A Gothic Cookbook

A feast for the senses: an illustrated cookbook inspired by classic and contemporary Gothic texts.

This literary inspired cookbook is composed of thirteen divinely delicious chapters, each focusing on a different story and discussing its edible motifs before bringing them to life and to your table with approachable, easy-to-follow recipes and hand-drawn illustrations.

Inspired by 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 appetising cuts of the genre, featuring over sixty original recipes illustrated by Lee Henry.

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...

In this interplay between supper and the supernatural, you'll learn to pick your desserts carefully: chocolate mousses foreshadow impending doom, yet the humble seed cake is a gesture of kindness.

With a foreword from acclaimed writer, editor and academic, Leone Ross, A Gothic Cookbook is the perfect culinary companion for those of you who enjoy a slice of the macabre with your dinner.

• 'The perfect guide to cooking meals inspired by some of the book world’s favourite monsters . . . The dishes are delicious and varied, and horror lovers will appreciate the deep dive into Gothic literature accompanying each recipe' Book Riot

• ‘Beautifully written, artfully illustrated, and filled with wonderful recipes too . . . Dark, windswept and delectable – a true Gothic delight’ Tom Parker Bowles, food writer and critic
• ‘One of the most inspiring books I have read in years. A beautifully crafted blend of erudition, humour and culinary wisdom’ Ivan Day, food scholar and broadcaster
• ‘Wickedly delicious . . . not only a new way of reading familiar (and a few unfamiliar) texts, but some genuinely very interesting recipes. And I loved that they drew on historic sources as well for some of them. Reading it is probably almost as much fun as they had writing it.’ Annie Gray, author of The Downton Abbey Cookbook
• ‘What’s better than dinner with your favourite gothic writers? . . . The writing exploring these delicious foods and dangerous fictions is as rich as the recipes and will leave you wanting more.’ Jewelle Gomez, author of The Gilda Stories
• 'Indulge your Gothic appetite alongside the haunting characters of Jane Eyre, Dorian Gray, and Count Dracula within these pages. Discover a tome brimming with tales to devour and recipes to savour. Let the cravings of hungry souls find satisfaction within these culinary depths.' Regula Ysewijn, author of Pride and Pudding
• 'A beguiling, witty and intriguing cookbook, which offers food for our imaginations as well as recipes. Thought-provoking text unpicks the role of food in literary works and offers the reader the chance to taste these Gothic tales in a very special way' Jenny Linford, author of The Missing Ingredient
• 'A tantalising read, at times shocking, at times mouthwatering . . . It is a perfect companion in the kitchen, to cook from – or to read in bed at night, as long as you don't mind feeling a little chilled by scary tales of odious characters and monsters' Sue Lawrence, food writer and winner of BBC's MasterChef 1991
• 'A Gothic Cookbook is as tasty as it is terrifying, a delicious leap into the pits of both our nightmares and our stomachs. Together Ella Buchan and Alessandra Pino forge a clear link between our relationship with food and the dark side of our psyches, which is brought alive vividly by Lee Henry’s wonderful artwork. A fantastic – and fantastical – achievement' Neil Buttery, host of The British Food History Podcast
• 'Prepare to become a gothic gourmet as you are lured to the darker side of food in fiction with spooky soufflés, dripping crumpets and chocolate porter ice cream. Laden with devilishly delectable recipes, riveting to read and exquisitely illustrated, A Gothic Cookbook is utterly spell binding' Sam Bilton, host of Comfortably Hungry podcast

• 'Darkly lustrous, beguiling and intelligent . . . Ella Buchan and Dr Alessandra Pino lay bare the human condition's complex and sublime messiness via sensitive, humane and evocative analysis of the role played by food and appetite in Gothic literature' Nic Miller, food columnist

• 'This book brings together all my favourite things, food, literature, the strange and scary . . . It is a book which has always been missing in my life, a notion I hadn’t fully appreciated, until it was in front of me' Emma Kay, food historian

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.

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 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.

Freelance graphic designer and artist Lee Henry creates the hand-drawn illustrations that bring the cookbook's themes and recipes to life in a suitably dark and enigmatic style. Specialising in branding for the hospitality industry and with clients ranging from Borough Market traders to gastro-pubs, he combines a passion for food with some pretty impressive draughtsmanship.

Leone Ross is a fiction writer and editor. She was born in England and grew up in Jamaica. Her latest novel is the New York Times' Editor's Choice This One Sky Day (FSG, 2021). Described by the Times Literary Supplement as 'a master of detail', her fiction has been nominated for the Women's Prize, the Goldsmiths award, the RSL Ondjaate award, and the Edge Hill Prize, among others. Her short stories, Come Let Us Sing Anyway are published by Peepal Tree.

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