Awesome Autumn

Autumn, or Fall, is meant to symbolise the end, the decline, the decay. It is a time to gather in the harvest of summer and preserve and store edibles for the winter ahead.

For me it is a time of beginnings too. It's that "back to school" feeling we all remember. The mornings are cooler with a low golden light breaking through the fine mist. Spider webs can be seen in all their intricate glory as their creators search for food and begin to invade our homes. The leaves are turning and detaching themselves from the trees as conkers come crashing down to the delight of children (and squirrels.)

The hedgerows are jewel studded with rose hips, blackberries, elderberries and sloes. Go nuts collecting walnuts, sweet chestnuts, hazelnuts and beech nuts. Autumn is a great time for foraging if you know what you're looking for. It is time to be the Hunter Gatherer.

Whilst sad to bid farewell to summer, the Autumn months offer celebrations to anticipate. Harvest Festival is a time to reap the rewards of your hard work and draw in your bounty of produce. Halloween is a great excuse to host an All Hallows' Feast followed by Bonfire Night and Thanksgiving. 

These months offer the chance to eat warm, comforting foods. Think earthy mushroom gnocchi and risotto, hearty pumpkin soup, fiery vegetable curries and chillis and indulgent Sunday dinners. For extra comfort go for steamed sponges and fruity crumbles and pies served with creamy custard.

Kraków

Just spent a long weekend in Kraków, Poland, a rejuvenated city full of beautiful squares, interesting back-streets and a whole lot of fascinating history.

The food was, on the whole, better than expected. If you want traditional fare, try the beetroot soup followed by pierogi ruskie (dumplings filled with cheese). These looked a little anaemic but were quite tasty.

One night I was given roast vegetables served with black rice which wasn't great and I did succumb to breaded Camembert one night and a pizza another.

Hamsa was a great find; an Israeli restaurant in a courtyard with the quote "Make Hummus Not War".  It was lovely to find this quiet oasis in the Jewish Quarter, something that would have been hard to imagine 75 years ago. Here we enjoyed a selection of dips, falafel, cheese, grains and olives served with pitta bread followed by Shakshuka (eggs baked in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce).

After a visit to Auschwitz we all felt in need of something to lift our spirits and found a wonderful cake and coffee stop, Ciastkarnia, supported by tourists and locals alike.

The word on the street is to try the food on the street. Cheap and tasty zapiekanka is an open crispy toasted bagel with melted cheese and mushrooms traditionally although other toppings are available.

Many tourists go to drink in Kraków and vodka, invented in Poland, flows freely. There are hundreds of flavours to choose from. "Nostrovia!"

My Big Fat Greek ... Holiday

Holidaying in Mykonos, Greece, I have probably eaten feta each and every day. Feta is a brined curd white cheese made from sheep's/sheep and goat's milk. It has a crumbly texture and salty taste.

My go-to light lunch was a Greek salad made with feta, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, olives and peppers, dressed with a little olive oil and some dried oregano.

For dinner, I might have a "pie" of feta and honey wrapped in a filo pastry and served with salad. 

I also enjoyed toasted feta, fried feta and baked feta which I had never tried before. Accompaniments may be honey & sesame seeds or tomatoes, peppers, oregano, chilli and paprika.

On the menu feta was also used on pizzas and as a stuffing in aubergines, tomatoes and peppers.

Meat-eating friends quite often ate souvlaki (meat on a skewer served in a pitta). In one restaurant I was pleased to see they had a vegetarian version. I ordered veggie souvlaki and chips, only to find the  main component of the souvlaki was chips! Haha! It was basically a chip and coleslaw butty! 

I had some good meals though. Delicious pastas and pizzas. Ranked top was JackieO' restaurant who did an east meets west aubergine dish, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious.

AWOL

Eating a shed load of Greek salad here in Mykonos. Normal service will resume soon.