Food you NEED to make this Fall/Winter

With Fall/Winter in full swing, my foodie brain immediately goes to all the delicious comfort foods I should be eating this time of year. Out go the fresh, light salads and in comes the hearty deliciousness. Give me all the curries, the soups, the veggie chilis, the pumpkin goodness and everything that sums up Fall.
I have my Fall tried and true recipes – pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin scones, pumpkin soup, pumpkin risotto – you’re sensing a trend, right??? But, since I’m not a chef or a food expert (not yet!), I reached out to my chef friend, Danai Hongwanishkul to get a sense of food trends for the Fall so we can all eat very well this season.

1) What are the biggest trends you are seeing in the cooking world this Fall?
It depends where you are in the world. In Bermuda sweet potato, squash, pumpkin and paw paw are in season.

2) What kind of food would you encourage people to cook this time of year and why?
The weather is getting cold, so chefs are gravitating towards heartier squash/pumpkin soup with a sweet chutney or stuffed pasta. A nice bowl of ramen with roasted sweet potato and mushroom broth would hit the spot. Braised meats like short rib or beef cheek and stews and curries.

3) What would you encourage home cooks to stay away from?
Always buy seasonally where ever you live. If something has travelled a long way, it’s probably not going to be as delicious or nutritious. For example, berries from California or garlic from China etc.

4) What are two to three tips wanna be chefs can take from chefs to elevate their cooking at home?
Having a culinary school text book and having the book The Food Lovers Companion is always helpful. All the recipes and terminology in the text book are solid, they always work. As for The Food Lovers Companion, it is a good reference book to skim through if you are unsure of cooking terminology.

5) What are three things every home cook should have in his/her fridge and pantry?
Kosher salt, butter, and lemons. Those three ingredients can make most food taste great.

6) What is your favourite thing to eat in Bermuda and when you travel?
Woody’s fish sandwich is hands down the best thing I eaten in Bermuda. When I travel, I like to eat at traditional places. If I go to Japan, I always have to eat sushi, New York pizza, Boston Lobster rolls, Montreal Montreal smoked meat sandwich.

What are you cooking these days? Let me know in the comments!