Posted by The Serious Eats Team, November 3, 2008 at 7:30 PM
We know you've been waiting for this, so we won't keep you in suspense any longer, bwahahahahahah. The winners of the inaugural Serious Eats Pumpkin-Carving Contest are:
1. Grand Prize
OMNOMNOMNOMNOM, by sunkid
Prize: Viking Professional Chef's Cutlery Starter Set (includes: 5-inch flexible boning knife, 8-inch chef's knife, 4-inch paring knife).
2. First Runner Up
Castle of the Wicked Witch, by stike
Prize: 8-inch Viking Professional Chef's Knife
3. Second Runner Up
No Country for Old Men-o'-Lantern, by gavinworth
Prize: 4-inch Viking Professional Paring Knife
4. Third Runner Up
Joker-o-Lantern, by jenhappy
Prize: Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin-Carving Kit
Note from the Serious Eats Team: Hope your thumb is healing nicely!
Thanks to everyone who entered. This was a really tough decision, with everyone here arguing for different pumpkins. This was a lot of fun. Can't wait till next year!
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 31, 2008 at 8:30 PM
Photograph from HeyGabe on Flickr
This adorable girl definitely fits in the proper age range of trick-or-treaters. But you know who you are: you're still holding that bucket, with a Blackberry in the other hand. Just put on that mask and poof! They'll never know! Ageless. Time to get all the Twixes before the toddlers do!
Though there really shouldn't be an age limit on dressing up, trick-or-treating is another story. Some old woman will eventually call you out: "Aren't you getting too old for this?" And while there's an inner child in all of us, maybe she's right.
I pushed the limits and went through high school (because I believed my costumes were so thoughtful, awesome, and worth candy). But what do you think? What's the trick-or-treating age limit?
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 31, 2008 at 7:00 PM
I was surprised to see this limited edition version of chocolate-filled biscuit snack Koala's March when I visited Japanese shopping center Mitsuwa last weekend. More surprising was finding out that the only difference between this version and the Halloween version is the packaging and the designs printed on the cookies; the flavor is the same (I was hoping for pumpkin). It's a pretty damn cute design though.
Related
Pumpkin-Flavored Pocky Snacks
The Best Japanese Chocolate and Cracker Snack Shaped Like a Mushroom
Clicking in to the Serious Eats inbox, we've got ...
Hey, Serious Eats!
I love your website and just realized I am wearing a food-themed Halloween costume and wanted to share it with you guys!
I'm a piece of flying fish roe, and the costume is completely homemade except for the dress! I also have chopsticks in my hair :)
Well, keep up the good work!
—S. B.
The costume, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 31, 2008 at 3:30 PM
We've already got a bunch of great submissions for the first annual Serious Eats Pumpkin Carving Contest, but here's a little nudge reminding you there's still time. Polls will close on Saturday at 6PM EST.
So far, we've seen a cereal reference, tragic injury (how's that thumb?), and pomegranate sneak into the mix. After tonight's trick-or-treating, add your carving creation to Photograzing for a chance to win cookbooks and Viking knives.
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 31, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Photograph from chippenziedeutch on Flickr
In Talk earlier this week, JerzeeTomato asked where to find a blue pumpkin. After a three-day search, in which she checked back in on the thread to update us all, she finally found one at a small farm stand in Delaware.
But not before she left a lot of us wondering what the heck a blue pumpkin looked like.
The pumpkin photo above isn't from Jerz—I just wanted to highlight it to show everyone blue pumpkins. I've only ever seen them in photos. This one is from Flickr user chippenziedeutch.
And here's a photo of a 'Queensland Blue' split open. The contrast of blue skin and deep orange flesh is quite striking.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 31, 2008 at 12:15 PM
There was a lot of candy corn celebrating yesterday. Yeah, that's going to stop right now. For all of you who detest the triangular ickiness, watch this and feel validated. Cartoon couple Moose and Zee have a good head on their shoulders: they know even feet might taste better than candy corn. Thanks to Montmc for the sharing the video! Watch it, after the jump.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 31, 2008 at 7:30 AM
Consider this: everything we eat today must be pumpkin-shaped (that includes the stem), starting with breakfast. Rachel of My Sisters Cucina made these pumpkin-shaped pancakes with Bisquick, then added orange and green food coloring for a realistic effect.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 30, 2008 at 8:00 PM
If you're having a Halloween party tomorrow, we hope you're serving more than just candy. Here are some Halloween appropriate recipes and dish ideas from this past month, most of which follow a pumpkin or "black and orange" theme.
