Arts & Culture

Once the turkeys had returned to the trees, a dance began. They leaped from branch to branch and sometimes switched trees, trying to get higher and higher—or so I thought. I began to wonder if the social hierarchy, so well-established for turkeys while on the ground, carries to the roost. Was it possible that the ideal vertical place in a tree could be the middle, high enough from land-based predators, yet far enough below flying threats from the night skies?

In May 2019, the journal Cell Metabolism published the results of a small randomized, controlled study comparing two diets: minimally-processed foods vs. ultra-processed ones. According to the article, this N.I.H. study is the first to show causality between degree of food processing and human weight gain.  When dinner is chicken tenders and french fries instead of home-cooked roast chicken and baked spuds, we pack in more calories--because we overeat.

Alan Pelaez Lopez crossed the Mexico-US border at age 5 as an undocumented migrant. In this interview, they discuss various elements of their journey, from childhood to adulthood, as well as how they use art as activism. Alan Pelaez Lopez’s poetry offers an unflinching look at how humans treat one another, from the afro-indigenous slave trade to modern US legal practices that threaten a sense of history, identity, and deep humanity. In the face of all of this, Alan Pelaez Lopez retains a voice of resistance, love, hope, and even joy. This is an interview full of necessary truths, told from the heart.

The difference in temperature between the crust, mantle and core creates an effect where hot molten rock, called magma, slowly moves toward the surface in plumes, much like the wax of a lava lamp. This phenomenon, called convection, slowly moves the plates of the earth’s crust, grinding them against each other, causing volcanoes, earthquakes -- and mountains.

The Food Guys summarize Joshua McFadden's "superbly simple" 2018 recipe for pasta with kale sauce, which was inspired by a dish at London's River Cafe. Its vivid green color, from lacinato kale, makes it a converation piece.

In 1975, the Muralt family moved from Kansas City to Missoula, Montana, taking over a bankrupt 4-lane truck stop on the outskirts of town. Walt Muralt, just 9 years old at the time, began his business career by mowing the weeds outside the family start-up.

27 years later, Walt took over the operation of the travel plaza with energy, determination and an optimistic entrepreneurial spirit. Since then he has expanded the original family business, adding restaurants, a casino, a hotel, a truck repair station and even a beer ice cave.

These diverse stories of resistance, resilience, and love make it perfectly clear that there is no one single narrative of Montana women. Proceeds benefit Humanities Montana and the Zootown Arts Community Center. 

Fall is a hectic time of year in Montana. There are a thousand things to do before the first snow, and not nearly enough time. The days shorten, tourists leave, seasonal shops close, kids romp at the playground one last time, flower beds are mulched, snow tires put on the car, storm windows polished and mounted. You can feel the change in season just walking down the street: people hurry from building to building, head down and quiet, bundled up and hunched against the cold, looking for warmth, a fire, hot cocoa.

You've been making applesauce faster than the sorcerer's apprentice, but every day, more Akane, Discovery and Mackintosh apples appear in your fridge. These early-season varieties won't last. Can you preserve them quickly, for later use? 'Food Guy' Jon Jackson shares his method.

Jon: "Greg, I know you publish a lot of recipes, but falafel? Where’d you come up with falafel?"
Greg: "I think the Egyptians came up with it about a thousand years ago."

The Egyptians may have used fava beans, but today, you can find falafel made of dried chickpeas at cafes and food stands around the world. Read on for 'Food Guy' Greg Patent's recipe for falafel with tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt) sauce.