Eat, Drink, Animate: An Animators Cookbook

It’s always fun when one book can encompass two genres, and Eat, Drink, Animate: An Animators Cookbook by Tom Sito (CRC Press, March 2019) does just that. Is it a cookbook with recipes contributed by animators, or is it a history of animation with recipes? Well, it’s actually both. Personally, I found Eat, Drink, Animate to be an interesting read, with mini-biographies of the featured animators along with food-related stories about them, many with illustrations by the animators themselves. And their recipes are an integral part of the story, too.

* Complimentary book received for review. This post contains affiliate links.

My enjoyment of Eat, Drink, Animate is two-fold. Since I knew little to nothing about animation history, I liked reading about the people behind the drawings, especially the camaraderie they share (there’s a whole chapter of the practical jokes they play on each other). The historical photos are interesting, too, and I love the drawings, cartoons, illustrations, and caricatures throughout the book. However, since I do love to cook, I was drawn to the recipes (no pun intended).

Here are a few of my picks, including the animators who created them and some of the animators’ credits:

• Tuscan Panzanella & Kale Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast from Onil Chibas (Pocahontas; Sinbad; Sharktale)
• Tortilla De Patatas (Spanish Omelette) from Raul Garcia-Sanz (Land Before Time; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; The Lion King)
• Banana Bread from Brenda Chapman (The Little Mermaid; Beauty and the Beast; Brave)
• Walt’s Personal Chili from Walt Disney (too many to mention!)
• Basil Pesto Pasta from Pete Docter (Up; Inside Out; Monsters, Inc.)
• Challah French Toast from Nancy Beiman (Hercules; Fantasia 2000; A Goofy Movie)
• Tahchin (Persian Saffron Rice Cake) from Rasoul Azadani (The Little Mermaid; Hercules; Moana)

Tom Sito, the author of Eat, Drink, Animate, not only is an animation historian but is a successful animator in his own right, with credits including Beauty and the Beast, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Lion King, and Shrek. His respect, admiration, and affection for his fellow animators shines through on every page, which adds great depth and authenticity to the book. His own recipe for Roman Pork Roast is included, accompanied by his cute illustration entitled “Roman dinner” depicting a rotund pig-emperor being served wine by a bird-woman.

Eat, Drink, Animate has its own Facebook page, where you can see even more examples of the art of animation, some cool pictures, and the latest buzz about the book. Check it out!

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!

Disclaimer: A. Bailey received a complimentary product for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ. Please read the blog’s terms of service policy before entering any giveaways. The Classy Chics are NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or shipping of any items won from this blog. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, we may or may not make a small commission which helps to support this website. Thank you!!!