The day I can first see my breath in the air, I start thinking about richer, warmer, comforting foods.Gone are the salads, the mixed grill, the fresh summer vegetable stir-fries.In are the squashes, the pot roasts, the dreams of soups and crisps and freshly baked breads.I start stocking my pantry without even realizing it, as ingredients I never use during the summer months suddenly find their way into my home.Suddenly I have cans of beans, an extra bottom round roast in the freezer, turnips and parsnips, a 5 lb. bag of potatoes in the garage.This year I have already fit more into my freezer than I thought it would hold, and one of my ice cube trays has been re-assigned as a pesto freezing unit.

This is all well and good, but now, in this time when hot cocoa and spiced, or perhaps spiked, hot apple cider become palatable again, I’ve developed a favorite cupboard in my kitchen.Since it is cold this evening, and the space heaters are doing their best, I thought I’d share with you the place I keep some of the ingredients most essential to my winter kitchen.

Behold: