I Love Pumpkins

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on March 10, 2009

Since my last blog entry, I’ve been busy studying the important correlation between stock market returns between the years 1969 – 1983 and pumpkins.

I’ve discovered that stock market seasonality is directly related to the availability of pumpkins! Indeed, stock market returns go up as soon as pumpkin foods become broadly available in the Fall.

Thank you for the avalanche of emails you sent during my research sabbatical. Your patience and support over the last three months was invaluable to me while I undertook this important study. In these tough economic times, our society needs trustworthy, high-quality information, and I am so proud that the pumpkin community is playing a central role in the economic recovery that must unfold slowly over the next several years.

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Tags: 2009 economy and pumpkins, how to beat the stock market, how to beat the stock market using pumpkins, make money with pumpkins, pumpkins and stock market returns, pumpkins immune to economic crisis, stock market returns 1969 - 1983

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 26, 2008

A seasonal kind of breakfast.

Earthy, deep and not too sweet. This ice cream almost feels healthy, the way a bran muffin feels deceptively healthy. It would be good for breakfast. Let me rephrase that… it WAS good for breakfast. Sugar + pumpkin + milk = the next superfood?

The color is dark and rich like a moody pumpkin. The texture produces an airy mouthful. No aftertaste. Feels light. Not too sugary. Like I said, it tastes almost healthy and it’s definitely pumpkinacious.

Safeway’s Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream isn’t perfect, though. The label tells you to expect “crunchy pie crust pieces” but the pie crust is pale and not nearly crispy enough. That’s in sharp contrast to the impossibly crunchy gingersnap crust you’ll find in Ben & Jerry’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream. You get the feeling that Safeway’s crust just wasn’t fully baked. And the bright orange “spiced pumpkin swirl” in here is a little disturbing. But overall it’s a very satisfying ice cream.

Merry Christmas and stuff.

By the way, Safeway loves pumpkins. This year they made Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese, Pumpkin Spice Eggnog, and of course this Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. Safeway also won an award for the best store-bought Pumpkin Pie and is also the flagship sponsor of the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. Be sure to check out all the reviews. I Love Pumpkins loves Safeway!

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Tags: Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream, pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin desserts, pumpkin eggnog, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie ice cream, Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese, pumpkin spice eggnog, Safeway Select Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 22, 2008

Paper, plastic, paint, aluminum, coffee.

Pumpkin friends… if you’re living in a dream world where you don’t mind creating a lot of litter every time you drink a cup of coffee, this one might be for you. I’ve never tasted it because I don’t have one of those single-serving coffee makers. The coffee might be good but must life really be so modular? If you’ve tried this one let me know if it’s any good. But please think about how much trash you’re creating with every single-serving cup! 

Even as I offer my coaching above, I recognize that I create a lot of waste myself. When taking out my recycling, I’m amazed it was all created by a single individual.

GREEN? Premium price on you, premium price on the environment.

Sometimes I even wonder if blogging is a destructive habit. It’s creative and fun and allows us to interact with ideas… yet the constant need to produce information by me, other bloggers, news agencies small and large, good and bad… it’s a form of madness. Like the Pumpkin Tickle-Me-Elmo they’re planning to make next year.

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Tags: Green Mountain Coffee, Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice Coffee, Keurig K-Cups, pumpkin coffee, Pumpkin Keurig K-Cups, Pumpkin Spice Coffee, Pumpkin Spice K-Cup®, Pumpkin Tickle-Me-Elmo

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 21, 2008

Cheap ingredients, expensive soup.

Pumpkin devotees are familiar with my dilemma. Most pumpkin foods are desserts. So it was a nice change seeing the Pumpkin Shiitake Miso Soup at the Ferry Building this morning, created by the raw food restaurant “Alive!”. I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to do extra sit-ups or skip another meal just to keep my blog from making me fat, which is what I typically do.

My recipe analysis suggests that most pumpkin foods are desserts.

