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To celebrate the new year, Sasa Woodruff's mom bakes a punch torte, a tradition started in her family back in the former Czechoslovakia. Her mom was born during World War II and food was scarce, but thanks to her family's chickens, the 16 eggs the cake calls for were a luxury they could afford.

In a country where understatement and simplicity reign, the unpretentious smorrebrod is a national dish. There are countless variations, from minimal to lavish, but all reflect straightforward Scandinavian sensibilities: simple, honest, local ingredients attractively presented with little waste.

If plain champagne just doesn't cut it, here's a host of other bubbly drinks to toast with, from the classic French 75 to a Douglas Fir Sparkletini. The basic cocktail building blocks of sparkle, spirit, sour and sweet can be combined in seemingly endless variations.

NPR asked four chefs to divulge the dish that most reminds them of the holidays. Atlanta-based food chemist Shirley Corriher says her favorite is her grandmother's sweet potato pudding, while Dorie Greenspan thinks fondly of gingerbread cookies -- and what happened when her son was young.

Greta Gerwig's film joins a high-grossing list of mostly male-directed movies, most of them with men leading the casts.

Deeanne Gist's Tiffany Girl blends a charming romance with an overlooked bit of history — the women recruited by Louis Comfort Tiffany to complete his stained glass chapel at the 1893 World's Fair.

When Boston food writer Betsy Block started craving French toast topped with peaches, nothing could stop her: Not the time of year, not ethical dilemmas. She explains how she came to her decision -- and shares a recipe for the rich, buttery treat.

A recent bout of public disgust over dirty politics in Brazil could have had an impact at the polls today. Incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva holds the lead, but claims of corruption may result in a runoff with his main opponent, Geraldo Alckmin. Debbie Elliott speaks with NPR's Julie McCarthy.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Moscow to discuss the West's nuclear standoff with Iran. She's meeting with foreign ministers from the G8 -- the group of eight leading industrial countries. They'll also go over the agenda for next month's G8 summit in Russia's second city, St. Petersburg.

Robert Siegel and Melissa Block review listeners' e-mails from Monday's story on bread, fish and ducks in Linesville, Pa. People gather there to toss bread to the carp in a spillway, and there are so many fish that the ducks literally hop, skip, and jump across the fish to get their own slices of bread.