Feeding Hannibal: A Connoisseur's Cookbook

Loooooooove this book! Great quality, nice thick glossy paper and bright colors. I’m a HUGE Hannibal fan (original books and the tv show) and it was so awesome to see the planning behind the food. I loved the little behind the scenes bits they added and the recipes are absolutely stunning. There is even vegetarian options and drinks! This is mostly a coffee table book for me but I’m definitely going to attempt a few things because it’s so well refined and thought out. You can tell they not only held value in presentation but a balanced flavor profile. There’s even a cocktail with umami (which is difficult to incorporated in a lot of cocktails)! You can tell the food in the show was a labor of love and this book perfectly captured that.

I really hate cooking. I would rather do dishes, do yard work, clean the bathroom...pretty much anything instead of cooking. With that said, being the Fannibal that I am, I had to order this book, and I am so glad I did. While it is unlikely I will make many of the dishes in this book, simply because I hate making food (I would practically live off cereal if it were up to me; Hannibal would be so disappointed), there is much more to this book than just recipes. The pictures in the book are gorgeous and vibrant, which is one of the first things you notice. There are also amusing anecdotes and interesting information sprinkled throughout the book. And, of course, what would be a book about the show Hannibal, without cannibal puns? With all of that said, for those that actually enjoy cooking, the recipes are explained in great detail and are easy to follow. There are tips and tricks, for those that are new in the kitchen, at the front of the book. Additionally, there are some vegetarian options for some of the recipes as well. The recipes range from seemingly easy (I might actually try the sanguinaccio dolce aka blood chocolate) to some that are more challenging, for the more experienced canni...er...chef. One of the small details that I like about the book is that it tells you which episode the recipes were featured in. One last note about the book...as the disclaimer on the back states, it "is intended for Fannibals and foodies, not cannibals. Please don't eat your friends!"

Was a gift and she's happy

I didn’t purchase this book for the pictures, but the recipes. The recipes are exquisite. Very highly recommend.

I adore Mads Mickelson, so handsome!

First, I have to say that this is one beautifully-made book! The photography is stunning, and the presentation of the recipes is absolutely first-rate! Second, the dark humor throughout the book will leave the reader in stitches (considering we're talking about Hannibal Lecter, that might be either an unfortunate or completely fitting turn of phrase)! Third, some of the recipes look a bit daunting, at least at first. Once you've taken the time to thoroughly read through them to get a feel for what's required, however, they appear "do-able." I have not as yet tried any of them, but will at the first opportunity. Deciding which recipe from this treasure trove should be the first is a tough call - although (if I can actually find a veal strip loin - veal is surprisingly hard to come by) the Spinach-Stuffed Veal with Cumberland Sauce is the current contender. Fourth, related to the above comment about availability of veal, some of the ingredients required for various recipes (for example, fresh chopped sugar cane) might require a bit of a search to procure; but that could be considered just an additional adventure. In conclusion, I find "Feeding Hannibal" to be a very worthy addition to my shelf of cookbooks, and will be cooking with Dr. Lecter (albeit from a very, very safe distance) soon!

I loved the show so I thought this could be cool. But I am not a gourmet chef so some of these made me feel like I was going to have to hire my own Hannibal the cannibal to make the things I was seeing on the pages. Mostly I adored seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff and really getting to see details on how the food was made for the show. It's such an integral part of the story so it was cool seeing the sketches, the notes from the food stylist, and the little additions from the writers and directors to feed even more meaning into the food the audience got to see.

