I do love autumn. We’ve been enjoying pretty mild weather so far in Berlin but this weekend it did get colder, catching everyone by surprise. There’s a crisp chill to the air. The leaves turn a beautiful gold, orange, red before falling off the trees. People start baking and braising and stewing yummy things.

Thought I’d share some of my favourite autumn flavour combinations and how I like to serve them:

• Pumpkin, sage, butter, almonds: usually the classical pumpkin ravioli in a sage-and-brown-butter sauce, or a pumpkin risotto with sage croutons and toasted almond crumbs for texture.
• Foie gras, peaches, pears, apples, endives: usually a crisp salad of peaches, pears and endives (feel free to add your favourite greens: I like baby spinach and lamb’s lettuce) in a cider vinegar dressing and an apple sauce or confit to top the foie gras.
• Duck, chestnuts, orange, fennel, spinach: one of my signature and go-to quick meals which is pan-seared duck breast served with a simple baby spinach salad and chopped fennel with orange sauce/dressing and a chestnut paste on the side. The chestnut paste can also be added to mashed potatoes with bacon bits for a heartier meal. Nuts like almonds and macadamia can be added for extra texture.

Still on a duck/French twist, this afternoon the handsome-and-talented husband felt peckish so I fixed him a snack of toasted brioche, crisp apple slices, a slab of foie gras, pear mustard and crushed almonds (for texture). Someone was a happy man afterwards.

Enjoy autumn, stay warm!