Today is the day and my daughter is the most excited of anyone. We’re hosting a little movie night at our house tonight complete with all of the spooky foods, cocktails, and mocktails. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re doing!

For your drinking pleasure…

Corpse Reviver no.2 Cocktail

Super kid (and kid at heart) friendly

Halloween-ies with ketchup blood

It’s delish and a little elegant

Apple Cider Skull cakes

Spooky enough to eat a handful

Eyeball Meringues

For a Harry Potter binge

Butter Beer Cookies

For the kid’s at heart

Ice cream floats made with purple & green sodas

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There’s something about a spicy, smoky margarita that feels perfect for Halloween! These are something you can make in a pitcher too - so you can serve them at a party and not have to keep shaking. Just mix the ingredients and then let guests shake to order. Better yet, find a friend who likes to work the bar - it’s usually someone who wants to chat with everyone, but also needs to keep their hands busy. I know who I always choose - it’s a great friend to have!

Try a few mezcals before you settle on one. Everyone likes something a little different and mezcal is unique because it’s so smoky. Like when you pick a scotch, they all taste a little different. It’s handy to buy the tiny little bottles first to try out the varieties. Those big bottles seem even larger when you don’ like what’s inside!

Mezcal Margarita

serves 2

4 ounces mezcal

1/2 ounce jalapeno syrup

1 dash triple sec

juice of 1/2 a lime (2 ounces)

lime wedges

coarse sea salt

STEP 1

Rub the ridge of one glass with the lime and dip half of the rim in salt. If you dip the whole thing, you can end up with a mouth full of salt and no one needs bloated fingers tomorrow. Fill the glass with ice and set aside.

STEP 2

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour mezcal, jalapeño syrup,, triple sec and lime. Shake aggressively for a few seconds. Strain the cocktail into the salted glass. Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and serve.

ALTERNATIVLY

I often will not fill the glass with ice in the beginning, but pour the ice the cocktail was shaken with into my glass. There’s a little melt that happens when you shake and I like to capture all of the flavors. But it’s not traditional, so you do you.

to make the jalapeño syrup

Combine together in a saucepan, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 jalapeño, sliced but not seeded. Simmer until the sugar has melted and the liquid has reduced. Let cool before using.

What’s better than pigs in a blanket? The correct answer is nothing.

This time of year we are eating quite a few pigs in a blanket thanks to the football season - it’s the perfect food for grab and go eating. Which makes it the perfect food for grab and go Halloween eating. I don’t know about your house, but this holiday doesn’t exactly lend itself to sitting around and eating a large meal.

To make these, I used crescent rolls and lil’ smokies. It’s so simple. I don’t really think this needs a recipe, but I’ll type one out anyway. Usually I serve a lil’ smoky with mustard because ketchup is gross. But in this case, it needs to look like blood. So ketchup it is! (I put mustard in a bowl on the side when serving)

Halloweenines

1 package lil’ smokies

2 packages crescent rolls

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll one package of crescent rolls. Use one of the triangles to make the base of your hand.

STEP 2

Slice the remaining rolls into strips. Start wrapping the lil’ smokies and laying them out to form a ‘hand'.’ Use the remaining strips to drape across the top of the lil’ smokies to hold them all together. Repeat with the second roll of crescent rolls and the rest of the lil’ smokies to form a second hand.

STEP 3

Bake about 15-20 minutes until golden brown on a lined baking sheet. Serve with ketchup!

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There is nothing the kids love more than when I make meringues. It’s a fan favorite - and one of the simplest treats you can make! They are literally three ingredients. The secrets are:

1. Don’t make these when it’s pouring down rain, the humidity kills them.

2. Don’t go too fast with the sugar. Be slow.

3. Watch your oven temperature and don’t rush anything.

These are super elegant for this holiday that doesn’t always inspire elegance!

Eyeball Meringues

Makes about 1 dozen

4 large egg whites

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon meringue powder

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with sil-pat or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, whisk together egg whites and salt until bubbly.  With the mixer running slowly add sugar and meringue powder. Whisk until stiff peaks form - about five minutes.

STEP 2

Fit a piping bag with an Ateco number 12 piping tip. Paint stripes on the inside of the piping bag using red food coloring. Carefully fill the piping bag with white meringue.

STEP 3

Gently pipe out giant dollops. Place a candy eye in the center of each circle to flatten out the piping point.

STEP 4

Bake meringues two hours until crisp to the touch.  Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 minutes. Store in an airtight container (I use a ziploc bag) for about a week.

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This is one of my favorite cakes to make this time of year! When you have cute cake molds, you need a cake that doesn’t need a frosting so you don’t cover up the design. I found this cute skull mold earlier this year - Pearl’s favorite holiday is Halloween - so I had to buy it when I found it!

This cake can be made in any shape. I usually choose a regular round cake mold. But you can change it up for the holiday. I hear there are turkey molds so this could be darling for Thanksgiving too.

