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Discworld Companion Books

Nanny Ogg's Cookbook

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They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach which just goes to show they're as confused about anatomy as they gen'rally are about everything else, unless they're talking about instructions on how to stab him, in which case a better way is up and under the ribcage. Anyway, we do not live in a perfect world and it is foresighted and useful for a young woman to become proficient in those arts which will keep a weak-willed man from straying. Learning to cook is also useful.




Nanny Ogg, one of Discworld's most famous witches, here passes on some of her huge collection of tasty and interesting recipes. In addition to such dishes as Nobby's Mum's Distressed Pudding, Mrs. Ogg imparts her thoughts on such matters as life, death, and courtship, all in a refined style that should not offend the most delicate of sensibilities. Well, not much. Most of the recipes have been tried out on people who are still alive.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Terry Pratchett

501 books44.1k followers
Sir Terence David John Pratchett was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983–2015, and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens (1990), which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
Pratchett's first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983, after which Pratchett wrote an average of two books a year. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published in August 2015, five months after his death.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1998 and was knighted for services to literature in the 2009 New Year Honours. In 2001 he won the annual Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, the first Discworld book marketed for children. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2010.
In December 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He later made a substantial public donation to the Alzheimer's Research Trust (now Alzheimer's Research UK, ARUK), filmed three television programmes chronicling his experiences with the condition for the BBC, and became a patron of ARUK. Pratchett died on 12 March 2015, at the age of 66.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
Profile Image for Auntie Terror.
462 reviews114 followers
August 15, 2021
There are actual recipes in this book, and still this is a cookbook I could actually read in the usual sense of the word.
Perhaps don't so so in public, though, because you might be forced to the same reaction as one of the editors' wife, i.e. audible giggles and/or laughter.
36 reviews3 followers
January 16, 2008
OMG! This needs to be rated PG-17 -- Strawberry Wobbler?!?! If I made this dish, my husband would have a stroke. This is Nanny Ogg at her naughty best, with apoplectic notes from the editor and the publisher. I sniggered and snerked all the way through.
Profile Image for Ана Хелс.
897 reviews81 followers
March 29, 2015
Преди дни изгубихме един от най-бляскавите умове на фентъзито, ако не и на литературата въобще – за незапознатите нещо като Стивън Хокинг на фентъзийния жанр, споделящ в огромна степен и съдбата на най-великия учен в три космоса околовръст. Каква ирония е най-чистите интелекти, които разбират вселената, живота и всичко останало напълно буквално и ясно като майски ден, да бъдат покосявани от болести на ума и тялото, деградиращи човешките им превъплъщения до тромави телесни черупки, недостойни и неспособни да носят гениалността в една шепа плът и кости. Дядо Тери ни остави богат завет от усмивки и изръмжавания , ярки образи и свръх свежи лафове, и основите и духа на цял поджанр, влюбващ в книгите сума ти поколения деца и позакъснели с материала възрастни. В негова чест, и с много сълзи на очите , се заех с един странен експеримент на словото, трибют към най-опасната по толкова много начини вещица баба Ог – развратна, разгулна и лакомия до шия, но справедлива и по пратчески възможно най-добрата балансьорка меж��у свръх консервативната Вихронрав и ню ейдж модерната Чеснова.

Още от първите страници ни посрещат хаотично налепени бележчици от маково-зачервени и хипер изплашени скромни редактори, на които им предстои да издадат творенията на леля Ог, повечето от които явно трябва да правят компания на онази толкова специална книга, която обичайно кисне в огромна кофа с лед и не бива да бъде поглеждана дори с крайчеца на окото, иначе да му мислите, ако ви се пазят разни работи като невинност и духовна чистота. В наглед скромничкия сборник с рецепти, съвети за общуването и поведението на маса, всъщност избухва цялата вселенска, юбер динамична разноликост на настроенията на една вещица, която каквото и да прави, все ще е хубаво, иначе – фрас, прас, и обърканите жаби на тоя свят току- виж се увеличили с още няколко събратя. Въпреки сериозните опити на Ог рецептите даже стават за ядене, след като от тях са трагично премахнати разни работи като арсеник, миши опашки и очи от тритон, и е вкарана в работа мерителната система на грамовете вместо универсалната „малко-мъничко-ей тонинко“, широко използвана в пасторалните общности. И даже джуджешката кухня е тук в отделен абзац, но за съжаление приготовлението ѝ няма да изисква дългогодишни посещения при зъболекаря и гастрото в опити да ви остържат ченето от някой камък, ами гранобитните ястия са се трансформирали в доста прилични печива и кейкчета за чайче.

