The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook

by ConcernedApe, Ryan Novak

The first official cookbook from the immensely popular Stardew Valley, featuring more than 50 delightful recipes straight out of the video game.

“Hungry? Thirsty? I’ve got just the thing!”—Gus
 
Welcome to Stardew Valley, where each season brings a new crop of bountiful food to make for friends and family. From farm staples like veggies, fruit, milk, and eggs to foraged mushrooms and berries to fresh fish, there’s always something delicious to put on the table. These 50 recipes are based on in-game meals and food, allowing you to cook and eat all your home-grown and fresh-caught ingredients in real life. The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook is organized by season and has recipes from your favorite characters, including the Queen of Sauce and Gus at the Stardrop Saloon. Written in collaboration with independent game creator ConcernedApe and packed with original illustrations and food photography, The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook helps you bring the Valley’s incredible flavors to the dinner table, giving you the energy to take on the world.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Video Games, Food and Drink, Collections

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 14, 2024

Reviews

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this is an odd review. I actually quite like the book, it is beautiful, and the recipes are actually quite good (especially for someone who is a more experienced cook) however, I almost didn't purchase this book at all at first.

That is because NO WHERE on the cover, or anywhere on any of the promotional write ups for the book does it list a chef or recipe developer. I love Stardew Valley (and have been following it since it was first on Steam Greenlight) and am an avid cook book collector. But I didn't want a cook book without proper recipes, and I couldn't imagine this one possibly had decent recipes without a chef involved.

I eventually happened upon a review for this book, and the first thing mentioned in the review, was who developed the recipes. Susan Vu. The review then went on to show how wonderful the recipes were, and that alone convinced me to buy this book.

Again, the book is quite wonderful. However I can't bring myself to rate it highly when the person who developed the recipes (in what I feel like I must remind people, is a cookbook) hasn't been given proper credit for her work. She should absolutely be credited as highly as the two authors (ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak). This is a bloody cookbook after all. It wouldn't exist without her (or at the very least wouldn't be anywhere near as good)

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this on impulse because of my love for the game and of cooking, and decided to just read through it today! It’s wonderfully done, with beautiful artwork and food photography. The recipes are fairly involved, but there are a few things I’m interested in trying - I’m gonna make the hell outta that blackberry cobbler🤤

[Aleena B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After buying this, I went through and bookmarked SO many recipes. So many seem so interesting. Also, this book is pescatarian.

Things I've made so far:
- Gus's Tropical Curry: 9.8/10! 🤩 Needed chicken for my taste, so I added chicken bouillon and some chicken breast cut up. (If you don't eat chicken, it's still DELICIOUS without it. I just like chicken :3) If you want to add chicken like I did, sear it in the coconut oil and set it aside. Then, cook, your vegetables according to instructions in the same oil you seared your chicken in. Then, when it's time to simmer your curry for the 30-40 minutes like it says, add in your chicken back in to simmer and fully cook through. Just follow the rest of the recipe after that :)
- Pam's Cheese Cauliflower: 8.7/10. This was delicious.I did add a tiny bit chicken bouillon to the sauce. Also, I just chose to put my cheese cauliflower underneath the broiler, I added extra shredded cheese on top so it got crispy and brown on top. Those are the only things that changed. It was still yummy without these changes. I served this with a roast chicken. (Sorry about the amount of chicken lmao)
- Queen of Sauce's Crab Cakes: 8.0/10. For this recipe, you might like it more than me, as I could not access lump crab meat, so I had to unfortunately use canned crab. This is completely on me. The recipe threw me for a slight loop, as you have to milk a corn cob(if you have the book, literally it says you milk the corn by scraping the cob with a spoon/butterknife) but if you follow it as it says, the cakes together nicely. It is served with a peach salsa. If you make this, MAKE THE PEACH SALSA. 🍑 🥰 one thing is, be CAREFUL cooking this recipe. If you overcook the cake or have the heat at an improper temperature too long, the corn kernels can explode and send oil everywhere (this was my fault, but it hurt so bad lmao)
+ Peach Salsa: 9.6/10 this was DELICIOUS. I would make this again just to put on top of other foods!! Chicken breast is one I'd recommend (SORRY FOR THE CHICKEN AGAIN, JUST I KNOW THIS SALSA WOULD GO SO GOOD WITH SOME😭)
-Sandy's Tom Kha Soup: 9.0/10. I didn't make any changes to this recipe, I served mine with rice as I felt like I needed it personally, but is was Delish without. I used the Shrimp Stock recipe in here too.
+Shrimp Stock: 7.0/10 I think it needs a bit more depth of flavor. Perhaps a bit of salt added too. I can understand leaving out the salt though, because then when you go to use the stock in a soup you can control the salt well. I just wish it had SOME salt to really bring out the flavors. Peppercorns were a nice choice.


