It was the fall of 1981 and President Ronald Reagan had just taken office earlier that year, a first class stamp was only 18 cents, MTV was a startup television channel and the national debt was a mere $994.8 billion. Typical middle class families, like mine, traveled north on day trips to Enchanted Forest in Old Forge for an afternoon of wholesome fun. The terms “staycation” and “daycation” didn't need to be coined for New Yorkers then to want to stay and enjoy the state and its natural beauty.

Most who have traveled to Old Forge as an adult or as a child will remember Storybook Lane; a wonderful path through the woods that brings children's nursery rhymes to life. The two most prominent images that are remembered are the gigantic statue of Paul Bunyan welcoming guests into the forest and Cinderella's pumpkin coach.

Pumpkins are a truly North American crop with a rich history.

Why did Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater really lock up his wife in a pumpkin? The gossip of that day was that she wasn't as devoted as she should have been to her husband.

Pumpkins are more than jail cells, more than “spooktacular” vessels of delight and more than baked good flavorings, they can be used throughout the autumn meal from beginning to end and not just on Thanksgiving.

The best pumpkins to use for cooking are labeled as “pie” or “sugar” but just because a pumpkin is small in size doesn't mean that it will actually be good to cook. “Baby bear” is especially good and grows to about eight inches in diameter. The difference with these pumpkins is that they aren't stringy when cooked and have a sweet flesh.

Choose pumpkins that have fairly firm rinds and are bright orange in color. I have found that the easiest way to prepare all winter squash is to bake it. Peeling butternut squash, acorn squash and pumpkins is a huge pain and leaves my hands bruised and sore.

I placed my de-seeded two pounder, brushed with butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper, in a 350 degree oven and baked until fork tender; about 45 minutes. After slightly cooling; the flesh was easy to scoop out with a spoon and puree. A four-pound pumpkin will give about a cup and a half of puree and should be cut into manageable pieces.

There is also the option of scoring the inside, running a knife between the flesh and skin and removing the cubes to be used with risotto, polenta or couscous.

My main concentration was the puree. In a side by side comparison, pasta made with fresh pumpkin puree was very tender but lacked the warm color of the pasta made with canned pumpkin puree. The tenderness is due to the high water content of the fresh pumpkin. The concentrated canned pumpkin also had a richer flavor. The flavor can be compensated for by using the canned pumpkin in the pasta sauce.

I made a sauce of canned puree, lemon, basil, garlic salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes, and thinned the puree with milk. This gave me the best of both worlds. I also made a sauce using toasted ground pumpkin seeds with browned butter, onions and sage. The nutty flavor of this sauce would make the pasta a nice complement to any poultry dish. The puree can also be mixed with ricotta cheese to make ravioli filling.

The canned puree can also be used to make a savory souffle. Season one cup of puree with your choice of herbs or spices and fold three whipped egg whites into the pumpkin. Pour mixture into a greased quart baking dish (350 degrees for 40 minutes) or individual custard cups (350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes) and serve hot out of the oven. Remember not to peek into the oven while the souffle is baking or it will collapse. The souffle can be drizzled with a maple bacon sauce or a turkey gravy.

Fresh pumpkin puree makes a nice bisque. Combine two and a half cups of cooked mashed puree with three cups of water then add a tablespoon of cooked onion.

Boil for three minutes then add a cup of milk, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or toasted brown bread croutons.

Pumpkins are a wonderful symbol of the fall, of harvest and of family. Enjoy more than

the looks of the jack o'lantern and more than the sweet taste of pumpkin pie this autumn season.

Valerie Usowski, an Auburn native, is the banquet manager at the Auburn Holiday Inn and a Culinary Institute of America