A Gothic Cookbook: Hauntingly Delicious Recipes Inspired by 13 Classic Tales

A literary-inspired cookbook that reveals the hidden meaning behind food in your favorite Gothic tales, from Jane Eyre to Beloved, The Picture of Dorian Gray to The Haunting of Hill House.

Dracula lulls his victim into a false sense of security with a spicy, smoky, peppery stew, served here with black tagliatelle for full Gothic effect. Frankenstein’s ‘monster’ starts as a vegetarian who feasts on acorns, which happen to make crumbly, delicately sweetened bread. A sumptuous honeymoon dinner of pheasant with hazelnuts and chocolate signals consumption and indulgence in The Bloody Chamber, while the dripping crumpets and melt-in-the-mouth angel cake from Rebecca are pawns in a battle for control.

A slice of the macabre with your meal

With knife-sharp analysis followed by divinely delicious and approachable recipes, A Gothic Cookbook is the perfect culinary companion for those of you who enjoy a slice of macabre with your meal. Featuring hand-drawn, original illustrations by Lee Henry and a foreword by Leone Ross.

Ella Buchan is an award-winning travel, food and drink journalist – and geeky gourmet – who regularly contributes to publications including National Geographic Traveller and Food, the Times, the Independent and the Telegraph. Based in North East England, she spends most of her time digging into the stories behind the cuisines and culinary traditions of places around the world, from cabbies’ shelters in London to the Bodegones or traditional taverns of Buenos Aires. Ella also has experience in recipe development and a first-class degree in English Literature from Newcastle University – and is thrilled to at last be able to bring all these strands together in one beautifully bound book.

“Those dripping crumpets, I can see them now. Tiny crisp wedges of toast, and piping-hot, floury scones. Sandwiches of unknown nature, mysteriously flavoured and quite delectable, and that very special gingerbread. Angel cake, that melted in the mouth, and his rather stodgier cousin, bursting with peel and raisins.”

Dr Alessandra Pino is an expert on how the Gothic, food and cultural memory intersect. Alessandra was born in Hampstead, London, to an Italian mother and a Venezuelan diplomat father, and grew up in several different countries. She holds university degrees in English Literature from Naples “L’Orientale,” Translation Studies from the University of Westminster and a PhD in Food, Cultural Memory and the Gothic. She worked with a Michelin-starred chef for nearly ten years before entering the world of academia. Alessandra brings to A Gothic Cookbook her deep academic knowledge, digging into food themes and motifs in a series of classic and contemporary novels from the 19th century to the present day.