Matador Network's Blog, page 743

Thanksgiving dinner in Hawaii

Many Americans agree on the fundamentals of a classic Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, and at least one starchy side. Pie is non-negotiable. Booze will invariably flow.

Yet whether that bird is roasted or fried, whether you call it dressing or stuffing, or whether your grandma’s yams skew savory or sweet depends on where you’re sitting down to dinner. And debates over which regional Thanksgiving menu is the most classic will probably rage for as long as there’s a fourth Thursday in November. At least in the contiguous United States.

Thanksgiving in Hawaii looks different. Poke, sashimi, and poi are likely to grace the table. Macaroni salad is more popular than green bean casserole. And pineapple may well be served in place of cranberry. Even the fundamentals that anchor both mainland and island menus are imbued with Hawaii’s distinct history, climate, and rich culinary heritage.

From a show-stopping bird that gets buried underground to pumpkin pie like you won’t find elsewhere, these local, multicultural dishes put a delicious spin on the Thanksgiving classics.

The bird: kālua turkey

Photo: Charles H Uahinui/Shutterstock

In Hawaii, festive meals revolve around underground ovens called imus. People dig large pits, build a fire at the base to heat lava rocks, line the pit with banana and ti leaves, and cover the oven with dirt and sand to create a low-and-slow steamer used to prepare everything from whole pigs and fish to taro and breadfruit. Travelers may recognize kālua pig as the typical lūʻau centerpiece, though the term kālua refers to any food that’s been baked underground in an imu.

Much like on the mainland, turkey takes center stage at Hawaiian Thanksgiving feasts. Kālua turkey, that is. In an article for the Washington Post, Sara Kehaulani Goo describes the “island-style” holiday staple as not only delicious and nostalgic but also significant, noting how it “marries Hawaiian culture with an American tradition.” According to Goo, once the meat is separated from the bone and shredded until it resembles pulled pork, kālua turkey should be served alongside “short-grain rice to offset the saltiness.”

Others abide by different rituals. For writer Lanai Tabura, family tradition dictates that kālua turkey be stuffed with Portuguese sausage and seasoned with Hawaiian salt before being buried. Some recipes incorporate brines made from pineapple juice and soy sauce. And while most islanders will agree there’s nothing like a proper kālua turkey, plenty of families take an easier approach, opting to use liquid smoke and an indoor oven to approximate the flavor.

The stuffing: lap cheong, linguiça, or sweet roll

Photo: King’s Hawaiian/Facebook

Stuffing may be the most divisive Thanksgiving dish. At the very least, its ingredients list is among the most variable. Some swear by French bread and oysters. Others favor cornbread and bacon. Add in fresh or dried fruit, assorted nuts, other proteins, and a pantry full of herbs, and it’s easy to see how every family has its own idea of what stuffing should be.

In Hawaii alone, there are at least three iterations of the indispensable dish, each of which showcases the state’s culinary heritage. Pork sausage pops up in most stuffing recipes, with some calling for lap cheong and others linguiça, which were brought over from China and Portugal, respectively. Immigrants are credited with introducing both ingredients to Hawaii around the 19th century: Chinese immigrants brought Cantonese cuisine, bringing not only dim sum and noodle soup to the island, but also the smoky and sweet dried sausage known in Cantonese as lap cheong. Meanwhile, Portuguese immigrants introduced linguiça, a mild pork sausage, to the local cuisine alongside foods like salted fish and sweet bread.

Portugal’s influence on Hawaiian baking is also evident in the state’s obsession with sweet rolls, another ingredient that can be used to make stuffing. In the 1950s, Japanese-Hawaiian baker Robert Taira launched Robert’s Bakery, selling loaves of Portuguese-inspired sweet bread that would become the foundation of the beloved King’s Hawaiian brand. According to a recipe on the King’s Hawaiian website, the Original Hawaiian Sweet Bread can be combined with cornbread stuffing, Portuguese sausage and pork sausage roll, onions, celery, apples, and chicken broth to create a Thanksgiving-ready stuffing worthy of kālua turkey.

The side: Okinawa sweet potatoes

Photo: wasanajai/Shutterstock

Bright orange sweet potatoes make an appearance on most mainland Thanksgiving tables, with or without the controversial marshmallow topping. Sweet potatoes feature on holiday menus in Hawaii, too, albeit with a colorful twist: They’re probably bright purple.

The story behind these purple potatoes traces back to Central and South America, where sweet potatoes originated. Though European explorers from the Columbus era are often cited as introducing the root vegetable to the New World, anthropologists have found evidence that Polynesians acquired sweet potatoes from the Americas hundreds of years prior, around 1000 AD, according to NPR. It was not until the root veggie made its way to Japan that the purple color was cultivated on Okinawa island, however. Polynesians later brought this purple sweet potato to Hawaii where it has flourished in the volcanic soil ever since.

Okinawa sweet potatoes are central to the Hawaiian diet year-round, so much so that they’re now known as Hawaiian sweet potatoes across the islands. Thanksgiving preparations vary, from casseroles and soups to simple mashed, roasted, or steamed dishes. Purple sweet potatoes may also be used to make lau lau, a classic Hawaiian dish made of ti-leaf-wrapped pork and butterfish. Lau lau is commonly served at lūʻaus, as well as holidays like Thanksgiving.

The pie: haupia pumpkin or macadamia nut

Photo: Leigh Anne Meeks/Shutterstock

Pumpkin or pecan: Everyone has an opinion on the ultimate Thanksgiving pie.

Both pumpkin and nut fillings make for popular holiday pies in Hawaii, though neither looks quite like it does on the mainland. Take pumpkin pie: Eaters will recognize flavors like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, but many Hawaiians also throw haupia in the mix, lending the sweet treat a coconut-like flavor. A popular dessert in its own right, haupia is a gelatinous pudding made from coconut milk and arrowroot or cornstarch, resembling desserts like Italy’s panna cotta and France’s blancmange. When it’s not being mixed with pumpkin puree, haupia might also be blended with chocolate or purple sweet potatoes before being smoothed into a pie crust.

Pecan pie, on the other hand, takes a backseat to macadamia nut pie. After all, Hawaii hosted the world’s first commercial macadamia nut farm after a British plant collector and sugarcane plantation investor by the name of William Purvis introduced the species to the Big Island from Australia in the late 19th century. Today, macadamia nut pie is an all-time island favorite.

