"halloween food" news and stories

How can a bunch of cold cuts and a few hard-cooked eggs turn into something so gruesome? OK, the Lady Gaga meat dress was pretty awful. One of our deliciously deranged editors pulled out the gelatinous stops to create this horribly fun Halloween-themed head out of ham, for an eye-popping holiday centerpiece. It's so bizarre we just had to give it a replay, along with a DIY guide. Head's up! (Ok, ok, but how could we resist that line?)

Admit it. Every year, you dig into the Halloween candy stash well before trick-or-treat hours begin, right? There's no shame in sampling the sweets -- we all do it. But as long as you're at it, take it up a notch by pairing your candy with a glass of wine. Here are nine suggestions.

Hershey's Milk Chocolate
There's a little bit of cherry tucked into this dark-chocolate bar so an Australian Shiraz is a great match. Choose a Shiraz that's jammy and full of wild-raspberry notes.

Whoppers
Malt's chalky flavor is something you don't want to mess with -- it lingers in your mouth long after you've consumed a few Whoppers. Pinot Noirs from Napa are the perfect fit and won't overpower malt's flavor. Instead, it's a harmonious coupling. Schug 2007 Pinot Noir, Carneros, Napa, California, has hints of milk chocolate and assertive bursts of black cherries and plums, offset by a little smoke.

See more pairings after the jump.

Even pancakes are joining the vampire craze, with IHOP's Scary-Face Pancake.

Dubbed Count Spatula (in a naming contest won by a kid from Illinois), the buttermilk pancake has a whipped-topping mouth, mini Oreo cookies for eyes, and a strawberry nose. Oh, and it's free for kids 12 and under this Friday, October 29th, at participating IHOP restaurants around the country.

Don't hang out the garlic yet; those fangs are made from candy corn.

I love to host a party around Halloween time -- dressing up is optional, eating is a must! Every year I'm reminded of a story my Granny tells at Halloween. She is the queen of holiday celebrations and always had plenty of food, decorations and guests.

One Halloween, as she was giving away the best treats in the neighborhood, my family cat, Ariadne -- black as night -- decided to show off by stretching and cleaning her paws in the window. Just then, a little boy from across the street rang the doorbell. "Hey lady, did you rent that cat?" he asked my Granny, who responded quickly, "Yes, we just got her yesterday but she expires tomorrow!"

After the jump, find a recipe for Pumpkin Tortellini with Sage and other menu ideas to host your own "Black and Orange" Halloween fest. The catch? You'll have to rent your own black cat!