The “Scents” of Winter

As the mercury begins to drop just a little bit in this dry and moderate land known as sunny southern California, it can be a challenge to even recognize a change in the seasons. Unlike the dramatic effect that blankets of snow impart across the northwest and New England, the most startling phenomena in these parts involves the government-imposed seasonal marker known as daylight savings time. Rather than a rich and vibrant hue of a nearly setting sun, the 5:00pm rush hour sky fades quickly to black, requiring headlights and the ritualistic digging out of my glasses from the central console. Yes indeed, such is life in SoCal.

Yet, as we approach my favorite holiday of the year (I’ll give you a hint. It involves a turkey,) I look forward to the smells of the holiday season. Unlike the scents of spring, marked by freshly mowed grass and the first blooms of the roses, and that nebulous time in-between known as spri-mmer-tumn, winter is signaled more powerfully by smell than anything else. Let’s face it, few things signal a warm invitation more than the sweet and spicy smell of cinnamon in apple cider, evergreen trees, and the many traditional foods of the season. Being a rather obsessive-compulsive, anal-retentive, sometimes-insane persnickety cook, there are few things I enjoy more than combining ingredients, and enjoying the sight, smell, and taste of the results. Add on some appreciative friends and the vision is complete.

I look forward to winter coming in to SoCal, and am happy to usher it in with a dash of sugar and spice. Happy holidays everybody!