Halloween Party Food: Dry Corn Cobs with Moldy Sauce ( Salsa Verde )

Halloween party food! Let the spiders, maggots and every sort of disgusting thing crawl over all your party food, and everyone will be delighted! Nasty dry corn cobs anyone? Or would you prefer one with a juicy worm? Don't forget to dip that corn cob in the green Moldy Sauce. Yum!

The Halloween "corn cobs," of course, are crisp cornbread sticks, baked in the old cast-iron corn stick pan. If you need one, check eBay, where there are 22 posted today as I'm writing; you can also purchase new corn stick pans from Lodge.

The worms in our party food are slivers of pepperoni and the Moldy Sauce is Salsa Verdi. But that can be our little secret, until next month when you might pass around Crispy Corn Sticks and Salsa Verde during the Thanksgiving football game. But until you must serve family-friendly food, have a disgustingly happy Halloween party!


Recipe: Dry Corn Cobs with Moldy Sauce, Worms Optional

1 cup unbleached flour or spelt flour    
1 cup corn meal
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk (plain soy milk is fine)
1 egg
1/4 c. canola oil
optional: long slivers of pepperoni

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Warm cast iron corn stick pan in oven, then remove and brush well with oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine dry ingredients then stir in milk, egg and oil just until blended.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, not quite filling molds to the edge. 
Optional: Place pepperoni strips in some corn sticks, with one end in the batter and one end exposed.
Bake 15 minutes. (slide the corn stick pan lengthwise onto the oven rack, so molds do not catch on the rack.)
While still quite warm use a fork to gently loosen corn sticks around the edges then lift from pan to cooling rack.

Brush away any crumbs sticking in the molds with a DRY cloth or dish brush. Oil molds again with oil or non-stick spray before proceeding with next batch. 

Moldy Sauce (Salsa Verde)

       -- for parties, it's nice to set out one bowl of sweet salsa and one of clearly marked hot salsa, even if it is Halloween.

4 or 5 tomatillos, husks and stems removed
1 onion (about 1/2 cup)
handful fresh parsley or cilantro
juice of 1 lime or 1/2 lemon
3/4 c.  pineapple, (crushed, chunks or tidbits,) drained
1/4 tsp. salt
Optional: 2 Tbs. chopped jalapeno pepper or to taste

Quarter tomatillos and place under broiler (or on grill) just until skins begin to brown.
Cool slightly then place in food processor or blender with other ingredients (except jalapeno if using.) Process until nearly smooth. Pour into refrigerator container (stir in chopped jalapeno if desired) and chill well. Salsa will keep about 5 days in refrigerator if not gobbled up with your Halloween party food.