Note to Readers: Sue Doeden is our food editor in the Pioneer, our local newspaper, and she has been printing pumpkin recipes recently. She tells us in both articles (so far) that we should only use the small pie pumpkins. Well, I couldn't resist telling her about the pumpkin we used!

Hi, Sue:

We have not met, however, I am a big fan of your articles in the Pioneer. Your pumpkin hummus recipe is very tasty as we tried it over the week-end.

As I read your article yesterday, I knew that I was going to email you.

Earlier this fall on a sunny day, my husband and I were on our way back to Bemidji after visiting our daughter in Avon, Minnesota. We traveled along a highway that led us into a small town, Bowlus, and saw a family setting up a table and signs and getting ready to sell pumpkins and squash. We immediately made a b-line for their sale and found wonderful looking produce. We quickly picked out our pumpkins and squash when I started asking the lady about the different looking pumpkin(?). She confirmed that it was a pumpkin, a princess pumpkin, very large and bright orange, and continued to tell me that it makes wonderful pies, bars, bread, etc. I listened to her describe the color and taste and her method of cooking this pumpkin, and being a cook, I was sold. After we purchased the large pumpkin for $4.50, she told me that these same pumpkins sell for $14.50 or more for the size I got in the cities. I knew I had gotten a treasure.

This past weekend I followed her directions for baking the pumpkin. Our house smelled wonderful and my grandson, age 3, asked me to make him a pumpkin pie, so I did. I have never had such a delicious pie! My daughter quickly got busy and made your recipe for the pumpkin hummus...& that was delicious, too. She loved it so much that she took some home with her on Sunday, along with some of the frozen pumpkin to make her own pie!

I had always heard that I should use the smaller pie pumpkins as you also write in your article, too, however, these pumpkins are definitely worth a try. Oh, how I wish I had a couple more of them.

Keep writing and cooking, Sue!

Lois Goodyear
Cook, Etc.

Cooking with the Candidates

Man, this morning my mind is cooking...who won, who lost, who smiled, who frowned, who threw the best slam, who, who, who??? (Who cares?) I am confused about which one to vote for...am I alone?

So, I asked the (easy out) question, "Is Ralph Running?"