It was with surprise that I discovered cottage cheese a few weeks ago. My mother says I ate it as a child, but I don't remember. So cheap, so versatile, and with so much protein (more than yogurt or peanut butter)--this is good food, and you can
Want wintry exercise that doesn't require a schlep to Vermont? Then grab a softball, some form of club, and find the nearest patch of ice to replicate a game of "colf." A popular colonial Dutch pastime, colf combines hockey and golf: Just choose a target down-ice
While in Napa for our 10th anniversary, my wife and I marveled at the simplicity of the Umbra Malta toilet-paper holder in our hotel bathroom. It led to a lengthy and unromantic discussion over Shiraz that evening about how it was possible that this simple and obvious design could have
I stole the unorthodox pairing of popcorn and champagne from an awful Jay McInerney book that I’m trying to forget. The combination creates an effervescent, salty/sweet taste that is all too perfect for watching movies on the couch. McInerney claims to live and die by Krug but for
Recently, I bought myself a pair of vintage cowboy boots. I didn't need them, and I've never spent more money on shoes in my life, but they're gorgeous and they fit as if I'd been wearing them for years. These boots would
There was a time when I considered tequila a mere prop for frat parties and killer hangovers. Then, last Christmas, I visited Mexico City, where I was schooled in the way of the premium blue agave. Rule no. 1: Sip it, don't shoot it. Rule no. 2: Drink
Since I moved to New York five years ago, I have had only one request when visitors ask if I want them to bring me anything from Chicago: Stewart's Coffee. It's heaven in a can for a mere four dollars. If you're in Chicago,
Poinsettias are beautiful plants, but as far as Christmas gifts go, they lack some creative thinking. The variegated jade, despite its intolerance to cold, is one wintry-lookin’ succulent that's off the holiday radar. With its blend of deep greens and eggy whites, the variegated jade evokes a slumbering,
Those $150-per-gallon fancy-schmancy coffees have nothing on French Market coffee, whose motto is: "The essence of New Orleans in a cup." Chicory gives it a strong nutty taste, and also offers numerous health benefits, according to the American Coffee Co. Hey, I've been drinking it since
Ever wonder what the Vikings did for fun when they weren't out raping and pillaging? The answer: kubb. Occasionally called "Viking chess," this Swedish lawn game is a bocce-Jenga hybrid in which teams try to knock down opponents' wooden blocks and shelter their own from
Looking for the perfect shirt to wear under your new winter suit for those days when you've got important meeting after important meeting? Look no further. J. Crew has updated its traditional women's button-down, and the three-button cuffs and snazzy stripes will make you feel professional
Pocky, a coated stick-biscuit snack, is ubiquitous in Asia. Now that it's available at ethnic grocery stores in New York and other cities with Asian populations, U.S. youths can get hooked on a variety of Pocky flavors, from the original chocolate to banana to "Marble Royal
It is sad, but I slobber over my OJex juicer. Compact, sexually alluring, and easy to clean, it makes me orange juice every morning (when I remember to buy oranges), and also provides fresh mixers at cocktail hour. Added bonus: It's heavier than a backhoe but smaller than
Wintertime: when indoor heat turns your sinuses into Saharan sand cavities and everyone at work drips with plague and pestilence. Suffer the wheezes no more, though, with Fisherman's Friend lozenges, the "strongest there is." They may taste like fisherman's ass, but these mentholated little
For the cost of the iPod, one should be able to expect near perfection. Odd, then, that the distinctive white earbuds--which make one a target for envy (and in some precincts, much worse)--don't block out ambient sound. Not to worry; you can replace them for half the
Practiced knitters work one season ahead, planning spring sweaters in February and summer shrugs in April, which is why I'm making mittens in October. The best thing about fall knitting is wool, and my new mittens are going to be made of Lamb's Pride wool from
Lately, I've been painting my apartment. When I paint a room, I don't just paint a room. I usually add stripes, diagonals, half-tone walls. Why? Because I deserve punishment. Fortunately, there's a nifty tool for creating super-straight lines: the Irwin chalk line reel with
Turn up your nose at Dunkin' Donuts and pass on the Krispy Kremes. Since 1953 the Vineyard Foodshop, aka Humphreys, in North Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard has been knocking out batches of addictive Bavarian cream doughnuts so large they're called Belly Bombs. Besides their mutant
Featuring the vibrant artwork of San Diego painter Nuvia Crisol Guerra, Loteria de la Mujer reimagines the popular Mexican party game with images of 20 stages in a woman's life, from La Bebe to La Muerte. Played like Bingo, with each player using pinto beans to mark off
