Anthology of Autumn
Has your pumpkin spice preference peaked?
In all honesty, mine never even took off.
Please don’t be mad. Try not to hold it against me.
But I’ve never understood the obsession that most of North America has with this fruit. It doesn’t even have to be Sept 23 before people are posting their fall outfits (please, I need more inspiration!), bales of hay on the front porch and their pumpkin spice lattes.
Don’t get me wrong, I adore autumn. In fact, it’s my favourite season. I love the colourful palettes created by the foliage. The golden morning sun and crisp air wakes me up the way summer never does and most certainly not how winter makes me want to hibernate. Mist slowly lifts to evaporate from the dewy grass as the day heats up as the breeze starts slowly knocking leaves from their branches. The earlier sunsets feel like a good excuse to curl up on the couch with the dogs or drag out how many more evenings we can roast marshmallows in front of the fire before our toes freeze. Corn mazes, pumpkin patches and apple picking come to mind. How we miss making apple cider at our bestie’s house on the lake with all our close friends!
But. SO MUCH PUMPKIN SPICE…
If you’re like me, chances are that if there’s no pumpkin spice in your life, there will be some cinnamon or allspice aromas. So why is this?
According to perception researchers at Johns Hopkins University, it's the powerful scent. The smell of all things pumpkin often triggers familiar, cozy memories — creating a national nostalgia and increased desire to reunite with the upcoming season.
The more we smell and associate it with the same time of year, the more we tie them with positive memories like family Thanksgiving, or rustling fall leaves and going back to school," said Sarah Cormiea, a Johns Hopkins doctoral candidate studying human olfactory perception.
Okay, so you’re now asking where am I going with all this info?
Well, I’m so glad you asked because my thought was to shine a light on some of the other ingredients and aromas that we can utilize to embrace fall. And with that, let’s look at a combination of classics and new(ish) fall flavours.
ANTHOLOGY’S FAVOURITE FALL FLAVOURS
Brown Butter
Change up these Brown Butter Cookies by adding in some fall themed candy. The nuttiness of brown butter becomes intoxicatingly comforting and you’ll question why you’ve not been using this all along.
Add a whole other dimension to your dishes with brown butter.
It produces a deep, nutty aromatic flavour that will most certainly fill your home. Brown butter can add a rich, robust flavour to desserts and cookies such as Chocolate Chip Cookies or savory dishes, like Roasted Mushroom & Brown Butter Soup. Cookies combined with brown butter will bring a cozy warmth to the kitchen, perfect for blustery days. Add it to pasta dishes to make it a unique and truly stunning aromatic condiment.
2. Apples
Incorporating notes of caramel and cinnamon once home from the orchard will be a sure-fire way to get you in the autumn spirit. Start the day with Mother Nature’s Apple Crumble!
There's a reason apple picking is one of my favourite autumn activities. The crisp taste of apples is a quintessential fall flavour and so versatile in recipes. Use apples to make an Apple Spice Layer Cake, or a savory dish like Apple Butter Lamb Chops. Of course, most won’t say no to a mug of hot apple cider. Mother Nature’s Apple Crumble is apples concentrated to its fullest.
3. Salted Caramel
Pecan squares always seem to make their debut at Thanksgiving, firmly securing caramel as an all-time autumn staple.
The addicting sweet and salty combination of this salted caramel sauce makes it good enough to eat out of the jar. Or you could be more civil and drizzle it over your desserts. And although Salted Caramel Sauce and dulce de leche are both are both sticky and sweet, the main difference is that caramel sauce is made with sugar and cream while Dulce de leche is made with sweetened condensed milk. Dipping your toes in to the sauce? Try Chocolate Carmel Shortbread or The Dunbar using a jar of dulche de leche.
4. Chestnut
Rustic and earthy, chestnuts add a sweet nutty flavor to any recipe. Castagne Tortionata perfects the partnership of sweet and delicate.
Come autumn, if you were to meander the narrow streets of Italy, your nose would most likely lead you in the way of drifting scents off of roasting chestnuts or hazelnut-infused chocolate truffles. While popular in Europe, chestnuts aren’t given the chance to truly prove themselves here. Mix up your Sunday dinner with a Wine-Braised Pork with Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes accompanied by Chestnut Stuffing with Fennel. And, of course, make sure you leave room for the Castagne Tortionata!
