October inspiration! October was a lovely month filled with comforting food, new culinary adventures, colorful leaves and charming Parisian streets. We spent a long weekend by the sea in Picardie and another weekend in Burgundy, in Tonnerre, close to Chablis. Next up: a trip to Reims to visit champagne cellars—can’t wait to share that with you.
Here is our roundup of October inspiration—everything that inspired us last month.
October inspiration: RECIPES
October was all about pumpkin. We made a lot of pumpkin dishes and loved every bite.
We shared:
Perfect Pumpkin Soup for Cosy Autumn Nights
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
We also shared some non-pumpkin favorites:
Homemade Tehina for Your Next Hummus Adventure
Wholewheat Ratatouille Pizza – Healthy Comfort Food
Yogurt Kefir Banana Lassi Smoothies
October inspiration: COOL FOODIE EVENTS
In October we attended the Salon du Chocolat. It was inspiring to watch talented pastry chefs at work and to sample so many different chocolates. The event left us full of ideas and a little bit giddy from tasting too many sweet treats.
October inspiration: IN OUR READING NOOK (current favorites)
Christophe Adam continues to impress us with his beautiful book Les Éclairs—it’s become our go-to guide for perfect éclairs. Christophe was signing books at the Salon du Chocolat and his work never fails to inspire.
Mercotte is another favorite. Many know her from the TV show Le Meilleur Patissier, which we watch every Wednesday. Her book Envie de Desserts is full of approachable recipes for home bakers. We were lucky to meet her at the Salon and taste one of her verveine-citronnelle macarons.
We’re currently reading The Only Street in Paris, a warm little celebration of the rue des Martyrs and the neighborhood around the 9th arrondissement. It’s a lovely portrait of French foodie culture and local life.
October inspiration: 5 OF OUR FAVORITE INSTAGRAM PAGES TO FOLLOW NOW!
We love Instagram. For a food blog, visual storytelling matters, and Instagram is where we discover beautiful food photography and creative home cooks. Here are five accounts we’ve been enjoying:
@MyMeatlessMeals – Mook shares daily vegan discoveries from Bangkok and beyond, plus home-cooked vegan favorites like pad thai and spicy eggplant stir fry.
@HealthyAperture – a stunning collection of healthy recipes and food photography that consistently inspires simple, nutritious meals.
@Gourmadela – a delightful take on NYC dining from a French perspective, with thoughtful restaurant reviews and beautiful visuals.
@AParisianJourney – our friend Chelsea posts gorgeous baking and pastry work; she’s an outstanding baker and a pleasure to follow.
If you’re on Instagram, follow @ahedgehoginthekitchen to see more of our recipes and travel pictures. We love connecting with fellow food lovers.
October inspiration: HOW TO GROW YOUR BLOG
We wrote about our experience with Food Blogger Pro and how it helped us grow our blog. The membership offers practical resources for bloggers of all kinds—site setup, SEO tips, content planning and more. We found it useful as we developed our own blog, and we recommend checking out available membership options if you’re serious about growing yours.
October inspiration: TRAVEL
This month we traveled to Picardie, where we enjoyed sunshine on the boardwalk with our dogs, Violette and ChouChou, and ate delicious homemade mussels. There’s something special about warm food and good wine by the sea on cool autumn evenings.
We cooked the best mussels with homemade fries while we were there—recipes will be shared soon.
For more photos from Picardie, check our Instagram feed where we post travel snapshots and behind-the-scenes kitchen moments.
We also visited Tonnerre in Burgundy, where we enjoyed full-bodied Pinot Noir and added bottles from 2014—the year of our wedding—to our collection. We stocked up in the cellar and left with memories of a peaceful weekend among vineyards.
Our favorite meal in Tonnerre was at the restaurant Le Saint Père, a charming spot known for its warm hospitality and a quirky collection of antique coffee grinders.
HAPPY NOVEMBER!
Wishing you a wonderful November full of warmth, good food and memorable moments. Tell us what you’re planning this month in the comments—we love hearing from fellow food lovers!