[Photograph: Maggie Hoffman] I'm just going to be honest with you: I think it may be time to forget Oktoberfest (if you haven't already.) Märzenbier is tasty stuff, but I've decided that American rye beers are really the perfect autumn brew. By substituting rye for some of the barley in the mash, brewmasters give these beers a hint of spicy warmth and a touch of rye-bread flavor. Though the Germans have used rye in their pumpernickel-brown roggenbier since medieval times, the ryes we tasted were distinctly American. There's no hard and fast rule as to what an American rye must be, but these tended toward reddish amber, fruity, and generously hopped. They're a little spicy, with a sour kick...
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[Flickr: shiokuma] Since the autumn transition is now official, I’m taking a seasonal approach to my liquor cabinet. The white booze, like the white shoes, has been packed away until the warm months roll around again. OK, that’s not entirely true. Good gin is a year-round pleasure, and sometimes you need a daiquiri or two during the winter to remind you that summer does indeed exist. But now that the nights are cooler and the leaves are starting to change, I’m looking at aged spirits with renewed enthusiasm, and one style of spirit in particular: Calvados. In today’s Washington Post, drink columnist Jason Wilson touches on a theme he started last fall: the often-overlooked apple brandy from Normandy. He...
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[Photograph: Robyn Lee] Sure, it's sad to pack up the grill tongs and charcoal but it's pretty exciting to know that fat pumpkins are just around the corner. Autumn is a season of hearty stews, butternut squash, cider jugs, roasted meats, apple pie, and pumpkin everything. What foods are you most excited for? Here's a smattering to get you started. Perfectly Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad Chestnut, Pumpkin, and Farro Soup Habanero Turkey Chili Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Italian Sausage Curried Squash and Apple Soup Pumpkin Orzo with Sage Spaghetti Squash with Ricotta, Sage, and Pine Nuts Acorn Squash with Asiago and Sage Honey-Glazed Turnips Wedges...
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Not only are autumn leaves falling all over the sidewalks and our lawns this time of year, they're also popping up on pies, cookies, and chocolates. Autumn leaf cookie cutters are a savior when you don't have the patience to trace a leaf shape for 20 cookies or 50 tiny leaves on an apple pie. Take a peek at these savory and sweet Autumn leaf pies by Megan Reardon from Not Martha, perfectly shaped with a cookie cutter to reflect the outdoors and filled with market ingredients. Though Megan based her creations on recipes, I'm convinced the sky's the limit for this variation on a hand pie. For a sweet pie, I'd stuff mine with sautéed pears, honey, and...
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Photograph from AndWat on Flickr I hope this little girl always remembers how beautiful cranberries swirling in a bog can be. Last weekend, she and others celebrated the National Cranberry Festival at Edaville USA, home to a 1300-acre cranberry plantation in Carver, Massachusetts. Activities included: train rides through bogs and staring wistfully at berries....
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I skipped this week's Green City Market in Chicago in favor of the much closer, and much smaller, farmers' market in nearby Wicker Park. I was a little worried about the findings, and whether it would be as inexpensive as Green City can be. A few weeks ago I visited the Logan Square farmers' market and was disappointed in the number of stands, the insanely high prices, and the lack of much actual produce to buy. But Wicker Park Farmers' Market was a much better stop. And according to the signs, it was time for apple season. Nichol's Farm, which also operates at Green City, had dozens of varieties—my only worry was what exactly to buy. I settled on...
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