"autumn" news and stories

Fall is the time for football. And with football comes food like buffalo wings, sausages, pizza, and potato chips. And while most guys (and gals - yes, I know you're football fans too) go for cold beer with their football viewing, don't forget that you can also drink wine with these foods too.

The Boston Phoenix asked the owners and beverage managers of several Boston restaurants for their picks for the best wine to serve with football food. If you're serving spicy wings, Josh Childs at the Silvertone Bar & Grill suggests a California zinfandel from or a syrah from the Rhone region of France (or, for a contrast, a German riesling). For nachos, a sparkling white.

Bill Earle at Bouchee' says that if you're serving chili, he'd suggest a California zinfandel, for the rich fruit and the spice to go with the hotness in the chili. And for hearty sausages? Kate Smith at Butcher Shop suggests a pinot gris or a gewuztraminer or a riesling.

But wait: pizza is missing from this list! I'd say pizza is eaten more while watching football than sausages or wings. Suggestions, readers?

I eat a lot of hummus during the summer, usually with pita chips and veggies. I often put it out when friends are coming over or serve it as an hors d'oeuvre at a party. Once fall comes around, hummus seems a little out of season, just because I'm so used to eating it straight from the fridge on hot days. To make it a little bit more seasonally appropriate, I put together a hybrid hummus of garbanzo beans and pumpkin puree. It is smooth and has a hint of fall from the squash, although the pumpkin flavor is not dominant at all. The hummus comes together in a few minutes and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. It goes well with tortilla chips, pitas and just about anything else you might want to have hummus with.

A cold morning and a ripe pear were the inspiration for this breakfast. In summer, I'm likely just to opt for the fruit on its own, since hot cereal doesn't hold that much appeal when it is muggy outside, but when the weather turns colder, I like to start my day off with hot food. Pear and Maple Oatmeal takes advantage of seasonal flavors, since maple syrup is often included in fall recipes, and is so delicious that it almost tastes like dessert. On top of that, it's incredibly easy to make in the microwave, which makes it an easy breakfast to whip up on a busy weekday morning.

The trick to this recipe, which is after the jump, is to add in half of the pear before cooking and half after. The pear that is cooked will become very tender and almost melt into the oatmeal. The rest of the pear will soften only slightly from the heat when it is added just before serving, adding a lovely texture to the cereal.

Sure, I love the fresh fruits and vegetables of summer, and there is nothing like a bright, crisp salad on a sunny day. But we have come into autumn, and the foods of fall sing out to us with steamy soups, hearty stews, and other rich, saucy dishes. While we certainly don't want to deprive ourselves, we still want to be mindful of all that work we did over summer to stay trim, fit and healthy. Forbes has listed some of fall's most fattening foods with their approximate calorie content, what we should watch out for, and about how long we have to sweat it out on the bike to burn off that second helping of stuffing.

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This caramel apple is a work of art, beautiful to the point where you would consider leaving it out as a centerpiece before even thinking about cutting into it. Cooked up by Tartelette, the caramel is a dairy-free combination of sugar and a touch of lemon juice. Light and clear, the cooked sugar allows the beauty of the apple underneath to come through clearly, which is something that cannot be said for all caramel or candied apples.

This treat is a classic choice for fall, when apples are plentiful and their natural sweetness is only enhanced by the addition of sugar, and is a simple alternative to cooked desserts like pies and tarts. Because it does not use cream or butter in the caramel, it is also much lighter than the average caramel apple, which means that you could have an extra piece or two of that Halloween candy along side it without feeling too guilty.

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