By: John Verlinden
Time to Fall Back
Wow, can you believe it’s already October? Old man winter’s just around the corner, and we’ll soon be setting our clocks back to daylight savings time. I’m all for saving daylight; our New England winters are short on it. Wish we could bank some daylight in July when it’s abundant and then spend it in January when the nights rule.
I hate to admit it, but I’m a “Winter Wuss.” I don’t look forward to the dark, the cold, the snow. Thank goodness, there’s a silver lining – winter dishes that warm you inside and out. Cool days and frosty nights can really get your creative cooking juices flowing – savory soups and stews, roasted meats, cheesy lasagnas and luscious fresh baked desserts.
This year I’m gonna use that glorious extra hour of sleep we get when we set the clocks back to dream about all those delectable cold weather treats we’ll savor as we sit wrapped up in our blankets on the couch in front of the TV (an additional silver-lining – winter’s best for good television).
Foodies are a resilient bunch. Sure, we’ll miss our charcoal grills, barbeque tools and frozen drink blenders, but only so long as it takes us to pre-heat the oven, get the soup kettle out of storage and prepare the mugs to receive ladles of sweet steaming chocolate or hot buttered rum. And, while we never find it easy to say goodbye to all those yummy salads, fresh garden vegetables and cool desserts we’ve been enjoying these past few months, a big crock of spicy chili followed by a slice of homemade apple pie helps soothe the withdrawal pangs.
And, even though we can’t store daylight for future use, we can preserve some summer memories and tastes. Try cooking up a batch of apple jelly, canning fresh tomato sauce or freezing sweet corn. It’s easy to do, and a little jar from your personal cache of stored sunshine brightens even the dreariest of days.
Got a story to share? Drop me a line at john@muchogusto.com or visit the food forum on my website: www.muchogusto.com.
Until next time – ¡Mucho Gusto!, ¡Muchas Gracias! y ¡Buen Provecho!
