h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, it would appear that our next scheduled office potluck is Thursday, October 30th. They've decided they want it to be a Halloween-themed event. Apparently they've gotten the OK from the CEO for anyone who'd like to do so to come to work in costume.

Since a number of people know it's my favorite holiday (so much so that I leave my decorations up year-round), I've been "volunteered" to be on the panel of judges.

I probably won't dress up, unless I can think of something that involves little more than stage blood and an old t-shirt and a couple of silly props.

But more importantly, rather than the tamales I'd planned on making- which would technically fit as corn is seasonal for autumn- I need to come up with a spectacularly good Halloween themed recipe.

Since everyone loves my vegan carrot cake, I could easily do a pumpkin version in cupcakes form, then decorate the icing to look like spiderwebs and stick candy corns and little plastic spider rings (I have lots) into the icing.

I could also easily whip up a batch of curried pumpkin seeds.

In fact, I could probably manage both.

But I'd like to get some input from you lot- any ideas? Since it is my favorite holiday and I do love to share what I cook, this is the perfect opportunity to wow them (again). BUT whatever it is must be easily to transport on a potentially somewhat crowded train.

Any eyeball-related recipe that doesn't involve radishes would be well received, too.

I wonder if I should also make a dozen tamales just in case?

What I know about cooking you could write on a grain of rice, as you know. But I realised long ago the must-have costume of this year was bound to be the Joker from Dark Knight. So my contribution is you could draw little evil smiley faces on marshmallows, with a very thin strawberry sauce squeezer. Then on the plate, in scrawly letters

"WHY SO SERIOUS?"

http://durham21.co.uk/userfiles/whyso.jpg

Hmmm. Can't do marshmallows- I'm vegetarian, remember, and I don't buy anything I wouldn't eat.

But I suppose cupcakes would work.

my favourite costume was Oz and Willow in Buffy - he went as God and she went as Joan of Arc - simple and witty but done, alas.

eyeball things that don't involve radishes - grapes. again, i'm being a bit obvious here. We don't do Halloween in Iceland - we do a mardi gras timed thing instead.

You could look for vegan marshmallows like these:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.veganstore.co.uk/mm5/graphics/00000001/marshmallows.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.veganstore.co.uk/mm5/merchant.mvc%3FScreen%3DPROD%26Store_Code%3D1%26Product_Code%3D701&h=280&w=265&sz=26&hl=en&start=14&um=1&usg=__l96P7ciqpGyx1S48fJz8RfDqHB8=&tbnid=CulJFs7kOVe1TM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmarshmallows%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26cr%3DcountryUK%257CcountryGB%26sa%3DN

I once made an "edible graveyard" for halloween - chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding, with gummy worms (they do a no-gelatin version here, not sure abou the US) and topped with chocolate cookie crumbs - and gravestones, skeletons, etc, cut out of cookie dough or made out of marzipan. You could just use plastic ones, too...

Here's a recipe you might use: http://veganvisitor.wordpress.com/2007/08/10/cuppa-mudcake/

I've seen vegan marshmallow fluff (and have used it before ) but not the actual marshmallows, so I'll have a look around for some. Thanks, Bel.

The edible graveyard sounds cute!

I am almost positive I can get veggie-friendly gummy worms. I've also had the mud cake with worms in it. I could make a big batch in a bowl and then spoon it into cups when we're ready to eat. Not a bad idea.

Vegan marshmallows could possibly be fashioned into eyeballs.

Or I could always get some spooky shaped cookie cutters and make some cookies or rice krispy treats (those are what I use the ricemallow fluff for).

Probably plastic skeletons & stuff, if I went for the full graveyard experience. We have several people here, including me, who can't have nuts, so marzipan might be risky.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Of course, the best way to scare most people is to put up a sign saying "this dish contains only plant matter"

Oh, tell me about it. Some tofu and a bit of exotic seasoning would be enough to scare some of these people I work with. If it doesn't come out of a box and go into the microwave, they don't know what it is.

I've always thought that kiwi fruits look like the eggs from Alien, or, failing that, a horse's testicles. Both of which would be quite scary, with a bit of bit of green frosting, although the former possibly only if you have a very, very tiny face.

Damn! I just realised if I'm going to be Edward scissccssscor hands this year I'll have to get rid of the beard! Can't have a bearded edward scissor hands.

Why not make a jello brain? I'm sure there must be some plant based jello. Put it on a plate with some "wavy" french fries (aka maggots)and blood (ketchup or thick tomato sauce) around.

There are place that sell brains in various sizes as well as hearts. They are pretty expensive though. Mail me if you want some web adresses.

I made some gory cup cakes once. You know those little cake chickies?
I buy those in bulk. If you put them on a suitably enormous subwoofer then they do little dances. Anyway, you can make them look like they're being sick or maimed or pooing their guts out with the special frosting you get for writing messages. It's a bit labour intensive though.

Chocolate hearts sound cool- I'd like a web link, please, dragonqueen. If they're too pricey for work I'd love to get a couple for us sometime.

Cake chickies... not sure I know what you mean. Like Peeps? A friend of ours once got a box of headless ones with little bloody stumps where their heads would've been.

Oh, dragonqueen, I do know how to make veggie jello using agar agar. And I know of a horror novelty shop which sells brain molds. I'd forgotten all about it! Of course with my luck they'll be out of them now, but I can surely find one for mail order if it comes to that. That's a pretty good idea, too.

If I made the jello brain I could probably still swing a few tamales.

Excellent ideas, everyone!

Costume idea #1: I could buy a cheap black t-shirt, glue a sleeve of stale Weetabix I've been saving for a pie crust, glue on a plastic knife (or carry a prop one) and squirt stage blood on it, and go as a Cereal Killer.

The usual stupid answer to "what shall I dress up as for Carneval" here is "Go as a match - take off all your clothes, and you'll get the red head automatically!"

PC, just mailed you about a place to find odd sweets.