Grab this cookbook for your Halloween, Nightmare Before Christmas fanatic it is the PERFECT Gift!

I really like how the book starts out with the basic Tools & Ingredients that you should have in your kitchen for these recipes. AND if your Vegan the author gives you ways to substitute ingredients to accommodate your dietary needs. I am definitely making the sorbet & pop rocks as a dessert staple in my house along with several of the cocktails. I really enjoyed the theme meals along with suggestions for props and a menu. This book is a fun cookbook that will make a great hostess gift to give.

Fun idea but lacked substance. The pictures were great and the recipes seemed interesting but overall they felt disjointed - instead of doing the recipes by category and then outlining party ideas they should've just been organized by party ideas since that's clearly how they were developed.

The Nightmare Before Dinner is a new theme restaurant inspired cookbook from Zach Neil and the Beetle House. Due out 16th Oct 2018 by Quarto group's Race Point imprint, it's 192 pages and available in hardback and ebook formats.

Whilst I've never generally been a fan of 'theme' restaurants, I do adore Tim Burton and whimsy along with the Gothic aesthetic. This cookbook is full of all of the above along with genuinely delicious recipes for appealingly presented food with a lot of humor.

I tried one of the very first recipes in the book, Edward Sauce, and it's wonderful. It's a sour cream and mayo based dipping sauce with a fair bit of kick from the sriracha and other ingredients. Really delicious.

A lot of restaurant based cookbooks, and indeed quite a percentage of restaurants are unbelievably pretentious and recreating the recipes takes a lot of specialist ingredients which are difficult to source alongside a lot of eye-wateringly expensive equipment. This cookbook is afflicted with neither problem. The ingredients are easy to find and the equipment is likely to be had in any home kitchen.

The chapters are roughly arranged in meal order: sauces & dips, appetizers, soups & salads, main courses, desserts, drinks, with a chapter of fun theme menus at the end.

The author has included tips for making the dishes vegan friendly (mostly consisting of using vegan friendly ingredients). All these dishes could easily be 'tamed down' somewhat and incorporated into a regular meny that wouldn't scandalize your elderly auntie. There are a number of dishes with a decidedly spicy twist, chipotle, cayenne, and sriracha sauce figure large in many of the recipes, so proceed with caution if you have a gues who doesn't tolerate a bit of heat in their foods.

Appealing, irreverent, funny, and tasty. As an example... here are the how-to instructions for the aforementioned Edward Sauce:

To Make It
1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk the shit out of them. Your finished sauce should have the consistency of mayonnaise.

Four stars, I'll be making a lot more of these recipes regularly.

Really great quirky cooking book, I wish I had one of these restaurants close enough to visit. Looks so amazing. If I ever visit USA this will be on my list of things to do and see!

I love, love, love this book! I am very obsessed with all things Tim Burton and this cook book was perfect! it covers everything from decorating your table to the food and drinks you prepare to set on it! It also covers more than just Nightmare Before Christmas! It covers many, many Tim Burton films. be sure to pick this up and try out all the fun, food, and party ideas listed within!

"Features more than 60 recipes from the popular the Beetle House, the Tim Burton-inspired restaurant with locations in NY, LA, and more. The ideal cookbook for Halloween lovers, and movie buffs who love Tim Burton. Includes full color photography as well a bonus chapter on how to host a Burton-inspired theme party at your home complete with inspired table settings, costumes, and more."

There is so many recipes in this cookbook with fun and theme fitting title's like Sweeney Beef, Edward Burger Hands, The Beetle’s Juice, and my favorite, Alice’s Cup of Tea.
This cook book is one that anyone could use because it also has vegan options. I loved the photos and the fonts that was used for this cookbook.

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of #TheNightmareBeforeDinner from #NetGalley!

