Come mid November I am struck with an uncontrollable desire to utilize sage in my cooking. I love the flavor and smell of sage and when combined with the aromas of cinnamon, pumpkin, and caramelized onion, it creates an atmosphere of harmony and home that is comforting. The trees have been stripped bare save for the stubborn Oaks which refuse to relinquish their leaves until spring and the Poison Sumac which still have deep cranberry red berry clusters jutting skyward on their branches. Now is the season for having a fire in the fireplace in the evenings; the smoke scented heat, the blue, red, orange, and yellow of the flames, the crackle and pop of dry wood and the sizzle and hiss of green, the black and red glow of the embers. All these elements combine and compel one to relax in a favorite chair with a good book.
Houses are festooned with cornucopia’s turkeys, Native Americans and pilgrims and I begin my annual debate, to prepare the turkey in or out of a bag. Grocery store middle isles are clogged with large bins of stuffing and gravy mixes. Cranberry jelly and french-fried onions jam end-caps, bakeries advertise pumpkin, pecan and mince pie specials; select radio stations are playing Christmas music, and people have more bounce in their step.