Виж откъм съвети за градинарството леля Ог бива достатъчно изчерпателна да вземете да се сдружите с някой градинар, а за сватби и погребения основно описва етикета на другите към всяка случайно навъртаща се вещица , но пък за любовната страна на нещата няма грешка – от стандартното ухажване в селските общества и критериите за избор на булка, младоженек, кумове и шаферки, до конкретното поведение зад завивките, което обаче е окепазено от няколко възмутени редакторски бележки на прежълтелите от толкова много интимна информация кротки градски издатели, неподготвени за пратческия вариант на нюансите. Между другото в аранжировката на храната доста внимавайте, особено ако имате нещо продълговато, две кръгли неща и нещо което се плиска навсякъде около тях като яйчен крем например, че… Ами представете си го, и аз съм свенлив интелектуалец, ще. Ще ми се да можеше да има повече такива книги, в които зад едно се крие съвсем друго – вълнуващо, неочаквано, и нахилващо до зад ушите, но е вече твърде късно.

Липсвате ни, сър Пратчет, дано Смърт да е бил добър към вас, все пак бяхте единствения му истински приятел…
Profile Image for Елена Павлова.
Author 130 books250 followers
March 21, 2019
Готина идея е книжката и искрено забавлява. Излишно е да казвам, че това е сто и първият й препрочит най-малкото. И ще бъде препрочитана още много пъти.
Profile Image for Maryna Ponomaryova.
627 reviews53 followers
March 16, 2020
Чудові рецепти від Nanny Ogg - деякі навіть їстівні (с). Така мандрівка Пласким Світом через їжу, етикет та гумор. Дуже Пратчетт.
Profile Image for Chris.
341 reviews1,056 followers
January 15, 2009
Sometimes you just have to lighten things up, y'know? As if the jokes-as-philosophy book wasn't light enough.

There have been quite a few spin-off books from Pratchett's Discworld series in the years that he's been doing them. Various maps, the Science of Discworld books, plays, films and now this. And I think we can all agree that spin-offs are never quite as good as the original.

Oh sure, there are laughs to be had - it is Nanny Ogg, after all. If you don't know who she is, then you need to go through a few of the books in the Witches track of the Discworld series. If you don't have time for that, then let me sum it up for you.

In the mountaintop village of Lancre, people still do things in the old ways. They have no real need for modern contrivances or newfangled ideas or, well, change. So in that way, they still see the need for witches where the rest of the world has decided that they're really nothing but interfering old biddies. Of course, they would never say so to their faces....

Lancre is the home to three witches. At least, there used to be three. One of them decided to trade it in to be a queen, leaving the elder witches to look after Lancre on their own. Granny Weatherwax is the elder of the two witches, and she is everything you expect in a witch. She's hard as nails, brooks no nonsense, and is the scariest thing in the mountains. She lives alone in her isolated shack, and takes great pride in people knowing that she was one of those people who didn't care what people thought.

At her side is the more amiable, but no less powerful, Nanny Ogg. She's usually described as having a face like an apple left in the sun for too long. Unlike Granny, she's a matriarch, the head of a vast family of Oggs, and lives among the people. She has an infectious laugh, chats on and on, and is always ready to try new things.

So, of the two, Nanny Ogg is the one who would naturally want to write a book.

It's a cookbook, certainly, and contains a great many recipes. I may try some of them sometime, actually, as they are real recipes. The fictitious publishers take great pains to remind us that many of the original ingredients are either inedible or offensive, so while the dishes contained therein many not be authentic, they at least will probably not cause you any discomfort. The recipe I am most eager to try out is Mrs. Whitlow's Artery-Hardening Hogswatch Pie, although the Patrician's recipe for bread and water is tempting, as is Leonard of Quirm's method of making a cheese sandwich.

There is a back half of the book as well, dealing mostly in the realm of etiquette and proper behavior. It's very amusing, and covers every situation from weddings to birth to death to visitations by semi-sentient scarecrows. What you really take away from it is that you should certainly be polite to everyone, and you should be especially polite to any witches you might come across. If you know what's good for you, anyway.

I will be the first to admit that I'm a huge fan of Pratchett and his Discworld, but there are bigger fans than myself, and it is really for those people that this book was written. For some readers, the original books will never be enough, and they will clamor for any additional content to make the world they love more real. Thus things like the Harry Potter spin-off books, the Dark Tower companion books, and the various additional Discworld texts. If the original books were deficient in some way, if they added extra depth and substance to the characters, then I would collect them all.