APPLE CIDER CAKE

½ cup butter, room temperature

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup apple cider

½ cup chopped apple

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the skull mold cake pans and dust them with flour. It’s super important to flour the pans when there are details like this!

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and spices.  Set aside.

STEP 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Whip together until it lightens slightly in color (about 1 minute).

STEP 3

Add half the flour to the sugar mixture in the stand mixer.  Stir until just barely combined.

STEP 4

Pour in apple cider and mix.  Add remaining flour and stir until just barely combined then incorporate the apples.

STEP 5

Pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch round pan.  Pop into the oven and bake 35 minutes – or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool. Mix together the powdered sugar and cider - then pour it over the top of the cake slowly and let it drip off the sides.

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If there was a better name for a Halloween cocktail than this, I can’t think of it. I have friends who adore this drink. They are constantly ordering it at the bars and I haven’t really seen the allure.

Then I made my own. Here’s what I discovered - the amount of lemon juice traditionally called for (1 ounce) is too much. It curdles your stomach. I made this with both fresh lemon juice and the stuff in the carton. Both ways, it needed less than the original recipes called for. With fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce is plenty, with the juice in the carton, I recommend a little less than 1/2 an ounce.

The absinthe rinse seems optional because it’s a rinse, but it’s totally not. The slight licorice flavor with the absinthe and the citrus from everything else is a perfect combination. You can’t beat it when it’s done right. I buy a tiny bottle of absinthe because I don’t really need more than a little bit for this drink. And I don’t need more than a little for the rest of the cocktails I make either.

You will not regret shaking one of these up for Halloween - or really any time! Cin cin!

Corpse Reviver no. 2

makes one cocktail

1 ounce lillet blanc

1 ounce cointreau

1/2 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce dry gin

1/4 ounce absinthe

STEP 1

Pour the absinthe into the cocktail glass and swirl it around. Then dump it out. Or dump it in the next glass if you’re making more.

STEP 2

Pour all of the remaining ingredients into a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake until chilled. It’s about 21 times.

STEP 3

Strain into a cocktail glass and serve cold.

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I was lucky enough to live in Rome when I studied abroad in college. It was easily my favorite place and still is in the top ten. It’s such an amazing city filled with history, culture, and AMAZING food. If it’s an option, I can’t recommend visiting the Eternal City enough.

We took the kids last summer and spent a few days in Rome. It’s never enough. But we did enough to hit the best parts, see the hidden gems, and make sure they had a real understanding that this is a city that is older than Jesus. (really good perspective for Catholic kids)

These are our favorite highlights that we all agreed we would not miss if (when) we go back!

EATS

Do a food tour with Katie Parla. Do not miss this. We had the best experience, ate a few things we might not have tried, and found the best of other things we had already tried. The bar was set high.

Antico Forno Roscioli - the perfect slice of pizza

Popi Popi - A favorite from when I lived up the street, it’s still perfect.

La Campana - Unbeatable and not filled with tourists

Giggetto Al Portico d’Ottavia - The best fried artichoke in Rome, but only when they are in season!

Cafffe Camerino - Their tiny pastries are made in house, go for the pistachio ones

Gelateria della Palma - Lots of people will claim they know the best gelato place in town, but unless it’s this one, then they are wrong.

Campo di Fiori - The best farmer’s market you’ve ever seen in your life. Buy the dried spices (above) and make the sauce of your dreams when you get home.

SIGHTS

This feels like a major “duh” because the sights are as historic as anything in the world. But there are a few sneaky places I definitely recommend.

Bocca della Verita - The mouth of truth. It was a storm drain from the Roman era, but priests revived it in the Middle Ages and would “bite” the hand of a liar. Very Middle Ages. Test your luck.

Basilica di Santa Maria del Popolo - A church you would otherwise not stop in, but it holds a Caravaggio painting that is extraordinary. Church art is a great way to see amazing art without the museum stop.

Piazza Navona - This is my favorite. I adore Bernini and love the contrast of his fountains and the church behind. There are also epic roof top bars nearby that give an amazing view of the city.

Santa Maria sopra Minerva - A church next to the Pantheon. Since you are obviously there already, pop in and look up. The ceiling is what the Sistine Chapel looked like before Michelangelo painted. Also, the cutest elephant lives outside the church. (Also, “sopra” means “over” because this church was built OVER a temple to Minerva, the Roman goddess)

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My favorite Italian cocktails

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My favorite Italian inspired recipes

Here’s my Apple Guide to Rome

Here’s what I packed for Italy

La Tavola Marche

If you’re looking for something totally different and amazing, check out my friends Cooking School + B&B in the Marche region. It’s literally the best time ever.

In Seattle, our window to grow tomatoes is short. If you don’t have your plants in the ground by early May, there’s no chance you’ll have very many ripe tomatoes. And then if it’s a cool summer, a rainy summer, or just a short summer, then you’re also out of luck. It’s a real risk to be a tomato farmer in the Pacific Northwest.

