The Unassuming Ingredient at the Heart of a Chef’s Kwanzaa Feast
Ricky Moore, the owner of Saltbox Seafood Joint in Durham, N.C., honors his past and crowns his end-of-year celebrations with peanuts.

Informed by a childhood tradition, the chef Ricky Moore prepares a peanut-forward centerpiece for his Kwanzaa festivities.
By Brigid Washington

Going Whole Hog for a Noche Buena Tradition
Roast pork is the must-have Christmas Eve centerpiece for many Latinos and Filipinos, and for processors like La Casa Sierra near Tampa, Fla., business is booming.

Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve, is one of the most popular times for people to eat pork. The demand is evident at slaughterhouses, where many more pigs are being processed during the holiday season.
By Christina Morales

On the Arab Christmas Table, Kubbeh and Warak Dawali Are Nonnegotiable
For members of the Arab diaspora, the meat- and bulgur-based dish, and delicate stuffed grape leaves, are what make the season bright.

Warak dawali, or stuffed grape leaves, with tender lamb chops are a meal on their own.
By Reem Kassis

A GOOD APPETITE
This Easy Breakfast Strata Is the Ultimate Way to Start the Year
Rich with cheese and filled with butternut squash and mushrooms, this breakfast casserole is worth waking up for.

This savory strata is easily assembled ahead of time, so you can just pop it in the oven and enjoy.
By MELISSA CLARK

Prepping for Christmas and Kwanzaa
We have new holiday recipes for grape leaves, a peanut fish stew and more.
By MELISSA CLARK

A Holiday Surprise From Yotam Ottolenghi
It’s party season! Bring some fun to your next gathering with a savory pie that conceals a cheesy filling of butternut squash and chard.

By YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

These 2 Holiday Mains Aren’t Just Stunning. They Cook in Under an Hour.
Genevieve Ko pairs salmon with miso cream and beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce for a lavish, but stress-free feast.

You don’t need to spend a lot of time on the feast: These showstopping mains cook quickly and are relatively hands off, so you can spend your time where it counts.
By Genevieve Ko

THE POUR
The Year’s Best Books on Wine (and Whisky)
These six volumes, all published in 2022, are illuminating, surprising and just plain useful guides to better understanding wine and spirits.

By Eric Asimov

Albert Madansky Dies at 88; Gauged Risk of Unwitting Atomic War
As a scholarly statistician, he also evaluated stock options, the best nonfiction books and the most mouthwatering pastrami sandwich.

Albert Madansky’s statistical endeavors ran from the risk of accidental nuclear war to ranking the best pastrami sandwich. He taught at the University of Chicago from 1974 to 1999.
By SAM ROBERTS

She Harvests Shellfish and Helps Protect Them
Ana Shellem has found peace and prosperity while searching for wild species off the North Carolina coast for her one-woman sustainable fishing company.
By SHIVANI VORA

Dubai Is the Newest Culinary Destination. Here’s a Taste.
After years of simmering, the Dubai food scene is at full boil. The emirate now boasts some 13,000 establishments — more per capita than New York City — and some are nabbing global laurels.
By SETH SHERWOOD

A Warsaw Bakery Seeks to Preserve Jewish Food Where It Was Nearly Lost
At Charlotte Menora, a French bakery bistro with a Polish-Ashkenazic twist in Warsaw, French favorites sit side by side with beloved Jewish pastries.

“Jewish history is part of our history,” said Justyna Kosmala, an owner of the Charlotte chain of bakeries.
By Joan Nathan

Day 13: For a Celebrated Chef, the Tastes and Smells of St. Lucia Day in Sweden Linger
In his restaurants, including his latest, Marcus Samuelsson draws inspiration from childhood memories of the Scandinavian holiday.
By MARCUS SAMUELSSON

The Best Cookbooks of 2022
A volume dedicated to Chinese cooking’s vegan roots, a barbecue collection featuring truly remarkable brisket and more, as tested by New York Times Cooking and the Food desk.
By THE NEW YORK TIMES and ROSS MACDONALD

Our 20 Most Popular Recipes of 2022
Readers loved low-effort, low-cost dishes that don’t skimp on flavor or fun.
By MARGAUX LASKEY

The Best Cakes for the Holidays Are Also the Simplest
Fruity, spiced and savory, these three delicious recipes from Dorie Greenspan make everyone in your house feel at home.

From left, a spiced gingerbread cake topped with pearl sugar, a spiced cranberry Bundt cake with a fruity glaze and a savory quick bread loaf studded with ham, cheese, roasted peppers and herbs.
By Dorie Greenspan

Latke Party!
It’s about time to get frying.

By MELISSA CLARK

Hearty Beans, Tender Lamb and a Menu to Remember
A pomegranate-persimmon salad and baked apples bookend the cassouletlike dish at the center of David Tanis’s December spread.

