Praise The Pumpkin...

If there is one thing I love about the Fall, it has to be the abundance of Pumpkin flavored everything. Outside of the usual Pumpkin pie, there are so many more pumpkin choices than most people even know about.


Pumpkin Beer:
While there are a number of microbrews that have jumped on this beverage in recent years, it is hardly new. In fact, many of America's alternative microbrew recipes that use other items (pumpkin, hemp, wheat, etc.) can be traced to colonial history. Before the Boston Tea Party, colonists began to refuse shipments of barley and hops as a sign of early protest. Since beer was such an important drink however (they even had beer for breakfast then, albeit a milder form of it) they found alterative, native ingredients to produce it. Pumpkin was one of the more popular choices at the time. If you plan on trying any, I would suggest the following brews:

Crooked River Pumpkin Harvest Ale (The best I've had, Dean & Deluca sell it)
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/424/1280/

Blue Moon Pumpkin (First one I ever had which turned me onto the brew)
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/306/100/

Pumpkin Spice Latte / Pumpkin Martini / Pumpkin Creme Brulee:
Starbucks' newest seasonal coffee is the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It is pretty decent, but after a few of them (no, not in the same day) my wife and I have found them less appealing than the Gingerbread Latte. The syrup is a bit thick, and you end up with a few too many chewy bits at the end. The pumpkin taste is spot on, but I think I'm over it now. Torani, the famous coffee syrup maker, has introduced a Pumpkin Spice syrup this year which I have just ordered to try at home. While I may use it in coffee, I am more interested in making my own Pumpkin Martini like the one at Maggiano's Little Italy which I recently read about: Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Pumpkin Syrup and Half & Half in a martini glass rimmed with nutmeg. Pretty swank brew. The syrup would also make a great Pumpkin Creme Brulee which is my all time Fall favorite. Max Downtown in Hartford, Connecticut makes the best I've ever had.

Pumpkin Ice Cream:
Now this is a fantastic treat indeed. The taste of pumpkin pie in a creamy ice cream, how cool is that? Right now my wife and I have been enjoying the Edys limited edition variety. There are a few others out there, but they are not as easy to find. A good bet is to try any local ice cream shop as they tend to make more seasonal flavours than the large manufacturers.

Pumpkin Pastries / Pumpkin Butter:
You will also find pumpkin muffins, bread, scones, doughnuts (try Krispy Kreme) pancakes, cookies, and even Little Debbie Pumpkin Delights which are very good and very cheap. Of course, you can always spread pumpkin butter on your favorite pastry if you can't find any of the above.

Pumpkin Gourmet:
This is also the time of year for pumpkin filled pasta and pumpkin soup (most decent restaurants try these). Williams-Sonoma can supply you with nearly everything you need to make almost anything out of pumpkin this fall.

Pumpkin Seeds:
Don't forget to save the seeds if you have pumpkins this year. Just throw them on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven. Or, you can do what the baseball players all do, and grab a bag of David Pumpkin Seeds.

So, while Pumpkin Pie has got to be my favorite by far, I can't help but go a bit crazy over all the other pumpkin products each fall. I'd suggest a pumpkin beer this Thanksgiving, you may just enjoy it.

Next month: The Chestnut......

Paul