Savory
Sweet
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 30, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Photograph from Mightyohm on Flickr
It appears that Japanese TV mascot Domo-kun is pro candy corn! Look as he so joyously flings unsuspecting candies into his gaping mouth! That mountain of candy corn doesn't stand a chance. See more of Domo-kun's candy corn love, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 30, 2008 at 2:15 PM
As Lenin once said, a lie told often enough becomes the truth. After so many fall seasons, we see candy corn and associate it with truth, with tradition, with goodness. But fall wants nothing to do with the tri-colored saccharine triangles.
If you drank a bottle of Karo syrup and ate a candle, that's what candy corn would taste like. Fall doesn't want to taste like that.
Fall wants to taste like pumpkin seeds, roasted butternut squash, and sure, a Snickers bar, or any of the acceptable candies on Halloween. Candy corn = not an acceptable candy. Candy corn = nausea.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 30, 2008 at 1:45 PM
I understand that candy corn is a topic about as sensitive as the cavities it produces, but it's a debate in which, as a candy corner, I have to take a stand. And I am for it.
Candy corn is the symbol of fall—of the cooler air, of the changing leaves, of Halloween, of Thanksgiving (and of my birthday). It is, admittedly, a bit "corny," but it's also a classic. Although it tastes saccharine, its traditional flavor is honey, and while Technicolor in appearance, it is also reminiscent of the American ears of grain that mark the season and color our history.
I can get Snickers, Three Musketeers, or Twix any time of year, and frankly—different as they are—they are all the same thing! Candy corn is inimitable and rare, more of a gem than a Ring Pop, more precious that a 100 Grand. I wait for three seasons until the autumn when I can scatter the candy kernels through the land like Johnny did with his apple seeds.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 30, 2008 at 12:15 PM
In honor of National Candy Corn Day, learn more about the quintessential, yet widely hated (and sometimes loved) Halloween candy with this look inside the Goelitz candy corn factory from Food Network's Unwrapped. While the candy corn-making process normally takes four to five days, this clip condenses it into three minutes. Watch the video after the jump.
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Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 30, 2008 at 10:00 AM
When the Halloween candy season rolls around each fall there are two kinds of people in the world: those who love candy corn, and those who hate it. I have yet to meet anyone in between. In honor of National Candy Corn Day, October 30, here is some information on our favorite fall confection, at least for those of us who love candy corn. For those who don’t, I suppose we must share the same candy corn world until Christmas, so I tolerate your opinion as well
A History Lesson
Candy corn is as indigenous to the autumn season as corn bread. It has been around since 1880, when its new three-way technicolor look wowed candy consumers nationwide. At first, farmers especially loved it for its agrarian look, but it’s safe to say that most people today wouldn't relate it to the ears of wholesome corn from which it originated.
A Few Kernels of Knowledge
Did you know that one serving of candy contains only 130 calories? This year over 35 million pounds of candy corn will be produced, which is over 9 billion colorful little kernels. Everyone knows candy corn tastes traditionally sweet, but most people don’t know that the original flavor is actually honey.
Nontraditional Candy Corn Products
Here's the latest and greatest in candy corn, after the jump.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 29, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Like sports teams and hot dog styles, candy inspires fervent regional loyalties. Thanks to the Great Depression, the candy industry was booming during the early 1900s, when a nickel was all people could afford for a high-energy snack or meal. It's kind of scary—maybe exciting for the sake of candy—to think we've come full circle, but regardless, economic crisis or not, we'll never stop loving the candies from home.
Sky Bar (New England)
Born: 1937
The Necco brand Sky Bar remains the leading candy bar divided into four sections: caramel, vanilla nougat, peanut, and fudge. The name came from the candy's initial advertising campaign: sky-writing. It also made waves in the ad world during New York's 1945 blackout, when a sign for the candy was one of six properly lit signs in Times Square.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 28, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Next time you eat a Rice Krispie Treat, make sure a fluffy cat isn't inside. Cute Overload has quite the list of pet costumes, some of which are food-related.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 28, 2008 at 5:00 PM
The gigantic candy corn decorations we reported on last week are still for sale, even if the Craigslist ad has been removed. If you're interested, call seller Steve D. at 612-805-4738. God knows what you'd do with them, but someone, please give these monstrously huge candy corns a good home!
Related
Gigantic Candy Corn For Sale on Craigslist, $3800
Crazy Craigslist Cookie Ad
Candy Corn Knit Cap
"Just had a fun-size Snickers. All it did is make me want a Snickers the size of my head. Sigh." —dyfl, on Twitter
Good news, carvers! You have until 6 p.m. Saturday, November 1 to submit your creations on Photograzing. We'll announce winners Monday afternoon (November 3). Prizes include cookbooks and sharp, shiny Viking knives.
