Author(s): STOVEL DEE

Food & Drink

We all know that pumpkin pie is super, so why not enjoy more of this delicious, nutritious squash in year-round recipes? Dee Dee Stovel carves out a new image for pumpkin with such creative combinations as roasted ginger pumpkin & pear soup; pumpkin sage risotto; spring spinach salad with strawberries and pepitas; white bean, chicken, and pumpkin chilli; pumpkin pizza with gorgonzola cheese; and pork tenderloin with red wine pumpkin sauce. These 125 recipes celebrate the varied ways that pumpkin can enhance a wide range of dishes, from beverages, starters, and snacks to soups, salads, main courses, and, of course, pies, cookies, breads, and cakes. Whether starting from the whole pumpkin (which, Stovel shows, is easier than many may think) or from canned pumpkin (a fine alternative), cooks will be surprised by the variety of ways they can use the entire fruit, including blossoms and seeds,.as well as the pulp itself. Special features include complete menus and decorating and entertaining ideas for harvest celebrations and Halloween parties, as well as side-bars highlighting pumpkin festivals, lore, and growing facts. With pumpkin acreage and sales growing every year, and more health writers touting the fruit's nutritional powers, "Pumpkin" comes to the rescue for everyone who wants to expand their cooking repertoire.