Fall is my favorite season I’m quick to admit. Is it because it’s my birthday season? Or because it's the season during which I was married? Or did my penchant for all things autumn come from an earlier time? I can’t remember a year when I wasn't relishing the changing color of the leaves, the cooling of the temperatures, or the shorter days and longer nights. I love autumn. My apologies to the other seasons.

Autumn is a time of harvest, of winding inward (not down, never down), of contracting and cooling. There is more soup, less salad, made in the kitchen. As with all things, there is a reason.

Dryness is common in autumn. You’ll see it manifest in our bodies with dry lips, dry skin, itchiness, wrinkles (yikes!), dry throat, or dry cough. To help offset the dryness of this season add more moistening foods and cook with more moisture, in the form of soups, steams, and porridge. Start adding “moistening” foods to your grocery list, including: