15 | November | 2011 | Tallahassee Bite By Bite

Why, yes, it is decorative gourd season.

∆ Since moving to Tallahassee from the Midwest last year, I’ve had to revise my definition of autumn. Since the thermometer no longer climbs past 85 degrees (at least most days), I’ve decided that it’s officially fall. And that means it’s time to pull out one of my favorite lazy-girl kitchen tools, the slow cooker. Since I’m always on the hunt for great meatless recipes, I’ve put this new cookbook at the top of my must-buy list: “The Vegan Slow Cooker: Simply Set It and Go with 150 Recipes for Intensely Flavorful, Fuss-Free Fare Everyone (Vegan or Not!) Will Devour” by Kathy Hester.

∆ Like many folks who celebrate Thanksgiving, I love the big dinner … but I enjoy the leftovers even more. This week I’m seeking out fresh ways to use up all that extra turkey, stuffing, potatoes and cranberry sauce over the holiday weekend. Here’s a handful of recipes I want to try: Fetette’s Candied Yam Tartlettes, Three Cocktail Recipes That Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce from Mix Magazine —the Cranberry Jalapeño Margarita looks particularly enticing! — and Martha Stewart’s Turkey Banh Mi.

∆ After you’ve made a visit to Dame Stewart’s corner of the Internet to check out that banh mi recipe, you may require an antidote to those maddeningly perfect visions of gilded pumpkin placecard holders and crisply folded dinner napkins. (I know I do). Quick, read McSweeney’s deliciously irreverent take on seasonal decorating. (Caution: You might not want to click on this link if a small child or humorless coworker is looking over your shoulder).

Here at Tallahassee Bite By Bite, we’re passionate about food — how it’s produced, how it’s cooked, served and eaten, and how it flavors our daily lives and our culture. We’re particularly interested in the edibles that are available right here in our own town of Tallahassee.

We’re not professional chefs, food historians or nutritional experts. And we’re not food snobs, either, especially since we’ve been known to indulge in a hot apple pie from the Whataburger drive-thru. We are food fanatics who get really excited about perfecting a recipe, discovering an innovative new restaurant or tracking down a great source for locally grown vegetables.

We launched this website because we’re eager to share our edible explorations with our community and launch a conversation about the local food scene. We’d love to hear your thoughts about what we’re posting, your stories about your own culinary adventures and, of course, your most treasured recipes. (Well, the ones that aren’t zealously guarded family secrets). You can reach us by email at tlhbitebybite@gmail.com.