Speaking of Steampunk ...

Someone sent me a link to this, the other day: Fuel for the Boiler: A Steampunk Cookbook.  I don't know if Jeff's mentioned it over here before or not; but I find the whole idea frankly charming, if a bit out-of-left-field, so to speak.  I confess that I do not own this particular volume and I do not know what it contains, but I'm using it as a cheap and feeble transition to discuss what's going on in my own kitchen right this moment.Fall is here, and while fall is a great time for all things steampunk -- not least of all layers upon layers of clothing (look! I'm staying on-theme!) -- it's also a fine time for autumn-harvest-type foods such as the one suggested by my friend Libby.  She calls her masterpiece SPICY AUTUMN APPLE AND PEAR CRISP THING, and you can get the full recipe plus some nom-inspiring photos on her webpage, right here.I'm making it right now.  My apartment smells positively divine.The only adjustment I made to the recipe is that I didn't have any cloves handy, so I used a buttload (her word-choice) of pumpkin pie spice instead.  At this time, having licked a dizzying amount of goo off my fingers, I am prepared to vouch for it as a suitable substitution.