As an OG Ghost Hunters fan (started watching Season 1, Episode 1), I was immediately intrigued when I saw that Amy Bruni was coming out with a haunted recipe book.

Part memoir, part coffee-table book, part photography book, part ghost story collection, part history book, and part cookbook - this is the best of all worlds. I cannot speak enough to how beautiful the photography is and how well it is integrated into the stories and recipes.

I am not the type to follow a recipe, I am more of a "dash of this, scoop of that" type of person in the kitchen, but these recipes had me intrigued. Everything from cocktails to muffins to cottage cheese Nutraloaf, it has recipes for every taste or occasion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for an advanced digital reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The photos were good, and the recipes tied in nicely with the stories. I enjoyed the variety of locations a d recipes, it was easy to read and interesting. I think this would be great to promote around Halloween and will. E perfect to include in displays. Definitely a little more niche, but this type of subject is more popular now. Overall a solid book I enjoyed it.

I loved this unique cookbook! Each recipe is inspired by a haunted place the recipes are accompanied by the history and lore sounding that location. Such a fun read with delicious recipes to boot!

Definitely more paranormal history book than cookbook. I can't say that there was a single recipe included that I needed to try. Beautifully photographed and great layout.

Conceptually, I think that Food to Die For is a neat idea. Historical recipes are interesting, and I really like that each recipe comes from a different haunted place and has a little bit of background information on the reason for the haunting.

Unfortunately, I found the recipes to be overall disappointing. Not because the dishes are bad – I tried a handful, and they were quite good. I found them disappointing because I had to do more legwork than I think I should have. Although the author pointed out that in certain recipes they had added/edited whatever for clarity, this didn’t always seem to include things like cook time and/or temperature. It was more like the conversion rate for soda crackers to Saltines, which…I don’t care so much about. I found myself particularly frustrated by this while attempting the recipe for Lizzie Borden’s meatloaf which says something to the effect of “bake in the oven until done.” I found it really frustrating that I had to stop what I was doing and go find another meatloaf recipe to find an approximate temperature and time frame for cooking.

In addition, although I knew going in that I was going to have to make substitutions to some recipes because I can’t do dairy products, I didn’t anticipate also having to make substitutions because so many basic items are now wholly unaffordable (this one is not the fault of the cookbook or author – this is all on the garbage economy, I think. But still worth mentioning because you might find it frustrating, for example, that to make the Conjuring House pot roast, you’re going to need to set aside about $50 USD for ingredients. Or if you want to do the Gadsby’s Tavern Sea Bass with Country Hash, same deal. I was even going to swap the sea bass with walleye on account of living in a place where you can’t look at the water without getting slapped in the face by a walleye, but NO. Even that was $18/POUND.

Basically, although the book was mildly entertaining (and the cover is fabulous), I found it essentially useless in all of the important ways a cookbook is to be used. There is seriously nothing more frustrated than having to pause mid-recipe to look up basic information that probably should have been included in the cookbook in the first place – especially when, as I mentioned, the author went to the trouble of mentioning that they had added some useful information here and there.

Food to Die For is a great book about haunted places. The stories about the different houses and locations were super interesting, and it was nice to learn more about the real stories of places that one might only know from horror movies or other media. But the recipes seemed something more like an afterthought. I would recommend it as a collection of haunted places rather than a cookbook.

Whether you are interested in the paranormal or not, I’ll bet every one of you will admit to loving a good ghost story. I know that I do, and have many fond memories of sitting around a campfire with my fellow Girl Scouts, listening to them. A couple of my own rather strange experiences have pushed me in the direction of believing in the paranormal, if only slightly, versus scoffing at it previously.

Those of you interested in the paranormal may be familiar with Ami Bruni, co-star and Executive Producer of the widely successful paranormal series, “Kindred Spirits” wherein she helps frightened people reclaim their homes from the mysteries of the unknown. Bruni, who admits that she grew up in a haunted house, was also one of the stars of the program “Ghost Hunters,” with which everyone is no doubt familiar.

Her combined love of vintage regional recipes and the paranormal shine through in this unique and fabulous cookbook, Food to Die For, Recipes and Stories from America’s Most Legendary Haunted Places, a book dedicated to Lizbeth “Lizzie” Borden, “…whose killer meatloaf recipe inspired the idea for this book.” I don’t think I have ever enjoyed reading a cookbook as much as I did this one. It combines haunted sights across the country — mysterious hotels, eerie ghost towns, and possessed pubs (one of which was visited by “Ghosthunters” in my town) — pairing these with recipes reflecting happenings on those sites. Case in point, there is a recipe for Lizzie Borden’s meatloaf. What a perfect dish to serve at a Halloween party, proffering slices on the blade of an axe.

