Last weekend I drove upstate and visited a few towns along the Hudson. One of the best parts was happening upon the farmer's markets, where October's favorite fruit, the pumpkin, was in top form...
Growing up in Texas, I got most of my pumpkin 411 from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," so I never knew there were so many gourd varieties! Here, a cheat sheet on pumpkin basics: different varities, how to choose the right one for your purposes, plus a few recipes. Get carvin' and cookin'!

Major Varieties
There are dozens of varieties (fairytale, cotton candy, lumina), but here are the major types:

Common (or Standard) Orange: These are the best for carving because their walls are thin; they're round (or oblong); as far as taste, they're mild, almost bland.

Sweet (or Pie): A bit smaller than Common Orange, shape is flatter and more like a sphere. They're the ones you want to cook because their flavor is stronger and sweeter.

White: These are mostly used as decoration, but can be

Pumpkin oatmeal muffins
Photo and Recipe Source: Carrots 'N' Cake

What a great recipe for October! These muffins are great with your morning cup of tea and perfect for throwing in your purse for an afternoon snack.

Spring the recipe!
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
1 egg
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts

Click for instructions!

Bathing suit season may be over, but that's no reason to let yourself go. Here's some great stuff to eat NOW so you can keep your beach body all year long!

Dreyer's/Edy's Apple Pie Limited Edition Ice Cream
1/2 cup = 120 calories, 4g fat, 21g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g protein

This product is not exactly a hard sell. It's ice cream that tastes like pie. 'Nuff said! But it's only available until December, and then it'll be GONE... at least until next September. So run to the freezer aisle and grab a tub while there's still time.





Kashi TLC Fruit & Grain Bars, Pumpkin Pie
1 bar = 120 calories, 3g fat, 22g carbs, 4g fiber, 4g protein

If you need a little taste of the holidays NOW, this is a good one. Kashi's TLC bars are terrific to keep on hand for when snack attacks hit. Add in a serious dose of sweet spice and pumpkin goodness, and you've got a bar for all seasons!




Ocean Spray Instant Oatmeal, Cranberry Orange Muffin
1 pouch = 160 calories, 2g fat, 33g carbs, 3g fiber, and 4g protein

Every year the spice/herbs/seasoning company McCormick attempts to identify "emerging flavors" in an annual forecast. Of course, these will ultimately be flavors they sell. Still, the idea is provocative. Can anyone really define "holiday flavors" and, if so, do they change from year to year? Or are they, by definition, fixed? And what cultural variations exist?

You can read how McCormick has organized their findings in a press release. Better yet, I'd love to hear what you think. Below, I've started my own list of fundamental holiday flavors, spices, and ingredients that evoke winter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hannukah, and Christmas (sweet and savory). Some of these choices are obvious: Pumpkins now sit on many Brooklyn brownstone stoops reminding me how much I love pumpkin pie (and seeds). But even cocktail and beer lists get seasonal: On Saturday, I had a minty Gin Gin Mule at a restaurant called Botanica in Red Hook, followed by a Hitachino White Ale, which seemed to have

From Asia to the Middle East, Mexico to the United States, cuisines the world over use pumpkin in a dizzying variety of ways. We've collected recipes and tips for Halloween celebrations and beyond.

Tips:

• Use the Whole Pumpkin

For a festive touch, try serving soup in bowls made from hollowed-out pumpkins: Cut tops off several small pumpkins, remove seeds, and scrape inside walls clean. Wash thoroughly with warm water, place pumpkins on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes until hot (this will help keep the soup warm). Ladle soup into "bowls" and serve.

• Save Larger Pumpkins for Carving

For cooking, look for small sugar pumpkins rather than the larger ones used for jack-o'-lanterns. The smaller varieties are sweeter, fleshier, and less watery.

• Use Pure Pumpkin

For many baked goods, canned pumpkin purée is as good or better than fresh. Look for cans labeled "solid-pack" rather than "pumpkin pie filling" (which has other