Oh the guilt!!
Here I am, living the high life in Chicago with all my good intentions of blogging early every morning in tatters. I have neglected all you lovely readers. But in my defense I can say that I have been busy. I have explored Chicago inside and out. I have spent 2 amazing days in Washington DC. I have been to Galena and seen the Mississippi for the first time. I have been mesmerised, delighted and awe-struck at least once a day since I arrived. It's heady stuff, I tell you. So please forgive me and I promise I'll be back and blogging when I return to London.
In the meanwhile, I thought I'd better get a move on and announce the theme for this month's Waiter, There's Something in My... event which I am hosting. In keeping with the seasonal theme, and mindful of the astonishing variety out there, I have decided to go all Halloween on you and pick gourds as the theme. What counts as a gourd? All pumpkins, squashes, zucchini, pattypans and other vegetables growing on vines - in fact any member of the Cucurbitaceae family. (I will allow melons too, even though they weren't part of my original plan!) So I really have left the field wide open - those of you currently experiencing Spring can wow me with your zesty zucchini creations, while those who are experiencing Autumn can pamper me with pumpkin pie.
As usual, here are the rules:
1. Write up your gourd dish on your blog, remembering to include a link back to this announcement in your post.
2. E-mail me. Please make sure that Waiter there's something in my features in the subject line.
3. In the e-mail please include:
- the URL of your entry
- your blog's name
- the name of the dish
- your approximate location
4. The deadline for entries is Saturday 1 November and I hope to have the roundup posted later that week.
5. When the roundup is posted, please also include a link to that in your post.
See you back here on the 1st - and until then, go with gourd :)
Awesome theme, Jeanne!! I have just the recipe in mind, too :D
Have a great time in the States!
Posted by: Angela | October 16, 2008 at 07:30 PM
I'm working on my recipe as I type this.
Posted by: courtney | October 17, 2008 at 02:58 AM
WAIT - you're here in Chicago and you didn't tell me?
Posted by: Darius T. Williams | October 17, 2008 at 02:59 AM
Jeanne--
You're so close and yet, so far away! Galena is just about 2 hours from me (here in Cedar Falls, IA)!
I'm glad you are having a fabulous time, but am missing your blog just the same. Enjoy!
Diane (6 degrees of PE)
Posted by: Diane | October 17, 2008 at 02:05 PM
WOW! Sounds like you are having a fantastic time there. Enjoy!! xxx
Posted by: Browniegirl | October 17, 2008 at 06:49 PM
Oh good for you...LIVE IT UP, guilt free!! Gourd...am still looking for a pumkin to make into puree since they don't spoil us with canning them here. Will hopefully be done by then...Have a great time!!
Posted by: Deeba | October 18, 2008 at 02:04 PM
Hope you're having fun in my town! It's a great food city, for lack of a better term.
Posted by: Jude | October 19, 2008 at 03:38 AM
Oh, don't worry about us, Jeanne. Just enjoy Chicago! :) I'm going to try to get something in before the deadline, but I can't promise. Safe travels!
Posted by: Susan from Food Blogga | October 22, 2008 at 01:17 AM
I've never entered before, but I think I'll give it a bash - perhaps a calabash!!!
Posted by: Rosemary | October 22, 2008 at 10:28 AM
My parents went to Chicago this year and loved it too. Lucky gal!
Lovely looking pumpkins, but tell me where the hell is my Kabocha these days. Has he absconded with you?? Last year I tried the Halloween pumpkins, but wasn't impressed. Too watery, wiry and now starchy enough. Blech. They are pretty to look at though.
Posted by: Michelle | October 28, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Hi Jeanne,
Good to hear you enjoying the Windy City.
Here's a slightly different recipe for pumpkin and ideal for those who love a bit of spice - Thai Pumpkin Soup (http://www.halloweensite.co.uk/spicy-thai-pumpkin-soup-recipe.html)
Happy Halloween!
Posted by: Dan | October 28, 2008 at 04:17 PM
Hi,
I just sent you my entry to the event. Please check out wheather you got it or not.
Posted by: Lubna Karim | October 29, 2008 at 04:30 AM
and im busy with my second one! :)
Posted by: Tongue-Tickle | October 29, 2008 at 07:20 AM
I did it! And I am in time! Finally I can send a submission again! *phew*
Posted by: Astrid | November 01, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Hi,I had mailed you my entry on 31st.Kindly confirm whether you received it or not.Hope I am not troubling you.Thanks
Posted by: Sweatha | November 03, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Augh!! How did I miss this announcement?! We have had the most wonderful butternut squash ravioli this past month, baked our small Hallowe'en pie pumpkins in preparation for a pie and have a kabocha squash sitting waiting to be baked and tasted. But did I post about any of these?! Did we take photos??? Of course not! And now it's well past the deadline. Rats!!
I'm looking forward to the roundup though. I adore squash....
-Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth | November 05, 2008 at 05:27 AM
Fall season is approaching and gourds and squash will be in season soon. Let me first say that gourds and squash are healthy and versatile. Even better, gourds and squash are fairly inexpensive and go a long way in a dish. I usually pay $4 for a large butternut squash. So in today’s day of cost-cutting and trying to find ways to eat healthy yet keeping your grocery bill down, squash just seems to make sense.
Posted by: giay da nam | March 22, 2012 at 02:01 AM