You don't need to be told that Halloween is just days away. We've been seeing orange, black and other Halloween-colored treats stocking store shelves since August.
Chances are, the kids have already carved their pumpkins and have them out on the porch. But why not get a pumpkin for yourself, cook it and scoop out the flesh - or simply go to the store and buy a can of pumpkin purée - and make a treat for yourself? Then you can sit back and take a break with a cold drink and a bite of mouthwatering pumpkin hummus to enjoy between trips to answer the door when the doorbell rings and you're met with that age-old challenge: Trick or treat!
This hummus is absolutely delicious and offers a mild pumpkin flavor combined with the delicious savory taste of tahini.
Pumpkin Hummus
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, reserve liquid
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh is fine)
1/4-1/2 cup tahini, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Additional olive oil for serving (optional)
Pepitas or sesame seeds for serving (optional)
Combine chickpeas, pumpkin, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt in a food processor fitted with blade attachment; pulse for 30 seconds. Add additional olive oil and chickpea water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency; taste and add more salt or cumin, or lemon juice, if desired. Drizzle with additional olive oil and top with pepitas or sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with pita chips. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
IN GOOD TASTE
There is nothing worse than opening a perfectly good bottle of wine, having one glass and corking the rest of the bottle only to have it sit around for a couple of days and, upon reopening, realize that it's gone bad.
What about the times you want to try just a glass before committing to an entire bottle? Or have a fun wine-tasting evening with friends?
A new company, In Good Taste, offers many different varieties of wine - red, white and rose - from different wineries in bottles that are equal to about a quarter bottle of wine. It's enough for one really good pour or two small ones. I think this is an ingenious invention that introduces you oenophiles to varietals you may not have tried before.
In Good Taste also has its holiday advent calendar ready to go. Enjoy a daily sip of 24 glasses of amazing wines in its signature single-serve wine bottles. It will be a different surprise each day leading up to Christmas. Order now - you know how shipping has been delayed - so that you'll have it in time for Dec. 1.
To find out more, log onto www.ingoodtaste.com.
WAY TO GO, DANIEL LINDLEY
A recent email from shermanstravel.com, which curates travel deals, passed my desk with a subject too tempting to erase: the best restaurant in each state. I headed straight for Tennessee hoping to find a Chattanooga restaurant that made it to the top - there are plenty worthy of that coveted spot. Unfortunately, a Chattanooga restaurant didn't make it, but the next best thing did - a Chattanooga chef.
James Beard-nominated chef Daniel Lindley, who owns Alleia at the corner of Market and Main streets, also owns 5th & Taylor in Nashville. And this is the restaurant that shermanstravel.com selected as the best in the state. They singled out his "homage to the all-Amerian Sunday dinner." Here's what they had to say:
"The menu is inspired by his own childhood Sunday dinners, and guests can find refined yet traditional fare. The eatery resides in a historic warehouse, and every design aspect has a purpose: A life-size statue of Nashville's namesake Gen. Francis Nash anchors the main dining room; two-way mirrors shield raised private dining rooms; and evergreens line the outdoor patio to give diners reprieve from the bustling city."
Congratulations, chef Daniel!
You can find the complete list at www.shermanstravel.com/slideshow/the-best-restaurant-in-the-us.
STONE CRABS
It's stone crab season, and they are here in town.
I can't imagine any place could do them better than Lawton Haygood's crew at Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar, 1459 Amnicola Highway. But you need to get them while they're here, and that will only be through Friday - if they last that long. I haven't had good stone crabs since I was in Florida last year, so you bet your bottom dollar I will be enjoying them at Boathouse this week!
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress or annebraly.com.
Anne Braly