Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee

Happy Halloween!  Time to Embrace Your Inner Spooky Self  Well, folks, it's that magical time of year again when the leaves turn orange, the air gets crisp, and suddenly everyone's obsessed with pumpkins. That's right, Halloween is here! Whether you're into the spooky stuff or just here for the candy, there's something wonderfully weird about this holiday that we can all get behind. More Than Just Trick-or-Treating  Look, Halloween isn't just for kids anymore (if it ever was). Sure, trick-or-treating is iconic, but nowadays adults are getting equally excited about costume parties, haunted houses, and binge-watching scary movies. There's something liberating about having a whole day dedicated to being someone or something else. Want to go as your favorite celebrity? A historical figure? A sentient taco? Go for it. Halloween is basically a free pass to be as weird as you want without judgment. The Costume Conundrum  Let's be real though, choosing a cost...

  The Story Behind Halloween: How Old Customs Shaped Today’s Celebration Jack-o’-lanterns glow on doorsteps, costumes fill the streets, and children call “trick or treat.” The story behind Halloween explains how these familiar sights grew from customs that began centuries ago. Halloween didn’t come from one place or one event. Its traditions took shape over time through seasonal festivals, Christian holy days, local folk customs, immigration, and popular culture. The holiday’s history includes the Gaelic festival of Samhain, the Christian observance of All Hallows’ Eve, and customs such as souling and guising. Some links between these practices and today’s Halloween are clear; others remain uncertain. The story behind Halloween has more than one beginning Halloween’s past is layered, and no single origin explains every tradition. Seasonal customs, religious observances, and regional practices all helped shape the holiday. Samhain offers context, not a simple origin story Samhain wa...

  Food With a Spooky History: What Halloween and Funeral Foods Reveal (Note : "This article contains content that may not be suitable for younger audiences.”) A cake made with urine and fed to a dog. Bread baked with charms that hinted at marriage, poverty, or death. Food with a spooky history can carry stories far stranger than its ingredients. Some tales come from records of real customs or events. Others grew through folklore, rumor, or later retellings. Separating the two helps us see what people feared, hoped for, and did together. These stories lead from Salem’s witchcraft crisis to Halloween games and funeral tables. Along the way, they show how ordinary food could hold deep meaning, even when its supposed powers were only a matter of belief. Food With a Spooky History: Salem’s Witch Cake How a cake entered a witchcraft accusation On February 25, 1692, Salem Village residents Tituba and John Indian made a “witch cake” from rye meal and the urine of girls said to be afflicte...

  Ready, Set, Spook! Gin Lee's Top 5 Favorite Halloween Costumes for 2026 Can you believe it’s already 2026? Time really does fly when you’re busy scrolling through costume catalogs and debating whether to go as a classic horror icon or a contemporary pop culture phenomenon. If you are still scratching your head wondering what to wear this October 31st, don’t worry because Gin Lee at “ Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee ” has got you covered. Halloween is more than just a holiday; it’s a creative outlet, a chance to connect with friends, and let’s be honest, a great excuse to eat candy. But choosing the perfect outfit can sometimes feel like a mission in itself. To help you save time (and stress), we’ve analyzed the latest trends, search data, and pop culture moments to bring you the definitive list of the Top 5 Halloween Costumes for 2026. From high-octane animated musicals to nostalgic throwbacks, here is everything you need to know to nail your look this year. 1. K-Pop Demon Hun...

Classic Homemade Chewy Rectangular Peanut Butter Kisses Halloween Candy Recipe for Easy Wrapping A chewy, peanut-butter-rich Halloween candy is easier to make at home than its neat shape suggests. These classic homemade peanut butter kisses are rectangular candy pieces, not chocolate kisses, and they’re made for individual wrapping. The keys are measuring carefully, cooking the sugar syrup to the right temperature, and cooling the candy before you cut it. Bring Back Classic Homemade Peanut Butter Kisses for Halloween These old-fashioned-style treats have a sweet peanut butter flavor and a firm, chewy bite. Pressing the warm candy into a pan gives you a slab that’s easy to slice into tidy rectangles. Wrap each piece, and you’ll have a homemade addition for candy bowls, treat bags, or a Halloween dessert table. What Makes Peanut Butter Kisses Chewy and Rectangular Corn syrup helps limit sugar crystals, while the peanut butter adds rich flavor and a soft, dense bite. Cooking the sugar mix...