Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet,
Give Me Something Good to Eat...
And no, not raisins. We’re better than that.
nothing worse except maybe The Chunky Bar.
When I was a kid, the good stuff always came out of the trick-or-treat bag (or pillowcase, let’s be real) first:
Heath Bar (always and forever my #1)
Butterfinger
Snickers
Peanut M&Ms
Double Bubble Bubble Gum
Dum Dums, only butterscotch
Homemade caramel apples (yes, they really happened)
A bag of chips from the Old Dutch guy, 4 blocks away.
And a bottle of Coke from the local Coke rep—seriously, it was a full on bottle and back in the 60’s POP was a treat.
bottom of the bag, candy corn, peanut butter kisses, stale popcorn balls.
That’s 9, and yes, because 10 is too expected.
pretty sure this is mine
So fast forward to 2024, and while my tastebuds might have grown up, the Halloween cravings are still very real. So, if I were to fill up a pillowcase now, here’s what would make the cut:
BLACK Olive Oil and French at that.
Moulin Cornille A.O.P Vallée des Baux de Provence Olive Oil
This is the queen of olive oils. Buttery, luscious, with a golden hue and a rich black olive flavor. Drizzle it over tomatoes, dip some rustic bread in it, or, if you’re me, roast rare tuna and veggies and bathe them in this glorious oil. Just don’t pair it with too much wine (trust me, I almost ruined this oil for myself after one too many glasses). Fortunately, I survived, and so did my love for this complex beauty.
$48.50 (Worth every penny—and so was the recovery day.)
Perfect Halloween food.
Rustichella Spaghetti Nero di Seppia
Squid ink pasta easily makes the cut for Halloween. Pitch black. Rich, briny, and a little sea-salty, this black pasta looks incredible paired with seafood. Toss it with Rustichella’s Arrabbiata sauce (that spicy tomato kick!), and if you can find decent mussels, throw those in for good measure. The contrast between the ink-black pasta and the white mussels is chef’s kiss or a vampire’s kiss.
$9.95 (Pasta so good, it has its own elevator story—ask me about it sometime.)
who knew gummies were the best?
Kolsvart Sweet Licorice Fish
These Swedish sweet licorice fish? Perfection. Kolsvart which happens to mean pitch dark, nails it with simple ingredients, pure flavor, and a perfect balance of texture. Sure, I’ve got other flavors, and they fly out the door like candy at a parade—but the licorice? Not so much. Always my pick though.And coming soon: salty licorice for those who know the real deal.
$8.95 (Because honestly, I’ve never been a gummy candy person, but these licorice fish? They converted this gummy hater.)
Gah! I love these!
Lark Burnt Sugar Shortbread
So, speaking of licorice. These beauties used to be called “Burnt Sugar & Fennel” So the company changed it to just “Burnt Sugar.” Probably to entice more people to give these a try. These cookies are divine—a little sweet, a little caramelized, and the perfect match for blue cheese. Or eat them with tea, coffee, or even a glass of bubbles if you’re feeling fancy.
$7.95 (Don’t be a Dum Dum, just try them.)
So poppin cool.
SamsaHouse Chim’Charr Hot Sauce
This hot sauce is cool—literally. With serrano peppers, capers, and preserved lemon, it's the sauce that goes on oysters at Our Paladar, who by the way are also super cool. I’ve been putting this sauce on everything. Sam (the brains behind it) is so cool that I almost feel unworthy of loving it as much as I do. Local, handmade, and unforgettable. Plus Sam used to work for us at ZZest and I have a whole blog post about him, you should check it out.
$12.50 (For cool people, or at least people who pretend to be cool, like me.)
crow-riffic
Nordic Crisps & Fat Crow Mustard
Nordic Crisps are baked in small batches with old-school Scandinavian methods and pack a ton of superfoods to keep you energized (like you’ll need that after all this candy). Add a slab of cheddar or salami and top with Fat Crow’s peppery horseradish mustard—heaven. Don’t you want to just love the mustard and crackers because of the crow though??
$8.95 (crisps) / $7.95 (mustard) (Rye, mustard, and horseradish—a spicy trifecta.)
Isn't she lovely?
Fine & Raw Sea Salt Chocolate
For the vegan trick-or-treaters out there: this 70% dark chocolate bar is topped with sea salt and made with 50% roasted and 50% raw cacao. It’s vegan, it’s got a hip label, and it’s totally the chocolate you’d give out if you wanted to be the “poppin” house on the block.
$3.95 does it beat a Heath Bar? (Nope.) BTW poppin means cool and popular.
So, if you were trick-or-treating in 2024, what what’s in your pillowcase?