Cursed Cooking: A Horror Community Cookbook and Food Horror Anthology

by A.C. Bauer (Editor), Robert Perez (Contributor), R. Haven (Contributor)

It's a smorgasbord of scares!

Cursed Cooking is a horror community cookbook and food horror anthology. This hybrid publication features both real-world recipes and fictional foodie frights. Cursed Cooking consists of three appetizers, entrées, and desserts.

The first course serves up appetizer recipes and drabbles (100-word stories) to introduce readers to Cursed Cooking in bite-sized portions. The second course includes main dish recipes and short horror stories. The third course showcases dessert recipes and frightening flash fiction.

With terrifying tales of gastronomic ghosts, malicious meals, and much, much more, Cursed Cooking has something for even the pickiest of eaters and will have readers screaming for seconds!

Genres: Horror

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who knew food and horror could mix so horribly great? Cursed Cooking is a brilliant blend of recipes and food-related short stories. It’s an anthology divided into three courses, just like a proper meal:
1. Appetizers & Drabbles
2. Main Course & Short Stories
3. Desserts & Flash Fiction


I’ve read a lot of anthologies, but this one stands out. The creativity is off the charts, and the book truly captures the relationship between food and horror—the good, the bad, and the downright creepy. Each story reveals something about people, their desires, fears, and secrets—all wrapped up in culinary... uh, chaos, perfection, art?

Oh, and can we talk about Frankie, the demon cat, and Boss? I am very glad to see Frankie is doing a great job.

I usually rate each story, but honestly, there’s just too much here to cover. Instead, I’ll highlight two recipes I can’t wait to try and two standout stories:

Recipes:
oSpooky Mushroom Risotto by Elizabeth Suggs
o Margarita Dip by Kerry E.B. Black
Stories:
o Burnt Biscuits and Gravy by Alison Thayer
o Comfort Food by Patrick Tumblety

[Abby Draper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of a horror anthology and cookbook combination is so unusual that I love this collection just for that. There are some excellent stories included, namely "Sylvia's Sourdough Starter", "Burnt Biscuits and Gravy", "Where are the Delegates?", and "Divine". I think the latter was a stroke of genius, but ended rather abruptly.

There were other stories that were okay, but I didn't love them as much as the ones named above. There were also some grammar and spelling errors that were a little distracting.

As for the recipes, I haven't made any of them yet, but they are all unique. I especially want to try the Vegan Orange Blossom & Apricot Baklava, Pancake Cornbread, and Poulette Poisseux. A lot of the recipes kind of sound gross to me though, or it's a list of how to put random things in a pan and cook it.

All in all, I will recommend this book because it is so much fun. I can't wait to see what Cat Eye Press puts out next!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Delicious desires await within. Crack the spine and taste the forbidden.”
📚
Cursed Cooking is a hybrid anthology/cookbook composed of food horror fiction and community recipes enriched by interludes of gorgeous, vivid artwork. The book is divided into three courses: Appetizers: 100-Word Horrors and Hors D’oeuvres; Entrees: Short Stories and Main Courses; and Desserts: Flash Fiction and Sweet Treats.

Favorite fiction contributions for this reader include:

•“Tartare” by T. L. Beeding, a raw and gruesome lesson in vengeance.

•“Papa Napoli’s” by Dorian J. Sinnott, a horrific and blackly funny account of freshly grated cheese.

•“Where are the Delegates” by Eric Fomley, a delectable and deeply unfortunate story of errors and offerings.

•“The Lingering Oil” by Eric Raglin, a haunting tale of bad decisions, abysmal working conditions, sizzling rage, and liberating realizations.

•“Burnt Biscuits and Gravy” by Alison Thayer, a brutal and misogynistic slow-burn of abuse, murder, and comeuppance.

•“Death by Chocolate” by Mariah Southworth, a monstrous tale of mysterious carnage, strange symbols, and last-minute wedding cakes.

•“Consider the Jelly Doughnut” by Kurt Fawver, a gory, sticky-sweet story of neglect, anger, hatred, and satisfaction.

