Witchy Kitchen

Category: Halloween

  • Pumpkin Juice

    Pumpkin Juice

    My twitchy, witchy girl, I think you are so nice.
    I give you jars of pumpkin juice, with stripey straws and ice.
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    October is here, best month of the year, have decked the halls with pumpkins and black cobwebs, falalalala.

    Yesterday, I was dressed in a long purple dress with the crescent moon necklace I wear almost every day (my general look is woods witch gets an office job), and I stepped out of my house into a thickly misty morning (this is North Carolina, not the Pacific Northwest, so this weather is a little unusual), and what should flutter past me but two crows (some kind of omen, obviously). I almost cackled.

    I am keenly and irritatedly aware that pumpkin is passé, but just as dressing like you are on Charmed is strangely back in style nowadays (yay!), we’ll just power through this dark time and one day it will come back around. I will continue to go pumpkin crazy every October, starting with pumpkin juice.

    I saw some versions that stuck raw pumpkin straight in the juicer, which sounds delightful. However, if you only have a blender, this is a good alternative and you can still feel like a Hogwarts kid having afternoon snack.

    Pumpkin Juice

    • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
    • zest and juice of two oranges
    • a couple slivers of ginger
    • 4 cups apple juice or apple cider

    Blend everything and pass through a fine mesh strainer. Serve cold.

  • Devilish Eggs

    Devilish Eggs

    I’m still a Southern girl…of course I have a deviled egg plate.

    For deviled eggs, most use a sprinkle of paprika or aleppo pepper as a garnish, but the hedonistic and excessive use it by the spoonful. Since the flavors are otherwise subtle, the aleppo pepper shines – or smolders.

    A couple gathered tips: Virginia Willis’s deviled eggs in Bon Appetit, Y’all contain her French secret ingredient: butter. I never miss an opportunity to hide butter in things, and it really does take these to the next level (of hell! muhahaha). Also, for easy-to-peel eggs, use eggs that have been in the fridge a week or so. Much recommended – mine were super fresh since we go through eggs like chickens were going extinct, so they were annoying hard to peel.

    Edit: I have a new hard boiled egg technique, which I saw on The Kitchn (replacing my previous method of just boiling them to hell). It works perfectly (as I instagrammed in my excitement).

    Devilish Eggs

    (recipe can be doubled)

    • 6 eggs
    • 1 scant tablespoon aleppo pepper (or an equal amount using 3 parts paprika to 1 part cayenne)
    • generous pinch or two cayenne
    • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 tbsp butter, softened
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • coasre salt and fresh cracked pepper
    • green onions, chives, or other herbs for garnish

    Hard boil eggs. Technique of perfection: put in a pot and cover with an inch of cold water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then remove from heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and cover with cold water for a couple of minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel.

    Slice in half and remove yolks to a medium bowl. Smash yolks as smooth as you can get them. (Alternately you can use a food processor and mix with the other ingredients).

    In a dry pan, lightly toast spices to wake them up a bit. Add to yolks, plus mayonnaise, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Combine thoroughly.

    Spoon mixture back into eggs (piping is lame), garnish with greenery.