Halloween has been a favorite of mine since I was 6 years old and my Tante May, who lived near us in a rural area just outside of St. Martinville, spooked the heck out of me and my siblings. With Mama holding our hands, we skipped down the lane to begin our trick-or-treating. We were to stop at Tante May's first.
Just as we made our way into her yard, there under a giant oak tree, swathed in moss, sitting on a small bench and holding a lantern, was A WITCH. I don't remember who screamed first, but my brother Henri, my sister Edna and I flew like bats out of hell, leaving Mama standing with THE WITCH.
Papa, who was on the porch of our house giving out candy to neighborhood children, corralled us and tried to calm us down.
"It's only Tante May," he explained.
We didn't believe him. Tante May was a jolly, heavy-set old lady who often had small bags of penny candies for us when we visited, which was at least once a day. What we had seen was A WITCH with a big black mole on her nose and that's all there was to it. Of course, a few minutes later, Tante May (sans moss and mole) and Mama came down the lane laughing their heads off!
From then on I became a big fan of Halloween, often thinking of ways (like Tante May did) to scare the younger children who came to our door on All Hallow's Eve. I especially liked being a ghost using old white sheets with eyes cut out and a streak of Mama's red lipstick (fake blood) pouring out the hole that was my mouth.
I eventually switched to the moss thing like Tante May, and my brothers often dressed like scarecrows and hid behind the oak trees in the front yard waiting for? unsuspecting children to come up the driveway.
My husband and I have hosted many Halloween parties for our family and friends, and I even made a costume to look like the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz," with the green face paint and striped socks. My husband favors the look of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. One year just about everyone in the family agreed to costume as red devils, complete with blinking red tails. Fun!
I've been warming up for this year's Halloween by watching my favorite scary movies like "The Omen," "The Exorcist" and "The Shining." (Last night while watching "The Shining," I had to turn the movie off: I was trembling in my bed.)
The menu for my Halloween gathering this year features old favorites like pigs-in-the-blanket and hot dogs for the younger set, and a few recipes (for the grown-ups) from my most recent cookbook project "True Blood Eats, Drinks and Bites from Bon Temps" (the companion cookbook for the HBO series True Blood).
Tequila Moonrise
Makes 1 drink
1-1/2 ounces tequila
Cracked ice
1-1/2 ounces Ruby Mixer (recipe follows)
3/4 ounce grenadine
Orange slice and maraschino cherry for garnish
Pour the tequila in a highball glass with ice and top with the Ruby Mixer. Add the grenadine by tilting the glass and pouring it down the side of the glass by flipping the bottle vertically very quickly. The grenadine should go straight to the bottom and rise slowly through the drink. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry.
Ruby Mixer
Makes 6 ounces
4 ounces carbonated orange soda (such as Orangina or San Pellegrino Aranciata)
1-1/2 ounces grenadine
About 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Combine the orange soda, grenadine, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Stir to blend before using.
Jailhouse Chili
Makes 8 servings
1-1/2 pounds coarsely ground beef
1/2?pound coarsely ground pork
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans (puree one can in the food processor for a creamier chili)
2 cups canned diced tomatoes with their liquid
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 to 3 tablespoons ground chili powder
Salt and cayenne pepper
Water or beef broth as needed
Shredded Cheddar cheese for serving
Crushed corn chips for serving
Tabasco brand pepper sauce for serving
Combine the ground meats in a medium bowl and mix well. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meat mixture in the pot until all the pink has disappeared. Add the onion and jalapenos, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the onion is softened.
Add the kidney beans, the tomatoes and tomato paste. Add 2 tablespoons chili powder for a mild-tasting dish or 3 tablespoons for a more assertive one and season with salt and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, adding water or beef broth if the mixture appears too dry. Adjust the seasoning with salt and cayenne.
Serve the chili hot in bowls, sprinkled with cheese and crushed corn ships. Pass the Tabasco at the table.
* * * *
?For dessert, this glorious red velvet bundt cake is a must.
Seeing Red Bundt Cake
Makes 1 cake to serve 16
Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2?cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan with vegetable shortening or butter and sprinkle with flour, shaking out the excess. Set aside.
Beat the butter, sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightly and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the food color, water and vanilla and mix well.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Alternately add this mixture, in three additions, and the buttermilk, in two additions, to the butter-egg mixture, beating on medium speed after each addition.
Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl and stir into the cake batter, mixing well.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake until the center of the cake springs back to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth. Gently spread the frosting on top and sides of the cooled cake. Slice and serve.
Source: http://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2012/10/new_true_blood_recipes_make_it.html
danny o brien alicia silverstone park slope food coop anchorman sequel safety not guaranteed lifehouse al gore
No comments:
Post a Comment