Welcome to Sunday Sobremesa, a twice-monthly thread to discuss food and culture while sipping on an oat milk latte (or licor de pera1 if that’s more your style!).
So you’ve probably seen this week’s topic and are thinking, Kiki, why on Earth are we talking about fall? It’s only August for crying out loud! In a way, I agree—we already have enough outside pressure from stores, magazines, etc telling us that fall is around the corner. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone from the US told me that Halloween decorations are out already.
While I admit that we should all be much more present and enjoy the here and now (hence me practically buying out all the greengage plums and figs in our fruit shop), fall is also my favorite season. Maybe that makes me basic (a term I sort of hate). Me da igual.2
I love everything about fall: the smell of the turning leaves, the chill of the air, oversized knit sweaters worn with shorts, steaming coffee on cold mornings, sticky marshmallows roasted over bonfires, curling up on the couch with a bowl of soup and a good movie. Autumn = nostalgia, forever and always in my mind. And with the summer heatwave, I’m looking forward to it more than ever.
This includes foods and dishes traditionally associated with fall. Specific dishes I’ve been dreaming of lately are roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash soup, sweet potatoes prepared anyway you can think of, lentils (lentejas here in Spain), and all of the delicious traditional Spanish soups and stews. And then there are the foods that are only associated with fall in my own mind: bowls of caramelized banana oatmeal, fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, (vegan) mac and cheese with roasted broccoli.
So now I turn it over to you guys: What fall food are you looking forward to? Maybe it’s a seasonal fruit or vegetable, or maybe it’s a nostalgic dish from your childhood. Perhaps it’s even a local cuisine associated with this time of year—pulled pork BBQ and apple cider doughnuts come to mind.
Let’s wax poetic about fall foods in the comments—see you there!
I wholeheartedly agree with your description of moving on to fall. In my little corner of the world, we've had some record heatwaves this week, followed by thunderstorms, only for there to be a lovely late summer breeze today that is giving me some serious *fall vibes.* Fall is absolutely my favorite season, so I'm pretty much looking forward to it as soon as it's gone.
I know this isn't *technically* a food but a beverage, but I'm really looking forward to drinking wassail in particular! My grandma has this beautiful recipe card from the '60s (I think?) that she's always used for her traditional wassail. She breaks it out as soon as the autumn winds kick up, so I'm planning to follow suit.
For those curious, wassail is hot, spiced apple cider. You pour an entire gallon of cider into pot on the stove, make a cheesecloth sachet of whole baking spices, and let it steep in the cider for hours. I have fond memories of sneaking up to the stove to grab an extra cup (or two) as a teenager 😂
When I lived in the US for University, I loved pumpkin pie..I know it's not at all a common thing in the UK and I've never made it before, but I'm going to attempt to this year. I find that Americans enjoy autumn a lot more - perhaps its the transition and the nearing of Thankgiving which is just such a massive holiday?
Butternut squash soup! So good with a dose of cracked black pepper on top.
Apple Pie! I don't know why I'm obsessed with pie 😂 - I think it's because Autumn also reminds me of apple picking and apple cider donuts.
I'm so glad September is upon us. Late summer and the transition to autumn are the best time of the year for me, especially this year after a blazing summer. In terms of food, I'd say... cakes! Any cake really. I don't bake as much during the warmer months but I do love a slice of cake twice a day: morning and night, so that's what I'm really looking forward to🥮
I wholeheartedly agree with your description of moving on to fall. In my little corner of the world, we've had some record heatwaves this week, followed by thunderstorms, only for there to be a lovely late summer breeze today that is giving me some serious *fall vibes.* Fall is absolutely my favorite season, so I'm pretty much looking forward to it as soon as it's gone.
I know this isn't *technically* a food but a beverage, but I'm really looking forward to drinking wassail in particular! My grandma has this beautiful recipe card from the '60s (I think?) that she's always used for her traditional wassail. She breaks it out as soon as the autumn winds kick up, so I'm planning to follow suit.
For those curious, wassail is hot, spiced apple cider. You pour an entire gallon of cider into pot on the stove, make a cheesecloth sachet of whole baking spices, and let it steep in the cider for hours. I have fond memories of sneaking up to the stove to grab an extra cup (or two) as a teenager 😂
When I lived in the US for University, I loved pumpkin pie..I know it's not at all a common thing in the UK and I've never made it before, but I'm going to attempt to this year. I find that Americans enjoy autumn a lot more - perhaps its the transition and the nearing of Thankgiving which is just such a massive holiday?
Butternut squash soup! So good with a dose of cracked black pepper on top.
Apple Pie! I don't know why I'm obsessed with pie 😂 - I think it's because Autumn also reminds me of apple picking and apple cider donuts.
I'm so glad September is upon us. Late summer and the transition to autumn are the best time of the year for me, especially this year after a blazing summer. In terms of food, I'd say... cakes! Any cake really. I don't bake as much during the warmer months but I do love a slice of cake twice a day: morning and night, so that's what I'm really looking forward to🥮