Fall Salad, L.A. Style

Boooo! Happy Halloween! And Samhain to any of you practicing the Old Religion! Wherever I have lived in the past, this weekend was the true harbinger of Fall: crisp air, chilly nights and bundling up for trick or treating or at least for handing out candy at the door.

But I live in L.A. now where Halloween is simply a formal excuse to dress even sexier than you normally do - indulging in that fantasy of a slutty nurse or French maid or a Marlborough man or a Chippendale stripper. With the balmy weather, it hardly feels like Fall to me.

Spicy Butternut Squash Soup with Pomegranate

Butternut squash is much loved by those with a sweet tooth; it's in its name, butter nut! Roasted or pureed into soup, this squash is so delicious. I love to add a bit of spice and when I came across this post suggesting the pairing with pomegranate seeds, I knew I had to try it!

Pomegranates have always intrigued me, ever since hearing the Greek Myth of Persephone and Hades and how eating only 6 seeds from the pomegranate he offered her saved her from living in the Underworld for the full 12 months of the year. However, not having lived near the Mediterranean or a similar climate, I have rarely had a chance to buy them. Of course, they are ubiquitous in Southern California and in season in the fall. (I find that so odd since they seem tropical and summery to me, but what do I know, having never lived where they grow!)

French Lentil Soup

Lentils are one of my favorite legumes. While technically called a "pulse" because they are only cooked after being dried, they are lumped in with all beans. I have been fascinated with them since childhood because they were such an odd shape. My dollhouse had a cookie jar with lentils as the cookies, and I have never been able to shake the thought of them as such!

Of course lentils are the opposite of cookies - earthy, toothy and savory. When the cooler weather begins to arrive I always crave this lentil soup. It's quick and yet rich and with the addition of a splash of vinegar - either the traditional red wine or the sweeter balsamic - it never fails to warm me body and soul.

Gringo Enchiladas

I confess that there are some dishes I like to make more than eat; chili is one of them. So much of the preparation for a chili is about chopping - onions, garlic, chilies, celery, peppers - my favorite part of cooking. As a result, creativity with chili leftovers is always a challenge. Here is a new way of using them up, enchiladas!

I call these "gringo" enchiladas since they are so far from a traditional recipe that it's almost an insult. However, they are delicious and the truth is that it is hard to go wrong when you wrap chili in a tortilla, spoon spicy tomato sauce over it and bake it topped with cheese. Fantastic!

Corny Chile Cornbread

Cornbread is one of those great, homey, comfort foods that I have only just begun to appreciate in the past couple of years. Too often it can be dry and crumbly and catch in your throat. So unappetizing!

But then I discovered a couple of secrets, like adding pureed squash (pumpkin, winter squash of any type) and substituting it for some of the oil often used in traditional recipes. Buttermilk or yogurt also keeps it moist and suddenly I was a convert. It is one of those easy "quick breads" to make and is especially fun when you have a cast iron pan to bake it in.

Thai Chicken, Kale Corn Soup

There is a reason that I buy certain items that many people would deem "exotic" simply to have them on hand so that I can whip up certains dishes, just because I'm in the mood.

Thai Curry Paste * Kefir Lime Leaves * Coconut Milk * Fish Sauce

All are essential ingredients for any style Thai soup or curry. For the lime leaves you usually need to visit an Asian grocery store, but the rest you can find in your local grocery store. Thai Kitchen is the brand of coconut milk, curry paste, and fish sauce that I use, and they come in organic versions if you prefer. Of course you can leave out the lime leaves, but it really makes it taste so much more authentic. And the best part is they are freezable so it's worth hunting down a local Asian grocery to find them to stock them in the freezer.