Posted by Wan Yan Ling, October 27, 2008 at 8:45 AM
In my United Nations of a household, the Halloween tradition is for the housemates to contribute to a giant candy stash—so we have a pool of unusual, globetrotting candy to offer the neighbors’ kids. This year, I was ready to break out my childhood fave—chewy, milky, nougaty Chinese White Rabbit candy. But in September, four babies died and thousands of people got sick after drinking melamine-tainted milk from China. Tons of milk-containing products were recalled, and I had to feed my beloved White Rabbits to the trash.
My housemates joke that I should have kept the candy and put them in a bowl with a sign that reads: Beware, Poisoned Apples. But I haven’t quite the same sick sense of humor. Instead, I’m going to be offering a confection that’s way cooler than toxic White Rabbits—Russian caramels made from real cow’s blood.
Called Gematogenka, these sweet, chewy caramels are made from sugar, molasses, lecithin, salt, hemoglobin, and a bunch of vitamins. I was expecting an iron aftertaste (like drinking from a rusty cooler), but with the exception of some gritty-ness, there’s absolutely nothing bizarre-tasting about them. Not even an “off” smell. In fact, from its shiny, rainbow wrapper, to the happy, brawny, bird-man mascot emblazoned on it, everything about this chocolate colored candy reeks of innocence. Apparently, it is Russia’s equivalent to gummy bear vitamins —a treat to trick kids into taking supplements so that they grow tall and strong (like the bird-man mascot).
A “biologically active” food, these blood caramels are widely available in pharmacy candy aisles in Russia, and commonly used to treat anemia. In the States, you’ll find them in Russian groceries around Brooklyn, NY, or online. Each pack contains five individually-wrapped, completely unremarkable-looking tabs of candy—perfect for treating squeamish housemates to.
About the author: Wan Yan Ling can usually be found in the kitchen procrastinating on "real work" or online tracking down obscure recipes. Ling thinks eating alone is no fun, and she still believes in hand-mixing.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 24, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Want to keep up with the Joneses in the candy corn driveway decor department? This trio is so great, so surreal, and for some reason looks like they're posing for a family portrait. Found on a Minneapolis Craigslist ad:
These "one of a kind" holiday decorations will set your house apart in your neighborhood! They just make people smile, in fact often people have left notes at the door saying how cool they are.
3 pieces of candy corn make up the display: one 8 feet tall, another 6 feet tall and another 3 feet tall. Tradition candy corn colors of orange, yellow and white. They are of a very high quality, solid construction. They were designed and created by the artisan at "Tivola Too," the same folks responsible for the Snoopys in St. Paul and new design of the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park at the Mall of America. If you want to make a statement these are for you.
Email me for photos.
After the jump, me standing in front of them (thanks to some cropping tools) to convey actual size.
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Why don't they make a GIANT CANDY CORN? Like a single candy corn "kernel" that's like two feet tall? THAT would be awesome. (This one doesn't count; it's not a retail product.) [via Twitter; response tweets here]
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 23, 2008 at 6:45 PM
These cute ginger skeleton cookies made by artist and plush toy-master Heidi Kenny of My Paper Crane are perfect for Halloween. Just make sure you have some knowledge of skeletal systems before you pipe on the frosting.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 23, 2008 at 6:15 PM
"Mom, that smell is making me want to throw up," is the unintended reaction Rebecca Koffman of the Washington Post got when she tried to feed her kids black treacle toffee as a Halloween treat. She gives us the story behind this beloved British treat, which is traditionally eaten on Guy Fawkes Night, along with a recipe so you can make it at home.
Despite her kids' reactions of horror, I'm now curious to try this shiny, black candy with a rich, smoky flavor. Buy it online or head to your nearest purveyor of British goods.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 23, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Carved turnip with vision troubles. Photograph from soozums on Flickr
My Irish kin have some interesting Halloween customs, including turnip-o-lanterns. The jack-o-lantern creation story actually starts with a turnip in Ireland during the 18th century. A blacksmith named Jack dropped a coal ember into a gouged-out turnip, and so it began. When Irish immigrants arrived in America, they substituted turnips with pumpkins—much plumper, and thus, better carving potential.
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 23, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Look at all this grape candy! It's awesome!
Last week, as I went up to the register to pay my bill, I looked into the candy cup on the counter for a lollipop. There they were: six or seven Blow Pops, all grape! I smiled secretly to myself as I pocketed one, thanking my lucky stars that almost no one else on earth loves grape candy. I considered doing the other customers a favor by taking all seven and forcing the check-out lady to replenish the strawberry, cherry, and watermelon reserves.
