Autumnal Appetite (Winter squash hummus, Baharat)

I love slipping into autumn for a number of reasons. On the culinary side, Fall brings the warmth of richer, heartier flavors. It's a joy to roast and stew things, again, and the amount of butter and baked goods also spikes, precipitously. With the oncoming onslaught of holidays, it can at times be a bit much to each so much heavy food.  That's why it's important to find autumnal foods that are full on flavor (and fill you up) but be on the lighter side. Julia Child is absolutely right that more butter can solve almost anything, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially if one is predisposed to counting calories. As such, I present to you "winter squash hummus", which makes an appealing snack or appetizer that's pleasingly sentimental in its embrace of fall flavors while pleasantly lighter than most holiday fare.

Snack happy

Yapple-Dapple (Apple galette, cognac caramel sauce)

We are now in undisputed apple season. In my hometown, September is always marked by the Apple Peach Festival, sadly this year just an apple festival after the late spring frost laid waste to the peach blossoms. Intending to console myself with copious amounts of apples, I had my heart set on tarte Tatin: a pastry crust baked upside-down atop a layer of deeply caramelized apples. This led to my next revelation, however: that recipe seemed somehow intimidating. I feel like "effortless elegance" is more my wheelhouse, so I split the difference: an easy apple galette, gussied up with cognac caramel sauce.

Gastronomically gussied

Sweet and Savory (Roast pork, pears, and root vegetables)

When my sister sent me half a dozen perfectly ripened pears and my sister-in-law gifted me with a jar of her fresh and local Lucky Bee Farm honey, I knew I had to make something special. I started out wanting to make a honey-sweetened pear upside-down cake, but Aaron invoked our agreement from a few months ago-"honey, stop baking"-and requested something savory, instead. Sweet and savory can be an excellent combination: there's honey in my beef teriyaki and in the barbecue sauce we slather on chicken, but the ultimate sweet meat is always, in my opinion, pork. Something about the pig's omnivorous diet and the practice of finishing meats with specific feeds to affect their flavor gives pork an inherent, unmistakable sweetness. Given a spicy rub of chili, garlic, and fennel, rounded out with some extra-hearty heft from a side of root vegetables, and topped off with a drizzle of honey Dijon gravy, this is a quick weeknight supper dressed to impress.

Impressive?

Apple-y Dapple-y (Baked apples with walnuts, honey, and spiced mascarpone)

Mono no aware is the Japanese concept of "Awareness of Things." It refers to the poignancy of ephemeral beauty: the single night of the moon at its zenith, spring blossoms that scatter to the winds, autumn leaves changing colors, only to fade, and fall. I fancy I've always had a certain affinity for the melancholy of evanescence. This reached its peak in high school, when I'd craft intricate designs below the tideline, using stones, shells, and beach roses. I knew that, in a few hours, they'd be devoured by the waves, but the action of creating the art, and its destruction, and the pathos of those fleeting moments in between was part of the beauty. As I walk in the park every day, with that welcome new tang of autumn chill to the air, I feel just a little blue as I notice the season turn and sunlight slip away. This is why, in my opinion, the Autumnal Equinox was a festival for ancient Europeans. It doesn't just coincide with the harvest, it also helps to kick away that sense of autumnal doldrums. Like with  honey-baked apples, roasted walnuts, and spiced mascarpone cheese.

Quick pick-me-up

On the Go (Blackberry Hazelnut Spinach Salad, Prosciutto Crisps)

As I write this article, Aaron is packing moving boxes around me; the Gourmet Gents are moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts! I'm excited to move to the city, but I'll miss some things about our old home, especially its square-foot gardens of salsa and salad vegetables and kitchen garden brimming with herbs and berries of all kinds. We love using fresh, local ingredients and the late summer offerings are especially rich, as most fruits, vegetables, and nuts are just coming in season. A blackberry, hazelnut, and spinach salad let me make use of one last harvest from the garden beds and smooth chèvre cheese, salty-sweet prosciutto crisps, and balsamic vinaigrette fortified with blackberry preserves and hazelnut oil help you schmaltz things up.

Schmaltzy

"Honey, stop baking" (Chicken, Kale, & Quinoa Salad)

I've been trying to be a little more health conscious, lately. As Chris Pratt put it upon being cast in Guardians of the Galaxy: "honey, stop baking, I have to lose 75 pounds!" I'm not quite so far gone yet, but I think it's a truth universally known that most Americans (or residents of developed nations, in general) could stand to be a little more mindful of what ends up on their plate. Of course, growing up with a food pyramid that's heavily influenced by lobbying from America's agribusiness conglomerates, it can sometimes be hard to divorce oneself from a craving for 11 servings of grains a day. Through use of other full-flavored ingredients and the selection of lesser evils, however, delicious, healthy, and satisfying meals are still an achievable goal. This month, I offer a chicken, kale, and quinoa salad, punched up with apples, bacon, and avocado.

