It's always been amazing to me that so much of this season's foods revolve around pumpkin. The fact is, pumpkins may be plentiful, but have very little flavor of their own! So why do we love it so? Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice – all those spices that seem to signify the holiday season. Now there are some perfectly wonderful reasons to LOVE pumpkin – it's vibrant color, it's often creamy texture – and it's loaded with dietary fiber, vitamins A, B, C, and E, Carotene, and assorted minerals. It also has NO saturated fats or cholesterol, and virtually NO Calories. Now remember, we're talking about plain pumpkin. Vets have recommended adding it to dogs' diets for years, especially if there is a weight issue – they love it, it fills them up, and it's GOOD for them. And we can take a lesson from that and use it in some ways that does NOT involve all that sugar and fat of the classic pie (not that there's anything wrong with that ). So this recipe for Autumn Umami Chicken, using mushrooms, rice, and pumpkin tingled my senses. “Umami” is that luscious culinary term that refers to that FIFTH taste sensation (after bitter, sweet, sour, and salty)... While there are scientific definitions, my favorite is: “A food has umami when it has become all that can be, when it is at its peak of quality and fulfillment”. And this dish has it! It's relatively quick to assemble – maybe fifteen or twenty minutes on the stovetop - if you have everything assembled and prepped? An hour in the oven... The consistency reminds me of a potpie filling – though the flavor is so much better. If I'd had frozen peas I would have tossed some in at the end. Neutral, yet green. Don't fuss too much with whatever green you choose – this dish is a star, and needs no further adornment. Well, a beautiful piece of bread to mop up all that goodness couldn’t hurt... To quote the author and creator, “This dish is Autumn on a plate. The chicken was juicy, the mushrooms and rice were so nutty and mellow and the creamy pumpkin broth was smooth and savory…in a word it’s…Umami! “ Yep, it is.