The air this morning is brushed with moisture. The thick strokes of air feel like a gentle massage of mist across your face and skin. The temperature is just right so you can bare your arms to feel the waft, the touch of nature. Fall is here in a gentle way, a reminder that the days without sun are soon upon us.

The neighbors Goldenrain tree's bright flowers have mellowed and the mist is so thick you can only see just a few doors away.

You know it's fall when 69 degrees feels like sweater weather.

Or, when the sun sets and you think, "I wonder if I should have brought my down jacket."

And it sure seems darker when the sun sets.

Yet there are still beautiful summery days left. This afternoon the temperature was perfect. The clouds had risen away and the sun was bright and warm. The mint plants have mostly given up making sweet nectar with just a few bees still buzzing about.

The peaches are in full bloom, and they are everywhere! They look gorgeous, perhaps they will be as delicious as the melons were this year. I wish I could remember which peaches were stone-free, freestone, meaning that the flesh comes free of the pit without a bunch of sticky work!

I had some full-flavored just picked apples that were sadly mushy, just not the right crunch as I was fantasizing about after a year of eating stored apples. I do eat apples all year long even though I know they have been in a big cold warehouse since last harvest.

Fall fruits and the fall harvest bounty is upon us and I am looking forward to all the treats one can make with the abundance of fruit that comes with this time of year.

Simply making jam or the preserving of fruit seems like the perfect fall comfort cooking to be done. It feels like more than just making, it is really preserving the last of summer and the celebration of fall.

Sad that summer is waning and happy that fall is here! It is time to bake a pie, make membrillo, grill some peaches, all around enjoying nature's natural sweets!

And yes it is still way too hot to ship chocolate to at least half the states! And here today is gorgeous in the perfect version of 80 degrees.

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Adapted from one of my most favorite cookbooks, Fog City Diner by Chef Cindy Pawlcyn.

What a great way to celebrate peach season, and other stone fruits!

See the Peach and Blueberry Cobble Recipe here!

Once you use this sugar for baking you can't go back to the big grains!

Also known as "caster sugar", this superfine cane sugar has granules that are very fine and dry. A superior quality sugar, it is the workhorse of professional Pastry Chefs because it dissolves so easily in batters and doughs, leaving them very smooth. Especially appreciated for genoise, other sponge cakes, and meringue. It also dissolves very quickly in liquids, so it's great for iced tea.

Shop now for India Tree Superfine Caster Cane Sugar!

You can never have enough flour on hand!

Shop now for Flour of all kinds!

Grind your own - it is so, so much better.

Maluku Islands in Indonesia, once held the most carefully guarded spice in the history of spice trading. It was so highly valued that the Portuguese, and later the Dutch, limited its cultivation to only two islands in the East Indies, putting to death anyone who attempted to elbow into the business. Fortunately, a non-affiliated group of birds carried the seeds throughout the Islands and beyond, breaking the nutmeg monopoly.

The peppery-sweet nutmeg is a traditional flavoring for cakes, gingerbread, biscuits, and fruit. It is commonly used in milk puddings, and a little grated into cherry or apple pie adds an indecipherable spiciness.

Nutmeg is excellent in savory dishes, especially sausages, fish, and seafood.

It is a necessary ingredient in many British-inspired chutneys, and grating just a bit over steamed cauliflower, baked onions, or mashed potatoes is a perfect finishing touch.

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There are four main types of cinnamon, but the two most common ones you'll find are Ceylon and Cassia.

1. Ceylon Cinnamon (True Cinnamon) - This is the original "true" cinnamon, and it is also derived from the inner bark of the tree it is named after.

Scientific name: Cinnamomum verum or Cinnamomum zeylanicum
Origin: Sri Lanka and parts of India
Flavor: Milder, sweeter, and more delicate
Color: Tan or light brown
Texture: Thin, soft, and can be easily crumbled
Coumarin content: Very low (healthier for long-term use)
Common use: Best for desserts or when you want a subtle cinnamon flavor

2. Cassia Cinnamon - This is a broad category that encompasses several varieties, including Korintje and Saigon. It is harvested from the bark of various trees in the Cinnamomum genus.

Scientific name: Cinnamomum cassia or Cinnamomum aromaticum Origin: China
Flavor: Strong, spicy, slightly bitter
Color: Dark reddish-brown
Texture: Hard and thick sticks
Coumarin content: High (can be harmful in large amounts)
Common use: Most common in supermarkets, often labeled as just "cinnamon"

3. Saigon Cinnamon (Vietnamese Cassia) - Also a type of Cassia cinnamon, this variety is harvested from the bark of the tree.

Scientific name: Cinnamomum loureiroi
Origin: Vietnam
Flavor: Very strong, sweet, and spicy—more intense than regular Cassia
Color: Dark reddish brown
Coumarin content: High
Common use: Popular in baking and spice-heavy recipes

4. Indonesian Cinnamon (Korintje) - This is a type of Cassia cinnamon, and it comes from the bark of the tree.

Scientific name: Cinnamomum burmannii
Origin: Indonesia
Flavor: Mildly sweet but still stronger than Ceylon
Color: Medium brown
Coumarin content: Moderate to high
Common use: Very common in the U.S. for mass-produced cinnamon products.

