Fall

October 22, 2012

Garam Masala Pumpkin Bread

mel breakfast, dessert, recipe, sides & bites bread, Fall, garam masala, pumpkin

I’ve been neglecting this blog for almost a whole year. I have no excuses, audiologist no interesting stories about sabbaticals and traveling abroad, cheapest no real reasons why I’ve been so quiet. It’s a simple reason, valeologist really. I was busy. Just trying to figure out the ins and outs of life with a baby, a fulltime job and a 2-hour commute. Cooking has taken a back seat, and the blog was left behind. But no more. I’m committing to cooking and posting again. Starting now.

I know I say this every year, but I’ll say it again – Fall is my absolute favorite time of year to cook. I love all of the colorful harvest ingredients. The squashes and apples and pears. The welcome coolness in the air. Footballs on Saturdays and Postseason baseball. Oktoberfest beers.

This recipe has been sitting in my drafts folder since last year. It’s a simple pumpkin bread, but I’ve used Garam Masala instead of the typical “pumpkin pie spice”. The result is a slightly more exotic bread that is just as moist and addictive as its traditional cousin. It also makes an excellent office Halloween treat.

October 23, 2009

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

mel breakfast, dessert, recipe, sides & bites chocolate, cookies, Fall, pumpkin

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you like fall and pumpkins and seasonal food, cheap then these cookies have your name written all over them. As I’ve mentioned many times before, skincare dessert isn’t really my thing. But cookies are. I love cookies. Soft and chewy and filled with chocolate chips – cookies are my weakness.

They’re easy and delicious and they make your house smell like a bakery. These pumpkin cookies also take less butter than regular cookies, ampoule though not on purpose. The pumpkin just adds enough moisture, so you only have to use one measly stick of butter. A touch of cinnamon adds that subtle fall flavor without overpowering the cookie or competing with the chocolate.

In a word, they’re awesome. They’re perfect for the season. I love them. And you should love them too!

October 20, 2009

Pumpkin Nachos

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites cheese, chorizo, cilantro, Fall, nachos, pumpkin

Pumpkin Nachos

It’s that time of year again. Time for pumpkin-everything. Tom gave me the idea for these when we were watching football, treat drinking pumpkin ale and munching on nachos. Pumpkin nachos? Why not? Nachos are really just a vehicle for cheese and toppings.

So, more about I roasted some pumpkin. That went over tortilla chips with some hot Spanish chorizo (smoked paprika + winter squash = awesome), diabetes and pregnancy green onions and shredded Colby and Jack cheeses. Into the oven until the cheese was seductively melty, then a squeeze of lime and sprinkling of fresh cilantro.

roasting pumpkin
Behold my terrible knife skills!

Salty chips, sweet pumpkin, spicy chorizo all under a blanket of cheese. It’s delicious. The perfect Fall football food. Actually, the perfect Fall food, no matter what you’re doing.

November 3, 2008

Stout-Braised Sausages with Apples, Pears & Cranberries

mel entree, recipe apples, beer, cranberries, Fall, pear, sausage, stout, supper

Stout-Braised Sausages with Apples, <a href= sildenafil Pears & Cranberries” />

Beer is fun. And so it goes without saying that cooking with beer is also fun. Since the brew brings the flavor, hygiene you can lay off the spice drawer for a night. You can also experiment with different varieties based on season — a Corona and lime marinated skirt steak in the summer, Pumpkin ale and short ribs for Autumn (this recipe coming soon). And of course there’s the sampling while you cook…

Since it’s Fall, I went with a nice, coffee-flavored Stout, whose name I cannot recall at the moment, but you can substitute your favorite Mocha Porter (Rogue makes a good one), brown ale or a time-tested Guiness. The recipe starts with sauteed onions and browned sausages in a rather large pot. Add some sliced apples, pears, whole cranberries and a bottle of stout and pop it in the oven for an hour and a half and you’ve got a delicious Sunday supper.

Make sure you’ve got some crusty bread to mop up the beer-y juices, or serve with roasted or mashed potatoes. Either way, you’ve got a hearty, healthy and really tasty meal.