December 2005

Features

• Pampering With a Clean Conscience

  The sumptuous El Monte Sagrado resort in Taos, New Mexico, indulges guests with environmentally sensitive spa treatments and delicious food.

• Top Digital Buys

  An iPod boom box, a bargain camcorder and other innovations for the gadget hound.

• Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts of Good Taste

  Our editors hunted down the most spectacular holiday gifts in a range of prices. We also snagged special discounts exclusively for F&W readers—just look for the red "deal" labels.

• Indian Takeout - Learning Punjabi Fast

• Chocolate

  America's most exciting chocolate innovators share their best recipes for indulgent holiday gifts.

• Dispatch From an F&W Editor On the Road - Beirut

  From: Salma Abdelnour
  Subject: Beirut

• Hanukkah - A Latke-Vodka Party

  At her whimsically updated Hanukkah bash, Brooklyn-raised chef Rachel Klein astounds her New England artist friends with wasabi cream–topped sweet-potato latkes and an array of terrific new vodkas.

• Wine Travel - Bad Boy of Bordeaux

  Rich and restless Bernard Magrez is shaking up Bordeaux with his iconoclastic "micro-cuvées." Peter Hellman pays the renegade a visit.

• Best New Resorts for the Food-Obsessed

  Sage-roasted rabbit in Provence, fiery fish curry in Sri Lanka: The best new resort restaurants offer spectacular dishes like these in some of the most beautiful spots in the world.

• Michael Mina's Luxurious Christmas Weekend

  On Christmas Eve, star San Francisco chef Michael Mina and his family have a sleepover at the Westin St. Francis hotel, site of his eponymous restaurant, before heading home for a magnificent Christmas dinner.

• Must-Have Books of 2005

  F&W sorted through hundreds of books to find the 19 spectacular ones here—all perfect for the passionate cook, wine lover or reader.