pumpkin seeds, done right.

If you haven’t carved a pumpkin by now, then maybe you’re not going to. But just in case you want to and you have designs on say roasting some pumpkin seeds, here’s the 411 on the how to.




SMOKY, SALTY ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

First, carve out the hole in your pumpkin. Martha Stewart’s new technique on this front is that you should cut your hole in the bottom of your pumpkin, so as not to disturb the pristine aesthetics of the top of your pumpkin with (gasp) a line cut across it. But do you really want to take festive holiday advice from a convicted felon?



So I decided to buck this new trend and hack into mine the old fashioned way: top cut. Take that Martha! While you scoop the freezing cold guts out of your pumpkin and wonder why you wanted to carve pumpkins in the first place, preheat your oven to 375.



Now in my house growing up my mom wasn’t one for taking the care to hose off her seeds before roasting. More like she splatted the whole mess onto a baking sheet and voila: roasted pumpkin seeds. Me, personally, having all that stringy pumpkin flesh roasted onto my seeds makes me want to barf, so I was a little more detail oriented on the pre-roast prep.



First pick out as much of the flesh as you can. Then transfer your seeds to a colander and give them a really good rinse. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel or a couple of paper towels that are still attached together. Pat dry as thoroughly as you can and pick out any remaining threads of flesh.



Transfer to a nonstick baking sheet and lightly toss with a little bit of olive oil. Personally, I used olive oil spray, which worked well to give them just a light coating of oil. If you don’t have a spray (and for god’s sake, don’t use Pam or anything like chemical tasting) simply fill the well of your cupped palm with a little olive oil and rub your palms together. Then give the lot of the seeds a little “how’s your father” and they will be lightly coated with oil. Season however you wish. I used this awesome barbecue salt that I have. It’s essentially a combination of chili powder, smoked paprika, a teensy bit of cayenne, maybe a pinch of sugar and a bunch of sea salt. You could also use salt and pepper, maybe adding some cumin and garam masala for an Indian spiced pumpkin situation; or, a seasoned salt like Lowry’s.



I loved these barbecue spiced pumpkin seeds far more than any other seeds I’ve ever roasted. Normally, I must admit, that the novelty of the roasted pumpkin seeds wears off for me about 10 minutes after they cool to room temperature. But these guys? I have been snacking on since last Tuesday. They are salty and crunchy and delicious and, I feel like, not that bad for you because they are seeds. And like, der, seeds are pretty much chock full of brain developing nutrients. And judging from the grammar and content of this post, I need all the brain development I can get right now.



Oh right, roast them for 15-20 minutes. Checking on the pan to give it a shake. I burnt half of mine, so be careful and take them out when they smell toasty and a sampled one proves to be crispy and crunchy.



Happy Halloween! What are you even being? I am way into Halloween, by the way, because wigs are so funny and I love makeup and drinking and Reese’s products. This year I was going to be the goblin king, Jareth, from the movie Labyrinth (You know? BOWIE: “you remind me of the babe” so awesome) but my wardrobe wasn’t working out. So I’m going to be Tina Turner. The wig I have is sort of interchangeable for both. Be safe and have fun and if you’re in the area, come to my house, I just picked up the dankest selection of candy you’ve ever seen and Paul is making out porch into a scary porch to make kids scream and wet their pants!