When Thanksgiving is around the corner, you can find people are busy buying pumpkins. The tradition of cooking pumpkin may date back to the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. Pumpkin comes from the Greek word pepôn, meaning “cooked by the sun.” It is probably native to America, especially Central America, and was grown extensively by the first colonists Native Americans made good use of the pumpkin. They baked or boiled the pumpkin, made soups from it, and the dried, ground meal can also be used in breads and puddings, much like cornmeal. Even today, pumpkin still attract many families for its good flavor and traditional significance it entails.
One of the ways of cooking pumpkin is as follows. Above all, cut the pumpkin in halves or large chunks. Scrape out all the seeds and strings inside. Then, put these pumpkin pieces in an oven cooking bag. The pumpkin needs to be baked at least for 45 minutes until the pumpkin collapses. When it cools enough to be handled, remove carefully the peel from the pumpkin meat and pure the meat in a food processor. If you like, you can brush the pumpkin with melted margarine and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cooking pumpkin in this way, you will have a good taste of the original flavor of it.
Another method of cooking pumpkin is using microwave oven. First, weigh pumpkin to determine the length of timing. Generally, it needs about 7 minutes per pound. To cook a medium-size pumpkin, cut it in half vertically, and then scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place one half of the pumpkin with the cut-side down in a microwavable baking dish. Turn the microwave oven on high degree with the pumpkin uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes until it becomes tender. Remember to rotate the pumpkin once or twice during cooking. Repeat the same procedure for the other half. Cool until it is easy to handle. Scoop out pulp and place in a blender. Puree at medium speed until it is smooth. Pumpkin puree can serve as a fat substitute in breads, muffins and cakes like prune puree and applesauce. Here is a note: if the puree is watery, simmer over low heat in a heavy-bottom pan instead of draining off the liquid because draining removes much of the flavor. When cooking pumpkin, you had better choose a smaller pumpkin which is best for cooking, yielding sweeter and more tender flesh than the very large pumpkins.
You can also try to make pumpkin flan when you are cooking pumpkin. For many housewives, flan is an elegant, incredibly delicious dessert that is fairly easy to cook. If you have no experience before, be sure to read the instructions carefully so that you have a complete understanding of the process. First, add enough hot water to come three-quarters of the way up the outside of the cake pan. Then remove the cake pan and put the larger pan of water in a preheating 350°F oven. Melt the sugar directly in the cake pan. Shake and tilt the pan. Once melted, the sugar will caramelize and begin to brown quickly. As soon as it turns golden brown, tilt the pan so that the entire surface is covered. Beat together the eggs and sugar. Add the salt, water, cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin and milk. Set the caramel-lined pan in the middle of the hot water pan in the oven for 25 minutes until it is done.