A ghostly gathering - Halloween party

Sunset, Oct, 2000 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Summon the scarlet-clad devils, elegant princesses, ethereal angels, and audacious pirates to a ghoulish Halloween feast, costumed with tricky metaphors.

A green salad sets the scene in gruesome detail, speckled with Dracula's bloodstained teeth (pomegranate seeds). Breadsticks shaped like witches' brooms are an apt partner in first-course dark arts. Succulent chicken encircled by a garland of roast garlic keeps vampires at bay, while decapitated heads (minipumpkins filled with risotto) and bloodshot green eyes (brussels sprouts with chopped tomatoes) revel on the side. Enter the ghosts for dessert, disguised as sweet, crisp meringues, to delight kids of all ages.

Start prepping the salad and make the breadsticks, pumpkin shells, and meringues up to a day ahead so the trick isn't played on you.

Green Salad with Dracula's Teeth

PREP TIME: About 15 minutes

NOTES: Up to 1 day ahead, rinse and crisp greens, seed pomegranate, and make dressing; cover separately and chill. To seed pomegranate (use an 8- to 9-oz. one), cut in half crosswise. Around the cut edge of each half, make 4 equally spaced vertical cuts, 3/4 to 1 inch long and deep. Hold 1 half, seeds down, over a deep bowl and pull the fruit open but not apart, using equal pressure from both hands. Holding the pomegranate half, seeds down, in the palm of 1 hand, whack the top of the fruit with the back of a large spoon several times; the seeds will fall out.

MAKES: 8 servings

3 quarts salad mix (about 10 oz.), rinsed and crisped

About 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds (see notes)

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Salt and pepper

1. Place salad mix in a wide bowl and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

2. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, orange juice, honey, and mustard. Pour over salad; mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 27 cal., 0% (0 cal.) from fat; 0.5 g protein; 0 g fat; 5.6 g carbo (0.5 g fiber); 38 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Broomstick Breadsticks

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes NOTES: If making up to 1 day ahead, cool, cover airtight, and store at room temperature. To reheat, lay breadsticks on a baking sheet or directly on rack in a 400[degrees] oven and bake until hot, about 5 minutes.

MAKES: 10 breadsticks

2 loaves (1 lb. each) frozen bread dough, thawed to room temperature

2 tablespoons black sesame or poppy seed

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1. On a lightly floured board, pat or roll each loaf of dough into a 5- by 10-inch rectangle. With a floured knife, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 5 equal strips. From 1 end of each strip, with floured knife, make lengthwise cuts 1/4 inch apart, 1/3 of the length of the strip (to create broom straws; see photo below).

2. Twist uncut portion of each strip 3 to 5 times to make broom handle. Gently lift and transfer breadsticks to an oiled 12- by 15-inch baking sheet, laying them lengthwise and about 2 inches apart. Slightly separate the "straws" at the end of each stick, and twist and pull handles several more times to make each broom about 15 inches long.

3. Mix sesame seed and salt. Brush breadsticks with milk. Sprinkle lightly with seed mixture.

4. Bake in a 400[degrees] oven until well browned, 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool. Serve warm or cool.

Per breadstick: 272 cal., 22% (59 cal.) from fat; 7.5 g protein; 6.5 g fat (1.4 g sat.); 45g carbo (2.1 g fiber); 660 mg sodium; 5 mg chol.

Roast Chickens with Vampireproof Garlic Garland

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 11/2 hours

NOTES: Eat the roast garlic with the chicken, or spread onto broomstick breadsticks.

MAKES: 8 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves or crumbled dried rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves or dried rubbed sage

About 1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 chickens (about 4 lb. each)

8 heads garlic (each 2 in. wide) Rosemary sprigs, rinsed Salt

1. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary leaves, sage, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Rinse chickens and pat dry. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rub olive oil mixture all over chickens and set birds breast up and at least 1 inch apart on a rack in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Rub remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil all over garlic. Place garlic heads on rack beside chickens.

3. Roast in a 425[degrees] oven until garlic is soft when pressed, about 1 hour, and chickens are well browned and meat is no longer pink at thigh bone (cut to test), 1 to 11/4 hours; if garlic is done before chickens, transfer garlic to a dish and keep warm. Tip juices out of body cavities into roasting pan.

4. Put chickens on a large platter, surround with garlic heads, and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Keeping chickens warm, let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

5. Carve chickens. Separate garlic cloves and squeeze garlic from peels to eat with chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 635 cal., 52% (333 cal.) from fat; 59 g protein; 37 g fat (9.5 g sat.); 15 g carbo (1 g fiber); 180 mg sodium; 178 mg chol.