11 Pop Culture Cookbooks Actually Worth Owning

Baking is a science, and no TV show exemplified that better than Breaking Bad. But you won’t get any meth-cooking instructions from this spoof cookbook. Baking Bad's playful recipes include Blue Meth Crunch (rock candy), Ricin Krispie Squares, Mr. White’s Tighty Whitey Bites (gingerbread cookies), and post-explosion-inspired Fring Pops. Motorhome sold separately. — Gerrad Hall

Cowabunga, cooks! Bring the turtles' love of pizza to your kitchen with this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed cookbook. The collection includes recipes for New York-style pepperoni pizza, deep-dish goulash pizza, the breakfast pie, and more. --Madeline Boardman

Turns out flesh isn’t the only thing on The Walking Dead menu. With 50 recipes including Sweetish Fleshballs, Nachos of the Living Dead, and Elbows Casserole, this parody cookbook is full of fun snacks to help readers survive a zombie apocalypse or a viewing party. As delicious as these dishes might be, we can’t promise any meal will provide enough comfort to get through the season premiere when the show returns in the fall. -- Ruth Kinane

No trip to Bon Temps is complete without a visit to vampire hangout Fangtasia or neighborhood bar and grill Merlotte's. Recipes from both fictional spots pop up in Sobol's True Blood-inspired cookbook, which also features 85 bayou dishes that would impress even Sookie's Gran. --Jessica Goodman

Eating like a prisoner might not sound too appealing, unless you’re behind bars at Litchfield. Surprisingly, the fictional women’s prison in Orange Is the New Black is filled with delicious inventions, including Red’s Chicken Kiev, Gloria’s tamales, and Miss Claudette’s coconut cake. The cookbook offers recipes for 65 of the show’s most arresting dishes, along with sidebars that help expand the universe of Orange Is the New Black for fans.-- Dylan Kickham

Looking for dainty tea trifles and decadent dinner entrées? There’s something for every Anglophile both upstairs and down. Get a taste of life in the Abbey with Anna Bates’ Chocolate Crumpets or Lady Mary’s Crab Canapés. -- Allison Sadlier

If you thought Scottish cuisine was all porridge and haggis washed down with a good swally of whiskey, Outlander Kitchen’s here to prove your wrong. Born as a blog, Carle-Sanders’ book brings hearty dishes like Conspirators’ Cassoulet, and sweet treats like Black Jack Randall’s Dark Chocolate Lavender Fudge to the table. Ye cannae deny those sound delish! Hey, if Jamie eats this stuff and has that great of a physique, we’re in full support of the Highland diet. -- Ruth Kinane

Feeling the hunger? This cookbook is less about that hunk of burnt bread Peeta throws to Katniss -- although his Burnt Raisin Nut Bread does sound good -- and more about the decadent display of treats in the Capitol. How does a supper of Gale's Bone-Pickin' Big Game Soup with a side of French bread from the Mellark Family Bakery, and a slice of Capitol-Grade Dark Chocolate Cake for dessert sound? -- Ruth Kinane

Think you know better than New Jersey Zagat? Leave the Southern Italian cooking to warm and convivial host Artie Bucco, who fictionally penned the HBO-sanctioned Sopranos Family Cookbook. Packed with recipes from beloved restaurant Vesuvio (sausages! arancini! zabaglione!), this cookbook will take you right back to that one -- potentially -- fateful meal in Jersey. --Jessica Goodman

Portlandia has established itself as one of the smartest and most laser-focused satires on television, but creators Carrie Brownstein, Fred Armisen, and Jonathan Krisel weren’t joking around when they released a legitimate cookbook inspired by the characters and sketches from the show. From foraged salads and cult-raised chicken to learning how to pickle to your heart’s desire, Portland’s unique, hipster scene inspires not only great comedy, but delicious recipes as well.-- Dylan Kickham

Lolis Eric Elie translates HBO’s post-Katrina drama to page for this unofficial Treme cookbook, doling out recipes for New Orleans delicacies like crawfish ravioli and smothered turnip soup. Original contributions from heralded chefs to guest stars litter the book’s mélange of 100 drinks and dishes. --Dana Getz