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Baking bread is an easy and satisfying gift to yourself

Daily Bread by Anna Herman It is hard to improve upon the fresh bread available from so many excellent local bakeries. But you can come close, and few things are as magical as transforming flour, water and salt into fragrant loaves—so it is worth your time to try. Whether turning out unleavened, hand-rolled flatbreads, or

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2 mins read
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From Covingtons to Beauregards, sweet potatoes hit the spot

Sweet Potatoes by Peggy Paul Casella They might not be as flashy as other super foods, but sweet potatoes pack a serious nutritional punch, and have impressive concentrations of fiber, potassium and other essential nutrients. Most notably, sweet potatoes are one of the most potent natural sources of beta-carotene and other pigment-related antioxidants, which have

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2 mins read

Personal Essay: How decluttering your home can enrich your neighborhood

Illustration by James Olstein Buy Nothing, Gain Everything by Susan Corcoran About two years ago, I realized that every time I walked into my apartment I felt anxious and unfulfilled. Things I didn’t use were everywhere. I was always questioning why I had so much when it caused me nothing but stress. I first tried

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3 mins read

How keeping up can hold us down

Enough is Enough by Heather Shayne Blakeslee I very briefly nannied for a couple on the upper West Side of Manhattan—let’s call them Sarah and John. I once listened to them argue in front of me, in French, over the welfare of a child’s hat that had been purchased in Paris.  It was maybe eight

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2 mins read

Load up your bag with these robust winter vegetables

Market Watch: Heavy Hitters by Peggy Paul Casella Winter Squash (acorn, buttercup, butternut, hubbard, kabocha, spaghetti and turban) Unlike their mild-tempered cousins of summer, winter squash have thick, inedible skins, hard seeds and dense, nonporous flesh that must be cooked before eating. They also come in all shapes and sizes: the short and squatty butternut

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2 mins read

Personal Essay: Our Mayor reflects on the city he loves

Illustration by Corey Brickley Greater, Better, More Beautiful by Michael A. Nutter I have spent my whole life in Philadelphia. This is my place in the world. As my two terms of mayor come to an end, I think back to the Philadelphia I knew as a child and as a young man in the

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2 mins read

Robert Paarlberg talks about American exceptionalism, combating climate change

Illustration by James Heimer Stars, Stripes and Sea Level Rise by Heather Shayne Blakeslee Your book is titled The United States of Excess: Gluttony and the Dark Side of American Exceptionalism. What is “American Exceptionalism”? RP: It’s the assertion that America is very different from other advanced industrial countries because of our unique history as

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5 mins read