Every December, as I think back on the wines I most enjoyed over the course of the year, I wrestle with the word “best.” What does it even mean? The best tend to be the most memorable, wines that not only offer great pleasure but perfectly fit the circumstances of their consumption. With that in…
Good morning. Hanukkah got underway last night; Christmas is looming and Kwanzaa’s right on its heels. In less than a month we’ll be in 2024. It’s the season of holiday parties. Be in good cheer. The celebrations come for you at the office, if you work in an office: beers and jalapeño poppers at Seamus…
There is a cheese that may stand alone. In proud fetidness, that is. Rory Stone, a 59-year-old cheesemaker at Highland Fine Cheeses in Scotland, has been overrun with orders for a washed-rind cheese called the Minger, which he is billing as the most putrid-smelling cheese in the world. “Everybody is still asking for samples, and…
Hi, it’s me, Becky, filling in for Pete this week! Winter in New York is the season to embrace unabashed corniness. If you’re visiting for the holidays, you really should do the most obvious things: the Rockettes, the Rockefeller Center tree, the Dyker Heights Christmas lights and stopping to watch ice skating at every opportunity.…
Growing up, when I would visit my Abueti, she would often greet me with a little sheet pan of freshly crisped chicharrón, pulled from a small hunk of pork shoulder that she would roast in the toaster oven in her New York City apartment. (The regular oven is for storage. If you know, you know.)…
I wash my face in the morning with Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, then moisturize with the Blue Cocoon from May Lindstrom — it’s been my go-to skin-care product for about four years. I finish with the Rodan + Fields Essentials Sunscreen. Day to day, I typically don’t wear makeup. If anything, I’ll use Armani Beauty…
Slow cookers aren’t exactly novel — we’re pretty sure your parents or even grandparents have one tucked away in the cabinet somewhere — but every time we use one, we’re delighted anew by how it turns the humblest ingredients into a hearty, rib-sticking dinner at the push of a button. Case in point: Sarah DiGregorio’s…
In 2015, Norma Pérez adopted a vegan diet to combat her arthritis. But she worried that she’d miss out on the Salvadoran dishes she grew up with, particularly holiday dishes like her tamales and pan con pollo. Then she remembered the many plant-based options in El Salvador. She just needed her sazón and other spices…
As dawn broke in central Paris on Wednesday, a throng of 500 people, mostly French, stood with uncharacteristic patience in a snaking line, intent on buying a decidedly un-French confection: an American doughnut. A hot, glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut, to be exact. It was the grand opening of the chain in France, and patrons —…
As savory and alluring as a pot of stew can be, it’s rarely charismatic enough to hold its own as the centerpiece of a blowout holiday feast. There’s no amount of chopped parsley on top that can adequately dress up that long-simmered brown underneath; a stew, by nature, is always more cozy and homey than…