Happy weekend, folks! The holidays are drawing near, and today is our last day of regular posting on The Kitchn for 2011. The next two weeks will be a rich review of the past year, with roundups of our favorite (and your favorite!) posts of 2011, along with some good reader questions, and some special guest posts from a few friends. We are also preparing for a lovely surprise on The Kitchn — a fresh look and more to kick off the new year.

So, as you can see, there is a lot to look forward to here at The Kitchn. But for now we are just interested in one question: What's cooking in your kitchen this weekend?

Here too are a few posts from the past week that we found especially interesting or enjoyable.

• Our readers' top cookbook picks of 2011.

• A fascinating look at making wine at home.

• Kristin shares her kitchen in Brooklyn - so cheery and cozy!

• What we eat, according to Pinterest.

• No time to bake? Homemade breads to fit any schedule or time constraint.

• A fabulous list of Champagne and other sparkling wines for the holidays, at every price point, for any budget.

• Holiday cheese picks from one cheesemonger to another.

• Ever tried a fried chicken mushroom?

• Enticing edible gifts: Chai concentrate, toasted coconut sugar, homemade amaretto, whiskey, caramel, marshmallow, and bacon bark, and more barks and bars.

• An interior designer's home kitchen.

Happy weekend, and happy cooking.

(Images: Faith Durand; Nealey Dozier)