This week's links. Enjoy.
Holiday Wine Etiquette
Lovely Joanna of A Cup of Jo offers great tips on drinking wine before you head out to parties and dinners over the holidays — all with brilliant and fun illustrations by the wonderful Gemma Correll.
The Rise and Fall of the Recipe Card
A nostalgic look at the history of the humble 3-by-5-inch index cards used for recipes — and what will be lost when they finally disappear.
The Secret Histories of Secondhand Books
The personal dedications one finds in secondhand books are often as fascinating as the text. In honour of this, Wayne Gooderham of The Guardian is starting a new series showcasing his most intriguing finds.
Occupy Big Business: The Sharing Economy's Quiet Revolution
Intriguing article from The Atlantic about how ordinary people are re-negotiating their terms with big business — they want to spend less, do more, and solve problems together. They are the foundation of the new "sharing economy."
Sweet Delight: A Brief History of the Mince Pie
The sometimes surprising history of the mince pie. "Contrary to popular myth, mince pies were never made illegal by Cromwell, though they were stigmatised by Puritans. A satire from 1656 called Christmas Day pokes fun at such priggish zealotry: "Idolatrie in crust!"
Free Christmas
A free holiday song by Johnny Marr and The Healers.
La Tartine Gourmand: Jamaica
Béatrice of the lovely La Tartine Gourmand has a long and wonderful post about her visit to Jamaica, with beautiful photos of the people, scenery and food she encountered in her culinary travels there. Her banana bread recipe reminds me of visiting Jamaica years ago as a kid, enjoying fresh baked banana bread (still the best I've ever had) every morning.
Coconut Milk Caramels
A sweet treat that would make a great holiday gift, too. Via Saveur.
(photo via spooky home)