SippitySup

Autumn in Los Angeles. Can you feel it? There’s a change in the air. It’s the change in the seasons. This time on The Table Set, Nathan, Andy, and I step out from around the table to celebrate that change. Because even in Los Angeles you can feel the subtle shift– as Summer turns to Autumn. The days seem bluer and the nights last a little longer. Hollywood Blvd crackles under the bright blue light. We use that electricity as an excuse to gather at Berlin Currywurst, a local beer garden here in Hollywood, to discuss all things seasonal. I hope you’ll listen in. This is a sort of Oktoberfest. You know a celebration of my favorite time to live in Los Angeles.

Autumn in Los Angeles is also a changeable time. Cool nights are often followed by days of scorching Santa Anna winds. Whether it’s the heat or the chill– there’s still that subtle shift in the air. Can you feel it? It means it’s time to start thinking about Halloween. We’ll talk about the holiday (yet again) because Andy and Nathan wait all year to get their ghoul on. As always, we’ll discuss the parties we’ve been to and of course, we’ll turn our attention to Oktoberfest and beer. Listen in as we flip our way through a few recipes in The Craft Beer Cookbook by Jacquelyn Dodd (better known on these pages as The Beeroness). Because it wouldn’t be The Table Set without beer.

As our weather shifts so does our cooking. We’ll discuss seasonal Autumn produce, as well as those ‘waning season’ favorites like tomatoes and peaches. It’s so hard to give those up. But Autumn in Los Angeles means that persimmons and pumpkins are showing their bright orange faces at the Hollywood Farmers Market. So while Andy and Nathan insist that there are a few more weeks to enjoy summer favorites, I decide it’s time for a seasonal salad. Head on over to Homefries and see my Fuyu Persimmon with Arugula and Pomegranate Salad. I think it’s a fitting way to welcome the change that’s in the air everywhere. GREG