For your approval

Good Gravy (Bacon Shallot Herb Gravy)

Thanksgiving is all about tradition, but it's also nice to change things up. Since the stakes are too high to chance an untried recipe, however, my friends and I have taken to a pre-Thanksgiving tradition: hosting a small dinner party to vet new entries to the menu before they have a chance to end in tears. I headed to our test kitchen last week, camera in-hand, to pick the best recipe for this month's article, and this bacon shallot herb gravy was the undisputed star of the evening. I think gravy is an unsung hero on the Thanksgiving table. Certainly most people have a favored recipe, (I have very fond memories of my aunt always making ours with the turkey drippings in the roasting pan, itself), but it's a humble condiment. I'm not sure anyone would cite it as their favorite thing on the table. I aim to change that with this recipe, a simple but stunning offering adapted from Justin Chapple that should please even the most discriminating gourmand. Conversely, if you're the type of person to always prepare gravy from a can, jar, or (God bless you) packet, you need to knock that off immediately and try this recipe, instead.

All aboard the gravy train

Season of Squash (Spanish Pumpkin Stew)

Winter is coming. And I'm not just saying that as a Game of Thrones fan. With the early sunsets and icy breezes, winter is always a great time for soup, but soup is unfortunately not typically regarded as haute cuisine. I wanted to try to make a soup that would put some excitement back on the dinner table. People may appreciate chicken noodle, but it doesn't usually elicit oohs and ahs. I also wanted to find a way to feature pumpkin, as it's the signature produce of October, without falling prey to the ubiquitous assault of pumpkin spice (insert noun). Eventually, I found my way to a Spanish stew named Berza de Calabaza. Many sources list this as an Andalusian specialty, though the recipe I settled on as a base template employs a Catalan ingredient in picada: an almost pesto-like blend of toasted bread, almonds, and garlic, as a thickener. Between the pumpkin, picada,  and beans, this makes an extremely hearty winter stew to warm the toes, stick to the ribs, and lift the spirit.

Like magic

The Root of the Problem (Roasted Carrots with Orange and Thyme)

The autumn is finally upon us and, as it is the season of the harvest, I've been finding myself increasingly drawn to the farmer's markets throughout Boston, welcome reflections of the Grower's Market back in Williamsport. Far be it for me to cast aspersions on the grocery, but there's an undeniable charm to being able to grab fresh, local produce while on a coffee break or waiting for the train home. While the market stalls still abound with treasures like ripe strawberries and luxuriously leafy kale, it was the humble carrot that most called to me this month; perhaps because a stand of kaleidoscope carrots caught my eye with its vivid contrasts of red, purple, orange, and yellow. It's been pointed out to me that my recipes seem almost single-minded in their focus on dinner and dessert, giving short shrift to the myriad accompaniments that help to make a full meal. This hasn't exactly been a conscious effort on my part, but rather the natural inclination towards the bigger and flashier set pieces that always draw one's attention. This month, I take a happy break from roasts and desserts to correct that oversight, and instead share one of the easiest, yet certainly tastiest little recipes in my repertoire. Roasted carrots with orange and thyme is an effortless creation that adds just the slightest spin to the comfortingly familiar. 

Don't I know you from somewhere?

Health for the Holidays (Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad)

I've gotten a little carried away with the baking, lately. I love sweet treats as much as anyone else but, "everything in moderation." I like to maintain the balance. For every cookie, there should be a salad. With winter fast coming on, it's not surprising that cold and raw dishes get short shrift. Once you've walked home with frost-rimed leaves crunching underfoot and your breath steaming in the air, it can be hard to get excited for a chilled supper, but contrasts offer their own delight, so as we prepare to bake, roast, and pan fry all the hot and heavy foods that make Thanksgiving great, I'm actually most looking forward to a light yet hearty salad of raw kale and Brussels sprouts.

Unassuming

Pumpkin in the Air (Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies)

The long-lingering warmth of summer seems to have inspired especially beautiful leaves this season and I've found myself slowly ambling down the backroads around the bakery to soak in the blazing canopies of foliage. Leafer madness is in the air. Also in the air in high concentrations: the sweet, earthy squashiness of pumpkin. I chose to capture the star flavor of the season by tinkering up pumpkin butterscotch ginger blondies: tender treats that highlight the true flavor of pumpkin, while still enthusiastically embracing a curated selection of its aromatic pairings.

Aromatically delicious

Carrots on Parade (Ginger Carrot Bisque)

A few weeks ago, we went to FarmAid, the benefit concert founded by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews to benefit small family farms. It was a fun event featuring terrific music and great food--only from local organic farms. Even the Chipotle chain tent sourced their ingredients from family farms. My favorite highlights of the evening were John Mellencamp's violinist, who fiddled like a woman possessed, and the photographs of produce, farming, and harvesting that played in the background the whole time. I still maintain one scene included dancing carrots.

It's harder to dance when pureed

Duck Tales (Duck Breast, Cherry Demi Glace)

This post is also available as an article in the 9/26/2012 Williamsport Sun Gazette.

Sorry, I've been shirking the blog terribly, letting it go to seed as we race about at work and try to soak up the waning sunshine in the intervening hours. The turning of the season always leaves me feeling a little out of sorts. It's almost imperceptible as it happens, but suddenly the length and warmth of the days begin to slip away and prepare the garden, fields, and mountainside for winter hibernation. Of course, there's so much to enjoy about the early fall, too: turning leaves, the smell of woodsmoke in the air, and apple picking never fail to perk me up. In this case, one of those little pleasures is pairing some of the last ripe summer fruits with autumnal game.

I'm game if you are

Tarted Up (Feta Fig Tart)

I recently found a great tart pan neglected on a store shelf and was immediately tempted to find some way to put it to good use. I dimly recall a savory almond tart I was served at a Medieval banquet (like you do) and wished to continue the unexpectedly umami theme. Since summer is the season for deliciously juicy fresh figs, they seemed a great starting place. The resulting tart is quick, versatile, rustically elegant, and most importantly: easy, easy, easy.

Easier done than said

Our Daily Bread (Gruyere and Green Apple Grilled Cheese)

Hello, ladies and gents!

We woke up this morning and I suspect our heat may not be working. Maybe it's that it was icy cold and I had to keep nursing a fire all day, maybe its the silent, unmoving HVAC, but something is rotten in Denmark. Or at least our furnace/heater-type thingy. Technical term.

Either way, it was a day that seemed to call out, in particular, to hot food. After Aaron surprised me with pumpkin waffles for breakfast and, after we completed a run to gather additional firewood, I was ready to make something good.

Bazinga

Raising Spirits (Roasted Delicata Squash Pasta)

As my mother always quotes: "No leaves. No flowers. No fruit. November." The autumn just keeps on trucking along, leaving us with early sunsets and snowstorms to contend with. Personally, I'd rather just hibernate for the season and wake up in mid-May. I think that traditions such as Halloween and Christmas find their roots in humanity's attempt to stave off the depression of winter. It's a tradition I'm happy to embrace, and today I have some hot squash, pancetta, and spinach pasta for you.

Dinner: 1, Depression: 0

A Gift to be Simple (Gorgonzola Pasta, Balsamic Honey, Walnuts, Arugula)

As I'm sure you know, life can be a bit of a whirlwind. Work, chores, friends, family... each has merits on its own, but coming at you in unison, they can combine to form a perfect storm of chaos. That's why it's important to simplify every now and then.

Patience, grasshopper

Great Expectations (Roasted Gorgonzola Pear Salad)

Hello, ladies and gents!

Oh. Hi.

Exciting news: A bought me a DSLR camera for my birthday! Now, at least with some practice, you should be able to look forward to some more professional-looking photography. We also shot some recipes of his own over the weekend, so maybe he'll finally post, too. I promise you the pumpkin pancakes are completely worth it. In the meantime, here's my first post with the new camera.

Friendship is Magic (Apple, Stilton, Walnut Puffs)

Hello, ladies & gents!

I'm excited to kick off another weekend, not that last's was unenjoyable, by any means, but it was something of a whirlwind. We chose to celebrate my birthday by going to visit our friends Laura and Geoff up in Rochester, MA. Laura and I went to high school together and I'm to be her "Man of Honor," as it were, when she and Geoff are married next spring. I can tell you that Laura is an excellent designer, slowly updating their house room-by-room, that she can slap harder than any woman I know, and that when we made hollandaise on Sunday morning, she taught me I could really trust in recipes again, even when Alton Brown makes them sound scary.

Don't let cooking personalities intimidate you

My Modern Family (Plum-Berry Crumble)

Hello, ladies & gents!

Enthused by sheer culinary joie de vivre, and the fact that I had a ticking time bomb in the fruit drawer by way of a crate of blackberries, I bring another recipe tonight: plum-berry crumble. I had intended to save this treat for Wednesday. See: right now, every Wednesday night, my modern family gets together to watch Modern Family. I've already come to look forward to the event.

Sarah and her husband, Seth, keep their family farm around the hill and down a dirt road that slowly clambers up the mountain. At the moment there's a full herd of goats for the milking, a flock of laying hens, and three hives of busy, busy bees. They tap maple trees to render the syrup in the Spring and collect elderberries, blackberries, and raspberries in the Summer. We are very lucky.

We're also very unlucky in that Modern Family airs after our nephews' bedtime.

Weaponized cuteness