Celebrating the Colors and Tastes of October...

          After a long hot and extremely stormy Summer ...I'm ready for Fall!  Although living in Florida where change of season is subtle and not really felt till December.... I thought I'd try and connect by looking through last years pictures of my fall trip to New York! I'm decorating the house this weekend and I love simmering apples and cinnamon on the stove to fill the cool air ( of course air conditioned air that is) LOL and smell the aroma of spice!  With all the talk of chemicals in sprays and candles etc.....get back to basics and simmer on the stove. The aroma of apples with cinnamon and spice can't be beat!  

          I'm always amazed how a little space around a tree in NYC can capture so much color, design and charm. Once again less is more!

I love shopping the Farmers Market at Union Square!

             Look at this glorious Cauliflower!  I like to steam and enjoy! Tasting the flavor of a vegetable by itself without an expectation is truly having a fine palate. You can roast it, steam it or toss raw into salads. Understanding the basic natural flavor provides the basis to sharing with other ingredients to heighten rather than compete and lose its natural quality. Translation for that statement = Fusion cooking becomes quite confusing for me! ;) 
           A vegetable side dish is an accompaniment to the main meat or fish and can be enjoyed sharing the sauce of that dish. For example I love steamed broccoli or Cauliflower with a chicken or veal piccata and share the lemon butter with it as a glaze. Competing tastes and textures often confuse the palate ....never mind your digestive system.  We should always think of the mouth of the stomach when mixing different  tastes.
        Let me be frank... adding ham and pineapple to a pizza is like adding sliced meatballs to a chocolate layer cake! Both are thinking out of the box and should remain out of the box and not digested! ;) 
          For me a simple steamed cauliflower with a piece of roasted meat or cutlet Milanese and a salad with a vinaigrette dressing is perfect. Now add a fruity glass of wine and serve on a white plate with music playing in the background and I'm really happy! A dessert can be as simple as fresh fruit or  the sweet taste of an after dinner drink. Perhaps a Sweet Vermouth, or Baileys Creme or a lovely Blueberry Port.   

I thought I'd end this short post with a picture of me last fall in the Park. Just thinking of needing a coat and throwing a scarf around my neck have me excited! Yes... the simple things, a lovely walk on a brisk day and strolling through a farmers market and possibly the ultimate joy... enjoying an apple cider donut! Yum!
             Happy October!