5. Maple
The taste of maple is a warm and comforting flavour. These Butterscotch Maple Scones are and absolute must for autumn.
Are you a true Canadian if you don’t like maple syrup? In our household, the first thing that comes to mind is Gopa’s pancakes. But we’ve had to rethink this tasty treat because maple is not just for breakfast. It has so much potential this autumn. The maple flavor can be used in sweet dishes such as Butterscotch Maple Scones or Brown Sugar Maple Cookies, but it's just as flavorful in savory foods like Maple Baked Beans or Maple and Prosciutto Wrapped Brined Turkey Breasts with Herb Butter.
6. Pecans
Buttery and rich, the subtle flavor of pecans is universally flattering; It’s no secret there’s nothing better than the addition of their soft, tender crunch to a cookie.
Pecans offer a dynamic, identifiable taste of autumn. They have an unmistakable vibrant and creamy flavour with a mild foresty aroma. They are regularly used to combine taste and texture, adding a creamy rich crunch to an otherwise one dimensional dish, such as the Butterscotch Self-Saucing Pudding. Fill your cookie jar with The Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies (they won’t last long!) or indulge in a decadently rich Fresh Ham with Maple-Balsamic Glaze for a Sunday dinner. Need a dessert that will become your guests most frequent request for the recipe? Pecan Squares will satisfy that sweet tooth without (totally) bursting at the seams.
7. Mushrooms
Beautiful, earthy mushrooms are the star of this comfort food classic with a tangy, indulgent sauce. No one will believe this is a Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff!
Slightly woodsy and meaty, mushrooms are incredibly versatile and can be far more than just a meat substitute; they can be a decadent showstopper in many of Anthology’s favourite dishes. Try adding homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom to beefy soups, a quick Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff for an easy weeknight meal or serve either Farro with Mushrooms, Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding alongside a holiday dinner.
8. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is generally used in baking, as the warm flavor marries sugar nicely; However, it also goes partners amazingly well in savory dishes like curries and stews.
Cinnamon is typically described as having a sweet and woody taste with a warm, earthy flavour. It also has a slight citrusy note and is likened to cloves, which is why it pairs so well with it. This spice needs to be used in small amounts and will add a robustness without being over powering like in the Apple Spice Layer Cake. Lolo’s Cinnamon Buns are a popular choice to showcase this full-bodied spice, but try thinking outside the box and give a savory dish such as Mushroom-Spinach Soup with Cinnamon, Coriander & Cumin or the Pressure Cooker Chicken Tagine With Butternut Squash a try!
9. Sage,Thyme & Rosemary
Simple and rustic, Rosemary Focaccia Bread provides an earthy, evergreen-scented flavour to elevate basic bread.
For obvious reasons, when I hear of these herbs, I think of Thanksgiving and most importantly, stuffing. Technically, these should each be in their own category but often I find that if you have one, you have the other so these aren’t exactly just showcasing one element. Rosemary and Sage are classic and essential herbs during autumn’s kitchen. They both have aromatic yet soft flavour and are truly iconic of the fall season. Think lemony pine and woodsy.
Explore an easy dinner with the Dijon Rosemary Sheet Pan. Orzo with Parmesan & Basil is an all-star side to chicken or beef dishes. If you’re feeling really homey and need some extra coziness, try the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs or Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup. Of course, make a batch of Rosemary Focaccia Bread to dip in to the soup..
10. Sweet Potato
The warming, humble sweet potato. Undoubtedly my top fall favourite. Being inherently sweet yet savory, this Sweet Potato Soup is a staple soon as the leaves start to change colour.
Just as vivid and colourful as the autumn foliage, sweet potato my be one of my all time favourites…and not just because they are high in beta carotene, vitamins E and C, iron, potassium and vitamin B6. I’m not one to use this veggie as a Thanksgiving dish with the overly sweet marshmallows. Instead, embrace its savory side or accentuate its sweetness with rich, fall spices. And you must absolutely explore its various textures. Whether you are partial to soup based, such as Sweet Potato Soup, roasted like the Sweet Potato Mash with Lime Salsa, or diced in a Sweet Potato Chili with Cinnamon Sour Cream or Butternut, Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Stew, give some of these cozy recipes showcasing this autumn spud a try. I promise, you’ll forget all about white potatoes in a heartbeat!