Cranberry-Apple Crisp with Nut Crumble

Autumn’s most popular fruits make this a festive dessert

Apples and cranberries are both autumn icons. So why not set them up for a date?

They get along beautifully in this dish: Cranberry ting enlivens apple mellowness. And baking concentrates their flavors, bringing out the best in both.

With Thanksgiving coming up soon, you’ll want to add this dish to the menu. Your guests will gobble it up.

Hot Spiced Apple Cider with Rum

Make this autumn warmer with rum for adults, without for kiddies

It’s getting chilly in our part of the world. And the nights are getting longer. Time to warm up with hot apple cider!

This spicy version brings out the best of autumn (and rum helps tame fall’s gloomy chill). But it’s great sans alcohol, too, so the whole family can enjoy.

How about them apples?

Moroccan Beef Tagine

Carrots, peas, and cauliflower liven up this classic

Think beef stew is boring? Meet Moroccan Beef Tagine.

It has cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cayenne – and they all come out to play. They give this dish savor unlike any other beef braise you’ve had. And we pump ours up even more with frisky veggies.

Prepare to wow your guests.

Moroccan-Spiced Beet Salad

Cinnamon, cumin, & orange blossom water perfume this starter

Beets are autumn on a plate. And in this dish, Moroccan spices heighten their already-enticing flavor (not to mention their aroma). Best of all, the recipe is easy to make.

So you get sensory overload on a slacker schedule. Our kind of dish!

Lamb Rogan Josh

Spicy but not fiery, this northern Indian dish makes excellent comfort food

The weather is getting chillier here, so we’re starting to crave stews and braises, preferably ones with some snap. Which leads us to Rogan Josh (aka Roghan Josh or Roghan Ghosht). Who can resist meaty chunks in a rich sauce perfumed with aromatic spices?

This dish is loaded with flavor, but it’s not spicy hot, so it appeals to almost everyone. And it’s as easy to make as beef stew.

So serve this at your next dinner party. And introduce your guests to a whole new world of comfort food.

Autumn Soup and Chili Recipe Roundup

Pumpkin and Pork Chili

Comfort-Food Ideas for Chilly Weather

Autumn is the season for soup – and chili. When the weather turns cooler, they’re our go-tos.

So this week we’re highlighting some of our favorite season-appropriate recipes from blog posts past. There are enough of them to tide you over for a few weeks – while we sneak off for vacation.

For now, soup’s on!

The Chrysanthemum Cocktail

Light, bracing – and pretty as a flower

Need a drink that won’t knock you off your game? The Chrysanthemum is here for you. It doesn’t contain a base spirit, so the alcohol quotient is moderate. And its rich, aromatic flavor is so satisfying that you won’t miss the extra alcohol.

The Chrysanthemum works well as an afternoon pick-me-up or predinner drink. Especially this time of year, when its eponymous flower reaches peak bloom.

Fall is perfect for planting. And you’ll definitely want this one in your garden of cocktail delights.