I spent all of my life until now in southern California, so I've never experienced a real autumn before and I am totally obsessed. I've been knitting like a fiend, wearing lots of orange and brown, and generally doing whatever I can to feel super-cozy. One of these things is making spiced wine, something I associate with cold nights and Halloween. In the US, I bought a bag of wine spices from Trader Joe's and followed the directions, but in Japan I have to make due with my own mishmash of spices from Deli, the local imported-goods store. Amazingly, the improvised recipe turned out to be yummy and just as cozy-feeling-inducing as I had hoped.

Spiced Wine, Japan-style
(Makes 4 small mugs)

1/2 bottle of wine
2-4 tablespoons sugar, to taste
3 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tablespoon of apple-flavored herb tea (I spent a good 15 minutes sniffing all the teas in Deli to find the right one. Any herbal blend with orange peel or other citrus in it should work.)

Put everything in a pot and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain and drink! (Best served with squares of dark chocolate, mikan (mandarin oranges) or sliced persimmons. Yum.)