Gastronogeek: Gothic Recipes by Thibaud Villanova

The Gastronogeek himself Thibaud Villanova flies solo for this installment of his thoughtfully designed, geek-culture-inspired cookbook series.

Despite embracing something of a goth aesthetic myself during college, I haven’t really consumed a lot of gothic media, as this book has definitely enlightened me to. Dracula and The Addams Family were, ofc, two unmissable properties, showcasing multiple facets of the gothic experience. And while I definitely wish I had more time in my life to watch such entertainments as Penny Dreadful and Crimson Peak — both of which inspired recipes in this book — a small part of me is surprised that properties such as It and Evil Dead made the cut here. But hey, the more the merrier, as M Villanova treats us to over 40 delicious recipes that he’s concocted around the theme.

A note for those who’ve never encountered these books before: each recipe is legit, and I say that as someone who writes a weekly cooking column over at CriminalElement.com. The flavors are exquisite and the techniques, tho best suited for someone already familiar with the basics of cooking, are not at all complicated. Everything I’ve tried from these books so far has been a joy to eat. That said, these books were definitely written by a European for a European audience, with no localization for American readers. So if you don’t automatically know the conversion for Celsius/gas marks to Fahrenheit on your stove, make sure to keep the Internet or other reference tool handy. Don’t be afraid to look up food terms and make appropriate substitutions as well!

This volume is roughly divided into five culinary categories: Starters, On The Go, Main Dishes, Desserts and Drinks. There are also entire sections devoted to culinary tips, glossary and utensils. To really set the mood, M Villanova also includes a playlist as well as some recommended viewing.

But the proof of a cookbook is always in the eating! For this volume, I decided to try out The Blue Whale Sandwich inspired by Dark Shadows:

The Blue Whale Sandwich
Tinned sardines, pepper mayonnaise and pickle sandwich
serves 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 red pepper
Salt
Olive oil
1 pinch of sugar
2 spring onions
4 tins of sardines
4 tbsp. homemade mayonnaise (see tips p. 114)
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. bourbon
16 slices of sandwich bread
4 thick slices of lettuce or Batavia
Homemade red onion pickles (see tips p. 121)

Preheat the oven to 220°C (gas mark 7). Prepare the vegetables: place the red pepper on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Sprinkle with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then place the pepper on a sheet of aluminium foil. Set aside for 5 minutes, then remove the skin and stalk from the pepper and remove the seeds. Place the pepper in a blender with 1 tsp. olive oil, 1 pinch salt and the sugar. Blend vigorously for 30 seconds to obtain a red pepper coulis. Set aside.

Rinse and pare the spring onions. Chop finely and place in a mixing bowl. Add the tinned sardines, mayonnaise, pepper coulis, maple syrup and bourbon. Mix well with a fork until you have a smooth filling.

Dressing: For each sandwich, place a nice slice of salad between two slice of sliced bread and top with the sardine filling. Add a few red onion pickles for acidity.

I love a good sardine sandwich and this one absolutely knocked my socks off! As I only had honey bourbon to hand, I didn’t bother adding any maple syrup, and I used spring mix instead of lettuce. I also ignored the 16 slices of bread recommendation, and just kept the filling in a covered bowl in my fridge, to be brought out any time I felt like another sandwich.

I also chose to do a quick shallot and spring onion pickle instead of the red onion recommended by the book. Regardless of what kind of onion pickle you choose, this sandwich should definitely be topped off with them: they add the perfect combination of sweet and acid to a filling already made deliciously smoky by the bourbon. Another pro tip: if you have a toaster oven, I definitely recommend using that instead of a conventional oven for just one pepper.

If you’re already a fan of this series, this is an unmissable addition to the collection. If you’re into gothic entertainment and want some ideas for your next culinary adventure, this is also the perfect book for you.

Finally, kudos go out to Medhiya Kerairia for the styling and Nicolas Lobbestael for the photography of this gorgeous volume.

Gastronogeek: Gothic Recipes by Thibaud Villanova was published November 26 2024 by Titan Books and is available from all good booksellers, including