Food for The Souls

 Today and tomorrow the Christian world honors its saints and its souls. This is usually done through prayer but also through eating. There's a warm feeling reminiscing over a loved one's favorite dishes and recipes past down. Thye're not really gone if their food lives on through the generations.

Mexicans celebate Dios de Muertos -Day of The Dead. It's not a day of sadness but one of togetherness as families create such dishes as concha breads, taquitos and skull shaped cookies and candies.Taquitos are easy to make and they 're perfect to cook up all month long.It's just taking tortillas and first heating them. They're then filled with whatever you want , whether chicken ,beef or beans and then frying them in oil.They can be topped with cheese or guacamole. These can also be baked or air fried for a healthier , crisper bite. Chili is also served for the day. This is a definite cold weather dish as well. The Mexicans have always used ground beef but you can also make a white one. This involves chicken instead of beef and using creamy white cannelini beans instead of the usual kidney and pinto.Some recipes add broccoli and corn .That's up to you. Spicing is the same, with the usual bite of chili.The  memorial meal is finished with some kind of sweet. Bake skull  shaped brownies that can be either iced or just dusted with confectioner;'s sugar. You can also make the sweet concha bread, perfect with butter and Mexican hot chocolate.

Soul cakes are  another part of the All Soul's Day. If it sounds familiar Sting sang about them over a decade in his Christmas album. They're a big part of Samhain the Celtic holiday which Halloween derives from. Children went from door to door, much like trick ro treat, asking if homeowners would want a prayer said for the souls of their dearly departed. Payment was an apple, plum or these. The recipes goes back centuries, probably to the medieval period and the ingredients reflect this. They are egg yolks, butter, sugar and milk. Raisins and such spices as cinnamon, cloves nutmeg and gimger. A cross is made in them, similar to hot cross buns. You can modernize them with subbing in pumpkin spice for the spices and craisins or dried cranberries for the raisins. Soul cakes can also be made plain. They're usually baked in rounds and then dusted with powdered or granulated sugar. Some British chefs use saffron as flavoring and to give the cake a pale yellow color. Soul cakes are a nice contast to the rich holiday cookies on the calendar ahead.

These are the days when we remember our beloved who are gone. There are taquitos and cocnhas or soul cakes. Any of these are a lovely way to celebrate those lost.

Three Holidays One Great Party

Halloween, Divali and Dios di Muertos all intersect this year.That means endless arrays of savory and sweet treats to enjoy. They can be traditional or exotic, full of chocolate or full of spice.It's just a fun way to celebrate ancient traditions.

Halloween and the Mexican  Day of the Dead have always intersected. Halloween is All Hallow's Eve is when the spirits come back while the next day is dedicated to remembering those who have passed. All Hallows is a time for fun parties, with usually ghoulishly themed foods and drinks. They can be entwined by having  a ghostly guacamole and vampire red salsa,For the first sprinkle a layer of Monterey jack or crumbled queso fresca, a kind of south of the Border fromage It can easily be made at home using just milk and distilled white vinegar.It's then cooking over a low heat so that curds are made,It's then ready for tacos and fajitas. A fun drink after a chilly night of trick or treating is Mexican hot chocolate. It's just adding the tiniest pinch of chili pepper and cinnamon  to hot cocoa mix or Droste cocoa powder. Add a big puff of whipped cream for a cooling sweetness Day of the Dead also had sweet treats, usually sugar skulls,There is also a bread too,It is a sweet, glazed loaf laced with orange juice and orange zest. There's also the addition of anise to give it more sweetness and a slight licorice taste. Another offertory gift is candied pumpkin, Cubed pumpkin is cooked in butter and sugar until tender, Maple syrup mixed with cinnamon and ginger is then poured over it. and allowed to marinate for two hours in the fridge.

The Indian festival of Divali also intersects with Halloween this year, and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs The holiday's dishes can be easily integrated into a party.with American treats.One of the most famous and party friendliest is biryani, This is a tasty rice dish made with chicken along with a variety of vegetables and spices.Tomatoes and potatoes round it out along with cumin, turmeric, and ginger.itlaso has the zing of chili powder  , perfect for warming up on a cold fall night. Samosas are a fun finger food that would be great on any party menu.They are baked  turnovers stuffed with peas , and potatoes. The flavor comes from garam marsala which any home chef can make.It's an intoxicating blend of cumin, cardamon, coriander, cinnamon , ground clove and nutmeg. This can also be sprinkled on a Divali- Halloween veggie pizza, and, yes, this is served during the holiday. Doughnuts are always a must at a Halloween party.Divali has its' own too, this time savory.instead of flour its' made with urad dal which is ground, roasted lentils and can be found at any market. The fritters  or medu  vada are zested up with coriander and coconut  along with fresh ground peppercorns and green chilis, It's usually served with a tamarind and veggie sauce called sambar.

This is a triple holiday, celebrating life and the afterlife. It's a time of fun and feasting, of trying fun foods. Enjoy it ,both the savory and sweet side of it.