Their miso soup contained chunks of fresh pumpkin, carrots and shiitake mushrooms and well… it wasn’t actually raw but that’s ok, because raw pumpkin might give you a tummy ache. By the way, the “!” is part of their name. Hopefully Alive! won’t share the fate of some other “!” companies out there.

The two employees working Alive!’s stand looked pretty damn healthy. I suppose a diet of raw uncooked vegetables keeps you lean. But do they have any fun? I guess so. Their website is promoting a Winter Solstice Party tomorrow night. For $25 you can eat raw vegetables… all night long.

Sounds like... FUN ???

They probably won’t serve alcohol. Even though some raw foodists consider wine and champagne to be raw, drinking booze is a topic of philosophical ambiguity in their community. So with all due respect, tomorrow night while the veggies rock out at their party, I’ll be spending my $25 on a couple of single malt scotches, ice on the side, wondering if I should resolve to go raw in 2009. I’ll let you know what I conclude, dear readers. Even though my decadent nature may be a walking advertisement for raw foodism, I’m too attached to exit Samsara!

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Tags: Alive!, Alive! Raw Food, Pumpkin Miso Soup, Pumpkin Mushroom, Pumpkin Mushroom Soup, Pumpkin Shiitake Miso Soup by Alive!, Pumpkin Shiitake Soup, pumpkin soup, Raw Food and Alcohol, Winter Solstice Party

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 21, 2008

Enjoying the aegis of an evergreen tree.

The Christmas Party of All Christmas Parties last Saturday was dressed to the nines. The Christmas tree was PHAT. The bar was stocked. And the food was incredible. Beyond the delicious crab cakes, crispy egg rolls, Hawaiian puffies, steamed gyoza with dipping sauce, roast ham, rounds of grilled sirloin steak… miniature  pumpkin pies sealed the deal! This was a great entertaining idea. The pumpkin filling was delicious, and these were so fun to eat. One single pop delivered complete fulfillment: buttery crust, classic filling, heaven.

Baby it's cold outside....

Tools and technique? Homemade or store bought pie crust, a mini muffin pan, and your favorite pumpkin pie filling. I encourage you to find a recipe that suits you out there, whether indie or mass!

This typewriter encouraged us to discover the history of @... standard since the 1940's!

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Tags: @ Sign, Christmas Party, Christmas Pumpkin, Mini Muffin Pan, Mini Pumpkin, Mini Pumpkin Pie, Miniature Pumpkin Pies, Pumpkin Christmas Party, Pumpkin Reindeer, Reindeer, Typewriter @ Sign

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 16, 2008

Pumpkin Cocoa Nib Crème Brulée with Candied Hazelnuts

Ingredients! Technique! Artistry! Jan Birnbaum is now my favorite chef. Not only has he assembled a delicious menu of steaks, salads and unique entrees like his molasses-glazed pork.. he’s got an amazing Pumpkin Crème Brulée that (hat-tip to his New Orleans inspired cuisine) will rock you like a hurricane.

On Sunday night Chudi N. and I treated ourselves to dinner at Jan’s restaurant Epic Roasthouse. It’s my favorite place to dine in the city, and I’ve been there five times now. Their prices are also close to ”epic” so that’s a lot of times! But the experience is worth the money: tall ceilings yet cozy atmosphere, the best aged and fresh meats and seafoods, plus elegant pumpkin desserts and great views!

After oysters, spinach salad, filet and porterhouse and a fun conversation with our neighbors from Dallas (“Fuck it… Merry Christmas!” I proclaimed to their delight) we enjoyed a complimentary dessert, on the house from Epic Roasthouse to I Love Pumpkins!

Behind the Scenes with The Master

Our waitress Rachel even took photos from behind-the-scenes in the kitchen. Could this be Jan himself, shown above, doing up the dessert for us? Wow!! Jan and Rachel are totaly getting their own special-edition I Love Pumpkins t-shirts from T-Critic (which are in production… keep an eye out!).

Not just a steak house... it's a Crème Brulée Foundry!

