Soul Food

Halloween and Día de los Muertos are my favorite celebrations of the year. For me, it's less about the costumes, candy and ghoulish decorations, and more about the food and lore that surround these particular days, both of which honor the departed with centuries-old rituals and traditions. If indeed the veil is lifted between the living and the dead, chances are those spirits are partly coaxed by the aromas emanating from the kitchen.

There are some odd food rituals associated with Halloween that have fallen out of favor. For instance, centuries ago in Scotland, kale, that most hipster-ish of leafy greens, was once picked from the garden by blindfolded teens and then read like tea leaves to predict possible romantic hook-ups. The amount of dirt still stuck to the root of the plant determined the size of the dowry one could expect from a mate. Still, some foods of the season—squash, apples, sage, turnips, etc.—prevail as traditional ingredients for decorations, games and culinary delights. And what Día de los Muertos celebration would be complete without sugar skulls and an abundance of pan de muerto (bread of the dead), a traditional ofrenda left at, or eaten at, the altar or grave of a loved one? Eggy and flavored with anise, pan de muerto comes in many shapes and sizes, but it is always prepared with an abundance of love.

While fondling kale in the briar patch sounds like a hoot, I'd rather stick to more standard fare. This year I look to pan de muerto, apples and squash to set the holiday mood. An apple-pumpkin bisque with red chile, brown butter and fried sage makes a fine companion for the slightly sweet, anise-kissed bread of the dead.

Apple-pumpkin bisque with red chile and fried sage

(serves 4-6)

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 cups peeled, roughly chopped green apple
• 3 cups roasted, puréed pumpkin flesh or canned, unsweetened pumpkin
• 2½ cups vegetable stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon red chile powder
• 1½ cups half-and-half
• 8 leaves fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons more butter for frying sage
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a soup pot over medium heat until lightly browned. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add apple; cook and stir until apples are soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in broth, pumpkin and chile powder; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, purée in a blender, and return to soup pot. Add half-and-half and bring to a slight simmer. Stir and season to taste. For the fried sage and brown butter, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add sage leaves. Cook until butter is brown and smells nutty and sage leaves are slightly crispy. Use sage and butter as a garnish when serving.

Pan de muerto with orange glaze (makes one large loaf)

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup water
• 3-3½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 1 package active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ tablespoon whole anise seed
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs

Warm butter, milk and water in a saucepan over medium heat until butter is almost completely melted. Remove from heat and cool until just warm to the touch. In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup of flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Slowly beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Mix in another cup of flour, and continue adding flour until you have a soft, non-sticky dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and let rise in a greased, plastic wrap-covered bowl, in a warm place, until doubled in size (about 90 minutes). After the dough has risen, punch it down and shape into a round loaf, reserving about ½ cup of dough for decoration. Roll extra dough into thin coils and decorate the outside of the loaf to mimic the bones of the dead. Let rise, covered with a light kitchen towel, for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a dark golden brown. Brush with orange glaze (see recipe below), sprinkle with extra sugar and cool on a wire rack.

Orange Glaze

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice (no pulp)

Bring ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan and reduce until slightly syrupy.

Santa Fe Reporter