But this book doesn't really add anything to the Discworld because that world is already vivid and deep, a living world that the novels have brought to life over the last 25 years. I don't need a recipe book to tell me more about Nanny Ogg, and this recipe book doesn't tell me anything about Nanny Ogg - or any other Discworld characters - that I didn't already know.

This book is an entertaining gimmick, and I hope that the rabid fans who love this kind of thing have found it to be the kind of thing that they like, to paraphrase Lincoln. But it doesn't inspire me to buy any more non-novel Discworld books. But that's just me.
Profile Image for Ravenskya .
234 reviews37 followers
July 2, 2008
I would say a "Must Have" for any Discworld fanatic, but unfortunately it's not a "Must Have"... what it is however is a very fun, whimsical cookbook assembled by our favorite dirty minded witch of Lancre - Nanny Ogg. Though this book does contain recipes (and most of them appear fairly legit) the reason to buy this book is for the old fashioned wisdom that used to come in cookbooks. The more of the Discworld books that you have read, the more you will recognize the names and people mentioned in the recipes. Everyone from the Patrician, to Nobby's Mum, to The King of Lancre have contributed their favorites (Even CMOT Dibbler has contributed his "Sausage-inna-bun recipe). There are also a series of "Ethnic" foods from Klatch, Quirm, Lancre, and many other of the Discworld lands including multiple Dwarven recipes which (include the ever popular "Dwarf Bread.")

Throughout the cookbook you will find not only recipes, but also Nanny's quips, and advise, as well as notes from the "editors" who are very concerned about Nanny's tendency towards the vulgar. It is safe to have around the house because the kiddies won't get the references as Nanny always states them with double meaning and a wink. At the end of the book there is a section on life and etiquette which is absolutely hysterical. Having just been married two years ago, the section on weddings nearly had me in tears, specifically the instructional part about how to have the obligatory wedding fight among the guests.

Note to those of you wavering about the purchase of this book. It's cute, it's funny, but it is by no means a novel. If you plan to sit down with it and read it as a book, you will be done in less than an hour and will probably be disappointed. If you are the type who has a few "Discworld junkie" friends, this is the perfect help to any party... you can all get together and make dwarf bread and see who's flies the farthest. This would also make an excellent gift for a Discworld fan. If you are planning to put it in your kitchen with the rest of your cookbooks, I would advise getting the hardcover version.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
7 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2015
There are several reasons why I love this book.
1. It's a first person perspective of one of my favourite Pratchett characters, Gytha 'Nanny' Ogg. A bawdy, friendly, matriarchal figure who is just beautifully written for.

2. Many of the recipes are provided by other Discworld characters and gives a little additional background and insight into these people, which might otherwise seem a little superfluous shared in the novels themselves.

3. It's a cookbook, so there are actually some decent recipes in there. A few of them are 'adapted' from the original Discworld recipes due to the shortage of certain native ingredients on boring, old Earth. And also certain physical laws which tend to be a teensy-bit more malleable on Discworld.

4. The illustrations provided by Paul Kidby - http://www.paulkidby.com/ - are just wonderful. He's the second official illustrator for the Discworld novels after the passing of Josh Kirby, and there is one particular illustration of a man/rambler meeting a troll for the first time and offering his hand (an insult about the troll's mother in the physical language of the trolls) that just cracks me up every time I see it.

There are lots and lots of lovely little touches that you pick up on having read the Discworld series, but it would also be a nice gentle introduction to the humour and characterisations if you have never read any of the books before.
If this book doesn't raise a little chuckle or two as you read through it, I would be very surprised.
Profile Image for Marta.
1,033 reviews115 followers
December 10, 2020
Nanny Ogg is a lively witch with a keen wisdom, experience, and a great fondness for food, drink, and the double (or triple) entendre. When we talk of a cookbook by her, it generally means random food related references from all over Discworld, with well seasoned jokes. The recipes can be forgotten; the editors have felt they must be viable in the kitchen, and they are, but really, would you buy Nanny Ogg’s cookbook if you actually wanted to cook? The section on dwarf cookery was the most useful, IMO, as it can also be used in combat.

The better half of the book is the second part, where Nanny Ogg gives etiquette advice, i.e. tidbits that likely were too long for footnotes and have accumulated somewhere on Pratchett’s harddrive. They are fond reminders of dwarves, trolls, pictsies, the undead, and so on; and of course, the various ways witches should be invited to every celebration and welcomed with a large mug of drink.

