Damon Lee Fowler

It seems as if October has only just gotten started, and already Halloween, November, and the winter holiday season are staring us in the face.

In our house, it's been a month of celebration and change, joy and sadness, and we've needed the kind of simple, warming, familiar food that comforts, things I can make almost on automatic pilot, but which really bring nothing new to the table or the conversation.

And yet sometimes, even in the routine and familiar, a change in seasonal flavors can bring something that, while not really new, adds freshness to the table Read More 

As we begin our second year living in Virginia, we're also enjoying our second full Autumn. This has always been my favorite time of the year. Maybe it's the invigorating coolness in the air, the golden light and brightly colored leaves, or the fact that it's harvest time, but this inward-turning season always seems more hopeful. It's also when I'm happiest in my kitchen.

For four decades, we lived in a place where the only hint of the season before November was that golden light. The warmth and autumnal aromas that filled my kitchen often did not go with what was happening outdoors: The frost on the windows was on the outside, where the still-warm, humid air collided with glass chilled by the air conditioner.

So it's a blessing to once again be living in a place where we have real autumn weather and my kitchen's warmth is actually welcome. It's been fragrant with Read More