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A Gothic Cookbook: Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by 13 Classic Tales
From Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, A Gothic Cookbook focuses on thirteen different Gothic stories and their edible motifs before bringing them to life—and to your table. Delicious yet devious, this cookbook is a culinary and literary delight.
Dracula lulls protagonist Jonathan Harker into a false sense of security with cold cuts and a spicy, smoky, peppery stew. Frankenstein’s “monster” starts out as a benign vegetarian, while Mrs. Poole’s overindulgence in Mother’s Ruin triggers Mr. Rochester’s downfall in Jane Eyre – and a bitter tangerine signals a sharp, yet unheeded, warning against marriage and Manderley in Rebecca. Notice, too, how a ghostly presence craves sugar and burnt bread in Toni Morrison’s Beloved...
Inspired by Dr Alessandra Pino’s academic studies into how food manifests itself on the pages of Gothic literature and combining her knife-sharp analysis with Ella Buchan’s experience as a food writer and recipe developer, A Gothic Cookbook pays homage to the most appetizing cuts of the genre, featuring over sixty original recipes illustrated by Lee Henry.
Including recipes such Mina's Chicken Paprikash from Bram Stoker's Dracula That Very Special Gingerbread from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca Acorn Bread inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein And many more
Dracula lulls protagonist Jonathan Harker into a false sense of security with cold cuts and a spicy, smoky, peppery stew. Frankenstein’s “monster” starts out as a benign vegetarian, while Mrs. Poole’s overindulgence in Mother’s Ruin triggers Mr. Rochester’s downfall in Jane Eyre – and a bitter tangerine signals a sharp, yet unheeded, warning against marriage and Manderley in Rebecca. Notice, too, how a ghostly presence craves sugar and burnt bread in Toni Morrison’s Beloved...
Inspired by Dr Alessandra Pino’s academic studies into how food manifests itself on the pages of Gothic literature and combining her knife-sharp analysis with Ella Buchan’s experience as a food writer and recipe developer, A Gothic Cookbook pays homage to the most appetizing cuts of the genre, featuring over sixty original recipes illustrated by Lee Henry.
Including recipes such Mina's Chicken Paprikash from Bram Stoker's Dracula That Very Special Gingerbread from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca Acorn Bread inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein And many more
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2024
3 people are currently reading
5473 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 10, 2025
I really love this book. It has a great selection of Gothic texts from the Romantic period to the present day. I like the range of texts and the range of recipes this allows for. The literary essays offer really interesting new insights into the texts and have me rereading them.
I've tried a good few of the recipes at this point from different chapters: Galvanised Vermicelli (Frankenstein), Paprika Hendl (Dracula), Down Home Spaghetti (Gilda Stories), Chicken Marengo (Rosemary's Baby), Special Hot Chocolate (Picture of Dorian Gray).
All the recipes have been easy to follow and they have all been delicious. I particularly appreciated the 'Galvanised Vermicelli' (a DELICIOUS sauce) and the Paprika Hendl (it was just so fun making and eating a version of the dish that Jonathan Harker eats at the beginning of Dracula).
The literary and culinary expertise of the writers shine through and they make all the content really accessible, whatever your level of Gothic knowledge and cooking skill!
The lack of photos didn't bother me at all. I have enjoyed following the authors on social media though and seeing people's takes on the different recipes!
I've tried a good few of the recipes at this point from different chapters: Galvanised Vermicelli (Frankenstein), Paprika Hendl (Dracula), Down Home Spaghetti (Gilda Stories), Chicken Marengo (Rosemary's Baby), Special Hot Chocolate (Picture of Dorian Gray).
All the recipes have been easy to follow and they have all been delicious. I particularly appreciated the 'Galvanised Vermicelli' (a DELICIOUS sauce) and the Paprika Hendl (it was just so fun making and eating a version of the dish that Jonathan Harker eats at the beginning of Dracula).
The literary and culinary expertise of the writers shine through and they make all the content really accessible, whatever your level of Gothic knowledge and cooking skill!
The lack of photos didn't bother me at all. I have enjoyed following the authors on social media though and seeing people's takes on the different recipes!
December 13, 2024
Thirteen creepy stories are analyzed for the role food plays in them, followed by recipes either featured in the story or inspired by the story. Illustrations are all in black, white, and red, adding to the creep factor and even seeming a bit bloody at times. Overall, an intriguing take on some familiar and not so familiar tales.
