Festive Recipes for Halloween and Thanksgiving
A Harvest of Pumpkin and Squash, by Lou Seibert Pappas
Oct 20, 2009
A Harvest of Pumpkin and Squash: Seasonal Recipes, written by Lou Seibert Pappas (with full-color photographs by Maren Caruso), is an eye-opening journey through the culinary possibilities offered by the many varieties of pumpkin and squash.
A Wide Range of Recipes
A Harvest of Pumpkin and Squash is divided into familiar cookbook categories: breads and breakfast, soups and salads, main courses, and desserts. However, it also includes short sections on the history, types, and care of squash.
The recipes cater to a broad range of tastes: vegetarian and carnivore, sweet and savory. Although it’s a vegetable-centered book, there are also recipes for those looking to experiment with adding squash and pumpkin to chicken, pork, and other meat courses.
One of the most valuable aspects of this book is that it shows the versatility of pumpkin and squash, as well as the many varieties of each. There’s a beautiful salad that mixes squash rings with arugula, cranberries, and feta cheese. Pork tenderloin is garnished with pumpkin and grapes to create a complex blend of flavors. A standard crème brulée is given a makeover with candied ginger and pumpkin. Even waffles are transformed with a blend that includes orange and pumpkin. And, of course, there’s pumpkin pie, here baked with maple syrup and pecans.
Presentation Matters
Some of the most spectacular recipes in this book involve using pumpkins as serving containers. A large pumpkin is used as a centerpiece bowl for a chicken and squash soup; smaller pumpkins become individual bowls for serving a delicious cheese and vegetable cream. These recipes seem daunting at first sight, but are very well explained and the results are beautiful.
The author is also careful to choose ingredients of varied colors and textures, to give these dishes beauty as well as complexity. The photographs also show ways of presenting the food that will make the most of this variety.
Final Thoughts
A Harvest of Pumpkin and Squash will appeal to food-lovers of any persuasion looking o broaden their culinary horizons. While some of the recipes require quite a bit of time and a moderate amount of skill (those involving pie crust, especially), most of the dishes are easy to prepare and all of them are very clearly explained. It’s an inspiring guide to creating festive menus for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and making the most of what autumn has to offer.
Book Details
A Harvest of Pumpkin and Squash: Seasonal Recipes, by Lou Seibert Pappas. Photographs by Maren Caruso. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8118-6092-5. Chronicle Books website.
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