In Praise of Pumpkin Soup

My Annual Pumpkin Pile Shot
Originally uploaded by Jim Frazier

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. -- Henry David Thoreau

I wait all summer for my toes to be cold.
Once those chilly October mornings arrive, requiring me to don fuzzy socks before getting out of bed, I know it's finally, really, truly Autumn and Pumpkin Soup Season.

Bringing up pumpkin soup usually draws one of two responses: either groans of delight from those who've had the pleasure or intrigued (if somewhat wary) looks from the uninitiated. Doesn't matter which--I tempt them all shamelessly, promising a velvety-orange and creamy deliciousness unlike anything they've tasted before.
"Trust me," I say, "You'll like it. People who don't even like pumpkin love this soup. It comes with references." I wheedle and cajole. I'm the used car salesman of soup.
P.S. It really does taste AMAZING, is darn easy to make and can be ready in 25 minutes.

This recipe is the original from Bon Apetit, Oct. 2001. As many of the reviews attest, it is rather bland. Over the years I have adjusted it as follows:

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans pure pumpkin

4 cups water

1 cup half and half

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 cup pure maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons (set aside)

1 stick salted butter (softened), 2 tablespoons (set aside)

1 teaspoon (to begin with) Chinese five-spice powder (a blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger available in the spice section of most supermarkets)

4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced

salt & pepper to taste

1 tub marscapone dessert cheese, room temperature

Preparation

Bring first 3 ingredients to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often. Whisk in syrup, 1 stick of butter, and five-spice powder. Simmer soup 5-10 minutes, whisking often. Season with salt & pepper and more Chinese five-spice & maple syrup as needed. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms & garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms & garlic to soup and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, whisking often. While soup is simmering, stir remaining maple syrup and a splash of half & half into marscapone cheese until thoroughly combined. Consistency should liquid enough to drizzle. Divide soup among 6 bowls. In a circular pattern, drizzle each bowl with marscapone; serve immediately.
(Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Ahhhhhh, heavenly! Let me know what you think!

Penny Halloweens

Happy Halloween!!
Originally uploaded by Just Us 3

Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold. -- Judith Olney

Standing in the Wal-Mart the other night, I decided that Halloween candy prices are tantamount to highway robbery. I REFUSE to pay $7 for a single bag of the brand name stuff. I'd have to spend almost $20 on candy to get a decent assortment--unacceptable! Alas, the $2 bargain assortment was not only unappetizing but will clearly label me as the neighborhood cheapskate with the lame candy. Hmm, what to do?

As we recently relocated to the north Dallas area and are juggling all the related expenses required to make our new home habitable, I'm afraid the trick-or-treaters will find slim pickins' at our door this year. I discussed it with Himself the other day and his answer was nickels. Yep, a couple rolls of nickels at $2 each & we give each child one nickel. Huh. So, we pay the children. For coming to our door. We buy off every little ghost and ghoulie and pirate and Hannah Montana that appears on our doorstep. This is not my favorite idea.

I should probably tell you at this point that the "cash solution" was also near & dear to my mother's heart. Except she gave out pennies from our loose change jar. I begged her not to--my brother & I were firmly convinced one of the local teenage hooligans, blatantly abusing the childhood privilege to trick-or-treat, would receive a penny at our door and come back around 3 a.m. to egg our house. In fact, we waited up each year Mom handed out pennies, just in case. Brother & I also refused to answer the door on Penny Halloweens--mortified we might come face to face with our classmates and have to drop 3 pennies thud, thud, thud into their plastic pumpkin buckets. We made Mom greet the trick-or-treaters instead.

Funny thing was, in those days everybody seemed stoked to receive change. They'd stop the next batch of kids on their way up the walk and say, "Hey, they're giving out money!" A few even came back later in the evening for a second helping. Mom never let on she knew they were double-dipping. She was thinking about being egged at 3 a.m. too.

The "cash solution" is healthier than candy, I suppose. But I still can't bring myself to turn the magical custom of trick-or-treating into a cash transaction. I might as well dress up as an ATM. Kids want the magic of that goodie dropping into their sack. They remember the goodwill of neighbors who open their homes and hearts on that special night to little ones dressed up in their own imaginations. To that end, I have a few suggestions for cheap, sugar-free goodies that will keep the magic intact.

