Butternut Squash Gnocchi Recipe

There are many new seasonal ingredients available at the market, but the one that really represents Thanksgiving season to me is butternut squash. The color of this versatile veggie embodies the fall and the flavor is sweet with a slightly nutty taste.


I love butternut squash in pasta dishes, so today I sautéed whole wheat gnocchi in butter and garlic, tossed in a molasses-roasted butternut squash and finished the gnocchi dish with store-bought butternut squash pasta sauce. This special sauce was the winner of the best pasta sauce at the New York Fancy Food Show in 2009. I received it from our friend Dave of DavesGourmet.com. This exquisite sauce is made with squash ripened in Oregon's Willamette Valley and contains fresh garlic, onions and roasted bell peppers. Dave's Gourmet is going to be part of almost $1,000-worth of giveaways to Pham Fatale readers in the month of December. I’ll introduce some of the wonderful products that await you over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Pumpkin French Toast (Pain Perdu Recipe)

It’s that time of the year again! Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. The time for fall flavors has definitely arrived. Pumpkin is one of the most versatile ingredients of the season, and today I used it to put a twist on French toast. I prepared a simple custard batter flavored with pumpkin purée and saffron and soaked day-old stale bread. I paired it with a saffron-sweetened heavy whipping cream. The dish is fragrant and flavorful without being overly sweet. It’s definitely a departure from your average pain perdu (literally "stolen bread").

This would be a wonderful treat for Sunday brunch, or for the day after Thanksgiving. I’m making it today for Lulu as a reward for volunteering to take the girls trick-or-treating last night. The girls’ feet started hurting, so he cut the outing short and took them to the supermarket to buy bags of chocolates and candies. That still counts though, right?

Ginger Honey Cornbread Recipe

I am a big fan of both gingerbread and cornbread. I thought it would be fun to combine the flavors of the two, and so my ginger honey cornbread was born. I decided to go all out with intense ginger flavor, so I used freshly grated ginger, candied ginger, root beer and last but not least ginger honey.

The result is a strong, mildly spicy cornbread, which we absolutely loved. It's fairly simple to make, easy to transport and can be made a day in advance.

Chocolate Red Bean Pie Recipe

I love Vietnamese bean desserts, but my husband Lulu's not a huge fan. Vietnamese desserts aren't sweet enough to his taste. So in the spirit of compromise, I created a pie inspired by Asian red bean desserts, but to an American's tastes.

First, I baked the pie crust, then spread in a generous amount of chocolate spread, and finally completed the dessert with a layer of sweetened red beans. 

The ration in this recipe is very easy to remember: 1 can sweetened red beans, 1 can of evaporated milk, 2 eggs, sugar and a little grated ginger. It's not your standard pie, but it's absolutely delicious.

Roasted Garlic and Cheese Creme Brulee Recipe

If you go through the previous crème brûlée recipes I've shared so far, this savory version will probably raise some eyebrows. It's not that I've run out of ideas for sweet crèmes brûlées; there are plenty more to come. I've just been toying with the idea of making a savory one because I think the creamy custard and crunchy top create a perfect canvas for savory ingredients.

I chose roasted garlic, goat cheese and herbs because they are intensely flavorful and make an excellent camouflage for the egg flavor. For the top, I mixed parmesan cheese and a bit of sugar and then took my blow torch to the mixture.

Savory crèmes brûlées can be quite an original appetizer to serve at your Christmas party. They are uncommon enough to help mark just about any special occasion though.