This is a collaboration with Geeks Who Eat. Check out all their geeky recipes, including many inspired by horror!
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, based on the 2014 Archie Comics series of the same name, is coming to Netflix in just a few days and it looks positively spooktacular! It’s a darker, scarier Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but also seems to be keeping a lot of the same humor. Kiernan Shipka (who I adored in Mad Men) seems like the perfect pick for Sabrina Spellman, the half-witch half-mortal who has some choices to make on her sixteenth birthday, and I’m excited for Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis as Aunts Zelda and Hilda as well. It’s set in the 60s and has a very cool retro vibe (look at those dresses!), and takes place in the fictional town of Greendale, “where it always feels like Halloween.”
Zoeya is pretty damn witchy.
So here’s something chilling…Halloween Birthday Cake Milkshakes! The undercurrent of the show is pure soda shop, so a milkshake version of her birthday cake seemed fitting. But not just any birthday cake – this one is pumpkin spiced up so feels like Halloween. Now just imagine Sabrina and Harvey sipping one milkshake through two straws.
Side note, I snobbishly thought I’d never buy a box cake mix ever again, but something this retro, fun and kitschy screams for it.
Halloween Birthday Cake Milkshakes
2 cups ice cream
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Hot fudge and Halloween sprinkles
Combine ice cream, pumpkin puree, milk, cake mix, cinnamon and nutmeg in a blender. Drizzle hot fudge down the sides of two glasses (5 points for a nice pentagram), pour milkshakes and top with Halloween sprinkles.
‘Tis the season! We’ve decked the halls with cobwebs and pumpkins, and are so ready for the final confrontation between Laurie Strode and Michael Myers in 2018’s Halloween, directed by David Gordon Green.
John Carpenter’s original Halloween film (1978), is iconic. We get the fearsome, stalky villain that launched a thousand slashers, the original Scream Queen, goddess Jamie Lee Curtis, and the spooky synth soundtrack that became a genuine classic. The film is almost beyond reproach. Almost.
The one problem…it doesn’t feel like Halloween at all! The houses are barely decorated, and a few half-hearted trick-or-treaters do not a proper Halloween make. Most of the lack of seasonal feel comes from the fact that though it’s set in the Midwest in October, it was filmed in Southern California in May. The film crew struggled to find pumpkins, used artificial fall leaves on streets lined with fully green trees, and every once in a while you even get a glimpse of a palm.
Here’s hoping the new film is every bit as scary and trope-y as the first, but pumped up with pumpkin spice! To honor the original, we’re making a pumpkin pie – the official pie of Illinois (which also happens to include our fictional town of Haddonfield) – marbled with California citrus. And not just any citrus: Myers, I mean Meyer, lemons. Meyer lemons are sweeter and less sharp than your basic lemons, but they aren’t quite in season – so if you have trouble finding them, using a mixture of lemon and orange works as well. The pie has a very snappy gingersnap crust, which is unfussy and compliments the filling well. There’s also a ribbon of pomegranate molasses flowing through, a quite autumnal ingredient with a gorgeous color that I never miss a chance to use. It works particularly well here to evoke blood. Slice with a BIG SHARP KNIFE and serve!
Myers Lemon Pumpkin Pie
For the crust
9 ounces gingersnap cookies
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Heat oven to 350°. In a food processor, blitz the cookies to crumbs, then add melted butter and pulse several times to combine. Press into a greased 9 inch glass pie plate, using the heel of your hand to flatten and gently spread it up the sides of the plate, and toast in the oven for 10 minutes until golden. Cool slightly before filling.
For the pumpkin mixture
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
Using a hand mixer or whisk, blend together pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, butter, eggs, vanilla, and heavy cream. Sift flour into the mixture and blend until combined.
For the citrus cream cheese
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon zest (or a combination of lemon and orange zest)
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice (or a combination of lemon and orange juice)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Using a hand mixture, blend all ingredients.
