Mr. Anderson, when did you get it for the first Time, Tolkien’s books in the Finger?
I remember that my father gave me three beautiful hardcover books, when I was eight or nine years old – the three parts of “The Lord of the rings”.
What have you most intrigued by?
of Course I love “The Lord of the rings”. You can lose yourself in this book, really. But perhaps the book I most engrossed I as a child was, the mythical “Silmarillion”.
when did your interest of the stories on the food shifted?
Tolkien weaves together to eat and Drink very closely with the stories of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the rings”. The adventures take place, so to speak, between meals. When I read the books again, I noticed how much fun Tolkien in his descriptions of the food was and how much the emotional and symbolic value he attaches to it – just think of the famous rabbit stew, the Frodo and Sam at the gate of Mordor to eat!
How they came up with the idea to invent recipes for this?
I have for a few years with a publisher for Tolkien’s books worked. So this was a natural development.
How would you describe the diet of Tolkien’s characters?
The diet of the Hobbits is very similar to the traditional English diet of Tolkien’s Childhood – quite a soothing combination of Roasts, cakes, and Pudding. In the case of the elves is easier, while some of the Wesen are, for example, Tom Bombadil is almost a fruitarian.
you Are yourself a passionate chef?
I love to cook for others. Intimate dinners, leisurely breakfasts, opportunities to create atmospheres, to create. I’m not a great cook – the recipes in this book are all easy to follow, I think. But I’m a competent cook, says it’s good!
How do you create the recipes?
I have worked closely with home economists together, and we’ve looked at all the meals and foods that appear in Tolkien’s works in order to use them as sparks for our imagination.
What recipes are your favorites?
The vegetarian and vegan. Like the Hobbits, I love Breakfast, so I like the potato bread with tomato, named after Beren, the great hero from “The Silmarillion”. It is really delicious.
How could you ensure that you meet with your recipes the flavor of Tolkien Fans?
After the recipes have fairly the diversity of the diet to reflect the Tolkien for middle-invented earth, is there for the reader many different choices. We have really tried to find something for every taste – from the simple, but beautiful mushrooms on Toast from farmer Maggot up to the grilled garlic in the Grey havens and the wonderful Treats for the Tea Time shells. Tolkien’s Hobbits are known to eat five meals a moderation of the day, so there’s something for every occasion, meal and Diet.
do you Have fear of critical reactions, because their Expertise could be questioned, and because Tolkien’s heirs and publishers have not authorized your book?
no, not at all. Tolkien’s readers are very passionate, and there will always be someone who has more Expertise than you. What I wanted to do in the creation of this book was to share my own imaginative reaction to Tolkien’s eating the world. Tolkien’s work, so rich, so extensive to be so chaotic, so difficult, is only the beginning of our own dreams – that’s what makes the work so great.
Robert Tuesley Anderson: “The great cookbook inspired by Tolkien’s legends”, Hölker Verlag, 176 pages, 24 Euro, appears on 1. September.
