The long nights of January always lead my imagination down a well-worn path to the garden. As I flip and click through the pages of each year’s new lineup of seed catalogs, the images and descriptions of full-grown plants take my mind to an earthy paradise that is waiting in the near future and mine…
Galette des Rois: A French Cake Fit for Royalty
Before wrapping up the holidays, there is one final occasion the French take to eat and rejoice: the Fête des Rois, or “Feast of the Kings.” Held on Jan. 6, the 12th day of Christmas, this celebration involves eating a galette des rois, or king cake—two circles of buttery puff pastry filled with sweet, creamy…
Finding the Flavor of Childhood in a Winter Salad
The village is covered in a blanket of snow so thick you can build labyrinths from door to door, on bridleways and pathways, raising snow forts or small igloos on the way—little retreats in a rural wonderland. Inside, a fire crackles in a rustic terracotta stove, drawing pictures in the embers. These are some of…
The Year in Beer: Best Brews of 2020
In 2020, while I didn’t get to a lot of bars to sample the brews, I had some great luck with curbside pickups and even shipped beers. All of this, of course, was for work, in the name of research. These are the best of my “sacrifices” for the year. From Maine With Love Allagash…
Crème Brûlée Flambé, to Bid the Year a Flaming Farewell
The dark days around winter solstice make human beings hungry for light. It could be a decorated tree, a menorah in the window, or just some lights on your house. Whatever your creed or culture, you probably have a tradition that casts a glow during the holidays. But this time around, as we bid farewell…
Simplicity Meets Elegance: Lobster Pasta for the Holidays
Holiday festivities are muted and gatherings reduced this year, inspiring feelings that toggle between a yearning for glitter and a craving for comfort. How to celebrate and what to eat strive for a balance between these mixed desires. In my mind, the following recipe achieves just that. It’s simple yet elegant, special but not pretentious,…
Wine Talk: A Schramsberg for the Ages
When the late Jack and Jamie Davies purchased the historic Jacob Schram winery in Calistoga, California, in 1965, they embarked upon what must have seemed at the time to be the impossible dream. Their goal was to produce the finest sparkling wine in America at the 100-year-old winery up on Diamond Mountain. They dreamed of…
New Year, Same Chili: A Comforting Family Tradition
Growing up, it was never an option for my siblings and me to miss New Year’s at home—nor did we want to. My parents, who have a house on a ski resort, loved to invite friends up to spend the holiday with us. We’d spend the afternoon on the slopes, soaking up the fresh air…
Easy Entertaining: A Lucky New Year’s Lunch
I am totally superstitious. I knock on wood, cross my fingers, step over cracks on the sidewalk, and wish my thespian friends good luck by hoping they break a leg. By the same rule, I avoid black cats, leaving my hat on the bed, or passing the salt from hand to hand at the table….
How to Make Eggnog From Scratch
Eggnog season is upon us! To be honest, in some parts of the Midwest I am not sure there actually is a season. While part of the dairy section fills up with various brands from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, I am fairly certain there are at least a couple around as early as October and…
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