October 31st
Summary: Get me my broom!
The History
As one might guess, All Hallow’s Eve was what we now know as Halloween. October 31, the night before All Saints’ Day, was a time of spiritual unrest. A deep fear of the dead drove the villagers to burn fires and wear costumes to confuse any wandering spirits. Soul cakes were left on doorsteps to feed ghosts and were also brought to your neighbor’s house so that they, too, could pray for the dead and their journey to other worlds. The line between this world and the next was especially fragile on this night, so all superstitions were attempts to prevent any crossovers.
What’s with All the Other Halloween Stuff?
Most of the symbols we associate with Halloween date back to the Middle Ages. Witches, for example, were said to come into their power on this night. As a result, on All Hallow’s Eve, many took to old superstitions in an attempt to protect their homes “from the effects of witches.” These wicked women accompanied the wandering spirits who roamed free during the night. This thinking had evolved from a pagan holiday, Samhain, which celebrated “the crone” or “earth mother.” All Hallow’s Eve is in fact a Christian form of this pagan holiday. The crone was always described as having a cauldron, where souls were kept until their reincarnation. Creepy.
Black cats had always been considered to be bad luck as far back as the Dark Ages. Solitary women who happened to own black cats were labeled witches and their pets were called “familiars” (a demonic creature given to them by the devil that would do their bidding and commit horrible atrocities). Bats were also believed to be a witch’s familiar. Seeing a bat fly around your house on Halloween indicated imminent death for one of its residents, and you would be haunted by evil spirits. We never liked bats anyway.
Spiders, too—if one fell into a lit candle, there were surely witches nearby. And in case you were wondering, candy corn was not associated with Halloween until the 1880s.
The Medieval Witch
Cunning folk, wise women, white witches, healers, midwives, seers—all of these were legitimate professions in the Middle Ages. These women were sought after for their healing remedies, cleaning solutions, herbal lotions, love spells, and medical advice, among other things; that is, until the hysteria that led to massive witch hunts began in the fifteenth century. In 1486, a book known as the Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witches) was written by Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic clergyman. Although witch trials had already begun as early as the ninth century, this book seemed to put a giant spotlight on witchcraft as an evil curse on the world and as something that needed to be destroyed.
As with most witch hunts, times were tough and fraught with disease, poverty, war, drought, and religious or political turmoil. People were compelled to blame their misfortunes on someone or something. Although it was mostly women who burned at the stake for false crimes and bogus accusations, many men and children were prosecuted as well.
Squash Your Demons with Honey and Almonds
Witchy fall flavors to nibble on while you stir the cauldron.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
½ cup honey
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup sliced almonds
¼ tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Thyme, to garnish
Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F.
Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the bulb portion of the squash. The bulb portion is the only section that you are using for this recipe; save the rest for later cooking. Stand the bulb portion right side up and cut the squash, top to bottom, into four quarters. You will be left with four wedges of squash.
Scoop the seeds from the squash and discard. Flip the squash over and slice a very small piece of the skin off so that the squash sits flat.
In a bowl, combine the honey, melted butter, almonds, and cinnamon. Place the squash in an oven-safe bowl or pie plate, and pour the honey mixture over the top. Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the squash for 35–40 minutes until the squash is soft and golden. Garnish with thyme.
The Crone’s Scone; a Deconstructed Pork Pie
Save your soul and eat some deconstructed pork pie.
Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
3 Tbsp butter
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1¼ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1⅛ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1½ lb pork loin cut, trimmed into 12 medallions
1 small onion
1 apple, diced
2 tsp finely minced gingerroot
¾ cup chicken stock
1 cup mead (or sweet white wine)
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface until it achieves a ½-inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter, make small rounds in the pastry and place them on a lined cookie sheet.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan and stir in one sprig of thyme. Use a pastry brush to apply the butter on the top of the pastry rounds. Place rounds in the oven and bake until golden.
Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl combine 1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg. Gently press each side of the pork loin into the mixture and set aside.
In a sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Sauté the onion and apple together until soft. Stir in the gingerroot and cook for a minute. Add the chicken stock, mead, and remaining salt and cinnamon. Cook on medium until the sauce is reduced by half.
While the sauce is reducing, heat the remaining butter in another pan over medium to medium high heat. Working in batches, add the pork medallions and cook until medium rare. This only takes a minute or two on each side. The pork will cook quickly, so be careful not to overcook: using your finger, press into the pork as it cooks. If the pork is firm but not hard, there is a good chance that it is done.
Remove the meat from the pan and add to the reduced sauce until thoroughly coated. Add the remaining thyme to the mixture and stir gently.
Assemble the mixture on a plate with the pork medallions first, followed by a spoonful of the onion and apple, drizzle on some reduced sauce, and top it off with a puff pastry round. Salt and pepper to taste.
