"fall flavors" news and stories

Sauteed Leeks - Feast Your Eyes

by Alexa Weibel, Posted Dec 9th 2009 @ 10:00AM

Sauteed leeks. Photo: Laura Pants, Flickr.

Can you not almost smell the buttery aroma of these sauteed leeks wafting through the kitchen?

This garlic- and onion-related vegetable happens to be, admittedly, a personal discovery that's relatively recent, but one whose potent yet subtle flavor has wowed. Not only is the smell alone lust-worthy, but the silky ingredient is equally desired for its texture as well as its flavor. And even others have praised the vegetable for powers beyond its flavor alone -- according to records, Nero was under the impression that leeks improved his singing voice and, consequently, he consumed the scallion-esque vegetable quite ravenously on a daily basis.

What do you use your leeks in? Spill your suggestions after the jump!

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Thanksgiving Turkey - Feast Your Eyes

COMMENTS 2

by Alexa Weibel, Posted Nov 26th 2009 @ 2:00PM

Hern-Roasted Pastured Thanksgiving Turkey

Herb-Roasted Pastured Thanksgiving Turkey.
Photo: Coconut Recipes, Flickr.

On Thanksgiving, it's easy to overlook the main event for all the delicious sides. But with a turkey like this one, it's hard to deny the glory of such a proud bird.

Though many lust after a particular side dish, a turkey this juicy and golden reigns over any Thanksgiving table. As first-time Thanksgiving hosts know, it can be both the centerpiece and the biggest concern. (Ever see the deflated bird in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? If only the Griswolds had tried our brine recipe.) Nonetheless, Flickr user Coconut Recipe's perfectly roasted example is an inspiration.

What food item do you look forward to most at Thanksgiving?
The turkey!	32 (18.4%)
The sides!	142 (81.6%)

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Walnut, Bacon and Rice Stuffed Artichoke - Feast Your Eyes

COMMENTS 0

by Alexa Weibel, Posted Nov 24th 2009 @ 10:00AM

Photo: beurremanie, Flickr.

We love giving the extra nod to seasonal cooking by serving dishes in an edible container, be it stuffed squash, tomatoes, bell peppers, or, in this case, an artichoke. Not only is the result visually pleasing, but its flavor benefits from added depth and complexity.

In the pictured Walnut, Bacon and Rice-Stuffed Artichoke, the Eddybles blogger sautéed a base of onion, garlic and double-smoked bacon with tomatoes and lemon juice before adding rice, Parmesan and basil. But, as she writes, the dish is in fact a "two chapter meal." After enjoying the warmed salad, you reach the meaty artichoke petals, saturated with the drippings of the sautée. The best part is thus saved for last, when you deconstruct the artichoke bowl and savor the richness of each seasoned petal.

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Pumpkin Bark - Tip of the Day

COMMENTS 1

by Sarah LeTrent, Posted Nov 20th 2009 @ 9:00AM

December may have peppermint bark, but have you thought to incorporate the taste of autumn into white chocolate with a rich pumpkin swirl?

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Red Lentil Soup - Feast Your Eyes

COMMENTS 1

by Alexa Weibel, Posted Nov 19th 2009 @ 10:00AM

Photo: WhitneyinChicago, Flickr.

Red-lentil soup inspired my love of the brothy dish, both for its natural flavor and for its unparalleled comforting qualities -- in fact, so much so that my house has become known among friends as the "Soup Kitchen," and friends will randomly text while in the neighborhood to ask what's cooking.

I discovered red-lentil soup rather late in life, during my college years, at Sultan's Market, a small but fiercely beloved Mediterranean spot in Chicago's Wicker Park. Braving the bristly winter weather with a bowl of the soup to-go made my walk home doable, whatever obstacles the weather was throwing my way (and these usually included numbingly harsh winds).

And coming home to a spicy bowl of this stuff warmed was inevitably a body- and soul-warming experience. Although I'm fond of preserving the natural flavor of the red lentil by cooking it up in a soup with sparing ingredients (namely broth, garlic, onion and a touch of cumin), you can't go wrong with hardly any variety of the ultimate soothing concoction. Blogger Whitney in Chicago makes hers with red pepper flakes and chipotle, ups the heartiness factor with the addition of rice, and artfully tops it all off with slivered almond and zesty Feta. You should try her recipe -- I wholeheartedly back her in dubbing it a surefire "cure for darkness."

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