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.

The Nightmare Before Dinner by Zach Neil is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in early October.

These are punny/morbidly titled recipes developed by a small chain of restaurants called Beetle House for sauces, appetizers, veg, plated mains (usually a combined main dish, then starch and/or veg with many vegan options/alternatives), desserts, drinks, then themed party ideas around the forementioned recipes. The restaurant concept itself looks quite zany and bluelight creepy, while the finished-product photos are darkened, noirish with the sauce plopped in a garish way, and plated often in a sugar-skull style bowl. Each recipe has its own cheeky preamble, but I ultimately wanted to learn more about the restaurant’s origins, staff, and operations. My favorite recipes include Cheshire sauce, Hallowpeño honey cheddar cornbread, Sweeney beef w/garlic mash, Willy’s mango pannacotta, and the Fleet Street martini (though it’s made of Fireball, Apple Pucker schnapps, and cranberry juice…).

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.

So I'll admit, I have a thing for cookbooks that tie into movies, tv shows, and books. Needless to say, when I saw this one up on NetGalley I just knew that I had to make it mine. I am a HUGE fan of Tim Burton, and one of my favorite movies is THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Making this cookbook a match made in book reviewing heaven for me.

This was an entertaining cookbook to flip through. It had a nice array of photos, colorful graphics, and fun fonts that made it visually pleasing. 

This cookbook is divided into the following chapters...
-- Introduction: This Is Halloween
-- Beetle House Must-Haves
-- Sauces & Dips for the Recently Deceased
-- Nightmares Before Dinner
-- Herbs, Plants & Cauldrons
-- Platos de Los Muertos
-- Tricks & Treats
-- Poisons, Potions & Elixirs
-- Put the FUN Back in Funeral

Each chapter includes a plethora of exciting recipes that include a little introduction to the recipes. Followed by well laid out and easy to follow instructions on how to make the dish. All finished off with an extra TIP or GO VEGAN. 

Here is just a small taste of the yummy recipes you will find inside...
-- Edward Sauce
-- Veruca Sauce
-- Brains & Chips
-- Beetle Bacon Bread
-- Giant Peach Salad
-- Cheshire Mac and Cheese
-- Sweeney Beef (I love that this one is served with a switchblade knife (lol).
-- Silence of the Lamb Chops
-- Shrimpy Hollow
-- Bloodbath Cobbler
-- The Beetle’s Juice
-- Alice’s Cup of Tea

I enjoyed this one a lot, and I think it would make a fantastic gift for any Tim Burton lover who enjoys cooking!

Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner is a beautiful and unique themed cookbook filled with a range of deliciously spooky recipes that are fun and easy to follow. The book features everything from sauces to cocktails. There is even a section with ideas for hosting your own funky themed parties. If you love food, Halloween, and anything Tim Burton, this is definitely the cookbook for you!

This is the official cookbook of The Beetle House, the Tim Burton-inspired restaurant with locations in New York and Los Angeles. I’d never heard of the restaurant before but now I cannot wait to visit!

I love the book’s layout. Almost every page has a colourful or spooky element which is definitely eye-catching. I love that the cookbook features a wide range of recipes including sauces, appetizers, main courses, desserts, and cocktails. Everything has wonderfully fun names. The book is divided into sections with great names like Poisons, Potions & Elixirs and Platos de los Muertos. There are also many full-colour pictures of the finished products. I like that the pictures are tastefully spooky rather than over-the-top gory. But, I would have liked more pictures of the food.

I cannot wait to try dishes like Boozy Mango Sorbet with Pop Rocks, Edward Burger Hands and fun cocktails like Sparky’s Minty Margarita and The Coco Skellington. The recipes are well-detailed and easy to follow. However, some are a little complicated with many components and steps. I really like that many recipes feature ingredients that are pantry staples or are fairly easy to get. Although I am not vegan, there are vegan swaps for almost every recipe which is a nice touch.

