Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book! It's a whole lot of things all neatly tied up into one: a cookbook, a travel guide, and it's packed with paranormal information and experiences. Some of the recipes felt lackluster and not too exciting, but what I loved most was learning about the locations and the stories around them.

So excited to get a physical copy of this! I really enjoyed how informative yet romantically dark this book was. It was so fun to read and discover each thing it held!

I love to read about haunted and generally spooky places, and I love to eat. My family also loves meals with a theme, so this book worked on all three points for us.

Amy Bruni's Food to Die For is a delightful mix of history, ghost stories, and recipes inspired by haunted locations across the U.S. Each of the nearly 60 entries combines an eerie tale with a dish tied to the site, like Lizzie Borden’s home or Alcatraz prison.

The book’s vintage photos and atmospheric food photography add charm, while the stories bring a fascinating mix of history and spookiness. It’s perfect for history buffs, foodies, or anyone who enjoys a good ghost story with their cooking.

Whether you’re hosting a themed dinner or just curious about the recipes, this book offers a unique and fun experience. Amy Bruni’s storytelling makes it approachable and engaging—a must-have for fans of the paranormal and culinary adventures alike.

An interesting mashup of cookbook and a travelogue of spooky locations across the United States. Perfect for anyone into the supernatural and/or looking for some American Gothic themed recipes.

This is a really interesting concept and I look forward to buying the book and trying more of the recipes. Plus it would make a really interesting coffee table book!

Recipes and ghost stories? Count me in! I really enjoyed this book. It was fascinating and the added bonus of cool recipes.

Thanks Netgalley for the early ARC!

I was very surprised about this book. It is fantastic, chilling, full of dark history. Reading this was a journey through horrific crimes, true events, local legends, and the foods that connect them all. Some recipes are straight out of history—a meal plucked from the menu of a haunted hotel. Others are more inspired by history—but often clever and fun.

Highly recommended.

This is a great cookbook for anyone who likes creepy things! The recipes are all inspired by places that have a creepy history and are all unique and fun. The recipes I'm most excited to try are Blueberry Maple Breakfast Sausage, Lizzie Borden's Meatloaf,Legendary Potatoes and Cinnamon Sugar Cookies. Special Thank You to Amy Bruni,Julie Tremaine,Harper Celebrate and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great gift for a ghost enthusiast! Lots of photos and each recipe accomplishes a story about the location . This doesn’t feel like a phoned in cash grab at all. It feel like it was written and photographed by people who were truly passionate about this book.

As a fan of the paranormal Amy Bruni is an OG and someone I love to follow for her ghost stories. So, it should be no surprise that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED Food to Die For. As someone who has traveled a little bit to spooky locations, it was so fun to flip through the pages and reminisce my own stories. It was just as fun to read Amy's encounters and then dive into cooking a recipe that was (should I say it) to die for.

This is a fabulous book with gorgeous pictures and the perfect balance of information and storytelling, along with some mouth-watering recipes. It is pretty enough to be a coffee table book, yet the recipes are ones you will want to cook time and again.

One of the best cookbooks I have seen in a while.

Ok, listen up. This cookbook is THE cookbook that you need to get your spooky, foodie bestie for Ghoultide.

First, the overall book is simply gorgeous. The photographs by Emily Dorio are stunning. Even when I'm not cooking from this book, I want it out on display in my kitchen. Second, the recipes are relatively easy and the historical framing of the text is sure to appeal to any morbid traveler.

Amy Bruni takes home chefs of all skill levels to some of America's most haunted locations and sevres up tempting treats along the way. Even something as simple as cottage cheese, or 'smearcase' as it is known in the Pennsylvania Dutch community, becomes a delectable treat to enjoy while reading about the Ceely Rose House in Ohio and the murderess Celia Rose who was under house arrest after being charged with killing her father, mother, and brother with poison. Moreover, Bruni has done her research. With many recipes coming from historic cookbooks, travel guides, and local tradition, FOOD TO DIE FOR is a macabre take on culinary history.

Some of my favorites were Puritan Pudding (surprisingly decadent), French Fruit Sandwiches (a new favorite at our house), and Ernest Hemingway's' Bloody Mary is the most perfect bloody mary recipe I have ever tried. Oh! and don't skip on the fudge sauce or "chocolate gravy" as my grandmother called it. It's like putting melty Nutella on your biscuits. So good.

And while journeying through the book is always recommended, the author has included several helpful guides at the end to help you select where to start just in case you are a dabbler. Recipes are divided into meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) as well as "themed feast" ideas which I am especially fond of like "Last Meal Luncheon". Cocktails, main courses, snacks, and savories are all included.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and netGalley for sharing an early digital copy with me in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much I went and bought three copies to give away during the Halloween season.

