Saturday, September 27th

The day will begin with caramel apple spice, a Starbucks copycat that feels like drinking dessert for breakfast. On the table alongside, a Hash Brown Casserole from Magnolia Table Vol. 3, golden at the edges and creamy in the center.

Dinner will lean all the way into comfort: Authentic New Orleans Style Gumbo, for an upcoming Food and the Story podcast. Gumbo is forgiving, but it does insist on one thing—a proper roux. The trick is patience. Stirring flour and oil until it’s the color of a copper penny takes time, but the flavor payoff is worth every swirl of the spoon. And while my whisk has seen many sauces, it’s the dutch oven that earns the spotlight here, holding heat steady enough to coax the roux into its smoky depth.

Sunday, September 28th

Sunday morning will start with the farmer’s market, a walk among tomatoes and herbs before settling into the kitchen. Dinner will be a spread straight from Magnolia Table: Perfect Roast Chicken from Vol. 1, mashed potatoes, easy steamed carrots, and popovers from Vol. 3. Popovers are a study in contrasts: impossibly crisp shells with a custardy center that feels almost decadent. The secret here is heat. Preheating the popover pan until it’s sizzling-hot before adding the batter ensures the dramatic rise that makes them so magical.

Dessert will be Cherry Almond Crisp, sweet fruit tucked under a buttery topping, the kind of dish that doesn’t need adornment but shines all the same with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

By the end of the weekend, the table will have carried us from roux to roast, from skillet to popover pan. And I’ll be reminded, yet again, that food is both story and season, carrying us gently into fall one bite at a time.

What’s on your menu?

Gracefully yours,

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