Show i j The Herald Journal Logan Utah Wednesday October BHHBHMlii U)' 28 1987 i JMM1I ! O celebration of food fantasy alloween is s and fright It’s the one night of the year when people embrace that which would probably frighten them under any other circumstances With an “Ichabod Crane be dashed” attitude Halloween revelers throw open their doors to creepy little strangers dressed as witches monsters ghouls and other eerie creatures demanding sweet rewards Yet some Halloween horrors are loom larger than the annual scene of darting from house to house in search of candy By the flickering candlelight of a carved pumpkin that which is ordinary in daylight can be transformed into shapes that make the hair on the back of the neck stand up When backlit by nothing more than the glow of a toothsome gruesome jack o’lantern a suit spied e shadow of a hanging on a closet door or the yawning cat can make those hairs snap to attention — one by one — to the tune of knocking knees By day jack oTanteras seldom strike terror in the hearts and minds of those who observe them The pumpkin heads usually just look goofy in bright sun But as soon as daylight fades and the flame of the candle inside grows to a glow the disembodied carved heads take on personae of their own The impenetrable glow from the eyeless sockets seems to follow the onlooker around the room or down the street with an unwavering gaze Like the the traditional symbols and especially the early rituals of this holiday have always been a curious blend of merriment and the macabre “Before Christ druids in Britain and Gaul celebrated the harvest and summer’s end on this date with a feast called ‘Samhain’ wrote Joanna Pruess in “New York Times” food feature several years ago “It (Samhain) was a festival of family and home Apples considered mystical were bobbed for — bringing good fortune to the winner Bonfires were lighted ana masquerades were donned to ward off the spirits of the dead which it was believed returned as cats witches and ghosts” Halloween has always mingled aspects of the supernatural and a harvest festival The name derives from All Hallows or All Saints Day whichfalls on Nov 1 ' mini-maraude- rs larger-than-lif- gap-tooth- jack-o’-lanter- TEXT: ELIZABETH WALKER PHOTO: JIM JOHNSON n There’s very little waste when cooking with fresh pumpkins The pumpkin shell can double as a soup tureen The seeds can be toasted for a light snack Whether cooking with vitamin fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin moist and delicious results are guaranteed Curried Pumpkin Soup V4 cup butter cup chopped onion crushed garlic clove 3 cups chicken broth 1 teaspoon curry powder Vi teaspoon ground coriander Vi teaspoon salt Vi to Vi teaspoon crushed red pepper can solid 184 cups fresh pumpkin or 1 pack pumpkin : 1 cup light cream ! Melt butter in large saucepan Saute onion and garlic Stir in broth and seasoning Simmer 20 minutes Stir in pumpkin and cream Simmer 5 minutes Makes 6 cups 1 6 mini-pumpki- Mini-pumpk- in (Munchkin or Jack Be n84f iconic 2 tablespoons butter or margarine diced plmientos drained 1 jack-o’-lante- rn day-glo- f can Aiuer CAICUSJUH HViuc cvvuuimai v - r says that microwaving pumpkin is quicker and easier j ‘‘Pumpkin is the same assquash’ Alder - r? said “Pierce a whole pumpkin and place it fr on I microwave-saf- e dish rut ttje pumpkin in w- the microwave oven allowing forlVi inches of v ft clearance all the way g & a small suggests ‘ an size of acorn the (about pumpkin squash) j if seven to 10 minutes The pumpkin ( ( turned once A larger pumpkin should be around’ shouldbej 'pieces'" - -- Knead Using a biscuits V 1 12-1- Harvest Punch cups chilled apple cider cup solid pack pumpkin V4cupsugar Vi teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 cups Ice cubes 1 cup (8 ounces) chilled lemon-lim- e carbonated beverage or club soda V4 to Vi cup rum optional Place apple cider pumpkin sugar and pie spice in blender jar Blend thoroughly Add ice gradually blending until smooth Stir in lemon-lim- e beverage or soda and rum-idesired Serve immediately 1 Vi 1 ' ' Vjr 'J times on lightly floured surface cookie cutter cut into nine 10-2-0 Place biscuits on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart Bake at 400 about 5 minutes or until golden brown cup dry nonfat dry milk V4 cup sugar' 4 teaspoon baking powder 84 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice V4 teaspoon salt Vi cup shortening ' I cup solid pack pumpkin tablespoon water Mix together flour dry nonfat milk sugar baking powder pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl Cut in shortening Blend In pumpkin and water just until au ingredients are moistened Vi l- - AlHorttlH "Vnii an 84 cup Gruyere cheese 2 cups flour ' j? 1 Heat butter in large saucepan and saute onions and garlic until golden brown Add tomato sauce water corn peas salt and pepper and bring to boil Lower heat cover and simmer for ten minutes Add potatoes pumpkin and milk Cover and simmer over lowest heat for 1 to 184 hours until potatoes are codeed and you have a creamy texture Stir in cheese and remove from the heat Pumpkin Biscuits IUUV(UIW '':- “The pumpkin is ready when it’s soft to the nuoti lcupmilk 84 & 0 micro-cookin- See PUMPKINS on page v-v 4 i l v 1 butter 'it t rf finely chopped clove garlic crushed V4 cup tomato sauce Vi cup water 1 cup frozen fresh corn drained 1 cup fresh or frozen peas 1 teaspoon salt Black pepper 2 medium potatoes peeled cut into eighths 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin chicken broth Fill pumpkin shells with boiling water drain Place Ihells on plates fill shells with soup Top with lids Offer nutmeg to grate into soup Makes 6 servings ip V s w The limited use of pumpkin in the kitchen is surprising The subtle taste of pumpkin is one of its best features When used as an ingredient in baked goods it adds extra moistness and rich golden color without overpowering the flavor In addition to going well with just about everything pumpkin is nutritious It is rich In vitamin A and contains values of iron potassium and vitamin C as well as other nutrients Pumpkin is low in calories (minus the rest of the pie) sodium and fat If you have used pumpkin only in pies maybe it’s time to txpand horizons and cook with pumpkin in some unexpected ways that will bring pleasure — amid the frightful fun — this Halloween steaming knife inserted in the center cdmes out clean v When the numokln cools neel mash: b ft Boiling water Whole or ground nutmeg Cut through top of each pumpkin to make a lid about 3 inches in diameter Trim undersides of lids so they’re thick reserve pumpkin flesh Scrape out and discard seeds and strings t St vegetal can and baker wailed from pumpkins With a sh ort sharp knife hollow out shells Cut up pumpkins to leave any large pieces of pumpkin flesh Set aside tops shells and flesh In a 3-- to heat pan over medium-hig- h cook onion in butter until limp about 10 minutes stir often Add plmientos pepper broth and pumpkin flesh Bring to a boil over high heat then simmer covered until pumpkin' is very tender when piereed about IS minutes In a blender or fooid processor whirl soup until smoothly pureed Return to pan with milk Over medium-nig- h boat stir soup until the outsideof tbepiimpkineuf loff the top and remove the seeds and stringy portions Replace the top and bake1 the U VWash ts Pruess' article lcupmilk Pumpkin Stew 2 tablespoons Cooking with fresh pumpkin is not difficult'’: ' j'f tceording to Carol Hammond of ‘‘Americana ‘ 2 onions teaspoon pepper cups regular-strengt- h 184 cookingmethodsf: Non-sca- ry jack-o’-lante- rn 84-in- ch 1 Sunset’s Soup in a V4 ed These days the supernatural rituals associated with this international holiday survive only in the spirit of fun — in the costumes and games is the most recognizable symbol of The Halloween in America Pruess said Ironically the was named after an Irishman who because of a pact he supposedly made with the Devil found himself without a final resting place in the Hereafter The story has it that Irish Jack wandered through eternity finding his way to nowhere using a hollowed out turnip lighted by a coal from hell’s fire When the droves of Irish immigrants came to this country in the mid 19th century they found that the native pumpkin was a far better lantern for carrying on this tradition Pruess said In addition to making a fine lantern the pumpkin can be invaluable in the harvest kitchen as a basic ingredient for a limitless number of dishes Inside each orange shell are the makings for tempting appetizers soups main dishes desserts ana even for beverages An expert baker who bemoaned the lack of versatility most cooks display when using pumpkin was quoted in ' t : : f 12 'j I: k k i- 4 l-- 1 'k'l V W 4' X 1 1 I |