This Friday is Halloween, a fun holiday, with parties and trick-or-treaters.
This Friday is Halloween, a fun holiday, with parties and trick-or-treaters.
But did you know it is actually a mixture of many ancient religious beliefs and ancient folk traditions.
The Celtics, more than 2,000 years ago, wore costumes and had bonfires, in hopes of warding off ghosts.
The Romans celebrated the passing of the dead during a day known as “Peralia” in late October. On the second day was “Pommona,” which celebrated the goddess of fruit and trees. Apples were the symbol and, therefore, the present day tradition of bobbing for apples was born.
In the 800s, Pope Boniface IV began the holiday “All-Saints Day,” when saints and martyrs were honored.
It was not until the 1800s that Halloween neighborhood parties were started and in the 1920s that the first Halloween parades appeared. In the 1950s, trick-or-treating was started.
If you are having a Halloween party, there are many spooky foods you can create for your buffet table. Spiders are easy and your children will have fun making them.
Chocolate Spiders
Servings: 24
Place parchment paper on baking sheets; set aside.
In a large glass microwave-safe bowl, combine:
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Melt on high for 2-3 minutes. Remove and stir until smooth.
Stir in:
6 cups pretzel sticks
With clean hands, grab pretzel sticks and drop on prepared baking sheet and form spiders with eight legs.
Place in freezer for five minutes or until chocolate is hardened.
In season
Winter squash is in season and you might be overwhelmed and confused, as there are more than 700 species.
Pumpkin falls into the category of squash. Certain ones are great for carving; some are good for cooking or making pie. Winter squash can be stored, as it does not rot like other “pumpkin” varieties. Here are just a few:
• Big Max is the largest variety, with some growing to be more than 100 pounds. It is OK for baking, but is watery, stringy and has bland flavors.
• Cinderella is a variety the Pilgrims served at the second Thanksgiving dinner and is good for pies.
• Prizewinner has dark orange flesh.
• Neon is one of the earliest pumpkins, with bright orange flesh. When green, the pumpkin is dark green, and when ripened it turns orange.
• Kabocha, or Japanese pumpkin, is an Asian variety of winter squash. It is excellent for cooking, as the flesh is sweet like a sweet potato. Its tough skin is edible and softens with cooking.
• Orange Smoothie is a small pumpkin, weighing less than 5 pounds, with flesh good for cooking.
• Lumina’s outer skin is a ghostly white, but its flesh is orange, so when carved for a jack-o-lantern it gives your pumpkin a spooky look.
• Butternut squash also is known as butternut pumpkin. It has sweet flesh and is easy to clean.
• Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta, as it is gluten-free.
Other varieties include: Chinese pumpkin, sugar pumpkin, buttercup, red kuri, banana and hubbard.
Here is a soup recipe your costumed witch can mix in a cauldron and cackle as she cooks.
Winter Squash Soup
Servings: 6
In an 8-inch pan over medium-high heat, add:
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 fresh sage leaves
Stir until leaves are dark green; about 45 seconds. With slotted spoon, remove leaves to paper towels; set aside.
Use butternut, kabocha, red kuri or buttercup squash for the soup. Rinse the squash, cut in half and remove its seeds.
Brush cut surfaces of squash with sage oil and add:
2 round onions, cut in half
Place onions, squash and six cloves garlic in a 10-by-15-inch baking pan.
Bake in a 375-degree oven for one hour, until squash and onions are soft. Reserve pan juices. Scoop flesh from squash and discard skin. Chop onions.
In a 4-quart soup cauldron, combine squash, garlic, onions and:
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
3/4 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Add reserved pan juices and:
4 cups water or vegetable broth
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree squash and other ingredients until smooth. Serve hot.
If you feel ambitious and the seeds look nice and plump, you can roast them for a great and healthy snack.
Roasted Squash Seeds
2 cups or 1/2 pound winter squash seeds
Place seeds, 1/2 cup at a time, between paper towels and rub to remove strings and flesh. Rinse seeds, drain. In a 2-quart pan, bring 1 1/2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in seeds, remove from heat and let stand until cool. Cover and chill 12 hours or overnight.
Drain seeds and spread evenly in 10-by-15-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees until seeds are dry and crisp throughout, about 25 minutes for small seeds and 35 to 40 minutes for large seeds. Cool, store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 10 days.
Foodie bites
Hawaii Community College’s Cafeteria is open this week from 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Call 934-2559 to hear the specials of the day. The cafeteria might have some spooky specials Friday.
Email me at audreywilson808@gmail.com if you have questions.