Keep your monsters happy with ghoulishly inventive Halloween party fare
Planning a Halloween party? Know what to serve if an ogre shows up? Chunky vomit dip, otherwise known as guacamole, is appropriate.
How about a vampire? Clotted blood pouches, of course. Which might seem remarkably like thumbprint jam cookies to your human guests.
If you’re feeding a crowd of zombies, try fresh pus pie, known as an oozy lime tart to the undead.
All these fun recipes and more are in the recently released “The Monster’s Cookbook, Everyday Recipes for the Living, Dead, and Undead.” The book is from Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, a website (and apparently a real London shop) that caters to a specific crowd: monsters and those who feed them.
Its real mission is to support “the Ministry of Stories, a creative writing and mentoring charity for young humans.”
The shop and the website sell a variety of delectables, including cubed earwax, petrified mice, and salt made from tears of anger.
Now the cookbook can help you plan for the perfect party, just in time for Halloween, with treats and drinks such as a very bloody Mary (for grownups) and zombie lemonade, made with spinach and cucumber to give it an eerie green look.
Many recipes also work for other monstrous occasions, such as office parties or family get-togethers.
Janet Patton: 859-231-3264, @janetpattonhl
Fresh pus pie
“The Monster’s Cookbook,” adapted for American cooks and monsters
13-ounce pie crust
A little flour for dusting
1 cup sugar (superfine, baker’s or caster sugar suggested; don’t use confectioner’s sugar)
1 cup fresh lime juice
8 fresh lime leaves or the grated zest of 3 limes
3 eggs and 2 egg yolks
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
Sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until a little larger than a greased 9-inch fluted loose-bottomed tart pan. Lift the pastry over a rolling pin, drape into the pan, then press over the bottom and up in the insides. Trim off the excess pastry so it stands a little above the top of the pan. Pierce the bottom with a fork. Let chill for 30 minutes.
Line the tart with nonstick parchment paper, add pie weights or beans for weight, and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake 12 to 15 more minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Let cool.
Put the sugar, lime juice and lime leaves or lime zest in a saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then strain into a clean pan. Stir in the eggs, egg yolks and half the butter, and heat gently, stirring, for 1 minute or until the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Add the remaining butter and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens.
Transfer the lime mixture to the tart crust and bake for 6 to 8 minutes until set. Let cool slightly, then serve warm, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
Chunky vomit dip
“The Monster’s Cookbook”
3 ripe avocados
1 tomato, finely chopped
Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Squeeze of lime juice
Salt
Tortilla chips, to serve
Halve and stone the avocados, then scoop the flesh out of the shells and place in a bowl. Add the tomato, chopped cilantro and cumin, and coarsely mash together with a fork. Stir in the lime juice, and season to taste with salt. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.
Small intestine skewers
“The Monster’s Cookbook”
1/3 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
3/4-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into long, thin strips
Cucumber, cut into strips, to serve
Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of paprika or chili powder
1/2 cup water
Place the soy sauce, sesame oil and five-spice powder in a bowl and mix together. Add the chicken, and toss together to coat in the marinade. Cover and let stand to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring from time to time.
Thread the chicken, zigzag fashion, onto 10 soaked bamboo skewers (soaking the skewers in warm water for 30 minutes will prevent the sticks from burning while cooking), and place the chicken under a preheated hot broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, put all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring, until warm and well mixed. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Place the bowl of sauce on a serving plate with the cucumber on one side and the hot chicken skewers around it.
This story was originally published October 18, 2016 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Keep your monsters happy with ghoulishly inventive Halloween party fare."