Pack Your Knives and Go

Cooking vacations that steer clear of the tourist traps. (By Sheila Scarborough)

See Recipe on Back

Concoctions cribbed off the back of a box that are good enough to pass as your own. (By Aida Mollenkamp)

Mole in the Mountains

A gastronomic adventure in Xalapa, Mexico. (By Mick Vann)

Destination: Twin Cities Crawl

Well fed and hung over at the 2008 Republican National Convention. (By James Norton)

The Year in Food 2008

What we ate, what the candidates ate, what the Olympians ate.

Village Bakery’s brand new bag. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Fresh, well-prepared food and a helping of small-town charm at Gardiner’s Village Market. (By Mark Hokoda)

Elite beans and tasty bites at Simon Sips. (By Mark Hokoda)

Enrico’s is the go-to spot in Morris Park for Italian pastries. Best sfogliatelle in the area and nice Italian ices, reports gardener. To kenito799, it’s the equal of Veniero’s, the popular East Village bakery,... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

At Pinisi, the cake is fine, the frosting heavenly. (By Mark Hokoda)

At Blue Ribbon Bakery Market, the mustard can upstage the sandwiches. Benjamin68 has no complaints about his smoked duck and honey on toast, but his enduring memory is of amazingly good Dijon mustard, with “intense, vibrant... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

Chocolate cupcakes at Ciao for Now in the East Village are something special, intensely chocolaty but not too sweet, says curranthound, who ranks them well ahead of better-known cupcake makers Magnolia and Billy’s. ... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

New York City’s latest hamburger contender is the East Village watering hole Royale. Hounds rank the well-reviewed newcomer up there with Corner Bistro and a step above neighborhood hangout Paul’s. (By Mark Hokoda)

Blessed King Bagel’s namesakes are fresh and chewy, with an excellent flavor. (By M.G. Shea)

There is no better black and white cookie than the one from the Pick a Bagel mini-chain, swears sarabeth721. (By C. Thi Nguyen)