Anyone who says tofu is bland or boring hasn’t eaten mapo tofu, the intoxicatingly spicy, fragrant dish from the Sichuan Province of China. Unlike the gentle Vietnamese tofu dishes I grew up with in Southern California, “mapo,” as some casually refer to it, first captured my attention as a teenager in the early 1980s, when…
At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with travel restrictions in place worldwide, we launched a new series — The World Through a Lens — in which photojournalists help transport you, virtually, to some of our planet’s most beautiful and intriguing places. This week, Trishna Mohanty shares a collection of images from Imphal, the capital…
Few patches of America have had a greater influence on pop culture than a storied 1.7-mile stretch of Los Angeles, where movie stars, mobsters and musicians all went to blow off steam. From Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe’s first dates to John Belushi and River Phoenix’s final speedballs, the Sunset Strip saw it all. But…
When it’s time to kick back and put your feet up at the end of the day, one piece of furniture is essential: the footstool. But the usefulness of a footstool, sometimes called an ottoman or pouffe, doesn’t end there. It’s a versatile piece of furniture that supports any number of activities. “They’re very multifunctional,”…
Many people point to Portugal as an example for the United States to emulate in dealing with illicit drugs. But Portugal’s experience is often misunderstood. Although it decriminalized the use of all illicit drugs in small amounts in 2001, including heroin and cocaine, that’s different from making them legal. And it did not decriminalize drug…
Ronald Braunstein was destined for a sterling career as a classical music conductor when it was abruptly derailed by mental illness. A graduate of the Juilliard School, Mr. Braunstein had made his debut at Lincoln Center at age 20 and three years later became the first American to win the prestigious Herbert von Karajan International…
52 Places to Go, a special feature from The Times’s Travel section, traditionally draws on New York Times editors, reporters and contributors for recommendations on the most timely sights and delights on offer in the upcoming year. It’s our annual guide to the world’s most awe-inspiring destinations. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted global travel in…
“If you have to sneeze, you’re in trouble,” Bill Johnson said of wearing the Air, an acrylic visor that evokes 1960s Soviet cosmonaut culture. Mr. Johnson, 44, a voice and video engineer in Utah, had tested an early model of the device on an airplane from Salt Lake City to Seattle to Ketchikan, Alaska, then…
A UC Davis MIND Institute study of pregnant mice found that high amounts of folic acid during pregnancy harmed the brain development of embryos. Researchers say the findings indicate that more investigation is needed about the best recommended dosage for pregnant women. “We believe there’s a Goldilocks effect with folic acid. Too little is not…
Requirements for electronic health records are greater now than ever, and that burden is exacerbating the problem of physician burnout. However, there might be a solution: the medical scribe. New research led by Neda Laiteerapong MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University Chicago Medicine, indicates the real value of adding this healthcare professional to…