•“Cracking” by Steve Loiaconi, a spooky and nightmarish story of spectral crustaceans and grisly revenge.

Top recipes on this reader's near-future cooking/baking list include:

•Lazy Bones Chicken Noodle Soup by Kerry E. B. Black, a cozy, hearty recipe for cooks in a hurry.

•Sweets for the Dead by M. Belanger, a simple, sweet spirit-offering in the form of two-ingredient cakes.

•Brown Sugar Chocolate Drop Cookies by R. Haven, a delectable, brown-sugar-based reboot of traditional peanut butter blossoms.

•Blackberry Jam Bars by Desiree Horton, a rich, gooey, and comforting dessert that can be customized to suit any flavor preference.

•One-Bowl Chocolate Tea Cake by Meranda Tuttle, a mess-free, tea-based cake with varying flavor profiles.

Thank you to Cat Eye Press for sharing an eARC of Cursed Cooking for review consideration. Chock-full of scary stories and intriguing recipes, it offers a unique and creative horror/cooking mash-up, contains something for everyone, and is a whole lot of fun.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cursed Cooking is such a cool book and I'm proud to be a part of it! The stories are great, the recipes are delicious, and the illustrations are awesome! I read this book cover to cover to soak it all in, even if I was not following a recipe at the time I feel like I learned through the author's instructions (and I did end up following a couple of recipes with fantastic results).
The fiction is a mix of flash, poetry, and short stories. I enjoyed the book entirely!!! Some of my favorites were:
"Burning Cookies" by Jeff Currier
"Always Chew Well" by Kendra Dennis
"The March" by Madeline White
"Divine" by Hannah Birss
"Death by Chocolate" by Mariah Southworth
"Consider the Jelly Doughnut" by Kurt Fawver (my favorite of the book)
"Dead Man's Pie" by Rebecca Cuthbert
"Cracking" by Steve Loiaconi.
Of the recipes I've enjoyed so far- "Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts" by Desiree Horton, "Windowpane Fudge" by Nadine Stewart, "Dairy-Free Matcha Banana Bread" by Gabrielle Winoco. I plan to try many other recipes from this book!
Cursed Cooking is a fantastic anthology for those hungry for good eats or horror!

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathing fresh life into the horror genre, A.C Bauer and several talented horror authors have come together to make a one of a kind short story cookbook. A cat, Frankie, guides you along the way through a thrilling and chilling three course meal of stories accompanied with a recipe. You will laugh, you will be on the edge of your seat, and you might get a little hungry. Give this book a chance, and maybe a recipe or two and you will be in for a treat that will keep your horror tooth satiated.

[Stacey Flower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much fun! Combining a horror anthology with a cookbook is such a unique idea, and it gave me a feeling of being at a potluck with good friends watching horror movies together. The stories are really fun, well written, and complement one another. You can tell this collection was carefully curated. The illustrations are great and add a nice garnish to this satisfying meal of a book!

[Katie Brunecz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I'm not a foodie at all. And I'm a terrible cook. Needless to say, the recipes were largely lost on me.

But, I loved the idea of the anthology (and the cover, and the illustrations, and Frankie)! As for the fiction, the stories were great, honestly. I enjoyed them all, and found some unique takes. I actually would have liked a few more short stories! A few favorites were 'Super Cherry Surprise' and 'Death by Chocolate.'

I definitely recommend this for horror fans and food lovers!

[Jen Self · Rating 5 out of 5]

New favorite cookbook! The recipes are awesome (I'm making the Kimchi Dijon Pizza & The Best Flourless Brownies first!) and the short stories are fun as well! There is truly something for everyone in Cursed Cooking!

[Millie Abecassis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually dnf/skip about half of the stories of the anthologies I read. This was not the case of Cursed Cooking. I read, finished, and loved almost all the stories! I will definitely read more anthologies edited by A.C. Bauer.

[Wintry Monsters Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great artwork and a ton of content! This is a unique book for horror readers. Publishers, pay attention. Cursed Cooking stands out.

[Kaylee Sharp Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing cookbook!!! The artwork, the stories, the recipes are all 10/10. Can’t recommend enough!