Whether you’re back at the office, still working from the couch or you never did WFH in the first place, a travel mug is still a work essential. Travel mugs eliminate waste from single-use paper or plastic cups, and many travel mugs have the added benefit of keeping your brew hotter for longer. But not all travel mugs are created equal. Some leak, while others don’t insulate as well as advertised. That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best travel mugs to buy online. Besides the quality differences, there’s also a lot of variation in style and function. Stainless steel thermoses can keep coffee hot for hours and the good ones won’t leak, but they don’t always offer the...
In what feels like another lifetime, I used to purchase cocktail party dresses with no specific occasion in mind. I remember dropping by Neiman’s in Chevy Chase Pavilion (RIP) and Intermix in Georgetown and raiding the sale sections on a regular basis in search of cute little numbers from Milly, Shoshanna, and Amanda Uprichard in particular. It was not uncommon for me to buy something too big because it was on sale but not available in my size, and then take it to the excellent tailor on Wisconsin Avenue, just next to Vicky’s Nail Salon. She would often tsk at my decisions — “this is way too big!” — but then work her magic. A good tailor can absolutely transform...
One of the most beautiful and coolest movie stars of all time, Paul Newman always wanted to be known as more than a pair of astonishing blue eyes. With a career that lasted 50 years, tracing Newman's movies will give you a good grounding in the cinematic history of the second half of the 20th century, and will take you through a wide range of genres, showing how acting styles and filmmaking in general evolved over time. Picking up the mantle from James Dean after his death — like Dean, he also trained at the Actors Studio — Newman initially played a succession of rebellious young hot-heads who railed against the older generation, although he also appeared in westerns, sports movies,...
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…cookies. Because again, no to birds and yes to cookies! And again, I’m pretty sure Santa would agree. Today’s cookie is one that I’ve been contemplating for a long time. Contemplating, but not doing anything about it because it is a flavor profile I find disgusting and thus it was really hard to get motivated to do it. However, a few weeks ago I was in line at Duane Reade (aka Walgreens if you’re not in NYC) and there in front of me was a whole display of holiday Hershey’s kiss flavors. It seemed fate was slapping me in the face. Begrudgingly, I grabbed the nearest bag of Candy...
Vicky WasikFritto misto di mare is classic coastal Italian fare, served at seaside restaurants all over the peninsula. It’s a dish that embodies the “don’t mess with a good thing” approach that Italian cuisine is famous for: locally caught seafood is lightly floured, fried, and served with just a squeeze of lemon. This version, known as a frittura di paranza in Campania and other parts of Southern Italy, features crispy shell-on shrimp, tender squid, and small whole fish. Paired with a chilled Falanghina, it's a dinner party showstopper.Sourcing the right seafood is arguably the hardest part of this recipe. There are no set rules for what must be included, but the dish is meant to evoke the bounty hauled in...
