Ghastly Gastronomy

I'm a horror fan. I'm also a reasonably accomplished home chef. When I saw that there was a horror anthology dedicated entirely to stories about food--and, further, that each story is accompanied by a related recipe--I couldn't have been more thrilled. The premise of this book is right up my alley, and the execution does not disappoint.It's a short book, featuring nine short stories and nine recipes. Cooking aside, it's easily possible to finish this book in a single sitting, which you're likely to want to do. The stories are truly entertaining and represent a good variety of different styles of horror so nothing ever seems stale. Of course, as is the case in any anthology, not every story hit home for me. I do have a couple favorites as well as a couple that didn't work as well for me, but that's just down to personal preference. Nothing in here is weak enough to act as a drag on the entire collection.And what about the recipes? To my pleasant surprise, they also look quite good. I'll admit I haven't actually cooked any of them yet, so I'm speaking just based on the written recipes and my general kitchen know-how, but most of them actually look really good. Some are quite simple and a couple of them will take a bit more effort, but I'd be happy to try almost any of them in my own kitchen, and I definitely plan to do so.As far as I know, this book hasn't gotten a lot of attention yet, and that's a shame. There's some really good stuff here, and I think any horror fan would be pleased to add it to his or her collection.

Full disclosure -- I'm the author of a short story in this collection ("Sweet Tooth," a campy body-horror tale that pits a diabetic hero against a cadre of bloodthirsty candy monsters on Halloween night) -- but as a horror fan, I'd say this book's a treat (pun intended). My personal favorite was "Hell-Spawn Chicken Masala" by Nidheesh Samant, wherein an Indian sauce turns the unfortunate souls who consume it into feral red-hot demons.Here's a complete rundown of the stories and recipes:- "Bearing Fruit" by Michael Allen Rose, recipe: Evil Orange Cranberry Dream Cookies- "Everybody Loves Pizza" by Karen Heslop, recipe: Roast Chicken Veggie Pizza- "Sweet Tooth" by Joel Murray, recipe: Choc-o’-Lanterns- "Threading the Needle" by Kristi Petersen Schoonover, recipe: Nana’s Sauerbraten- "Killer Lasagna" by D.M. Slate, recipe: (you guessed it) Killer Lasagna- "Sour Dough" by Kate Tyte, recipe: Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread- "Hell-Spawn Chicken Masala" by Nidheesh Samant, recipe: Hellish Chicken Masala- "Fit for the Gods" by Tim Mendees, recipe: "Tsathoggua’s Tribute" Steak & Kidney Pie- "The Birthday People" by Don Raymond, recipe: Emily Dickenson’s Black CakeThere's a nice variety of tone and writing style on display here. I haven't made any of the included recipes but they are written accessibly and with wit befitting the subject matter. I hope you take a chance on our little collection. I think it's worth your time -- if you're hungry for horror d'oeuvres (*groan*). Bon appétit.