To assemble
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (you can purchase this at a Middle Eastern grocer, or make it yourself by boiling down pomegranate juice to about a third of its volume and cooling)
Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust. Spoon cream cheese mixture over top and use a knife to marble it into the mixture. Drizzle pomegranate molasses on top and give it a last swirl with the knife before putting in the oven, at 350° for 50 minutes until just set.
Allow to cool at least 3 hours and even better, overnight, before serving.
I adored Tim Burton’s 2016 film Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children based on the book of the same name by Ransom Riggs. I can attribute most of my love to the film’s charming and spookyl atmosphere, from the Burtonesque settings, to the paranomal abilitied children I’ve described as X-Men through an Instagram filter, to the hauntingly lovely Florence and the Machine song that plays through the credits. I can attribute the rest of my love to the luminous Eva Green as Miss Peregrine.
Miss Peregrine’s school is located in Wales, and to my American sensibility the most iconic Welsh food is Welsh Rarebit (please comment and school me if there are more dishes I should know). As far as dishes go though, this is a good one, the sauce is simply amazing. One of my peculiar children declared “dis is yum!”
I made the lovely rarebit creamy cheese sauce flavored with dijon, worcestershire sauce and ale (I used pumpkin beer!) but rather than on rye toast, I made some light and airy rye popovers to evoke Emma (yes in the book it’s Olive) who is lighter than air. I wonder if she’s a good cook – she’s probably great at things like popovers, soufflees, meringues, puris, foams and lattes.
Just a note, in a rare twist I adapted nothing this time, both unaltered recipes came out really nice.
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (vegetarian sauce to make vegetarian)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1/4 cup beer (porter is best, I used a lighter pumpkin beer, also good)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
3/4 cups shredded cheddar
On low heat in a saucepan, heat butter and flour, whisking continuously for several minutes (do not let flour brown). Whisk in in dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until well combined. Whisk in beer and cream, and add cheddar. Cook, whisking constantly, for 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted completely and mixture has slightly thickened. Remove from heat and serve warm with popovers.
Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On is one of the most refreshing pieces of fiction I’ve read in the last few years. A moving, magical and intensely quotable twist on Harry Potter, it follows Simon, Baz, Penelope, and Agatha at their wizarding school and plays on the theme of the chosen one and destiny. Though often sharp and very funny, it’s much sweeter though than a satire, and explores its characters in a very real way. Not least, it’s a beautiful and exciting LGBT romance, the Harry and Draco fanfic we didn’t know we needed.
Pumpkin Mocha Breve appears in both Carry On and related novel (also excellent) Fangirl. Who invented this crazy indulgent melted candy bar concoction? Was it Baz? Was it Levi? Either way, it’s delightful. You can make it as is or add a little bit of spices such as cinnamon or cardamom.
Pumpkin Mocha Breve
1 tablespoon espresso
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
pinch ground spices, such as cinnamon or cardamom, optional
1/4 cup water
1 cup half and half
sugar to taste (a teaspoon or two)
In a French press, combine espresso, cocoa and pumpkin puree and spices if using (if you don’t have a French press, you can just do this in a mug and later pour it through a strainer). Heat the water to a boil and stir into mixture. Set aside.
In a small sauce pan, heat half and half just just below a boil. While it’s heating, you can froth it by lifting and pouring ladlefuls. When it’s hot and frothy, add sugar and the strained espresso mixture. Pour into a cozy mug and enjoy.
Recipe for Fiction Kitchen Episode 34: CARRY ON in which Carrie and Diana discuss (squee over) the YA meta fanfiction novel by Rainbow Rowell – mint Aero bars, sour cherry scones, pink gingerbread ladies, more Yorkshire pudding and roast beef, bacon and cinnamon rolls, sage, intensity and brownies, pumpkin mocha breve, and on and on.
As reality and dystopian fiction become closer to indistinguishable, it’s no surprise that it is #DISHTOPIA Month: Eat Like It’s the End of the World, Fandom Foodies theme hosted by the lovely Catherine at The Gluttonous Geek – check out the linkup for more foodpocalypse!
