HALLOWEEN IN THE 40'S

 

I was in the market today getting a few items needed to restore proper inventory levels in the Wisk larder.  As I began my trip down the isles I came upon an isle entirely dedicated to “candy”. I could not believe the quantity and variety displayed. I said to myself, who the hell is going to eat all this stuff?  Then it dawned on me, Halloween was only a few days away, but the current pandemic will no doubt greatly diminish the “Trick or Treat” visits by the kids.  I think a great deal of all this candy will be on special sales for the rest of the year.  I started to think about how different this day has become when compared to my memories of Halloween in the 1940’s.  Today costumed kids ring doorbells and stick a huge shopping bag in front of the person who opens the door and maybe whispers those magic Trick or Treat words.  I don’t think any of today’s doorbell ringers actually know the meaning of “Trick or Treat”. I wonder what these little candy collectors would do if I said: no treat for you, just do your trick.

How different this was from Halloween when I was their age. For my friends and I there was very little reason to go Trick or Treating.  Very few houses were prepared to handout any goodies when we pressed that button.  There were some exceptions.  A few nice ladies had goodies ready for the few of us who knew where the exceptions lived. Mrs. Reese always welcomed us in and had some wholesome stuff like apples or popcorn balls, all set up on her dining room table. Most homes were dark indicating to us that it was senseless to expect a treat.  Most were merely annoyed that we bothered them by ringing their bell and quickly running away.  Or tricks for not treating were usually very mild.  One favorite was sticking a pin in the bell to jam the button and keep their bell ringing while we happily watched the results.

Older guys in the “hood” were far nastier than us young kids.  Before going into their antics please note that I don’t condone this old day’s humor, but you need to remember we didn’t have much to amuse ourselves.  For days before Halloween night they older kids gathered, begged or pilfered used tires from local garages and set off the biggest, smelliest, bonfire you ever saw.   This was burned right on the street itself. Talk about stinking up the neighborhood.  Another favorite nasty was the destruction of street lights on the poles.  In those days street poles were lighted by a single large bulb set in a metal shade. A decent shot with a slingshot kept all the streets around are homes in pitch darkness.  Dangerous, yes, but auto traffic was almost nonexistent. 

Another street related prank involved the creation of what you could call our Halloween Scarecrow.  As kids we had a hell of a time laughing at cars slamming on their brakes when their headlights saw a body laying across their lane the road.  Of course it wasn’t really a body.  Only clothes stuffed with those pretty fall leaves to make them look like a body.  Again no one was hurt since cars went a lot slower and there wasn’t the traffic we have today.

Innocent fun?  Not really, but another example of how different things have become through the last century.

Costumes?  Who could afford them?  Those were the days of faces made up with charcoal and mother or sisters make up.  Did we have fun?  You bet, it was a night we could stay out late and do stuff we could never do on any other night of the year.

 

Recipe Time:  When the frost is on the pumpkin it’s time for this type of soup which is actually one of my creations.  Everyone seems to like it unless they are only trying to make me feel good.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup

 

2-1/2 lb. Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-1/2” pieces

2 jars of roasted red peppers (16 – 18 oz. total), drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup or more half and half as needed

6 cups chicken stock or (enough to cover vegetables)

Flavoring additions:  Salt, Pepper, Brown sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, maple syrup, Allspice.  All to your taste.

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat squash pieces with olive oil, spread on tray and roast till soft.  Meanwhile sauté onions and garlic in butter and oil until tender.  Add roasted red peppers, mix and sauté briefly to warm.  Add roasted squash and chicken stock and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about fifteen minutes.  Puree all in blender and return to pot on very low heat.  Now is the time to add spices.  Do this in small quantities, mix and then taste until you have the flavor you like.  Add half and half to thin the soup slightly.

Soup can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerated to allow all the flavors to meld.  Also freezes quite well.                                                                                                                                  Serves 6 to 8