Savor This Kumquat Compote From La Boîte

On the heels of introducing its Tunisian-style preserved lemon condiment, La Boîte, the spice store in Hell’s Kitchen, has collaborated again with the chef Eric Ripert and the preserve-maker Le Bon Magot for its new, sweetly tangy kumquat compote with Cognac. As devoted a cook as you might be, don’t be shy about leaving to…

Everyday Italian Recipes From Serafina

In their new cookbook, Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato describe the unlikely creation of their still-expanding, New York-based Serafina restaurant chain: While stuck on a stranded catamaran in a storm off Long Island in 1994 they swore they’d open the restaurant if they survived. The vibrantly photographed cookbook based on the restaurants’ dishes describes essential…

To Tip, or Not to Tip?

Some diners said that tips allow business owners to deflect the responsibility for paying a living wage. Gabriel Ramirez, who works in a Los Angeles smoke shop, said he would prefer that labor costs were reflected in menu prices rather than leaving it up to customers to tip. “It is our social duty to make…

Weeknights Are for Lovers

I sort of love Valentine’s Day, which is coming up on Monday, and which I acknowledge is a little ridiculous as a day on the calendar. But I find its retro sweetness irresistible, especially when it’s done right, with French toast, strong cocktails, fudgy desserts and homemade Valentines. I don’t yet know what I’m making…