I’m trying to be enthusiastic about food.
Now, to those of you who know me, that may sound odd, because formerly I loved to eat. In fact I did rather too much of it. Then came adventures with teeth, where for some time I nursed along two temporary crowns and a gap, and had to think every time I put something in my mouth whether it could dislodge a crown and whether it was therefore worth the effort. (Yes, we romance writers are such glamorous creatures.)
Now I sport a full working mouth of teeth again and decided I should build on the momentum of losing weight by joining Weightwatchers. I’m finding it a slow, tedious process, the program altogether too damn perky, and some of the food weird. (Brownies made with black beans? Eew.)
I’m not that enthusiastic about food and it’s not helping the weight loss process, so I’m trying to take an interest. I mourn the brief tomato and peach seasons of the summer; the first time my farmers’ market had heirloom tomatoes, I brought some home, along with a loaf of expensive artisan bread, and made myself a massive tomato sandwich. I think it was the highlight, gastronomically, of my summer.
I’m thinking hard about the pleasures of winter squash and of the delicacies of winter-harvested brussel sprouts; yes, I know 90% of you are turning up your noses, but believe me, brussel sprouts turn deliciously sweet in frost, even if you have to saw through the stalks. I’m indebted to the wonderful Tiny Farm Blog for this picture and other interesting stuff.
So, what would Regency folks eat in October? According to Sarah and Samuel Adams, you’d get the last of the artichokes and scarlet beans, the first broccoli, and cabbage, carrots, endive, leeks, onions, potatoes, beets, parsnips, spinach, and small salad (not sure what this is; does anyone know?). Just imagine what you could get if you had a greenhouse. Yum. (The pic, by the way, is from Colonial Williamsburg, not England.)
What are you planning on eating and cooking this fall? Any sources of good recipes you’d like to share?
Oooh, I love food Janet. This blog made me hungry just reading it. I love to make spinach and mushroom lasagna in the fall, tomato soup, lobster bisque, and lots of roasted fall vegetables like brussel sprouts, squash etc. I also make for Thanksgiving and christmas, green bean casserole from scratch with the crunchy onions on top.
I love fall food: Brussels sprouts, winter squash, roasts, etc.
I am on WW, too, ’cause I regained the 10 or so pounds I lost earlier this year. Having too much fun this summer.
My favorite fall treat is a crisp apple. The rest of the year I don’t like ’em, go figure.
Oh, now I’m hungry!! Must go to the farmer’s market tomorrow.
I actually lost 5 pounds on my trip, because even though I ate waaayyy too many pastries and drank too much wine I walked a LOT. Now it will be a challenge to keep it off, since when the weather gets cool I love creamy soups, pasta casseroles, cakes, Hallooween candy, and stuff. I used to think I hated brussels sprouts, too, until I had some from that farmers market last year. They were a revelation. 🙂
I always have a huge laugh these days when I visit the grocery store. Those tomatoes! Who comes up with those bizarre shapes, sizes, and colors? And of course, I’m tempted. I buy a couple to make a quick lunch salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Delish!
I adore green leafy veggies: spinach, kale, mustard/collard greens, leafy lettuces, yum!!
Sorry, Ammanda and Janet. Brussel sprouts? *choke*
Janet, good for you on WW! I’ve done WW and I really did well with the point system. But I would dearly love to be sitting next to you in a meeting. You’d be so very entertaining!!
I looked up The Complete Servant book on Google books (one can hope for it being online) It wasn’t there but I was amazed at how many books used it as a reference.
By autumn I’m sick of cold salads and want cooked veggies. I love Brussels Sprouts! Time to get out the crock pot, too.
Let’s hear it for Brussels sprouts! I like em drizzled with balsamic and roasted.
I wish I was a foodie, but I’m not. I appreciate good food and all, but if left to my own devices will often eat a bowl of cereal for the sake of convenience.
My teenage son is a true foodie. He interns at a gourmet restaurant in the city on Saturdays. He didn’t inherit it from me!
Once upon a time, a cat drove his pet human’s car to Pluto, and told the inhabitants that their planet had been demoted to dwarf planet status.
In revenge, they used their space ships and time machines to plant an evil seed on Earth, to get vengeance on the planet that created the cat.
These seeds evolved into Brussels Sprouts. And every time an earthling eats a Brussels Sprout, those spiteful Plutonians laugh at us.
I say: let’s fight back. Let’s take a stand against alien revenge.
We must never again eat Brussels Sprouts.
And if that’s too difficult, at least don’t serve them to Cara.
My mom had a bumper crop of peaches this summer. Sliced peaches, peach cobbler, peaches in fruit salad, peach cake….I don’t think I want to see peaches for a while to come.
So, how about a frittata with romano cheese and wild mint leaves before the frost gets to them? YUM!
With heavy Fall schedules I break out the slow cooker. Kielbasa with apples and ‘kraut and a nice sourdough rye bread is delish.
I’m a bit hungry now…
Things not to serve to Cara:
1. Brussels sprouts
2. A massive tomato sandwich
3. More brussels sprouts
4. Winter squash
5. Artichokes
6. Broccoli, with a side of brussels sprouts
Todd-who-has-years-of-experience
I am a total foodie. I can go overboard with my descriptions of the food my characters eat and my attempts to place them in situations where they are eating because I love being around excellent food and excellent cooking so much.
A note on brussell sprouts: the reason so many people find they and other cabbage-type vegetables like kale disgusting is genetic! Those vegetables contain PTC, and being able to taste the chemical is a dominant trait. Oddly enough, I have the fairly rare recessive trait for not tasting PTC, so I like brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, etc.