Written in Nanny Ogg’s irreverent style, this is a fun Discworld companion book and great gift for a Pratchett enthusiast. Its best feature is bringing up fond scenes in many other books (such as Wow-wow sauce and the Witch Trials), but it really is not reading material on its own. I only recommend it to seasoned Discworld afficionados.
Profile Image for Plamena Anova.
117 reviews53 followers
April 30, 2017
Леля Ог си е леля Ог.. дори и "редакторите" едвам успяват да я усмирят и да цензурират част от по-пикантните съвети. Разбира се, от всяка вещица има какво да се научи, но тя за разлика от баба Вихронрав например, е и глава на огромно семейство, така че може да се похвали с доста повече опит в... хм, някои сфери на живота.

Смехът е гарантиран, удоволствието също.. за ядивността на рецептите нищо не мога да кажа, защото не съм се престрашила да ги пробвам. Предполагам, че за да се наслади максимално на книжлето обаче, би трябвало човек да е прочел поне няколко книги от серията за вещиците от Света на Диска и да е запознат с основни герои и събития.

ПП: Не мога да скрия разочарованието си, че в раздела за етикецията и по-специално празненствата, не намерих извадки от популярни песни като "Таралежът никогаш не мож го избъзика". Вероятно е била трезва, когато се е занимавала с писане.
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,081 reviews75 followers
April 22, 2020
Although I didn’t enjoy the recipes nearly as much as the sage, practical, and silly advice of Nanny Ogg, this was a fun diversion to dip into now and again as the mood struck for some levity.
Profile Image for Amber Troiano.
1 review2 followers
August 10, 2022
Fantastic

While I've yet to attempt any of the recipes, this book itself is a treasure and a grand addition to the series.
Profile Image for Taru Luojola.
Author 15 books23 followers
June 1, 2021
Resepti- ja tapaohjekirja Kiekkomaailmasta. Reseptit on sovitettu tämän maailman ihmisille syötäviksi, ja tapaohjeistakin voi rivien välistä lukea kaikkea enemmän tai vähemmän kirjoittamatonta tämän maailman säännöstöä. Välissä on mausteena ohjeita, joita ei oikein voi soveltaa Kiekkomaailman ulkopuolelle. Ihan käypäistä oheislukemistoa varsinaiselle kirjasarjalle.
Profile Image for Lerry.
130 reviews15 followers
July 26, 2021
Good old Gytha 'Nanny' Ogg just couldn't stop herself from sharing a bit too naught recipes once again. Sadly we weren't treated to the language of the flowers and some of the spacier recipes and ingredients in the book, but kniwing Nanny Ogg I think we can all imagine it to the best of our ability.
Profile Image for Arnaud.
431 reviews6 followers
July 12, 2017
As expected, hilarious. Also beautifully illustrated :-) I had a kick reading the recipes, and will likely try a few! The part on etiquette is also quite informative, if I may say so myself :D
Profile Image for Steph Hayward-bailey .
962 reviews5 followers
February 4, 2019
I've always loved Nanny Ogg and having a book written by her is amazing. All her advice you can imagine her giving in the other discworld books.
Profile Image for Luuk Moone.
14 reviews
October 6, 2021
Fun little read and Nanny Ogg is brilliant as usual. All of the recipes are also edible so that's nice. And there's of course more to the book than just recipes in typical Discworld manner.

Best recipe is the one submitted by the Librarian, called "Banana". Recipe: take one banana.
Profile Image for Kara Bayliss.
184 reviews6 followers
July 9, 2022
This was a bit of fun. I am not sure I'd try all of the recipes (though a few sounded good) the humor and smiles there were wonderful and I will gladly reread this when I am in need.
Profile Image for [ J o ].
1,962 reviews512 followers
November 18, 2021
Nanny Ogg, Witch of Lancre of the Discworld, all-round purveyor of rude songs and logical common sense, has many pieces of advice to offer us, alongside rather questionable but do-able Discworldian recipes for the least delicate connoisseur of cuisine.

I do feel bad for only giving this 2 stars, but my reasons are thus: whilst it gave me incredible joy to read something from the P.O.V. of Nanny Ogg (any of the witches would have done) and whilst there were infrequent titters at the shameless joy Nanny gets from a bit of hanky-panky and fun, it felt a bit like what it is: a little spin-off from a very successful series. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Terry and Discworld and I own all the spin-offs and have read them and read them and read them because adoration is unquenchable, but when you consider it as a book and only a book, it falls short of the mark. The humour was definitely there, but it was sparse and often a little lacklustre. There were nice insights to the characters of Discworld, but I feel a bit cheated because they were a little tame.

