Nutmeg

When you’re looking for food that delivers on pure comfort, it’s tough to beat a soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie. I know, I know. Raisins are controversial. And you could, of course, swap in chocolate chips or dried cherries or any number of other mix-ins. But if you’re not deeply raisin-averse, maybe just a …

Carrot cake has a tendency to veer into maximalist territory. If you let it, it can become a multi-layer affair with not just shredded carrots, but pineapple and raisins and even shredded coconut. But this simple carrot loaf cake is not like that. It is carrot cake stripped down to its essentials. This minimalist carrot …

I found myself with a craving for a gingerbread Bundt cake. I had never actually made one before, but I had a clear picture in my head of what I wanted it to be. It needed to be fierce with the spices with enough ginger that you could feel the heat. But the ginger had …

Eggnog is a divisive beverage. It inspires strong feelings. There are some who look forward to the time of year when it’s socially acceptable to down a glass of frothy nutmeg-topped egg and cream, and others who consider it a gloppy scourge of the holiday season. I have always fallen firmly into the former camp. …

This ginger syrup is a favorite for me. It makes the best ginger ale. It’s sweet and spicy and complex. I used to imagine ginger ale was one of those mysterious beverages that required a lab or a factory or complicated equipment to produce. (I used to feel the same way about tonic.) It turns …

I’ve been slow to get into the holiday spirit this winter. I’ve tried. I watched the charming A Very Murray Christmas on Netflix. I’ve listened to some of my favorite holiday music—Vince Guaraldi, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” The Pretenders’ “2000 Miles,” Joni Mitchell’s “River”—and none of it has quite …