Thank you Quarto for allowing me to review The Nightmare Before Dinner.
This cookbook is fantastic and the pictures are gorgeous. The recipes are all from their restaurant so they are quite elaborate and richer than I would normally make at home. I would say this one is a special occasion book. All of the recipes are themed and perfect for a Halloween party or for any fan of Nightmare Before Christmas or similar movies.

If you are a fun of The Nightmare Before Christmas, you must absolutely get this book. It is only about 167 pages and it is divided into seven chapters: Sauces & Dips for the Recently Deceased; Nightmares Before Dinner; Herbs, Plants & Cauldrons; Platos de los Muertos; Tricks or Treats; Poisons, Potions & Elixirs; and Put the Fun Back in Funeral. Some of the names for the recipes are Dead Sauce, Beetle Jam, Brains & Chips, Giant Peach Salad, Sweeney Beef, and Silence of the Lamb Chops among many others. It has a nice list of general ingredients and their vegan substitutes. The recipes have clear ingredients and directions, also a prep time and a cook time which are very helpful to know during hectic days. The book contains many pictures and they are bright and crisp. There are menu ideas and suggested decorations for parties. There is also an Index on the back of the book. This is a great book to buy for a friend or to just get for personal use and enjoyment. I received a free copy via NetGalley.

I have been waiting for a cookbook like this for a while since our patrons, community, and myself are huge fans of Tim Burton and to know that there is a restaurant with all the Tim Burton movie dishes such as the Edward Scissor Burger, beetle sauce and the charlie corn bucket. All of these dishes are so appetizing that not only are we going to consider this title for the collection but I might just buy a copy myself. This will circulate so well in our collection.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. We can't wait to add this to our collection and use it for our cooking demo program. That is why its an honor to give this 5 stars!

If you love Tim Burton, Beetlejuice and/or Halloween this is the cookbook for you. If you're planning a party this Halloween you will not be disappointed by what's inside the ghoulsome cookbook. There' plenty to choose from and in the side notes there are ways you can make the recipes vegan too which is a great touch.

4 1/2

I knew nothing about Beetle House when I was invited to review The Nightmare Before Dinner; however, I did know Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle…(just kidding 😉 ). And what more incentive does the paranormal- and Halloween-loving person need to review a book when it contains recipes like “Frog’s Breath & Nightshade Risotto” or “Bloodbath Cobbler?”

First off, I know some of you who are friends to this blog are vegans, vegetarians, or pescetarians, so I just want to mention that this cookbook is perfect for you. The author has provided a list of vegan substitutions, but in addition has offered a suitable substitution or variation for most of the recipes that contain meat.

However, I do have a qualm about recommending a cookbook in which the author says that cilantro is disgusting. (Kidding.) Granted, cilantro is one of those things that people don’t seem to be indifferent over; you either love it or hate it. I, however, LOVE cilantro and will continue to put it in my guac or even its variation in The Nightmare Before Dinner: “Brains & Chips.” This would be a definite recipe to munch on while watching The Walking Dead.

Many of the recipes sound delicious and/or intriguing. “Diablo’s Arenas Crostini (aka Devil’s Grits Crostini)” looks like the perfect comfort food with spicy, cheesy grits on crostini and “Hallowpeño Honey Cheddar Cornbread,” which also incorporates the yumminess that is spice and cheese.

The photographs are gorgeous and compelling. Compelling? One word: “Beetle Pie.”

Here’s how it’s described:

"The colors and textures of this pie are inspired by one of my all-tie favorite films, Beetlejuice. I wanted the look of it alone to somehow remind you of Tim Burton and his marvelous, memorable goth-com. The brilliant green color of the homemade pistachio pudding and the crunch chocolate crust evoke the corpse-fed grass and rich soil of a graveyard, while the seedy and sweet blackberry jaw mimics the texture of blood and bugs.”

Erm. The pie in the picture looks delightfully edible, the description not quite as much.

The content covers the gamut from snacks/appetizers to main course, to dessert and cocktails. Near the end, a section with menu and props will help you throw an inspired party regardless of the time of year.

