Ah, October. The air goes crisper. The leaves are changing and I realize I forgot to fix all those buttons on the coast before storing them away last year. But that’s not all October is about.

No, it is also the beginning of holiday season. No, I don’t mean Halloween. And despite the catalogs that have begun arriving and what I am already seeing in department stores, I don’t mean Christmas either.  I mean the Fall culinary holiday season.

• October starts us off as not only National Apple Month but National Caramel Month as well. I think we all know how to make those two work together. Oh sure – it’s bad for the teeth, the weight and can play havoc with your favorite pots and pans but done right? Yum.
• October is also National Cookbook Month and by god, I intend to finally DO something serious about Mom’s massive cookbook collection. There must be a better way to organize it. I envision a giant master index but I also envision someone else actually – you know – doing the hard graft for it.
• We also find ourselves standing at the start of National Cookie Month – and conveniently enough – National Dessert Month. What is your favorite kind of cookie? Do you dress them up when using them as desserts vs. snacks? Or do you use them merely to garnish a more robust dessert? Do you see them as two separate issues all together?
• National Pasta Month might as well be every month for me but if they want me to be especially focused on it in October, I can’t say I object too much.
• October may also be National Pickled Peppers Month but as far as I am concerned these are not food. They are tongue twisters and nothing you can say (even if you say it 5 times fast) will convince me otherwise.
• National Pizza Month is like National Pasta Month. Something I am more than happy to ring in any time of year. The same might be said for National Popcorn Poppin’ Month but only if the “poppin’ ” is followed by “eatin’ “
• National Pork Month is fine and dandy. I know it is not for everyone for a variety of personal preference or religious reasons. I respect and embrace that. Besides, it means more pork for the rest of us.
• I can’t say I am overly excited about National Pretzel Month. I mean – I like pretzels. But I don’t love them. I won’t go out of my way to get them.  I used to love the big twisted ones that came in the canister (the name of which escapes me at the moment) but most of the ones I encounter today are basically salty filler. They’ll do if there’s nothing else at the bar.
• Now, National Seafood Month is something I can get wholeheartedly behind. Done right, nothing better.

So – there we have the month-long themes. We have a few days to really digest all that before the daily holidays begin – and what a slew of them we have headed our way. The first couple of weeks alone are enough to keep us busy celebrating through New Years.

• October 4 is National Taco Day and I don’t think it will be hard to convince the family to join me in a taco dinner for the occasion.
• October 5 is National Apple Betty Day – For some reason, I’ve never been much of an apple betty fan but I could be convinced.
• October 6 is National Noodle Day and rarely do culinary holidays offer so many options for marking the day. Noodles might be used in anything — breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Savory or sweet and found in any ethnic cuisine you could want.
• October 9 is National Dessert Day, quickly followed by National Angel Food Cake Day on the 10th. Surely in the interest of time, celebrations can be combined.
• October 11 is National Sausage Pizza Day – either I will have pizza on this day AND Oct 15 or I shall throw mushrooms on this pizza and get a jump on National Mushroom Day
• October 13 is the date for National Peanut and National Pumpkin Festivals
• October 15 is National Mushroom Day – which will not be to everyone’s taste, I know but it is most certainly to mine. And as it is National Pizza Month, I may kill two sliced in one go by celebrating with mushroom pizza, despite having likely having just had pizza on Oct 11.

I hope to – and plan to – highlight these topics over the next couple of weeks. I invite your thoughts, ideas and contributions on ways to do that. In the mean time, happy October!