Star ingredient aside, recipes for macadamia nut pie are similar to those for pecan pie. Both incorporate corn syrup to get that irresistible, ooey-gooey filling. Should you decide to try this pie at home this Thanksgiving, remember to toast your macadamias for the ultimate nutty flavor.

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Miami Beach aqua sculpture park

A new sculpture park is coming to Miami, but you’ll need to strap on a pair of flippers to see it. The OMA architecture firm is building a seven-mile-long underwater sculpture park off the shore of Miami Beach, with installations that can only be viewed by snorkeling.

The project, named ReefLine, has a primary purpose of raising awareness of the way climate change causes rising sea levels and coral reef damage in this part of Florida.

Shohei Shigematsu, who heads the architecture firm’s New York Office, told Dezeen, “The ReefLine is a unique project that brings attention to and mitigates the dangers of climate change in Miami Beach, while simultaneously enriching the city’s vivid art scene. We look forward to collaborating with a diverse group of experts and professionals on our first underwater cultural masterplan and sculpture.”

Photo: OMA

The ReefLine will consist of geometric concrete modules stacked 20 feet underwater and 900 feet offshore. They will extend seven miles from South Beach at the southern end of the city to the northern end. It’s also intended to serve as an artificial reef curbing the negative impact of climate change and creating an environment where marine life can thrive.

Photo: OMA

Argentinian curator Ximena Caminos told Dezeen, “The ReefLine will provide structure for corals and sponges to naturally colonize, adding biodiversity to an area that is currently an underwater desert of sand. In the future, we are looking into the feasibility of transplanting nursery grown corals to the structure from University of Miami’s Rescue-a-Reef programme.”

Construction will begin next year, and the first mile of the sculpture park is expected to be finished in 2021.

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New glass-domed train

A journey through the Rocky Mountains isn’t just a trip from point A to point B. It’s a ride you’ll want to savor as best you can by taking in all the views along the way. A new train route is designed to help passengers do just that. Courtesy of Rocky Mountaineer, the Rockies to the Red Rocks journey will begin operating in August 2021, bringing passengers from Denver, Colorado, to Moab, Utah, through the Rocky Mountains and Utah’s iconic natural arches, stopping overnight in Colorado’s Glenwood Springs.

Photo: Rocky Mountaineer/Facebook

Rocky Mountaineer is known for its glass-domed trains and outdoor viewing platforms. Its aim is to highlight stunning landscapes along the way.

Photo: Rocky Mountaineer/Facebook

Rocky Mountaineer President and CEO Steve Sammut said in a press release, “The work to find a new route has been underway for several years. We needed to find a special location with many of the same features we have in Western Canada [where the company three between Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper] — incredible scenery, iconic destinations, and the option for an all daytime, multi-day journey that is best experienced by train.”

A two-day trip starts at $1,250 per person, including a one-night hotel stay in Glenwood Springs. Forty departures are being planned between August 15, 2021, and October 23, 2021, so now there’s even more reason to get excited about next year.

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Positive sustainability news

This is The Climate Win, the most positive sustainability news around the world every week.

Two weeks ago, Matador covered news that solar power is officially the world’s cheapest source of energy. This was based on data showing that solar farms are cheaper to build than other types of power plants.

A reader raised an interesting question: While solar power plants may be cheaper to build, is solar power cheaper to produce and deliver to the power grid on an ongoing basis, in comparison to other forms of power?

Let’s take a look.

The productivity of power generation, and the cost to produce that power, is measured in megawatt-hours. One megawatt-hour is equivalent to powering 650 homes for one hour. According to a recent New York Times report, one megawatt-hour of solar power delivered to the grid costs between $31 and $111 to produce and deliver. Other sources have placed that cost at around $50 per megawatt-hour on average. 2020 numbers put natural gas at $59 per megawatt-hour, and a study by the Energy Information Administration, released by the state of Michigan, analyzed 2013 costs at the rate of a megawatt-hour of natural gas at about $65.

So while the cost of natural gas power production has decreased slightly in the past several years, the cost of solar power production has decreased at a far greater rate, upward of 80 percent in the past decade alone. Given that renewable energy and natural gas have both doubled in the last decade as a percentage of total power sources in the US grid — to 20 and 40 percent, respectively — the cost of renewable energy is clearly dropping more quickly. At this rate, we can expect solar to become significantly less expensive per megawatt-hour than natural gas within the decade.

Other costs to consider are labor and extraction. Once a solar farm has been installed, it essentially runs itself — although there are of course ongoing costs related to maintenance, compliance, and grid operations. Moreover, solar farms don’t require extraction of a non-renewable resource (the sun isn’t going to stop shining any time soon), which requires labor and other costs related to the process. Because it’s taking its power from the sun instead of using materials extracted from the earth, solar power avoids “cleanup costs” and the potential for disaster — like the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill and countless other oil spills and natural gas leaks.

That said, utilities have repeatedly stated the need for an “on and off switch” when it comes to the electrical grid to ensure power is always available. Because solar and wind energy don’t produce 24 hours per day, the argument goes, natural gas power is needed at least as a backup for times of peak power usage or in the case of outages, emergencies, and so on. So-called “peaker plants” cost between $122 and $162 per megawatt-hour.

The renewable energy alternative to “peaker plants” is battery storage, a technology undergoing rapid development from companies like Tesla and many other companies focused specifically on solar power. Currently, solar and wind battery storage can run upward of $400 per megawatt-hour, vastly exceeding the cost of “peaker plants.” But this price is set to drop dramatically in the coming decade as technology advances. According to a report from asset management firm Lazard, battery storage of renewable energy will soon become one of the — if not the singular — most economically viable form of on-demand peak energy. So stored solar power will also be cheaper.

Effectively, the cost of producing solar power is cheaper than natural gas now, and its storage will become cheaper in the near future.

More climate wins

Costa Rica is asking travelers to offset their carbon footprint when traveling to the country. Through an easy-to-navigate portal on the country’s tourism website, international travelers can calculate the carbon emissions produced because of their travels and make a quick donation to an offset program to have those emissions taken from the atmosphere.

