Fall calls to mind red-and-orange foliage, family feasts, and of course seasonal fall fare. Get ready to make the most out of seasonal autumn produce and ingredients like squash and pecan, as well a favorites like apple cider and pumpkin. The change in the seasons may bring some folks under the weather, but not to worry: we’ve got some our best soups on the list as well. From Georgian khachapuri, a hearty cheese bread, to butternut squash pappardelle, here are the dishes we can’t wait to make this fall.
Fire-Roasted Duck and Pheasant with Red Currant Jelly
Fred Morin and Dave McMillan of Joe Beef in Montreal cook a mix of birds over flames and embers, using hooks and chains to suspend and rotate them (different-size birds will cook at different speeds). “The spin, the way the fat drips down, all combines to make a wonderfully burnished bird,” says McMillan. Ambitious home cooks can hang birds using twine or wire over a backyard fire, or simply roast birds on a rack set in a roasting pan in the (indoor) oven. Get the recipe for Fire-Roasted Duck and Pheasant with Red Currant Jelly »
Georgian Cheese Bread (Adjaruli Khachapuri)
This traditional Georgian cheese and egg bread is best eaten hot. Use a spoon to stir the yolk and butter into the molten cheese, then tear off a piece of fluffy crust to dunk into the cheesy well. Georgians typically make this savory pastry with a mixture of imeruli and sulguni cheese. We find that a blend of low moisture mozzarella and strong, tart feta gets you very close to the traditional version. Get the recipe for Georgian Cheese Bread »
Strangolapreti is a Trentan party food, a luxurious, cheesy dish made with frugal ingredients. Jonathon Sawyer of Cleveland’s Trentina days day-old bread, blanched spinach, ricotta, and egg to make a dumpling filled with ooey-gooey cheese. Get the recipe for Spinach and Cheese Breadcrumb Dumplings »
Chocolate Chess Pie with Cornbread Crumble
Chef Scott Crawford of the forthcoming Nash Tavern in Raleigh updates the simple Southern custard pie by adding cacao nibs to the butter crust and sprinkling a nutty cornbread crumble on top. Get the recipe for Chocolate Chess Pie with Cornbread Crumble »
Nanny’s Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake
With a streusel topping and pie-like dough, this Rosh Hashanah apple dessert is half cake, half pie. Get the recipe for Nanny’s Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake »
Roasting the pumpkin will add sweetness and rich flavor to this holiday favorite. Get the recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Pie »
Braised Beef Stew with Garlic Cream
The silky garlic cream sauce at Las Cabras, Juan Pablo Mellado Arana’s restaurant in Santiago, Chile, adds a welcome zing to this rich stew, but is also a great condiment in its own right—served with fries, slathered on sandwich bread, or spooned over meats. Get the recipe for Braised Beef Stew with Garlic Cream »
Chickpea and Pasta Soup
This soup is a meal in and of itself, full of lots of vegetables, chickpeas, and pasta. Get the recipe for Chickpea and Pasta Soup »
Warming, filling chicken soup just may be the ultimate panacea. Cooking the noodles in the broth enriches both the noodles’ flavor and the soup itself, which thickens slightly from the released starches. Get the recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup »
Pecan Sticky Buns
Three types of sugar sweeten this recipe for sticky buns swirled with cinnamon and drizzled with pecan sauce. Get the recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns »
Shopsin’s Pumpkin Pancakes
Chef Kenny Shopsin serves this popular breakfast dish at his much-loved namesake restaurant in New York City’s Essex Street Market. Get the recipe for Shopsin’s Pumpkin Pancakes »
This flavorful, naturally leavened white bread is a great use of apple cider and dried cranberries, so you can enjoy Thanksgiving’s flavors long after the holiday is done. Get the recipe for Apple Cider Levain Loaf »
Gruyère, Rosemary, and Honey Monkey Bread
This indulgent pull-apart bread is the perfect savory-sweet combination of nutty, earthy Gruyère, fragrant rosemary, and honey. Get the recipe for Gruyère, Rosemary, and Honey Monkey Bread »
Date, Parsley, and Sumac Quiche with Crushed Almonds
Dates add a surprising sweetness to a creamy quiche sprinkled with crushed almonds. Get the recipe for Date, Parsley, and Sumac Quiche with Crushed Almonds »
In this rendition of traditional Genoese pesto, sweet and nutty cavolo nero (also known as Tuscan kale or Lacinato kale) is used in place of basil and pine nuts. Get the recipe for Farfalle with Cavolo Nero Pesto »
German Barley Soup (Graupensuppe)
Classic German barley soup makes a hearty, substantial meal; to make it vegetarian, simply omit the sausage and bacon. Get the recipe for German Barley Soup »
Pappardelle with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Baby Kale
Toasted walnuts, roasted butternut squash, baby kale, and a rich brown butter sauce combine over broad pappardelle noodles for a dish that perfectly captures fall’s best flavors. Get the recipe for Pappardelle with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Baby Kale »