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Dear Reader, We (in the United States) have a complex and convoluted relationship with alcohol. At the dawn of our nation, alcohol was seen as a far more sanitary alternative to water and a healthy digestive aid. In 1830, drinking-aged Americans consumed an average of 7.1 gallons of pure alcohol a year, which is extraordinary... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, “What do Al Gore and Mount Pinatubo have in common?” This is one of the many questions that economist Steven D. Levitt and writer Stephen J. Dubner answer in their hit book SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance. SuperFreakonomics like its predecessor Freakonomics explores how the... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Overconfidence in one’s abilities is the surest way to make a mistake. Over these past few weeks, I have been baking as a way to entertain myself in my self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. In the span of about a month, I have made banana bread (more here), flat bread (more here), and... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Are you working 100% online now because of the pandemic? I am, and I have been for about a month now (jeez!). If I might ask, how are you doing? While I am working the exact same number of hours at work, I sometimes feel more fatigued after a virtual day than an... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Aren’t we all life-long learners? Well, I am at least when it comes to baking. I often experiment when I am in the kitchen, not because I’m advanced, but because I often do not have all of the required ingredients. Sometimes when I experiment in this way, I am pleasantly surprised (more here),... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How long have you been self-isolating? I have been limiting my movement to essential trips (only two to the grocery store) and exercise outside. At the time of this writing, most U.S. states are under shelter-in-place orders (meaning that all non-essential businesses are closed) and stay-at-home orders (meaning that people are advised to... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How are you doing on groceries nowadays? With the ongoing pandemic, I have not been shopping in over three weeks. Needless to say, my supplies are dwindling. Regardless, I have been craving sugar and was wondering whether I could bake something with my meager collection of ingredients. I found plenty of recipes for... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How is it that one person can look like a college student and the other middle-aged while both are in their early 30s? Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel get to the bottom of aging in their book The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer. Telomeres are the... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Sometimes the most important things to us are also the most fragile. At least, this is the case for me and my iPhone. Have you ever been without your phone for a day or more due to damage or repair? If you are like me, during these periods you have probably realized the... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, In a black and white world of leaders and followers, in the kitchen, I am a follower. Many of us, like myself, take joy in following recipes to bake something delicious, however, far fewer of us are the ones out there writing our own cookbooks. While I have zero aspirations to make baking... Continue Reading →
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