Happy Halloween

I am a total holiday nut. I can't help it. I just enjoy all the preparation, along with the food.
I've always considered myself a pumpkin artiste. I love carving pumpkins and when the girls were younger, I used to spend hours making cat pumpkins, scary monster pumpkins and clown pumpkins. Now I do the scary monster, but Tom Sawyer-like, this year I convinced others to carve their own pumpkins. We had a blast.
I'll probably carve pumpkins as long as I can hold a knife, if only for the pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are an annual treat that I thoroughly enjoy, despite the fact that my jaw aches for days after because of chewing the tough seed hulls.
I created this recipe years ago. I like to soak the seeds in water as they cook to make the hulls a little crisper. I think it works. Another tip: the seeds from the popular white pumpkins taste "off" to me so I don't use them.

Roasted pumpkin seeds
Seeds from two pumpkins, separated from the orange, slimy stuff, and cleaned
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkins seeds, butter and water in a deep-sided high quality baking pan. Cook for about an hour, stirring regularly until water boils off and seeds are nice and brown.

Another Halloween tip:
I like to sprinkle the insides of my Jack O Lanterns with spices (cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, this year) so they will smell good for trick or treaters.

Lima beans

Ever since I moved to Ventura, lima beans have become an important aspect of my life. Sure, I can see you cringing. I did too when I first heard that lima beans were an important crop in the history of the area. Ewwwwwwww. Lima beans. I'd always thought lima beans tasted like a cross between cardboard and waxpaper. When I had children I made a vow, "No lima beans or beets."
But the locals told me,"Try the fresh ones. It makes all the difference."
So when lima beans showed up at the local farmers markets, I pounced. Then I tried to figure out what to do with them. It was obvious. Make a fresh-vegetable succotash.
I did, with the added inspiration of sauteeing the veggies in extra virgin olive oil (or as the annoyingly cloying, pandering to the younger demographic, Rachel Ray says with her-ever-so-perky smile EVOO).
This produces a side dish that was as light and fresh as a spring shower, in the fall. It's also amazingly easy to prepare.
I don't guarantee the same results with frozen vegetables.

Fresh succotash
1 1/2 cups fresh lima beans
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red jalapeno pepper chopped fine
olive oil

Heat olive oil in a saute pan, using enough oil to cover the pan bottom. Add all vegetables and saute until just starting to cook through (taste test.) Serve.
Leftovers are incredibly delicious mixed with feta cheese and vinaigrette and served with salad greens.

Welcome

This blog is devoted to cooking, mostly, along with some commentary on the world. I am a food columnist and love creating recipes. I also give people tips on how to cook.
I will also be featuring photos of my Southern California city and dishes I create. So climb aboard. I hope you brought your appetite.