AZCentral reported this week that Arizona regulators approved a mandate that utilities must provide 100 percent carbon-free energy to consumers by 2050. But the deal came with a caveat. There are no specific renewable energy requirements, meaning nuclear energy can be used as well as “energy efficiency measures” to help residents reduce consumption.

McDonald’s unveiled its McPlant burger to the world, the first meatless entree option from the fast-food giant. Co-created with Beyond Meat, the plant-based burger will debut in 2021. To be sure, this in no way makes McDonald’s a “green” place to eat — but it gives consumers a way to enjoy the convenience McDonald’s provides without having to outright endorse unsustainable animal agriculture practices.

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Scotland bans entering and leaving

If you thought a 10-person limit at Thanksgiving dinner was tough, try living in Scotland. As of tonight at 6:00 PM local time, anyone living in Scotland will not be allowed to enter or leave the country — even to go to neighboring England, without a reasonable excuse. The controversial new regulations are intended to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

According to the rules, anyone living in Scotland cannot travel to England, Wales, Northern Ireland, or the Republic of Ireland, and people from those places can’t travel to Scotland. Exceptions include taking a driving test, feeding an animal, donating blood, and other common exemptions surrounding work, school, and health.

Even further, those living in level three or four local authority areas, which includes a large part of central Scotland, are now required to stay there unless they have an excuse to travel. People living in other areas of Scotland are also forbidden from traveling to those areas.

The travel ban will be enforced with a fine of $40 for first offenders and $80 for second offenders.

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Best Christmas lights

There is something truly magical about seeing holiday lights. Around the world, the arrival of the season is announced in towns and cities by the use of light, and wow, do some places go all out. Spectacular holiday light displays in gardens, on the seafront, and on tree-clad streets pull in crowds and have become a central event in winter vacations. From the gingerbread-style houses adorned with bulbs in France to the 3D light projections on the world-famous Monte Carlo casino, here are the best Christmas light displays around the world.

Editor’s note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, many of the festivals listed here have either been scaled down or canceled for 2020. Check the listing’s homepage for more information.

1. Colmar, France

Photo: cge2010/Shutterstock

Colmar’s Christmas market is consistently named one of the best Christmas markets in Europe, and that’s not surprising considering the city looks like a Hallmark Christmas movie all year round. Lights connect five markets through a labyrinth of narrow streets lined with half timber-clad brightly colored houses. Colmar is located in northeastern France near the German border, and its fairytale-style architecture is common in the Alsace region. It is, however, somewhat more pronounced in Colmar and the town center, which looks like it could be made from gingerbread and makes for a perfect backdrop for holiday lights.

2. Madrid, Spain

Photo: David Prado Perucha/Shutterstock

Madrileños don’t mess around when it comes to decorating the city for the holidays. Between the end of November and the beginning of January, the city lights up. From small to extravagant shop window displays to streets, trees, and buildings — all are dressed for the occasion. Last year, Madrid saw a display representing a starry sky that stretched over some of the main city streets. Towering Christmas trees were also peppered throughout squares and other public places, all of which were donned in multi-colored lights. It’s a citywide effort too, as each year artists, designers, and architects work together and put forward designs to transform the city.

3. Copenhagen, Denmark

Photo: Tivoli/Facebook

Also kicking off in November, Tivoli, an amusement park in Copenhagen, welcomes visitors to experience its spectacular winter wonderland — and it’s one of the best in the world. The gardens are lined with thousands of Christmas trees that are all decorated with multi-colored ornaments and lights. Father Christmas’s grotto, Honey Cake Castle, is filled with Danish Hagg and sparkly lights. This year, and for the first time, there will be a Christmas tree on Tivoli Lake and clips of festive stories will be projected onto a beautiful, large heart-shaped installation.

4. New York City, US

Photo: lazyllama/Shutterstock

The lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas tree typically occurs in early December and is adorned with over five miles of lights. Towering above the ice-skating rink, a tree has been part of holiday celebrations in the center since the 1930s and attracts millions of guests each year. The star that adorns the top weighs a whopping 900 pounds and is made Swarovski Crystal. Guests can enjoy the lights and beautiful tree until mid-January. This is, of course, not the only light display in the city, and it would be remiss not to mention the illumination of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, which is outstanding.

5. Monte Carlo, Monaco

Photo: LongJon/Shutterstock

Annually, Monte Carlo’s festive light celebrations pull out all the stops. Held at The Casino de Monte-Carlo, one of the most famous casinos in Europe, it runs for three days at the end of December. Guests are treated to 3D projections that illuminate the facade of the glamorous Belle Époque casino and a thrilling light show. Monte Carlo glows year-round in the evening, as many of the buildings, especially the casino, are lit with floodlights, but over the festive period, the city is transformed with holiday decorations. In fact, previous years have seen provisions including hundreds of trees, four miles of garlands, and star flashbulbs all brought to life by colorful spotlights.

6. Vancouver, Canada

Photo: VanDusen Botanical Garden/Facebook

Vancouver’s Botanical Garden, VanDusen, shines through the winter darkness in December with its magnificent Festival of Lights. The wonderland is draped with over one million lights over the 15 acres of garden. This is Vancouver’s longest-running winter attraction, and previous years have attracted over 100,000 visitors. The dancing light show is a must-see. The performance lasts around eight minutes and replays every hour during the festival. Other places to enjoy light displays in Vancouver include the Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge, Bright Nights at Stanley Park, Lafarge Winter Lights, the city’s Christmas tree lights, and the Vancouver Parade of Carol Ships.

7. Salerno, Italy

Photo: MauxArts/Shutterstock

The festival of Luci D’Artista fills the Medieval town of Salerno with spectacular light installations and pulls in crowds from all over the world. Each year artists draw inspiration from a central theme and decorate the port town from top to bottom. Last year visitors were treated to light displays of a forest of trees, constellations, flying bears and jugglers, and a 60-meter high panoramic Ferris wheel. The Christmas markets are also famous, and impressive nativity sand sculptures pepper the beach.

8. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Photo: Unique Vision/Shutterstock

Every year, renowned artists from all over the world bring their talent to Amsterdam for the annual Light Festival. The event runs between December and January in the city center and is best enjoyed by boat as the canals are brought to life with light sculptures. Many historical buildings are also transformed by glittering lights which can be enjoyed independently or via a guided walking tour. The event is very popular, so it is advisable to book tickets in advance.

