Recipe 4: (S)Mashing Pumpkin

Belieeeeeeve~~ Believe i-hin mee~ Belieeeeeeeeeeeeeve~ believe~~!

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I am a 90's kid after all.

Since next Friday is November 1st, I'm doing my Halloween post this week. And guess what we're making today, kids?

Ingredient Spotlight:
Name: Pumpkin
Origin: North America
Known for: Halloween! >:)
Uses: Pies, stews, jack-o-lanterns, ravioli stuffing, the seeds, the list goes on.
Can you eat it raw? No... no.

Halloween has been forever epitomized by pumpkins for reasons. But pumpkins aren't just for cutting up sadistically and letting them rot on your porch or be smashed by your neighbors. They're also for eating! Yeah. I know. Weird.

Pumpkin pie is, of course, one of the most popular uses of the pumpkin, and for damn good reasons. Pumpkin pie is, without comparison, THE BEST PIE. THE BEST. DO NOT DISAGREE WITH ME, FOR I AM SHOUTING LOUDER THAN YOU ARE AND THAT'S HOW ARGUMENTS WORK, RIGHT? ... Right?

... Are you still my friend? :'(

Assuming you are still my friend, today let's make...

(S)MASHING PUMPKIN

This dish... this dish. Ohhh, this dish. It's smashing. You'll see. 

(The following is for 2-3 servings. Use math to make more than 1-2 servings.)

Main Stuff:
1 small pumpkin, cubed (I do not recommend being a hero and getting a huge pumpkin. I do not understand how you could possibly eat all of it unless you have a family of 27.)
Butter

Spices/Herbs (All to taste):
Cinnamon, powdered
Brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

Optional ingredients:
1 or 2 (or 3 or 4) garlic cloves, left whole (You know, for the vampires.)
Milk, for a creamier pumpkin

Total cost per serving:
More or less 87 ¢

Steps:

1. If you've ever carved a jack-o-lantern, you know that pumpkins are hard like a priest at an all boy's school, and they're also filled with goop. Toss out all of that goop. Keep the seeds, though, because you can roast them in a frying pan.

*Do note that you can boil the pumpkin or roast it. For this recipe, I'm roasting it.

2. Slice the pumpkin into wedges. This will take years off of your life, probably. And a really sharp knife. And muscles. The result of your blood, sweat, and tears will look like this:

3. I like to sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar on those wedges, but if you're not into that... you're soulless. Anyway, toss that in the oven at around 375 for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how big your wedges are. If you're using garlic, put the cloves in there too, but take them out after 15ish minutes.

4. When it's good and soft (poke them to check), take the pumpkin out of the oven, peel it, cube it up, then mash the orange out of it. It will look like this:

5. Add enough butter and milk to make the mash as creamy as you want it to be. I left mine a bit dry, but it's all up to you. Also, add more cinnamon and brown sugar because why not?

Now, the thing with this is that, if you're the adventurous type, you can use it to make stuffed ravioli. I've yet to attempt making homemade pasta, but one day, I will. And believe me, pumpkin-stuffed ravioli will be the first thing I make. If you're that type, do that and tell me all about it. In detail. In extreme detail. Food is basically porn for me, as you've probably come to find out. Also invite me over for that shit.

Next week, I promise, I will post a full recipe. It's been a while since I've done that, I know, but trust me, I've got some tasty things cooking up.

Later on.