If you're using cinnamon daily for health reasons (like in tea or oatmeal), Ceylon is the safer choice due to its low coumarin levels. But for flavor punches in baking or cooking, Cassia or Saigon might be your go-to.

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Vanilla is primarily grown in tropical regions, thriving between latitudes of approximately 20 degrees N and 20 degrees S of the equator.

The main producers are Madagascar (around 13 degrees S), Mexico (around 19 degrees N), and Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Tahiti (around 17 degrees S).

These regions offer the hot, humid climate and nutrient-rich, well-drained soil necessary for vanilla cultivation.

The vanilla plant, Vanilla planifolia, is an orchid that requires specific conditions, such as temperatures between 75 degrees F to 95 degrees F (24 degrees C to 35 degrees C), to grow successfully. Due to the delicate nature of the plant, it must be hand-pollinated, as the natural pollinators are rare. The complex process of pollination, followed by harvesting and curing, makes vanilla one of the most labor-intensive crops to produce.

This, combined with the vulnerability of vanilla crops to weather events like cyclones, makes vanilla relatively rare and expensive compared to other flavorings.

Shop now for all kinds of Vanilla!

The extracted juice is not sweet; instead, it is a full, vibrant flavor of citrus juice combined with the oils from the peel, making for an amazingly thick, rich flavor of yuzu.

This 100% pure Yuzu extract is made from the Yuzu grown in the Kawakami region of Yamaguchi, Japan. Registered as a national monument in 1941, Kawakami is a native habitat of yuzu.

Unlike many juice manufacturers, which crush the citrus to extract as much as possible, Kankitsu Labo finely presses from the sides to emulate hand squeezing.

The result produces a pure extract that has elements from the whole fruit, oils from the skin to the juice inside, creating a lot of yuzu flavor.

This extract is made from whole fruit, cold-pressed yuzu.

Shop now for Labo 100% Pure Cold Pressed Yuzu Extract (Juice)!

Adapted from the cookbook, Local Flavors by Deborah Madison. This is my favorite cookbook of all of hers, easy to navigate pictures and attainable.

What to do when you have too many peaches and they are getting a little bit too soft!

See the Spiced Peaches Recipe here!

These unopened buds from a tropical evergreen tree, belonging to the myrtle family, are used to flavor a multitude of dishes, both sweet and savory.

Cloves have historically been one of the world's most important spices, in demand in any number of world cuisines.

They are a main player in Indian and Asian spice mixtures and appear in Mediterranean dishes as a primary seasoning for meat and poultry.

Their European applications include mulled wines, gingerbread, and other sweet baked goods.

These organic whole cloves are also commonly used with fish, tongue, and pickled foods. The assertive, dark aroma and sharp, peppery taste mellow well with sweet flavors, especially when cooked; try them with apples, sweet potatoes, cranberries, and beets.

Shop now for Organic Whole Cloves here!

A whole green cardamom pod (Elettaria cardamomum) is an indication of very high quality, as it is difficult to buy cardamom pods in such a pristine state. Whole green cardamom pods are as esteemed as the seeds they contain: many pilafs, curries, and other hot dishes call for whole cardamom pods to be added. It slowly infuses the dish with its essence, and the shell disintegrates as it cooks.

It is also a necessary participant in the ritual of Arabic coffee. It is added to the thick, sweet drink as it steeps, and the gesture of serving whole green unblemished cardamom in coffee is an expression of very high esteem for the guest. The guest returns the gesture by drinking several cups of the brew.

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Candied Ginger Slices. You can eat'm out-of-hand! Sweet, yet oddly cooling to the mouth. Quite frankly, they are like candy....

Pretend to buy these preserved ginger slices to bake with, then eat them to be happy!

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Adapted from a recipe from the cookbook, How to Pick a Peach, by Russ Parsons. A wonderful read that talks about food, where it comes from, and recipes, too.

See the Peach Flavored Syrups Recipe here!

From the cookbook, "First Generation", by Frankie Gaw. This is an inspiring cookbook. I look at the recipes and want to make them!

Adding peaches to pan-fried dumplings is not normal and why this recipe attracted me!

See the Chili Crisp Chicken and Peach Guo-Tie Recipe here!

We tried a lot of Chili Crisp, trying to find one that had ingredients we liked. And this is the one!

Sichuan-style ma la chili crisp is the original Su recipe. It is complex, tingly, and aromatic with a clean finish and a brilliant red color. And essential ingredient for dishes like Ma Po Tofu and Red Oil Wontons or use as a finishing oil for almost anything you want to add a little zing to!

Shop now for Mala Sichuan Style Chili Crisp!