How to Get Rid of a Hangnail

Q: I get frequent hangnails — and they hurt. Is there anything I can do to speed up the healing process? A bad hangnail can ruin your day. Swelling, throbbing, tenderness — that tiny skin tear can cause considerable pain. “There are a lot of nerve endings in the fingers, so the skin is very…

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A Japanese Festival of Fire and Spirits

As the sun peeked out from the cloudy sky in Kyoto, Japan, monks wearing vests trimmed with pompoms and the black box-like headdresses known as tokin were being quizzed in front of Mibu Dera, one of the oldest temples in the city. These were the Yamabushi (mountain hermits), part of a Buddhist sect known as…

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How Crudités Became an Art Form

The New York-based private chef Yann Nury has a simple strategy for transforming unadorned produce into showstopping canapés. “It’s all about finding the most unique vegetable,” says the 40-year-old Frenchman, “and making it a star.” At the events he caters for clients, shiny orange Sungold tomatoes masquerade as gumballs in Austrian crystal candy dishes; vivid…

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