The Children’s Book Review | January 16, 2018
The Children’s Book Review: Which five words best describe The Star Wars Cookbook: BB-Ate: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch?
Lara Starr:
Yummy
Funny
Spacey
Easy
Fun!
Can you share one highlight from The Star Wars Cookbook: BB-Ate: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch with our readers?
I really love the BB-8 Energy Balls. Energy Balls are so fun to make, great for kid’s lunches or breakfast on the go, and it was fun to create a recipe that gives a nod to everyone’s new favorite favorite droid with orange flavor and white coconut.
What has been the best reaction from a reader, so far?
As of this writing, the book hasn’t come out yet so the only people who have read it are the publisher and the folks at Lucasfilm. I’ll admit I feel a lot of geeky pride when I get notes from the editors at Lucasfilm that they like a particular recipe or think a recipe name is especially clever.
Why do you think cookbooks are an important part of a child’s home library?
Learning to cook and read recipes is an essential skill, and one kids love to learn! Spending time in the kitchen with their grownups is such a special bonding time, and there’s so much pride in serving and eating something you’ve made yourself.
A librarian once told me that kids need to have proficiency in reading instructional text, and cookbooks are a great way for them to achieve that. She often directs reluctant boy readers to the Star Wars cookbooks.
What is your favorite meal of the day: breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, or dessert? Why?
THAT is a tough choice! I like every meal for different reasons, but if I had to pick, dinner is my favorite. It’s the meal I can spend the most time planning and preparing, and am most likely to eat with other people. It’s the meal with the best opportunity for lingering and having great conversations. One of our family traditions was to share “The Best and The Worst” things that happened that day.
What was the last dish you cooked?
I made a really delicious pasta with sun dried tomato pesto and ricotta cheese. It was one of those dishes that came together with odds and ends from the fridge. It was a little dry and lacking in oomph, but a finishing splash of chicken broth made it come alive!
For your writing energy: sugar or salt, tea or coffee?
Coffee! I’m an all-day drinking of regular ol’ black coffee.
Writing tools: computer, pen and paper, or all of the above?
Pen and paper for taking notes while I’m watching and re-watching the Star Wars movies for ideas and inspiration, but all of the real writing happens on the computer.
What’s on your nightstand? Any books?
So many! Too many! Anne Patchett’s Commonwealth, Jason Reynold’s Long Way Down, Hillary Clinton’s What Happened, Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give and Rep. John Lewis’ March III
Can you tell us something that even your most loyal fans may not know about you?
I was a Star Wars fan from day one! This is a photo of me and my brother in 1977 the year Episode IV A New Hope was released. We all got the gift of Star Wars that year. In addition to the tshirts, I got comic books, my brother got a light saber, and my mom got the soundtrack on picture disk (remember those?).
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Working on Star Wars cookbooks is so much fun! I hope you’ll use them as an opportunity to cook with the kids in your life. May the force be with you!
—
The Star Wars Cookbook: BB-Ate: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch
Written by Lara Starr
Publisher’s Synopsis: Awaken your inner Force with 29 intergalactic breakfast recipes. Fuel up with Hans Soloatmeal, battle hunger with Admiral Ackbars, and so much more! These easy-to-make, mouthwatering recipes feature characters and scenes from Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well as from the upcoming film Star Wars: The Last Jedi. And photographs featuring Star Wars figurines re-creating epic moments from the films provide an extra helping of humor.
Ages 6-101+ | Publisher: Chronicle Books | January 23, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-1452162980
Available Here:
About the Author
Lara Starr is the author of Wookiee Pies, Clone Scones, and Other Galactic Goodies and Ice Sabers. She lives in Marin County, California.
About the Photographer
Matthew Carden photographed Wookiee Pies, Clone Scones, and Other Galactic Goodies and Ice Sabers. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
This speed interview with Lara Starr, author of The Star Wars Cookbook: BB-Ate: Awaken to the Force of Breakfast and Brunch, was conducted by Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Cookbooks, Cooking, Lara Starr, Star Wars Books, and Speed Interview.
