Another vote for the crockpot. Broke mine out today and made Tuscan White Bean Soup. Mmmmm. Can't beat coming home to the smell.

I'm also a big fan of Carrol Shelby's chili.

For those worried about the fat, Prevention has a pretty good crockpot cookbook with low calorie/fat recipes.

Roasted root vegetables. Buy mine at a Santa Monica Farmer's Market. I know it's fall when all of the yummy root vegetables appear and all of the stone fruit disappear. (Unfortunately, all of the good tomatoes disappear :()

Cooking Light also makes a Crockpot cookbook...lots of variety in there too.

Wow, I'm not the only person left with a taste for grease...:D

We have traditionally done "Western" dishes on Christmas eve and then hotpot or dumpling style stuff on Christmas/Boxing day. It'll be the same this year, I guess.

Sorry if I gave the impression of being anti-fat ~ I love a well-marbled steak , I adore fresh Foie Gras, Rillettes not to mention potatoes sauteed in duck fat :) ~ it's just that a lot of the things I cook such as the oxtail has oodles of it.

I am currently cooking a lot of vegetarian dishes (houseguests) and speaking of roasted roots, last night I made a wonderful vegetarian Shepherd's Pie. The roasted veggies, covered with a layer of chunky tomato/onion sauce, topped off with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. It was easy and good!

82F right now. Still have not pulled out the stockpots/crock pot or turned the oven on. Grilling again tonight.

1) Garlic Bread
2) Ham & Cream Soup
3) Congee

Hearty soups and stews as well as risotto

Being in South Florida going on 2 years now, I still have yet to get used to what I consider a climate that is only hot and hotter. At least in Texas it does get cold, and Chili is always good at this time of year or my mom's teriyaki steaks, which is what I would like right about now.
So for me it is a liquid diet, brewed and bottled, at this time of year.
Happy Thanksgiving

a hearty chilli on a cold fall day always hits the spot.

Had Osso Buco on a cold day in VCE last week. It was the perfect winter dish.

It's officially cold here now. Time to make the chili!

I could also add Fondue to my list.

I think my favorite dishes are squash and roast beef with yorkshire pudding.
Yum!

Similarily, I've never understood the argument that ambient outside temperature implies whether one should not grill. Going OMNI for a sec, to me it's like the argument that convertibles are impractical to own when you live in the north. (USS Clueless, there's a reason it's called a convertible: The roof is discretionary, not absent. :rolleyes:)

Back to food! I've become rather fond of gratins lately, especially those combining bitter flavors such as radicchio and/or escarole with blue cheese, which mellow beautifully upon baking.

Speaking of winter grilling, one of my all time favorite dishes to do for Christmas dinner is an adaptation of Wood Oven Roasted Mussels in Saffron Tomato Garlic broth w/grilled bread. It comes out great on a charcoal or wood grill (but not gas) using a large cast iron skillet. Living where I do, shellfish of all kinds are plentiful so it's easy to change up clams for mussels or add in a few crab legs if whim strikes (and budget allows). To me winter is chilly and wet, not cold and dry, so having something from sea fits my mood better than meat coming out of the oven. (Or maybe I'm just sick of turkey being peddled at every turn this time of year. :D)