Soup cravings tend to set in when the weather turns just cool enough that the tips of your nose and fingers get chilled, which is right about now in many parts of the country. And when that happens, there's really nothing more satisfying than wrapping cold hands around a warm cup of soup (except maybe slurping it).
This butternut squash and apple soup, topped off with a dollop of creme fraîche, incorporates the best of the savory and sweet flavors of the season. Whether or not it's to die for, you'll have to decide for yourself, but it sure is nice to look at.
An autumnal feast. Photo: Brent Ridge, Beekman 1802.
Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are the farmers and innovators behind Beekman 1802, a 200-year-old estate and farm in upstate New York. We'll be running recipes, photos and tales from the farm as their crops come into season.
One of the true pleasures of life on the farm is walking out to the heirloom vegetable garden to decide what looks good for dinner. All summer, we've been sharing some of our own recipes, but we're not the only ones out there with a backyard garden and a little creativity. There are thousands of you!
We decided to hold a contest to see who came up with the best impromptu recipe from their garden this year.
And guess what? One of the most influential gardening chefs in the world, Alice Waters, is going to help us choose the winner. We'll even prepare the winning recipe and put it right here. You and your recipe could be famous!
To get you started on the right track, we're giving you one of our favorites this season.
We've started watching the leaves change to all different shades of red, brown and yellow. Fall colors also abound in apples. But with all of the options out there, which variety is one to eat while watching the trees' brilliant transformations? Well, if you're is a fan of consuming crisp fruit in crisp weather, Honeycrisps are definitely the way to go.
Based on the status updates of food lovers all over Facebook, it seems many were lucky enough to get their hands on Honeycrisps over the weekend, including blogger Happy in Bag who managed to hold off biting into this one long enough to snap a picture.
Often overlooked and underrated in other seasons, apples as vibrant and crisp as these reign supreme every September. In these two complementing shots, one can't help but crave the inimitable crunch of an autumn apple. Fine-grained or sweet, sprightly or tangy, with hundreds of varieties -- from the juicy Acey Mac to the nutty Zabergau Reinette -- apples have flavors as variegated as their purposes.
Chef Normand Laprise writes about the health perks, versatility and deliciousness of apples, and offers a recipe for Geneva Apple Puree.
Canada's Le Mamirolle uses a French process to create a strong cheese with a sweet and salty taste for fromage fiends.
Toronto's Pico serves "bipolar" cooking on the whole, but boasts an exceptional brunch.
Sweet dining spots across Canada are experimenting with fancy versions of the classic marshmallow -- from pumpkin flavors to gelatin-free concoctions -- and offering up refined s'mores.
As fall approaches, there are five things to add to your pantry: spelt, icewine jelly, matcha tea, spicy chocolate and barbecue sauce.
Fish continue to suffer as we delight in all things from the sea. Now a new study says our obsession with omega-3 fatty acids could bring on "a forage fish wipeout."
If done right, corn dogs can be a perfect party treat.
We always think of the delicious potatoes falling into the sizzling hot oil, but what about apples?
Above you can watch Chef Jason Hill make apple fries. Oh yes, he takes apples, slices 'em like fries, fries 'em up, and tops them with some cinnamon sugar. Unlike potatoes, which benefit from the double-frying technique, these guys are simple and quick -- just a coating of corn starch and into the oil they go. The simplicity and speed of this makes it perfect for that wow-treat for company. It won't take hours to make, and your guests will get a pleasantly sweet surprise.
Hill pairs the fries with a quick sauce of marshmallow and cream cheese, but I'm thinking a delicious yogurt-based dip would be perfect with this.
Mmm, seasonal punch, fall cider, apple-related-alcohol, whatever you want to call it, it's good. Warm or cold, alcoholic or non, even spicy or streudelly, there are a number of ways to enjoy a good autumnal apple drink. Here are links to eight delicious recipes!
Martha Stewart has pages and pages of luscious fall dessert porn up right now, just in case you're looking for inspiration. They're arranged by ingredient, which is helpful. Some of the highlights:
Apples - Apple pie with cheddar crust; vanilla bean-baked apples; cranberry, apple and maple phyllo; apple-cinnamon upside down cake.
Pears - Salt-roasted pears with caramel sauce; pear pavlova; honey cake with spiced pears; saffron-scented pear upside-down cake.
Pumpkin and Sweet Potatoes - Pumpkin-swirl brownies; mini pumpkin whoopie pies; sweet potato pie with pecan topping.
Other - Concord grape sorbet; Concord grape pie; wine maker's grape cake; quince Tart Tatin; spiced cider soup with sweet potato dumplings, quince and dates.
Fall is here and with it have come a wave of new cookbooks. The Baltimore Sun food section staff take a look at the new crop and narrow it down to the pick of the harvest.
This week the Recipe Finder tracks down instructions on how to make Tomato Jelly.
After some trial and error, Rob Kasper succeeds in baking up a batch of homemade pretzels for his own personal Oktoberfest celebration.
I don't think of bourbon as a summer drink ingredient. Summer drinks to me are ones that are fruity and light and crisp and maybe have an umbrella in them. I mean, they don't have to have an umbrella in them, but fruity and light are what I think of when I think of summer drinks. Bourbon is a harder potion to me, made for fall and winter nights.
But this recipe over at MarthaStewart.com for Eli's Elixir (created by Allen Katz) sounds promising, because it does have that fruit element in it (apple juice, apples) along with 2 oz of bourbon. You also use a Homemade Ginger Cordial in the recipe too.
For a couple of years in the 1990s, I drank ginger beer all the time. I can't even remember what brands I used to drink, but I was always experimenting with the stuff to see what cocktails I could come up with. I have to admit I never tried mixing it with apple.
This is the Apple Bomb, and besides ginger beer it features applejack, apple juice, and a lot of apple pieces on a skewer.
Mmm, seasonal punch, fall cider, apple-related-alcohol, whatever you want to call it, it's good. Warm or cold, alcoholic or non, even spicy or streudelly, there are a number of ways to enjoy a good autumnal apple drink. Here are links to eight delicious recipes!
Martha Stewart has pages and pages of luscious fall dessert porn up right now, just in case you're looking for inspiration. They're arranged by ingredient, which is helpful. Some of the highlights:
Fall is here and with it have come a wave of new cookbooks. The Baltimore Sun food section staff take a look at the new crop and narrow it down to the pick of the harvest. 
I don't think of bourbon as a summer drink ingredient. Summer drinks to me are ones that are fruity and light and crisp and maybe have an umbrella in them. I mean, they don't have to have an umbrella in them, but fruity and light are what I think of when I think of summer drinks. Bourbon is a harder potion to me, made for fall and winter nights.
For a couple of years in the 1990s, I drank ginger beer all the time. I can't even remember what brands I used to drink, but I was always experimenting with the stuff to see what cocktails I could come up with. I have to admit I never tried mixing it with apple.
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