Using a crème brulée torch, Jan created a gorgeously thin, delicious caramel crust across the top of the dessert. It was like some dreamy pumpkin ice rink. The garnish decorating the top was lovely. The big chewy roasted hand made marshmallow was fun, the winter berries added dimension and some tartness, and the candied roasted hazelnuts dusted with powdered sugar piqued your interest and added variety. 

The Work of Art

The Pumpkin Crème Brulée itself was consistent and creamy, without a single deviation in texture. That’s not easy to do! It tasted fresh and natural, and the pumpkin flavor was thorough without being too obvious. 

Thanks Jan, Rachel and the team at Epic for a delicious dinner at my favorite restaurant.

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Tags: Epic Roasthouse, Epic San Francisco, Epic Steak, Epic Steak House, Hand Made Marshmallows, Jan Birnbaum, Karl Long's T-Critic, Pat Kuleto, Pumpkin Cocoa Nib Crème Brulee with Candied Hazelnuts, Pumpkin Creme Brulee, Pumpkins, Roasted Hazelnuts and Pumpkin, San Francisco Steak House

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 14, 2008

Heidi skipped the crust, but not because she didn't like it!

Do you need a little Christmas? Right this very minute? Try Grubstake, an urban diner that’s decorated to the hilt for the holidays. They make their own pumpkin pie. What a charm! They call it “house-made” and for $4.25 the pie is pretty damn good.

Santas galore.

Grubstake must be the cutest diner West of New Jersey, especially at Christmas time. So many lights! So many Santas! While I didn’t actually count them, I’m guessing they’ve got at least 20 different *dancing* Santas at this Portuguese diner. Last year at Christmas was my first time at Grubstake. Now it’s going to become one of my Christmas traditions!

Now there's a sincere-looking, home-made pumpkin pie!

Portuguese diner? Yes! The menu features both traditional American diner food like omelettes and burgers, as well as a “Portuguese Corner” on their menu with dishes like Bacalhau à Gomes de Sà which is codfish. Santos, the owner, will take excellent care of you. When you see him, tell him that I Love Pumpkins says hello!

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Tags: Bacalhau à Gomes de Sà, Bacalhau à Gomes de Sà San Francisco, Best Diner San Francisco, Diner Pumpkin Pie, Grubstake Diner, Grubsteak Diner, Home Made Pumpkin Pie, House Made Pumpkin Pie, Portuguese Pumpkin Pie, Portuguese San Francisco, pumpkin pie, Pumpkin Santa

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 12, 2008

A decoy hanging with the big cheeses.

Light, puffy, fluffy and sweet.

The sweetness was a personal disappointment. All of Goldy’s other cheeses are savory, and their Pumpkin Cheese hangs out in the fridge with the Gorgonzolas and Manchegos, like they were all part of the same gang. This made me think “Wow! A salty pumpkin cheese!” Alas, it’s like a Crip got mixed up with the Bloods. Confusing.

Once I got over my missed expectations however, I recognized that for a sweet cream cheese, this one is really pretty yummy. It’s whipped and fluffy, unlike Safeway’s delicious Lucerne Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese which we reviewed earlier this year. It’s also more expensive and more fattening per ounce, but it holds its own. 

Goldy’s Spiced Pumpkin Cheese Spread would be a nice accompaniment to breakfast on Christmas morning or for a Hanukkah brunch. The packaging is also more sophisticated than Lucerne’s, so you could bring it to a party with a bag of bagels and show up looking pretty classy.

I'd like to be "Cheese of the Month" someday.

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Tags: BevMo Pumpkins, Cheese of the Month, Christmas Breakfast, Goldy's, Goldy's Spiced Pumpkin Cheese Spread, Hanukkah Brunch, Pumpkin Cheese, Pumpkin Cheese Spread, pumpkin cream cheese

Posted By Jura on December 12, 2008

SPICE UP YOUR BAGEL! The best pumpkin butter on the market!  Really!  Available at the Williams-Sonoma store and online at www.muirheadfoods.com.  On the website you’ll find other delicious butters, dressings, and sauces.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Made With Muirhead Butter

Muirhead of Ringoes, New Jersey, a producer of specialty foods makes a prize-winning Pecan Pumpkin Butter that melts in your mouth and bursts into unbelievably fabulous flavor!  