When you are little it’s natural to want to fit in, but there is one way, especially around Halloween, in which it’s quite convenient to be a bit different. As a grape child I would sit around with my friends after trick-or-treating and they would all have to divide my pinks and reds, but I would return home triumphant with a pumpkin full of purple—a purple that no self-respecting, naturally occurring grape would ever wear to save its skin.
We grape-lovers are a niche market, true originals, dealing with a dying breed.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 22, 2008 at 11:15 AM
This year, pumpkins are the newest form of campaigning. There's campaign-o-lantern patterns for both McCain and Obama couples. Some more here. Over at Zombie Pumpkins, Obama is ahead by over 25-percent in pumpkin polls. Obama's team even has their own blog called Yes We Carve, dedicated to Obamalanterns.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 20, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Carving ideas from pumpkinway.com
As we mentioned last week, we're excited to hold our first Pumpkin Carving Contest. But we're even more excited now that we know specifics on the three top prizes:
1st place: Viking Professional Chef's Cutlery Starter Set (Set includes: Five-inch flexible boning knife, eight-inch chef knife, four-inch paring knife)
2nd place: Eight-inch Viking Professional Chef's Knife
3rd place: Four-inch Viking Professional Paring Knife
All Viking knives are stainless steel, have a lifetime warranty, and are handmade in Germany with authentic Old World craftsmanship. (They are not necessarily for pumpkins.)
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 20, 2008 at 10:15 AM
We're back with Vintage Candy Monday, in celebration of Halloween. This week, an oldie-but-goodie from way out west.
There are other taffies, and then there are Abba-Zabas. It's weird to grow up eating (and loving) Abba-Zabas and only later realize that every child east of the Rockies didn't. The white outside has the look and chew factor of Airheads, but the inside filling is peanut butter—mildly salty peanut butter, which provides that sweet-to-salty factor we love (kettle corn, salted caramel, trail mix).
In 1917, a Russian immigrant named Sam Altshuler arrived in the United States and later founded the Annabelle Candy Company, responsible for the Abba-Zabas (which come in regular or sour green apple taffy flavors). The fact that the candy lasted this long has to mean something. Maybe it's the nonchocolate factor (a nice change), or the taxi-cab checkered pattern, or Dave Chappelle's famous line in the cult movie Half-Baked: "Abba-Zaba, you my only friend."
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 19, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Like any good dentist, Linda King of Locust Grove, Georgia, is handing out toothbrushes and pretzels for Halloween. Additionally, as a godsend to parents, she's buying back candy after Halloween is over. For $1 a pound, she'll take kids' extra candy and send it to military members overseas through Operation Gratitude. Last year she bought back about 60 pounds of candy.
Imagine yourself as a kid. Would you sell your candy back to Dr. King?
Posted by Caitlin Kenney, October 19, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Photographs from Halloween Mart and Fire Box
I came across this brain Jello-O mold while searching for decorations for my Halloween party. It's pretty creepy looking, and I'm not sure I would eat it, but I bet it make a great centerpiece. If a human brain isn't your thing, consider a zombie brain, an anatomical heart, or a hand.
Related
Photo of the Day: Rainbow Jell-O
This Is What the Internet Was Made For: Jello Time
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 18, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Who knew that Doritos even had an online virtual universe? Well, the nacho-snack-chip folks there have added a virtual haunted hotel to it. Hotel 626 is only open from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., otherwise you have to make a reservation to visit later. It's best to visit with headphones, a webcam, and a microphone—they help you complete challenges once inside. [via AdRants]
Posted by Deb Harkness, October 17, 2008 at 11:45 AM
On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. This week, she explores Halloween wines.
Two weeks from tonight, all the young ghosties and ghoulies will be out in full force, donning costumes and collecting candy.
If you're over the age of twenty—one, you might have a different plan for the evening—one that maybe involves costumes, but certainly involves wine.
When it comes to Halloween wine, of course it's as important as ever that the wine is good value and tastes great. That's the treats part of trick-or-treat. But how about the wine's costume? For me, the trick to Halloween wine is to find one that is not only affordable and tasty—it has to have a label that's perfect for the Witching Hour, too.
Here are my recommendations for six terrific, eye-catching Halloween wines that are perfect for any party you may be attending or hosting.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 17, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Hel-lo, pumpkin.
As Helen of Ready Steady Go points out, this is a good reason to love October and Japan simultaneously. The Japanese stick snacks Pocky have been spotted in such flavors as banana, green tea, and milk, but pumpkin? Even lifetime Pocky eater Robyn was speechless.
