I've introduced many diners to Indian food and I've always found that one of the best ways to initiate those unfamiliar with Indian cuisine is to offer up some appetizers.

Of all Indian appetizers, samosas are possibly the most popular. Fried savory pastries stuffed with a spicy vegetable filling, or sometimes a meat filling, samosas can be found on the menu in every North Indian restaurant. A combination of potatoes, cauliflower, carrots or green peas is often the favorite choice for the filling. Typically served as an appetizer along with coriander or tamarind chutneys, samosas can also make for a fine small entrée.

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Every autumn when pumpkins are in season, I make sure to make a few trips to purchase some small pie pumpkins and roast them so I have pumpkin purée all year long. I keep 1 cup quantities in the freezer in small sealed bags that I can simply thaw before I want to use purée in a recipe. The small pie pumpkins have a sweeter flavor and retain less moisture than large pumpkins that are really more for decorative purposes around Halloween than for cooking or baking. And don't forget to harvest those pumpkin seeds — when roasted they are a wonderful salty yet healthy treat.

And on the subject of treats, as pumpkin happens to be in abundance, a fair amount of it is used in my kitchen even before freezing it. Healthy treats containing nuts and dried fruit are pretty much a staple in my kitchen and here I've topped a chocolaty base of naturally sweet dates and prunes with a topping of protein rich cashews, pumpkin purée, a small amount of maple syrup and aromatic spicing. These squares are surprisingly reminiscent of a layer cake or an upside down cheesecake as the top layer has the crunch while the bottom layer is moister with that melt-in-your-mouth element. No baking is required either, just a bit of patience with the food processor.

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Much like popular Italian baked pasta dishes such as cannelloni or lasagna, this vegan Mexican baked tortilla dish is wonderfully rich despite the total absence of meat and dairy. There is only one drawback to this meal — it's so absurdly delicious and wholesome that it presents a challenge to the cook to come up with something that has as much flair and finesse for the next dinner. Thankfully there were leftovers.

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With my recent forays into Ethiopian cooking, I've become interested again in revisiting teff for the first time in many years.

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