Reading the Autumn Market

I walk the market on Tuesday and Friday mornings before the kitchen opens. I do not arrive with a fixed menu in mind. I arrive with curiosity and a notebook. What the farmers bring determines what we cook that week. This is not romanticism — it is simply the most intelligent way to work with flavor.

The Autumn Pantry

Autumn is the most forgiving season for a cook. The flavors are inherently rounded — earthy, sweet, nutty, and gently acidic. Wild mushrooms anchor almost any preparation. Ceps, chanterelles, and hen-of-the-woods need nothing more than butter, salt, and a hot pan. Quince pairs with game. Celeriac makes an extraordinary remoulade or a silky purée that outperforms potato in almost every application.

Mushrooms: A Field Guide for the Cook

• Ceps (Porcini): Sauté in clarified butter until golden. Do not crowd the pan or they will steam rather than color.
• Chanterelles: Delicate and perfumed. Pair with cream, tarragon, or soft polenta. Never overpower.
• Hen-of-the-Woods (Maitake): Dense and savory. Roast at high heat until the edges crisp — extraordinary texture.
• Chestnuts: Blanch, peel, then simmer in milk with a bay leaf. Use as a purée, or whole in stuffings and braises.

Cooking seasonally is not a stylistic choice. It is a commitment to honesty. You are working with the best possible ingredient at the moment of its peak.

— Chef Marco Rinaldi

Root Vegetables: The Underrated Foundation

Celeriac, parsnip, turnip, and salsify are the workhorses of the autumn kitchen. They carry a natural sweetness that intensifies with roasting and a starchy depth that enriches stocks and purées. A slow-roasted celeriac, treated like a joint of meat with butter basting and aromatic stuffing, is one of the most satisfying preparations in the repertoire.