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

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

Pumpkin Remix (Biscoff Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies)

Have you had Biscoff spread? It recently came to my attention that several of my friends haven't, and that's a shame. I've always been especially fond of peanut butter and its various compatriots like almond butter and Nutella, but Biscoff spread may just be the tastiest of all. As is to be expected, it lacks any redeeming nutritional value, but is as delicious as cookies pureed with canola oil until they achieve the consistency of Jif can be. I've found myself sneaking to the pantry at night, depleting it spoonful by guilty, furtive spoonful.

It's so good

Belated Breakfasts (Pumpkin Spice Waffles)

The last few weeks have been busy at our 9-to-5, but this week afforded us the opportunity for a delightful visit from Michelle and Christina from Martha Stewart Omnimedia.  Not only did they put on an engaging presentation, they were great to speak with - we had the opportunity to discuss cooking, the blog, Martha (of course), and much more.  It was certainly a highlight for both J and I (especially J, who, as mentioned previously, 'grew up with Martha,' so to speak).

That being said, things have been generally hectic, and the barrage of deadlines and obligations can quickly become a lot if you don't take the time to relax and enjoy something simple and delicious, like a homemade Sunday morning breakfast.  A few weeks ago, J mentioned that I would soon bring to you my pumpkin pancakes.  Unfortunately for J, I decided not to make pancakes; fortunately for me (and perhaps you), I DID make pumpkin waffles.

The prize

Seasonal Offerings (Pumpkin Chocolate Oat Bars)

Hello, Ladies & Gents!

The weekend before last, when A and I spontaneously decided to go live, I spent a few hours madly scribbling out recipes I'd like to share. I wrote down over 235 of them. Today's recipe, however, is not one of them.

Today, I have a new recipe to tinker with:

Eureka!