Stories covered: Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, The Woman in White, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, Rebecca, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Haunting of Hill House, Rosemary's Baby, The Bloody Chamber, The Woman in Black, Beloved, and The Gilda Stories.
I'm personally not as big of a fan of the Gothic as my eldest child (generally read books like this looking for books for them). I really enjoyed the food analysis of each story - how food can reveal more about the characters or even become a character itself. I found some of the descriptions and illustrations a bit unappetizing for a cookbook, though others sound quite appealing. I haven't yet tried any of the recipes.
Stories covered: Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, The Woman in White, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, Rebecca, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Haunting of Hill House, Rosemary's Baby, The Bloody Chamber, The Woman in Black, Beloved, and The Gilda Stories.
I'm personally not as big of a fan of the Gothic as my eldest child (generally read books like this looking for books for them). I really enjoyed the food analysis of each story - how food can reveal more about the characters or even become a character itself. I found some of the descriptions and illustrations a bit unappetizing for a cookbook, though others sound quite appealing. I haven't yet tried any of the recipes.
December 9, 2024
The recipes sound interesting, but I haven’t attempted any yet. The real treat are the literary essays the precede the recipes. Smart and witty, they offer a new perspective of the role of food in Gothic literature. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 9, 2025
Eat like one of your favorite creepy heroines or monsters…if you have the appetite…
A Gothic Cookbook: Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by 13 Classic Tales by Alessandra Pino and Ella Buchan draws from a range of stories from the 19th and 20th centuries…from gothic horror, southern gothic, American horror fiction, and whatever dark or bloody story has an equally delicious description of food…
Not gonna lie…I haven’t read some of the stories featured in this book, but I was familiar with most of them…
The ones I have read…Dorian Gray, Dracula, Rosemary’s Baby, Frankenstein…they have some food descriptions (some more than others)…and there’s cultural ties that allows the authors to intuit some recipes that tie in with the setting…
Each of the cookbook chapters includes a decent write up of the story, its literary significance, and how food comes into play…with each related recipe having a missive about why it’s been included (either because it appears in the story or makes sense for the culture or time period).
The back matter includes a few “honorable mentions” that didn’t make the cut for this cookbook but might be worthy showcases for a sequel…
Recipes include appetizers, deserts, snacks, entrees, and a handful of drinks…
A Gothic Cookbook: Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by 13 Classic Tales by Alessandra Pino and Ella Buchan draws from a range of stories from the 19th and 20th centuries…from gothic horror, southern gothic, American horror fiction, and whatever dark or bloody story has an equally delicious description of food…
Not gonna lie…I haven’t read some of the stories featured in this book, but I was familiar with most of them…
The ones I have read…Dorian Gray, Dracula, Rosemary’s Baby, Frankenstein…they have some food descriptions (some more than others)…and there’s cultural ties that allows the authors to intuit some recipes that tie in with the setting…
Each of the cookbook chapters includes a decent write up of the story, its literary significance, and how food comes into play…with each related recipe having a missive about why it’s been included (either because it appears in the story or makes sense for the culture or time period).
The back matter includes a few “honorable mentions” that didn’t make the cut for this cookbook but might be worthy showcases for a sequel…
Recipes include appetizers, deserts, snacks, entrees, and a handful of drinks…
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December 14, 2024I only read the sections on the books I've read or I'm familiar so the more modern ones I skipped over. It's the usual selection of taking the most popular, bestsellers and a few the author claims is Gothic. I say this because I googled Gothic book lists and some of these supposed Gothic novels aren't actually listed on them. Other issues is that it's more focused on the books and the food is just for marketing which becomes obvious with the lack of photographs. If you're someone who likes to compare a finish dish to a picture then your screwed since in this book it only provides you with illustrations.
October 30, 2024
I wish there were photos instead of illustrations so I could see if the food looked yummy. Hard to tell with illustrations.
February 4, 2025
Recipes based on Gothic stories. Found a few good ones
April 12, 2025
The best part is the gothic illustrations and essays that precede the recipes, and how the recipes take on a literary horror theme. The fact that the recipes themselves do not feature photos of the step-by-step instructions or prepared meals doesn’t really bother me because I’m using this as more of a decorative book than an actual cookbook. My only wish is that the cover design had a little extra like foil or something. I’d recommend this book as a gift for the gothic cook or horror lover in your life!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews