It’s National Frankenstein Friday! What a perfect time to celebrate as Halloween is just next week! Frankenstein was created in the mind of Mary Shelley and brought to life on the pages of a novel she wrote when she was just 18. Frankenstein is often mistakenly considered the creature’s name but in reality, he was never named. In the novel, the monster is identified by words such as "creature", "monster", "demon", "wretch", "abortion", "fiend" and "it". Frankenstein was the scientist who constructed the creature and then brought it to life. The gentle, intellectually gifted monster is enormous and physically hideous. He is cruelly rejected by his creator and in turn wanders the countryside, seeking companionship. He becomes increasingly brutal and starts murdering his creator’s family as his creator declined to make a companion for him as he was created. In the end, both creator and monster (assumedly) perish.

According to Wikipedia, Shelley came up with the story while her and her lover visited Lord Byron. While there, they read ghost stories from a book. It inspired Lord Byron to suggest they each create their own ghost story. It took her a few days to come up with an idea for her story but once she did, she became possessed by it. It came to her in a vision she described as a ‘waking dream’. She began writing what she thought would be a short story that soon became the full-fledged novel we all know. It was originally published anonymously, but by the time she was 21, she had been given credit for the novel and it was then published under her own name. Of the three of them that were supposed to write ghost stories, Mary was the only one to complete it. Byron actually started a story about vampires that became the basis for a book by John Polidori (Byron’s physician) called The Vampyre.

Since then, her monster has seen the big screen many, many times and has even seen some success on the small screen. The most popular monster was played by Boris Karloff in the 1931 movie Frankenstein. His square headed monster showed stitched together joints and bolts on his neck. His gait was stiff legged and he walked with his arms stiff in front of him at times. His clothes didn’t fit him well and he was made to be fairly ungainly. He was also mute and spoke no lines. Many portrayals of the monster after Karloff followed this guidepost and have only in recent years gone back to Shelley’s version of the monster to make him more human and far more agile and eloquent.

Frankenstein’s monster has also made appearances in Looney Tunes, Flintstones, Scooby Doo and Alvin and the Chipmunks. He has had several TV mini-series created such as: Frankenstein: The True Story, Frankenstein: Exquisite Terror and one simply titled Frankenstein. There is also a TV show called the Frankenstein Chronicles. Marvel and DC comics both have a version of the monster. Lego also has an adaptation. It can also be seen as a boss in several games of the Castlevania series of video games.

Fun Facts: Mary Shelley is considered the mother of horror for the novel Frankenstein. Her book is also considered the first true science fiction story.

Thomas Edison created the first film adaptation of the novel. In 1910, Edison created a 15 minute film and it is considered the first horror film ever produced. There have since been over 130 films produced about the monster.

The earliest use of the term ‘Frankenstein food’ to refer to genetically modified food was in 1989. ‘Frankenfood’ followed in 1992, followed by Frankenfruit, Frankenplants and Frankenscience.

Halloween is next week and we will have our doors open late for the Scare on the Square. I hope to see many of you come out with the kids and get candy. This week, I have complied a few recipes to get you into the spirit of the day from breakfast to dessert. Whether you are having a party or just want to have a themed dinner, these recipes are perfect for Halloween. Meet me in the kitchen this haunting Halloween.

Trick or Treat Pancakes

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 egg

1 ¼ cup buttermilk or milk

¼ cup oil

Purple, green and orange food coloring

Purchased candy eyes

Maple syrup for topping

Preheat a griddle or flat pan to 335° or medium heat. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk and oil. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Do not over mix. There will be a few lumps. Divide batter into 3 bowls. Add 3-5 drops of food coloring to each bowl, one color per bowl, to make the batter as dark as you want. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot ungreased griddle or pan. Cook until bubbles form on top, about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Stack pancakes using one pancake of each color, pour over syrup and top with candy eyes.

Recipe adapted from mynameissnickerdoodle.com

Devilish Eggs

We all like deviled eggs, right? Try these for a Halloween delight. They are fun and naturally green from the avocado!

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

1 California avocado

1 tsp fresh lime juice

¼ - ½ tsp sriracha, to taste

⅛ tsp salt

1 Tbsp. minced cilantro

12 thin red bell pepper strips

Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise, remove the yolks and place the yolks in a medium bowl. Smash the egg yolks and avocado with the back of a fork until fairly smooth. Add the lime juice, sriracha (to taste) and salt, and smash again until combined. Stir in the cilantro. Fill the egg white halves with the avocado mixture. Use the tips of the red bell pepper strips and trim them to look like horns. Place 2 horns into each stuffed egg. Serve.

