Seasonal recipes to spice up your Halloween festivities!
Monster Eyeballs
- 25 Rolos candy, unwrapped
- 25 pretzel snaps or twists
- 25 M&M’s
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer. Place an unwrapped Rolo on each pretzel. Bake in a preheated oven for 2 – 4 minutes, being careful not to burn. Rolos should be soft but not melted. Remove from the oven and quickly press an M&M into each softened Rolo. Let pretzel bites cool for 45 minutes before serving.
Potage au Potiron
Pumpkin Soup Served in a Pumpkin
- One pumpkin – 8 – 10 inches in diameter (large enough for 6 cups pumpkin)
- Reserve pumpkin seeds for toasting
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2/3 cup dry white wine or Marsala cooking wine
- 1 lg carrot, 2 small white turnips, l lg potato – all peeled and sliced
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth, as needed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt/ground white pepper
Croutons for crunch and extra flavor.
Cut off the top of the pumpkin (5 inches or more across) to make a lid. Remove seeds/stringy material. Scoop out 6 cups of pumpkin meat using a large metal spoon or ice cream scoop; do not break through the shell. Butter inside of pumpkin. Set aside in the warming oven prior to filling.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large soup pot. Add onion, sauté until tender. Add wine, simmer for one minute. Add remaining vegetables & pumpkin. Barely cover with broth.
Bring to a boil, cover, turn down heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Add cream and season to taste with salt/white pepper. Blend with an immersion blender or purée in a blender or food processor.
Pour soup into pumpkin for serving. Add croutons & toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish if you’d like. Serves 6 – 8. Approximately 2 quarts.
Three Spooky, Scary, Supernatural Movies for Halloween
Bride of Frankenstein
1935 – 75 minutes – Streaming on Amazon Prime, Apple TV – Not rated
A 1935 American Gothic science fiction horror film. From the original novel by Mary Shelley. The Bride is created successfully by Frankenstein but reaches her fate when the Monster destroys the laboratory. Eccentric, campy, technically impressive–a cult film that has aged remarkably well. Stars Boris Karloff, Colin Clive and Valerie Hobson.
Practical Magic
1998 1 hr, 48 minutes – PG13 – Streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime
A supernatural fantasy of two sister witches raised by eccentric aunts in a small town, who face a curse that threatens to prevent them from finding everlasting love. Laughs, romance, a little horror and a lesson in the power of women sticking together. Get ready….”something wicked this way comes!”
Stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman and Stockard Channing.
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
2022 1hour, 46 minutes – PG13 – Streaming on Netflix
In this supernatural drama, a young Craig is paid to read aloud to an old, cranky, eccentric billionaire, Mr. Harrigan. Over many years, they become friends, as Craig educates him on the benefits of cell phones. Craig begins to receive messages from beyond the grave after Mr. Harrigan dies. A unique drama/thriller/mystery with terrific acting.
Stars the late, great Donald Sutherland. Written by Stephen King.
Magic Moon gives all three films 4 Moons out of 5.
Gourmet Gracie Insider Tip: Check out The Avenue, 4822 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland—the “dive bar soul of Temescal”, where it’s Halloween 365 days a year–a dark, rocker haunt with a penchant for skulls and a cabinet of curiosities. Open daily from 3 pm – 1 am. Shots/beer specials always.