Bruni is not wrong when she says, “Food can bring the dead back to life.” A rather frightening sentiment, but accurate considering that I can’t make fried chicken without thinking about my grandmother. I could really relate to Bruni when she talked about her late mother, her signature dish being a Caesar salad recipe that the family loved, but for which there was no physical recipe. When her mother passed away, the recipe went with her. This caused her to associate food and recipes with the dead and paranormal experiences. She was delighted when she found a Caesar salad recipe from Sheboygan Asylum, that reminded her so much of her mother’s. I’m just going to leave that there.

The recipes are largely gleaned from other sources, many of which are now out of print. Imagine serving cinnamon sugar cookies from Alcatraz. What a great way to give your kids a tasty dessert and teach them some history at the same time. Many of these recipes do come from penitentiaries, all of which have a haunted past.

If you are looking for a new way to host a dinner party, you need this book. Nothing, I guarantee, will make you as popular in your neighborhood, at family gatherings, or as a member of your gourmet club, but to follow one of the menus and recipes in this book, pairing them with creepy music and a complementary story.

The book is full of wonderful vintage photographs as well as fabulous full color photos, along with recipes from the corresponding haunted places. I was pleased to see two places from Missouri listed in this book, but at the same time, surprised that one of the most haunted places in Missouri, namely the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis was not.

If you enjoy entertaining guests in a unique and memorable way, this is the guidebook on how to do it. The book is divided into the following sections:

Eerie Hotels
Horrifying Homes
Otherworldly Watering Holes
Hair-Raising Historic Landmarks
Hellish Institutions
Ghoulish Ghost Towns

It was so much fun learning the creepy history of so many places, as well as seeing the interiors the way these places looked back in the day, and even, in some cases, seeing a photo of their menu. I have to tell you that this book is the best cookbook that I have read all year. This book will appeal to those who love cookbooks as well as those who love the paranormal. It is a must have for either one of these personal libraries.

Gracious thanks to NetGalley, Harper Celebrate, and Ami Bruni for a complementary digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my very first non-fiction selection and I absolutely loved it! What I usually do with my physical copies us cut up my favorite recipes (*gasp* Outrageous!) and paste them on my junk journal to scan for future cooking endeavors. It's such a shame that I can't do it to this copy of mine

I love listening to podcasts and watch paranormal YouTube videos and I think this book would be a terrific source for one! The way it was written is definitely both fun and informative. Plus, a visual step-by-step would be helpful too!

A fabulous book that borders between a paranormal history book and cookbook.
On one part, you get a macabre insight to haunted US buildings with pictures and lengthy description, and on the other part you get a recipe connected to each place.
I have yet to cook anything from it so i cannot vouch for the recipes, but i have my eye on a few.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for providing me an advance copy of Amy Bruni’s #cookbook, Food to Die For: Recipes and Stories from America’s Most Legendary Haunted Places, in exchange for an honest review.

#FoodtoDieFor is not your traditional cookbook. Comprised of centuries-old recipes that are more likely found buried in an abandoned mineshaft or levitating in the arms of an otherworldly inmate-cum-prison chef than while riffling through your mother’s collection. In other words, these recipes are better suited for hosting a macabre-themed dinner party as opposed to a #ThanksgivingDay banquet. That is, unless you loathe your relatives.

Otherwise, banish this #recipebook from your kitchen and instead reserve space on your coffee table where it rightfully belongs as a fascinating conversation piece and to showcase the gorgeous, glossy photos, even if some depict eerie state penitentiaries and morbid sanitariums. Pro tip: stick to the chapter on hotels and order takeout to ensure your guests enjoy the meal.

All kidding aside, the work was witty and creative. The table of contents is menu-inspired and the final section contains recommendations for assembling full-course meals from the recipes. The photos capture the mood and time period of each of the six sections that the book is divided into, which include hotels, homes, watering holes, historical landmarks, institutions, and ghost towns.

Finally, don’t skip the intro! The introduction is dedicated to explaining paranormal activities and tools, which help set the ambiance. As someone unfamiliar this type of research and such technologies, I found the explanation interesting and informative. Though readers with a keen interest in the subject might find the brief descriptions of paranormal tools elementary.