Is this pumpkin or something from another planet?  The texture of the butter is very nice with just barely some pieces of pecans interspersed through the butter – not huge chunks of pecans, just some grains that meld into the butter.  It is a perfect spread on bagels, toast, pancakes and as a filling for pies. 

The butter is all natural: just pumpkin, pecans, lemon juice, spices, and sugar.  No fillers.   Recipes for pumpkin pie are included on the lid of the jar.  The pumpkin pies listed “look” delicious.  This butter is a very good filling for the pie, but you will need 2 jars of the butter for them. 

Ringoes' Star

Fruit butter is a very American invention, whereas marmalade and jam have been made in Europe for hundreds of years. The butter is made from cooked fruits (or vegetables) which are heated and sieved to a fine pulp, then cooked on high heat again to a consistency of soft butter.  Pumpkin is especially good for this process because the pumpkin meat cooks into a consistency that is perfect for butter. This is one reason that pumpkin pie became an American staple with the pilgrims.

So – go ahead – try it on your toast or bagel and you’ll be back at the store for more! Bon Appetit!

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Tags: Muirhead Farms, Muirhead Farms Pumpkin Pecan Butter, pumpkin butter, Pumpkin Pecan Butter, Ringoes New Jersey, Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Pumpkins

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 8, 2008

Fresh From Philly!

Gentleman \Gen”tle*man\, n. [OE. Gentilman nobleman; cf. F. gentilhomme.]
1. A man well born; one of good family; one above the condition of a yeoman.
2. One of gentle or refined manners; a well-bred man.
3. One who brings back four Tastykake Pumpkin Pies from Philadelphia for www.ilovepumpkins.com.

A buddy smuggled four Tastykake Pumpkin Pies, completely intact, back into California for me. What a gent!

Tastykake’s Pumpkin Pie is just as well-born as our hero. The dry flaky crust is deliciously salty, and there’s lots of it. Inside this wrapping is a moist, classic pumpkin pie filling. The taste is honest and direct, perhaps explained by the first four ingredients: flour, water, pumpkin, sugar… Tastykake’s got their priorities straight!

For ultimate happiness warm it up, ideally in your oven or worst case your microwave. Got whipped cream? Come on over! No, seriously though, if you do have whipped cream or ice cream, try it out on your warmed up little pie. I’m sure it will rock, even though I enjoyed mine “sans.”

An East Coast classic since 1914, Tastykake has evolved with the times. Their website offers a mail-order catalog, Corporate Gifts (!!), and branded merchandise like Krimpet-shaped rafts for the ocean or the pool.

Tasty Tasty

NOTE: Additional props to Master Brewer Grodo Grassi. He mailed me a Tastykake Pumpkin Pie as part of a Halloween care package. However, yours truly ate it up for breakfast on All Saint’s Day after partying all night… and never got around to reviewing it. It just goes to show, dear readers, don’t always trust the narrator!

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Tags: Individual Pumpkin Pie, Master Brewer Gordo Grassi, Philadelphia Pumpkin Pie, Tastykake Philadelphia, Tastykake Pie, Tastykake Pumpkin Pie

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 7, 2008

Kabocha Korokke is Japanese pumpkin croquette. Master P and I say, HAI!

Itadakimasu.

It’s like a Japanese mashed-potato pancake, but with kabocha instead of spuds. Amazingly, the delicious fried flavor isn’t oily at all. We figured this is probably because of it’s coated with panko, a unique version of Japanese bread crumbs in the form of crispy, flavorful flakes.

In our collaborative tasting, we microwaved it, and it still retained its crispness! According to Master P, Kabocha Korokke tasted even better when he baked the other two. We purchased ours in Japantown in San Francisco at Nijiya Market, whose website also features a unique recipe for kabocha ice cream dessert.

