Carl Roberts 
“Briana Volk and her wonderful book have convinced me to change up my diet. And that in itself is a wonder”
Ok, let’s get this out of the way early. I am NOT a vegetarian. I don’t have any problem with vegetarians by any sense of the imagination but I enjoy meat in my diet. Having said that though, I do endeavor to try anything food-wise. I go abroad on vacation and always go to a restaurant in the country I’m in and say “I don’t want anything that is on your menu. I want to eat what YOU eat.” I’ll try the cuisine of the world and some are a real eye-opener. Dishes that have been adapted for the United Kingdom, the United States, or wherever else in the world to cater to our tastes are completely different and in some cases, much better than the versions we know and love. The same goes for vegetarian food on occasion. I’ll eat a dish and be surprised that there is no meat in it once I’ve finished it. Or that there’s a meat substitute involved.
Many of the cookbooks that have been released to tie in with certain franchises contain meat-based recipes across their many pages. But once I opened the ‘Wonder Woman Official Cookbook‘, I was surprised to find that every recipe in the book (and there are over fifty) are vegetarian. The main reason for this is thanks to the character’s heritage and the island where she came from. And I can tell you that for this meat-eater, every one of them is tasty and delicious.
Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook | by Briana Volk
Written by Briana Volk and with photography from Carla Choy, all the dishes concerned look tasty and inviting. And HEALTHY. After an introduction about cooking for champions, we are given a warrior’s guide to basic pantry essentials. This section goes into detail about the cooking terminology that will be found throughout the book such as ‘Ice Bath‘, ‘Beat‘, and other such terms. Briana Volk writes the recipes and the terminology with ease, allowing her words to be consumed and digested with finesse. Carla Choy’s photographs of the culinary delights leave the reader with an open mouth. It’s almost as though through the descriptions of the dishes and the photos that accompany them, you can taste them. They look and sound wonderful (no pun intended) and would make terrific food to serve to the family or friends and expand your culinary skills brilliantly.
The book starts with ‘Battle-Ready Breakfasts‘. It is here where we will discover the delights of ‘Paradise Island Pancakes‘, ‘Daughter Of Zeus Breakfast Bowl‘, ‘Fruit Of The Gods Muffins‘, and ‘Fighting Fit Feta Toast‘ among others. I LOVE Pancakes and so, I just had to try them from the book. And believe me, they are to die for! Consisting of 2 egg yolks, light brown sugar, Vanilla extract, baking powder, cake flour (or all-purpose flour if you don’t have cake flour), whole milk, 5 egg whites, orange juice plus the zest for garnishing, salt, and some unsalted butter, the recipe will make 8 pancakes that are a wonderful breakfast, especially when drizzled with some real Canadian Maple Syrup. The ‘Fighting Fit Feta Toast‘ makes 4 servings and is a wonderful start to the day by itself. Comprising of Feta Cheese, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper, thick-cut Italian bread, and fresh mint leaves, this tasty dish leaves the taste buds extremely happy and asking for more.
We next arrive at the ‘Amazonian Appetizers, Sides, And Snacks‘. Here, we will find such treats such as ‘Paradise Platter‘, ‘Winter Wonder Fruit Salad‘, ‘Power-Up Pita Pockets‘, and ‘Gladiator Greek Potatoes’. The ‘Winter Wonder Fruit Salad’ is made up of Blood Oranges, Grapefruit, Navel Oranges, and 1 shallot with Salt for the salad itself. The dressing that accompanies the salad is made up of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Honey, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, and Black Pepper, pitted and chopped Kalamata Olives, and fresh Mint leaves to garnish. The resulting salad is so tasty that it is a perfect appetizer before the main meal. The ‘Power-Up Pita Pockets’ are another wonderful dish to try. Comprising of Greek Yogurt, Flat-Leaf Parsley, Dill, Lemon Juice, Salt, Black Pepper, Pita Bread, Cucumber, Carrots, Alfalfa Sprouts, and tomatoes. The result will make 4 delicious filled Pita bread that looks and tastes divine.