Overall, #RecipestoDieFor was a unique and entertaining read. I learned facts about American history and about myself, such as if time travel ever exists, stay away from the food in the 1800s. It is clear the author has so much passion for the subject, and I enjoyed hearing her journey from project manager at a healthcare company to a professional paranormal researcher whose work is featured in essentially every mass communication medium. While I certainly cannot recommend cooking any of these ghastly recipes, I can and do highly recommend reading this horror-filled piece of #historicalnonfiction.

Wow. What a very interesting, fun and tasty book this is. This is like no other cookbook I have ever bought or read and I love it. The stories, the history, the food, the fun. I will be putting this one on my coffee table so everyone can read it.

I'm off to try some recipes now so I can share the stories and the makings with my friends and family. Love it.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Macabre vibes and cozy food - what a beautiful combination! Amy Bruni does a knock-out job with Food to Die For. As a professional paranormal researcher, she has been to the places she writes about and can really capture what it would have been to live in the era with the recipes she shares. I love that there is a collection of historic recipes that also have something spooky about them.

Bruni writes about her mom's caesar salad recipe that was never written down and was lost when she passed away. That little bit in the introduction really solidified the effort I have been putting into creating a physical memory of recipes I use with my own family. Living in a time when home cooked foods are becoming less and less common, I found so much pleasure in reading the history as well as the recipes found in this cookbook. Some of the recipes are hundreds of years old! Also, thank you Amy for teaching me where the word 'salary' comes from... I had no idea!

Food to Die For is separated into 6 chapters, including eerie hotels, horrifying homes, other-worldly watering holes, hair-raising historic landmarks, hellish institutions, and ghoulish ghost towns. Each entry has a photo of the location and the recipe - with a dark twist (LOL to the 'Lumpy Dicks' recipe - I also learned that dick is an old-fashioned name for pudding)! This is one of the most unique cookbooks I've read and I'm looking forward to adding both some of the spooky locations to my list of future destinations as well as adding the recipes to try!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Celebrate, and the author Amy Bruni for an ARC of this delightfully dark cookbook!

This cook book is an exceptionally inventive and captivating work designed specifically for avid readers of the horror genre. Its pages are filled with a diverse array of elements, from fantastical creatures to sorcerers, and even enchanted fortresses. Furthermore, it boasts a tempting selection of recipes, and the notion of imprisonment or haunted locations may not be entirely unappealing. One's final indulgences would be exquisitely satiated, particularly if they were to sample Lizzie Borden's meatloaf - a dish that requires no implement other than the cook's own preference---maybe an axe!

This is the most perfect coffee table book! With recipes that you can actually prepare, paranormal and historical information you can learn about, and the most gorgeous photos that you can look at - there are so many ways to interact with this book. I really enjoyed the read and heartily recommend to foodies, those interested in historical hauntings, and those who enjoy well-composed photography.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to view the book early! It was such a treat!

I picked two recipes from the book to try with plans to feature one or both along with promotion of the book to Instagram closer to the publication date. Review is currently up on Goodreads.

Food to Die For explores infamously haunted locales and the meals that were common in those places. It has a nice variety of delicious sounding (blueberry maple breakfast sausage) and historically accurate but not quite delicious sounding (prison Nutraloaf) recipes, and contains a menu of different combinations. I really enjoyed the pictures of the meals and locations. I will be cooking my way through this one, starting with the Villisca Cornbread and Conjuring House Pot Roast.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect mixture of facts, recipes and photos. I'm not really interested in ghost hunting but after reading this I would love to visit some of the locations.

This was a treat to enjoy. I am deff gonna buy this when it comes out. thank you netgalley, Thank you Amy Bruni as well for the chance to get an arc of this.

“Food to Die For" is a very clever concept for a cookbook. The illustrations are dark and beautiful. Every recipe included is from a different haunted location. I appreciate that ghost stories are included for each location. This book is a fun intersection of horror, true crime, and cooking! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper celebrate for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun cookbook. I enjoyed the stories that went along with the recipes. The food photography was fun and themed which I appreciated. Recipes were straightforward and pretty easy to execute. I know this book will definitely not be for everyone, especially if they don't like true crime (even in older instances people are sensitive to these topics which is totally valid), but for the right person this book is a total hit - the author knows her audience for this! The layout was also gorgeous and well-themed.

Amy Bruni is my favorite lady in the paranormal world, so when she announced she was coming out with a new book that included food and ghost I knew it was going to be good! This book exceeded my expectations, reading about haunted places and getting a recipe along with that place is just such a fun idea and it works. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book so I can display it in my kitchen. If you love food and ghost get this book!