Fall Favorites
Let’s welcome the first day of the month with three cozy dishes perfect for fall entertaining.
Happy November 1st! With the cooler days upon us, it's the perfect time to enjoy three of my favorite dishes for these crisp fall days. These recipes have been perfected and are guaranteed to impress, even if the weather doesn’t.
1. Mascarpone Polenta
You’ll need ground cornmeal, milk, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and mascarpone to make this polenta. And the best part? It’s done in the oven – no constant stirring is required!
Cornmeal has a deep history; you can likely trace eating cornmeal mush back to the indigenous Mexicans thousands of years ago.
Polenta is the Italian version that is boiled in liquid to a creamy, porridge-like consistency using slightly coarser grains than a typical cornmeal mush in the US. It's hearty, creamy, and tender.
Just before serving, you stir in the mascarpone, a soft Italian spreadable cheese, creating a buttery, decadent, warming dinner with a hint of sweet corn, perfect for date night and simple enough for a quick fall meal.
2. Nordic-Inspired Crab Stew
The key to a great fall soup is finding the right balance — rich, comforting flavors paired with just the right touch of sweetness or a hint of salty contrast.
This Crab Stew has the perfect balance of sweet-salty crab, shrimp, and white fish, with chunks of tender potatoes providing a rich and warming finish.
In my blog post, I suggest a variety of seafood options, but crab is the only essential ingredient. I’ve included several tips on purchasing seafood, plus substitutions so that you can use what you already have on hand.
I hope the weather is extra cozy when you try this one!
3. No-Knead Focaccia
This crispy and fluffy focaccia is one of my site's most popular recipes, and this is the perfect time of year to enjoy it with Crab Stew, Butter Lettuce Salad, or Creamy Ragu.
But you can't rush it. The slow, cold fermentation in the fridge is key to the perfect focaccia. It also gives you room to play with different ferments and rising periods so you can adjust my perfect focaccia to become your perfect focaccia.
I’ve tested and adjusted this many times to achieve a crunchy exterior, a moist, soft, and airy interior and a delicious flavor from an overnight rise in the fridge.
I hope it contributes to some fantastic fall meals!
These recipes serve different purposes, but they all bring comfort to fall days. I hope you get a chance to try them all! As always, if you have any questions at all or want to share what you make, just reply to this email or connect with me on Instagram.