This is all I've made so far. I will update as I add more.
The end of the book has "Mr. Qi's Checklist" and I plan on eventually finishing that (thus cooking every recipe from this book)
Thank you, and have a great day 😁

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a big fan of Stardew Valley, then this might be a fun book for you! I’m a huge fan of the game and got so excited when I saw there was an official cookbook. Inside, you will find 50 recipes based on the different foods you can make in the game. It starts out with a touching letter from Grandpa before diving into the recipes, which are separated by the four seasons. Many of the recipes are accompanied by pictures of the actual meals while all of the recipes include drawings of the meals. I love that there’s quotes from the different characters in the game at the end of the recipes. It adds an extra touch of life to the book.

While the recipes are simple, it’s a cute and fun book to have, especially if you love playing the Stardew Valley game. It was interesting to see that they even included a recipe for void mayonnaise. I’m a little sad that there wasn’t a picture of some of the void mayonnaise just for science, but I’d love to see if anyone actually makes that one since garlic and charcoal powder mayonnaise is not something I would ever eat. However, it will be fun to make some of the other recipes that I don’t normally eat, like eggplant parmesan. I love eggplants, so I’m excited to make it.

[Lizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros:

Cute art

Focus on pescatarian and seasonal produce fits the game’s themes

Good mix of recipes and the most intriguing game ones are including (props to them for figuring out a way to make void Mayo and strange buns sound edible)

Many of the recipes sound delicious and I would love to try them



Cons:

Many of the recipes seem needlessly complex and call for expensive or harder to find ingredients (fresh salmon berries????) without good sourcing info. Also, so many types of pricier cheeses for some recipes

Very few recipes I actually want to make (long, multistep, multiple pans/pots, lots of ingredients)— not the simplicity I expected from this game’s vibe, and recipes don’t fit the characters’ personalities— Gus recipes should be more intense than everyone else’s, for example

The character quotes are bland and generic

Some recipes use multiple ingredients that aren’t in the game (eg avocado, arugula, endives etc) — why get so needlessly fancy? Just stick with the plentiful options from the game

[Lilli Immel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eventuell bin ich biased, weil ich an der deutschen Ausgabe als Redakteurin mitgearbeitet habe, aber auch als absoluter Stardew-Valley-Fan finde ich das Buch wirklich toll!

Die Rezepte sind die (um nötige Zutaten ergänzten) Original-Rezepte aus dem Spiel selbst und nach den 4 Jahreszeiten sortiert. Es gibt alles, was die Bewohner von Stardew Valley lieben: vom Komischen Brötchen mit Schattenmayonnaise bis hin zu Paprika-Popper und Pinke Torte. Ich hab sicher mittlerweile mehr als die Hälfte der Rezepte selbst gemacht und ein paar sind in meinen Standard-Rezepte-Pool übergegangen (Tropisches Curry, Radieschensalat, Gemüsepfanne, Mango-Klebreise etc.).

Das deutsche Buch hat (im Gegensatz zum englischen Buch) außerdem eine doppelseitige Liste mit den Lieblingsrezepten der jeweiligen Dorfbewohner - falls man beim Dating mal nachschlagen muss, was welcher Charakter mag (Leah-Liebe!)

