This is a sincere labor of love; an honest attempt to share some
favorite recipes from over the years, create some, and honor some of
the adopted ones. I have always enjoyed cooking and Tolkien's
works... and this is a tribute to them both. These are recipes I have
accrued over four decades; they represent a sample of recipes I love
that I hope you come to love, too. I had a lot of fun with the Elvish
names, compiling information and creating an embellished personal
history from the inspiration of a remarkable college professor who I
grew up admiring, adoring, and genuinely loving.
I read two memorable
texts when I was 10 years old: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance, and The Hobbit. The latter played a very large role in the course my life took. I grew up in the middle of volatile political times
and turbulent change, a member of the disenfranchised populations
three times over. I learned to make lemonade out of lemons (see recipe
#1).
I learned, thanks to Tolkien, that even the most timid and diminutive
could have a dramatic, positive impact on the world. I also learned
through my cultural teachings and my subsequent reading as a teen of
The Lord of The Rings that the earth and all of its inhabitants are
sacred. We all have our contributions to make. I saw the obvious
parallels in the struggles that the characters of Middle Earth faced and
my own world. I identified messages from the text with themes
from my own traditions. This book is a celebration of those cultures:
Tolkien's and ours. There are family recipes in here that are literally
hundreds of years old; some were gifts to my family from other
cultures over the years. Some are adaptations of recipes collected
over the years from various sources, including neighbors, local
restaurants, and dear friends... all of whom are properly mentioned in
the index. There are recipes of my own creation from Tolkien's
inspiration... namel, lembas (or coimas), which I started making 25
years ago. There are three types, and they are my interpretation, and
of course, not meant to be the only interpretation of them.
I am also very health conscious. I don't eat these kinds of foods
every day. Some of them simply aren't the best for all people. Use your
discretion, and modify some of the fat, cholesterol and salt content
where appropriate. There are places where I offer lower fat, salt and cholesterol alternatives, where I know they will work in the recipe. I
make mostly vegetarian dishes these days, so a lot of the classic
menus have vegetarian alternatives, for those who may go meatless.
There are several recipes here for young children and for babies. I also
only use whole ingredients: whole grains, no white potatoes, turbinado
sugar, and pure honey. Many people who have problems with their
sugar levels will find this refreshing. Complex carbohydrates will
metabolize better. I do not ever use sugar substitutes in the recipes. I
try to keep the recipes as close to foods of the past as possible. There
are no microwave recipes in here; most of these are appropriate for
wood stoves, electric or gas. I also live in the mountains, so some have
been modified to meet the sea level requirement. If I am uncertain how a
recipe will perform in your area, I give you fair warning.
I have classified the recipes by region, not race of peoples. Many areas
have had a number of different cultures living on them through the
ages, and their populations have migrated, here and in Middle-Earth.
Many, like Bree, offer a combination of different influences and types.
I hope there will be some there that appeal to the reader. The foods of
The Dark Lands chapter have more to do with humor in the
characterizations of the food than the actual places they are
associated with. For example, the classic cheeseburger is lovingly
referred to as Mount Doom because that's what it will do to one's
arteries if eaten too frequently. Mince meat pie is nicknamed for the
Balrog because that's probably what would go through your mind that
you might become if you ran into him in the Mines of Moria. I hope you
have fun with them, too.
Above all, this project is meant to honor and respect all peoples... from
Middle-Earth and our own. Tolkien said that Middle-Earth wasn't some
other dimension or parallel universe: it is our earth. I feel he really
loved this earth, and so do I. It is in that spirit that this project was
conceived. I hope it brings you great joy, fun, sharing and a full
tummy.
Wishing you all the best always,
Emerald Took
To read reviews of this book please visit:
The Post Gazette
and
Oregon Magazine
Also see: The Revenge of the Hobbits
Please read about Emerald Took's recent fundraising participation at www.post-gazette.com
Emerald is a traditional Hobbit name, since my people are
originally from the North country, who traveled down into the Shire
during the First Age. My history is that of a Fallohide, and a Harfoot
Hobbit, since my families are from Long Cleve and from the Bywater
region. Originally, Hobbit mothers and grandmothers have been
naming their daughters after other relatives and mostly, flowers and
precious stones as long as anyone can remember. My Took lineage is
from Reginard, who had three sisters: Lily, Sage and Emerald.* The
other families of the area thought the Tooks quite odd, since we loved
to travel (well, more than most Hobbit families), and also enjoyed the
water. Some of us even swam, (something traditional Hobbits rarely
did). Today, we are mixed with the races of Man; having traveled outside
the Shire again after the end of the Third Age after the War of the
Ring, when King Elessar was crowned. My dear ancestor, Cousin Pip
(Thain Peregrin) and his lovely wife Diamond (from Long Cleve) went
into the lands of Rohan to serve under the rulership of Man from that
time forward. We are spread out all over the world now, but our recipes
and our family ties continue to be honored no matter where we live.
The important thing we always try to remember is that we are all
relations... one way or another. The next person I meet today is
probably a distant cousin, so I always treat them like a long lost friend.
This cookbook is to honor those relatives, stories, and some fables
that I hope will bring some fun and genuine enjoyment to your family.
With my blessings, from our home to yours...
Sincerely,
- Emerald Took
*Lily, Sage and Emerald are names of my own family and creation. In Tolkien's works, he does not name the daughters, just the fact that there were some.