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Traminette It is a white wine with both floral and fruity aromas. The semi-sweet taste of the wine cuts through the heat of many spicy dishes. It pairs wonderfully with Asian dishes, curry, fresh fruit, shrimp, Cajun, garlic and cheeses…

Melanie Prather Studer was sick of what she didn’t know. The Columbia native and mother of three sons had just successfully shuttled her eldest into his first year of high school, and already she could feel the pressures of college,…

To beatbox, in the rhythmic sense, means to mimic percussive sounds using only one’s mouth. Like its musical homonym, Columbia’s culinary Beet Box has created its own unique cooking beat. For the past 18 months, Beet Box — a locally…

Day or night, Columbia is hopping with people twisting, twirling, leaping, swaying and spinning their way through dances of all kinds. From salsa and swing to folk and hip-hop, there are places for all styles, ages and experience levels.…

Construction activity traditionally swings into high gear each spring, as freezing temperatures ease up and the ground thaws. So, it’s a great time to check in with Columbia builders and developers about the state of the local industry.…

A classic and timeless place with enough space to accommodate a growing family is what came to mind when college sweethearts Sarah and Tommy Purk envisioned their ideal home. In April 2018, the couple’s vision became reality as they…

Rock Bridge Memorial State Park has long been a mid-Missouri gem. For Columbia residents, and those who visit the city, the scenic park offers plenty of outdoor fun from hiking and mountain biking to cave exploring and wildflower spotting.…

Some nights call for a bit of Latin flavor. While you could pick up a quick bite at a chain restaurant, consider taking advantage of the authentic Mexican and Latin-inspired restaurants Columbia has to offer. And while you can never go…

Years ago, it was football. It was basketball. It was baseball. It was the threat of any sport-related scholarship undermining academics for the sake of athletics. Connecting collegiate funding to sports bucked the historical education…

Sitting on the sticky, white paper covering the exam table, about 200 patients are told they need brain surgery each year at University of Missouri Health Care. Whether it is benign or cancerous, brain tumors can be life-altering for the…

There’s not much that will win over your loved one more than chocolate. If you really want to wow that special someone this year, whip up a batch of these double love, double delicious, double chocolate chip cookies. When you eat them warm…

The goddess has left the building. She is the Roman goddess of fertility. Her moods cause the seasons to change. And the common people of Rome identified with her more than any other god. When the 10-foot-4 statue of Ceres, goddess of…

About 847,000 adults through- out Missouri live with mental illness, according to a 2016 study by the Missouri Division of Behavioral Health. The National Institute of Mental Health indicates that roughly 20 percent of adolescents, either…

In the past five years, Columbia has steadily climbed Livibility.com’s “Top 100 Best Places to Live” rankings. The community has leapt from the 46th position in 2014 to 21st in 2018. In addition to recreation, schools, real estate and…

In the winter, I love doing greens that we typically think of roasting but, instead, slice them super thin for a fun, crunchy salad. This salad gets a roundness of flavor from the bright and vibrant dressing and the pop of pomegranate…

During his motivational speaking stops around Columbia, through his work with children and adolescents from around the community, L’Damian Washington sees the impact he makes. When he goes back to Douglass High School and a student calls…

For those not familiar with Donald Quist’s work, his stories are warmhearted, sensitive and unapologetically honest. Growing up, Quist was raised in two homes; he lived part time with his father in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and with his…

A flashing, red neon sign in the window of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Alley A reads, “Open now;” signaling that Big Mama Chim is back at a new location in downtown Columbia. On a chilly January night, or any night really, she can be…

At some point in our lives we become primary caregivers for an aging family member. My most recent patient wasn’t a parent or a pet. It was a Pontiac. From the tow truck’s shotgun seat, looking through a shoebox-sized side mirror at my…

Humans spend an average of one-third of their lives asleep. Therefore, it’s clear that adequate sleep is essential for the human body to function optimally. For more than 18 million American adults, sleep apnea interrupts those few hours of…