How to plan for a ghoulishly groovy Halloween party where all the recipes are gluten free | Entertainment/Life

Jennifer John never encountered a theme around which she could not plan a party.

“I love it all,” said the Washington, D.C.-area native who moved to New Orleans in 1998 to become a reporter, then news anchor with WWL-TV. Today, she is the founder of Pangwangle, an outdoor apparel company, and operates Fresh Media, her Emmy Award-winning production company. A native of Gainesville, Florida, her husband, Jake Springfield, moved to New Orleans to study at Tulane University. He is a partner in Tempt Films.

John and Springfield share their pre-Civil War home with Mia and Mac Block, John’s children from a previous marriage.

They have tracked the course of their family’s growth through countless gatherings, from childhood birthday parties and workshops with Santa, to over-the-top Mother’s Day crawfish boils and hands-on Thanksgiving turkey fries. Now that Mia Block is a student at Florida Gulf Coast University and Mac Block is a student at Loyola University, the parents are free to bring a more adult vibe to their gatherings.

When considering food for a Halloween party, John says, the main factors are the theme, audience, ease of serving and budget. The presentation can range from adorably spooky for children to gory and gross for adults, and it’s best to balance hands-on treats with simple finger foods.

John and Springfield invited Inside Out to join them for a party of the latter sort with a sophisticated but gory atmosphere. When catering to adults, consider a range of flavor profiles and complexity beyond just sweet treats. With the assistance of Springfield’s mother, Brenda Springfield, and stepfather, Jack Sivinski, the family offered a sophisticated charcuterie and cheese board with a few creepy props, and a basket of gluten-free gougères-style puffs picked up from Costco.

The rest of the menu is gluten-free.

Bloody Punch with Bobbing Heads

Makes 12-16 servings; courtesy of Jake Springfield

4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice

1/2 cup lime juice

Tito’s Vodka or Pamos Reserve cannabis-infused nonalcoholic liqueur (available at Total Wine)

Pomegranate arils

Lime wheels

Clear ice balls (available locally at The Fresh Market)

Combine the pomegranate juice and the lime juice. Chill until ready to serve.

Serve the punch from a pitcher or punch bowl. Allow guests to spike (or not) their own cups of punch over ice balls (bobbing heads) and garnish as desired with pomegranate arils and lime wheels.

Little Chop of Horrors (Winter Vegetable Slaw)

Serves 8; courtesy of Brenda Springfield

This is one of those carefree salads made of sturdy greens that can sit on a sideboard for hours without becoming soggy, nor posing a risk of botulism.

6 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, cored and thinly sliced or shredded using a food processor

6 large kale leaves (8 to 10 ounces), center rib removed, cut into a thin chiffonade

1/2 small head radicchio, cored and cut into a thin chiffonade

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup quality olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional

1 (6-ounce) chunk aged Parmesan cheese

Combine the Brussels sprouts, kale and radicchio in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the slaw to moisten it well. Add the cranberries and the pine nuts, if using.

Shave the Parmesan into big shards with a vegetable peeler, add to the salad and toss well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Roast Beast (Beef or other roast protein)

Serves 8-12; courtesy of Jake Springfield

Springfield is a devoted believer in the power of goof-proof sous vide cooking. You just set it and forget it, and your meat is a perfect medium-rare every single time. Adjust the time and temperature of the water bath for your preferred doneness. The medium pork tenderloin should be cooked at 140 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

1 4- to 6-pound trimmed beef tenderloin*

Sea salt or kosher salt

2 tablespoons ghee

Coat the tenderloin (or other cut) in salt and place it in a vacuum-sealed bag with the ghee.

Sous vide: Heat the water bath to 129ºF. Place the vacuum-sealed meat in the water bath. Leave it in for 3 hours.

Sear: Heat a large cast-iron skillet until smoking over high heat. Remove the meat from the water bath. Discard the vacuum-sealed bag. Place the meat in the pan. Sear each side of the tenderloin for about 1 min. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and serve.

*Other options include teres major (aka shoulder tender or chuck tender), which is similar in tenderness and flavor to tenderloin for a fraction of the cost; sirloin cap (aka picanha); and boneless rib-eye roast. Nonbeef options include pork tenderloin and lamb loin.

The Root of All Evil (Curried Carrot Soup)

Courtesy of Jake Springfield

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 stalk lemongrass, sliced into 3-inch pieces

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Thai red chili paste

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons yellow curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 clove garlic, minced

Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, grind all ingredients together in a food processor.

Pour the soup into a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.

Gluten-Free Death By Chocolate Cake

1 cup milk, dairy or nondairy

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup oil — safflower, canola, refined avocado, etc.

2-2/3 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour sifted, preferably Bob’s Red Mill 1:1

Baking Flour

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup hot brewed coffee or boiling water

Mudd (Chocolate Ganache Frosting) (recipe follows)

Congealed Blood (Raspberry Cake Filling) (recipe follows)

Blood (Raspberry Dessert Sauce) (recipe follows)

Fluffed Brains (Make-Ahead Whipped Cream) (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare two round 8-inch cake pans by spraying the bottoms with nonstick spray oil, then lining with parchment only on the bottoms. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, sugars, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and oil.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and whisk until blended. Pour in the coffee or boiling water and whisk until combined. The batter will be thin.

Add the batter equally to the prepared cake pans. Bake for 32-37 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the layers in the pans for about 10-20 minutes, then carefully flip onto a cooling rack. Peel off the bottom parchment paper and flip back so they’re upright. Let cool completely before filling and frosting the cake.

Use the cooled and thickened Congealed Blood to fill a 2-layer cake. Spread a thin layer of Mudd on the cake layers to work as the sturdy base for the raspberry filling. Then pipe a ganache “dam” around the edges of the cake layers.

Spoon about 3/4 cup of the Congealed Blood within the “dam” before putting the next layer on top. You will have some filling left over.

Use an offset spatula to frost the top and sides of the cake with the Mudd.

Pour the Blood sauce over the cake and sink a big knife into it. Serve with more Blood and Fluffed Brains.

Mudd (Chocolate Ganache Frosting)

Makes 1-1/2 cups

Two 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bars, very finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. DO NOT boil. Pour over the chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to soften the chocolate.

With a metal spoon or small silicone spatula, stir very slowly until completely combined and the chocolate has melted. DO NOT microwave. Let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken for two hours. Once completely cool and thick, beat ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed.

Congealed Blood (Raspberry Cake Filling)

Makes 1 heaping cup

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk the cornstarch and water together until dissolved. Combine cornstarch mixture, raspberries (no need to thaw if using frozen), granulated sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.

Use a silicone spatula to stir the mixture and mash the raspberries. Bring to a boil for a full 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Allow the filling to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a bowl or container and place it in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 4 hours and up to 1 week. It will continue to thicken up as it chills.

Blood (Raspberry Dessert Sauce)

Makes 1 cup strained or 1 1/2 cups chunky sauce

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved. Combine cornstarch mixture, raspberries, granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a silicone spatula, stir the mixture, lightly mashing the raspberries as they begin to heat.

Bring to a boil and let it boil for 3 full minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Press the warm sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, if desired. Use the back of a spoon the press the liquid from the solids.

Fluffed Brains (Make-Ahead Whipped Cream)

1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons creme fraiche

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cream, confectioners’ sugar, granulated sugar, creme fraiche and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until it forms soft peaks. Serve cold.