Carnival of the Recipes #110

As the seasons begin to shift from summer to autumn and the mornings are filled with chill air and cool breeze, recipe carnivals are taking a noticeable shift from picnic foods and summer beverages to hot dinner, soups, and stews. It is the time of year when we cast off shorts and tanks to don jeans, boots, and scarves. Football season is here and Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the corner. 'Tis the season of chili, warm desserts, and good hot food for the soul.

Before we get started on the recipes, we should all be aware that there are E. Coli outbreaks going on around the country from eating certain types of fresh spinach. Check out the CDC's web site for information before you buy packaged spinach. And in honor of Popeye's beloved green leaf, Madeleine Begun Kane wrote us an Ode To Spinach Limerick:

I’ve never been fond of fresh spinach,
Or the cooked kind. That word makes my throat twitch.
How odd and ironic
That Popeye’s green tonic
Can kill. Even health nuts can’t win. Rich!

And now to get us started on our journey of warmth is Jennifer Kelley's Chicken and Dumpling Soup. What a great way to spend a cool Sunday afternoon than with the food that is guaranteed to warm your soul. They didn't write that book for nothing!

Breakfast/Brunch
Did you ever read a book and start to get hungry and wonder why? Next time, pay close attention to what the author is describing. He may be talking about food, and whoops ... you just got hungry. Bernadette of Booklore goes in depth into what L.E. Modesitt's description of Egg Toast, or what we in America call French Toast. Her description and subsequent recipe just might leave you hungry too.

Soups/Salads
Riannan is a regular contributor to the carnival of recipes. This week she presents Big Heart Artichoke and Parmesan Soup. Sounds like another great food to warm up the core. Riannan even includes some graphics to help illustrate what "big heart" artichokes are, as well as what makes parmesan cheese.

Joel Fuhrman M.D. is a regular on the carnival of recipes. Here's a recipe for Nutriet-Rich Salads and Dressings

Kevin Menard tries his hand at making homemade mozzarella cheese. I have to admit that this look incredibly fun but slightly complex. You really have to know what you are doing and be in control of your kitchen to make cheese. I think Kevin pulled it off quite nicely.

I don't tell my wife this, but Split Pea Soup is one of my favorite cold-weather soups. I harp on people's use of green peas a lot, but this is one area which I am totally fine with them. Today, cehwiedel presents Basic Split Pea Soup over at Kicking Over My Traces. There's just something about that bacon-flavored pea soup that just brings me to my knees.

Entrees
Our very illustrious carnival organizer, Shawn Lea, treats us with a recipe for Maque Choux. OK, let's break this one down a little bit. Maque Choux (pronounced "mock-SHOO") is a traditional cajun or Southern Louisiana side dish made of corn. It's usually got onions, peppers, and tomatoes fried in some bacon fat, but now often contains butter or cream.

If you've ever wanted to try something new with that roll of breakfast sausage, try making a fatty. I've recently discovered this barbeque delight, and have written a quick how-to on making them.

Foodies Across Borders has submitted this Roasted Red Pepper and Rosehip Sauce adapted from The Flavours of Canada cookbook. Very tasty sounding. Should go well over beef or pork tenderloin.

Over at the Wheat/Rye Guy, you can find a recipe for Kernalades Ham, or depending on how you hear it, The Colonel Lady's Ham. Either way, ham is good in my book.

Muse presents Vegetables & Meatballs posted at me-ander.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ode To Spinach (Limerick) posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.

Stephanie continues on her quest to "stretch a chicken" as far as humanly possible. That is, she explores just how many meals she can get out of a $2.37 whole chicken. This wee, she's made Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Soup with Wild Mushrooms. I get to pull the wishbone!

At the end of our entrees, NerdMom presents No Boil Spinach Lasagna posted at Nerd Family. Lasagna is one of the best "Feed a lot of people" kind of dish. You get a bunch of ingredients, throw it together and cook it until done. Plus, you just can't go wrong with three different kinds of cheeses.

Desserts
I think Christine Torres suggested that this apple torte could be a breakfasy dish. it certainly could, but I thought it better in the dessert category. Here it is, a beautiful Bavarian Apple Torte posted at Morning Coffee & Afternoon Tea.

Everyone's favorite coffee afficiando tries putting some coffe into some cookies to see what happens. Pesonally, I woud love coffee on anything. Here are Coffeesage's Hazelnut Choco-Espresso Cookies posted at Coffeesage.

Rounding off the dessert category and completing this week's carnival of the recipes, Mama Squirrel presents This is tofu? (Chocolate Pie) posted at Dewey's Treehouse. Very good, very tasty.

Thank you all for participating in episdoe 110 of the carnival of the recipes. Big thanks, as always, to the carnival organizer, Shawn Lea for all she does. Next week, the carnival will be hosted by Bernadette over at Booklore