Good News: The ingredients contain actual pumpkin.
Bad News: They may not taste like actual pumpkin.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 16, 2008 at 7:30 PM
Photograph from rochelle, et. al. on Flickr
Halloween candy allegiance is so subjective. An Almond Joy can inspire love or nausea in different people. Same with Laffy Taffy, Milk Duds, and Whoppers. Please reveal your favorite candy, and fight for why you think it's so good.
Related: Top Ten Worst Halloween 'Candies'
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 16, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Evil Mad Scientist has a detailed guide on making edible googly eyes for cupcakes, cookies, and other baked goods.
The trick lies in using edible gelatin capsules cut down into eye domes, with jumbo round sprinkles as pupils. Sprinkles go in the cut-down capsules, and capsules are affixed to an appropriate substrate: It "needs to be sturdy, so that it can support the rest of the eyes, light in color, and completely dry and free of oil. At the same time, it needs to be soft enough that we can press the gelatin capsules into it."
Whoppers cut in half seem to make an ideal substrate. For the complete how-to, step into the EMS laboratory.
"[Steve] Connolly's pumpkin weighed in at 1,568 pounds, just 121 pounds shy of the world record, at the Southern New England Giant Pumpkin Grower's Annual Weigh-Off. But he was disqualified because of the hole, located along a rib of the pumpkin." [Boston Globe via Bostonist]
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 16, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Photograph from nycblondieandbrownie on Flickr
Food blog Blondie and Brownie discovered a Halloween doughnut at the new Krispy Kreme in New York City's Penn Station: this cute pumpkin-shaped Jack-o'-Lantern doughnut (or as we prefer to call it, the Jack-o'-Doughnut)! Blondie says the icing was incredibly sweet and turned her mouth orange. Halloween lovers can grab these doughnuts at participating Krispy Kremes until October 31. Krispy Kreme is also offering pumpkin spice cake doughnuts until November 30.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, October 16, 2008 at 11:00 AM
Carving ideas from pumpkinway.com
You've already proven that you're good with knives in the kitchen (chopping and dicing), but now let's see what happens when a pumpkin is involved.
We're holding our first Serious Eats Pumpkin Carving Contest to see what carving talents lurk out there! Just upload your photos to our easy-to-use Photograzing (you'll need to log into your Serious Eats account, or sign up for free). We want to see your orange masterpieces, be they funny, creative, or scary!
- Deadline: You have until
October 29th Saturday, November 1 at 6PM (EST) to upload photos. We'll announce the winners Halloween morning Monday afternoon (November 3).
- What we're looking for: Originality, creativity, and craftsmanship. Try to take the best photo possible, and make sure to include a description with your submission.
- Judges: The Serious Eats team
- Prizes: Prizes will include: a William-Sonoma Pumpkin Carving Kit and Dremel Pumpkin Carving Drill, Viking knives, and holiday cookbooks. Stay tuned for details!
- Inspiration: Carving tips, carving templates, and more how-to instruction.
UPDATE: Our Top 3 Prizes
1st place: Viking Professional Chef's Cutlery Starter Set (Set includes: Five-inch flexible boning knife, eight-inch chef knife, four-inch paring knife)
2nd place: Eight-inch Viking Professional Chef's Knife
3rd place: Four-inch Viking Professional Paring Knife
All Viking knives are stainless steel, have a lifetime warranty, and are handmade in Germany with authentic Old World craftsmanship. (They are not necessarily for pumpkins.)
Posted by Matthew Amster-Burton, October 16, 2008 at 9:00 AM
Editor's Note: To continue our Halloween coverage, Matthew Amster-Burton shares this holiday cupcake idea for the kids: black cat cupcakes.
"My corporate overlords at Serious Eats have demanded a Halloween post," I told my daughter, Iris, 4. "What's something we could make together to eat for Halloween?"
"How about an edible cat?" she replied.
"That sounds hard."
"We could use cupcakes." This is her solution to everything.
We wanted them to be black cats, of course, but my wife Laurie reminded me that black food coloring tastes terrible, so we decided on dark chocolate frosting. (Chocolate is my solution to everything.) For tails and whiskers, we'd use black licorice whips. For the ears, wedges of York peppermint patties. And for the eyes, white M&M's. At the party store near our house, they have one of those M&M's displays where you can choose from over a dozen colors. "We should get a few blue, just in case," said Iris.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 14, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Halloween brings out the strangest, most disturbing baking impulses in all of us. Suddenly, it's acceptable to eat Barbie witch, blood-shot eye balls, and leaves. The best is when pastry perfectionist Martha Stewart asks for photos of such frightening creations on her site. Check out her gallery of creepy treats, where some submissions look a little too creepy for Martha's taste.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 14, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Editor's Note: To continue our Halloween coverage, here's a look at what the "bad houses" give out. Trick-or-treaters, beware: This is the gross stuff you probably want to avoid.
