There is a place in the South Pacific where the horizon contains nothing but water and the nearest scraps of land are roughly 2,688 kilometers away. No island marks the spot. There is no lighthouse, settlement or permanent buoy announcing t...
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An old tree can carry the shape of an injury long after the branch that caused it has disappeared. A swollen collar may surround the site of a lost limb. Growth rings can bend around the old...
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There is a peculiar kind of certainty that appears around traditional food. A grandmother made a dish one way, a restaurant in its supposed birthplace serves it another, and suddenly one ver...
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Few subjects can turn an ordinary Italian lunch into a tribunal quite as quickly as a traditional recipe. Put cream in carbonara, use pancetta instead of guanciale, add garlic where somebody...
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Was wine invented in Georgia or by the Romans? The answer isn't as simple as one might think. While Georgia holds the title for the oldest wine, Rome may be the birthplace of modern wine cul...
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During the Cold War, the CIA launched Operation Acoustic Kitty, an attempt to use cats as covert listening devices. The plan involved surgically implanting microphones and transmitters into...
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Did We Really Go to the Moon? It's one of the most iconic moments in human history: on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped onto the surface of the Moon and said, “That’s one small step...
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"Hey, so why is everyone talking about 'seasonal recipes'? What's so special about them?" Great question! Basically, when we talk about "seasonal recipes," we're referring to those dishes...
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What is the difference between white pepper and black pepper? White pepper and black pepper are both types of spices derived from the fruit of the pepper plant, but there are some difference...
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Cacao vs. cocoa: what's the difference? Cacao and cocoa are both products derived from the cacao plant, but there are some significant differences between the two.
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