Food & Drink

A food writer’s favorite culinary indulgences

If ever there was a time of year to be a little indulgent, it’s December. After all, isn’t it payback for having to slog through 31 short, dark, chilly days? In that spirit, I’ve put together my personal top 10 of micro, mini, and maxi indulgences for the month. The key to making the most out of these small pleasures is conscious ceremony. You don’t just eat the great, juicy cheeseburger on the run, or slice off cold chunks of artisanal cheese before it comes to room temperature runny-ness. You construct the ambience carefully, hold the bite in your mouth, marvel over it, rhapsodically describe it, and thus transform a small moment of sensual pleasure into a big helping of self-love.