I have been a fan of Amy for years and when I heard she was coming out with a cookbook about haunted locations, I knew I needed to read it. I have been to 5 of the haunted locations and can confirm, yes they are haunted! You get an eerie feeling when you enter these places and feel like you are being watched.

The book begins with Amy’s backstory into the paranormal world. She often did paranormal investigations with her dad which I thought was pretty cool because my dad was also into the paranormal. She also goes over some of the equipment you might use on a ghost hunt. I’ve used some of those ghost hunting tools before and found them pretty cool.

There are a few places I would like to visit that are on the list, mainly the Lizzie Borden House, since I don’t have plans to go there anytime soon I can always make her meatloaf.

If you are into the paranormal and like visiting haunted spots then this book is for you. The recipes sound delicious. I would like to try: Lizzie Borden’s meatloaf, ghost bride martini, crustless jack and red pepper quiche and historic muffins from the Crescent Hotel & Spa.

The haunted locations I have visited are:
Mark Twain House- Hartford, CT
Jennie Wade House- Gettysburg, PA
The White Horse Tavern- Newport, RI
Eastern State Penitentiary- Philadelphia, PA
Twisted Vine Restaurant- Derby, CT

Thank you Netgalley, Amy Bruni, and Harper Celebrate for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Obsessed. I love this, and I'm definitely going to try a bunch of these recipes. This whole book is targeted at me.

The perfect Halloween treat for adults might just be bound in a hardcover. This coffee table book blends stories of historic haunted places and recipes for foods or drinks that are associated with the location. The recipes are quick and straightforward, the stories range from nostalgic to decadently gruesome, and the photos that compliment the recipes and tales captured my attention. Though there are recipes for each location, the jewels of the book are the stories. From the author's introduction, where she talks about her interest in the paranormal, the choice of writing a spooky cookbook, and her professional experiences to the details of haunted hotels, homes, bars, landmarks, institutions, and ghost towns, the writing is filled with a passion for the subject matter. As for the recipes, much of the "Bloodcurdling Brunch" menu, particularly the Croissant Bread Pudding, Blueberry Maple Breakfast Sausage, and Hemingway's Bloody Mary may just be making its way to my table on all souls day this year to test those out. This book might also be a great gift for anyone with paranormal or novelty travel interests.
I received access to this ebook thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Celebrate) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I originally read a digital ARC of this provided to me by NetGalley, Ami Bruni, and Harper Celebrate. I loved it so much that when I saw it out in the wild, I had to have the physical copy.

From stunning photography to little known facts, this book is a smorgasbord of delight for history fans and culinary art lovers alike.

Up your spooky season or movie night with a recipe or two from this book.

My most recommended book of 2024.

This book intersects a lot of brilliant morbidities for the spooks in the audience. Every recipe is paired with a historical account of the time and place it is affiliated with, and, honestly, the tales are way more fun than the recipes. I also adore the fact that they are all intended to be genuine, not necessarily edible, to add an extra sensory layer to your own paranormal investigations. (Or curiosities.)

If you're on the fence about buying another cook book that's going to sit on your shelf gathering dust- don't! This one lives rent free for the anecdotes alone. In a few short weeks I have already lent it out three times, planned on purchasing three more copies as holiday gifts, and reread several thrilling accounts.

While it would have been nice to see representation from all 50 states, any and all repetition feels warranted, inspiring further research and curiosities. A real rabbit hole compendium. I will be keeping an eye on Amy Bruni from here on out and desperately hope she publishes her own memoirs at some point in the future.

I am obsessed.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

It was an interesting read but it was not for me.
There was alot of information on the places she got the recipies from.

I want to give this 4 stars, but I just feel like there are some issues that felt big.

The section about haunted hotels was pretty bland. All of the information about the haunting is really scarce and takes more time focusing on the celebrities that visited and who owned them. I don't care about that info and I doubt anyone picking up this book for spooky vibes does. I wish there was more info on the hauntings and less a out everything else. It feels like some picks were made just to fill a quota and there's not a lot of confirmed history for those places. Those in particular feel like the dedicated pages have heavily speculated claims with no evidence. There is a bibliography in the back for those interested in verifying them, but even if true they're presented as history that is unconfirmed.

The recipes are okay. They're very creatively tied into the book and there is a well curated tasting menu at the end. Ultimately, I feel that most of the recipes are not super appealing to the average cook.

The photography and aesthetic of this book are really nice though! This would make a great coffee table read for anyone who enjoys this or a fun pick to flip through for Halloween to use to throw a dinner party.

This Cookbook is perfect for lovers of haunted places and ghost legends. There are a variety of different recipes: from drinks to desserts. Every haunted place is linked to a recipe.
The author always dedicates a few pages to the backstory of every recipe and location.