9. Prague, Czech Republic

Photo: Balate Dorin/Shutterstock

The lights in Prague illuminate its Christmas market, which is one of the prettiest in Europe. Between November 28 and January 6, the Old Town Square in the heart of the city is packed with dozens of wooden stalls all adorned in festive colorful lights. The central feature is the beautiful Christmas tree, which is impeccably decorated with ornaments. Visitors who come to enjoy the lights are treated to stalls selling roast chestnuts, mulled wine, Czech Christmas biscuits, and local sausages.

10. Vilnius, Lithuania

Photo: A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock

On December 1, the holiday season is kicked off in Vilnius with the lighting of the Christmas tree. The capital, Lithuania, is well known for its unique Christmas tree lights, and each year the designs are very much kept a secret until the unveiling. Last year the tree was lit with over 100,000 blue and white bulbs, which stretched over three miles in length. Vilnius’s tree is also sustainable, as it is constructed from 6,000 branches of other damaged trees.

11. Edinburgh, Scotland

Photo: Philip Birtwistle/Shutterstock

Edinburgh in winter is beautiful, and during December the city’s best features are highlighted and celebrated with lights. The main Christmas market in Princes Street Gardens is brightly colored, and the garden’s trees are wrapped in small white tree lights. George Street, the popular shopping spot, transforms into a tunnel of light, often with a silent disco where people can dance through the lights to music from headphones. However one of the best places to celebrate the coming of the season is Edinburgh’s Botanical Gardens, which annually hosts a very impressive festival of lights.

12. Tokyo, Japan

Photo: Patryk Kosmider/Shutterstock

Tokyo has really embraced celebrating the holiday season with lights. There are quite a few places to visit in the city during the winter months to enjoy illumination events. Yebisu Garden Place is opulent with over 100,000 LED lights, a 10-meter Christmas tree, and a five-meter large Baccarat chandelier. Marunouchi Illumination is an annual favorite with over 200 trees draped with over a million bulbs. The trees along the Meguro River between Gotanda and Osaki stations are also dressed up for the occasion in beautiful baby pink, reminiscent of the springtime blossom.

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Holiday gifts for outdoor lovers

You know who they are: the person who is happiest climbing to the top of a mountain or speeding their way down it. The one who, when a long weekend rolls around, spends it sleeping outside. The diehard who sees a new sport, like foil surfing or squirt boating, as a new skill to master. Adventurers like this don’t want to unwrap a box of socks for the holidays (unless they’re Merino wool ski socks). From $20 to a few hundred dollars, here are the ultimate gift ideas for the outdoor adventurers in your life.

1. The Adventurist Classic and The Weekender, Adventurist Backpack Co. ($65-$85)

Photo: Adventurist Backpack Co.

We love a backpack that can get us through the day, any day, worry-free. But peruse an outdoor catalog and it’s clear that, while there are a lot of backpacks out there, few producers take the time to actually innovate. What’s more, most backpacks are so specialized that you’d need a different one for every activity you do. Adventurist Backpack Co. is different. Its Classic and Weekender packs are durable enough for a day in the wilderness and practical enough to bring to work, under the seat on a plane, or to serve as your cargo pouch on a bicycle trip to the market.

At a price point ranging from $65 (Classic) to $85 (Weekender), these are the ultimate daypacks, with a secure laptop pouch, two drink holders, a large main compartment for gear, clothes, or what have you, and added padding to keep your belongings dry and safe. Straps are made of leather and both button and strap for adjustment and security. And your purchase does good. For each backpack sold, this upstart pack-maker out of Denver, Colorado, donates 25 meals to those in need.

2. Surf Shacks Vol. 2 ($60)

Photo: Gestalten

Sometimes a bit of inspiration is as needed as a new piece of adventure gear. Surf Shacks Vol. 2 is the follow-up to the popular 2017 coffee table book that peers into the homes of surfers around the world. Some are typical seaside cabins while others are urban dwellings, apartments, and even mountain houses that keep the spirit of surfing alive at altitude. Featured are the homes of everyday surfers, dwellings of iconic surf personalities like Geoff McFetridge and Hayden Cox, and the beach pads of many well-known people whom you probably had no idea were also surfers.

3. Patagonia Worn Wear

Photo: Patagonia

It’s no secret that Patagonia makes top-notch apparel and gear. It’s also no secret that it isn’t cheap. Hence Patagonia Worn Wear, the used-gear shop run on the company’s website. On offer are both men’s and women’s clothing and tailored gear, along with essentials like backpacks, duffels, and other specialty items. This stuff comes at a serious discount, typically 25 percent or more off of what you’d pay for a new item. That’s a bargain, given that each Worn Wear item is mended as necessary and guaranteed to last. It’s essentially a like-new option for an outlet mall price. Browse around, find something that the adventurer on your list will love, and keep some dough in your pocket to treat yourself, too.

Plus, the environmental impact of buying used gear is next to nil when compared to buying something brand new. So you’re not only getting a great deal but also helping preserve resources at the same time. The company says that a used piece of gear kept in circulation for 2.2 years reduces its footprint by 73 percent.

4. Danner Ridge Mountain Pass Arctic Night boot ($390)

Photo: Dinner Ridge

Danner Ridge has outdone itself with the new Mountain Pass Arctic Night boot. No other boot company produces a winterized boot that’s as stylish as it is functional in adverse conditions. GORE-TEX lining and Thinsulate keep your feet warm while the winterized sole and specialized grip keep you upright and stable even on the iciest of sidewalks. The Arctic Night’s waterproof lining means you don’t have to worry about an accidental misstep into a pool of slush ruining an evening out. The entirety of the boot is comfortable enough to ride the gas pedal on mountain pass roads and hardy enough to be stuck into a snowshoe once you get to the trailhead. To top it off, the Arctic Night is available in both men’s and women’s styles and sizes.

5. WNDR Alpine Intention 110 skis, Vital 100 skis, and backcountry touring gear ($699)

Photo: WNDR

WNDR Alpine is doing its part to address one of the major environmental impact points of skiing: the skis themselves. Most are built with ample amounts of traditional plastics, but this Utah ski brand has swapped out the petroleum-based plastics for bioplastics and plant-based oils made of algae (nerd out on this video to see how these skis are made). The backcountry-centric Intention 110 ($699) is its first model, which the company claims eliminates two pounds of waste per ski from traditional production methods. Look for WNDR Alpine to continue innovation on other ski products, starting with the Vital 100 ski and backcountry touring gear.

6. Osmo Active Hydration ($20)

Photo: OSMO

Osmo Active Hydration is a quick and easy stocking stuffer that every outdoor athlete can benefit from. Built from electrolytes and carbs that help the body recover from physical exertion, each tub contains 40 servings. Mix in water before heading out to keep powered up while on the go, or after concluding exercise to replenish hydration and body water levels to normal amounts, allowing for quicker recovery and an easier transition to the resting period. The brand also offers hydration mixes tailored specifically to women along with portable drink powders that can be added to an athlete’s water bottle while camping, flying, or otherwise unable to access the full-size tub.

7. A subscription to the revamped Mountain Gazette ($60)

Photo: Mountain Gazette

Hosting long-form essays from top adventurists and being the perennial home to legendary outdoors-inclined voices like M. John Fayhee, Mountain Gazette was the premier dirtbag diary for most of four decades beginning in 1966. Committed followers in the outdoor community snapped up the monthly issues at newsstands in mountain towns across the American West. Yet though the magazine embodied the heart of adventure and never let mainstream opinion sway its voice, it also never made much money. It was free, after all. After changing ownership numerous times, the magazine shut down in 2012.

But, following its purchase by a Tahoe-based entrepreneur and adventurer earlier this year, it’s getting a revamp — in the form of a twice-annual coffee-table diary sent directly to subscribers’ doors. And readers have to pay this time around. The first issue ships before the holidays. So you’d better get on it to help keep the rag’s mantra of “When in doubt, go higher” alive and well.

8. Helinox Cot One ($299)

Photo: Helinox

Casual camping shouldn’t lead to casual backaches. The Cot One from Helinox ensures it won’t by keeping you elevated and on a flat sleeping surface, no matter where you set up camp. The cot sets up and breaks down quick and easy, and it packs down for storage in your vehicle or garage without taking up space that you’d otherwise need. What separates the Cot One is that you’re getting the firm sleeping pad you’d expect from a cot, without arm braces cramming into your back. The result is an overnight experience that combines the best of cot sleeping with the smoothness of an air mattress, and you don’t even have to spend 20 minutes inflating it.

9. Selk’Bag Nomad ($249)

Photo: Selk’bag

Imagine a night of winter camping without having to carry a sleeping bag in your backpack or strapped to the outside of it. Selk’bag, a Chilean company that has pioneered the “wearable sleeping bag” concept, just released its latest version, the Nomad. This sleeping bag is stuffed with post-consumer recycled PrimaLoft® Black Insulation made from 65 discarded plastic bottles, the first such product to be made of fully recycled material. Even the zippers are made of recycled plastic. The Nomad can be worn while trekking to the campsite in frigid conditions or put on upon arrival to keep warm inside and outside the tent. The attached balaclava keeps your face toasty with the added bonus of completing a setup that gives you the ability to walk around the campsite posing as a yeti. Bring on those scary campfire stories.

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Non-skiers guide to a ski trip

“I go on a lot of vacations where everybody skis but me,” says Dena Owens, a Seattle resident who goes on multiple ski trips every year with family and friends. “It’s crazy that I enjoy it, but I do.”

Whether you have a life partner or a close group of friends who love to ski, you may find yourself invited on a ski trip, or several. If you’re not a skier yourself, you might have visions of whiling the day away alone in an overheated condo and spending nights listening to the skiers in your life recount the adventures they had on the slopes without you.

In fact, the mountains are a great place to be in winter, whether you’re schussing down them or not. We spoke to ski-trippers who don’t ski and got their tips on how to actually enjoy your non-ski ski vacation.

Think of it as me-time.

Photo: Mahony/Shutterstock

“I think ski vacations are really relaxing,” says Owens. “When everybody leaves the house at nine, I have at least four or five hours alone to hang out, read a book, do a puzzle, which I don’t do at home. At home it’s always laundry, dishes, so it’s relaxing.”

In fact, Owens admits, she’s disappointed when someone gets off the mountain early. Having her husband and three athletic sons out all day is a chance for her to do things she wouldn’t have time for in Seattle — like watching bad TV and knitting, she says.

San Francisco resident Nina Thompson agrees. When she travels with her husband and two kids to stay with friends, all avid skiers who have homes in the Tahoe area, she says she never feels the urge to ski — but takes advantage of a few moments to herself.

“It’s definitely me-time,” says Thompson, who may splurge on a massage or do “little adventures” like take a three-hour drive around Lake Tahoe’s 72-mile circumference.

“It’s fun. I like it. I like it a lot actually,” says Thompson. “I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”

Get outside and get exercise.

Photo: AYA images/Shutterstock

The reality is the mountains are beautiful, and you don’t need to be a skier to appreciate the snow-covered peaks, the forests, and the crisp alpine air. Owens and Thompson both get outside often.

“I like the brightness of the snow,” is one of the first things Owens says about ski vacations. “It’s just a different scenery for me. I think it’s really beautiful.”

Owens says she’ll go for long walks or a snowshoe. When her family skies in Sun Valley, she says the weather generally is true to the resort’s name, so she may go cross-country skiing with other non-downhillers there.

Thompson agrees. She tries to get in a workout outside, just one that doesn’t involve skiing. At Squaw Valley, Thompson does plenty of hikes and enjoys walking around the meadow near the base of the resort. In spring months, when others are skiing, Thompson says she has even paddle boarded on Lake Tahoe, one of the best places on Earth to do so.

Have lunch with the skiers — or without them.

Photo: James Kirkikis/Shutterstock

Another way that Thompson gets exercise at Squaw, she says, is by hiking uphill to meet family for lunch. Arguably, though, the food is actually better at the base of Squaw Valley — so there’s no need for a non-skier to hike or pay for a single-use tram ticket since skiers can meet them below.

When the family skis at Squaw Valley’s sister resort, Alpine Meadows, it’s easy enough to ski back to the main lodge to meet her for lunch.

At bigger resorts like Whistler Blackcomb, skiing to the base for lunch may be suboptimal for more experienced skiers, since the blue and black runs are higher up on the mountain. Given the incredible views of the Coast Mountain range and multiple lakes that can be seen from Whistler’s upper lodges, though, all non-skiers should make their way up at least once for the view.