Bright and light pomegranate seeds and persimmons complement a rich dish of lamb and beans.
By David Tanis

5 New Recipes to Get Excited About
A look at my to-cook list right now.
By TEJAL RAO

3 Fun, Festive Candy Recipes That Are Worth the Effort
Confectionery is tricky, but Claire Saffitz can show you foolproof ways to make delicious and beautiful fudge, caramels and nougat that’ll have your loved ones raving.

If you’re new to confectionery, you may want to start with a fudge, then advance to caramels and nougat.
By CLAIRE SAFFITZ

THE POUR
The Most Memorable Wines of 2022
Great wines create indelible images, of the place they were produced and the time they were consumed.

By Eric Asimov

Alain Sailhac, a Celebrity Chef Who Never Sought the Title, Dies at 86
The mild-mannered, French-born chef cooked for presidents and stars at Le Cirque in New York and earned an early four-star rating at Le Cygne.

The chef Alain Sailhac at Le Cygne in 1972. In awarding the restaurant four stars, The New York Times said it offered “the best haute cuisine French fare in the city.”
By ALEX WILLIAMS

Chicory boats and posh pigs in blankets: Yotam Ottolenghi’s party food recipes
Chicory stuffed with a soft cheese, walnut and pomegranate seed filling, chipolatas smothered in molasses, nuts and chilli, and little toasts spread with curried onion butter and mackerel paté

Yotam Ottolenghi’s chicory boats with feta, walnut and pomegranate.
Yotam Ottolenghi

VORACIOUSLY
13 holiday cookie recipes to bring color and joy to the season

By Becky Krystal

T WANDERLUST
Gritty Marseille, France, Is Now a Haven for Creatives
Provence’s once-maligned maritime hub is drawing chefs, artists and entrepreneurs in search of a fresh start.
By LINDSEY TRAMUTA

36 HOURS
36 horas en Ciudad de México
Sumérgete en el estilo vibrante de la capital mexicana, su excelente gastronomía, su vasta riqueza histórica y su animada vida urbana.
By ELISABETH MALKIN

36 HOURS
36 Hours in Rome
The Eternal City is getting a refresh, with new restaurants and hotels, sumptuous art palaces and innovative ways to see ancient sites.
By JASON HOROWITZ

A Slice of France, the Baguette Is Granted World Heritage Status
More than six billion baguettes are sold every year in France. But the bread is under threat, with bakeries vanishing in rural areas.
By CATHERINE PORTER and CONSTANT MÉHEUT

A GOOD APPETITE
4 Homemade Food Gifts They’ll Love (and So Will Your Wallet)
Hot chocolate mix, festive popcorn tins, saltine bark and batched manhattans: these recipes make the best holiday presents.
A sweet hot chocolate mix is easy to make and even easier to gift.
By Melissa Clark

FRONT BURNER
Dips and Sweet Delights for Hanukkah
The Friday box from a Brooklyn caterer offers matbutcha and other delights, chocolate halvah bonbons from Dandelion Chocolate and more.

Friday box, $72 including delivery and tax, to order by midnight Thursday for delivery in New York on Friday, fridayyy.co/products/friday-box.
By Florence Fabricant

54 Easy Party Snacks
(So you can enjoy the party!)
By Ali Slagle

18 Recipes to Feed a Crowd When Everyone’s Home for the Holidays
Our reporters and editors know what it takes to cook a lot of food — and make it look effortless. Here are some of their favorite dishes for the challenge.
By Tanya Sichynsky

In This Crazy World, I Can Always Count on Curry
The warm, versatile flavors of Japanese kare rice can be a weekday comfort or a marquee meal.

By BRYAN WASHINGTON

Feta for Dinner
Add a salad and some bread to Ali Slagle’s grilled (or oven-roasted) feta with nuts, and you have a gorgeously simple dinner.
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

Plantains Are Everyday Superstars
Versatile recipes for starchy plantains and unripe green bananas.
By TEJAL RAO

Food for Partying
Dips, finger food and potluck favorites for the holiday season ahead.
By MELISSA CLARK

One Dough, Six Cookies
With this simple shortbread recipe, you can make six different holiday cookies to share.

By Yewande Komolafe

SOME COOKIE TIN ADVICE FROM OUR FRIENDS AT WIRECUTTER

If you choose to gift your cookies in a tin, it’s better to buy them in person than to sift through the options on Amazon (which may be overpriced). For a simple, elegant look, Michaels and the Container Store sell plain silver tins in a variety of sizes. For those who prefer prints, Target and Ikea have the least expensive and most attractive patterned tins I’ve seen. If you want to order packaging online, consider getting petite 6-by-6-inch windowed pastry boxes (which you’ll need to line with wax paper) or windowed paper bakery bags, either of which could be dressed up with a nice ribbon and a gift tag. — Marguerite Preston

TRILOBITES
Before Beer Became Lager, a Microbe Made a Mysterious Journey
Scientists found a relative of a parent of lager yeast in soil on an Irish university’s campus, which could help to track how it ended up in Bavaria.
By VERONIQUE GREENWOOD

These 3 Punches Will Get the Party Started and Keep It Going
Rebekah Peppler shares three recipes — a classic, a modern twist and a nonalcoholic option — that guests will sip into the wee hours.

