Darkness descends on Halloween menus

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Halloween menus, if there are such things beyond raiding the kids’ plastic jack-o’-lanterns, tend to get all punny and cutesy with the likes of boo-berry cupcakes, wormy pasta dishes and, always, some sort of hard-cooked egg that is supposed to be a bloodshot eye. Har-har, indeed.

This year, do Halloween in a more elegant way. Make a meal starring foods that are as black as they can possibly be to create a noir-hued menu designed to raise eyebrows - deliciously.

What’s interesting about these inky dark ingredients is that any accent color in a dish - the orangey pink of a baby octopus in a tangle of squid ink pasta, say, or the green tip of an asparagus spear amid the grains of a bowl of forbidden rice - will stand out dramatically against the black.

There’s much to discover in black foods, once you get past the innate fear of mortality that color has long symbolized - or maybe embrace that; it is Halloween, after all. Savor the black olive: decadently deep and winey. Be surprised at the sturdy nuttiness of black rice. Savor the slipperiness of squid ink linguine or the plushness of long-simmered black beans. Then there’s the electric tartness of fresh blackberries and the visual shock of ice cream made from black sesame seeds. And don’t forget black licorice or nori seaweed.

Octopus Over Squid Ink Pasta

Salt

1 pound squid ink linguine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, drained, coarsely chopped

1 pound baby octopus, cleaned, bodies left whole OR 1 pound squid, cleaned, bodies cut into ¼-inch wide rings, tentacles left whole OR 1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp

Crushed red pepper flakes

Heat a large stockpot of well salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add the onion and cook until beginning to soften.

Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Then add the wine;

cook, stirring up any bits stuck to the bottom, until reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes and octopus or squid (if using) and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 to 25 minutes. If using shrimp, add it during the last 4 to 5 minutes of simmering. Season with red pepper flakes and salt to taste, if needed. Toss with the drained pasta and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Black Sesame Seed Ice Cream

1 cup black sesame seeds

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup vanilla soy milk

1 cup honey

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, 3-5 minutes. (You may need to toast them in batches.) Put seeds in a blender with the cream, soy milk and honey. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve garnished with fresh mint leaves.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from Cooking With an Asian Accent by Ying Chang Compestine (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $29.99), which is slated for publication in January.

In Sylvia’s Table (Knopf, $35), author Liz Neumark calls for a 50-50 mix of two types of rice: black and either Carolina Gold or brown rice. Our Halloween adaptation uses all black rice. The dish originated with chef Bill Telepan of Telepan restaurant in Manhattan.

Fried Black Rice

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

2 cups chilled cooked black rice (cook rice according to package directions)

½ cup cooked peas

¼ cup vegetable stock

Salt

Steam the asparagus over simmering water in a covered saucepan until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove asparagus from the steamer so that it doesn’t overcook; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet over high heat.

When the oil is hot, add eggs; scramble until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Chop the eggs up with a spatula; set the pan aside. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the green onions; cook 1 minute. Add the rice and peas; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the stock; cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste; stir in the cooked eggs.

Divide the rice among four warm bowls or plates; top with the asparagus.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serve these beans as is, topped with a dollop of sour cream and minced cilantro, or roll up in warm black tortillas with some grated Monterey Jack cheese and tomatillo salsa.

Black Beans

1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

¾ cup chopped red bell pepper

½ teaspoon brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup water, plus more as needed

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans and their liquid OR 3 cups home-cooked black beans and their liquid

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper;

cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, garlic, cumin and black pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in the water and beans. If necessary, add more water to create desired consistency. Heat to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thick, 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light’s Lighten Up, America! by Allison Fishman Task

Food, Pages 31 on 10/30/2013