Foodie Corner
Autumn in My Kitchen: Slow Cooking and Loads of Love
November is, without a doubt, a month in which I adore cooking.
The air turns cooler, the leaves crunch underfoot, and evenings are longer. I love to fill my kitchen with aromas that wrap around me like a warm blanket: roasted pumpkin, sweet cinnamon, sparkling ginger, slowly caramelised onions…
I love autumn because it invites me to slow down, look inward, and reconnect with myself. And the kitchen becomes my sacred space, where I transform ingredients into care, into medicine, and into love. It’s during this season that I draw the most inspiration from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which reminds us that every food has an energy, an effect, an intention.
This month, I want to share recipes and knowledge to nourish your body with warmth—to comfort and strengthen you from within, just like a good soup on a chilly afternoon.
Autumn in Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Time to Let Go and Strengthen
As I mentioned in the October newsletter, autumn is ruled by the Metal element and is associated with the lungs and large intestine. It’s a time for cleansing, but also for preserving what’s essential.
The body needs more warmth, more softness, more depth. That’s why cooked, warm and moist foods are key to taking care of ourselves.
Mildly spicy flavours (like ginger or onion) are especially beneficial: they move stagnant energy, strengthen the immune system and help us release what we no longer need. That’s why I love cooking in autumn—because I adore ginger, especially combined with sweet ingredients like pumpkin and sweet potato.
Ingredients That Hug You from Within
And why I choose them every November…
Ginger
I use it as if I were lighting a fireplace. It’s warm, spicy and perfect for chilly mornings. In TCM, it helps expel cold, strengthen Qi, and aid digestion.
Onion
I let it caramelise slowly until its sweetness awakens. It tones the lungs, improves circulation and brings comfort on cloudy days. Add a bit of maple syrup and it will make your eyes roll with delight.
Cooked Pear
My favourite remedy for a dry cough—or simply to treat myself. It hydrates the lungs and soothes the throat. It’s like a medicinal dessert. Mix it with cinnamon and you’ll step straight into an autumn paradise.
Pumpkin
The queen of autumn. It nourishes the digestive system, provides steady energy, and has a cosy flavour. I always keep one on hand. Whether in sweets or main dishes, it’s the star of this season.
Brown Rice
A neutral base, but never boring. In TCM, it nourishes Qi, stabilises the digestive system, and adapts to whatever you add to it. I turn it into soups, purées, desserts—and I always cook it a day ahead to get that valuable resistant starch, which feeds our good gut bacteria and improves digestion.
My Favourite November Recipes
Simple, warming, and full of intention
1. Warm Soup with Ginger, Onion and Pumpkin
This soup embraces me after a long day. Its aroma feels like home.
Ingredients:
• Cubed pumpkin
• Sliced red onion
• Thin slices of fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp coconut cream
• Broth, sesame oil, light miso, salt
How I make it:
Sauté ginger and onion in sesame oil. Add pumpkin and broth, and let it cook gently. At the end, dissolve a spoonful of miso and coconut cream and serve hot.
Effect: Comforts, strengthens lungs and stomach, and relaxes.
2. Cooked Pear with Ginger, Cinnamon and Honey
My favourite autumn dessert—medicinal and sweet.
Ingredients:
• 2 ripe pears
• 2–3 slices of ginger
• 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
• 1 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
• A splash of lime
How I make it:
Peel the pears and cook them with ginger and lime on low heat. When tender, remove from heat and add the honey or maple syrup.
Effect: Soothes the throat, hydrates and relaxes.
3. Creamy Brown Rice with Pumpkin and Spices
For those days when I need something soft yet nourishing.
Ingredients:
• Cooked brown rice
• Grated pumpkin
• Cinnamon, cardamom or clove (optional)
• Plant-based milk, toasted sesame seeds
How I make it:
Warm the rice with pumpkin and spices, adding plant milk. Serve warm, topped with seeds.
Effect: Energising, nourishing—perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
My Personal November Ritual
Before eating, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
I pause for a few seconds to give thanks—to the ingredients, to the earth, to my body, to my kitchen.
This small gesture transforms any dish into medicine.
This month, I invite you to take your time with your cooking, choose ingredients that warm you from the inside, and let go of what you no longer need—just as the trees let go of their leaves.
May November find you in calm, and may your kitchen be the space where you reconnect with what truly matters.
With love from my stovetop,
Aida