The Nine is a delicious cocktail from “The Nightmare Before Dinner” the book I mentioned last week in the post on Beetle Pie. The book features recipes from Beetle House, Zack Neill’s Tim Burton inspired restaurants located in Los Angeles and New York.

Tim Burton + food?  You had me at hello!  😍

I love a sour cocktail and The Nine is the best blend of sweet, sour and apple flavours.

And it’s a great colour!  An almost iridescent green.  You can almost imagine it glowing in the dark.  It doesn’t (I checked) but it looks as if it might!  This is a fun cocktail  As is the book it came from!

If you like your food to come with a pun (and I think by now we all know that I do!) or you are a fan of Tim Burton, or you want to dine at Beetle House but can’t afford the flight to New York or L.A, then this book is for you!  Or the film buff in your life! Christmas is coming peeps….

The Nightmare before Dinner begins with Sauces and Dips for the Recently Deceased – my favourite being the Veruca Sauce! To be used only when you “want an Oompa Loompa now, Daddy, now”…or, probably more commonly, to put over chicken, fish or veggies as it is a delicious sounding honey butter garlic sauce.

And with all due respect to Tim Burton – there will only ever be one Verucca Salt.  (And just so we’re clear? It’s not his version)

The next chapter is caled The Nightmares Before Dinner.  This contains recipes for items like Hallowpeno Honey Cheddar Cornbread, Charlie Corn Bucket and Beetle Bacon Bread….just listen to this mouthwatering description

“It’s a hearty sundried tomato and bacon “pizza” with a sweet balsamic reduction, soft mozzarella cheese and crisp scallions”

Here’s the picture from the book:

How I good does that look? Let me tell you a little secret into my obviously maladjusted childhood.  When I was a child, apparently I would kiss the tv screen whenever my favourite handsome boy of the moment would appear.  This picture kind of made me want to lick the screen…

I didn’t!!!!!  I swear  I didn’t!

And let’s never talk about any of this ever again.

The next chapter, Soups and Salads for The Living contains, of course, a Giant Peach Salad.  The Macarbre Mains section has an Edward Burger Hands, a Shrimpy Hollow and my very, very favourite….ah no.  I’m saving that one for a special occasion.

But the Edward Burger Hands sounds delish!  And a lot easier to eat than this meal!

I won’t take you through all the chapters because I think you should have a taste for the book now.

See what I did there? A taste for the book?

Oh…Kay.  moving swiftly along…the final chapter is how you can put together the various meals to have themed parties.  It also offers suggestions for table and room decorations so you can really set the scene!!!!  Here are both the menu and the scene suggestions for an Edward party!

The joy of The Nightmare before Dinner lies in that it is seriously good food and cocktails that don’t take themselves to seriously.  Hmmm…sounds kind of like the ethos of this here blog…no wonder I like it so much!

Here’s the recipe for The Nine:

Now, let’s all make ourselves The Nine and jump in the line…..

Day -O….

Many thanks to Net Galley and Quarto Publishing for the ARC of The Nightmare Before Dinner.

Have a wonderful week.  I”m going to binge on Tim Burton films.  Speaking of which…what’s your favourite?

Mine is an absolute four-way tie between Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.