Dan's Papers - October 26, 2007

With Halloween fast approaching, the first treats and decorations of the season are here. And for this particular holiday, the pumpkin is king! After picking out some great specimens at a nearby patch or purchasing some from a local store, it's time to spend the afternoon carving with your family. Here are some tips for both seasoned carvers and those embarking on new family traditions.

The worst thing is gathering everyone around the table only to realize steak knives are all you have for carving. Carving tools are essential, especially with children. Craft or hardware stores, large supermarkets and online retailers are the places to look for your carving tools. The number one item is a cutting saw, often available in safety versions. Though it's best to buy one in small, medium and large, if you are just purchasing one, opt for very small so your designs can be intricate (major cuts can be improvised with standard kitchen knives). Also get a poking tool, great for transferring stencils, either designed on a sheet of paper or printed off the internet (simply search "Pumpkin stencils"). If you'd rather draw freehand directly onto the pumpkin, be sure to pick up grease pencils. Finally, you'll need a gutting spoon. Get one with a jagged end which makes scraping the inside pumpkin walls easy.

Line the table with newspapers for quick cleanup. Place your pumpkin in front of you, twirling it until it is very stable. You definitely don't want your pumpkin bottom too round or it will wobble when you carve and create a hazard. Use a sharp knife, such as a long, thin blade boning knife to cut the top of the pumpkin. Do this at an angle, going in and down toward the pumpkin's center to ensure your pumpkin lid will not fall inside. Scoop the pumpkin's inside into a bowl, saving it for great snacks described below. Remove as much of the innards as possible, being careful to create a flat bottom if you intend to use a candle and paying special attention to where your image will be carved, as thinning out the design wall will make carving much easier. Next, transfer your stencil or draw freehand and then get carving! Take your time and use all of your available tools.

If you display your pumpkins outside, don't leave them in the sun as this promotes decay. To increase your pumpkin's life, rub the inside and carved area with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil to seal in the moisture. Another preservation method is to submerge or soak pumpkins each day in a container of water. Try lighting your pumpkins with not only candles, but also with strings of light, easily inserted through the back of a pumpkin by carving a small hole.

Now it's time to use all those glorious pumpkin insides for some great autumn snacks. The most daunting part is removing the pumpkin's stringy innards from the seeds. To do this, have the bowl of pumpkin and an empty bowl next to the sink. Place a colander inside the sink. Take a handful of pumpkin and squeeze it in your hands, finding the seeds. Pull or pop them out into the colander, getting as much of the string disconnected as possible. Use the empty bowl for the seedless innards. Once you have sorted the whole batch, run water over the seeds and rotate your hand in the colander to remove more membrane. The seeds are fine with some pumpkin flesh, with aficionados claiming a bit adds flavor.

Toss the clean seeds in olive oil or melted butter with spices of your choice. For a spicy seed, try salt, Cajun seasoning and garlic powder, while sweet requires salt, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Roast the seeds on a baking sheet in a 300 F degree oven for about 30-45 minutes (but check often as seeds burn easily). Another snack great is pumpkin seed butter. Dry roast the seeds in a medium-hot pan for 5-10 minutes. Let the seeds cool, then place in a food processor and grind until fine. Next, add oil and either maple syrup or honey. Experiment with amounts, but a rule of thumb is about one tablespoon of each oil and sweetener for a half-cup of seeds. Add spices to the mix like all-spice and cinnamon (and a touch of salt), whir again, and you have a great spread for toast or substitute for nut butters in cookie recipes.