If you’re into Star Wars, food and really bad jokes (and let’s be honest, if you’re not, you’re probably reading the wrong magazine), Han Sandwiches could be just what you’re looking for.
Over a concise 60-odd pages, it offers up a selection of simple recipes for any time of the day, along with a variety of amusing photos, and some really appalling (in a good way) Star Wars-inspired recipe names.
The recipes themselves are aimed firmly at the series’ younger fans. There’s nothing here that’s going to give Delia Smith a (Kessel) run for her money, but children will have fun making the likes of Snowtrooper Toast or Parsec Peanut Butter Sandwiches – both of which are among those that can be customised using the included Chewbacca and Millennium Falcon sandwich cutters (ok, we’ll let them have this one, they’re quite cool).
As you may have noticed (and we may have mentioned once or twice), some of the titles are, well, pretty cheesy (and we’re not just talking about the Quesogreedos, although they do look like an artery-clogging delight). You’ll find the likes of Bantha buns, Hoth dogs, Sabacc slices and our personal favourite, Scruffy-looking Nerf burgers. No Bantha fodder, though, which is mildly disappointing. And we’d probably have traumatised kids by throwing in a lightly sautéed Ewok just for the hell of it.
As for the food itself, as we mentioned earlier, there’s nothing massively challenging here. It ranges from the likes of elaborate peanut butter sandwiches (basically throw in honey and fruit), to fairly basic cakes, with Mimban mud pies being about as challenging as things get,
The most fun part of the book though is the photography. Rather than just picturing the food like regular, boring cook books, photographer Angie Cad has posed it in a variety of Star Wars scenes, complete with action figures. So instead of a stack of quesadillas (sorry, quesogreedos), they become a table in the cantina, across which Han and Greedo face off (it’s unknown if Han snacks first). Han and Chewie hide from a probe droid behind a stack of scones; the trash compactor is full of sushi; and, just to bring things up to date, Han and Lando play Sabacc over a seriously tasty-looking avacado open sandwich. We may have had mixed feelings about Solo, but it’s got a strong lunch game.
Author Lara Starr (appropriate name) is clearly an original trilogy fan, with the vast majority of recipes being themed around the first three movies. The prequels don’t get a look-in – meaning we’re deprived of Anakin flambé; nor do the new movies aside from Solo (one can only suggest that her editor assumed it would be good for sales, and therefore they should be fed to a Sarlacc immediately).
If you’re after a proper cookbook, Han Sandwiches isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a few recipes to keep the younglings occupied, fun pics, cheesy jokes and a funky Chewbacca cookie cutter, this is the book you’re looking for. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re off for a tasty Tauntaun tortilla wrap – smells bad, tastes great.
THE STAR WARS COOKBOOK: HAN SANDWICHES AND OTHER GALACTIC SNACKS / AUTHOR: LARA STARR / PUBLISHER: CHRONICLE BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
