Paris may have Poilane, but if they were really lucky they would have Alexandra’s. I’m not exaggerating. Alexandra’s Bread in Gloucester, MA , a tiny, tin-ceilinged store front owned and operated by Alexandra Rhinelander and Jonathan Hardy, bakes bread that would crack a smile on the iciest Parisian fashion model.

Recently, lead by Jason Grow, a bunch of us spent an afternoon putting together tamales. It was so much fun, it made me think there really is no reason why New England shouldn’t abandon the gingerbread-house making business and start embracing tamales as a Christmas tradition. Which project would you rather choose, one at which eggnog is traditionally served, or tequila?

A garden shed tucked away for the winter - the hoses rolled, the mower cleaned, the gardening gloves washed, the peony stakes bundled - is beautiful. Mostly, the whole thing is beautiful because all that WORK is at rest, which means the person in charge of digging, planting, watering, trimming, and weeding can rest.

In these cookies the coconut oil produces a batter that crunches when it’s baked, so you can taste at least two different textures in one bite of cookie: crisp batter and soft chocolate chip. Add oats, walnuts and dried cranberries, and you add three more textures, making a cookie that is now an orchestra, not a marching band, all horns.