The punch formula — spirits, sugar, citrus and spice — dates back to at least the 17th century.
By Rebekah Peppler

Not Shaken, Not Stirred, These Cocktails Are Thrown
A showy tradition of mixing drinks in midair can add both flavor and a show to the bar experience.
Izzy Tulloch, the head bartender at Milady’s in SoHo, uses throwing to add texture to cocktails. The technique, which came to the United States from Barcelona, is also entertaining.
By Robert Simonson

Felipe Valls, 89, Dies; His Cuban Restaurant Became a Political Hub
Politicians, protesters and celebrants of happy community news have known where to converge: Versailles, a Miami landmark for Cuban Americans.

Felipe A. Valls in 2011 on the 40th anniversary of Versailles Restaurant, which has become a focal point for the Cuban exile community.
By Christina Morales

Going Local on the Island of St. Lucia
Creole cooking classes, boisterous street parties, a tour of a cacao plantation and visits with islanders preserving local traditions: A traveler explores a more intimate St. Lucia.

St. Lucia, known for its inviting beaches, gorgeous scenery and luxury resorts, is increasing its emphasis on local culture, with new tours and experiences that get visitors into the community.
By SHAYLA MARTIN

FRONT BURNER
For Novice Cooks, Gavin Kaysen’s ‘At Home’ Is a Good Place to Start
Pick up the chef’s debut cookbook, attend a talk about the seasonality and nutritional value of Japanese ingredients, and more.

The cookbook cover for ”At Home by Gavin Kaysen.” A man stands in a kitchen. Behind him there are shelves with plates and other dishware on them. He’s standing at a counter tasting from a spoon next to jars of produce and herbs.
“At Home” by Gavin Kaysen and Nick Fauchald (Spoon Thief Publishing, $35)
By Florence Fabricant

NEWSLETTER
The Veggie
Holiday Gift Ideas From The Veggie
Vegan chocolate bars, dreamy cookbooks and more small luxuries to give this year, as well as some ideas for your Thanksgiving leftovers.
By Tejal Rao

A GOOD APPETITE
You Can’t Resist This Easy Squash-Chickpea Recipe
Just try not to nibble all the caramelized and spiced bits straight off the pan before dinnertime — we dare you.

Crunchy spiced chickpeas complement roasted cubes of squash in this sheet-pan meal.
By Melissa Clark

NEWSLETTER
Five Weeknight Dishes
Anything but Turkey
Garlicky chile shrimp, citrusy chicken thighs, sheet-pan salmon: These recipes put Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror.
By EMILY WEINSTEIN

The Cake Recipe That Was a Secret for Two Decades
With an origin story out of Old Hollywood, chiffon cake is at once airy and rich.

By Ligaya Mishan

Fruitcake Is Delicious, and This Recipe Proves It
Claire Saffitz’s version skips the long aging process, baking up in a day, and doubles down on deliciousness.

This one-day fruitcake is no joke.
By Claire Saffitz

F🍑🍑D MATTERS
How Did 🍆 Become Our Default Sex Symbol?
A variety of fruits have long been used to convey eroticism, but in their emoji form, one seems to have won out.
By LIGAYA MISHAN and MELODY MELAMED

Oldest cooked leftovers ever found suggest Neanderthals were foodies
Pancake/flatbread with a ‘nutty’ taste is first evidence of complex cooking and food culture
Linda Geddes

A Cure for Thanksgiving Stress? For Many, It’s a Cruise.
No cooking, no cleanup, no script: A growing number of Americans are spending the holiday at sea, making new friends and traditions.
By Priya Krishna

At Danksgiving, There’s No Need to Go Outside for a Smoke
For a certain kind of Thanksgiving celebration, cannabis — in all its forms — is a key component of the year’s biggest meal.
By Jackie Bryant

Last-Minute Thanksgiving
It’s not too late, and here’s how you can get it done in style.
By MELISSA CLARK

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Makes the Best, Coziest Soups
After the meal, let the meat simmer away into a gumbo, a congee or a barley soup, dishes as thrillingly varied as the meals they came from, Melissa Clark writes.

Leftover roast turkey is rounded out with plump shrimp, chicken wings and collard greens in this take on gumbo from Gail Jennings of North Carolina.
By Melissa Clark

What Temperature Is a Turkey Done? And More Thanksgiving Questions, Answered
We have all your Thanksgiving turkey questions covered.
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Got Thanksgiving Leftovers? Make Turkey Ramen.
In this rich, silky ramen, the bird gets a second turn at the table.

By LIGAYA MISHAN

How Jellied Cranberry Sauce Is Made
Americans buy 75 million cans a year, with 85 percent sold during the Thanksgiving to Christmas season. Here’s how it’s made, from the farm to the factory.

By ROSS MANTLE and CHRISTINA MORALES