With the first day of Fall/Autumn Equinox tomorrow (even though Summer won't let go of it's time to shine) my favorite season is finally upon us. Fall has been my favorite time of year ever since I can remember. I recall the way the leaves on the trees up in Crestline (where I grew up) would change to the most beautifully rich colors. You could smell all the fireplaces burning during evening time and the musk of impending rain. My Stepmother would start making heartier meals, including her homemade chili (which was amazing, still wish I had her recipe). Every now and then she would just whip up an apple pie (which I am happy to say I did get that skill from her), it seemed like magic they way she could put together a pie from scratch so quickly. I can still picture the apple peeler/corer that we had growing up, it attached to the side of the counter and as you turned it the apple peel was being spun from it while the core was being cut out. It was one of the ways I got to help make apple pie, was by peeling/coring apples for her. It's one of fondest memories I have during the fall season, so now as an adult when my kids ask to help me make a yummy dessert, I hope it will turn into one of their favorite memories too.
The flavors like most during fall are things like maple, apple, pumpkin (not pumpkin spice, not a fan. Ya, I said it) to name a few. I also like to "ramp up" spice profiles in cooking, as well as in sauces. Now these flavors I listed aren't just for desserts, they are fantastic in savory dishes as well. For example, my husband A makes an apple stuffed pork loin with a honey mustard sauce that everyone in our house can't get enough of. The trick to combining all those flavors into one harmonious dish is tart apples (like Granny Smith's) and the spices that are used to tie them all together. You thought I was going to tell you the spices, didn't you? Not today I'm not, that will be a recipe to share another time (gotta keep you coming back for more) if A agrees since it is his recipe and not mine.
One of the things I'm happy to share for the impending season is my recipe for "Faux Cinnamon Spice blend". Cinnamon is one of my allergens that hits me very fast, the hives that come with ingesting it is no fun at all. My pet peeve so to speak regarding cinnamon is that during this time of year and through the end of the year most retailers have giant displays of cinnamon pinecones at every entrance. While I know most people enjoy the overpowering smell I for one finds myself holding my breath as I enter/leave the store. It's not that I don't like cinnamon, it's just that it has become my "nemesis" for the last two seasons of the year. There is a silver lining though, if it weren't for my allergy to it, I wouldn't have come up with my faux spice blend! I find it's an almost spot on taste/aroma the only reason I say "almost" is because I find my spice blend to be a bit less "harsh" than cinnamon. I have posted the spice blend in the recipe section. Give it a try and let me know what you think of it.
Kim
