Nosh & Slosh: Halloween After-Glow

It’s nearly time for that sugar feeding frenzy that masquerades (pun intended) as the mother of all ghoul-fests, and where even big kids get to play dress-up without someone thinking they need an intervention. Let’s hear it for Halloween!

Personally, I always loved taking my girls around the neighborhood on Halloween, enjoying how darn cute they looked in their costumes (covered by a heavy coat because, hey, it was Denver). And then there was the mad scramble back home to examine the goodies before they ate too many (and to pull out all the Mounds bars and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for moi.) And then there was nothing. The fun always seemed to be over in a flash. If you’d spent hours on that Paris Hilton costume, you kinda wished you could work it a little longer.

Well, we can’t really give you an antidote for the sugar overdose, but we do have some ideas about prolonging a great, ghoulish night: Host a Halloween afterglow. Invite your mini-group to drop in for some post-phantom fun. We’ve gathered up some simple snacks and, ahem, a “seasonal beverage” to spin out the night’s macabre tone.

Before we get to the good stuff, I’d like to say a word about icky Halloween specialty dishes. It’s interesting to see how food professionals come up with nasty-looking snacks that “set the mood” at a Halloween party. And we love a seasonal touch as much as the next zombie, but personally, we can’t quite fork something into our mouths that looks as if it ought to RIP. Our snacks will look good—and taste good. You were wanting something maybe that looks like worms? Hit your backyard with a shovel.

To get pepitas—raw pumpkin seeds– for this tasty cocktail snack, you could hull the slimy seeds you dug out of the kids’ Jack o’ Lantern. Or you could just buy some from your fave natural foods stores.

Sweet and Spicy Pepitas
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups shelled pepitas
1 large egg white
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Beat egg white until frothy. Mix pepitas with egg white, sugar, chile powder, cinnamon, salt and cumin in a medium bowl. Stir in desired amount of cayenne pepper. Spread pepitas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until pepitas are golden and dry, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Separate pepitas with fork while still warm. Cool and store in a covered container. Makes about 2 cups.

Recipe from Jim Carnevale and Rod Daniel

Nothing like a little carbs, protein and fat to do battle in your bloodstream with any excess sugar, we always say! Okay, so don’t take our dietary advice, but believe us when we say these crunchy golden bits from our fave food blogger will be a great afterglow nibble.

Cheese Straws
1 1/2 cups (about 6 ounces) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
3/4 cup flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon half-and-half (cream or milk would probably work just as well)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt and red pepper in five 5-second pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the half-and-half and process until the dough forms a ball, about 10 seconds.

On a lightly floured surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8- by 10-inch rectangle that is 1/8-inch thick. With a sharp knife (or a pizza or pastry wheel; both worked great), cut the dough into thin 8-inch strips, each 1/4- to 1/3-inch wide (dipping the knife in flour after every few inches ensures a clean cut). Gently transfer the strips to an ungreased cookie sheet (though I lined mine with parchment), leaving at least 1/4-inch between them. The dough may sag or may break occasionally in the transfer, but don’t be concerned — just do your best. The straws can be any length, from 2 to 10 inches.

Bake the straws on the middle rack for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from the oven and set the cookie sheet on a rack to cool.

Serve at room temperature. Cheese straws will keep in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, for two days.

From Smitten Kitchen; adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

The post T-or-T pour needs to be a bit special, and we found this oh-so-seasonal tipple in a fashionable black. And of course black goes with everything, dahling!

Black Widow Martini
2 ounces Blavod black vodka
5 ounces Chambord Black Raspberry liqueur
2 ounces blackberry or grape juice
Black or red licorice and sugar for garnish

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake well and strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with licorice stick (we like blood red, for the pop of color and add a plastic black spider to the stem of the martini glass.

Serves one.

Recipe from hostessblog.com 

So, maybe Black Widow Martini is just too too…then try this spicy N/A punch. Use decaf tea if you fear a sleepless night.

Apple Spiced Iced Tea
2 quarts hot, unsweetened tea
1 (12-ounce) can apple juice concentrate
3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 lemon, sliced

Stir together hot unsweetened tea, apple juice concentrate, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, ginger and lemon. Chill 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove cinnamon, vanilla bean, and ginger. Serve over ice.

Makes about 9 ½ cups.

From SouthernLiving.com

And Now For Some Tricks…

We thought it would be fun to share some personal Halloween memories, just to let you get better acquainted with the GenQ staff.

Megan Dougherty
Favorite candy: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Candy I gave to my sibling: Bit O’ Honey
Costume I loved the most: “I have always sucked at coming up with costumes, even when I was a kid. For years, I relied on the costume I wore in the third grade play (I was the witch in Snow White) and by the time I couldn’t make that work anymore, I would just put on some round sunglasses and an old fringed jacket and go as a hippie. In college, where everyone around me came up with the most amazing and elaborate costumes every year, the best I could do was a fedora with a card stuck in the ribbon that said ‘Press.’ But (again during college) I came up with the idea to make an elaborate dress and crown out of feminine hygiene products and, along with three friends who would do the same, go as Queen Tampax and her Lovely Daughters: Carefree, Stayfree, and Maxine. For some reason, no one ever wanted to do this with me.”
Costume I regretted deeply: “I regret that fedora. That was just lame.”

Jake Finch
Favorite Halloween candy: “I LOVE Twizzlers. I readily and unabashedly steal them from all the children’s bags-my kid and anyone else who lets me near theirs.When we do Trunk or Treat at our church, I openly beg for the Twizzlers from the other parents’ candy stash. After years of this shameful behavior, they just bring me the bag at the start of the night. Life is good.”
Candy I gave to my sibling: “Huh? Why would I give them any candy?”
Costume I loved the most: “I’m a huge Trekkie and when the Next Generation series was out, I made matching uniforms for my hubby and me. They were great.”
Costume I regretted deeply: “The French Maid I became the year before Star Trek, but at 20, at least I had the legs and butt for it then.”

Scott Hansen
Favorite Halloween candy: Twix bars (used to be Brach’s Mellocreme Pumpkins)
Candy I gave to my sibling: Any gum (blechhhh)
Costume I loved the most: “The pirate one in 5th grade or so. Avast me hearties!”
Costume I regretted deeply: “The hobo one with ragged pants. One of the bullies at school started pulling on the strips of fabric. I was afraid I was going to be pants-less.”

Melissa Thompson Maher
Favorite Halloween candy: Mounds bars
Candy I gave to my sibling: Toss-up between peanut butter taffy and root-beer flavored hard candies.
Costume I loved the most: “Belly dancer (when I had less belly and more balls).”
Costume I regretted deeply: “White rabbit with pink ears and a poufy tail. (I think I was in 6^th grade, for crying out loud.)”
 

And We’ll End With A Treat….
Our cabana boy, Scott (aka Blue Nickel Studios) whipped up this edgy Jack O’Lantern block just for you, Q-Bies. Think of it as a treat that you won’t regret in the morning. Enjoy!