The Accidental Locavore thinks it's time to stop abusing pumpkins! No, I don't mean the ritualistic piercing of them for Halloween, but the incessant need to have pumpkin and pumpkin-spice-flavored everything. According to The New York Times, this is a $290 million business, made successful because "it's a limited time offer."
Good uses of pumpkins include soups, roasted pumpkin seeds, pies (although I'm not a fan) and Dorrie Greenspan's pumpkin stuffed with everything good. The common bond here? Showcasing, and hey, actually using pumpkin.
Abuse is widespread at this time of year and generally falls into the "pumpkin flavored" and/or are you kidding categories. What started this rant was an Epicurious recipe of the day for pumpkin whoopie pies (if you didn't know, a whoopie pie is not a pie, but a cookie). This along with Dunkin Donuts' Frozen Pumpkin Coffee Coolatta, or any other pumpkin-flavored coffee or coffee addition is almost as bad an idea as pumpkin ales. The abuse of pumpkins even extends into otherwise peaceful endeavors -- sorry, no pumpkin spice facials for me!
More unfortunate pumpkin-flavored foods include things that don't need to be messed with (oh, excuse me, improved) like mac & cheese or how about pumpkin M&Ms? This might be an abuse of pumpkins and/or M&Ms, what do you think?
A quick search on Pinterest turns up thousands of recipes from pumpkin Rice Krispie treats to pumpkin spice puppy chow and other recipes too heinous to list. Even Food52 seems determined to join the bandwagon with pumpkin rugelach, that Thanksgivukkah staple. I'm sure that by next fall, Doritos will have a pumpkin-flavored nacho chip and Taco Bell will be using it to make their Locos Tacos.
If you haven't run away from this blog in disgust yet, watch the video from the NY Times, and if you still want pumpkin flavored _____, remember it's a limited time offer.