When we’re pawing into a rack of ribs, it’s easy to think of them as being disembodied from the pigs themselves, perfectly butchered and portioned somewhere outside of our consciousness and simply appearing, grilled/smoked/barbecued and sauced, on a platter in front of us. Here’s the reality: pigs are animals, and they have ribs. These ribs, when divided horizontally, are made up of two types of cuts: baby back ribs and spare ribs. Let’s explore the differences, shall we? Baby back r read more

When we’re pawing into a rack of ribs, it’s easy to think of them as being disembodied from the pigs thems read more

Summer is over, Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and we’re all feeling the sting of being back at work. But is that creeping feeling paralyzing you at your desk the result of poison, or of venom? Let’s find out! The term “venomous” applies to organisms that bite or sting to inject their toxins, while the term “poisonous” applies to organisms that unleash their toxins when you eat them. That means that most snakes, contrary to popular belief, are venomous, not poisonous—wit read more

Summer is over, Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and we’re all feeling the sting of being back at work. read more

We’re all familiar with the delights of a hand-held, deep-fried, cylindrical packet of meat and vegetables, primed for dipping into cold duck sauce or hot mustard and subsequently burning our mouths with. But do we know what we’re actually eating? Let’s find out! Spring rolls hail from China, and they have super-thin wrappers made from flour and water; these turn shatteringly crisp when fried. Their fillings usually include some combination of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and cabbage, a read more

We’re all familiar with the delights of a hand-held, deep-fried, cylindrical packet of meat and vegetables, read more

It’s officially late August, which means it is prime time for kicking back, cracking open a new book and a bottle of rose, and indulging in some leisure. And what better settings to leisure in than those of a porch, patio, or deck—particularly when you know exactly what kind of structure you’re reposing in, and can educate your fellow leisure-ers while they ignore you and attempt to read their Us Weekly in peace? Let’s start with the most strictly defined concept: the porch. A porch read more

It’s officially late August, which means it is prime time for kicking back, cracking open a new book and a b read more

We’ve all been there: face-up, couch-ridden, jumbo bag of potato chips or Tostitos or salty/carb-y snack of choice in hand, staring glassy-eyed at the ceiling or at the television or at the computer, contemplating life or heartbreak or truly nothing at all. But have you ever paused, mid-mastication, to muse: Is what I’m eating a crispyfood, or a crunchy food? Is the mechanical force of my jaw and its subsequent auditory output more in line with that of a crisp, or a crunch? No? You haven read more

We’ve all been there: face-up, couch-ridden, jumbo bag of potato chips or Tostitos or salty/carb-y snack of read more

Sometimes, we think we know things. Sometimes, some things are such a part of the fabric of our lives and our history and our surroundings that our sense of rightness about a certain topic feels almost innate. And yet sometimes, we are wrong. My dear readers, this might be one of those times—buckle up. You probably know a Jew or two—you might even be a Jew yourself. But even being a New York Jew does not make you pre-programmed to know the differences between lox, Nova, and smoked salmo read more

Sometimes, we think we know things. Sometimes, some things are such a part of the fabric of our lives and our read more

If you subscribe to this newsletter, you probably love to learn. You’re definitely smart. And you, like me, probably spend approximately zero time thinking about the difference between trash and garbage. Whatever—it’s just stuff you throw out! But this newsletter is here to make life a little more exciting, and what’s more exciting than taking the things we deal with every day—like trash and garbage—and becoming more informed about them?? Right?? So to answer one of life’s m read more

If you subscribe to this newsletter, you probably love to learn. You’re definitely smart. And you, like me, read more

There are few crustaceans as misunderstood as the shrimp and the prawn. Some people think they’re the same thing; others think they differ only by size; others think they’re simply called different things in different countries, or regions, or states. And yet: all of these people are wrong! Shrimp and prawns are completely different creatures. Yes, they’re both decapods—which means they have external skeletons and 10 legs—but that’s where the similarities end. Shrimp belong to the read more

There are few crustaceans as misunderstood as the shrimp and the prawn. Some people think they’re the same t read more

Psh, you might be thinking. This is a lame one. I totally know the difference between a pond and a lake. I just swam in one this weekend, for God’s sake! I dove into its cool waters after manning the grill all day! I drank a bottle of ice-cold rose while lounging lazily on a swan-shaped float positioned on its very surface! This is a dumb newsletter! Sorry to burst your bubble, folks, but to cut to the chase: THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. Let’s get into it. Scientists in the field of limi read more

Psh, you might be thinking. This is a lame one. I totally know the difference between a pond and a lake. I j read more

Welcome to What’s the Difference: FROZEN DESSERTS EDITION. This is such a rich category that it could easily be divided up into multiple weeks, but why should you be deprived of the pleasure of absorbing all of this textured knowledge all at once? It’s getting hot over here, and whatever frozen dessert we’re eating is starting to melt, so let’s get right into it—starting with: ICE CREAM VS. GELATO VS. FROZEN YOGURT There are lots of variations in the ice cream category—and read more

Welcome to What’s the Difference: FROZEN DESSERTS EDITION. This is such a rich category that it could easily read more