Alles in allem eines meiner liebsten Kochbücher!

[Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Stardew Valley, so this was an enjoyable read. I'm not sure that some of the recipes are feasible in my area- I imagine some of the ingredients might be difficult to get.

[Tyler W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5

goated game and goated book

[Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating to come after I make something lol from it but so far its an adorable book with wonderful photos and illustrations! It feels so cozy and I love getting a deeper look onto an aspect of one of my favorite games

Edit: Okay!!! I made something from the book and it was really tasty (The Mushroom Bolognese)! I didn't succeed at the pasta part but that was my own doing since I took some creative liberties and it all kind of went sideways for that aspect (again, that was user error tho). Either way, following the recipe was pretty easy and I like that the recipes are split into the seperate components of each dish so it's easy to find the instructions for and remake the parts that were easier/pair with whatever else you want to make. The book also generally got some nice substitution notes (im looking at you, Fiddlehead Risotto) if you can't find an ingredient! I've still got other recipes I want to make and am excited to keep seeing how they turn out !

[Katee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m waiting until my cousins receive their copies before I try the recipes themselves, so I can’t comment on their quality, but I’ve looked through the book cover to cover two or three times already. Recipe book characteristics ranked from worst to best:

- Every recipe has cringey, out-of-character boxed quotes from Stardew NPCs. They each shoehorn in a fact about themselves from the game (or an aspect of their personality) and an endorsement for the dish featured in the recipe. It feels like I’m looking at magazine ads from the 1930s.

- Some tough-to-find ingredients, like fiddleheads and baby artichokes, have substitutes. Others (e.g. Jamaican curry powder) don’t. You can probably look online to find alternatives?

- The illustrations are cute, although the portraits SDV characters are a little odd sometimes. I like the sketchy art style.

- There’s a nice little bio for ConcernedApe in the back along with everyone else’s. It’s neat to hear about the birth of SDV.

- Love a hardcover book that will stay open if I put a pen in the center.

- Also love an index. I know it’s normal but you never know with a novelty cookbook! They designed this book well.

- The food photography is lovely. Every season section is preceded by a two-page spread of food that can be harvested or foraged during that season in-game.

- The book includes ‘source people’ for each recipe that are true to the game — there are Queen of Sauce recipes, but also the recipes that neighbors have mailed once you reach high enough friendship with them, and all of the recipes in this book are attributed that way. It’s a cute little detail.

- Sauces, sides, and other things that may not get fully used up have fridge and freezer storage times listed at the end of their recipes. Helpful!

- The book includes two different soup stock recipes that aren’t in the game, but which are essential to some of the other dishes. I appreciate that thoughtfulness.

- There’s a checklist in the back that serves as a Table of Contents but also lets you tidily keep track of the recipes you’ve tried. This is a brilliant addition, as I usually place messy checks in the margins of normal ToCs.

- The recipes are organized by season, with special attention given to ingredients that are typically available during that season. It’s kind of an obvious choice for a Stardew cookbook, but I love the idea that if I pick a springtime recipe right now, chances are decent that I’ll find what I need at the store.

- A lot of these recipes sound amazing! Smoked sweet potato and pumpkin dip? Crab cakes with peach salsa? Artichoke and bok choy grain bowl with a garlic avocado dressing? It’s clear that the recipe developer stuck to the original game ingredients as much as possible (barring Lucky Lunch, which was a weird dish to begin with anyway) and ran with the seasonal ingredients to create really interesting meals.

I don’t think this does the game itself or its characters any justice, so non-players won’t be inspired to pick up Stardew Valley after flipping through this cookbook. But non-players and players will find that this is a charming, well-crafted and -designed cookbook that’s fun to browse. These recipes were made for adults with different levels of cooking experience, who like cooking and eating good food (and drinking piña coladas).

The collection overall is pescatarian, but maybe three quarters of the recipes are vegetarian. We don’t kill cows in the valley.

