The gingerbread house has long been a holiday fixture. In many families it's a special activity to be shared between children and their parents or grandparents. Who doesn't love a decoration that can later be demolished and eaten? A few years ago, the Anthropologie store in Manhattan chose a pastry theme for its windows. They featured faux-gingerbread villages, a gingerbread lover's fantasy. I still think about those windows, a reminder of what can be created from flour, sugar, spices and a bit of imagination.