The bony finger of fall is pointing toward Thursday . . .
We'll soon be inundated by seasonal food flicks - "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," "The Blob" (later to be called "Green Jell-O") and less menacing, "The Grapes of Wrath."And the kiddies will start to subconsciously consume large quantities of Trix. Why? For treats.
Think about it - it's a scream how food-related Halloween is.
But it's always been that way.
We tapped into the cyber-crypt to research Halloween's roots, and scrolled upon several scary sound bites, er, bytes.
Clicking the mouse on "Wolf's Howl," we were stunned by the chilling, wailing reminder that Halloween is meant to be funky and fun.
Sometimes I wonder. Especially when I hear the roar of a chain saw.
Just how did our society carve out a pumpkin niche in our annual holiday roundup?
The somewhat vague origins of Halloween were centered around the "dead" growing months approaching wintertime.
More than 2,000 years ago, the French, British, Scottish and Welsh (who eventually invented grape jelly) celebrated their version of Halloween - the Festival of Samhain.
It was widely believed that on this night the spirits of dead relatives could stroll the Earth.
Way back then, the table was already being set for the food thing. Celtic celebrants brought offerings of fruits and veggies to the festivities. Dancing, noisy food games (squash, perhaps) and the consumption of large quantities of drink followed.
Food and ale was set on doorsteps to quell hungry ancestral spirits. However, vagabonds or what came to be called Tricksters (the precursors to Richard Nixon) would sneak up and nibble at these doorstop diners, making it seem as if spirits had paid a visit.
Eventually, masked villagers would patrol their towns to scare away unwanted Will Not Work For Food folk and any evil spirits hanging around.
The Festival of Taman followed Samhain. This Celtic New Year celebration was meant to implore the powers that be to make next year's growing season bigger and better.
And then came the Festival of Pomona. It was a Roman harvest party to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruit and crops. The gal was symbolized by an apple.
Bobbing for apples probably was a carry-over from Pomona's power!
By the dawn of the 1st century A.D., Romans and Celts lived in the same villages throughout Europe and the British Isles. And, with a merging of their lifestyles, their holidays were eventually obscured.
After the Romans had converted to Christianity (early 800s), they celebrated a religious holiday called All Saints Day. To please everyone, they added a few pagan highlights.
A Mass called Allhallowmass was held in honor of the dead, and the night before Mass was called All Hallow Even. Sound familiar?
The part about wearing costumes was probably because flamboyant parishioners dressed up as patron saints in honor of the holiday.
In the late 1800s, the Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their native Halloween traditions to America; among them the carving of jack-o'-lanterns (see the edible version on our front cover).
It seems that Jack, who played a trick on the devil, wasn't able to enter Lennox Land (the fiery furnace) and was doomed to roam the Earth with his lantern until judgment day.
Until the turn of the century, Halloween was known in the United States as Mischief Night.
This was an evening when boys would make a nuisance of themselves, unhinging gates and toppling outhouses.
This quaint tradition (highly criticized by the unfortunate toppled ones) was flushed from their repertoire of rowdiness, replaced by trick-or-treating.
Today, there are a lot more treats than tricks, thank goodness.
And finally . . . a question to ponder while packing your candy bowl with Skittles . . .
How would you explain Halloween if transient aliens suddenly dropped in for dinner?
Tell 'em that Halloween is a pumpkin-pushing holiday whose purpose is to encourage children to consume greats vats of candy, get hyper and terrorize the neighborhood.
All, while wearing a disguise.
Then, feed your intergalactic guests some home cookin' meant to nourish those darling trick-or-treaters before they hit the Tootsie Roll Trail.
May we suggest the meat loaf tucked with Halloween-friendly orange Cheddar cheese (see recipe). It's just like mom didn't make.
And like Halloween, it's weird, yet wonderful.
*****
Recipes
SMILIN' JACK SANDWITCH
2 or 3 Rhodes Texas Rolls
1 egg, beaten
Thaw rolls and press together to form a flat oval shape. With a knife cut out a wide "V" shape in side of oval. Rotate "V" about a quarter turn and tuck the point under the pumpkin to form a stem. Trim, if necessary.
