A final hurrah for late-summer vegetables; hearty, warming stews; the inklings of the holiday season: Fall has to do a lot of cooking work. A collection of recipes that comes at the season from many angles is like having a kitchen compass for every fork in the autumnal road.
April Bloomfield has a way with both meat and vegetables. Fitting then that her Irish stew, with turnips and lamb, is rich and balanced. A monster glug of white wine adds a bright edge, and the comforting meal is finished with a touch of heavy cream.
A first cousin once-removed of mapo tofu, this simple braised dish stars ground pork, hoisin sauce, spicy Sichuan bean sauce and, of course tofu. Make -- or buy from a Chinese takeout joint -- a bunch of rice and call it dinner.
You might likely need a Brussels sprouts dish during the final months of the year. Maybe for a potluck dinner party; maybe for a Thanksgiving you host. You want an incarnation that is familiar yet surprising. This recipe knows that the interplay of cured pork and Brussels, as with the prototypical addition of bacon, is winning. But a stopover on the Iberian peninsula loads this recipe with Spanish chorizo, toasted almonds and sherry vinegar.
A backpocket chocolate cake is a wise idea. Yossy Arefi's one-bowl cake features cocoa, yogurt and brown sugar, and, if you want to startle those chocolate lovers, the optional addition of chopped chocolate pieces. Frost it however you like; detonate a handful of sprinkle or nuts over the top. The cake-baking it so simple, wild out with the garnishing fillip.
Feta, with its briny acerbity and collapsing texture, is always welcome come mealtime. If you follow, though, the teachings of the chefs behind Los Angeles' Kismet, and marinate it in an oil warmed with lemon zest, garlic, black pepper, bay leaf and coriander seed, well, feta then becomes the guest you never want to leave.
Catch the moment when summer careens into fall with a classic mixed-vegetable dish. Peas, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes and onion are barely cooked together, in order to ensure each sings of itself. This version of succotash features a touch of garam masala to warm and meld the varied produce.
Heed Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker's wisdom: "Don't think of blondies as brownies without the chocolate -- these chewy little squares are sweet like butterscotch and studded with toasted walnuts and melty dark chocolate pockets." The charm of a blondie is indeed its flaxen essence. Finishing the blondie with a light dusting of flaky sea salt is brilliant. A bonus: These blondies freeze superbly. They need only defrost to be ready for insta-snacking.