The official buzzword for September is transitional. Transitional clothing. Transitional decor. Transitional shoes. And yes, transitional cooking.
I understand the premise. Summer is technically behind us, but the weather is still warm. We want to embrace fall, but we also have to walk around in all this lingering warm air, desperate for the temperatures to catch up with our state of mind. Transitional is code for “feels like fall but acts like summer.”
I am currently dressing transitionally, donning my dark jeans and merlot nail polish, carrying my leather tote, wearing my clogs. I know it will be a long time before I need to grab a sweater, but that doesn't stop me from throwing one over my arm for good measure. I like the optics.
The same thing is happening in my kitchen. We aren't quite ready for hot and heavy dinners, but we are definitely done with cold sandwiches and making a meal centered on ripe tomatoes. Our palettes need the feelings of fall as desperately as our closets.
The solution? Cook transitionally. Here are a few ideas…
Even though the air conditioner is still running around the clock, make a soup, perhaps something on the lighter side like Chicken Tortilla or Corn Chowder, both of which are delicious year-round.
Serve a delicious baked casserole like Spaghetti Pie or Lasagna, but allow it to sit for a bit on the counter until the heat dissipates and leaves the finished dish warm enough to enjoy but without creating a pallor of sweat across your brow.
Baking Pumpkin Bread and Oatmeal cookies is at the top of my seasonal cooking list, and both remind my children of fall. I also love to take this time to make batches of homemade chicken stock and store it in the freezer (these are my favorite containers for storing). When the first cold snap hits, you will be ready to whip up a batch of Potato Leek Soup or White Chicken Chili, both made infinitely better with homemade stock.
In addition to cooking meals that involve gentle heat, I like to begin to incorporate warming seasonings such as chili powder, cumin, saffron. Ina's Salmon Tacos, while admittedly light, are zesty with heat and straddle the seasonal lines with grace. Ina's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash is one of our fall favorites.
Finally, in my mind there is something inherently autumnal about the dinner table. Fall is the season of gathering, of welcoming home, of feasting and celebrating and collecting our proverbial chicks back to the nest for warmth and nourishment. Taking the time to make dinner, any dinner, can usher in that feeling of warmth and kinship and closeness that we crave in the cooler months.
When the temperatures don't deliver what we long for, make your own fall. Cook a meal, set the table, and see what happens when you create the space for something beautiful.
