Ask the Author
Tara Theoharis, author of Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! The Official Cookbook
What's your favorite recipe in the book?
I can't pick just one! When I'm looking for a healthy, hearty lunch, I'll prep a batch of suspicious stew with kale for the greens. When I'm craving something comforting and chocolatey, I make the cocoa chunk cookies. And if you leave me alone for too long, I could eat an entire batch of smelted nuggets or hoglins and lava by myself.
How much time does it take to develop a recipe?
If the inspiration comes quickly and I've made a similar recipe before, the whole thing can come together in an hour. But some recipes take multiple tests and rounds of research to perfect--those could take a few days by themselves!
Have you always had an interest in cooking?
I enjoyed cooking growing up, but didn't become super interested in it until after college. I wanted to learn some basics and created the blog "The Geeky Hostess" (www.geekyhostess.com) as a way to hold myself accountable. I started by making dishes inspired by my favorite games, movies, and shows, and invited friends over for theme parties. Soon enough, I was the friend who made custom cupcakes for everyone's birthday! Creating recipes based on fandoms means I'm stretching outside of my comfort zone and trying dishes I may not have otherwise. It's been a really fun way to learn.
What's something unexpected/unique/fun about this cookbook that you think players/community members will love?
The recipes are deeper than just Minecraft-themed names. For instance, "Husks" are tamales (because of their corn husks) and the contents of the tamales are items Husks drop in-game: potatoes, carrots, and (chicken) flesh.
What do you love most about Minecraft?
Minecraft truly has something for everyone: You can create, explore, fight, or play alone, with friends, or strangers. Sometimes my son and I like to log in just to look at the different animals--it's surprisingly peaceful!
