By Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator For The Food Co-op

As the days grow short and the nights long, we turn inward, relying on our inner resources, and as keepers of the hearth, cooks play a central role in contentment. The need for coziness is real; it uplifts our mood and strengthens connection. Let’s keep our houses homes with a few pleasurable autumnal shifts.

Hygge
The Danish concept of Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) captures coziness and conviviality. It involves creating a warm atmosphere, savoring simple pleasures, and spending time with loved ones. While I can’t delve into its intricacies here, I encourage you to explore it further. Meanwhile, let’s draw inspiration from the Danish and explore ideas together. 

Create a Warm Atmosphere
We can craft ambiance with ingredients like pumpkins, winter squashes, apples, pears, fresh whole nuts, and local root vegetables. Use them in cooking and as decoration. A still life of squashes on my island inspires me to pick up a butternut or delicata and transform it into a soup, pie, or casserole.

Aromas and Spices
Grind your own pumpkin pie spice using whole, fresh spices. Now is the time to discard the stale and refresh your collection. I’ll say it again! Start with whole spices and grind them yourself for a boost in the quality of your cooking. Grinding spices is easy —I recommend the Secura Electric Spice Grinder with two stainless steel bowls. I buy most of my spices in bulk from the Food Coop, which is a sensorial experience. Begin with warming spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, dried ginger roots, allspice berries, cloves, whole nutmegs, peppercorns, star anise, and fennel seeds. Using whole spices is an enticing practice that invites everyone to luxuriate in the aromas of baking, warm drinks, and long-simmered stews.

Spice Cheat Sheet

These are the spice amounts I use per loaf of quick bread, one cake or batch of cookies. They all harmonize, so mix and match according to what you’re baking.

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or cassia

1 teaspoon of either fennel or anise seeds

2 whole star anise

¼ teaspoon allspice whole berries

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 whole cloves

½ teaspoon whole green cardamom pods

2 teaspoons powdered ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh paste

1 teaspoon coriander seed

Comforting Hot Drinks
Make it a habit to offer warm mugs of Delicious. My autumn favorites include hibiscus punch, nettle chai, and chicory coffee. Of course, classics like spiced cider and hot chocolate are always welcome. A hot drink invites relaxation, conversation, or a lively board game.

Lighting and Music
Pay attention to lighting and music to create atmosphere. Dim the lights and use twinkles or a candle to set the mood. Your playlists can evoke the right moods for cooking and chores. Create an ectectic mix from French Bistro to Miles Davis’s “Kinda Blue.” I especially enjoy piano solos in the autumn and tend away from lyrics. 

At the Table
Design tablescapes that reflect the season. Consider using a color or textural palette, incorporating nature and having dishes reserved for autumn. Make it scary, magical, or simply harvest-themed. Use cloth napkins in earth tones, mugs, and pottery. Collect items that bring the magic alive. Anticipating seasonal changes helps us cope, so let’s be kitchen leaders and create coziness.

Cozy Butternut Pie with Pecan Crust

Serves 8

Butternut pie with a caramel pecan crust, and maybe the best winter squash pie ever. 

Pecan Date Crust

1 ½ cup pitted dates

1 ½ cup pecans

¼ cup ground flaxseeds    

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons maple syrup

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Pie Filling

1 ½  cups butternut squash puree, (make a puree from roasted butternut squash.) 

1 ¼ cups canned full fat coconut milk

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grind or mince into a paste

Spice Mix  

1/2 cup brown sugar  

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 whole allspice berries

1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns

3/4  teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

3 whole cloves

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grind or mince into a paste

Instructions

Pie Filling

1. Grind whole spices together in a coffee or spice grinder with cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt. Grate the fresh nutmeg and add to the spice mix.

2. Using a blender, puree the coconut milk, butternut puree, ginger, spice mix and eggs until smooth. 

Pie Crust and Baking

1. Measure crust ingredients into a food processor. Process until a sticky mass forms. Scrape the dough out and press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch glass pie plate or tart tin with a removable bottom. Compact the dough on the sides and bottom with the palm of your hand. Prick the crust bottom all over with a fork.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake the crust, with a baking sheet under the pie plate, for 7 to 8 minutes or until it smells toasty and looks caramel colored. Reduce the heat to 350 F. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the filling into the crust and smooth the top. Arrange strips of aluminum foil over the crust to protect it from burning.

Bake the pie until the middle’s set and puffy — 40 to 45 minutes. The pie will continue to set as it cools. 