But totally one worth taking if you love tomatoes.

There’s a sunny side to this short season - green tomatoes! They are quite similar to tomatillos. So one year I tried making this salsa verde from our green tomatoes and I was pleasantly surprised at how delish it is! It’s just like when it’s made with tomatillos. And since I have a proliferation of green tomatoes - I can make a whole bunch of this to save for the winter.

Usually I freeze this sauce once it’s made. I have been known to can it as well, but that can be challenging. So why not just freeze it?!

Do you love Pork Verde as much as I do?! Here’s an easy weeknight dinner ready to go. Just defrost the sauce, simmer the pork in the sauce and serve with rice and beans.

green tomato salsa verde

5 pounds green tomatoes

2 jalapenos, sliced

1 large (or 2 small) onions, peeled and sliced

5 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large bunch cilantro

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 cup chicken stock

salt

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop the tomatoes into even pieces and spread them on a baking sheet. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeño to the sheet. Pour the oil over the top of everything and toss gently. Sprinkle with a healthy amount of salt. Pop it into the oven. Roast about 20 minutes until bubbly and toasty brown.

STEP 2

When the tomatoes are bubbly and getting a tiny bit brown on the edges, pull them from the oven. Scoop the entire pan of tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and garlic into a blender. Add the broth, cilantro, cumin and a bit more salt. Blend well.

STEP 3

Pour it over chicken, pork, or veggies. Or freeze for up to a few months! If you’re into canning, you can can this and keep it in the pantry.

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I had completely forgotten about these cookies until I was looking for a totally different recipe this last week and ran across this gem! These are my Grandma Leona’s cookie bars. Grandma Leona died before I was born, but I have been told by many that she and I were kindred spirits. She was crafty, a cook, made things overly fancy for no reason - so clearly she was great.

There are a handful of things that have come down from her that are clear memories of my childhood; gaudy Christmas ornaments and these cookie bars are the top two.

My mom used to make these regularly when fall began and they still make me feel all the cozy fall feels. They are quirky to make, because they begin with cooking down the raisins. My mom always made them in the pan the raisins cooked in because that’s how Leona made them. I put them in a stand mixer because I’m lazier than both of them.

The key is to make sure the raisin mixture is hot when you use it so the shortening melts. I still use shortening because we are mostly dairy free around here - so that’s easy. If shortening is not your thing, they cook equally as well with butter!

Let me know what you think. Did your grandma have cookie bars that she made?

Grandma Leona’s Raisin Bars

makes 2 dozen bars

1 cup raisins

1 cup water

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small sauce pan, cook together the raisins and water over low heat until the water is half evaporated.

STEP 2

When raisins are still warm, pour them into the bowl of a stand mixer and immediately add the shortening - you need it to melt down.

STEP 3

Whisk in eggs and sugar and beat until completely combined.

STEP 4

Add all dry ingredients - I usually mix them in a small bowl first, but you don’t have to. Stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated. It takes a minute so be patient. But don’t over mix!

STEP 5

Pour the batter into a greased 9x12 pan. The batter won’t look like it’s enough, but spread a thin layer and have faith. It will fill the pan! Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

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I’ve been making this chili for an eternity. It is literally the oldest recipe in my entire collection which is why I was shocked that I hadn’t already posted it! If you’ve been around a while and have my book - then you’ve seen it in there.

Otherwise, here’s her debut! The relaunch of an old favorite. It’s that recipe that you completely forgot about and then when you see it again, you’re beyond excited. This is that one. It’s so simple because I just cook the chicken in the broth. Let it go as long as you want, it will just shred easier.

Need a short cut? Buy rotisserie chicken and shred that. Buy the already shredded version. You do you. Just don’t leave out the sour cream topping. It’s the perfect creamy contrast. If you are non-dairy (we are here!) then just use the non-dairy sour cream. Yes, there’s a weird flavor sometimes - no worries. You’re adding cilantro and lime which will cover up any odd flavor. I’ve found the sour cream made from tofu seems to do the best with these sauces.

White Chicken Chili

Serves 4

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ onion, finely diced

1 tbs cumin

1 tsp oregano

6 cups chicken stock

1 - 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 – 15 oz can cannellini beans

1 pound chicken breasts

8oz sour cream

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

STEP 1

In a large stock-pot cook jalapeno, garlic, and onion in butter and olive oil.  Cook until soft.  Add cumin and oregano, cooking until fragrant – about a minute.

STEP 2

Pour in stock and both cans of beans – undrained.  Bring to a boil and add chicken.  Cook on medium/low for about 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

STEP 3

In a blender, combine sour cream, lime zest, juice, and cilantro.  Pulse until combined.

STEP 4

Before serving, shred chicken with two forks.  Serve with cilantro cream.

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