Pumpkins, Turkeys, and Other Spooky Food

Hosted by
The annual All-You-Can-Carry Pumpkin Patch takes place Wednesday, October 29 from 9am until pumpkins are gone at the at the Santa Monica Farmers Market, 2nd St and Arizona Ave in downtown Santa Monica. All-you-can-carry pumpkins for $5.


During the Thanksgiving season, you can taste Heritage Turkeys at:

Josie Restaurant, 2424 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica (310) 581-9888
Campanile, 624 S LA Brea Ave, Los Angeles (323) 938-1447
Angeli Caffe, 7274 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles (323) 936-9086

You can order your own to cook at home from Bristol Farms. Go to their website to find a location near you.


Clare Crespo is the author of The Secret Life of Food, published by Hyperion Books.
Check out her website at www.yummyfun.com

Clare spoke about "Monster Head Potatoes" - a "head" made from mashed potatoes with partially peeled radishes as its bloodshot eyes and broccoli as its hair.

Spaghetti with eyeballs which is spaghetti with meatballs and pimento stuffed green olives stuffed into the meatballs.


Hand Punch
Desired punch
Gummy worms (optional)
Clear plastic or latex gloves
Twist ties
Scissors
Fruit-flavored drink mix

1. If the gloves have a powdery residue inside, turn them inside out and soak in warm water or wipe with soapy water and rinse. Allow gloves to dry, or turn gloves inside out, leaving the powdery side to the outside.

2. Prepare your favorite fruit-flavored drink mix and pour into the gloves. (Sugar free liquid freezes better than liquids with sugar.) Add enough drink to fill the gloves loosely but not so full that the fingers will not move. If you wish, add a few gummy worms to each "hand." Fasten the gloves tightly with a twist tie. Place paper towels on a cookie sheet and lay the hands on the paper towels. Freeze. When hands are frozen solid, carefully cut off gloves with scissors. Float hands in a bowl of punch for scary fun.

Tarantula Cookies
Makes about 25-30 cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 bag (8 ozs ) thin, short pretzel sticks
  • 1 bag (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Chocolate sprinkles
  • Small red candies
Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, combine the flower, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.

Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange 8 pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.

Bake until the cookies start to brown around the edges, about 7-10 minutes. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place on wire cooling racks. Cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of aluminum foil or waxed paper.

In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil. Pour the melted chocolate over each cookie, and coat with sprinkles. Press in 2 red candy eyes on the front of the head.

Red Velvet Cake

  • 2 oz. red food coloring
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cocoa and red food coloring until a paste forms. Cream sugar and butter, add eggs and mix well. Add cocoa paste and mix. Add flour and buttermilk alternately (starting and finishing with the flour). Add vanilla. Mix soda with vinegar and add to batter. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch pie pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Icing:

  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tube black decorating icing
Cook milk and flour over medium heat until thick. Let cool. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat together with milk mixture until creamy. Spread over cake. Write "Velvet" in script on the top of the cake with black icing. This is the most dramatic and delicious cake.


David D'Bennedetto is the author of On the Run: An Angler's Journey Down the Striper Coast, published by Houghton Mifflin.


Bruce Aidells is the author of The Complete Meat Cookbook. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide you with any veal recipes at this time.


Robert LaValva, from Slow Food USA, talked about Farmstead Cheese month. To find out more, go to the Slow Food website or the American Cheese Society.