by: Amanda Yee

“There’s no denying that food is a huge part of the Friends universe. Sure, we can all remember Rachel’s meat trifle, but can you recall an episode with Joey in it where he isn’t eating? Would it have been funny enough if Ross’s intestinal issues were caused by something other than eating dodgy tacos?” Amanda Yee.

I have seen every episode of Friends – most a few times at least. I always loved how much food was included in Friends – it was almost a seventh friend. The release of Friends: The Official Cookbook is a welcome addition to my cookbook shelf. I hope you enjoy these recipes and reminiscing as much as I do.

Bathtub Fried Chicken

One of my favorite episodes is “The One With All the Kissing.” In this episode Chandler is caught eating fried chicken while taking a candlelit bath. It is such a funny episode.

I love fried chicken but haven’t made it from scratch before. The recipe was really easy to understand. It is important to remember that the chicken has to soak for at least six hours in the buttermilk mix. I used legs and thighs for the chicken. Since my chicken pieces were so big (the chicken leg was as big as a turkey leg) they took almost thirty minutes in the oven after frying to finish.

The chicken was super crispy and the coating had just the right amount of spice in it. I didn’t add the hot sauce as I don’t like super spicy dishes.

Emergency Garlic Bread

Who doesn’t remember the episode when Chandler and Monica go on their honeymoon and don’t leave keys for Joey or Phoebe? Joey and Phoebe call the superintendent of the building and say it’s an emergency gas leak. The superintendent tells them to break down the door. It’s all a ruse to get to the chicken parmesan inside the apartment. Phoebe and Joey ask the superintendent to bring garlic bread.

The recipe for the garlic bread was straight forward and the result was tasty and filling.

Little Drops of Heaven Holiday Candy

I did try to make the Little Drops of Heaven Holiday Candy from the cookbook. Having made candy and fudge before with a lot of success, especially since I started making fudge with my Nana around five years old, I was excited to try the caramel recipe. The recipe was easy to follow but, unfortunately, I burned the caramel. I am going to try again this coming weekend and will provide an update soon.

Friends: The Official Cookbook is a fun cookbook to read and cook from. I love all the memories from the show and it makes me want to watch them again. Most of the recipes are very easy to follow and I know I will be cooking more from this book.

What’s your favorite episode of Friends and your favorite recipe?