Toothbrushes
Dentists and orthodontists should not be allowed to celebrate Halloween if they're going to get all tooth doctory on us. Do not bring your work home with you, folks! We all have a personal responsibility to brush, and maybe some of us will forget, but your complimentary bristles on a stick (instead of a Snickers) will not help us remember. It will make us despise you and your trade.
Raisins
Little boxes of stuck-together shriveled globs are not what little kids schlep around the neighborhood for all night. When they say trick-or-treat, they want candy that will rot their teeth, not wrinkled grapes. (Using an empty box as a kazoolike instrument, though, is kinda fun.)
Continue reading »
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 14, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Prudy of Prudence Pennywise wanted a dark and spooky snack while reading the vampiric Twilight series (how very of the moment!). A little food for thought, if you will. Something she could devour as quickly as the novel. The result: Chocolate Buttermilk Cookies, crowned with candy corn, which Prudy describes as "brownie-ish." What’s more, according to her estimate, these cookies can be created for just around $3.
These cookies make me wonder why vampires crave blood, when really, there is so much chocolate to lust after!
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 13, 2008 at 7:00 PM
The New York Daily News encourages this trick for those of us who want to doll out treats come October 31: buy candy in bulk online. The newspaper offered 10 online venues that sell the sweetest things at the sweetest deals online, and I decided to pay each a visit to see if we can’t get a little more detail on what each has to offer—like cool candy finds, shipping costs, and site accessibility. Penny [candy] for my thoughts?
Note: I didn’t include anything that wasn’t individually wrapped without so indicating.
MetroCandy.com has a great selection of wrapped mini candies and Halloween themed treats. Favorites: Antique-looking wrapped caramel filled apples and peanut butter pumpkins ($16.18 and $15.60 for 40, respectively); Caramel Apples Pops (a heavily-discounted MUST...$5.51 for 48); mini bags of Haribo gummy bears ($8.64 for 72). Details: $50 minimum order; 10% off for new customers; within New York state, can only ship to businesses. Shipping: on a $50.00 order, $17.91.
Continue reading »
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, October 13, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's Note: We're back with Vintage Candy Monday in celebration of Halloween. This week, the Necco Wafer!
As far as nostalgia candies go, Necco Wafers go way back. Since its launch in 1912, not much has changed about the chalky candies except the price. It was 5 cents in the '50s, and remains a low 90 cents per roll of 38 to 40 wafers today (making each wafer as close to penny candy as you’ll get in the twenty-first century).
The Necco Wafer has an illustrious history. In 1913, explorer Donald MacMillan took Necco Wafers on his Arctic expedition as nutrition for his men, and as rewards for Eskimo children. In 1930 Admiral Byrd took two and a half tons of the candy to the South Pole, nearly a pound a week for each man. And during World War II, the wafers were commissioned by the United States government as treats for American soldiers, because they are fortuitously resistant to destruction, making them something of a victory candy.
Continue reading »
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 9, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Since packaged candy corn tends to have non-vegan-friendly ingredients like gelatin, egg whites, and beeswax, vegan baker Melissa Elliott of The Urban Housewife made her own vegan candy corn by using Earth Balance and soy milk. She also shares tips and tricks for an optimal candy corn-making experience. Since they're a bit tedious to make, she recommends throwing a candy corn party with friends. [via The Kitchn]
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 9, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Our intern Kerry Saretsky and I searched high and low for the best non-edible but edible-looking costumes for men, women, and children this season. Because the only thing better than eating food is looking like it!
Men
Pez Available on brandsonsale.com for $39.99.
T-Bone: Available on amazon.com for $49.99.
Taco: Available on fantasytoyland.com for $34.95.
Women
Blueberry Muffin: Available on animalmascots.com for $659.00. (What the..?)
Peeps: Available on buycostomes.com for $64.99.
Deviled Eggs: Available on mooncostumes.com for $38.95.
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Posted by Allison Hemler, October 9, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Photograph from oskay on Flickr
Though the new season of Battlestar Galactica doesn't start up until January, remind yourself of the amazing show by attempting to carve a Cylon Jack-O-Lantern, complete with intimidating red-eye scan. You might even be able to program it to destroy mischievous teenagers on Mischief Night. Or maybe you can get it to divulge the Final Five or spill if the humans really did get to Earth. No matter what, you'll need a mechanically-trained mind to figure out the instructions.