Pumpkin seed mole with pork shoulder and roasted veggies 

Serves 4-6

1 hour

Let the Instant Pot create succulent pull apart pork, while you roast mole ingredients in the oven. The mole, a vibrant green, is creamy, delicious and company worthy. Serve it with roasted, in season, veggies and pork. The recipe’s not complicated, and everything comes together at the same time.

Ingredients

For Mole Roasting

1 large white onion, chopped

6 medium tomatillos, papery skins removed, chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 Anaheim or poblano chilies, tops and seeds removed, chopped

1 tablespoon avocado oil

For Instant Pot

2-3 lbs pork shoulder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup water

For finishing mole

1 cup green pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 cup cilantro chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon anise seed

1 teaspoon sea salt

If needed: tabasco sauce and lime juice

For roasted in season veggies. I used:

2 medium zucchini, cut into a large dice 

2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks  

Preparation

Completely read through the recipe and assemble all the equipment and ingredients.  

Preheat the oven to 450 F Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (400F for a convection oven)

Roasting

Prep both the roasted mole and roasted veggie ingredients on two separate baking sheets. Lay each on their baking sheets and massage with oil. Roast the mole tray for 25 minutes. When the mole tray comes out, then put in the other tray with seasonal veggies in and roast for 20 to 25 minutes at the same temperature. 

Instant Pot

Add the pork, salt and water to the Instant Pot. Set to high pressure for 45 minutes and allow a natural release. When done, let the pork cool and shred the meat, removing some of the fat if desired. Strain the broth and reserve for the sauce.

Finishing Mole

Over a medium heat, in a heavy-bottomed skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds for 5 minutes or until they smell toasty and start to pop. Let them cool.

Add the roasted mole ingredients, and finishing mole ingredients, to a high-powered blender (I used a Vitamix), with all the strained pork broth. Blend until smooth. Taste, and if needed, add tabasco sauce and/ or lime, small amounts at a time. The amounts will depend on how hot the peppers are, and how sour the tomatillos. They can vary a great deal.  

To Serve

Serve the sauce with the pulled pork and roasted veggies.

Notes: You can also make this recipe with leftover chicken and broth from another meal. Skip the Instant Pot ingredients and directions. To make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth, skip the meat and serve with roasted veggies.

The Sweet Warming Spices 

Aroma and Taste

Allspice—fragrant with a peppery combination of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg flavors.

Cardamom — The aroma is mellow, and the flavor warming and agreeable.  

Cinnamon — What we call cinnamon is actually cassia or Chinese cinnamon. True cinnamon, has a lighter color with a sweet woody aroma and is both fragrant and warm. Both cassia and cinnamon are useful.  

Cloves — cloves have an assertive aroma, hot and bitter. Tempered by cooking and other ingredients. 

Coriander—sweet woody aroma with a peppery balsamic note.

Fennel, Anise and Star Anise—smell and taste similar with subtle differences. All are warm and fragrant with a slight note of camphor. Star anise has a more pungent licorice flavor.

Ginger — a warm aroma with a woody note and sweet rich undertones. Its flavor is hot and biting.    

Nutmeg—rich, fresh, aromatic and warm

Peppercorns—warm woody smell that is fresh, pungent and aromatic.

Storing Spices

I’m a visual person, so I arrange my spices on a shelf near my work area, and use 4 ounce glass jars, grouped, in trays, by use. Beauty and efficiency are my aims 

Grinding Spices

I use a small stainless steel spice grinder with two removable cups made by Secura. One cup is for dry spices and the other for wet pastes. This piece of equipment is a significant change.

Baking Cheat Sheet

These are the spice amounts I regularly use for bread, cake or cookies. They all harmonize, so mix and match according to what you’re baking.

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or cassia

1 teaspoon of either fennel or anise seeds

2 whole star anise

¼ teaspoon allspice whole berries

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

4 whole cloves

½ teaspoon whole green cardamom pods

2 teaspoons powdered ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh paste

1 teaspoon coriander seed

Make Your Own Powdered Ginger

When you have extra fresh ginger chop and grind it in a small food processor. I leave the peels on for flavor and nutrition. Lay the ground ginger on a plate, at room temperature, and air dry for several days. Once dry, use a spice grinder to reduce it to a powder and store. Try drying other rhizomes, like turmeric and galangal, in the same way.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie Spice

Here’s my secret formula: if you want your pumpkin pie to rock, with rave reviews, seconds please, and may I have the recipe? Grind the whole dry spices together into a powder and add the ginger paste.

Enough For One Pie

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon whole peppercorns

¾ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

3 whole cloves

½ teaspoon whole allspice berries

1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste