Ah, the golden days of autumn

Whether it is a biological urge due to the shortening of days or a societal rule about the season, I find autumn to be the time of year when I just want to cook.  All the time.  I am now aware of a desire to experiment with international foods and ingredients I have never tasted before.  In general, I love seeking out new recipes to try.  Whenever we get a new cookbook at work, I am flipping through it to see if it is worth taking home for a better, more in-depth look.

I recently took home "Aida Mollenkamp's Keys to the Kitchen: The Essential Reference for Becoming a More Accomplished, Adventurous Cook" by Aida Mollenkamp.  Part reference book and part cookbook, I am finding I am taking a long time to read it because it has so much information in it.  What I have read I have thoroughly enjoyed and will most likely end up buying my own copy.  I am planning a reorganization of my kitchen storage of pots, pans, and food storage containers.  And this book is great for motivation.  The more I read, the more time I want to spend in my kitchen.

As it is autumn, I am also thinking of trying new autumnal foods that I haven't tried before.  Luckily, when I flipped through Aida's recipes, the book fell open to her recipe for Roasted Squash Pasta With Sage Brown Butter.  Two ingredients I've never cooked with before: butternut squash and sage.  The recipe sounds tasty and easy enough for me.  Although I haven't finished the book yet, I would recommend it to people who like to cook (no matter the skill level).

Read/cook on,

Paula