**12/17/2024 update**
I've made between ten and fifteen of the recipes in this book so far. They're all interesting and delicious. If judged only by the recipes it contains, with all design decisions aside, this cookbook is worth getting.

I will say, though, that the spine glue cracks easily when you open the book flat too many times. (I'm certainly not an abuser of spines -- the only other book I've had spine glue crack on me is the third volume of the Mixx edition of the Sailor Moon manga, which I believe had a reputation for cheap binding. I read the hell out of that book before the pages started falling out, too.) When I cook with it, I leave the book only halfway open to avoid making the problem worse.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

the stardew valley cookbook is very charming. design-wise, the sketchy junimos and little tidbits from the characters really made the book feel genuine to the stardew world. I like reading which characters enjoy what recipes, and where they came from in the world. the book had a strong presence because of this, and really immerses you.

for the food itself, the book converted the in-game recipes using a variety of ingredients. I appreciate that the book was more involved and had unique flavours, because they could've made it very simple and stripped it down, but didn't. the recipes were also organized by season, as it is in the game, which is great if you prefer eating seasonally. of the recipes in the book, I made the tropical curry (very delicious, the pineapple added a nice sweetness to the curry, and I loved the pineapple bowl), the crab cakes (solid recipe, not the best I've had but still tasty), and the fish tacos. there were more recipes I'm eyeballing for future seasons too.

my biggest gripe with this book is that the recipes didn't have numbers attached to their steps, which I find to be crucial in a cookbook. when you're reading a paragraph of text for a recipe, go follow the instructions, then return to the book, it's difficult to figure out where you left off. there were a few paragraphs that definitely could've been broken up a bit, which added to the problem; for example, a recipe instructs the cook to add the vegetables and cook them down, then goes on to explain more ingredients to add and their individual cooking times without counting that as another "step."

despite that issue, the book as a whole is cute, creative, and definitely worth picking up. I'll have to cook even more things when the next season comes around as the queen of sauce intends!

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When this cookbook was announced, I preordered it so freaking fast! I love Stardew Valley so, so much. It's hands down one of my favorite comfort games to play when I'm battling burnout or just need a boost of serotonin. Just like the game, the artwork in this book is absolutely stunning and the little notes from all of Stardew's NPCS is so freaking wholesome. I still can't get over the winter art piece with the Junimos and Hat Mouse. It was so freaking precious! All of that aside, I think adding Mr. Qi's checklist to this cookbook was such a brilliant idea and such a great way to encourage people to make all the dishes within the pages. So far, I've only made four of the recipes; complete breakfast, farmer's lunch, salad, and salmon dinner. I have baked fish and fish tacos slotted for upcoming meals, soon, very soon! Overall, I love this cookbook as much as I do the game. It's so well done and so much love went into the making of this cookbook. Any lover of Stardew Valley should definitely consider picking this book up especially if you're someone who's played the game and found themselves saying, "Man, I wish there was an actual cookbook for all the recipes in the game!"


All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

Instagram|Ko-fi|Throne

[Sascha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spice level 10/10 would recommend to a friend

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

As of writing this, I haven't actually tried making any of the recipes yet. Perhaps I'll update here later when I do.

The first thing I like about this book is how it's formatted into seasons. In Stardew Valley, you can grow, forage for, and catch different ingredients at different times of the in-game year. The in-game seasonality doesn't 100% line up with real life (at least where I live) but I still feel inspired by this book. It's an ongoing goal of mine to eat seasonal foods when they're at their best.

Second, I really appreciate the lengths the recipe developer went to to match the look and ingredients of the recipes with what you make in-game. The game versions are necessarily very simple (the in-game recipe for Eggplant Parmesan is just 1 tomato and 1 eggplant). Sometimes the ingredients necessarily have to be substituted (in-game Lucky Lunch calls for a sea cucumber, which is swapped for shrimp in this book) but any alterations I think are well thought out.

