The last week of 2020.

Welcome. It’s the last week of the year, a time when many of us might normally be visiting with family and friends. This year has required some reconfiguring of holiday plans: You might be staying inside, with your usual brood or on your own; you might be working or looking for work; busy or looking…

The Most-Read Food Stories of 2020

Decades from now, when cultural historians sift through the social media posts of 2020, they will tell the pandemic stories of savvy chefs and restaurateurs forced to pivot to meal kits, corner markets and sidewalk cafes as their industry collapsed, seemingly overnight. These historians will note the panic shopping of early March, as Americans rushed…

What Can Be Learned From Differing Rates of Suicide Among Groups

It’s a much debated connection. A recent systematic review of studies found that attending religious service is not especially protective against suicidal ideation (thinking about or planning suicide), but it does protect against suicide attempts, and possibly protects against suicide. Other types of group activities may confer a similar sense of belonging. Volunteers with caregiving…

Which Digital Thermometer Is Best?

Good morning. I was pretty fierce in this space a few days ago, arguing that you need to use a digital thermometer if you want to cook a roast to the state you desire. The internal temperature of your particular cut of meat is the only reliable indicator of its “doneness.” Reliance on the minutes-per-pound…