While this might seem a very niche cookbook, I think the recipes are interesting enough to pass beyond pigeon-holing.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Tim Burton and anything spooky I just had to try out this book and it really does not disappoint!

I'm really excited to try out the brain and chips with my son, I can't wait to see his reaction!

Other recipes that really stand out to me are Edward Burger Hands and Beetle pie!

The section on cocktails is very good as well and I have chosen a few drinks from there to make on Halloween. Big fish bowl looks really cool!

Not only has the book got all these fab recipes but there is a section on throwing themed parties with decor and menu ideas which is what gives the book that little something extra.

This cookbook is amazing! As a huge Tim Burton fan, this book was right up my alley. Not only is it full of amazing recipes, there is a section for themed parties, which is an awesome touch! And the pages were fantastically decorated, with cobweb headers, pumpkin borders, and other fun spooky details. It's the little details that really help bring everything together.

This is so neat! The perfect gift for any horror enthusiast. I like the way they book was laid out and the fun, "spooky" themed recipes. I will be getting this for a few of my friends who love anything spooky!

The Nightmare Before Dinner by Zach Neil
Recipes to Die For: The Official Beetle House Cookbook

Fun, quirky and intriguing sounding recipes with the emphasis on movies that have weird and perhaps death related topics this cookbook provides some insight into the restaurants in New York and Los Angeles that are named after the movie Beetle Juice. Having seen the movie long ago I thought, “Why not see what is inside this book?” and thus this review.

With options for meat eaters and vegans the recipes are versatile and different. Some are spicy and others perhaps less so. I can see these dishes being served in the restaurant or for a party but did not see many if any I would try at home on an average day. The index includes headings for salads, burgers and some ingredients so it is easier to look for ideas and recipes should one wish to use what is at hand.

Which recipes might I try??
* some of the dips and sauces
* cheesy recipes
* burgers
* breads
* vegetable based dishes
*desserts – they looked divine!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Race Point Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Inspired by Tim Burton's stories and the Beetle House restaurant, this book is perfect for the Halloween season.

The recipes have fun names, there are very interesting ingredients in the mix and there are a lot of substitute foods offered to make the recipes vegan if needed.

For the classy Halloween enthusiast, this cookbook boasts high end, beautiful dishes (with vegan alternatives for those interested) with adorably themed names. Going into the book, I was expecting recipes that would appear Halloween-like... bloody fingers (mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce), eyeballs (white chocolate truffles)... that sort of thing. It's not like that at all though. The book is just classic dishes with an upscale flair and cutesy names. I loved the explanations of the dishes - definitely the most thematic part of the book. If you want to have a fabulous Halloween themed dinner party, there are suggestions in the book but just know that the Halloween themes will have to come from your decorations and storytelling and not visually from the food. Not a bad thing at all! I definitely enjoyed this cookbook and found its approach to be a very pleasant surprise. It would make a perfect gift for anyone who enjoys Halloween themes and all of the dips/sauces look scrumptious. Plus I will definitely be making the lamb one day soon.

Zach Neil is the successful proprietor of The Beetle House, a Tim Burton-themed restaurant in New York and Los Angeles. In his new cookbook The Nightmare Before Dinner, he gives readers the chance to be able to make the most popular appetizers, meals, desserts and drinks from the restaurant. The book includes pictures of both recipes and the restaurants. 

Each recipe has a appropriate title, such as Frogs Breath & Nightshade Risotto, Sweeney Beef, and Edward Burger Hands. Check out desserts like Red Velvet Cake with Glass Candy Shards, Beetle Pie, and Blood Orange Cheesecake.  Most recipes have vegan versions, and the way the recipes are written makes it easy to follow directions.

My review has been posted to my blog & Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

Anyone who loves Tim Burton and his quirky, dark movies will love this cookbook. From Beetlejuice to Edward Scussorhands, recipes in this book celebrate Burton's style. The photographs of these culinary creations are unbelievably beautiful! Highly recommended.