You're Off to See the Kitchen

Hungry? Head out to the kitchen for Munchkin Muffin Sandwiches, Ruby Slipper Cookies, or Judy Garland’s personal recipe for Shepard’s Pie Supreme.

Two Oz-themed cookbooks, packed with recipes for every meal and occasion, tell you how to prepare Ozzy meals, plan a party for your little Munchkins, or even whip up some wicked cocktails for the grownups. If your cooking skills don’t go beyond ordering pizza, both are packed with Oz facts and make fun, fascinating reading.

The Wizard of Oz Cookbook, published in 1993 by Abbeville Press Publishers, is divided into five sections: Breakfast in Kansas, Kids’ Party in Munchkinland, Appetizers on the Yellow Brick Road, Cocktails at the Witch’s Castle, and Dessert in the Emerald City. With the exception of a few recipes, such as the simple Over the Rainbow Fruit Plate and easy-to-mix Five Little Fiddlers Shake, most dishes are designed for the more experienced cook. The four-layer Munchkinland Pink Party Cake could make Martha Stewart melt through the floor. Never fear: Even if you never prepare a single dish, the book is worth it. Each is chapter is sprinkled with movie quotes, trivia quizzes, and fun facts.

The kids’ party section also offers suggestions for party activities; for example, you could have the kids design their own Munchkin hats or go on a scavenger hunt for items mentioned in the movie. If you’re an older "kid", the cocktail section is filled with fun concoctions. Try the Flying Monkey (rum and crème de banana), the Rusty Tin Man (scotch and Campari), or the Wicked Mint Witch (bourbon and crème de menthe).

Cooking in Oz, published in 1999 by Cumberland House Publishing, is a much thicker volume than The Wizard of Oz Cookbook and is truly a celebration of all things Ozzy. Authors Elaine Willingham and Steve Cox collected hundreds of recipes from everyone – and I mean everyone – remotely associated with Oz. There are the obvious contributors, of course: movie cast members and their children, various Munchkins, the president of the International Wizard of Oz Club. Those with less-obvious Oz connections have included recipes as well. There’s corn pudding from John Ritter, who played L. Frank Baum in the TV movie The Dreamer of Oz, potato salad from Bill Cosby, who hosted the premiere of the animated Journey Back to Oz in 1976, and even vegetarian soup from Casey Kasem, who provides the voice of Shaggy in Scooby Doo cartoons. (According to the book, the animated series once had an Oz-themed episode in the 1980s.)

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