Sea Creature BOOOdles

One thought crossed our mind when we saw President’s Choice Black Label Nero di Seppia spaghetti: Halloween.

Sure, we’ve enjoyed the wonders of squid-ink infused pasta before, but there is something so deliciously creepy about it.

And paired with seafood, a la Babbo, it’s a spooktacular dish to be shared in October.

SEA CREATURE BOOODLES

• 3 medium garlic cloves minced
• 1 pound large shrimp (21-25), peeled, deveined, each shrimp cut into 2 pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (or a mix of lemon olive oil)
• interesting salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 pound black spaghetti
• 2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• cream pesto cooking sauce

• Toss 2 teaspoons minced garlic, shrimp, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.
• Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until just al dente, then drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
• Add shrimp with marinade to skillet in single layer. Cook shrimp, undisturbed, until oil starts to bubble gently, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until almost cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to medium bowl. Add tomato and cooking sauce and simmer until cream thickens. Return shrimp and sauce, and toss with pasta.

Trickerdoodles!

When it comes to Halloween desserts, we typically take a pass — those mini candy bars are festive enough.

But on this fresh fall day, after preparing the garden to plant tulip bulbs and breathing in that beautiful autumn air, we were inspired for a little baking.

Some pumpkin pie spice we’d mixed earlier became an inspiration for these snickerdoodles. A perfect pairing with some creamy chai tea, served in this very adorable teapot.

TRICKERDOODLES
recipe from Martha Stewart
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon (we used our mixture of pumpkin pie spice)

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment ( or you can use a hand mixer).
Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low, gradually mix in flour mixture.

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 balls (1 3/4 inch), roll balls in cinnamon/sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks.

Dinner and a Mooooovie 5.0

Horror of horrors: On Oct. 31, it looks as though we will not be home to greet and treat our wee neighbourhood ghoulies.

We can only make our peace with that disappointment by fulfilling our October-long Dinner and a Mooooovie nights featuring some frightening nibbles for two.

Pinterest has only further enabled our obsessive love affair with all things Halloween. Though we’ve long collected outrageous recipes and haunting party ideas, this year we are paring down.

Some festive movie snacks and a decaying dinner dish or two.

And what great dishes these are. We already took advantage of a chilly autumn day to roast multiple heads of garlic, freezing the sweet, golden cloves for easy use.

Graveyard dip: Our favourite hot bean dip with Halloween cookie cutter toasted tortilla cutouts (make one batch but separate into three containers. Moderation, people!)

Martha’s decaying upside down mushroom pastries

Julie’s awesome Steak bites and dipping sauce

Black pasta with seafood in cream and wine sauce

Enchanted chicken and mushroom soup

And, of course, an annual appearance of Jackolantern Burgers