My specialties include general lifestyle, arts and culture, profiles, beauty, shelter/design, business and wellness. Note that some articles were written under my pseudonym, Pauline Estrem.
Halle Berry on Her New Wellness App and Continuing to Open Doors for Actresses of Color
For Halle Berry, 1989 was a major turning point both personally and professionally — specifically, her role as Emily Franklin on the ABC series Living Dolls. Not only does the Oscar and Emmy winner consider it her breakthrough role, but it was also a pivotal moment for her health. One day, while taping the show, Berry, then 32, suddenly fell into a coma. Soon after, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The Best Wine and Chocolate Pairings
For those looking to get in the mood for Valentine’s Day, is there anything better than wine and chocolate? Both are rich, indulgent — and considered aphrodisiacs.
Everything You Wanted to Know About Plant-Based Milk
If you’re getting in line for a latte each time your favorite coffee chain adds a new plant-based milk to its menu, you’re not alone. These dairy alternatives are more popular than ever, and the global market for non-dairy milk is expected to reach more than $38 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate of more than 14 percent from 2018 to 2024, according to a March 2019 report by Arizton Advisory and Intelligence.
Nancy Silverton Proves Covid Can’t Keep a Good Chef Down
While 2020 was undoubtedly a tough year for everyone, it was extra challenging for Nancy Silverton. The Michelin star chef not only had to close her restaurants because of the pandemic — several of which were vandalized during unrest in June — but she came down with Covid-19 in March before authorities could get any sort of handle on the situation.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sustainable Wine
Natural. Organic. Sustainable. Biodynamic. When you’re trying to eat healthily and shop green, you’ll find food and drink with all kinds of labels to get your attention. One of these terms is empty marketing speak (ahem, “natural”) to grab your dollar, while the others speak to a code, a system of standards and beliefs that the producers ascribe to religiously because of its environmental and social benefits.
Olympian Alexi Pappas Defines Bravery on Her Own Terms
The New York Times called her a “renaissance runner.” The Hollywood Reporter described her as a “blend of Audrey Hepburn and Joan Cusack.” As an Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker, and writer, Alexi Pappas can be hard to define — and that’s just the way she likes it.
Keep Warm and Boost Your Health This Winter With Tea
Wars have been fought over it. Some varieties cost more than gold. And it’s been prized across the globe for its health benefits for millennia.
Tea has an important and deep-seated place in our world. The beverage is an institution in Western and Eastern cultures alike, with ingrained rituals like British high tea and the Japanese tea ceremony that have been cherished and carried on for generations.
10 Fair Trade Coffee and Tea Brands to Keep You Warm This Winter
If caffeine has been the only thing keeping you going this year — or you just enjoy the occasional cup — you might want to look into where and how your coffee or tea is produced. Just like many question the providence of their salmon or apples these days, eco-friendly and socially conscious consumers should also check if their favorite coffee or tea is Fair Trade.
With roots stretching back to 1958, fair trade is a global movement of “producers, companies, consumers, advocates and organizatio...
Christina Tosi Celebrates Nostalgia in Her New Cookbook
Christina Tosi was utterly giddy to talk about her new cookbook, Milk Bar: Kids Only, when I spoke to her over the phone recently.
“I just got my hands on the cookbook yesterday,” says the celebrity chef. “I was laying in bed, being like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s here! It’s happening!’ in a really sweet, fun, playful, celebratory way.”
That childlike spirit, which resounds throughout her new children’s cookbook, is a hallmark of Tosi’s character and career. The two-time James Beard Award-winning che...
Delivering Pizza to Voters at the Polls
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of pizza — those are the core tenets of Pizza to the Polls, a nonprofit that’s raised $490,000 and delivered 16,500 pizzas to 2,500 polling places since 2016, keeping voters fed and motivated while waiting in line.
Marcus Samuelsson's New Cookbook Reminds Us That Black Cuisine Matters
Part cookbook, part history book, part chronicle of today’s Black chefs, Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s new book, The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, is an ode to the complexity of Black cuisine. Released on October 27, it’s also a call for society to recognize the contributions of this cuisine, a mission standing on three pillars: “authorship of our food and rituals; memory of history, where we started, and where we’ve gone; and aspiration for the future.”
Now Is The Time For Comfort Food, Says Ina Garten
If there were ever a time to embrace comfort food, this is it. That’s the opinion of TV personality and best-selling author Ina Garten, who just happens to have a new book on the subject, Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, released on October 6.
But don’t think she’s exploiting the moment: The host of Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network came up with the idea two years ago.
David Chang Lays All His Cards on the Table
In 2020, it’s easy to feel like we’re living in a dystopian tale, and many of us are in survival mode. We naturally look to food, water, safety, clean air, masks, jobs, and healthcare for sustenance. But we also look to stories to keep us going. We at Shondaland understand the power of storytelling because that’s what we do. We also know the power of a good book. Now more than ever, we realize their importance to help us feel connected and comforted during trying times. With that in mind, we ...
The Rise of Canned Wine
Like most business owners, Alix Peabody, CEO and founder of Bev, a canned wine company in Los Angeles, was anxious when the pandemic hit. Her direct-to-consumer vino had just started selling in Target and grocery stores, and she worried that momentum would come to a screeching halt.
In ‘Superman’s Not Coming,’ Erin Brockovich Says We Need to Be Our Own Heroes
It’s been 20 years since the movie Erin Brockovich hit theaters, telling the true story of an inexperienced legal clerk and single mom who helped residents of Hinkley, California, win a $333 million class-action lawsuit against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 1996 for contaminating area groundwater. Julia Roberts won an Oscar for her portrayal of the titular character, and Brockovich became a household name.