Recipe adapted from cookincanuck.com .

Monster Spaghetti

Black food paste (found in the cake decorating aisle at Walmart)

Spaghetti noodles

Water

Spaghetti sauce

Olives

In a large pot put 4 quarts of water and 1/2 tsp. food coloring for each pound of dry spaghetti. I usually make 2-3 pounds of spaghetti for my family so we have leftovers for the next day or so. Bring water to a boil. Add spaghetti noodles and return to a boil. Reduce heat and cook uncovered 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently, or until pasta has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat and drain. If you are not going to eat right away, rinse the pasta. This will remove the starch and help prevent sticking. Otherwise, dish pasta onto plates and pour sauce on top and garnish with 2 olives for eyes. Enjoy!

Witches Fingers

Because nothing goes better with Monster Spaghetti than Witches Fingers!

1 can ready-made pizza dough

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. water

Green or black colored food spray, if desired

Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place the pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8-12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rope about 7 to 10 inches long depending on how you want your fingers (if the dough keeps bouncing back too much, let the dough rest for about 10 minutes and then try again). Take some of the longer ones and twist a knot for knuckles. On others, take a knife or something similar and make 3 or 4 score marks in the middle to give it lines for the knuckles. Place the breadsticks on the prepared baking sheet about 1 to 2 inches apart. Let rest for about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and water. Brush each finger lightly with the mixture. Spray the fingers with colored food spray if desired to make different colored fingers. You can also sprinkle with parmesan cheese for hairy fingers or sprinkle with the sesame seeds and/or poppy seeds, if desired for moles, etc. Press one almond sliver into the end of each finger – be sure to press down well or they will come off during baking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Purple People Eater Cocktail

Simple syrup, optional - can use water instead

Purple sugar such as sanding sugar (aka sprinkles)

1 ½ part vodka

1 part blue curacao

1 part sweet and sour mix

1 part grenadine

1 part cranberry juice can also use crangrape or grape juice

On a small plate, add purple sugar. Wet the rim of a glass with simple syrup (or just water) and gently dab the top the glass in the purple sugar, coating the rim. Set glass aside. Combine vodka, blue curacao, sweet and sour mix, grenadine, and cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until combined. Fill the sugar-coated glass with ice. Pour purple people eater cocktail mix into glass until full. Serve immediately.

Recipe from homemadehooplah.com .

Zombie Brain Bites

Brownie mix of your choice and ingredients called for on box

1lb vibrant green candy coating, divided 1/3 cup coffee creamer, flavor of your choosing (I like using Bailey’s brand Mudslide Non-alcoholic Creamer)

2 Tbsps. strawberry jelly

Electric green gel food coloring, I like Americolor brand

Brain candy mold

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and spray two mini cupcake pans very well with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the package. Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to fill each mini cupcake cavity almost to the top. Bake the brownie bites for 15 minutes, until the top is puffed and crackly, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely, then run a thin metal spatula around the edges and pop the brownies out of the pan. (If they start to tear, refrigerate them briefly so they firm up before removing.) Combine 8 oz of candy coating and the creamer in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 1 minute. Whisk well, and if there are any unmelted pieces, heat again briefly for 10-20 seconds until fully melted and smooth. It will be very loose, like a liquid. Press a layer of cling wrap directly on top of the ganache and refrigerate for at least 2 hours—longer is okay. Melt the remaining candy coating, and place a spoonful in the cavity of a brain candy mold. Use a clean, dry food-safe paintbrush to brush the coating up the sides of the mold. You may not go all the way to the top, depending on the size of your brownie bites. If the top of the mold is wider than the top of your brownie bites, do not extend the coating to the top. Instead, stop a quarter or half inch down from the top (whatever works best for your measurements) so the brains are the same size as the tops of your brownie bites. Once all of the molds are filled, place the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes, then gently remove the brains from the molds. Repeat to make more brains, re-warming the candy coating as necessary, until you have a brain for each brownie bite. To assemble, gently press a hole in the top of each brownie bite using your finger or the handle of a wooden spoon. Take a teaspoon-sized scoop of ganache and fill the hole and top of the brownie bite. Press a chocolate brain on top. If the brain is not touching the ganache, it won’t stay put, so if necessary, fill the top of the brain with ganache and then press it down onto the brownie bite until secure. Once all of the brains are attached, stir together the jelly and a drop of green food coloring, then paint the brains with the glistening mixture. Serve at room temperature, and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from sugarhero.com .