With these low 60s degree mornings now a pretty regular thing, there’s little doubt that Fall has finally arrived in Atlanta. To celebrate, let’s start the day off with a totally overdone, but still somewhat widely loved food (or food like) item. Pumpkin!
Pie, latte, beer or any of the numerous lay ridiculous Trader Joe’s pumpkin inspired food items.
Whatcha got?
Mr. Mooney
Siv
Justguessing
BethW
WinnonaWinnona
Oaky
lumpintheroad
King Tommen
Larkspur
Larkspur
Calamari
Christy
First Pint at Leon's Goes For $2,650
Blue Bell Spiced Pumpkin Pecan ice cream.
Jack-O Traveller’s Pumpkin Shandy (I think it was shandy) … definitely tasty.
Aldi’s Sparkling Spiced Pumpkin Cider. Tasty, and the bottle is a keeper.
A really good, fresh, homemade pumpkin pie. I like most varieties–the heavy, dark traditional New England style or a light, fluffy filling. But not a dry, Frisbee store bought one.
Not having grown up on sweet potato pies, I’m not as fond of them and have trouble with how much they can resemble pumpkin pies. Hate taking a piece of sweet potato, thinking I’ve got a pumpkin pie.
For those of us who’re seriously allergic to pumpkin, sweet potatoes fill the autumn treat niche nicely. (Plus, I’m Southern, so they’ve always been a part of my comestibles list.)
I promise that I will leave the sweet potato pie for you if you’ll leave the pumpkin for me. We just need good labeling of the pies.
If I’m being honest, I can only rarely tell the difference between the two. Tuber or gourd, in both cases it’s about a largely flavorless vegetable acting as a structural element and the only flavor coming from the accompanying spices and other ingredients. But in either case if it’s cooked well, I’ll happily consume it.
While we’re at it, I’ll go ahead and be that guy and point out that really ALL “pumpkin” flavored products are really just flavored like the ingredients that accompany the pumpkin. Because pumpkin doesn’t taste like much. It’s cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, etc. That’s why I kind of give props to products that include the additional modifier “spice” to their pumpkin product (as in “Pumpkin Spice Latte”). It feels more honest since it’s the spices that are defining that experience.
All kvetching aside I do like “pumpkin” products, especially pumpkin beers, which in recent years seem to have become a cottage industry unto themselves. And at home we cook with pumpkin year round, regularly cooking up a killer pumpkin (not vegetarian) chili recipe and pumpkin “bars” with cream cheese frosting that are like a darker, spicier carrot cake.
The sweet potato pies that I have mistakenly selected, thinking they were pumpkin, have been blander and mushier. That’s how I figured out that I didn’t select pumpkin. I thought that was the style. I imagine that they could be made to taste more like a pumpkin pie. But I am picky on my pumpkin pie–I’m flexible on the style but it has to be super fresh and have a good pastry crust. I have never liked grocery store pumpkin pies.
If you’ve had a mushy, bland sweet potato pie, you’ve been getting them from the wrong place/people. My maternal grandmother made a sweet potato pie that would make you sink to your knees & praise the Lord! (Yes, I now have that recipe…)
I’ve honestly never noticed that much variation between pumpkin (or sweet potato) pies done right or done wrong. I think Garrison Keillor sums it up well: “Pumpkin pie is the epitome of mediocrity. The best pumpkin pie you ever ate isn’t that much better than the worst.”
Oh, please. Being the Midwestern equivalent of a Yankee, Garrison Keillor is hardly an expert on Southern cuisine–and if you’d ever had a really good sweet potato pie, you’d know the difference between that & anything else. I promise!
The only way to make a really good sweet potato pie is to throw away the sweet potatoes and replace them with pumpkin.
Exactly
Oh, if we’re including sweet potato in the mix, then for me it’s Sweet Potato Praline Cheesecake at Southern Sweets bakery. Not cheap, but one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
For those of us who appreciate it, S&S Cafeteria on Chamblee-Tucker Rd. has a tasty sweet-potato pie…and they sell both whole & half slices! (Whole pie if you call ahead.)
An actual pumpkin.
+1000
The pumpkin/pumpkin spice mania has become absurd. Pumpkin spice Oreos? No thanks!!
Southern Tier Pumking
+1000
TRUTH. Also, the Southern Tier Warlock is pretty great. It was on tap at Taco Mac a couple of weeks ago – not sure if it’s still there.
The best pumpkin dish I’ve had in Decatur is the green pumpkin curry at now defunct Garlic. It was so Delish and I think about it frequently.
Roasted and salted pumpkin seeds, yes. The actual pumpkin, no thanks.
+1. I was holding my tongue.
If you would have asked about the bumpkin drink for the money, you probably would have gotten a lot more answers. And PBR definitely doesn’t count, but I will give you Boone’s Farm
I had a Terrapin Pumpkinfest at Slider Night at The Shed at Glenwood. It was quite nice.
@FMFats – I was just there – must have been sitting next to you. Yum
I used to love the pumpkin pie blizzard at DQ. So rich it messed with my digestive system. Sob, sob – now I have to drive all the way out 29 to the DQ near Home Depot to get one.