Gastronomy: Menacing Mixes

Don’t let the kids have all the fun this year! Whether you’re throwing a soirée or spending a simple evening at home passing out candy, take time to whip-up a batch of menacing mixes. To please the inner-child in you, sample the Jade—this day-glow, pucker-punch of a cocktail easily satisfies any Skittles craving. If something a little more restrained is your style, try the Scary Screwdriver. Fresh juices paired with black vodka provide both the trick and the treat. Happy Halloween!

Scary Screwdriver

1/4 c ice
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz black vodka
1 gummy worm for garnish

Place ice in tall glass with juice. Pour vodka over the back of a spoon so it sits on top of juice. Garnish with gummy worm.

Jade Cocktail

Ice
2 oz pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz vanilla vodka
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz Midori
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. And add all of the ingredients. Shake, strain, and serve.

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Gastronomy: Dark and Stormy

It’s spooky, it’s creepy, it’s Halloween: How about a Dark and Stormy?

Last weekend, my wonderful, hospitable neighbors had us over for dinner after our local children's Halloween parade. While all of our crazy toddlers were running amuck from an overabundance of Halloween sugared treats, the adults decided to overindulge, too! The Dark and Stormy splendidly weather-proofed us from the noisy deluge of 10 overactive, rapturous children!

Dark and Stormy

2 c spiced rum
4 c light colored ginger beer
Ice
Orange sugar
Black gummy bat, spider, or worm

Mix rum and beer gently in an iced pitcher. Distribute evenly into six orange sugar rimmed glasses. Add creepy gummy worms, spiders, or bats and toast to All Hallows Eve!

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Obsession: Slow-Cooked Beef Stew and Pumpkin Seeds

On Halloween evening, before the trick-or-treating and the candy-gorging begin, I like to serve a healthy, hearty, and easy meal. Based on our readers’ questions, we’ve drummed up the perfect solution: Slow-Cooked Beef Stew and Pumpkin Seeds.

Beef Stew

2 lbs boneless stewing beef, 1-inch cubes, trimmed
1/3 c flour
Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
3 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 c baby carrots, peeled, whole
4 baking potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 14 oz can beef broth
1 ½ c red wine

In a mixing bowl, toss beef with flour, salt, and pepper; coat evenly. Transfer beef to slow cooker; add all remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on high for 6 hours. Serve with salad and fresh-made pumpkin seeds. Serves 4-5.

Pumpkin Seeds
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Using a colander, rinse seeds thoroughly with cold water to remove pulp. When seeds are clean, lightly pat dry with paper towel. To mixing bowl, add seeds, approximately 1 T olive oil (or just enough to lightly coat seeds), and kosher salt* to taste. Layer seeds evenly on baking sheet and cook for 60 minutes or until golden brown; stirring occasionally. Serve with stew or cool and store in airtight container.

*For spicy seeds, use a dash of cayenne pepper in addition to your salt.

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