This is a brilliant cookbook, but it's not for everyone. Some might be turned off by the cannibalistic inspiration for these dishes, while many will be turned off by the exotic ingredients used in several of the dishes. However, I see two overlapping audiences who will find a lot of value here. The first consists of those who are devoted fans of the TV show Hannibal and want some additional insight into his culinary designs. The second are those with a sophisticated and somewhat adventurous palate who are looking for some artful if unorthodox meals. I find myself in both categories. I'm the kind of person who already keeps his copy of Gray's Anatomy on the same shelf as his cookbooks, so I was more than intrigued by the promise of this book, and I wasn't disappointed. That said, you should be aware that these are not just whimsical ways to plate mundane dishes (though there are a few of those included). The majority of the recipes in this book include exotic ingredients that might not be to everyone's liking and might be difficult to source depending on one's location. It doesn't take long to see just how adventurous these recipes will get. As early as the fourth recipe, the ingredients list includes one lamb brain and 1 lamb testicle. Substitutions abound, however, so even if most people mightn't be interested in most of these recipes, I think almost everyone will find at least some dishes to try. And I'm not going to sit here and claim that I have any interest in every single recipe in the book. I may be willing to experiment in the kitchen, but I also know the limits of my own tastes. People who want some insight into the TV show will also find a lot of value. Of course this is a cookbook, not a "making of" documentary, but there are numerous little anecdotes about the filming interspersed throughout the book, giving the reader a brief if vivid picture of what it was like for the filmmakers (the author in particular) to design Dr. Lecter's dinners. A brief early section of the book provides some insight into the techniques you'll need to master and the equipment you'll require if you want to attempt these dishes. I place emphasis, however, on the word "brief." While a large number of the recipes are not particularly difficult, this book does assume the reader knows his or her way around the kitchen. If you're just beginning to cook, I wouldn't presume to warn you away from this book, but I would recommend you supplement it with a more "beginner-friendly" volume like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything or the always-popular Joy of Cooking. I do recommend reading the book straight through before deciding which dishes you want to sample. For one thing, unlike many cookbooks, it actually makes for an entertaining read even for those who never want to pick up a chef's knife at all. More importantly, though, it wouldn't do to simply prepare just one of these dishes. These dishes are better viewed as the components of a larger menu (perhaps for a dinner party), and you'll want to survey the entire selection of offerings before planning your menu. As much as I enjoyed the book, I do have one complaint and one wish. My wish is that the book had included suggestions for wine pairings with each dish. Though there is a small selection of cocktail recipes near the back of the book (some of which are quite appealing indeed!), it's my opinion that each course should be consciously paired with the perfect wine, and it would have been helpful had the book included some insights. My complaint is that, though the book is beautifully illustrated with a mixture of photographs of the food, sketches of the food, and photographs from the set, I feel like a photograph should have been included for each and every dish. Presentation is always important, but in these recipes, it's arguably of paramount importance, and some additional visual guidance would have been quite helpful. Nevertheless, while I didn't find it a perfect book, I do highly recommend it. It's a fun read, and I think all you chefs out there will enjoy recreating some of these dishes.

Brilliant book, illustrations and photos fantastic. A peek behind the scenes of the Hannibal series and the minds of the creative teams. A great coffee table book. It includes veggie recipes as well as omnivore.

As a diehard fan of the show, I love this cookbook. Full of little stories from the set, it's a great read even without making the food. I've prepared about 5 of the recipes and all have turned out amazing (and I'm not a great cook). Keep in mind that there are quite a few recipes that call for obscure animal organ ingredients (liver, heart, etc) but often times you can substitute in beef tenderloin. My only minor gripe was there wasn't an additional appendix putting the recipes in order of how they appeared in the show (it does list which recipe is in which episode but the order of recipe is traditional food type order - breakfast, appetizer, meat, etc) . I went through and cataloged them though as I'm going through the series again and like knowing the scoop on the dishes prepared so no biggie. It would also be great if they had pictures for every recipe because the food photography in the book is sensational.

Very nice book full of details from the show. Arrived in mint condition and I am thoroughly satisfied with it.

Did come way quicker than they said it would!! Great picture. Pretty hard recipes but overall an amazing quality book. Came in plastic as well to avoid scratching the cover

Inspiring! And you don’t even have to use human flesh to make the recipes work.