Groan! I know, I know. But it HAD TO BE SAID.
We’ve got some new players, some old players, one big winner and a whole lotta orange. Let’s get cracking!
A Little Greener Every Day got a special dispensation to use a FoodTV recipe for sweet potato fries with basil salt and garlic mayonnaise. I granted the dispensation before I knew what the recipe would be but I feel even more confident in my decision now that I see it involves fries and garlic mayo.
Unfortunately, it also involves Giada Di Laurentiis, whose enormous, squared-off smile I find frightening. However, bonus points for serving the fries alongside pulled pork (and orange soda – 2 points for commitment!).
____________________________________________________________________________
From Bay Area Foodie comes a delicious and unique sounding spiced pumpkin soup garnished with cream, cilantro and roasted pumpkin seeds from the November 2002 issue of Bon Appetit. Delicious because it is filled with things I love, unique because it also includes banana. THANK GOODNESS that this Sugarpie pumpkin was not forced to suffer the indignity of becoming a jack-o-lantern – a fate it narrowly escaped – and instead ended its life as this lovely, warming soup. Pumpkin, we salute thee.*
*EVERY SINGLE TIME I typed the word “pumpkin” in that paragraph, I accidentally wrote “pumpking.” What do you think that means? Don’t answer that.
____________________________________________________________________________
A Foodie from the Boonies created pumpkin custards-but-accidentally-souffles. I’m not sure where the recipe came from – share in the comments, please! – but I wholeheartedly approve of any excuse for cramming more pumpkin-pie oriented food items down my gullet.
Also, the styling of the beauty shot with the acorns? Too fucking precious.
____________________________________________________________________________
The ever-enthusiastic duo of JS and TS over at Eating Club Vancouver turned to the ever-reliable Mark Bittman and his Best Recipes in the World. Unable to decide on a single dish, they combined two and created these Frankenstein-inspired Semi-Lime-Cooked, Semi-Yucatecan Shrimp with Garlic Chips.
Unfortunately, Brian the random number selector did not pick them to win this month’s giveaway, but they do win my personal recognition for the most creative orange-hued food.
____________________________________________________________________________
Soup of the Day went with that kitchen workhorse, the carrot, and produced some lovely citrus glazed carrots courtesy of this month’s Bon Appetit. I admit it, I was expecting – gasp – soup, but gladly accept these glazed carrots, an oft-maligned side dish that I happen to LOVE.
This dish is also not the giveaway winner, but is the winner of both the Miss Congeniality and “Most Aggressively Orange” prizes. Kudos!
____________________________________________________________________________
Continuing with carrots, Feeding Maybelle brings us a festive-looking rasam (a lentil dal) and a carrot salad. And because the recipe came from a local, non-Amazon available book and was created by friends and family, we can all visit her site for the low-down.
Feeding Maybelle’s entry was also the one selected by Brian the Random Number Generator! <cue balloons falling from ceiling> Email me the address where you’d like your adorable recipe cards sent, and they’ll be winging your way post-haste!
____________________________________________________________________________
We close out October with the ever-popular, always impeccably styled Manggy of No Special Effects, who was apparently so excited for this roundup that he cooked and posted his entry the second week of September.
A special dispensation was also granted here, because this squash and sage risotto from Jamie Oliver’s Cook With Jamie looks so frigging good. Also because I just want to pinch Jamie Oliver’s little cheeks
____________________________________________________________________________
Thanks to all who participated this month! Check out the First Thursdays page for November’s details!
Thursday Night Smackdown 
*EVERY SINGLE TIME I typed the word “pumpkin” in that paragraph, I accidentally wrote “pumpking.” What do you think that means? Don’t answer that.
Dude, I do that all the time with commonly typed combos. Always amuses me the way the mind works.
Great entries from everyone! Love the soup from Bay Area Foodie.
When I used to be a server administrator, I could not type the word “serve”, I would always type “server” (in fact, I just did it again)…so I think it’s obvious that you are destined to be some sort of pumpking adminstrator (if you are not one already).
OK, glad I could help!
Mm, the risotto… anyway. The ‘custards’ came from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I should’ve know they’d be souffles when it called for evaporated milk…
Giada’s smile may scare you, but I can never figure out how what is probably a normal size head doesn’t fall of her tiny body (and how does she keep that tiny body while eating all that pasta?) However, I have never made a recipe of hers that wasn’t really, really good. And, my husband likes to sit down and watch her show with me because of those low cut shirts. The only other cooking show he’ll watch with me is the Barefoot Contessa but her fabulous kitchen intimidates me and I never try her recipes.
My husband is also quite the fan of Giada and her tasteful cleavage. And the fact that she makes sex noises while she cooks.
Someone I work with calls her “Tits and Teeth.”
Brian! How come we didn’t get chosen as the winner!! Anyway, fun round-up, as always. Thanky!