There is nothing better than a sturdy, autumnal pumpkin dish, and Halloween is the perfect day to transform the gourd into a ghoulish dish. Pumpkin Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter and Feta from Reclaiming Provincial stars homemade, pillowy gnocchi fried in sage brown butter until golden and crisp. A final sprinkle of crumbled feta lends a smooth and humble tang.
Photo: Romulo Yanes
Pumpkins are iconic symbols of Halloween, and autumn, and are great for much more than just carving Jack-o’-lanterns. Pumpkin is a delicious, and nutritious, seasonal ingredient that makes a wonderful addition to a wide variety of dishes. With tasty pumpkin-filled preparations like pie, ravioli, soup, butter, cake, and purée, it’s hard to pick a favorite.
What do you like to make with pumpkin?
Behold: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls from Valerie C. at Une Gamine dans la Cuisine. A mix of cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and well-shaken buttermilk is drizzled over these orange-hued beauties while they’re still warm. Vraiment magnifique.
Photo: Romulo Yanes
It’s the ultimate challenge on Thanksgiving Day, one that almost seems cruel: “Save room for dessert!” And yet a Thanksgiving meal without pumpkin pie seems horribly incomplete. So when did the indulgent holiday come to be associated with the sweet treat?
Pumpkins were long a staple of North and South American peoples. Scientists have even dated pumpkin-related seeds back to 7000 BC in Mexico. Early settlers of the Plymouth Plantation noticed how readily available pumpkins were, and copied Native Americas in roasting and boiling the squash to stay fed. Pumpkin was definitely a big part of the first Thanksgiving.
Later, in an attempt to make pumpkin more appetizing, settlers began cutting open the top, scooping out the seeds, and pouring milk, honey, and other spices—when available—into the pumpkin prior to cooking it, inadvertently creating the first pumpkin pie prototype. Continue reading
Transform the quintessential flavor of fall into seven sweet and savory recipes in our All Things Pumpkin collection, now available in the Gourmet Live Store.
Start with a warm and creamy bowl of Pumpkin Soup with Red Pepper Mousse then make your way to the dessert tray for a slice of Pecan Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie, and more.
Download the free Gourmet Live app then head to the Library to access the Store for our All Things Pumpkin collection.
Photo: Kemp Minifie
With East Coast pumpkin patches wiped out by Hurricane Irene, carving your jack-o-lantern is a pricier project this fall. When you shell out a small fortune for this Halloween ritual, you can’t afford to let it rot after trick-or-treating is over. Recycle it into pumpkin purée for bread, muffins, pie, or my buddy Kelly Senyei’s Pumpkin Turkey Chili.
Bakers will tell you that the pumpkins grown for carving aren’t as tasty as the sugar and cheese pumpkins preferred for pie. But hey, your jack-o’-lantern, after the melted wax is scraped out and the soot washed off, is still an edible squash and shouldn’t be wasted.
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Photo: Gourmet
Autumn is the season for falling leaves, apple cider, and most of all, pumpkins. This great gourd works wonderfully in a wide variety of dishes, but I want to know:
What is your favorite pumpkin preparation?
Photo: Shipyard Brewery
Every October, I travel from New York City to Vermont for an annual leaf-peeping weekend. Call me an old-soul (or a total dork), but there are few things more idyllic than spending a day gazing at abandoned barns and orange leaves. It helps that my favorite seasonal beer, Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead Ale, also just to happens to be released when the foliage hits its peak. After consuming a few of these sweet and spicy ales, the leaves tend to get a lot more interesting.
Pumpkinhead is rich with cinnamon and nutmeg notes, but unlike other flavored ales, it actually tastes like beer. The natural tannin in pumpkin skin balances out the sweeter elements. It’s like drinking a refreshing, crisp pumpkin pie (with most of the sugar removed). If that description didn’t sell you, trust me, it’s delicious.
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This week’s Food Blog Roundup includes inspiration for fall feasting with favorites like Pumpkin Pancakes, oatmeal cookies and apple-inspired entrees and desserts. Check out the latest news and trends below then weigh in with your favorite fall recipes on the Gourmet Live Facebook page.
