fall puttering

There's something very energizing about fall. Even here in Southern California, where we don't have highly accentuated seasons, I still feel it. Here I tend to associate fall with Santa Anas, cool nights, and spectacular sunsets. And there's always a feeling of energy and excitement, especially as Halloween approaches. I find myself wanting to take long walks and bake spicy sweet things to eat.

In many ways fall marks the beginning of the year for me. No New Year's silliness for me--New Year's is always dreary and depressing. My association of fall with fresh starts and new beginnings probably goes hand-in-hand with the starting up of school again and all the excitement that generates. So strong is this feeling, in fact, that even the flooding of my house seems kind of like a gift. Originally I felt rather cursed that something like that would happen on my birthday. But now it's like the best thing that could have happened. My house has been remade; it's better than it was before, and best of all, I've been jarred out of my malaise and into the idea of fresh starts.

So here's my favorite fall recipe: apple cake. I got this recipe from my good friend Heather, who sent it along several years ago in her own ebullience for fall weather. And it's fantastic.

Apple Cake

2 C peeled and diced apples
1 C sugar
1/2 C melted butter
1 egg
1 1/4 C flour
1 tsp cinnamon, plus a dash of nutmeg or allspice
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Butter and flour and 8X8 pan. Mix diced apples, sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl. Add other ingredients and stir thoroughly. Pour into pan and bake at 375 degrees until top is crusty and brown--about 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm with cream, or later after it has cooled (if you can wait that long).