Place on cookie sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cut out 3 large triangles for eyes and a nose and a large crescent shape for a mouth. Leave some teeth in, if desired. Cut 3 curved lines from top to bottom of pumpkin, almost all the way through the dough. Brush with egg and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on rack and then slice horizontally. Fill with piping-hot barbecue beef and cheese, or your own favorite sandwich filling. Makes 1.
- Each roll contains 338 calories, 7g fat, 55g carbs, 628mg sodium, 18% calories from fat.
- From Rhodes Bake-N-Serv
SHREDDED BARBECUED BEEF
1 brisket of beef (about 5 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon natural liquid smoke flavoring (if desired)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
8 to 10 poppy seed sandwich rolls (or Rhodes Sandwich rolls)
Cheddar cheese slices
2 cups BBQ Sauce (recipe follows), hot
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the brisket in a roasting pan, and if desired, brush with the liquid smoke. Combine the salt and spices in a small bowl and mix well. Rub this into the brisket. Cover the roasting pan, and bake until the brisket is fork-tender, about 31/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven, and use two forks to pull the meat apart in the pan juices, shredding it coarsely.
For each sandwich, halve a roll. Spoon about 2 tablespoons heated barbecue sauce over the bottom. Using a slotted spoon, pile about 1 cup of the shredded meat on the roll. Then pour 2 or 3 tablespoons sauce over the meat, add cheese slices, and cover with the top half of the roll. Serve with additional barbecue sauce on the side. Makes enough BBQ for 8 sandwiches.
- Each serving contains 611 calories, 26g fat, 20g carb, 644mg sodium, 211mg cholesterol, 37% calories from fat.
- From "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
BBQ SAUCE
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon natural liquid smoke flavoring
Heat the oil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, cumin and cayenne, and saute over medium heat, 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Makes 2 cups.
- Each 1/2 cup contains 559 calories, 55g fat, 19g carb, 960mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 86% calories from fat.
- From "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins
GHOST ROLLS
3 Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed
1 egg, beaten
Press rolls together and form a flat heel shape. On rounded end, cut down both sides 1 1/2 inches to form arms. Pull arms out and tuck pointed ends under. Place on cookie sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray. Pull bottom of ghost to one side.
Indent eyes and mouth with clean pencil eraser end. Brush with beaten egg and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until almost double. Just before baking, remove wrap and exaggerate eyes and mouth with pencil eraser.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. During baking, remove cookie sheet and use pencil eraser again to reinforce shape of eyes and mouth. Makes 1.
- Each serving contains 338 calories, 7g fat, 55g carb, 628mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 18% calories from fat.
- From Rhodes Bake-N-Serve
DOUBLE-CHEESE MEATLOAF
For Meatloaf:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
For Topping:
1/4 cup bottled chili sauce
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, combine all meatloaf ingredients, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape meat mixture into 9 X 5-inch loaf on rack of broiler pan. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until meatloaf is cooked to medium doneness (160 degrees F.).
Spoon chili sauce over top of meatloaf during last 10 minutes of baking. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let meatloaf stand 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
- Each serving contains 412 calories, 27g fat, 7g carb, 479 mg sodium, 106mg cholesterol, 60% calories from fat.
- From The American Dairy Association
BEWITCHING CHOCOLATE COATED APPLES
6 medium apples
6 wooden sticks
1 Hershey's Symphony Milk Chocolate Bar (7 ounces), broken into pieces
1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine or oil)
Cover tray with wax paper. Wash and dry apples; remove stems. Insert wooden stick into stem end of each apple.
In medium microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate bar pieces and shortening. Microwave at HIGH (100 percent) 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.
Dip apples into chocolate mixture; twirl to remove excess coating. Place on prepared tray. Refrigerate until coating is firm, about 1 hour. Makes 6 coated apples.
- Each coated apple contains 273 calories, 13g fat, 37g carb, 32mg sodium, 9mg cholesterol, 43% calories from fat.
- From Hersheys