On the flight from Oslo to Svalbard, the sun gave way to night as we crossed the Arctic Circle; for one magical moment, the plane’s wing bisected light and dark perfectly. This would be the last natural light I would see for a week. For half the year, Svalbard, the northernmost inhabited place in the…
If you’re the sort of person who uses the annual avalanche of food and drink predictions as an anthropological window into the state of the American psyche, prepare for a stripped-down, no-nonsense 2020. Mold and sobriety will be popular. Porridges like jook and arroz caldo are the new comfort foods. Saving the planet will have…
Cacio e pepe pasta — quite literally, cheese and pepper pasta — is as defined by its ingredients as peanut butter and jelly. Like many classic Italian dishes, it requires just a few good-quality items (pasta, cheese and pepper) and attention to technique (emulsifying grated cheese and starchy pasta water into a silky, salty sauce).…
Good morning. Is it time for resolutions yet, or are those only made on Wednesday morning in exchange for release from headaches and anxiety, sweat and abject fear? Me, I’d like there to be more plants on my plate in 2020, and smaller portions of meat. I’d like to cook with more nuts and seeds,…
Prolonged exposure to a widely used household insecticide may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease and early death, new research suggests. Pyrethrin and its synthetic derivatives are used in garden insecticides, pet sprays, mosquito repellents and lice shampoos. They are extremely effective and cause no acute reactions in humans, but they are absorbed by the…
Ecstasy — or methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) — is a recreational drug that is illegal in the United States. However, some researchers believe that it could aid in mental health therapy. A new study in mice puts this idea to the test. Share on PinterestNew research in mice investigates what gives MDMA its positive effects on sociability.…
No piece of furniture says “me time” quite like a chaise longue. With its reclined back and elevated feet, it offers the promise of serenity in a package designed for just one person. “It’s great for creating a secondary space that’s tucked away and a little more private” than a home’s social spaces, said Corie…
Here’s the last New Year’s health resolution you might ever need: resolve to stop eating added sugar. While you might think you’re not eating much sugar, chances are you’re eating a lot more than you realize. Added sugar lurks in nearly 70 percent of packaged foods and is found in breads, health foods, snacks, yogurts,…
Every now and then I write a column as much to push myself to act as to inform and motivate my readers. What follows is a prime example. Last year in a column entitled “Hearing Loss Threatens Mind, Life and Limb,” I summarized the current state of knowledge about the myriad health-damaging effects linked to…
LOS ANGELES — In November, the actor Dax Shepard rolled up to a tree-shaded lot in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles in a wood-grain 1994 Buick Roadmaster and parked in front of a single-door garage. The yard was brown and dusty, with trucks out front and a portable toilet on the premises. His…