(Not So) Cute Animals Whatever your feelings are about god turtles, know that the Yangtze soft-shell turtle, or Rafetus swinhoei, is definitely real. Just very rare. But this year, their known population in Vietnam suddenly doubled. Which brings their population… to two. Great hero turtleTake your curtain call and fleeBut please leave the sword! Haiku for Cu Rua Giant soft-shell turtles have played a part of Vietnam for a couple…

Even the casual observer of the foodie universe can’t have missed Peru’s meteoric rise of the last several years: the global proliferation of pisco bars and cevicherias; the first Peruvian showing in the top five of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (by a chef who’s also earned a Michelin star in London and a Chef’s Table episode on Netflix); and, of course, the publication of the all-important Phaidon tome.  And…

1. Why is it a Joshua tree? Botanists call it Yucca brevifolia, a member of the asparagus family, but it has collected many names over time. Mormon settlers in southern Utah nicknamed it “the Joshua,” supposedly because the striking, human-like form was reminiscent of the biblical Joshua reaching up to the sky. The Cahuilla tribe called it “hunuvat chiy’a” and used the leaves as a source of fibers for ropes…

We’ve all heard the stories of Medusa, Aphrodite, and Persephone — the monster, the love kitten and the damsel-in-distress — but there’s much more to the divine feminine than rage, beauty and helplessness. It doesn't matter if you're male or female. All of us have the potential of an inner goddess – a mixture of an internal guide and mentor – that we can learn about from other cultures. But…

“What are you?” I get this question at least once a day from Lyft drivers, store clerks and sometimes friends who have finally summoned the nerve to ask. On most occasions, it doesn’t come from a place of confrontation, but rather a place of confusion. The human brain loves patterns. Even as seasoned travelers who thrive in the unknown, our subconscious minds are constantly searching for fragments of the familiar…

I haven’t always thought of beer as an underdog. But that’s why I became a beer expert. When I moved to Portland, Oregon, from Salt Lake City, I noticed an incredible range of beer at the grocery store: piney IPAs, smooth stouts and refreshing pilsners. So I started writing about beer. As I learned more about the complexities of the drink – the ingredients, brewing techniques  and history – I…