I think you could look at just about any person and determine within a few seconds whether or not they had ever roasted beets. Beet-roasters have a certain look, I can't explain it. I think I probably look like a beet-roaster. But listen: until tonight I had never done it before.

It was surprisingly easy. And peeling the skins off of the hot pink beets was one of the more satisfying things I have ever done. Kind of like pooling glue on your palm and letting it dry, then pulling it off. But better.

Besides beets, other happy things about autumn are: persimmons, pumpkin butter, the permission to wear scarves in L.A. without looking like a pretentious jerk and not having to wash my car because it is raining.