It was so enjoyable to read, and I don't doubt I will be making the Strawberry Wobbler at some point in the future, but as a book and only as a book, it was just okay.
Profile Image for Madelene.
18 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2011
There are recipes in this book, but I don't know if the food's actually edible. I think so, though. The recipes are, however, not the reason why I bought Nanny Ogg's Cookbook. I bought it because I love Nanny Ogg. She's one of my favourite characters, not just from the Discworld novels, but all in all.

The book is filled with little tips based on her wisdom of life. And boose. And men. We also gets some information about the undead:

"At first glance this appears very simple. Nearly everyone you meet is 'undead'. That's why they're called alive. But infact we're talkin' about people who ought to be dead but ain't."

Zombies, for example:

"They're dead, but they wont lie down [. . .] It is not good manners to make cutting remarks like 'Isn't there something you be doing? Like lying down?' and certainly not 'Decompose yourself.' "

The book remains true to the Discworld style, and I really enjoyed it. A bonus is that it's filled with Paul Kidby's illustrations, which I love.
Profile Image for Spuddie.
1,553 reviews91 followers
April 11, 2012
A hilarious compilation of recipes, Discworld gossip and folklore featuring Nanny Ogg, one of the Discworld's most notable witches. Most of the recipes actually look quite good, although I will need to do some conversions as they're written in UK measurements--which is only to be expected, and I will have to pick up some frogs so I can not add them to the Frog Pills. From the delectable sounding "Sticky Toffee Rat Onna Stick" to the "Knuckle Sandwich" and "Mrs. Gogol's Clairvoyant Gumbo," there's a good variety of sweet, savory, meat and meatless dishes, including my favorite simple recipes "Bread and Water" and "The Librarian's Recipe For Banana."

This will be staying on my Keeper shelf with the rest of my Discworld collection--and I do intend to open it again and actually try some of this stuff. :)
Profile Image for JennaL.
16 reviews
September 10, 2012
Not only a great read...

but has some legitimately tasty recipes included.

I mainly bought the book because, well. Because I but EVERY T Pratchett book. Figured it would be an entertaining read, and honestly only made the first recipe as a way to kill a rainy afternoon.

Shockingly, while they aren't going to end up on a 4-star menu, there ARE some really tasty recipes to pick from. I now own 2 copies - one to read, and one that is starting to look a bit battered from various culinary splashes.
Profile Image for Любопитка.
164 reviews34 followers
July 11, 2016
Изпълнена с изключителното чуство за хумор на сър Тери Пратчет тази книга е поредното добро намигване към нашите порядки и етикет. Може да те разсмее до сълзи или пък да те разплаче до смях. Решила съм да пробвам да приготвя някоя от рецептите и да видя какъв ще бъде крайният резултат.

Цялото ревю може да намерите тук: https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...
Profile Image for Dark-Draco.
2,292 reviews43 followers
June 18, 2024
A fun read - something to dip in and out of, rather then read in one hit. I still haven't tried any of the recipes as yet, despite owning the book for many years. One day ...

Great illustrations throughout, which add that something extra to the book. I also love the 'publishers' notes, although I'd love it if they published an uncorrected copy - I really want to see what Nanny's thoughts are that they've cut out!

Fab companion to the main series - a nice thing to own and enjoy.
Profile Image for Sarah.
64 reviews3 followers
January 8, 2015
Much obliged for an authoritative explanation of roast figgins. Must try the recipes for Sergeant Angua's vegetable stew and that Unseen University faculty favorite, Wow Wow sauce (first locating a thaumatologically inert glass bottle and stopper, of course). Etiquette tips on how to entertain duchesses, witches, and that gentleman who drops weasels down his trousers for a living should come in handy!
Profile Image for Azumi.
236 reviews174 followers
December 13, 2015
Recomendado para los muy fans de Pratchett y del Mundodisco.

Las recetas son geniales y algunas hasta parecen comestibles y todo (excepto las recetas de los enanos -_-)

En la segunda parte del libro, Tata da un sinfín de consejos de etiqueta para múltiples ocasiones y de como comportarse con todas las criaturas del Mundodisco.
Profile Image for Knigoqdec.
1,083 reviews173 followers
November 3, 2016
Много мила и топла книжка за доброто старо време. Бих се престрашила да опитам някоя рецепта, макар че съм голям карък в кухнята.
Може би някой ден...
Не съжалявам, че малко подраних с нея (понеже трябва да си прочел още някоя и друга книжка за Света на Диска, за да си напълно наясно с напълно всички герои, които така отдадено са предложили своите рецепти).
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