Karen Konzuk designs spare jewelry with an industrial feel. She makes clean, geometric pieces in powder-coated stainless steel, concrete, and now diamond and platinum. Even if you don't ordinarily wear jewelry, you may find yourself coveting her subtle steel rings with colorful powder-coated interiors, or the touching platinum
Common on greeting cards and dorm room posters, black-eyed Susans, known as an "aggressive perennial" (translation: a nuisance), are underappreciated. They bloom their hearts out from June to October--that's nearly half the year, folks!--and then, as the petals fade and fall, the center turns into
What makes the Alphasmart Neo interesting is what it doesn't do. It's a word processor--a full-sized keyboard with a six-line LCD screen--and that's all. For writers like me who can't stand writing longhand but fall prey to the seductions of the computer
Besides appreciating certain olfactory delights on their own merits, I am a normal neurotic American, bombarded with commercial messages about personal malodorousness: breath, body, foot, hair, and clothing, not to mention my indulgence in what is to some the anti-social habit of smoking cigars. Thus, I approve of Kiehl'
Peanut butter, banana, and honey. What could possibly flatter this tercet of deliciousness? I’ll tell you: pork fat. In a peanut butter, banana, honey, and bacon sandwich, your taste buds begin with the sweet, kind crunch of peanut butter and conclude with the savory, ineffable joy of bacon. After
For years, I have eaten yogurt every morning--Dannon's Fruit on the Bottom, Yoplait's Original strawberry. All I can say is: Never again. Recently, I tried Fage Total Greek yogurt, and I'm hooked. It's like the gold standard of dairy--tangy, tart, creamy, smooth.
If you want to know how European capitalists spend their copious amounts of disposable income and leisure time there is no more entertaining source than the Saturday Financial Times. The FT Weekend section has excellent coverage of books, music, film, art, theater, fashion, architecture, wine, food, and travel, all from
No doubt in the future all our food will come out of pouches and packets, obviating the need for Cuisinart, All-Clad, and Wusthof doo-dads. My trusty rice cooker has been shelved since I discovered Zatarain's microwaveable rice pouches, 10 flavors ready in 60 seconds. Straight from New Orleans
Aunt Trudy's potato salad lasts about nine seconds in your mouth, but the fork you used to put it there will still be in a landfill after all your kids are dead. Ditch the plastic and try using biodegradable tableware made from corn and potato resins. After lunch,
Enough of mall-rat Yankees gear. Show some style with replica baseball clothing from Ebbets Field Flannels. So money but you don't even know it? Try a Hollywood Stars jersey on for size. If Che Guevara is more your thing, go for the Havana Cienfuegos, motto: "The Elephant&
A few weeks ago, I bought a curious Japanese tea set at a flea market. When you hold the tiny teacups to the light, you see a ghostly image of a geisha impressed in the porcelain at the bottom. I've since learned that these are Lithophane cups, produced
My antipathy to all forms of conditioning (excepting a moderate amount of the physical) means I am a, uh, proponent of fans as cooling devices. One of my recent discoveries is the Holmes Blizzard Oscillating Grill Power Fan, which has--get this--a remote control, a timer, and various speed and oscillation
McDonald's sucks, right? It makes you fat. The burgers are mediocre. It turns good American teens into pimply trolls who know nothing but the Fryolator. Fine. I'll give you all that. But give me this: McDonald's sells the best-tasting Diet Coke ever. Cold, just
Want to impress those bougie jerks down at the marina? Skip the overhand knots and girth hitches favored by landlubbers. The proper way to moor your skiff is with a clove hitch. It only takes a few minutes to learn, and no amount of wind or waves will shake it
An Alessi teapot designed by Michael Graves sits atop my stove as a grave marker to my past affluence--Graves claims that he began to design for Target because he couldn't afford his own products. But I doubt $20 can buy you a better package of form and function
Long grass, shiny grass, waxen grass, flaxen grass, public grass, private grass, grass that's fresh on the lawn, grass in a field you've just sat on, grass that's old, grass that's new, grass that's borrowed, and grass that's
Looking to add a little adult action to your drab kitchen rut? Short of becoming a real naked chef—something I don’t advise; you can suffer some nasty ass burns—pick up a box of Scharffen Berger cacao nibs. Roasted, shelled, and chopped, these crunchy beans can be added
Syndicate Design’s cards are so pretty you'll want to send a letter to everyone you know. Or at least the people you like. Printed by Aardvark Letterpress, Syndicate chooses gorgeous papers and rich inks to match clean, clever, and often offbeat designs. Buy a few of their
