Happy Halloween! It’s not every year that the final day of birthday month (yes, birthday month) and Halloween align with a Twice as Tasty post day. But you won’t find any cake cutely decorated with Oreos or candy corn here. Instead, I was inspired by the “Halloween” display at Vashon Bookshop when I visited the island earlier this month. The theme was simple: all orange book covers. At first glance, it might seem like an obsessive—or lazy—way to dress a table, but perusing the titles revealed a fabulously varied trick-or-treat bag of goodies.

So today I highlight some recipes featuring, or easily altered for, orange foods. I also suggest some workshops you should consider attending or scheduling in your own home over the next few weeks that will put some extra flavor in your holiday season.

Obligingly Orange

Searching through my recipes for orange foods turned out to be an interesting exercise. The list of naturally orange foods tends to be short but widely varied, from sweet citrus to savory root vegetables. Most are loaded with carotenoids, which act as antioxidants. So they taste good and make you feel good.

These recipes will add color to your plate and your diet:

• Sweet Pepper Jelly
• Harvest Pumpkin Bread
• Auntie Julie’s Fruit Leather (Amazing Apricot and Perfect Pumpkin)
• Spiced Red Lentil Dip
• Barely Fermented Carrots
• Moroccan Shaved and Roasted Carrots
• Roasted Squash Soup
• Homemade Pumpkin Gnocchi
• Mushroom–Sweet Potato Salad (substitute yams to boost the orange color)
• Couscous Salad with Raw Vegetables
• Glazed Carrots
• Orange-Sweetened Marinated Beets (use golden beets for a truly orange dish)
• Creamy Pumpkin–Rum Pie
• Pumpkin–Chocolate Cookies
• Sweet Spice Mix

Heading into Holidays

Halloween always seems to kick off the start of a holiday season that runs through the end of the year. The gatherings pile up as temperatures drop and days get shorter. And somehow, mine all feature groups of family and friends and piles of good food.

Whether you’re looking to prepare a holiday menu or round out a gift list, I have plenty of ideas for making this season Twice as Tasty. Get in touch if you want to include a Twice as Tasty Live event—such as a dinner, house concert, or other gathering, with yours truly as your private chef—on your calendar in the next few weeks. Give the experience of a Twice as Tasty workshop with a gift certificate. Or learn how to expand your own celebration in a workshop. These are just a few of the topics I recommend for the season:

• Cheese Making at Home. On Nov. 20, I’ll be teaching a public cheese-making workshop through Whitefish School District’s Adult Education program. Or gather your friends and contact me to schedule your own cheese-making party.
• Creative Cookies: Dough Basics and Variations. Learn the basic ratios behind cookie recipes so that you can swap ingredients and easily fill your holiday cookie tray.
• Perfecting Pies: Crusts and Fillings from Scratch. Learn how to make the final act of your holiday meal from in your own kitchen.
• Creative Cocktails: Syrups and Shrubs. Learn to make sweet, tangy, and savory syrups and shrubs and mix them into cocktails and mocktails that will upgrade your winter and New Year parties.
• Recipe Revamp: Making Your Family Favorites Better. Winter family gatherings often feature age-old recipes, but modern tastes and diets may make them less appealing to the current generation. With my help, you can fill traditional dishes—and your table—with new life.
• Feeling Saucy: Sauce Basics and Variations. You’re preparing to host a holiday meal but have been too busy to cook at home. Not to worry: Brush up on essential techniques, like sauce making, and you’ll be ready to wow your guests.

Like what you’ve learned? To learn more in a Twice as Tasty workshop—in your own kitchen, among friends, and with my personal help—click here. If you’re not yet a Twice as Tasty subscriber, get newsletters delivered straight to your inbox by clicking here.