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Jaci did manage to make it back from Rhode Island in time for Halloween- so we decided to celebrate in style. Three weeks ago we had gone to the pumpkin patch to pick up our perfect lanterns (a new Halloween tradition for Jaci, not so new for Ben). So the first order of business was to carve the lanterns. Winston is no stranger to carving lanterns, or dressed up strangers, as we had Halloween at Leckford Road both years in England, but country life has made him a little more farm ready for pumpkin patches. As you can see from the pictures- we went for classic style jack o’lanterns and they turned out very well!

Jaci was a little worried that we would have no kids show up at our house, since we are on the corner of a cul de sac- so she decorated the outside with a Halloween banner, some fake leaves, and 2 of the pumpkins. Obviously, one had to stay inside by our “hearth” to protect us from evil spirits- their main purpose on all hallows eve. (Note: we don’t actually have a hearth, but all this is metaphorical at best). To further prepare for trick or treaters we dressed up- Jaci as a fairy and me as sort of an old school vampire (teeth, cape- no diamond skin) but was wearing jeans. Winston started out as a dragon monster, but after some costume failures, he also became a fairy with his mother. (The failures were due to his teeth, but what can you do?)

For dinner, I made pumpkin, dahl, and roti. Amusingly, I was wearing a “Blood donor” apron while I was cooking, which went very well with the teeth and the cape. While cooking we enjoyed birthday martinis for Jaci, and during dinner- some of our new wine (thanks mom and dad!). We watched An American Warewolf in Paris as our pseudo-scary Halloween movie (which hopefully Jaci reviews- its now one of her favorite movies of all time– so bad its good!).

But we were quickly interrupted from our relaxing night by ghouls and ghosts in the night! There are hordes of kids in our neighborhood- in fact we quickly ran out of candy. Mostly this is my fault- at the beginning because we thought we would be skipped over, I may have been overly generous with the candy giving. Around 7 I had to make a frantic run to the grocery store to get more candy. Unfortunately in my panic, I grabbed six bags of candy- which was way too much, so in the end we had too many left overs anyway. While I was driving to the grocery store I was amazed by the number of kids in our neighborhood- seriously crowds like those in our neighborhood you can usually only find and sports stadiums!

Jaci was jet lagged- so unfortunately she passed out way early (although, pretty late for east coast time). I continued Halloween with Interview with a Vampire, then True Blood, and made it to All Hallows day! So here’s wishing you all a happy All Saints!

I am going to give a hand at this recipe, which is a sweet and spicy butternut squash dish. It is simple to make, but can take a long time. If you have any additions to this web page or recipe changes, please email me, so I can fix them right away! (Or just leave a comment).

Pumpkin

Ingredients:

• 1 whole butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped well.
• water to cover
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• ~1 tbsp garam masala
• ~1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon or 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 whole hot peppers

Directions:
Peel and seed butternut squash, then chop into small pieces. Put some oil on the bottom of a stockpot and heat until hot, add the onion, garlic, and cumin seed and fry until fragrant. Add the pumpkin and fry to caramelize and seal (about 3 minutes). Fill the stockpot with water until squash is just barely covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Add spices and sugar, cover, and simmer until squash is soft, about an hour. Stir occasionally.

At this point, the squash should be absorbing the water and turning into a mash. Continue to stir the pumpkin until it is well combined with the water. Taste the pumpkin at this point and if it is getting spicy you can remove the hot peppers. Continue to simmer until thick, another 10 minutes; it will be a little less thick than mashed potatoes when fully cooked.

Serve with roti and rice while still hot. Also good for breakfast with bakes and egg.

This traditional Guyanese flatbread is a staple of a top-of the line Guyanese meal, and probably the most important single dish after rice for a Guyanese cook to learn. For Indian cooking, you can find flatbreads in many shapes and sizes- na’an being the most popular; however truly Caribbean cooking always incorporates roti rather than other rising flatbreads thanks to a strong Punjabi tradition in Trinidad, Guyana, and Jamaica. Serve this dish with curries and main dishes, and it will become the only utensil you will need for the meal; simply tear a piece of roti, and use it with your fingers to grab the dish- eat and enjoy!

Roti

Ingredients:

• 8 cups (2 lbs/1 kg) all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 to 2.5 cups water
• ~ 1 cup vegetable oil and/or melted ghee

Directions:
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add water and mix to form a soft dough, using a little extra water if necessary. Knead dough smooth and elastic (the better kneaded, the better the roti). Cover and let rest for one hour, or until risen to double its size.

Divide dough into 8 equal parts and shape into smooth balls. On a floured surface, roll out the balls to a circle of about 5 to 6 inches. Place a teaspoon of oil/ghee in the center and spread almost to the edges using the back of the spoon. Cut a line from middle point to edge. Pick up the cut edge and roll it clockwise into a cone shape. When you have nearly reached the end of the cone, stretch remaining piece of dough under the back of the cone and firmly press into the base. Place back on work surface, press down and reshape into a ball. Continue with the remaining dough, then let sit for 20 minutes.

Flour your work surface. Heat a large frying pan or tawa over medium heat. Roll a ball of oiled dough out to form a circle an eighth of an inch thick and about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Place on tawa and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the surface begins to bubble and rise. Turn the roti and spread a teaspoon of oil over the entire surface and repeat. Cook both sides until lightly grilled.

After each roti cooks, turn it onto a plate. Hold cooked roti in one hand and let go, catching it with a clapping motion with both hands. Do this two times to separate the layers (use a towel if hot). Keep warm on a plate lined and covered with cloth until service.

These breads are deep fried and are not greasy when properly cooked. Serve with eggs at breakfast or choka, pumpkin, squash, etc. My kids say their favorite breakfast is bake and eggs! It confuses friends who think they’re being served bacon and eggs, but they are not disappointed when they receive their meal!

Bakes

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups (8oz) self-rising flour (If using non-rising flour, use 1 tsp. baking powder)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• ~1 cup tepid water
• ~2 cups vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Directions:
Mix flour and salt (and baking powder if not using self-rising flour) in a large mixing bowl. Then add margarine and sugar. When you have a crumbly flour mixture, gradually add water, mixing to form a medium firm dough. Knead dough until it forms a smooth ball, 5 to 10 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll dough into a sausage shape 1.5 inches in diameter. Cut into 1.5 inch pieces. Knead each piece in the palm of your hand for 1 minute to form a smooth ball. Finally, roll out each bake to about a ¼ inch thickness.

Heat oil until very hot in a deep pan, karahi, or wok. (To test, add a pinch of dough- if it rises to the top immediately, the oil is hot enough.) Gently lower rolled bakes into hot oil and cook until puffed up and light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side, basting the top with oil to ensure even cooking. Repeat with remaining dough, drain on paper towels, and serve for breakfast!