“Is it all right?” asks the tasting room bartender Chris, looking down quizzically at my barely touched vodka shot. “It’s fantastic,” I tell him. “Just pacing myself.” He pours the rest out, but he’s not happy about it. And it really is a damn fine vodka, a vodka to put Goose-swillers in their place, a […]
Amy Stewart
Posted inEat + Drink
Mason Jar Cocktails
“I hear you’ve got mojitos in there,” a friend said, looking down at my tote bag. We were in Blue Lake waiting in line for Mary Jane: The Musical. “Shhhh. Don’t say that so loud, or everybody will want one.” I had more than mojitos in my bag. I had three mason jars filled with […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
May 26-31
May 26. Your horoscope: For a moment, upon awakening, it will seem as if the songs of birds make perfect sense. They will appear to be singing in English, and this will not seem strange at all. You will be surprised, as you listen to their conversations, at how even-handed and considerate birds are. […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
May 19-25
May 19. Anyone who has raised baby chicks knows that, at the slightest touch, they let out a little squawk. Each chick’s squawk comes at a different pitch, and while it may be tempting to line them up and play them like a xylophone, this will soon tire the chicks and equip them no […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
May 12-18
May 12. A serif is a typographical term for the little ledge at the end of a letter’s stroke. A typeface is classified as either serif or sans serif, depending on whether these small structures are included in the construction of the letter. Times is a serif font; Arial is not. May 13. Looter, retool. […]
Posted inNews
Wicked Popular
Bestselling author and superstar Journal contributor Amy Stewart has been on a whirlwind nationwide tour with her latest book, Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects. She’ll be back in town in time for the official book launch party this Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. at Eureka Books, the […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
May 5-11
May 5. The planet you are currently occupying will pass through the debris of Haley’s Comet tonight and tomorrow. This year’s Eta Aquarids meteor shower takes place across a dark sky, so up to 40 to 50 meteors will be visible per hour if conditions are ideal. May 6. Unless you own a greenhouse […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
April 28-May 4
April 28. Birthdate, in 1758, of James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States and the third to die on the Fourth of July. April 29. A punch called a glogg can be made by heating a bottle of port, a bottle of burgundy and a bottle of the caraway-flavored spirit aquavit, along with […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
April 21-27
April 21. Sunset 8:03 p.m. The Lyrids meteor shower will peak tonight or tomorrow night, showing at best 20 meteors per hour. Seek clear skies away from the lights of the city. This is good advice generally but particularly when viewing meteor showers. April 22. We are always surprised to learn that there are still […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
April 14-20
April 14. To one and a half pounds of sprats, add a pound of raisins, a pinch each of lovage and oregano, a chopped onion, two glasses of white wine, and liquamen to taste. Thicken with corn flour and serve immediately. This “dish of small fish” was a popular meal in Roman times and remains […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
April 7-13
April 7. Ice makers are reminded that animal and vegetable impurities may turn up in improperly processed ice; they generally make themselves known by a disagreeable taste or odor within the core of the ice. April 8. The sun rises at 6:49 a.m. April 9. The possibility has arisen of a grafted tomato. Just as […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
April 1-6
April 1. For mink breeders, the month of April provides a welcome respite from the state of high agitation brought on by mating season. Although it is not strictly necessary to segregate the males from the females at the conclusion of their couplings, the females greatly prefer to see the males removed to as far […]