Feeling fall food

seared scallops and brussels

It's been so nice to settle back into life in Atlanta.  I've reorganized my workspace and it feels great!  It's like getting ready for school again.  School is definitely back in session in this neighborhood and its all starting to feel like fall.  The temperatures haven't cooled yet, but the fall magazines* are making me crave sweaters and some fall dishes.  It might not be seasonally appropriate, but man were they good!

The seared scallops above were cribbed from an Alton Brown tutorial.

Below are salt-baked potatoes from the September-October Cook's Illustrated.  I've been a subscriber for years and find their regular issues to be hit or miss (the seasonal entertaining issues however, which aggravating don't come with the subscription, are always worth buying), this issue was a WINNER.  Salt-baked potatoes, a French-style pot roast, veggie lasagna, potato gnocchi with browned butter and sage... forget summer salads and bring on those hearty dishes!

salt-baked potatoes, roasted asparagus and garlic

 The gist of the recipe is baking potatoes along with a head of garlic and several sprigs of rosemary on a bed of salt.  There are some other details but you end up with beautifully textured potatoes with perfectly seasoned  crispy skin and a roasted-garlic and butter garnish.  WOW.

3-bean chili and toppings

3-bean chili courtesy of Food Network and Rachael Ray.  I'm usually not one to follow Miss EVOO's instructions but dang was this chili incredibly easy (took 20 minutes) and flavorful.  It was the perfect accompaniment to those baked potatoes and a recipe I'll be using again.

*side note: Alex and I just recently started Mad Men (yeah I know we're culturally years behind) and in the first scene of the first episode when the waiter says, "women sure do love their magazines!" and he and Don Draper laugh, I cringed but can't deny that it is so true.