Check out some of the Cylon Jack-O-Lanterns in action, after the jump.
Continue reading »
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 7, 2008 at 12:15 PM
"Sonya is having a little bit of a hard time being a Caesar salad. She really wanted to be a pie." As if little babies couldn't get any cuter and pudgier, that factor gets multiplied by infinity when they wiggle in lobster, lemon meringue pie, and roast turkey costumes.
Isabele Ortley is responsible for the crafty Halloween costumes, and showed them off on an episode of the Martha Stewart Show in 2006. At the end, Ortley demonstrates step-by-step how to turn your munchkin into a succulent roast turkey, complete with drumsticks! The best is the little one passed out in the apple pie costume. She seems pretty over her lattice-topped belly. Video, after the jump.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 7, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Every morning in October, we'll have something to put you in the Halloween mood! Boo!
When I first heard about the pumpkin spice Hershey's Kisses, I didn't know what to expect. Would there be chocolate? A pumpkin center? A pumpkin shell?
There's no chocolate involved. A cinnamony creme center. And yes, a pumpkin shell.
I've had the pumpkin muffins, pumpkin beer, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin soup, pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin candles lit in my room. It was only a matter of time before the world threw another pumpkin thing at me, and I approved.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 6, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Editor's Note: Every Monday, we'll spotlight a vintage candy to put you in the Halloween mood. This week, the Charleston Chew.
Named after the dance craze during the 1920s, the Charleston Chew (née 1922) comes in vanilla with chocolate coating, strawberry, and chocolate. Though there's no directions on the wrapper, it's an unspoken rule to put a Charleston Chew in the freezer first. Once hard and ice-cold, the Charleston Chew gets a “Charleston Chew Crack," or smack against the table to make for a zillion its and bits. Basically, if you don't know someone with a freezer, you should properly fixate on another candy.
I like that the school bus yellow wrapper has outlived any color changing initiatives, and the abnormally long size is a smart financial investment.
Whether or not you've been to Charleston, you are definitely allowed to love this candy.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, October 3, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Editor's Note: Every morning in October, we'll have something to put you in the Halloween mood!
Candy corn is a love or hate situation, but some people just really really love it. If your ears are cold and you're on the pro side of the candy corn debate, then here's a free hat pattern through Reenie at the yarn site Material Whirled. [via Craftzine]
Posted by Caitlin Kenney, October 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Editor's Note: Every morning in October, we'll have something to put you in the Halloween mood!
It's not hard to find Halloween snacks to impress kids, but finding something classy and creepy enough for adults can be a bit more difficult. That’s why the Eyeball Caprese makes the perfect appetizer for any Halloween party. It’s a simple twist on a classic insalata caprese, and it looks fantastic.
The key ingredient here is the Castelvetrano olives, an Italian specialty that has the perfect shade of bright green skin—as Evil Mad Scientist notes: "You can of course use other types of green olives, but they probably won't look quite as alive." If you're wondering how to make the pupil shape precise, the trick is to use a plastic drinking straw. [via super punch]
Related
Photo of the Day: Halloween Cupcake
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Posted by Allison Hemler, October 1, 2008 at 8:00 PM
I found these ridiculous wart-covered pumpkins at the quintessential country food market, Delicious Orchards, in Colts Neck, New Jersey. They don't necessarily scream "take me home and cook me." (Who knows what limbs you might grow afterward.) But they make for great front porch Halloween decor.
Posted by Clay Gordon, October 1, 2008 at 2:30 PM
Several advocacy and humanitarian organizations are asking Americans to participate in "reverse trick-or-treating" this Halloween to help build awareness about inequities in the global cocoa industry and alert consumers to Fair Trade chocolate alternatives. For the second year in a row, Co-Op America, Global Exchange, and other non-profits are sending kits to consumers across the U.S. for free, asking them to join in their efforts to raise the profile of Fair Trade chocolate.
The idea is for trick-or-treaters to "give back" Fair Trade chocolates at the houses they visit, "sharing a friendly Fair Trade message with [their] neighbors," according to Co-Op America. Last year, chocolate for reverse trick-or-treating 72,000 households was distributed. (Note: that's less than one-hundredth of one percent of U.S. households.) The chocolate included in the reverse trick-or-treating kits will be donated by Alter Eco, Equal Exchange, La Siembra, and Theo Chocolate.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, September 19, 2008 at 9:00 PM
As a Peeps hater, I don't approve of special edition Peeps, let alone the traditional Easter ones. But this has gone too far: Sugar-free Pumpkin Peeps, made with Splenda.
