When bad people use good recipes

July 9, 2025 by
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Nagi Maehashi, the woman behind the popular blog RecipeTin Eats, spent countless hours perfecting the Beef Wellington recipe published in her first cookbook, Dinner. The recipe has recently gone viral, but not for a good reason. Convicted murdered Erin Patterson allegedly used Nagi’s recipe when she prepared the dinner at which she poisoned four of her in-laws, killing three of them.

Patterson testified that she made several modifications to the recipe, in which she used foraged, poisonous “death cap” mushrooms. A jury recently found her guilty of murder, confirming the prosecution’s allegations that Patterson knew what she was doing when preparing the fatal meal. Patterson, who testified in her own defense, said that it was a tragic mistake and was not intentional.

After hearing that her recipe was used as the basis of Patterson’s meal, Nagi was understandably disturbed. “It is of course upsetting to learn that one of my recipes – possibly the one I’ve spent more hours perfecting than any other – something I created to bring joy and happiness, is entangled in a tragic situation,” she said in an Instagram post. The blogger also asked that media stop contacting her about the case.

Category: Food Biz People

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5 Comments

  • debakken  on  July 10, 2025

    I clicked on this story, unaware of the content, because it featured the cover of an interesting and popular cookbook. Now I’m sorry that I did.

    I love my EYB membership and use the site frequently, but I’m disturbed that you’re adding to the media sensationalism around this story by prominently featuring a photo of Maehashi’s book, essentially as click bait. She’s requested, quite understandably, that the media leave her alone.

  • Indio32  on  July 10, 2025

    I’m with EYB on this. All they’ve done is report the facts and Maehashi has it appears only asked to stop being contacted by the media about it.

  • dmco6863  on  July 11, 2025

    It’s food related :\

  • Bwolfe2  on  July 15, 2025

    I found the tidbit fascinating. Now I’ll explore the cookbook. (I’m not a forager, so no worries on that regard.)

  • VulgarBulgur  on  July 18, 2025

    Poor Nagi’s had a lot to deal with lately.

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