The great thing about fall is all of the soups that show up on our San Francisco Food Tour of North Beach\Little Italy and Chinatown.

For me, tomato soup is great year round, however in the fall I am a big fan of almost any soups made from squash, especially butternut squash. The good news is that on San Francisco Food Tours, we see a lot of butternut squash. There is something comforting and yet luxurious about butternut squash. It has the comforting feel and smooth texture that makes me feel like I am really treating myself. The main two ways that I like butternut squash is roasted and in soup. That being said, I like almost and squash in a soup or roasted. For soup, an easy way to make any squash into any soup to first peel it, and cut it in half, scoop and scrape the seeds out, then it cut in half. Next, cut up the squash into small cubes. Saut? some onions and garlic in a large Dutch oven, then add the spices that you like. Next, saut? the squash until starts to soften. Add about a cup or two of stock and let it simmer about a half a hour. Puree everything, warm the soup, and add a little cream and it??s all set. For roasted squash, peel the outside, and then cut it in half. Scrape and scoop out the seeds. Next cut them into half moons. Toss them with olive oil and roast it in a 425-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes on each side until they are browned. Add some fresh sage and it??s ready. This time of year, any way you slice, puree or roast squash, it??s delicious.