For the Hunger Games, unless you’re really into fried squirrel or nettle tea, the best food is going to be found in The Capitol. Obscene feasts are thrown regularly from the wealth of resources flowing in, which probably include spices, so when I set out to make the creamy pumpkin soup sprinkled with slivered nuts and black seeds that Katniss samples, that’s exactly what I imagined.
I used canned pumpkin (LAZY! Like Capitol people) and a whole can of coconut milk (RICH and DECADENT! Like Capitol people).
Paanch phoran, or five-spice powder, is made from cumin, fenugreek, fennel, mustard, and black seeds called kalonji (or nigella seeds, or onion seeds, or black seeds, etc. It’s the seed of many names), so that’s what I used as the seasoning for my soup. I much recommend seeking out the curry leaves (NOT bay leaves, even though they look similar) at your local Indian market, they will give your soup a delicate and delicious fragrance and really take it to Capitol level fare.
May the soup be EVER in your flavor…
Capitol Pumpkin Soup
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (or a flavorless cooking oil)
1 onion, diced
1 inch ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon each cumin, fenugreek, fennel, mustard, and kalonji seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili
3 tablespoons ground almonds or almond meal
1 can pumpkin puree
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick
4-5 fresh curry leaves
sliced almond and a sprinkle of kalonji for garnish
Heat the oil and saute onion until it just starts to turn golden. Add ginger and garlic and stir for a minute or two, then add all seeds and cook until they start to sizzle (be careful not to burn). Add turmeric and red chili, stir for a minute, then add almond meal, pumpkin puree and a cup of the chicken broth. Heat through.
Blend the mixture thoroughly and return to the pot along with the rest of the chicken broth, the coconut milk, cinnamon stick, and curry leaves. Mix well, gently heat and cook on a low simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with sliced almonds and kalonji.
This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 25: THE HUNGER GAMES in which Carrie and Diana discuss The Hunger Games books and movies, including from Greek mythological child sacrifices, Katniss’s practical hairstyle, social commentary, and the scarcity of goat milk.
For the last several years, it’s been a tradition to make pumpkin quesadillas on Halloween – they’re easy, the kids love them, and they go great with Beetroot Chili (or any chili for that matter).
Pumpkin Quesadillas
4 oz cheddar cheese, or a mix of cheddar and jack, grated
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp garam masala (or a mix of cumin and cinnamon)
1/2 tsp paprika
good pinch cayenne
salt & pepper to taste
small corn tortillas
Heat a pan or griddle over medium high heat – I use my tawa 🙂
Combine cheese, pumpkin, and spices and mix well. Spread a smallish amount over a tortilla and top with another, cook on both sides, flipping, until toasty and brown. Allow to cool slightly then slice in quadrants, serve with salsa/sour cream/chili.
While I have fallen completely in love with cooking Pakistani and North Indian food, I’ve also long had an interest of traveling a little further up the spice route to explore Middle Eastern and North African cuisines. I love the warm spices, the delicate sweetness of fruit and rosewater, the sweet and savory snacks on the tea table. I’ve dabbled a little bit (come on, I make my own hummus, please) but I want to learn more, which is why I’m very excited about my first month cooking with the MENA Cooking Club.
Each month is a different country, and everyone cooks one of the recipes the host for that country has chosen. This month is Egypt, hosted by Amira from Arabian Mama. I chose her suggestion, the classic Egyptian Moussaka (Messa’aa).
In future months I plan to stick almost completely to the particular recipe so I can really learn to cook authentically, but as it’s October and I’m in the middle of a Halloween cooking frenzy, I have a driving compulsion to throw things like pumpkin and hazelnuts into almost everything I make. I didn’t veer very far off course though (this is based on Kitchen Nani’s Egyptian Moussaka), I simply replaced the pine nuts and almonds with toasted hazelnuts, omitted the peppers, and instead of making a béchamel I included layers of pumpkin ricotta for the creamy factor.