The only downsides I can see, having not yet actually attempted any of these recipes, are that these recipes tend to be somewhat complex and also that many call for a specialty ingredient or cooking implement. Now, in Stardew Valley, you source most of your ingredients by growing them yourself, foraging them, or catching them from the rivers or ocean. If you are able to do that in real life too, that's great! Otherwise you might have a hard time getting some things like fiddlehead ferns, baby artichokes, and periwinkle snails. Some substitutions are offered at least.

The complexity of the recipes is not necessarily a turn-off for me, but these recipes all strike me as something I'd make for a special occasion, or at the very least on a weekend. These are not fast and easy recipes, but honestly, the best food takes time and attention to make! I look forward to giving some of these recipes a try in their appropriate season.

[Jessica]

I love Stardew Valley. This cookbook had a lovely aesthetic and the recipes were detailed and looked great. I'm happy this book exists.

That said, I read a lot of cookbooks. I've gotten pretty used to modern cookbooks that list the cook time of a recipe and sort ingredients by 'shopping list' sections (not to mention Molly Baz's literal QR codes to videos of her key cooking techniques)... this cookbook does not have anything like that, it is very traditional. Because of this, I don't see this cookbook being very functional for me. I could see this being a beautiful gift for a Stardew fan in your life, but it may end up being used for display only.

[Rayanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

descobri que oxicoco é cranberry

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read will have be referencing this often. Can’t wait to try the fun recipes. Love the attention to the design and making everything just like the game. Fabulous.

[molly v · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really charming cookbook for any fans of the game! I loved the character reviews, the junimo illustrations, and the inclusion of Mr. Qi's checklist for completionists. The recipes are divided into the four seasons, as is the game. I made the Cheese Cauliflower (spring), the Mango Sticky Rice (summer), and the Bean Hotpot (fall). The cheese cauli and the hotpot were both delicious but a lot of work; for myself these will probably be side dishes for special occasions rather than weekday meals. The mango sticky rice was a surprise hit. I'm not that great at plating, and it didn't turn out looking all that appetizing, but boy did it taste good. It'd be easy to swap out the fruit too depending on what's easily available.

Things I absolutely want to try soon: the Strange Bun (IRL a soft bun with lobster chunks and a garlic mayo dip), Pink Cake, and Blueberry Tart.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stardew Valley is one of my all-time favorite games, so I thought this would be a cute and fun book. I love reading cookbooks, and as a read this is really fun. I also love cooking, so I was hoping that this would be a really great book to cook from as well. The drawback is that the recipes are somewhat intricate for an average . You would need to commit some time and resources to make over half of them.

If you like cooking and are a Queen of Sauce wannabe, go for it! Otherwise, read it for the fun and cute artwork. There are other game-based cookbooks that are a little more adapted for the everyday cook.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to rate this, not a clue. My 12 yo saw this (in the Adult NEW BOOKS section) and HAD to check it out since she loves the game.

The book? Gorgeous.
The recipes? Intermediate, for sure.
Interesting? Definitely. I thought "Seafoam Pudding" was going to be some cutesy dessert. Um, no.

[LadyRemy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artwork is adorable and I really enjoyed the little excerpts from characters in the game. It's cute how it sources the recipe telling you "From the Kitchen of:" and the character's name where you can get the recipe in the game.

That being said, there aren't many meals in here I would actually make on a daily basis. A lot of them are more for like having a fancy dinner or a dinner party. And there are only a few real pictures of the actual food that's not artwork and I prefer to see what things look like for how they're supposed to turn out. Most of the recipes are either vegetarian or pescatarian (because that's exactly how it is in the game) so I like that it appeals to people with dietary restrictions. There are a few dishes I do plan on making and hope to add to this review later: bruschetta, baked fish, and, of course, Evelyn's cookies.

I give it a three to four star review because, like another review said, a lot of these recipes are incredibly time consuming and require pricey ingredients. But the artwork is adorable and it definitely has the heart of the game in it.

[Tamsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this was such a gorgeous, well written and well formatted cookbook, I loved how much attention to detail the creators gave and how much the book referenced and tied into the game; the photography was gorgeous, the instructions were simple and well worded, the food looks and sounds delicious.

My only problems are: a lot of the ingredients required are very expensive and no substitutions are suggested, a lot of the recipes were shellfish centered and that is really unfortunate as someone with a food allergy (I wish the book had suggested alternatives for people with food aversions, and yes I know the game is heavy on fishing).

Aside from that I thought it was a wonderful cookbook, I still found a few recipes I can try out they just happen to be dessert heavy which again, is disappointing for someone with dietary restrictions. I also appreciated that every recipe was for the most part simple and didn't require you to own or go out and buy any fancy elaborate equipment, as a lot of cookbook writers do tend to forget we're not all five star chefs with professional level kitchens.

I'm still very happy to own this cookbook and I can not wait to try out a recipe!

[Sirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Stardew Valley and you have any interest in cooking, this book is for you. I am absolutely delighted by how approachable these recipes are. Although quite a few involve ingredients I might not regularly have in my pantry, most are accessible without much hassle, and the Queen of Spice often offers suitable substitutions. I'm excited to try some fruits and veggies that I haven't explored thoroughly before, and I'm delighted that many of these recipes are vegetarian or pescetarian, which is great for the environment too. The game tie-ins and detailed instructions gave me a lot to read, which isn't always what I'm looking for in a cook book, but I'm relieved to know that I can't get lost while making these recipes, and I'm eager to try out 90% of them. Tonight is crab cakes and banana pudding. Tomorrow, pumpkin soup and blackberry cobbler. Who knows what I might make next?

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this cookbook. This is single-handedly my favorite cookbook I have ever owned. Not only is the artwork for this book Beautiful but the recipes are detailed and well thought out. Concerned ape made Stardew Valley a beautiful video game and the cookbook matches the level of dedication he has. The recipes match the ones you can find in Stardew, it’s a good mix of the Queen of Sauce (a cooking show in the game you watch to learn how to cook) and recipes from the villagers you make friends with. No this book doesn’t contain all the recipes from the game (there are quite a few) but it does provide a great deal of variety. I love how it’s separated by seasons instead of apps, sides, entrées, and desserts once again, matching the video game which separates your gameplay into four seasons. So far, I have made the roots platter, eggplant Parmesan with the sauce that accompanies the recipe, cookies from Evelyn, and the cheesy cauliflower soon I will be making the chocolate cake and the ginger ale recipe for my birthday. If you are Stardew Valley fan or you know someone who is a Stardew valley fan this is the ultimate gift seriously I love this thing.

Edit: I have made the ginger ale and chocolate cake. Both are delicious. The cake is very very rich and if you don’t like chocolate you are plum out of luck. This is filled to heaven and back with chocolate. I can’t wait for summer to make the pink cake.

[Michelle ☽⁺✧. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stardew Valley is one of my favorite games of all time, so finally getting to own the official cookbook is so fucking rad.

The presentation is gorgeous, the pictures and layout of each page lovely and easy to read. Quality paper and feel to it with all the recipes organized by season (which I think is neat af). I may not be able to do all the recipes, but there are definitely a handful I'm going to try first and maybe work my way up to others. 💪

Would definitely recommend if you're a fan of SDV or just wanting a damn fine cookbook.

[Charlie - disableddaydreamer | itsbarbieparis (looking for mutuals) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don’t typically rate cookbooks but this was a delight and i’ve read it a few times through. the pink cake recipe that we adapted to be gluten free was perfect!

definitely more of a for fun cooking or treats but lots of cute art and little details from the game.

[Elaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only got to flip through this cookbook, not make any recipes yet. Might check it out again sometime from my library though and actually try to make something next time lol But this was so cool! I really love Stardew so I picked this up immediately when I saw it! 🤩❤️

[Rachel Sawyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when I saw this at Target, I can’t wait to make Fiddlehead risotto and rice pudding.

[Meowlin S · Rating 5 out of 5]

really want to make (almost) everything.