Trying to create a "sugar-free" Peep is like attempting "vegetable-less" cabbage. Even if you're limited to a sugar-free diet, this is not worth it. Splenda may be 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, but this tastes like foam. A foamy mattress, to be exact.
To make it worse, the set of three pumpkins was $1.99. Three orange, fat circles with nubs—bearing mattressy undertones—for two-bucks! And if you need one more reason to avoid this, the package says: EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION MAY CAUSE STOMACH DISCOMFORT AND/OR A MILD LAXATIVE EFFECT.
Do these put you in the Halloween mood? In general, do you like that non-Easter Peeps exist?
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 31, 2007 at 6:00 PM
I love this awesome ghost cupcake with innards of green buttercream frosting and a gumdrop for a brain that Jill Davis found at Wheatberry Bakery in Pasadena, California. The only way I could imagine it being cooler is if they had used a red or licorice gumdrop instead.
The New York Times looks into the candy lobby's role in extending daylight saving time by a month. The lobby believed that the extra hour of trick-or-treating in daylight would increase candy sales and decrease child deaths.
Instead of giving out Snickers bars and Hershey Kisses, why not pop edible candy scabs or poop-shaped chocolate into your trick-or-treaters' bags? Check out Wired's list of the creepiest, craziest Halloween candies for more ideas. Kids will eat anything!
Candyfreak
author Steve Almond analyzes your candy-giver personality at the Washington Post. For example, he labels those who give out candy corn as, "Purely deluded people. They don't get that candy shouldn't attempt to imitate other food groups, particularly corn."
The New York Times has some good reading in the dining section today:
Posted by Ed Levine, October 31, 2007 at 6:31 AM
"I developed a candy hierarchy, along with an elaborate trading scheme in which I would try to pawn off the candies I couldn't stand to unsuspecting friends and neighbors in exchange for a candy bar."
Candy corn, chocolate ice cubes, candy peanuts, and generic hard candies are patently unacceptable. To me they show a lack of respect for trick-or-treaters everywhere. Photograph from iStockphoto.com
For someone like me, who has a serious sweet tooth and likes to eat a lot, Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I always loved trick-or-treating, and to me Halloween was always about the candy.
It certainly wasn't about the costumes. I was always the kid dressed up like, well, me. My mother was too busy to think about what costume I wanted or needed to wear on Halloween, so I'd go to Halloween parties dressed as Ed Levine. There was nothing fun, festive, or scary about that particular state of affairs.
For me the candy was king, and not just any candy, either. There were candies I desperately wanted in copious amounts, candies that were sort of OK—"sweet tooth–neutral" I used to call them—and then there were the candies I was desperate to avoid, that I regarded like the plague. I developed a candy hierarchy, along with an elaborate trading scheme in which I would try to pawn off the candies I couldn't stand to unsuspecting friends and neighbors in exchange for a candy bar. Those trades were built around an exchange of quantity for quality.
So consider my baker's (or should I say confectioner's) dozen halloween candy hierarchy.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, October 30, 2007 at 6:45 PM
Not Martha shows you how to make crawly spider cakes for Halloween using various kinds of Pocky, snack cakes, sugar eyes and chocolate sprinkles. Spiders will never again look as freakishly adorable or taste as sweet.
Learn how to make a bacon costume. All you need is foam, some big plastic bags, stick pins, spray paint in various baconesque colors, a hot-glue gun, Velcro fastener tape, and a burning love for bacon. [via Make]
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 26, 2007 at 12:30 PM
The above video from About.com shows you how to carve a pumpkin in just three minutes!
...I mean, the video is three minutes long. It'll probably take you longer than that unless you have an electric saw. Whatever you do, don't hack it with a sword.
Carving a pumpkin is easy, results in a nice decoration, and is a good way to get our your aggressions if you want to stab something. Check out these links for pumpkin carving tips, stencils and inspiration:
And if you don't have access to a real pumpkin, there's always virtual pumpkin carving.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 22, 2007 at 5:30 PM
Lately I've noticed Halloween-themed cupcakes popping up at bakeries and grocery stores, but none of them look as cool or creepy as Nicole Weston's vampire cupcakes. They pulsate with the sugary goodness of cherry pie filling blood!
Suicide Food points out the unsettling side of Martha Stewart's baby Halloween costumes that turn your helpless bundle of joy into a roast turkey or lobster: "You are pretending for your baby, imagining she is food, meat, a dead and cooked animal." Perhaps slightly less gruesome: a salad or a pie.
