If people exchanged gifts for Halloween as is the custom for Christmas, Valentine's Day and birthdays, The Monster's Cookbook: Everyday Recipes for the Living, Dead and Undead -- revised edition featuring recipes suitable for humans -- (Mitchell Beazley, $15) from Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, would be at the top of my wish list.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies, Purveyor of Quality Goods for Monsters of Every Kind (monstersupplies.org), is a real shop in London operated under license from the Ministry of Stories, a creative writing and mentoring charity for young people. Proceeds of the shop benefit the ministry's programs.
Every page of this book delighted me. From the advertisements in the opening pages for Fang Floss (biodegradable 3-ply jute twine) and Salt Made From Tears (of anger, laughter, sorrow, envy and boredom) to the Golden Rules for Entertaining ("Dragons and Yetis should be seated at opposite ends of the table for obvious reasons of temperature control" and "Under no circumstances should you seat a Cyclops next to a Giant Spider. Despite their size, Cyclopses tend to be sensitive about their solitary eye and they might construe the seating as an underhand insult.") and that's before I ever got to a recipe.
Speaking of recipes, I can't wait to try Crunching Bone Toffee (milk chocolate, toffee, milk, vegetable oil and popcorn); Dragon Fuel (chile-infused chocolate truffles); Turkish Despair; Unicorn Pie (chicken thighs, onion, garlic and mushrooms encased in pastry complete with a horn); Fee Fi Fo Fum Spread (quince paste); and Battery Acid Brulee.
And while the titles may have spooky or unappetizing names to us humans, the recipes produce decidedly appetizing and not scary dishes.
I made the Corpse Quiches and Strawberry Shortdeads (shortbread sandwich cookies filled with buttercream and strawberry jam) and they were delicious.
Corpse Quiches
11 ounces gluten-free pastry (see note)
Flour, for dusting
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
4 slices smoked bacon, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided use
3 eggs
1 cup milk (I used half-and-half)
1 teaspoon mustard powder (I used spicy prepared mustard)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Cut pastry into 6 pieces, then roll out 1 piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until a little larger than a 4-inch gratin dish or tart pan. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap, turn pastry over and drape into the pan, and remove the remaining sheet of plastic wrap. Press pastry firmly into the bottom and sides of pan using flour-dusted fingers. Patch any cracks or breaks with trimmings. Repeat with remaining pastry to make 6 crusts.
(If using refrigerated pie crust, unroll as directed on package. Invert the baking dishes on the unrolled crust and cut crust using the dishes as a guide. Place crusts in pans.)
Chill crusts for 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the bacon and onion and fry, stirring frequently, until onion is golden and bacon is crisp. Drain.
Divide 3/4 cup of the cheese among the crusts. Divide the bacon-onion mixture among the crusts.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. (I did not use any salt.) Pour egg mixture into the crusts. Sprinkle with chives and remaining cheese.
Bake quiches for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and the pastry is cooked through. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pans and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Note: I do not have a gluten intolerance, so I used gluten-rich pastry from a 15-ounce box of refrigerated crust with excellent results.
Food on 09/28/2016