My birthday is usually the first day of fall, so you could say I was essentially born for the season. I love everything about it—like the smell of hay at a pumpkin patch, to the satisfying crunch of a freshly picked apple, the vibrant colors of the changing leaves and, most importantly, the comforting scents of recipes crafted in my kitchen. Wafting warm spices, bubbling casseroles adorned with golden layers of cheese and the bakery-fresh aroma of browning flour and rising bread are joyous hallmarks of the season for me. Despite my motivation to get in the kitchen rising at…