Butternut squash is my favorite winter squash. It is so versatile and fun to experiment with. While I like adding them to dishes such as enchiladas, a good butternut squash soup is a lovely comfort food when the weather turns and brings a nippy fall chill to the air. 

We may be at the very tail end of sweet corn season here in Ohio, but fresh corn is still plentiful at the farmers markets. If you grew it this summer, you may have a freezer full of it by now! Corn chowder is a simple dish that you can make with fresh or frozen corn, and is so delightfully flavorful.

During the majority of my 20's, I lived in southern Mississippi where I was only an hour and a half drive from New Orleans. I fell head over heels in love with the city and all of the wonderful cuisine. I cannot say that I have a favorite Cajun or Creole dish because they are all near and dear to my heart, but gumbo is probably the most well known. Over the years, I have experimented with different gumbo recipes and tried to reach that authentic Louisiana gumbo goodness. After some trial and error, this is where I landed and it hasn't let me down!

I absolutely cannot wait to be picking fresh veggies from the garden this summer. I started my little seedlings for this year's garden a few weeks ago indoors under a grow light, and they are really starting to show out. 

Fat Tuesday isn't until February 28th this year, but carnival season is well under way in New Orleans! Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, which is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday that lands 47 days before Easter. While Mardi Gras is technically only one day, carnival season kicks off each year on January 6th. Even though I am not down in Nola watching the parades this year, I am still participating in the festivities from up here in Ohio. Even if it's just in my own kitchen!

Growing up in rural Mississippi, pho wasn't a meal that we had easy access to. Our little town had a few local diners, one Chinese buffet, one Mexican restaurant, and a small handful of fast food chains. I was actually oblivious to the delightfulness of pho until my 20's, when I moved to Jackson, MS. My first experience with homemade pho came only a few summers ago, while visiting my California gal pals in the Bay area. It was a great weekend packed with lots of outdoor adventures and lots of good food!

I recently had a run in with a mean little case of the winter crud. It kicked me out of commission for a bit, but I let my body fight the bug battle while I drifted in and out of snoozeland. During this wild rollercoaster ride between feverish sleep and reality, I dreamed of eating wonderful soup made with rich shiitake mushrooms in a velvety bisque of caramelized onions. So naturally, when I regained enough strength to get back into my kitchen, I made a big batch of bisque!

Although my fall garden greens were taken under siege by cabbage worms earlier this season, they managed to survive and are now flourishing. I helped them win the battle with a dusting of baking soda here and there to ward off the evil green creepy crawlies.

It is officially chili season! I can eat chili any time of year, but fall definitely compliments this dish very well! I love experimenting with chili and finding new ways to enhance this classic. One of my favorites is a beer based chili. I used turkey this time because I have been eating a bit too much red meat lately. The turkey went very well and absorbed the rich flavors nicely, but beef or chicken would work well also. You can also skip the meat and double down on beans instead. If you canned tomatoes from your summer garden, this is a great time to use them! You can also use dried beans instead of canned. Just make sure to soak them overnight first so that they are soft enough. 

Stuffed cabbage rolls are something that I wasn't introduced to until I moved to Ohio. They are made by wrapping cabbage around a filling of meat, rice, onion, and seasonings, then slow cooking the delicious little guys in a tomato sauce.