The Quiet Thrill of Winter Wildlife Viewing

A coyote walking the freshly groomed cross-country ski trails greeted us at the nearby Snowmass Club Golf Course, where we scanned a pond for ring-necked ducks, a diving duck with distinctive tattoo-like white, black and gray bills. They were sharing the ice flows with Crayola-bright mallards with vivid orange legs and velvet green heads. “Ducks…

Day 3: Ice Skating in Style

It started with Kristi Yamaguchi. My parents took me to see her in Stars on Ice when I was 7 and, from the moment her blades hit the ice, I was enchanted. After years of loving figure skating from afar, last winter I signed up for adult beginner classes at one of New York’s many…

Holiday Recipes to Feed a Crowd

Whether you’re planning a big holiday gathering or simply trying to feed houseguests in between festive end-of-year activities, you’re going to need recipes that serve at least eight or 10 or 12, rather than the usual one or two or four. Below are some of The New York Times Cooking and Food staff’s favorite dishes…

How Markarian Became Part of Naomi Biden’s Wedding Day—and a Favorite of the First Family

For her first big fashion moment, Alexandra O’Neill was locked down, pre-vaccine, and totally alone save for her dog. When newly-minted First Lady Dr. Jill Biden appeared at President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 wearing a turquoise coat and dress designed by her brand, Markarian, she—and the label—became famous overnight. Nearly two years later, when…