In this get to know the team post, we’ve all shared a little bit about what our favorite fall and holiday foods are, and why they have a special meaning to us.
Melinda
I’m not sure I have a specific favorite fall food. I think fall foods for me are about the general emotion associated with food. Everything from Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas is bundled up with food memories. From favorite trick-or-treat candy to Mom’s sweet potatoes, a perfectly roasted turkey or hot chocolate on Christmas morning – food is central to so many things in fall. I think that’s the beauty of food. We can have our favorites like pumpkin spice lattes or sugar cookies, but it’s the not the food as much as it’s the idea of gathering. Food is a universal connector and it makes working in food and telling the stories behind the food that’s so important.
For the holiday’s we’re traditionalist. Good old fashioned meat and potatoes kind of family. My Mom is an amazing scratch cook and the roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, etc. are always spot on. My Mom is also adamant that holidays shouldn’t be about fancy dishes. They should be tried and true dishes that everyone at the table loves and wants seconds of – it’s not time to be experimenting with fancy or complicated recipes from magazines. Cook what you know and like, spend time with family and enjoy. But my good Scandinavian upbringing does require lefsa and my Mom makes some of the best of that as well! Pass the butter and sugar please. For those of you not familiar with lefsa – my friends in Texas always called them the thin Norwegian version of tortillas – but they’re made with potatoes instead of flour and lard. And it’s delicious.
Alison
I’ve always been a fan of the flavors of this season year round (think cinnamon, nutmeg and clove), so when fall arrives and the world seems to burst open with pumpkin and clove everything, I’m in heaven. For me, it’s partially the foods that are part of this season, but it’s also the activities – holiday markets, baking indulgent goods, extra time with friends and family and Christmas lights. My family does pretty traditional dishes for the season, turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, egg quiche and every kind of Christmas cookie, but here are some other foods I truly look forward to enjoying each season:
- Decadent Drinks: during the rest of the year, I enjoy pretty simplistic drinks like vodka and black coffee or a plain cappucino, but during the fall and holidays, I love enjoying heavier beers, coffee with Bailey’s, mulled wines, gingerbread lattes with whip cream.
- All The Pumpkin: pumpkin pies (made with homemade pumpkin puree of course), pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice lattes – love them all.
- Cinnamon Rolls: while not entirely a holiday treat, for some reason cinnamon rolls always seem to taste better when the weather is cooler.
- Bring On The Soups: particularly heavier, cream based soups are something that signifies the change in seasons, and here in Minnesota, the drastic temperature change from late summer/early fall to winter. For me, it’s loaded potato, chicken dumpling, and of course, beer cheese.
Heidi
I love this time year. After a brutally hot summer in Florida, the weather finally turns a bit cooler especially at night. There’s anticipation in the air as the neighbors begin to hang their holiday lights and we look forward to spending time with family. Tis the season to indulge and I look forward to enjoying a host of flavors, sweets and lots of treats. Here‘s my list of favorite foods:
- Bring out the Slow Cooker: From Beef Goulash to Hawaiian Meatballs and Pork Curry, we bring out the slow cooker every fall to enjoy lots of comfort food with a variety of flavors. I also like to add lots of root vegetables and kale. Best of all, the food lasts for several meals.
- Boozy Hot Chocolate: After a busy day of holiday shopping, there is nothing that compares to spiked hot chocolate with Baily’s or Kahlua while sitting on the couch with a warm blanket and favorite book.
- Butternut Squash Soup: I love the flavor of this soup and look forward to its appearance on the menu every fall at Panera. They add pumpkin seeds as a garnish which adds a nice bit of color and texture.
- Pecan Pie with a Twist: During Thanksgiving, Pecan pie is a favorite dessert but in between the holidays, I like to indulge in adding chocolate. There is something about the combination of crunchy pecans and the gooey chocolate together – so, so good.
- Apples, Apples, Apples: Even though they are available year-round, I get a craving for apples during the fall and holiday season. I like to add them to my smoothies in the morning with a pinch of cinnamon or combine them into a cabbage apple slow on top of my sandwich for lunch and of course I enjoy the classic apple cobbler.
We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season filled with friends, family, good times, and of course, great food.
