A Gothic Cookbook

A Gothic Cookbook examines how food functions in 13 classic Gothic and horror tales, treating meals, ingredients and appetites as part of each story’s meaning. Alessandra Pino brings scholarly knowledge of food and the Gothic, while Ella Buchan develops the literary ideas into practical recipes. The books discussed include Dracula, Frankenstein, Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Beloved and The Haunting of Hill House.

The more than 60 recipes draw on details such as Dracula’s smoky stew, Frankenstein’s acorn bread, the bitter tangerine in Rebecca and the sugar and burnt bread associated with Beloved. Alongside the recipes, the authors consider how food can signal desire, control, memory, hospitality and danger. Lee Henry’s illustrations add a visual dimension to this study of Gothic fiction through its edible motifs.