By: Amy Diana Ramirez
Boulder, Colorado, (The Hollywood Times) 07/29/2023
Get ready for a night of adrenaline and foodgasms. The prescriptive book for hosting an unforgettable grown-up party has been released: The HORROR MOVIE NIGHT COOKBOOK: Deliciously Deadly Recipes Inspired by Iconic Slashers, Zombie Films, Psychological Thrillers, Sci-Fi Spooks, and More, by Richard S. Sargent, published in July 2023.
Strangely enough, the author is not a chef, but a talent best known for his work in theatre, film, and TV – including his own 2015 short film titled MEAT. [MEAT is best described by Sargent as “torture porn with bacon”.] From perusing his IMDB profile, I noticed that he even had a role in one of my favorite true crime shows: Wives With Knives. Though he’s demonstrated a dynamic Hollywood career, he has been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g his talent in entertaining others by beginning an alternative band and by constructing a cookbook specifically designed to further stimulate, amuse, and nourish the horror-flick viewer. Because it seemed like such an undertaking, I asked Mr. Sargent exactly how long the entire process took, from the initial cookbook concept to the published copy. He answered, “Five years”. Jeepers – half a decade. I consider such lengthy devotion to a project to make it a “Labor of Love”, therefore, since his mid-twenties, Sargent has been coming up with scrumptious twists on trusty recipes, complete with newfangled boozy recipe pairings, and, get this – suggested drinking games (!), specific to horror films that the has chosen for us. For example, the film Psycho is selected and includes “The Mama’s Boy Martini” with these instructions: “Take a drink every time Norman mentions birds or taxidermy”.
Vintage horror films such as Psycho and Jaws are included as well as more contemporary blockbusters. There are several flicks catered to within the book that I was not familiar with prior, so if Horror has become one of your genres, this could be a nifty way to get current. After all, some of the author’s earliest memories involve watching Chiller Theater with his mother and he has been an avid horror aficionado ever since.
Being a freakishly bad cook myself, my own “chefenator” friend, Kerry Kolsch, helped me review Sargent’s book. She is impressed by the originality brought to the project. These four recipes especially spoke to her:
The FLAMING ZOMBIE This drink recipe is much like a traditional Rum Runner but lit on fire via overproof (flammable) rum.
PIRANHA SOUP. This is a seared white fish in garlic-infused broth, topped with a miniature crab cake.
ALLIGATOR BITES This recipe calls for actual alligator meat from a local butcher, though the author states that chicken would be a satisfactory substitute.
A MEAL FIT FOR THE MAYANS. Traditional slow-cooked Cochinita Pibil with “deconstructed” street corn. I am making this last one as I type this; it has three more hours to go in the slow cooker. My entire house smells marvelous – like a feast is indeed upon me.
The skill level of various recipes is assessed and listed as “Kill Level.” Although the author indicates that the Meal Fit for the Mayans is an “EASY Kill”, I have to say that it is not. It took visiting three different grocers to find the orangish-red spice ingredient that it calls for (red achiote paste). Even then, I was only able to find an artificial version of it. The instructions are somewhat incomplete for this particular entrée. Nevertheless, the concoction concepts are ingenious; I believe that the organization of the book is quite genius. I like how Sargent happens to be wearing a GENIUS shirt in the photo taken when he met Skeet Ulrich (of Scream movie fame).
In addition to “Kill Level”, each recipe includes a “Body Count”, which informs the reader of the number of servings that it yields. Most seem to be for about six guests.
If you are not a fan of cooking and/or horror films, this book would still make for a delightful gift for a friend who IS into these things. Hardcovers are available on Amazon for less than thirty bucks, even with classy Amazon gift-bagging. We can also support Richard S. Sargent fledgling musical career, by checking out the beats of his alternative band, GREEN WINTER (on Spotify or iTunes).
There is an official video for the catchy song “Big Wreck” from the band’s debut album, DISASTERPIECE THEATRE. It features a happy, young, blonde child that reminds me of my own daughter. I am looking forward to her getting old enough to watch Horror flicks with me…and old enough to cook for us too.
