White is Halloween's New Black

By Luci

Have you noticed all the white pumpkins cropping up in nurseries and garden stores? And how decorative white pumpkins are seen wherever such things are sold? Of course, ghouls and ghosts and such in scary white have a prominent place in the canon of Halloween decor.

My white cat, Kasih (means love in Indonesian), posing so adorably with ghosts on the stairs, inspired me to try making some amusing white food in Halloween shapes.

The Appetizer Cat

Naturally, a white cat had to be included. I used a rich tasting white cheddar by Kerry Gold combined with soft white goat cheese to make the mixture easy to shape. The ratio: 2:1 cheddar to goat cheese. Grind the cheddar in a food processor to a small crumb. Mix in the goat cheese and then form a round for the face and two small triangles for the ears. Cut two small circles from a red pepper for eyes and a slash for the mouth. Thin strips from any green vegetable form the whiskers. For the presentation, form a small circle from the cheese mixture and color it yellow, placing it to look like a moon on the serving plate.

The Appetizer Pumpkin

If you are not a cat fan, a cute pumpkin will serve quite nicely to start your Halloween dinner. Use the same mixture of cheddar and goat cheese. Form a pumpkin shape. Use triangles of green pepper for eyes and a slice from the curved bottom of a red pepper for the mouth. The stem of either pepper forms the pumpkin’s stem.

Poltergeist Pears for Dessert

Poached Pears with Almond Syrup

I made these for our Halloween dinner in The Dish on Dazzling Dinners, which contains other amusing Halloween foods.

Even macho men exclaim, “Adorable!” when they see these poached pears nestled together on a serving plate. The poaching liquid, pear nectar, deepens the “peariness” of the fruit; almond extract and liqueur add a touch of nuttiness. 

Preparation.You will need one pear for each guest plus two or three pears to make the heads of the poltergeists. 

1. Use small Bartlett or Anjou pears that are firm but ripe. Peel pears and rub with lemon juice. Cut a slice from the bottom of each pear so that they will stand upright. 

2. Poaching liquid. You will need several cups, enough to cover the pears about halfway up. In a large saucepan combine pear nectar, water and sugar (4:4:1). Boil, add almond extract (1-2 tablespoons for each cup of pear nectar). 

3. Place  pears in bottom of pan and simmer about 10-15 minutes, until pears are barely tender, occasionally spooning the poaching liquid over the pears.

4. Cool pears in syrup. Remove pears from pan. Boil syrup down until thick enough to coat a spoon. When cool, add a generous amount of Amaretto or other almond-flavored liqueur. 

5. The “poltergeist” has a head and a body, both made from poached pears. For the “head,” use the small end of a melon baller to scoop out a small ball.  For the “body,” use a complete pear after cutting and discarding a thin horizontal slice from the top of the pear.  To join “head” to “body,” insert one end of a toothpick into the middle of the “head” and the other end into the middle of the top of the “body.” Slide the “head” down until it rests on the “body.” Make a “face” on the “head.” For eyes, use the point of a sharp knife to make 2 small holes. Insert two currants or small pieces of raisins. For a mouth, make a small line with the knifepoint and insert a thin strip of dried cherry or cranberry.

Plating. Arrange the pears on a serving platter so that all are facing in the same direction. Have the syrup in a separate bowl. After showing the platter to your guests, spoon a generous amount of syrup on an individual serving plate and place one “poltergeist” on top.