So whether at Whistler or another big mountain, splurge on a one-time gondola ride at least once to take in the vista. And do it at lunchtime, so you can meet your skiing people.

Take advantage of what the resort has to offer.

Photo: GROGL/Shutterstock

Certainly, some resorts offer more to do for the non-skiing and -board set and have mountain towns tailor-made for them. You don’t have to even look at a chairlift to have an excellent time in Park City, and Aspen is packed with cultural offerings.

These resorts are also ideal places to go shopping, as is Whistler, and Owens says she always walks through Whistler Village and checks out the shops. At smaller resorts, you may prefer to focus on outdoor activities like those we mentioned above — hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or even fat biking, which are big-wheeled mountain bikes that you can ride on snow — and get a super workout.

“I definitely would just say explore the village, if there’s a village. See what else is around. Go explore,” recommends Thompson.

You could also go back to Owens’s recommendation of relaxing. In Whistler, Owens also likes to go to the lodge at the base and order a drink and watch the skiers come down the hill.

“In Whistler, I always go to the lodge and sit down and have a cocktail and watch people ski. It’s super fun,” she says. If it’s earlier in the day, she’ll opt for some reading. “I’ll bring a book with me and just sit and drink coffee and watch the slopes. If it’s a sunny day, it’s pretty. It’s entertaining.”

Participate in the ski trip your own way.

Photo: Smile19/Shutterstock

If you don’t want the whole trip to be about alone time, watching the skiers is a social way to be a part of a ski trip. Just as you don’t need to be a photographer to enjoy riding in a jeep on a photo safari, you can appreciate the sport of skiing, even if you choose not to do it yourself.

Owens, whose husband was an expert skier before he met her, says she feels that making sure her kids learned to ski was a lifelong gift, as they’re all now expert skiers themselves. She likes to be helpful by dropping everyone off at the mountain in the morning if the place they’re staying isn’t ski in/ski out. It’s a way to feel part of the process.

If the resort she’s staying at has good markets, as does Whistler, she may spend all day cooking a great meal — something she says she never has the time for at home but loves to do. With three active boys, she said that dinners after a tiring day on the slopes are pleasantly calm compared to at home.

Take a lesson.

Photo: Microgen/Shutterstock

Yes, the whole point here is that you can have fun on a ski trip even when you don’t ski. But you may actually enjoy a lesson with others who are at your level. Thompson, who says that everyone she knows is already a much better skier, meaning skiing with them is not an option, says an hour or two in a group lesson is preferable to skiing solo.

“I really don’t enjoy skiing alone. I really don’t,” says Thomspon.

You may then decide it’s something you want to do, and you may find a companion to ski with who is at your level. Or you may not. Taking a lesson is a good way to find out.

Owens says she can ski but would rather spend her time in the mountains doing other things. “I do ski, but I really don’t enjoy it, is what it comes down to,” says Owens.

Remember it’s your vacation as well.

Photo: AYA images/Shutterstock

“I didn’t grow up skiing. There’s no romantic thing about it for me,” Thompson, who is originally from the Philippines, says. So she’s happy to enjoy everything else about the mountains in winter, while her husband, kids, and other friends spend the day carving tracks on the hill. She’ll be ready to meet everyone for a post-ski hot chocolate or drinks at the lodge.

“It doesn’t feel like an activity I have to do with them,” says Thompson. “And, you know, it’s cold.”

Skiing is also expensive. Lift tickets, on-mountain meals, and equipment all add up. Add in ski school for little ones and the price climbs even further. If you are the only one in the family not skiing, you are sparing the family those costs. So, if your budget allows, you could splurge a little on yourself.

One way might be to spend the money saved on lift passes on better accommodations. For Owens, since she spends more time at home, the lodging matters.

“Because I don’t ski, that’s a big deal. I’m like, ‘We have to stay somewhere nice,’” says Owens. “Whereas if I did ski, I probably wouldn’t particularly care where we stay.”

And even if your accommodation is more humble, there are always day passes to luxe spas at higher-end resorts and a hot tub with your name on it nearby.

More like thisWhere to StayThe best ski towns in North America for people who don’t ski

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21 cocktails from around the world

There are the cocktails you’ve seen on bar menus one hundred times before. The Manhattans, the margaritas, the negronis. You’ve probably come to love a few of them, the drink you order whenever you’re bar hopping with friends or making yourself a cocktail before dinner. And then there are the cocktails you’ve likely never heard about, cocktails that don’t have their origins in Paris or New York, but in much more unlikely countries around the world. Few people have such an encyclopedic knowledge of the latter than Adrienne Stillman.

Spirited, Stillman’s new book of cocktail recipes, is bulky, but beautiful. Its thick binding, royal blue cover, and neat gold lettering conveys authority. It’s not unlike an encyclopedia. It’s comprehensive. This is a book for people who want choices as they’re planning what cocktail to serve at their next dinner party, people who are tired of drinking the same margarita at every summer barbecue. The recipes are simple, clear, and instructive. Cocktail enthusiasts and curious amateurs will delight in its exhaustive selection.

“One of my goals in organizing the recipes in Spirited was to facilitate discovery,” Stillman, the co-founder of Dipsology, a curated digital guide for cocktail enthusiasts and the book’s author, tells me in an email. “In my experience, usually people start with an overall style in mind — like tall and refreshing, citrusy or boozy — so you can certainly flip to a certain section and start exploring.”

The book is organized into several sections: Refreshing, Sours, Spirit Forward, Tiki & Tropical, Coffee & Dessert, and Punch. All the variations of the Manhattan are grouped together, as are margaritas, daiquiris, and other similar libations. If you know what you’re in the mood for, you can certainly search for it, but it’s also just as easy to flip open the book to a random page and find a cocktail that sounds appealing (or at least intriguing).

The book also has a clear global mindset. There are cocktails from every continent on Earth except Antarctica. There are the drinks that were created in the US alongside cocktails from countries such as Kenya, Myanmar, and Trindad and Tobago — many of which will likely not be in the repertoire of the everyday drinker, or even the more dedicated (but nonprofessional) cocktail mixer.

“Cocktails are an American invention — one of our only true contributions to global food and beverage — but there is a rich history in other parts of the world, and certainly today the cocktail scene is incredibly global,” Stillman says. “I wanted to make sure this book reflected that rather than focusing only on the classics that everyone already knows.”

