The Elegant Simplicity of the Time-Only Watch

With just flour, water, yeast and a dash of salt, bakers create myriad types of bread. With just three chords and a simple five-note scale, blues musicians create a vast and varied universe of songs. Success in each of these fields requires a delicate balance of just a few components — much like the unforgiving…

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Easy and Elegant Olive Oil Cake

I consider myself a pretty good cook. I can neatly break down a chicken, and make mayonnaise from scratch. I can pleat dumplings, roll futomaki, fry doughnuts and, on one occasion, have turned carrots into roses. But I cannot, for the life of me, take butter out of the fridge to soften. This is why,…

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