On July 4th, creator Aimee Wood launched a crowdfunding campaign for a second edition of her successful fan-made cookbook, The Unofficial Legend of Zelda Cookbook. The campaign is running through August 3rd and had an initial goal of $4,000 USD. The project reached its funding goal within 15 minutes of being posted, and has so far raised over $88,000 USD with over 950 backers.
The 2nd Unofficial Legend of Zelda Cookbook was conceived after the release of Tears of the Kingdom, which added 50 new in-game cooking recipes. Author Aimee Wood writes, “At heart, I am a completionist. With the launch of Tears of the Kingdom, my first cookbook became grossly incomplete, and with so many new recipes (50!! Thank you folks who helped me find them all in game!), I could not resist translating them to real-life feasts once more.”
The new cookbook contains over 90 recipes across 9 chapters, in-game guides, US and international measurements, and vegan and gluten free alternatives. The cookbook will explore new foods that were absent in Volume 1, such as cheeses, pizzas, skewers, and baked goods. Some of the recipes are incredibly creative; chapters explore making elixirs, monster parts, edible rupees, dark clumps, frozen dishes, and more. The book comes in a digital edition, physical edition, and collector’s edition.
In an update on the Kickstarter page, Aimee Wood describes her experience with the project. “I woke at 6:45 am, having finished the Kickstarter video around 2 am. I posted at 7:00 am, hoping, guilty even about hoping, it might be one of those Kickstarters that fully funds within 24 hours. By 7:15 am, it was funded. My mind began to melt.”
She continues with words of love for the Zelda community, writing, “I forgot to post on social media. I posted on Discord, sent the email list, and had to run. It didn’t matter in the slightest. Your word of mouth flung this project to the far corners of the internet… That same fiery love for The Legend of Zelda, for the Kingdom of Hyrule, for the fantasy of adventure and hope; I’m not the only one. Sometimes I feel I’m clinging to those same ‘nerdy’ interests, not a phase, not something I’ll ever grow out of. I’m still puttering around the kitchen trying to figure out how to make Ravio-li, or blupee marshmallows. But I’m not alone! Sure, it’s been five years since the first cookbook, but truly, it’s been decades since this adventure began. The world has changed, we have grown—but Hyrule is still our home.”
You can check out the project and support the campaign here. There’s even an interactive adventure on the page where supporters cook for a dungeon boss. Happy cooking!