In the spirit (ahem!) of Stillman’s nod to the evolution of the cocktail from American innovation to global favorite, here are 21 cocktails from Spirited with roots in Asia, North, South and Central America, Africa, Europe, and Oceania that aren’t in your nightly rotation — but maybe should be.

New Zealand: Falling Water

Photo: Andy Sewell

Stillman calls the Falling Water “quintessentially New Zealand.” It’s a combination of feijoa-flavored vodka (a tropical fruit with a minty flavor reminiscent of pineapple, banana, and guava) and Ch’i sparkling water, a New Zealand based brand that’s refreshing and bubbly. Jacob Briars invented the Falling Water for the Matterhorn Hotel in Queensland.

What’s in it: 2 oz 42 Below Feijoa vodka, 4 oz Ch’i water, cucumber spear for garnish

Australia: Banana Dynasty

This cocktail gets its distinctive flavor from a Chinese spirit distilled from sorghum called baiju — specifically the variety known as sauce aroma baiju that gets its name because the fragrance evokes soy sauce. In 2015, Moutai, one of the most popular brands of baiju, held a cocktail competition in Sydney where bartender Bobby Carey won first place for the Banana Dynasty. Aptly, the drink also includes banana liqueur.

What’s in it: 1 ½ oz sauce aroma baiju, ¾ oz banana liqueur, ½ oz sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, orange twist to garnish

Samoa: Doctor Funk

Stillman says this is the only tropical cocktail in the book to have its roots in the South Pacific. It has an intriguing back story, too: According to Stillman, Dr. Bernard Funk created the cocktail, who just happened to be the personal doctor for Robert Louis Stevenson — the author of Treasure Island. Funk intended it to be a “tonic” against Samoa’s staggering summer heat. Originally, it didn’t include rum — just absinthe, lemon and lime juice, Grenadine, and club soda — but later adaptations added the additional spirit.

What’s in it: 2 oz dark rum, ½ oz teaspoon absinthe, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz fresh lime juice, ¾ oz Grenadine, 1 oz club soda, mint sprig to garnish

Tunisia: Blue Fig

Photo: Andy Sewell

Tunis-based bartender Leah Tallman came up with this cocktail, which uses Boukha, a type of fig brandy, as the base. The spirit was traditionally distilled by North African’s Jewish community, and it’s hard to find outside of Tunisia today. Star anise and a bay leaf garnish the rich orange Blue Fig.

What’s in it: 1 oz Boukha (Tunisian fig brandy), 1 oz Pimm’s No. 1, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz grenadine, bay leaf, lemon wheel, and star anise to garnish

Nairobi, Kenya: Dawa

Stillman writes that the Dawa — the Swahili word for medicine — is Kenya’s “signature” cocktail. A restaurant in Nairobi called Carnivore is responsible for its creation. The dawa combines vodka and honey in honor of the country’s ancient beekeeping traditions.

What’s in it: 1 quartered lime, 2 oz vodka, ¾ oz simple syrup, bamboo Dawa stick with honey for garnish

Guyana: Captain’s Blood

Photo: Andy Sewell

Invented sometime between the 1920s and 1940s (the exact date is hard to pin down), this pastel tangerine cocktail is a type of daiquiri that’s seasoned with the spicy-tart flavors of Velvet Falernum — a low-proof liqueur from Barbados that’s made with almonds, lime, spices, and sugar.

What’s in it: 2 oz aged Jamaican rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz simple syrup, ¼ oz Velvet Falernum, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Cairo, Egypt: Suffering Bastard

According to Stillman, a bartender named Joe Scialom, who worked at the Shepheard Hotel at the time, created this gin and brandy-based cocktail for British troops stationed in North Africa during World War II — and Scialom presumably named it for them, too.

What’s in it: 1 oz gin, 1 oz aged brandy, ½ oz lime cordial, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 4 oz ginger beer, orange slice and mint sprig to garnish

Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Pétion

Another type of daiquiri, pétion has a more herbal tone courtesy of the earthy, grass-like flavors of rhum agricole. The cocktail is named for Alexandre Sabès Pétion: a revolutionary general, the first president of Haiti, and of the nation’s founding fathers after post-French occupation. Stillman writes that it likely gained popularity after World War II.

What’s in it: ¾ oz cachaca or white rhum agricole, ¾ oz white rhum agricole, ¾ oz Benedictine, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, ½ oz simple syrup

Trinidad: Queen’s Park Swizzle

Photo: Andy Sewell

Stillman writes that this tropical cocktail, named for the Queen’s Park Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad, is similar to the mojito. It combines mint leaves, simple syrup, white rum, lime juice, and four splashes of bitters on top to create a lovely gradient of color in the glass.

What’s in it: 8-10 mint leaves, ¾ oz simple syrup, 2 oz white rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 4 dashes Angostura bitters, mint sprig garnish

Cuba: Daisy de Santiago

Photo: Andy Sewell

This herbaceous pale yellow cocktail is flavored with Chartreuse and garnished with a mint leaf. Cocktail writer and world traveler Charles Baker called it a “lovely thing, indeed,” and wrote in The Gentleman’s Companion: The Exotic Drinking Book — a chronicle of all his adventures abroad sampling foreign cocktails — that he first came across it in Cuba.

What’s in it: 2 oz white rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, ¾ oz simple syrup, ¼ oz yellow Chartreuse, ½ oz club soda, mint sprig to garnish

Athens, Greece: Grande Bretagne No. 1

Although one story says a Greek bartender created this cocktail while working for a cruise line around 1929, it’s named for the Grande Bretagne hotel in Athens. It is, perhaps coincidentally, identical to a cocktail called the Douglas Fairbanks — a gin-based, egg-white cocktail that adds in apricot liqueur and lime juice — with one crucial difference: The Grande Bretagne No. 1 adds two dashes of orange bitters. Interestingly enough, the original Douglas Fairbanks was invented in Cuba — almost 6,000 miles from Athens.

