As summer starts to fade away and autumn reappears with its damp mists and back-to-school days, there are still plenty of things to look forward to; hot chocolate, jumpers and the distant promise of the holiday season with Halloween next month.

It’s a time when comfort is never too far from our thoughts, a way of mentally gathering in the harvest of those endless summer days and keeping the warmth inside to share with family and friends.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Growing up we always had an open fireplace and the memories of having to take the dog for a walk when it was raining, or getting soaked to the bone at football practice on a Saturday morning are always tempered with those of coming back in from the cold to stand on the hearth next to the fire and start drying out. Inevitably the process of getting drenched in the rain (or ice bucket challenge if you prefer a more contemporary cause) leads to some serious hunger cravings.

Stay toasty warm

After we were finished warming up and drying out by the fire, we would wait for the flames to subside and toast slices of bread over the glowing embers. With a spot of butter and some jam or honey, thick slices of toast grilled over an open fire are guaranteed to help you recover from the autumn weather.

But it doesn’t have to stop there. Recently a trend has emerged in the US for cooking entire meals in your fireplace. With a few pieces of judiciously applied tin foil to catch drippings, a heavy cast iron pan and a few choice pieces of meat and bread, even the simplest of meals can be transformed with a tangy wood-smoke flavouring and alluring crackle of the fireplace.

How to cook on an indoor fireplace

There are a few tips and tricks besides the tin foil for getting the best out of food cooked on a fireplace. Choosing the right wood can be key as different types of wood will impart different flavours into the food as it cooks. Fruit trees such as apple or pecan are ideal, although most well seasoned wood will do and can be enhanced with wood chips such as hickory or even chips made from old Jack Daniel’s oak barrels!

Greasy foods such as chicken and rib-eye are best used sparingly as they create lots of smoke, but plenty of vegetables such as peppers and mushrooms will take on a whole new dimension of flavour when cooked in this way.

Be a soup dragon with a wood-burner

If you have a wood burner then there are still plenty of opportunities for eating by the warmth of the fire. Many woodburning stoves feature flat tops designed for pots and kettles to be placed on top.

Home-made soups and stews or hot chocolate and mulled wine are just the thing for restoring you on a damp autumn evening and you can always add a few toasted marshmallows for desert!