The autumn 2026 menu is here

Cook the calendar.

Recipes planned around what is in season and the festivals coming up next: Halloween, Día de Muertos, Diwali and Thanksgiving. Each one is tested at home and written for real kitchens.

Browse all recipes See the festival calendar

A bowl of squash soup beside two small pumpkins — Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash

What's coming up

Four celebrations in under two months. Pick a date to see what to cook, what can be made ahead, and what to shop for this week.

Oct 31
Halloween

Sat, Oct 31
2 recipes for Halloween
Nov 1–2
Día de Muertos

Sun, Nov 1 to Mon, Nov 2
2 recipes for Día de Muertos
Nov 8
Diwali

Sun, Nov 8
4 recipes for Diwali
Nov 26
Thanksgiving

Thu, Nov 26
2 recipes for Thanksgiving

Día de Muertos

Pan de Muerto (Orange Blossom Bread of the Dead)

Pan de muerto appears in Mexican bakeries from mid-October and is placed on ofrendas for Día de Muertos on November 1 and 2. The round loaf represents the circle of life, the strips across the top are the huesos (bones), and the small ball in the center is often described as a skull or a teardrop.

4 hr total, mostly risingMakes 2 loaves (12 slices)

Read the recipe

Fresh on the table

New this season, across every celebration on the calendar.

Apples dipped in caramel and set on a tray

Halloween

Classic Homemade Caramel Apples

Tart apples dipped in a soft, chewy caramel cooked from scratch, with an optional roll in toasted peanuts.

1 hr 10 min totalMakes 8 apples

A plate of Indian sweets including gulab jamun

Diwali

Soft Gulab Jamun with Rose-Cardamom Syrup

Milk-powder dumplings fried slowly until deep golden, then soaked in warm syrup with cardamom, saffron and rose water.

2 hr 55 min totalMakes 20 pieces

Bowls of orange squash soup topped with crumbled cheese and pumpkin seeds

Fall harvest

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Sage

Oven-roasted squash, onion and garlic blended with stock into a velvety soup, finished with sage fried in brown butter.

1 hr 15 min totalMakes 6 bowls

Thanksgiving

Classic Pumpkin Pie with All-Butter Crust

Silky spiced custard in a flaky crust that stays crisp, thanks to a quick par-bake before the filling goes in.

4 hr 45 min totalMakes 8 slices

Three golden fried samosas on a wooden tray with green chili and pomegranate seeds

Diwali

Crisp Punjabi Aloo Samosas

Flaky, blister-free pastry shells stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas. The savory counterpoint to a table full of Diwali sweets.

2 hr 5 min totalMakes 12 samosas

A cup of dark coffee topped with a cinnamon stick and star anise

Día de Muertos

Café de Olla (Mexican Spiced Coffee)

Coffee simmered with canela, piloncillo, cloves and orange peel. Warm, gently sweet and the classic partner for pan de muerto.

25 min totalMakes 4 cups

See all 12 recipes

In season right now

What is good at Southern California markets in October and November, and what we make with it.

Butternut squashSweetest after a few weeks of storage. Roast it for soup.
ApplesHoneycrisp, Braeburn and Granny Smith are all in the markets now.
Pie pumpkinsSmall sugar pumpkins, not carving pumpkins, make the best purée.
Fresh gingerNew-crop ginger is juicy and mild. Grate it into chai.
OrangesEarly navels arrive in November. Zest one for pan de muerto.