Grossly delicious
October opens with a heady party, actually the tail end of a bubbly and merry festival we know as the keg-rolling Oktoberfest. It starts mid-September, giving people a long chance to celebrate with beer, grilled meat and faces flushed with happiness.
Then October ends with Halloween and this year I have decided to start the scary- dee- dos early.
You can serve food that people are afraid of eating, such as blood soup (dinuguan), steamed chicken feet (better pedicured that most feet, and oh so tender) and paklay (a medley of tripe, liver and pig’s heart in a stew).
Exotic food can be classed under Food I Am Most Afraid To Eat, as they might not be familiar to us. There are also cultural aspects in what we eat. For example, dog eaters think nothing about chewing on the meat of man’s best friend because the culture allows this. However, in parts of the world, eating dog meat is against the canine rights of these loyal house guards.
It’s a matter of reorienting ourselves when it comes to these delicacies, Most of us feast on kinilaw or raw fish marinated in coconut vinegar and thick coconut milk, onions, tomatoes, ginger, salt and finger chili peppers. However, I have met people who cringe at the thought of eating raw fish.
To make your Halloween celebration less stressful, make some scary-looking cookies instead.
WHOSE FINGERS ARE THESE? Make these delicious fingers that are sure to perk up your table with shrieks of amusement.
Ingredients: 1 c butter, softened; 1 c powdered sugar; 1 egg; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 2/3 c flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; peanut halves or sliced almonds; and strawberry jam.
Procedure: In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients together, then add to wet and stir thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Use one-fourth of the dough at a time and keep the remainder refrigerated. Roll a tablespoon full or 1 oz. cookie scoop of dough into a thin log shape about four inches long for each cookie. Form to create finger-like shapes and score to create knuckles. For nail, press peanut firmly into the end of the cookie.
Arrange fingers in greased baking sheets and bake in 325F oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for a few minutes. Smear each “fingernail bed” with jam to simulate blood. Happy biting.