This was delicious; warm and savory. My little 16 month old gobbled up three servings the other night. It has several components, but they’re all easy to make (especially since I can make lasagne with my eyes closed), and leftovers are fantastic: happy desk lunch.
Assemble slices on a single layer on two baking sheets, lightly coat with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Roast at 425°, flipping once (and checking everyone once in awhile that they aren’t burning), until golden brown and just a little charred – about 15 minutes each side.
For the sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
2 6oz cans tomato paste
salt & pepper
2 sprigs thyme
Heat olive oil over medium heat (I used a non-stick wok which I think worked well, you’ll end up cooking the tomato paste quite a bit and not have to worry about it sticking) and sauté garlic for a few minutes, then add coriander seeds and sauté for a minute. Add tomato paste, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until it is a very deep, almost burnt looking red. Add two cups of water plus the thyme and mix well (I used a whisk to break up all the tomato paste). Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, then set aside. Check seasoning, may need more salt.
For the meat mixture
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
salt & pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1.5 tbsp Arabic 7 spice (which I actually had because I had made for another recipe, yay!) or a mixture of cumin, coriander, paprika, cloves and cinnamon
2 tbsp raisins or currants
Heat olive oil over medium hight heat and sauté onion with salt and pepper until translucent, then add garlic and sauté another couple of minutes. Slide onions to the side and crank the heat up to high, and brown the ground beef with another good sprinkle of salt. Add spices and stir for a few minutes, until meat is well cooked through, then remove from heat and stir in raisins or currants.
For the moussaka
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash puree
salt & pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (I crushed them with the back of my knife then chopped them)
eggplant (above)
sauce (above)
meat mixture (above)
Combine ricotta, pumpkin, salt and pepper to taste and mix well with a spatula. I also went ahead and mixed the sauce and the meat together, although you could layer separately.
In a casserole dish (I lightly greased it with olive oil, probably not necessary but I would hate to spend all this effort then burn my eggplants to the bottom), layer half the eggplants, then spread half the meat/sauce mixture, sprinkle half the hazelnuts, and spread half the ricotta/pumpkin mixture (a spatula works well). Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Reheat the whole thing in a 375° oven.
Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and allow to set for a few minutes before serving.
Ok: I already made my pumpkin apologies so whatever, I love it, my heart will go on, this isn’t ending anytime soon. Proceed.
This soup is destined to become one of my fall favorites, especially now that the weather is finally starting to cool off. It’s smoky and rich, but not too heavy; it’s warm and homey, but still elegant; it’s got a nice complexity of flavor, but it couldn’t be simpler to make. It’s not enough for a meal on it’s own, but it’d be perfect with a sandwich on pump or roasted veggie fall salad for lunch or as a first course in an autumn dinner.
Pumpkin Cheese Soup
1 tbsp butter
½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt & pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
pinch cayenne
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups pumpkin puree (about 1 small sugar pumpkin, roasted and smashed, or 1 can)
4 oz cheddar cheese, grated
½ slice pumpernickel per serving, cubed and pan toasted with a little olive oil
chopped green onions for garnish
In a pot, heat butter and olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, generous salt & pepper, and saute until golden. Add paprika, cumin, and cayenne and stir for a minute or two, then add chicken broth (stirring well to scrape up any brown bits) and pumpkin puree.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or so. Pour into a blender (don’t allow it to cool because you will be adding the cheese and want that to melt evenly) and carefully blend, making sure to hold the lid down with a dish cloth so you aren’t maimed by steam. Add grated cheese and blend again. Pour back into pot and gently warm back through, adding a pinch more salt if necessary.
Serve garnished with pumpernickel croutons and green onions.
This is beautiful in its simplicity, but I’d like to try variations as well, maybe trying smoked gouda instead of cheddar, or adding a splash of beer or slivers of mushroom.
My twitchy, witchy girl, I think you are so nice. I give you jars of pumpkin juice, with stripey straws and ice.
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.
