Image from Flickr

If someone is going to give us an excuse to eat comfort food – we’ll take it!  And coming from Nigella Lawson, it’s sure to taste good.

The celebrity chef was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition today, sharing her advice for cold winter temps.  The secret to staying warm, she says, is to indulge oneself on a comfort food or two and not let guilty thoughts ruin the experience.  After all, what good is consuming your daily caloric intake in one meal if you don’t fully enjoy the experience?

Her recipe for cheddar risotto – a dish sure to warm the soul – caught our eye.  Also featured, doughnut french toast.

Nigella Lawson’s Cheddar Risotto

Pumpkin Recipes from Gourmet

With Halloween rapidly approaching and the last week of Octoberfest already upon us, we’re dubbing this week “Pumpkin Week” and consuming as many pumpkin-flavored goods as possible.  And what could be better to inspire our baking and cooking at home than one of the final articles to be published by Gourmet Magazine?

We’re sad to be losing such a great publication, but thankful their recipes and current articles are still up on the website for us to enjoy a bit longer!

Recipes featured are:

Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs
Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Ginger Rice Pudding
Pumpkin Flan with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin, Corn and Lemongrass Soup
Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Pecan Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Cake with Sage Ice Cream and Pumpkin Cherry Compote
Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Spiced Pumpkin Souffles with Bourbon Molasses Sauce
Roast Pumpkin with Cheese Fondue
Pumpkin Stuffed with Vegetable Stew

And remember, its Gourmet – they aren’t meant to be easy!

Pumpkins From Flickr

Sure, roasting pumpkin seeds is not rocket-science, even for the under-skilled home cook.  But a few differences in technique can transform a childhood snack into a culinary experience.

After you’ve carved your pumpkins this weekend and otherwise finished your preparations for Halloween, check out this take from Emeril on roasting pumpkin seeds with garlic powder, salt, and red and black pepper.