| Good Saturday morning, everyone. Anyone who has kids — or has spent time around kids — knows that they can be shockingly insightful, even when you least expect it. The other week, after attending a birthday party, my son remarked how strange it can be when different sets of friends get together. I knew exactly what he meant. I've experienced that kind of worlds-colliding feeling at my wedding, a milestone birthday party and my (now-defunct) cookbook club, among other times. The same could be said when I found my job and a hobby crossing over in unexpected ways after I was invited to make a cameo in a Travel section live chat about Disney theme parks this week. I've been going to Walt Disney World every so often for nearly my entire life, so it's a personal interest that I like to indulge in by listening to some really fun podcasts. Len Testa, the co-host of the Disney Dish podcast who was recruited to join the Travel chat, also happens to be a fan of our weekly cooking chat, and hence my crossover appearance came to be. I decided it would be fun to develop a recipe for the occasion and quickly settled on Copycat Dole Whip, my attempt to re-create the pineapple soft-serve I've had at both Disney World and Disneyland. While it took more recipe tests than I expected to capture the essence of the dairy-free dessert, I'm thrilled with the outcome. This fruity, refreshing treat made with frozen pineapple, coconut cream, nondairy milk and agave comes together in a blender in minutes — way faster and cheaper than a trip to Orlando. Both Testa and Travel reporter Hannah Sampson, another Disney World lifer, gave it their seal of approval. Of course, we offered plenty of main-course action this week as well. Aaron Hutcherson showed us something other than pie to do with the ubiquitous seasonal canned pumpkin in his Farro and Pumpkin Soup With Spiced Maple Pecans. Quick-cooking farro and nutrient-packed Swiss chard help make this vegan dish extra-hearty, while candied nuts are a whimsical, flavorful final touch. Ellie Krieger also leaned on green vegetables in her Pasta With Sausage, Beans and Broccoli Rabe. She uses the rabe (or raab, also known as rapini) and a can of white beans to help stretch a modest amount of Italian-style turkey or chicken sausage into a satisfying, nutritious meal that's on the table in half an hour. If you have a little more time to spare, try the Mole Sencillo (Simple Mole) that Daniela Galarza shared from cookbook author Rick MartÃnez. This classic Mexican sauce in traditional preparations can require dozens of ingredients and hours of simmering. MartÃnez's streamlined version uses 13 ingredients, quite a few of which you may already have: oil, salt, raisins, brown sugar, chocolate and animal crackers (really!). Any investment over your typical weeknight dinner will be richly rewarded with a complex, versatile sauce that you can eat on its own with tortillas, or your choice of protein or vegetables. We're in the thick of holiday planning here at Post Food, so if Thanksgiving and other big cooking occasions are already on your mind, join us for our live chat Wednesday at noon Eastern. We'll be taking those questions, and any others you have, so submit them now, then return when we kick things off. Until next week, happy cooking. | 
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