It's hard to make it through fall without stumbling over a bright orange pumpkin, but that doesn't mean many end up on your dinner plate. Besides the ubiquity of pumpkin pie, most pumpkins end up as decorative items _ carved up as jack o' lanterns or displayed as some colorful harvest scene. This is a shame, because they are extremely versatile in the kitchen, working well in both savory and sweet dishes.
You just need to make sure to buy the right kind. Avoid the enormous basketball-size pumpkins used for carving, because they are fibrous and flavorless. Instead, look for what are referred to as pie pumpkins (or sugar pumpkins), which are smaller _ usually about 2 pounds. When cooked, the flesh becomes tender and sweet, which pairs extremely with these creative recipes.