The book’s final section features ideas for themed parties. This is a fantastic idea and I like the fixed menus and decorations. However, I wish the section featured much more ideas and some new pictures rather than featuring pictures of food that already appeared earlier in the book.

The Nightmare Before Dinner is a lovely themed cookbook with well-detailed recipes and fun party ideas. I love unique cookbooks and I would definitely buy this for myself. This cookbook is perfect for fans of unique themed cookbooks, Halloween, and Tim Burton’s fantastical movies.

Somehow I'd never heard of the Beetle House before reading this book (I picked it up originally because my boyfriend loves Beetlejuice). Normally I'm not one for reading cookbooks as if they're regular books, but this one held my attention. The food recipes looked a bit complicated, time-consuming, and ingredients-I'll-only-use-once filled for my level of home cooking skills, but the cocktails! Oh my goodness. I'm excited to try each and every one of them. Overall I'd recommend this book for advanced home chefs and/or people who adore Tim Burton.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Ok I have never heard of The Beetle House but after seeing this book I want to visit one of their locations as it looks amazing and I love the likes of Tim Burton and fantasy type films.
The bright colours and beautiful photos in this book make it really exciting and makes me want to throw a party as soon as possible.
I can’t wait to try the Beetle Jam recipe and the graveyard noodles just for starters but there are loads of menus in here that appeal to me.
The cocktail recipes and party ideas are a great addition to the book as well. 
This is a book that is out of this world and full of magic and wonder like a Tim Burton movie.

What a great book for the person in your life that loves Halloween!  Between the clever names of the recipes and the beautiful illustrations you can not go wrong for a Halloween party or Halloween fan Birthday Party. Chapters include Sauces and Dips for the Recently Deceased with Sweeny Sauce and Beetle Jam. Nightmares Before Dinner with Brains and Chips and Graveyard Noodles. Herbs, Plants and Cauldrons with Giant Peach Salad and The Butchers Stew. Platos de los Muertos with Edward Burger Hands and Evil Dead Shrimp. Tricks or Treats with Bloodbath Cobbler and Beetle Pie. Poisons, Potions and Elixirs with This is Halloween and Bio-Exorcism. Put the Fun Back in Funeral with Willy's Candy Bar and Nightmare Christmas Party. There are many more with more fun names. I love Halloween and plan to use some of the recipes for our Halloween night dinner. I love this creative and fun book. 
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a free e-copy of The Nightmare Before Dinner: Recipes and Drinks from The Beetle House, the Tim Burton and Salvador Dali-Inspired restaurant by Zach Neil.

Such a fun cookbook written with so much imagination and thought inspired recipes just in time for Halloween. Anyone can write just a normal cookbook. I hand it to Zach Neil for putting so much love, passion and time into these fun, imaginative recipes for the world to enjoy. I loved Zach Neil's introduction letting us, the reader, get a peak of his up-bringing. He was raised in a very religious family who didn't celebrate Halloween but he always dreamed of dressing up and having fun, like the other kids. Such a wonderful story of how he is so thankful for the opportunity to write these recipes and share them with other people who love to cook, as he does.

Wonderful, creative recipes such as the Edward Sauce, Cheshire sauce, Sweeney sauce, Beetle Jam, Hallowpeno Honey Cheddar Cornbread, Beetle Bacon Bread, Giant Peach Salad, The Butchers Stew, The Willy Burger, Cheshire Mac and Cheese, Frog's Breath and Nightshade Risotto, Shrimpy Hollow, Boozy Mango Sorbet with Pop Rocks, The Beetles Juice, The Golden Ticket, Alice's Cup of Tea and so many other creatively brilliant recipes. I tip my hat to you Zach Neil. Wonderfully and brilliantly done.

