Halloween is all about fun and fiesta, costumes and cosplay, and surprises and spookiness. Celebrated on October 31, all over the world, Halloween Day, which originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts, today has become a pop culture and a day full of merrymaking, trick-or-treat activities, carving jack-o-lanterns and indulging in scrumptious food and drinks. If you are a foodie, here are some Halloween treats that you can enjoy.
SEA MONSTER FETTUCCINE AND BLACK LEMONADE
Praduman Bisht, executive sous chef, Marriott Suites Pune, shares a delicious but spooky recipe for your Halloween party:
Ingredients
For fettuccine
Refined flour....2 cups (plus extra for rolling the pasta)
Salt.... . 1/2 tsp
Eggs.. .3
Spinach paste as required
For tomato sauce
Fresh tomatoes (peeled and seedless)... .2 kg
Olive oil.. ..250 ml
Onions (medium and diced). ...3
Cloves of fresh garlic (finely minced)... .8
Fresh basil leaves (finely chopped).. .100 gm
Oregano.. .1 tsp
Bay leaf.. .2
Parsley (chopped). ..1 tsp
Salt to taste
Carrot (finely diced).. ..200 gm
For presentation
Sliced olives
Fresh Bocconcini (small mozzarella)
Method
Green Fettuccine
Whisk together the flour and salt with a fork in a medium mixing bowl.
Create a deep well in the middle of the flour and crack the eggs into this well.
Mix the eggs and flour to make pasta dough. When half way mix spinach paste as well.
Knead the pasta dough and let it rest for 30 min.
After which, divide the dough into small balls and roll them into the pasta machine. Make thin sheets and cut it. Sprinkle flour to avoid sticking together and keep aside.
Tomato sauce
Pour the olive oil into a large stockpot over medium heat.
Add diced onions, garlic and diced carrots.
Sauté for 6-8 minutes or until onions are translucent and tender.
Add tomatoes, chopped basil leaves, oregano, bay leaves, parsley and salt.
Simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours or until cooked and starting to darken.
Use a blender to puree sauce until smooth.
For presentation
Blanch the pasta in boiling water.
In a pan, add olive oil and add some chopped garlic. Sauté it well and add pasta. Toss it well and add some chopped spinach.
In a separate pan reheat the tomato sauce. Check for seasoning if required.
Place the pasta in a serving bowl. Pour tomato sauce on it.
Garnish it with fresh Bocconcini and olives.
Black Lemonade
Ingredients
Lemon.. .2
Charcoal powder.... 1 tsp
Soda.. .250 ml
Sugar syrup as required
Ice as required
Method
Cut lemon in half and squeeze it with a juicer. Make sure to pick out any seeds. Pour lemon juice into a glass.
Add charcoal powder to the lemon juice, and stir.
Fill the glass with ice and add soda water. Stir in sugar syrup to taste.
Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Creative Garnishes
Halloween is a time to dig into an array of mouthwatering dishes. Evviva Sky Lounge —Crowne Plaza Pune is offering Halloween specials like Fiery Chicken, Deviled Red Velvet Cake, Spider Pizza, Meatball Spaghetti, Pumpkin Pudding and so on that will tantalise your taste buds.
Chef Sarika Kamble from the restaurant says that Pumpkin Pie, Meatballs and Spaghetti, Carrot and Oatmeal Cookies are among the most popular dishes made on Halloween across the globe. To give a spooky effect to what you cook, she says you have to get a little creative and play around with the garnishes.
Kamble suggests, “Desserts garnished with egg whites that are baked and shaped like a bone add to the fun. You can also make worms and spiders with cream and decorate cupcakes with them. Graveyard designs on pies also look great.”
Pumpkins are a special part of Halloween, hence she advises that one should make pies, cookies, custard, cakes, stews, soups and so on using pumpkin. Here, she shares a recipe:
FROSTED PUMPKIN COOKIES
Ingredients
Refined flour...500 gm
Baking powder...1 tsp
Baking soda...1 tsp
Cinnamon powder...2 tsp
Nutmeg powder...½ tsp
Clove powder...½ tsp
Salt...½ tsp
Eggs...2
Softened butter...350 gm
Sugar...250 gm
Pumpkin purée...100 gm
Vanilla essence..1 tsp
Icing sugar...2 tsp
Milk...50 ml
Melted butter...100 gm
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Sieve the refined flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves (powdered), and salt together.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar.
Add the pumpkin purée, egg, and 1 tsp vanilla to the butter mixture, and beat till creamy.
Mix in the sieved flour mixture to the pumpkin mix.
Pour on a baking sheet, or silicon mat and flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
While the cookies cool down prepare the glaze.
For the glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tbsp melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.
Then drizzle the glaze on the cookies
