European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Food that won t go bump in the night by . Kominicki senior staff writer there is a natural tendency to View halloween As a Mere kids Holiday but history begs us to reconsider. After All the Celebration s origins Are with the druids a adult druids thank you a who predate teenage mutant ninja Turtle costumes by 2,000 years or so. The druids who populated parts of ancient Britain celebrated a fall festival they called Sambain. Observed on the last Day of october the Celebration honoured the god of death who if properly apotheosis de would allow the souls of the recently departed to return Home for a few hours. One drawback or so the druids believed was that evil apparitions known As wicca often tagged along. These spirits known As witches today could be scared away Only with huge bonfires and so it became customary for the druids to go door to door begging for Wood. Some dressed in costumes evoking the spirits of the dead played practical jokes knowing that any mischief could be blamed on the supernatural. When the romans conquered Britain in the first Century their Harvest festival honouring Pomona the roman goddess of fruit was combined with the Druid Celebration. In Short order the roman pastimes of Bobbing for apples drinking cider and sampling nuts and other foods put up for the Winter were inextricably linked with the druids Sambain. In the eighth Century Pope Gregory designated nov. 1 As All saints Day also known As Allhallows Day. In time the night before became Allhallows evening then Allhallows e in and finally today a contraction of halloween. The Holiday remained a mostly British affair until about 1860, when it moved to America with Irish Catholic emigrants. / i a i a  for an adult halloween meal try a first course of Black and Orange pasta and a main course of pork medallions and colourful vegetables. Page 14 b the stars and stripes a amps Dave Casey but enough history. The Point Here is to leave the Little ones to their Popcorn balls invite in a few Good friends and celebrate the Holiday in style. Adult style. Ingredients for the following menu which serves four should be easy to find in commissaries and specially shops in your area. Druid aperitif Apple juice or French cider Ginger ale rum cinnamon Sticks cloves mix equal amounts of the chilled Apple juice or French cider with cold Ginger ale and flavor with broken cinnamon Sticks and cloves to serve add a Jigger of rum to a red wine Glass and fill with the Apple Nice and Ginger ale mix. Include a whole cinnamon stick As a swizzle. Serve with roasted almonds and cashews that have been warmed in a 275-degree oven shrimp with Black and Orange pasta this first course Calls for pasta that has been coloured with squid Ink and paprika or carrots Don t let the squid dissuade you a the noodles have a delicate flavor that is not at All fishy both colors Are available at italian specially stores and come fresh Frozen or dried. If you can t find the Black pasta ask your grocer for packets of squid Ink that can be added to regular noodles 17 jumbo shrimp peeled and de veined 6 ounces Black pasta Friday october 25, 19916 ounces Orange pasta 2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed 2 ounces butter 4 ounces crime Fraiche or heavy Cream Cantaloupe Mango or Kiwi fruit Salt to taste ground Pepper herbs for Garnish melt the butter in a Skillet and add the garlic. Saut6 briefly then ado the shrimp. Cook Over medium heat stirring often. Do not overcook. Use one shrimp to Check for oneness. Add the noodles to 3 quarts of rapidly boiling water. Again do not overcook. The noodles should be tender but still slightly chewy or what the italians Call Al Dente. Drain the cooked pasta and return to the pot. Add the Salt and the Creme Fraiche or heavy Cream and mix thoroughly. Arrange four shrimp on each plate and add a Small Mound of the coloured pasta. Add Small slices of Cantaloupe or other fruit. Decorate the shrimp with sprigs of fresh Dill and Garnish the fruit with mint. Give the pasta and shrimp a generous grating of Black Pepper before serving. Offer Champagne or a dry White or sparkling wine As accompaniment. Medallions of pork in Calvados Normandy s famed Apple Brandy is the secret behind this Light but tasty main course. You la need 3 pork tenderloins 2 ounces butter i cup Calvados 1 bottle French cider or Apple juice24 or More Green Beans 12 or More miniature ears of Corn 4 Large carrots or 8 Small carrots with tops Salt and Pepper fresh herbs for Garnish melt the butter in a Large Skillet Over medium High heat and quickly Brown the tenderloins. Place the meat in a Small roasting pan season lightly with Salt and Pepper and pour in enough cider or Apple juice to cover the Bottom third of the meat roast in a 350-degree oven Tor about 30 minutes or to 140  a meat thermometer. Steam the Green Beans and miniature Corn until they Are tender but still slightly Crunchy then plunge them into a sink or bowl filled with cold water to preserve their color and taste Cut each Carrot in half and using a vegetable Peeler or paring knife shape the halves into Small rounded pieces about 3 inches Long for carrots with tops Cut away All but about 1 a it inches of the greens and then Peel and shape the carrots until Shorter and thinner steam until tender and place in the cold water Bath remove the cooked tenderloins to a heated Platter defeat the pan juices and Strain into a Small pot or Skillet. Reduce Over medium heat. When thickened add the Calvados and reduce again. Slice the tenderloins into half Inch thick medallions arrange Throe or four on ouch plate and spoon on sauce microwave or steam the Corn Beans and carrots until hot then add a few to each plate Garnish with the herbs if you re serving Hearty eaters add steamed wild Rice a amps Wos Boohoo the dish goes equally Well with led or Winter wine pears in wine sauce the French dote on this exquisite but simple dessert. Bartlett pears tend to to too soft for this recipe but most other varieties will do Fine. A French Bordeaux or californian merlot wine will work nicely for the sauce 1 bottle red wine 4 firm unblemished pears with stems Peel from 1 Lemon i cup sugar cloves mint for Garnish heat the wine sugar Lemon and cloves in a deep Saucepan for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Carefully Peel the pears leaving the Stem intact then Cut a Small slice off the rounded end. Stand the pears in the hot wine mixture cover and poach on Low heat for about 45 minutes or until tender. Discard the Lemon Peel and cloves and let the pears Cool in the wine mixture. Remove the cooled pears and reduce the wine on High heat until it has a Glossy look and Coats the Back of a spoon. Do not reduce it to a syrup a it should to a medium thick sauce. Chill pears and sauce until very cold. To serve place the pears on Small dessert plates and spoon sauce on top you can add a Small scoop of Vanilla ice Cream or a Dollop of whipped or clotted Cream on the Side if desired. Decorate the plate with sprigs of fresh mint. Your guests should be equipped with spoon Fork and knife to help handle the Core of the Pear. Follow dinner with Small glasses of Calvados and your favorite horror movie. Happy Sambain. The stars and stripes b Page 15