Maybe I'm out of the loop, but I had no idea there was a horror/Tim Burton-themed restaurant (2 apparently - one in New York, one in L.A.). LOVE this idea! So naturally I was excited to check out The Beetle House's cookbook. While the recipe names, plating ideas (straight razors instead of steak knives!) and party theme suggestions were all really creative and funny, I wasn't into the actual recipes all that much. Granted, I'm a bit of a picky eater, but a lot of these dishes just seemed like TOO MUCH GOING ON. So, while I personally probably won't try making most of these, I have put The Beetle House on my list of places to visit!

Zach Neil has provided the unique recipes from Beetle House Restaurants.  I like the ability to convert the recipes into vegan as well.  Many original recipes with a Halloween theme!

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in 
exchange for an honest review.  										
From the publisher, as I do not regurgitate the contents or story of
books in reviews, I let them do it!											

Some like it goth! If you love movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, or The Evil Dead, then you’ll love the official cookbook of The Beetle House, the Tim Burton-inspired restaurant with locations in New York, Los Angeles, and more. Featuring chef and owner Zach Neil’s signature recipes like “Edward Burger Hands,” a juicy burger stuffed with smoked bacon, fried egg, pepper jack cheese, avocado, with a sriracha cream sauce and “Wonka Wings,” chicken wings with a custom Fanta orange soda glaze, and so many more. Plus, you’ll get an array of craft cocktails from the Coco Skellington to the Beetle’s Juice. Featuring more than 50 recipes plus a section on how to host your very own Burton-themed party with crafts, costume, decorations, and more this is the perfect book for the goth, the movie buff, and Halloween lover all the world round.  

I LOVE Beetlejuice and many Tim Burton films so this book was right up my alley! The photos are awesome and the recipes and décor are going to be embellishing my table for months to come as I am a Halloween addict.  I am not sure if “goth” is the right word: I would say Burtonesque! 
This is a great little book: if you like a menu inspired by Tim’s works, this is for you, especially if you cannot get to a Beetle House in NY, L.A. and beyond. I had zero idea that these restaurants exist and there NEEDS TO BE ONE IN NEW ORLEANS!! 
GREAT BOOK! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

So, apparently The Nightmare Before Dinner is The Beetle House Cookbook; and Beetle House is a chain of theme restaurants in the United States. I did not know this… And I should mention right up front, I hate theme restaurants. And I haven’t seen any of the movies the theme is based on. However… I do enjoy a cute, themed recipe book (no-one said I had to be consistent in my petty likes and dislikes). And I liked this book a lot.
First things first, The Nightmare Before Dinner is gorgeous. Seriously shelf-worthy! The layout and colours and images are super cute, and the pictures are of like, Instagrammable-quality.

The theme is super cute and consistent throughout. I was a bit afraid the food would be made to look like severed fingers and blood and things – this being my experience of Halloween food. And I’m sorry, but I just don’t want to eat something dyed green or which looks like a crime scene… However, and here’s where things got clever, the food actually looks and sounds delicious. But there’s still a real theme. It’s smartly done, because the theme is there in the food, without falling off the edge into the grotesque, and is just reinforced by the names of the dishes and the way they are presented; for help with which at home, there is a handy list at the back…

Love that. Like the Barefoot Contessa, when she tells you how to decorate a table, or Mrs Beeton advises housewives on greeting their husband when he comes home and directing their servants. It adds something for me…

The names of dishes were super adorable and kind of funny. This isn’t a book that takes itself too seriously. It’s clearly meant to be fun, and was fun for the chef to dream up. And it made me smile.

The recipes themselves had the right balance between achievable and aspirational. The instructions were clear and easily to follow. I also liked the list of potential vegan swop-outs; that was thoughtful.

Overall, this is a book I can see my friends wanting (thanks for the help there, that’s Christmas sorted!). It was beautifully presented, colourful, fun, and very enjoyable to read. I loved the party menus and suggestions for Halloween decorations, and I would highly recommend it for fans of Nightmare Before Christmas, and that whole genre, or who are cooking with children.

In fact, it would go nicely with Drink Me: Curious Cocktails from Wonderland [link to review], don’t you think? They should team up… This is definitely one I will be buying, and which I know a lot of people are going to love.