This fall, our friends at Turnstile Tours are offering a series of free tours of the Essex Street Market. I signed up for the inaugural tour last week and was lucky enough to spend an hour meeting market vendors, hearing their stories, and eating my way though the historic market, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.  

We met a wide variety of vendors at the market; they owned everything from Mexican restaurants to fish...

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In charge of planning the annual holiday get-together for your friends, family, or office?

Join us at the Brainery and spend a couple of hours learning how to cook a Thai curry from scratch, craft some Finnish-style mobiles, whip up some homemade hot sauce, or a million and other one options. 

We've reserved a few dates for private classes this December; nab one before they're gone! 

• Friday, 12/12
• Friday, 12/19
• Other...

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This month our Masters of Social Gastronomy lectures tackles the world's most popular candy: chocolate!

We'll track the history of chocolate from its roots as an ancient Mesoamerican beverage to its current world-championship status. You'll learn how a yellow, football-shaped tropical fruit transforms into something Whole Foods can charge you $10 for, and what "Mexican Hot Chocolate" actually has in common with what Montezuma drank.

Peek at ...

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Every year, I swear I'm going to take part in the annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Dip at Coney Island, and every year, I don't. But this year, I finally mustered up the will power and dove into the freezing Atlantic. I had no idea what to expect going in so wanted to write up a few tips for fellow first-timers. It's absolutely awesome, by the way, and everyone should do it at least once. 

Before the Swim

Most importantly, register...

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I haven't even begun to think about gifts yet, and if you're in the same boat, we thought we'd share some of our favorite ideas for New York City centric gifts. Lots of them can be given and received instantly, perfect if you're a procrastinator like me. 

Tenement Museum membership: I cannot say enough amazing things about the Tenement Museum. Their tours are engaging and a lot of fun, led by a really great group of museum educators....

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