Clocks going back and comfort food

The clocks going back means we are heading into the dark.

For the next couple of months afternoons and mornings will get shorter and shorter.  The shortest morning will be in early January - sunrise at 8:06 in London.  The shortest afternoon will be around mid December - sunset 15:51pm, and, as everyone knows, the shortest day is on the 21st December: 7 hours 49 minutes.

November used to be my least favourite month - nothing but shorter and shorter days to look forward to and Spring too far distant to be real.  Keats called Autumn "The season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" which evokes more pleasant feelings.

I now think of Autumn as the time of remembering. Guy Fawkes night ("Remember, Remember the fifth of November...")  and Remembrance Sunday both take place in November.

It is also a time of personal remembering, and when I do the most cooking and baking.  A time of comfort eating.

My comfort food is hot, filling and satisfying:

cottage pie, shepherd's pie, spaghetti bolognese, lasagna, beef casserole with red wine, meat loaf, baked beans on toast, grilled cheese on toast (with a dash of worcester sauce), thick vegetable soups with crusty bread, porridge with a spoonful of jam,

And for puddings:  apple or rhubarb crumbles with custard, christmas pudding with custard, treacle sponge with custard.

It's cottage pie tonight.