As we are nearing Halloween, I thought I should look at some books devoted to creepy-themed dishes. I grabbed a few titles from our collection and tried to find something fun to make. The first book I looked at just didn’t work for me (more on that later). Thankfully, there was another book I had brought home: “Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner: Recipes To Die For.”
This book covers dishes (mains, desserts and even drinks) served at Beetle House restaurant, a place inspired by “the works of Tim Burton and all things dark and lovely.” These recipes are less decorative and more practical (weird to say about something inspired by Tim Burton), so I decided to make the Sweeney Beef dish.
This seemed simple enough; meat on top of garlicky potato mash dressed with a sauce. It is supposed to be a 8oz filet mignon, but I decided to use a NY strip cut to a more manageable size. The sauce (Sweeney Sauce), however, did not turn out as well as I had hoped. Maybe I missed something or there was a step omitted, or maybe I didn’t give it enough time to reduce, but my sauce didn’t look bright like the photo. The goal was to make it look like blood splatter, but mine was too dark brown. It may just have been the ratio was off in the recipe, there was a lot of oil and butter which may soften the color. I swear I followed the instructions! The flavor was still good, so there’s that. Also, my wife made a drink (The Beetle’s Juice – cranberry juice and blackberry schnapps), it was really good!
The photos in the book are great and the type is easy to read. The dishes are pretty reasonable but with Tim Burton-inspired names. For example, the Edward Burger Hands photo has two pairs of scissors jammed into the top of the burger; fine for a restaurant, but not at all practical for a home dinner for two. Wait, am I mentioning practicality and Tim Burton in the same thought? Appropriately, the book finishes with menus and necessary props for your own themed meals.
“The Wicked Baker” by Helena Garcia is another spooky book to explore. You may have seen the author if you watched series 10 of “The Great British Bake Off.” Though she wasn’t the winner, she definitely left an impression on the viewers (and Noel). From the moment I opened it, I really wanted to make something from this book! However, the items were just more involved than I could devote myself to making. Between the extensive decorating and the need for special molds, I just didn’t feel like I had that type of motivation. If you are ambitious and looking for spooky treats, this may be for you.
Other books that may interest you: “Ghoulish Goodies” and “A Zombie Ate My Cupcake.”
