Health + Wellness

Let's Talk Turkey Neck.

Let's Talk Turkey. Neck, That Is.What causes those telltale neck bands, and why a treatment named after an Egyptian queen is getting attention.Thanksgiving brings plenty of talk about turkey. But there's one kind most of us would rather leave off the menu. We're talking about turkey neck. It's not the most flattering phrase, but it's certainly familiar. As we age, the skin beneath our chin can begin to look looser, vertical bands may become more noticeable, and the once-defined line between our...

Life + Culture

Giving Thanks

Article and Photography by A Helping Hand  Dear Mrs. Pam, There are special people who make a neighborhood feel like a community, and you are one of those for us. Every morning, you walk our elementary-school-aged children to school, but what you give them along the way is so much more than a safe walk. You listen - really listen - to their stories, ideas, and silly jokes. You laugh with them, remember what matters to them, and impart your wisdom and worldly perspective. I am struck by...

Life + Culture

The City That Makes Room

Birmingham’s community of supporters for autistic children Article by Alexis Blaydoe | Photography by Jennifer Alsabrook-Turner / Bang Images At Red Mountain Theatre's annual sensory show, my younger son, Ronin, took off all his clothes in the audience. This was, I decided later, a bold interpretation of the phrase come as you are . I had brought him to a performance designed to welcome children whose bodies and brains experience the world differently. Ronin apparently wanted to know...

Life + Culture

Special Delivery

Byndel’s Madison Banegas has a gift for curating boxes that express thanks Article by Blair Moore | Photography by Kelsey Justice Madison Banegas tucks her 1-year-old daughter into her crib for an afternoon nap, then tiptoes downstairs to a wonderland of crinkle paper, beautiful gift boxes, and treasures from Birmingham’s independent shops and artisans. At her worktable, she carefully nestles a ceramic wineglass by Civil Stoneware, two sea salt caramel chocolate truffles from Christo’s...

Arts + Culture

A Light to Share

Two Birmingham families reflect on the traditions, memories and values that make Diwali meaningful Article by Laura SanchezQuan | Photography by Mason David Erwin In the homes of Yogesh and Kalindee Harsh and Gaurav and Archana Jain, Diwali brings glowing lamps, favorite foods and time with people they love. Both local couples also hope their children will carry the values at the heart of the celebration into the future. Often called the Festival of Lights, Diwali is celebrated by millions of...

Life + Culture

My Wife and I Can Help

In 2022, a Mountain Brook couple opened their home to a mother and son fleeing Ukraine. Four years later, she writes to thank them. Article and Photography by Dear Kent and Tanja,    I still have a screenshot of the first message Kent sent me on Facebook in April 2022. It began with the words, “Hello, Iryna! My wife and I can help.”    At the time, you knew almost nothing about my son, Zhenya, or me. We spoke almost no English. I could not have imagined that this short message would bring...

Health + Wellness

One Thing, Done Well

The Story Behind STILLIn 2012, I was driving home from Lexington, Kentucky, with absolutely no idea what I was going to do with my life.I had gone into internal medicine thinking I would eventually pursue pulmonary/critical care. But a couple of years into my training at the University of Kentucky, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. I made the easiest decision to stop residency and move home to Mississippi to be with her.The truth was, I already knew internal medicine wasn't the...

Food + Beverage

Snacks with a Somm

Uncorked & Unexpected Pairings from Rachel Mobley Photography by Ambre Amari Wine pairing has a reputation for being complicated. It conjures images of white tablecloths, elaborate dishes, and a sommelier debating Burgundy or Barolo. But the same principles that make a restaurant pairing work apply just as easily to the foods eaten standing over the kitchen counter. Rachel Mobley’s number one rule? Don’t overthink it. People can get so caught up trying to find the “right” pairing that they...

Life + Culture

A Shared Table

For Victor and Jessica King, food, hospitality and a love for Birmingham are always part of the conversation. Article by Laura SanchezQuan | Photography by Mary Fehr For Victor and Jessica King, the line between work and life has always been intertwined with food. The newly married couple built their careers on different sides of the restaurant world, but they share a belief that hospitality is about much more than what arrives on the plate. It is about generosity, connection and creating a...

Food + Beverage

Behind the Scenes and the Seasons

Larder Foods connects Birmingham chefs to earth’s bounty  Article by Denise K. James | Photography by Andrew Thomas Lee The morning I was scheduled to speak to Knox Fanelli, we had to switch our call from video to phone. As the owner of Larder Foods, Fanelli was out and about, grabbing heirloom tomatoes for clients in the restaurant industry. “We’ve reached a point in the season where everyone else is out of them, but our Amish and Mennonite friends still have them,” he explains. “The supply...