Tag: Life & Tradition

Good Samaritans Rescue Distressed Woman Preparing to Jump From Bridge in Massachusetts

Seeing a distressed woman who had climbed over a railing of a bridge in West Springfield, Massachusetts, a number of good Samaritans stopped their cars and rushed to her aid, pulling her to safety and possibly saving her life. The civilians have since been recognized by Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood, and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno,…


VIDEO: Dolphin Spots Shark Circling Near Scuba Divers—Amazingly Tries to ‘Protect’ Them

Footage of a dolphin “protecting” a pair of divers from a shark circling nearby has gone viral—reinforcing the amazing connection that can form between humans and these remarkable marine mammals. Diver Kayleigh Grant of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, was diving a couple of miles off the coast on Oct. 21, 2020, when she found herself in the…


Shrimp Pasta With a Special Ingredient

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the United States. These slightly sweet, mild-flavored crustaceans are full of interesting science. Take a deep dive into these fascinating facts. They Change Color When They Cook Most raw shrimp are a gray-black color. But when you cook them, they turn pink. Why the color change? Shrimp contain…


Amateur Diver Finds Encrusted Sword From the Crusades Believed to Be 900 Years Old off Coast of Israel

A sword believed to have belonged to a crusader who sailed to the Holy Land almost a millennium ago has been recovered from the Mediterranean seabed, thanks to an eagle-eyed amateur diver, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said on Monday, Oct. 18. Though encrusted with marine organisms, the meter-long blade, hilt, and handle were distinctive enough to…


3 Hearty Tuscan Soups to Celebrate the Return of Soup Season

I can tell autumn has arrived when I’m welcomed by a chill when I go downstairs in the morning to open the windows; when I fish out my heavier scarves from the wardrobe to protect myself from the cold wind; when apples, pears, chestnuts, mushrooms, and squashes begin to crowd the market stalls. But most…


Cacciucco di Ceci (Tuscan Chickpea and Chard Soup)

The most famous cacciucco is a coastal cucina povera fish soup from Livorno, made from the smallest and least valuable fish leftover on the fishing boat or unsold at fish counters. Cacciucco di ceci, however, is not a fish soup, but one defined by chickpeas and chard. If not for a salt-packed anchovy melted into…


Tuscan Potato, Porcini, and Chestnut Soup

This soup from southern Tuscany is quintessentially autumn, starring two of the season’s most representative ingredients: chestnuts and mushrooms. I picked it from the very traditional menu of a trattoria in Monte Amiata, an ancient and now dormant volcano that dominates the surrounding landscapes: the Val d’Orcia, Bolsena lake, the Chianti hills, and the Maremma…


Carabaccia (Florentine Onion Soup)

The fight between Florentines and the French for the paternity of certain culinary classics, such as duck in orange sauce and crepes, is destined to have no winner. Whether it was Catherine de Medici who brought them from Florence to France, or on the contrary, French gastronomy that inspired Florentine cooks, the delicious results are…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Life of Pi’: The Forging of Faith

One of the (very few) problems with this film is that it’s primarily a coming-of-age story.


Book Review: Beauty, Delight, Wisdom: Blown Away by ‘The Critical Temper’

Joy comes in many guises. A proposal of marriage, a promotion at work after two years of putting in extra time and effort, the birth of a child: These can leave us walking on air with a smile as big as the crescent moon. Even transitory delights—the gap-toothed grin of a 7-year-old, an unexpected gift…