My favorite thing to give out on Halloween is glow sticks. I've never met a child who wasn't mesmerized by their chemical magic. A glow stick is more fun than candy and sugar-free to boot. They also make the munchkins more visible while cruising the neighborhood after dark. Glow sticks are available in bulk through a variety of online retailers. There are many different sizes, styles and colors to pick from. This option becomes much less expensive if you split your order with friends or relatives (each family can order a different color or necklaces instead of sticks) or if you're planning to order enough sticks to give out next year too. Most of the sites I visited guaranteed their sticks could be stored for at least 2 years. Otherwise, keep an eye on your local pop-up Halloween shop. They may put their sticks on sale the day of Halloween. Shopping the day after could net you a booty of sticks for next year at a discount rate too.

Other ideas for non-food goodies include: giving out plastic spider or bat rings--they can be bought in packages of 50+ for less than $3 each at many craft stores; plastic bugs or eyeballs; bubbles; play-doh; temporary tattoos; stickers; Halloween-themed mini erasers, pencils or any of the holiday-specific doo-dads available at your local party store.

It's Halloween! It's Halloween! The moon is full and bright/ And we shall see what can't be seen On any other night. Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls, Grinning goblins fighting duels/ Werewolves rising from their tombs, Witches on their magic brooms/ In masks and gown we haunt the street /And knock on doors for trick or treat/ Tonight we are the king and queen, For oh tonight it's Halloween! -Jack Prelutsky

Happy Haunting!

You Invited Who?

Autumn in Maine
Originally uploaded by talekinker

Eat, drink and be scary. ~Author Unknown

This week, prep for the Halloween costume soiree begins in earnest. So far, Himself and I have been dancing around a guest list. We both see the wisdom in keeping the ghoulish compliment to 20 or 25--a manageable number for a horrifying Hors d'oeuvre buffet; and only slightly ambitious given the size of our spooky space and the likelihood at least one of our wacky contingent will come dressed in something gianormous. Still, we are procrastinating on the final draft. This won't do at all. We must decide on invitations and they must be mailed out this week! I, for one, will be a frowny Frankenstein if our favorite fiends cannot attend due to a tardy invite. Let's be honest, with Halloween more popular than ever, every little skeleton will have a full dance card early.

'Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title.' ~From Scooby-Doo

Which leads me to the next devilish dilemma: the invite itself. True, any kitschy pack of Halloween party invites will technically do. And we are on a banshee's budget. But the invite sets the tone for your goblin gathering and economical should be enhanced by the cute factor.

The best way to do that is scope out your options. I'm all for fashioning a killer invite from scratch if you have the time. And the patience. And can cut in a straight line. But if not, let's do quick and dirty. We need to consult Resourcenista (Resource-in-ee-stuh) (a.k.a. me). Resourcenista's favorite invite haunts: Hobby Lobby; Michaels; JoAnn Fabrics; Home Goods; TJ Maxx and Target. They will always have something unique and interesting--check their scrapbooking & everyday party sections too--you might find something flashy or interesting (and cheap!) that works better with your theme.

Resourcenista always checks out Hallmark too. There are two types of Hallmark stores: the corporate store that carries a clever (if homogenized) holiday selection and the independent store. I am a big fan of corporate Hallmark's printable invitation section. If comparable in value to what I like at other stores, I will opt for these super-personalized gems. But if they're too pricey, I head for an independent store. Independent Hallmarks carry some of the corporate theme each season but also buy from outside distributors and will often have something unique to offer.

As a last resort, I'll check out those Halloween superstores that pop up like thistles in vacant department stores around the 1st of October. Be warned, though. They are rarely cheap.

This year, I am leaning toward the scarily-affordable Halloween photo card options available through walgreens.com and ritzpix.com. Many cute designs to pick from and you can upload your own photo (could even print out your party details, photograph that and upload it to use in place of a traditional pic). Worst case scenario, hand write the party details on the back of each photo card in black, silver or purple marker and pop them in the mail.

Bottom line on the All Hallow's Eve invite: make it cheap and gorgeous and tantalizing. Slipping in a piece of candy corn never hurt either.