuts, nachos, and cakes, all in the same read.

This book isn’t without it’s drawbacks for the die-hard fans of The Simpsons which may note some obvious omissions. For example, there’s no sign of a Steamed Hams recipe, nor the infamous hot chocolate that Ned Flanders left in his window for a depressed Bart Simpson in The Simpsons Movie. What about the infamous Gummi Venus de Milo? For the creator of the Joy of Cooking Milhouse, I was expecting at LEAST these options.

That said, The Unofficial Simpsons Cookbook is a solid addition to any hardcore fan of books inspired by The Simpsons. I’ve already started making some of the recipes and intend to make more and there are obvious choices for a potential follow-up, or an updated paperback.