A gift of spices for mulled wine and cider, Rena Tom's lovely grey kitchen, a great tip for cushioning holiday food gifts in the mail, and ten favorite tea towels. Plus, the difference between braising and stewing, a quick dinner of pasta with creamy tomato sauce, money-saving meat-buying tips, a hot pink homemade wedding cake, and ten techniques every cook should know.

• Beautiful idea for mulled cider spices, a little gift.

• Rare Device shop owner Rena Tom's lovely grey and white kitchen in San Francisco.

• Difference between braising and stewing? Also, how to know when a sauce is reduced.

• Eleven winter salads to eat right now. Lemony kale, beets, fennel...

• The best way to store mushrooms.

• A winter favorite: Meyer lemons.

• Clean and modern recipe templates.

• Air freshener from the CrockPot!

• Cushion your holiday packages with popcorn...

• Five real kitchens from our archives.

• Ten favorite tea towels.

• Great recipes: Beets on crostini with goat cheese, whipped chocolate ganache, applesauce nut bread, persimmon tart, and creamy pasta with tomato, bacon and ricotta.

• An adorable recipe box.

• How to make DIY peppermint patties.

• Another DIY wedding cake. Hot pink!

• Great potluck recipes.

• Buy bone-in meat to save money.

• Ten techniques that every cook should know. Do you?

• See the entire archive from December 7-16, 2008

Previous Year Ago Lookback: Vegan Appetizers, Duck Magret, and Homemade Hot Sauce