Arts & Life

Bittersweet liqueurs including Cynar, Jagermeister, Chartreuse and Amaro Nonino have long been popular in Italy and other parts of Europe as a digestive aid. Now, they're becoming popular on U.S. cocktail menus.

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Arts

The Favorite Drink Of Italian Grandpas Gets An American Revival

3:33pm November 25, 2016

by Ari Shapiro

Amaro is considered "grandpa's drink" and a digestive aid in its native Italy, but not stateside, where this centuries-old, bittersweet liqueur has become popular on cocktail menus.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is celebrating 50 years of being one of the few good Christmas TV specials.

Arts

Bah Humbug! Why Are Most Christmas TV Specials So Bad?

3:03pm November 25, 2016

by Eric Deggans

How the Grinch Stole Christmas airs tonight — and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It's one of a rare few watchable Christmas specials. Why is it so hard to make a good Christmas special?

A cruise ship passes Venice's St. Mark's Square at sunset in September. Up to 90,000 tourists fill the city every day, far outnumbering the 55,000 residents.

As Tourists Crowd Out Locals, Venice Faces 'Endangered' List

1:06pm November 25, 2016

by Christopher Livesay

Two years ago, UNESCO gave Venice and Italy a deadline to figure out a way to manage the harmful effects of tourism or risk being placed on a World Heritage in Danger list. The deadline has passed.

French painter Henri Matisse in his Paris studio.

Arts

Matisse And Diebenkorn 'Meet' At Last, At The Baltimore Museum Of Art

4:52am November 25, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

Henri Matisse and Richard Diebenkorn never met in real life, but a new exhibit feels like a conversation between the two artists. Across decades and continents, Matisse influenced Deibenkorn's work.

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel return for four movies continuing the Gilmore Girls story.

Arts

'Gilmore Girls' Returns On Netflix, Just In Time For A Holiday Binge

4:52am November 25, 2016

by Linda Holmes

Gilmore Girls was a much-loved series that returns to the small screen after almost a decade. Most of the cast is returning, including the show's creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino. Fans are ecstatic.

Encore: For 100 Years, Celery And Olives Were Thanksgiving Mainstays

6:27pm November 24, 2016

Celery and olives were two mainstays of the Thanksgiving table for about 100 years, starting in the late 1800s. Hilary Sargent wrote about this tradition for Boston.com and spoke with us about it in 2014. On this holiday, we revisit that conversation. This story originally aired on Nov. 27, 2014 on All Things Considered.

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Plymouth Plantation Museum Showcases Music Of Pilgrims And Native Americans

6:27pm November 24, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

The first Thanksgiving most likely took place in 1621 at Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. Plymouth Plantation, a living history museum, recently showcased the spiritual music of both the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians.

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TV Chef Alton Brown Shares Tips On The Science Of Thanksgiving Dinner

6:27pm November 24, 2016

There are tons of tips on how to cook that Thanksgiving dinner, many of them rooted in science. Alton Brown, the showman of food TV, runs through why we stuff the turkey after it's cooked, why gravy should be kept in a thermos, and why canned cranberries are the devil.

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Arts

Holiday Movie Preview: Lightsabers, Musicals And Jackie

6:27pm November 24, 2016

by Bob Mondello

NPR movie critic Bob Mondello has a preview of the would-be awards contenders and blockbusters Hollywood will be opening as the rest of us open presents.

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Movie star Toshiro Mifune and director Akira Kuroswa on the set of Seven Samurai.

Arts

'Mifune' Can't Quite Capture A Screen Legend

5:00pm November 24, 2016

by Mark Jenkins

Critic Mark Jenkins says a new documentary focused on Toshiro Mifune's relationship with director Akira Kurosawa could have used a bit more verve and a few more voices.