We have tried the appetizers and so, we move on to ‘Mighty Meals‘. Here, we will feast like superheroes with delicious fare such as ‘Feed The League Nachos‘, ‘Olympian Orzo‘, ‘Steve Trevor Egg Salad‘, and the ‘Justice League Lasagne‘. let us take a look at the ‘Feed The League Nachos’. Of course, this is a Nachos-based dish and looks like it could be a perfect snack for sharing during a movie or a football game but it’s so much more than that. Nachos are Pita bread, cut into chip-sized wedges and baked. To make the dish, you require between 4 to 6 pieces of Pita Bread, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Feta Cheese, Sliced Black Olives, chopped yellow Onion, chopped tomatoes, red bell peppers, salt, and black pepper, Greek Yogurt, lemon zest, a Cumin. This will yield between 6 to 8 servings for yourself and the family and/or friends. Or try the ‘Justice League Lasagne’ instead. For this, you’ll need Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Carrots, Yellow Onions, Red Bell Peppers, Salt, and Black Pepper, sliced Eggplant, Baby Spinach, Crushed Tomatoes, chopped Basil, Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, Ricotta Cheese, Oregano, Thyme, Lasagne Noodles, and grated Parmesan to make a meal for up to six people. Tasty and hearty food.
After all that hearty and fulfilling food for our appetizers and main meal, it is time for our sweet. And in the next section, ‘Superhero Sweets‘, we can choose from thirteen different desserts which include ‘Golden Lasso Peach Shortcake‘, ‘Wonder Woman Classic Iced Cookies‘, ‘Baklava Of Themyscira‘, and ‘Victory Cake‘. We will, of course, take a look at the wonderful and extremely tasty ‘Wonder Woman Classic Iced Cookies’. These terrific-looking cookies do require a ‘Wonder Woman‘ cookie cutter to get the perfect shape, which is available in selected stores or you can use a cookie cutter of your choice. But here is a little secret. The book, inside the back cover, contains a ‘Wonder Woman‘ stencil so that you can stencil the logo in icing on any cookie or cake of your choice. It is perfect here for icing the cookies. The cookie ingredients are Unsalted Butter, Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Eggs, All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt. The icing consists of Powdered Sugar, Heavy Cream, Light Corn Syrup, Vanilla Extract, and Red, Blue, and Yellow food coloring. The recipe will yield 20 cookies that the young ones will be more than happy to devour. Just make sure you keep a few hidden away for yourself!
Our final section is entitled ‘Party Time‘. It is here where we combine several dishes from throughout the book to make three different complete meals for the family and/or friends. We have ‘A Superhero Birthday Bash‘, ‘Movie Night‘, and ‘Weekend Warrior Brunch‘. Various dishes contained throughout the book, when added together, form a delicious set meal. The dishes have been specially selected to complement each other and will make the perfect selection.
Verdict:
Our time within the pages of the book has come to an end and we can look back at what we have seen and have learned. And we can plan what we are going to attempt first. What a selection we have to choose from! Every dish looks and sounds out of this world and the reader will have a whale of a time making the recipes contained within. DC fans will lap this book up simply because of the ‘Wonder Woman‘ name. I can’t blame them but the book is so much more. It appeals to all kinds of budding chefs and presents them with the chance to try their hand at making some dishes that are different than the norm. I implore all culinary types to give the recipes a try. It doesn’t matter if you’re a meat-eater or a vegetarian, everything contained here will make a delicious and fulfilling meal. Believe me, I tried some of them and have now adapted my diet to have at least three meat-free meals a week, substituting them for one of the vegetarian meals contained within the book. Briana Volk and her wonderful book have convinced me to change up my diet. And that in itself is a wonder.
Wonder Woman: The Official Cookbook by Briana Volk is published by Insight Editions and is available to buy NOW!
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Editors Note | A big thank you to our friends at Insight Editions for sending over our advance review copy.
Future of the Force News Editor,Liverpool F.C fan,Halloween Movie Fan, Friday The 13th movies fan, Star Wars Fan, Star Trek Fan.
