October pumpkin month

Halloween is approaching and as tradition dictates to scare away the evil spirits who return to earth on the night of witches and avert the passage of the terrifying Jack O' Lantern, a carved and illuminated pumpkin cannot be missing from the windows of every house. If the race to buy horror costumes and witch tricks to celebrate the longest night of the year like real zombies has already begun, not everyone knows the origins and meaning of the Halloween pumpkin. Festival of Celtic origin, Halloween was born in Ireland to celebrate the end of summer. Among the most famous legends about him is that of Jack O'Lantern the drunken, smart and dissolute blacksmith who several times in his life met the devil and escaped him. According to legend, the devil often tried to steal his soul, but Jack thanks to his clever tricks always managed to get away with it and indeed by coming to terms with him he even managed to avoid eternal damnation. When Jack died because of his innumerable sins he was sent straight to hell where the devil was waiting for him who, reminding him of the pact they had made years before, sent him away. Since then Jack wanders in the dark looking for a refuge forced to shed light with a candle in a pumpkin. If you too want to prepare a scary Halloween pumpkin, arm yourself with a sharp knife, a spoon to remove pulp and seeds and a little patience. With a washable marker, draw the shape of Jack O'Lantern on a large pumpkin. He cuts the cap and begins to remove all the pulp with a spoon or brush. Once you have emptied the pumpkin you will only have to carve eyes, nose and mouth and that's it.

The pumpkin in the kitchen

To celebrate Halloween in the sweetest way, there is nothing better than a pumpkin and chocolate cake that will delight children and whet the sweet tooth of adults. Easy to prepare, the pumpkin and chocolate Halloween cake is ideal for celebrating the night of the witches.

     Ingredients:
     flour 400 g
     butter 50 g
     sugar 200 g
     3 eggs
     dark chocolate 300 g
     milk to taste
     1 sachet of yeast
     hazelnut grain

Mix eggs and sugar in a bowl. Obtained a soft cream, add flour, butter and milk, mixing the dough well. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and then add it to the mixture together with the yeast and grains. Butter a cake tin, pour the mixture and cook for 30 minutes at 180°. You can decorate the cake according to your imagination.
With its sweet and fleshy pulp and sweet and sour taste, pumpkin is one of the most versatile vegetables to use in the kitchen. From the more traditional risottos and soups that transform its pulp into a tasty cream with an enveloping taste, to tasty ravioli or gnocchi up to the more sophisticated Flan, pumpkin is a simple but appetizing ingredient that goes perfectly with meat and fish recipes.

Pumpkin and its benefits

Pumpkin with its bright orange color is the undisputed queen of autumn. But if everyone appreciates its enveloping and velvety taste, few know its incredible properties and its many benefits. First of all, thanks to its reduced content of carbohydrates and fats, pumpkin has very few calories: therefore it does not make you fat. It is recommended for diabetics and in low-calorie diets. Rich in many vitamins, it also contains beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant which, by limiting the production of free radicals, has an anti-tumor effect. It is also rich in fibers that rebalance the flora and improve the functionality of the intestinal tract. Pumpkin is a source of Omega3, a good fat that helps fight cholesterol and improve circulation, it is a valid aid against water retention as well as having antidepressant and anti-inflammatory properties. Now that you know all about pumpkin, all you have to do is try it and experiment with new recipes.