Official ‘Friends’ cookbook to be released in September

While the much-anticipated Friends reunion has been delayed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fans of the beloved sitcom will have the chance to discover a new official cookbook.

Friends: The Official Cookbook will feature more than 70 recipes from the iconic TV series, such as Monica’s Friendsgiving Feast, Phoebe’s Grandmother’s Cookies and Ross’ Moist Maker leftover sandwich.

The cookbook, assembled by chef Amanda Yee, will give fans the opportunity to try their hands at a variety of Friends-themed recipes “from appetisers and main courses to drinks and desserts”.

Among them are Joey’s Meatball Sub, Just for Joey Fries, Chandler’s “Milk You Can Chew” as well as Rachel’s infamous Thanksgiving trifle, which made a remarkable appearance in the episode “The One Where Ross Got High”.

“It’s a trifle. It’s got all of these layers. First, there’s a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which I made from scratch. Raspberries, more ladyfingers. Then beef sautéed with peas and onions. Then more custard and then bananas and then I just put some whipped cream on top,” Rachel said in the episode, during which she accidentally creates a Thanksgiving dessert that incorporates the ingredients for an English trifle and a shepherd’s pie.

“Whether you’re a seasoned chef like Monica Geller, just starting a catering business like Phoebe Buffay, or a regular old food enthusiast like Joey Tribbiani, Friends: The Official Cookbook offers a variety of recipes for chefs of all levels,” publisher Insight Editions said in a statement.

While Friends: The Official Cookbook is slated for release on 22 September, the filming of the Friends reunion special will potentially be completed by the end of the summer.

Cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer were all scheduled to reunite for the unscripted reunion, which was originally slated to be available on HBO Max at launch on 27 May.

The special was set to film on the sitcom’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros. Studio lot outside Los Angeles, although Variety reports that the reunion “may go more to a virtual route, if it is delayed too long”.

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