Many people can decorate cookies in a ghoulish manner, or serve blood red punch with an ice hand floating in it, but what about a dish emblematic of All Hallows’ Eve? I’m talking orange and black, people, and I’m talking a real meal. Though I assure you pumpkin will most definitely make an appearance in this week-long attempt to produce five assorted black and orange meals, I’m attempting to capture the spirit in a more unorthodox sense. Following is meal number five (the final meal in this glorious–and absolutely exhausting, may I add?–week).

 
Winter Squash Soup with Balsamic-Glazed Chorizo Sausage

The modern-day cow has become less a living creature and more a saleable commodity.  In fact, the calculating eyes of industrial farmers don't even see a cow at all. They see rib-eye, tenderloin, filet and quarts upon quarts of heavy cream. "Beef" strives to literally pick up the pieces, and to resurrect the cow as an animal infinitely greater than the sum of its parts. The authors, Dr. Fraser and Andrew Rimas, approach their audience tentatively, without the usual bombast of environmental or social activists.  They take an intellectual approach to the meat industry and seek to tell a story rather than promote vegetarianism.  The current state of the world’s cattle industry is the product of good intentions gone awry.  There is still time for reform, but man must first learn to exercise restraint in his love affair with meat.  "Beef" is an eloquent, poignant and influential account of man’s historical relationship with the cow.

Dine daily on a full serving of fresh news every morning.  Why?  Because it’s cheaper than your morning latte and more informative than your average nutritional label.

Freaky Friday

Whether you are for or against the idea of candy corn, today will probably be the last cool day to enjoy it.  

• Hershey's and Brach's square off.

• If you happen to be crafty in the kitchen, vegan and with a lot of time on your hands, you may want to consider trying this.

• If you're of a more discerning palate, you may first want to appraise your possible candy corn purchases.

• And for the candy corn geeks, here's how these orange, yellow and white babies are made.
  

• For people who want to celebrate Halloween without the cavity-inducing treats, there may be a trick to mimicking that orange-and-black spirit with these semi-healthy, semi-delicious goodies.
• As much as I love to rock on with the booze, heavy metal content is something less than desireable to find in my average bottle of wine.
• Finally - a portable, energy-efficient, space-saving fridge that's both collapsible and comfy. 
• Why won't bacon die?  Perhaps because it is delicious.  No, but seriously, why won't bacon die?  Haven't we had enough bacon-flavored this and bacon-flavored that?
• Sometimes design defies logic: a flat-free surface made of flatware.  There will definitely be no elbows on the table for me.  OUCH.

 Photo courtesy of Bento Corner

-Alice Shin

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Many people can decorate cookies in a ghoulish manner, or serve blood red punch with an ice hand floating in it, but what about a dish emblematic of All Hallows’ Eve? I’m talking orange and black, people, and I’m talking a real meal. Though I assure you pumpkin will most definitely make an appearance in this week-long attempt to produce five assorted black and orange meals, I’m attempting to capture the spirit in a more unorthodox sense. Following is meal number four. Cookies! and this time they taste good!

Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies