I have to admit, I didn’t mind going to school when I was younger. I even loved taking notes, which I still do.  But I doubt I was asking for homework, like I recently did here in Zürich. What kind of class was this, you wonder… Chocolate, but of course. It was actually a class on chocolate and wine, even if my focus was certainly on the former. Our instructors taught us all about the cacao bean and the grape, what they consider two of the most fascinating products on earth.

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It’s not that I’ve been keeping it a secret from you.  I simply never mentioned one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Zürich.  It’s where I have a monthly lunch date with a friend.  It’s where my mom asks to go for lunch as soon as she arrives at the airport here.  It’s where I take friends who are visiting, as well as my carnivorous husband.  It’s Hiltl, Europe’s oldest vegetarian restaurant, since 1898.

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Autumn is here.  The leaves on the trees are starting to change colors – gorgeous shades of red, bright orange and yellow.  Mövenpick ice cream stands have been replaced by Brezel König (large, soft, salted pretzels).  And the little green huts selling heissi Marroni (roasted chestnuts) are soon to be showing up all over town.  At the markets, plums, apples, pears and all sorts of root vegetables have taken center stage.  And the most exciting displays of all are the pumpkins and gourds in all sizes, shapes and colors.

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As much as I love discovering new restaurants and the thrill of hanging with the chef and being behind-the-scenes, I don’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen.  I also want to get outside and explore.  To me, that means visiting the town – taking a stroll on Main Street, which oftentimes is the only street around.  That’s the way to get a feel for what the locals do during the day, where they hang out, how they dress, the dialect they use amongst themselves and of course,… what they eat.

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You just had a little photographic taste of my trip to Belize and are now raring to go with a list of must-do activities too.  But as many of you expressed in the comments, there’s something else you’re keen on reading about here.  What was I eating while in Belize?  It wasn’t all rice and beans, that’s for sure. So let’s head right into the kitchen!

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You may have guessed that you’d be seeing pumpkins on the blog this week, with Halloween real soon and my affinity for markets, which are just overflowing with gorgeous pumpkins this month. Around this time last year, I was baking my pumpkin chocolate chip cake, a recipe I make all year long, thanks to my trusty cans of Libby purée from the States.  But from now on, I’m going can-free. Jack McNulty (gastronomic encyclopedia) and his wife Silvia Gautschi McNulty of Laughing Lemon Food & Wine, give fun, educational and delicious cooking classes here in Zürich (Oerlikon).  I signed up as soon as I could for the October pumpkin class (recipes below).  One of the few occasions Jack and Silvia color-coordinate their outfits!

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