What’s in it: 1 ½ oz gin, 1 oz apricot liqueur, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, 1 egg white, 2 dashes orange bitters

Paris, France: Seapea Fizz

Photo: Andy Sewell

This fizzy cocktail might have a pretty seafoam green color, but its name is actually an homage to the man it was originally made for: musician Cole Porter. Seapea is the “phonetic pronunciation of his initials,” writes Stillman. That pale green color comes from the addition of pastis, an anise-flavored liquor. The recipe likely first appeared in a 1934 cocktail recipe book called The Artistry of Mixing Drinks.

What’s in it: 1 ½ oz club soda, 1 ½ oz pastis, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, 1 egg white (optional)

Norway: Karsk

This coffee-flavored cocktail hails from Trøndelag, Norway, where it’s traditionally made with moonshine or pure alcohol. According to Stillman, an experienced karsk drinker drops a copper coin to the bottom of the mug, and then fills the mug with coffee until the coin disappears. “Then you add alcohol until you can see it again,” she writes. If that combination doesn’t wake you up in the morning, nothing will.

What’s in it: 2 oz vodka, 2 oz hot coffee, sugar to taste

Argentina: El Pato

A bartender named Salvatore “Pichin” Policastro created this variation on the negroni for the 1954 World Bartender Championship. Policastro is named for the Argentine sport pato, which is similar to British polo. He went on to write Tragos Mágicos, a field guide for aspiring bartenders.

What’s in it: 1 ¼ oz London Dry gin, ¾ oz Campari, ½ oz sweet vermouth, ½ oz Cointreau, ¼ oz kirschwasser, orange wheel to garnish

Peru: Chilcano

Photo: Andy Sewell

The Chilcano is a variation on a buck — a type of cocktail made with any combination of ginger ale, ginger beer, and citrus juice. Invented in the 1880s by Italian immigrants to Peru, who were inspired by grappa-based cocktails, it includes pisco, lime juice, bitters, and ginger ale. The name comes from a Peruvian soup called chilcano de pescado, which Stillman writes is traditionally “said to revive you after a long night out.”

What’s in it: 2 oz pisco, ½ oz fresh lime juice, ginger ale, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, lime wheel for garnish

Mexico City, Mexico: Jamaica Cocktail

Photo: Andy Sewell

This cocktail is a favorite at one of the most legendary bars in Mexico: Licoreria Limantour. No, it’s not named for the Caribbean country, but rather its key ingredient: hibiscus, which is called jamaica in Spanish. At the bar, the sunset-hued Jamaica Cocktail is served in a traditional clay mug called a cantarito.

What’s in it: 2 oz mezcal, 2 oz hibiscus syrup, 1 oz fresh lime juice, pinch ground cardamom, lime wedge and sea salt for rim, orange wheel and mint sprig for garnish

New York City: Enchanted Catnip

Photo: Andy Sewell

This rum cocktail has a fiery garnish: a slice of orange rind wrapped around a grape and dipped in rum is ignited and dropped into the coupe glass in which it is served. Lime juice and tamarind syrup round out the citrus flavors. Joe Scialom, who created the Suffering Bastard, also invented this drink. It was created around 1958 for the Plaza Hotel in New York City, apparently after Scialom traveled across the Middle East and Caribbean for cocktail inspiration.

What’s in it: ¼ oz simple syrup, ¼ oz tamarind paste, 1 ½ oz white rum, ½ oz fresh lime juice, black grape wrapped in orange peel soaked in overproof rum and lite on fire for garnish

Bali: Holland Razor Blade

The base of this cocktail is genever, sometimes also known as Dutch gin, a juniper flavored liquor popular in the Netherlands, Belgium, and nearby northern France and northwestern Germany. A dash of cayenne pepper gives this cocktail a spicy kick, so memorable that Charles Baker described it as a “rugged bit of a canine fur.”

What’s in it: 2 oz genever, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup, pinch of cayenne pepper

Manila, Philippines: Quarantine

Photo: Andy Sewell

Charles Baker recorded this rum cocktail in The Gentleman’s Companion. He credits its creation to a man nicknamed ‘Monk’ Antrim, who was the manager of the Manila Hotel. Stillman writes that, according to Baker, it was once more popular than the classic dry martini in Manila.

What’s in it: 1 ½ oz light rum, ½ oz dry gin, ½ oz dry vermouth, ½ oz fresh orange juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 2 dashes absinthe, 1 egg white, lemon twist to garnish

Japan: Bamboo

Photo: Andy Sewell

Luis Eppinger, the manager of the Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan, invented this cocktail in the 1890s for “visiting dignitaries,” according to Saveur. Another story, detailed by Imbibe, says that Eppinger actually created it much earlier while working in San Francisco. The combination of sherry, dry vermouth, and two types of bitters results in an extra dry drink.

What’s in it: 1 ½ oz Fino or Manzanilla sherry, 1 ½ oz dry vermouth, 2 dashes orange bitters, lemon twist to garnish

Myanmar: Pegu Club

Back when Yangon, the capital city of Myanmar, was known as Rangoon, this gin-based cocktail was the signature drink at its namesake bar, the Pegu Club. A favorite among British colonists, it eventually made its way into the influential Savoy Cocktail Book. The pleasant orange hue of this cocktail reflects its mild citrus flavors that come from lime juice and curaçao liqueur.

What’s in it: 2 oz gin, ¾ oz curacao, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, 1 dash Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters

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Home office with mirrored walls

Working from home has become ubiquitous thanks to the pandemic, but the problem is that most of us don’t have a dedicated office space in our homes. That’s why Estonian brothers Andreas and Jaak Tiik created the ÖÖD home office — a prefabricated tiny house defined by its mirrored facade, that can be shipped anywhere in the world.

Photo: ÖOD

Kristi Kivilaid of ÖÖD House said, “Our designers created the mirror house to enable a harmonious combination between tiny living surrounded by playful landscapes. The house serves as a modern stand-alone oasis among the scenery. It’s not an intruding nor disturbing construction in nature — it blends in with the surroundings.”

Photo: ÖOD

The space is about 100 square feet, with natural stone-like flooring and engineered oak walls. Its most defining feature is the floor-to-ceiling mirrored glass windows. It’s big enough to fit a desk with a chair, file cabinet, small sofa, and shelves.

Photo: ÖOD

The ÖÖD home office costs $22,000, and the company is currently working with Amazon to make it available within a few weeks. That means you could have a dedicated workspace for hunkering down this winter and focusing on work, while we anxiously await the world’s return to some semblance of normalcy.

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