The weather here is starting to break. We’re hitting mid-nineties instead of 105-degree highs. I know it’s a bit premature, but I’ve been trying sweaters and making plans to take out the down comforter I mothballed last spring. And I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ll be cooking this winter.

If you’re dining at my table this winter, you can first of all expect lots of great and unpretentious soups and potages accompanied by buttered French bread and lots of heavy cream. Expect long, slow braises, of course. And expect lots of experimenting with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in savory dishes. And something I’m particularly excited about is experimenting with what Toulouse-Lautrec so aptly calls the “rainbow of sauces”: yellow sauces, white sauces, brown sauces, red sauces, green sauces, and so forth. I found and fell in love with Toulouse-Lautrec’s The Art of Cuisine recently (well, about six months ago). Look for a blog devoted to the book soon.