January - Apple Pie Healing
The Bitter Cold of New England
February - Chocolate Brownies
Valentine’s Day
March - Maple Syrup Cheese Cake
Massachusetts Maple Syrup Factory
April - Boston Cream Pie
Boston and Boston Bags
May - Giant Decoration Cake
The Star of the Graduation Party
June- Bake Sale
Labor, Reward and Fun!
July - Strawberry Shortcake
Independence Day
August - Cranberry Bread
Farmer's Market
September - Muffins
Memories of a College Student
October - Punpkin Pie
Halloween
November - Indian Pudding
Thanksgiving
December - Fruit Cake
Christmas
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At the end of October, frost begins to appear in northeast New England, and sleet begins to turn to snow. Under the winter skies children walk around their houses, heads filled with all sorts of ideas heading into Halloween.
It’s a time when they run around with the call of `Trick or Treat` in the hopes of you giving them something or they will play a trick on you! Households prepare loads of wrapped candy and ready themselves for the onslaught of the little ‘monsters’. Candles adorn windows and jack lanterns guard doors. The orange flesh of pumpkins the size of a person’s head are scooped out, a knife is used to cut out a nose and a light is placed inside. However, these aren't the kind of pumpkins you can eat!
The ones you can eat are plain and slightly smaller - their fate is usually to become a pumpkin pie. Adults with the memories of childhood in their hearts also get caught up in fancy dress parties and if it’s a home party there is usually always one adult`monster` who brings a fresh-baked fragrant pumpkin pie.
`Kabocha` translates as pumpkin but the meaning is somewhat different. In Japan a `kabocha pumpkin` is something dissimilar, the pumpkins usually sold in stores are more moist, yet not as glutinous. They are also not as flavorsome and need something like cream and a rich, heavy syrup. Brown sugar, as opposed to white, is usually used. Spices such as cinnamon, cloves and pepper are added. This is all poured into pie pastry and baked.
It can be eaten as is, but the adult `monsters` who have by now reverted to children, grab their favorite whipped cream from the kitchen for accompaniment … (In America you can buy the mouse-like cream already prepared in a can) and just as if they were a child again, practically drown the pie in cream. In the midst of all the commotion … Autumn begins to move on.
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