“Merii Kurisumasu!”

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Tags: "Merri Kurisumasu!", Japanese Christmas, Japanese Croquettes, Japanese Pumpkin, Japanese Pumpkin Croquette, Kabocha, Kabocha Korokke

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 6, 2008

At The Source... Bi-Rite's Pumpkin Ice Cream.

You’ll recall that we ran into Bi-Rite’s Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake at a birthday party last month.

Now we’ve got a pure, unadulterated, acapella photo of Bi-Rite’s Pumpkin Ice Cream. Thank you Citizen Blogger + Master Pumpkin Pie Taster Steve W. for sending this in! In his own words, Steve called it ”tasty.”

If you’re looking for more Pumpkin Ice Cream reviews, use the search bar on the top right of this page and enter the words “ice cream.” Enjoy!

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Tags: Bi-Rite Creamery, Bi-Rite Ice Cream, Bi-Rite Pumpkin Ice Cream, Pumpkin Cake, pumpkin ice cream, Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 4, 2008

Thanks for trying, Chevron.

Chevron gas stations are serving machine-made Pumpkin Spice Lattes. I applaud them for the effort; it’s a brilliant idea. However, the execution is terrible.

Smells like… nothing. Tastes like… weak, watered-down coffee with stale cinnamon.

This Chevron was a few blocks away from San Francisco’s Superior Court, where I went to contest a red-light infraction. You’d be happier with their coffee. Their coffee shop carafes may not have been cleaned with soap since 1972! Still, nice suits and cheap suits take breaks there, making their breath smell worse with stale coffee as the day goes on…

Maybe next year Chevron will get it right? Thank you for the effort, but no thanks!

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Tags: Chevron Coffee, Chevron Pumpkins, Gas Station Coffee, Gas Station Pumpkins, Instant Pumpkin Coffee, Pumpkin Cappuccino, pumpkin coffee, Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 2, 2008

Smooth, calm, hypnotic.

Now here’s a Pumpkin Latte you can believe in! Amazingly smooth and mellow pumpkin taste.

Enjoying the weather.

It’s not too sweet, not too sugary, and… once you’re past the foam, you discover that it’s not artificially colored either. Remember that orangey color you found in Starbucks’ Pumpkin Latte? You won’t find it here and you probably won’t miss it. Peet’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is delicious and more mature than the same drink from Starbucks. The top notes are pumpkinny but it satsifies like coffee.

A look behind the counter at Peet's secret ingredient...

p.s. If you want to try some pumpkin satisfaction at home, you can buy the same Monin Pumpkin Syrup at my store as used at Peet’s.

Even my latte enjoys people-watching on Fillmore. By the way, I used to work in advertising, so I figured I'd get a dog and a kid in this picture to improve recall scores.

 

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Tags: Monin Pumpkin Syrup, Peet's Coffee, Peet's Coffee Spiced Pumpkin Latte, Peet's Latte, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin coffee beans, pumpkin latte, pumpkin scones, pumpkin syrup, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

Posted By I Love Pumpkins on December 1, 2008

Can you find the mini muffin in this picture?

Tonight Trader Joe’s sampled their Pumpkin Bread Mix baked into a Mini Pumpkin Muffin format. Wow! If I weren’t still trying to work off that second helping of stuffing from last week (second? third?) this bread mix would have landed straight into my shopping cart.

Soothing, welcoming and homey, just the smell of this muffin made me do a double-take. And then the taste lived up to the aroma: warm crispy crust and yummy goodness inside.

Comforting and delicious, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix is a good stand-by to have around. Bake some up for weekend brunch while you develop your holiday shopping strategies, or enjoy it as a mulled wine accompaniment on a chilly afternoon.

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Tags: Easy Pumpkin Bread, Mini Muffins, Mini Pumpkin Muffins, pumpkin bread, Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix, Pumpkin Bread and Mulled Wine, Pumpkin Bread Mix, Pumpkin Brunch, pumpkin muffins, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's Pumpkins