While it’s nice to have an extra house in the Caribbean, full geothermal heat systems, and backup generators that self-test every month, most of us live a little lower on the hog, so what makes for a survival kit that you probably can’t buy at Neiman Marcus?
1. Heat — A backpacker alcohol stove and a gallon of denatured alcohol or ethyl if you can afford it. Sterno is a good solid fuel alternative but it has a shorter shelf life — the alcohol evaporates.
2. Sleeping — Enough mummy sleeping bags for your pod.
3. Light — LED tea candles and a couple larger LED lights.
4. Communications — Charged battery cellphone chargers and a cellphone.
5. Entertainment — Playing cards, chess, checkers, or other games.
6. Food — Pantry supplies like soup, crackers, canned beans.
7. Water — Something to store water and some source of drinkable water.
Note: This list ain’t gonna keep your pipes from freezing, it’s not shrimp on the barbie, and yes, a landline is better, but if the power is out and you ain’t got a landline, you probably ain’t going to get one put it right now.
Minari
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama | Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
Steven Yeun plays the patriarch of an immigrant family adjusting to American rural life in Lee Isaac Chung’s lovely new film
Yeri Han and Steven Yeun in “Minari,” about a Korean-American family that moves to the Ozarks.
By A.O. SCOTT
Judas and the Black Messiah
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Biography, Drama, History | Directed by Shaka King
In Shaka King’s historical drama, Daniel Kaluuya plays the radical leader Fred Hampton, with Lakeith Stanfield as the informer who betrayed him.
A Marxist-Leninist messiah: Daniel Kaluuya (second from left) as Fred Hampton, with, from left, Dominque Thorne, Darrell Britt-Gibson and Caleb Eberhardt.
By A.O. SCOTT
Land
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama | Directed by Robin Wright
In her feature directing debut, Robin Wright plays a woman who moves alone to the mountains.
Robin Wright in “Land,” which she also directed.
By GLENN KENNY
The World to Come
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama | Directed by Mona Fastvold
Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby play two women who share a gradually recognized love in upstate New York in 1856.
Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby in “The World to Come.”
By BEN KENIGSBERG
— Of Possible Interest —
To All the Boys: Always and Forever
Comedy, Drama, Romance | Directed by Michael Fimognari
This final installment of the Netflix rom-com trilogy is earnest, bright-eyed and without a hint of cynicism.
Noah Centineo and Lana Condor in “To All the Boys: Always and Forever.”
By MAYA PHILLIPS
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
PG-13 | Comedy | Directed by Josh Greenbaum
The “Bridesmaids” writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo nix the raunch for an absurdist adventure complete with musical numbers, an evil underground lair, and a talking crab.
Kristen Wig as Star and Annie Mumolo as Barb in “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA
Lapsis
Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Noah Hutton
Noah Hutton’s good-humored sci-fi movie takes aim at corporate greed and worker exploitation.
Dean Imperial in “Lapsis.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
There Is No I in Threesome
TV-MA | Documentary | Directed by Jan Oliver Lucks
A director and his fiancée chronicle their yearlong open relationship in this documentary that offers a clever examination of perspective.
Jan Oliver Lucks, right, with Zoe in the documentary “There Is No ‘I’ In Threesome.”
By NATALIA WINKELMAN
Joe Allen, Theater District Restaurateur, Is Dead at 87
His restaurant Joe Allen and another he opened next door, Orso, have been popular hangouts for celebrities and celebrity-watchers and the flagships of an international empire.
Joe Allen at his regular spot at the bar at Joe Allen, the popular Manhattan theater district restaurant he opened in 1965, before his block was christened Restaurant Row.
By JOYCE PURNICK
Falling
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama | Directed by Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen writes, directs and stars in this lacerating drama about a son dealing with his father’s mental decline.
Lance Henriksen and Viggo Mortensen in “Falling.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
— Of Possible Interest —
Little Fish
Romance, Sci-Fi | Directed by Chad Hartigan
This sci-fi romance imagines a world with widespread memory loss through the eyes of one couple.
Olivia Cooke and Jack O’Connell in “Little Fish.”
By KRISTEN YOONSOO KIM
M.C. Escher – Journey to Infinity
Documentary | Directed by Robin Lutz
A documentary examines the methods and interests of this Dutch printmaker, who felt his work was also indebted to mathematics.
Escher’s “Band of Union,” as seen in “M.C. Escher: Journey to Infinity,“
By BEN KENIGSBERG
Earwig and the Witch
PG | Animation, Family, Fantasy | Directed by Gorô Miyazaki
A headstrong orphan girl gets taken in by a witch and a demon in this computer-animated film from Studio Ghibli.
A scene from the animated film “Earwig and the Witch,” | Directed by Goro Miyazaki.
By MAYA PHILLIPS
Two of Us
Drama, Romance | Directed by Filippo Meneghetti
An older lesbian couple is met with unexpected devastation in this aching romantic drama by Filippo Meneghetti.
Martine Chevallier and Barbara Sukowa in “Two of Us.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA
c’s Pick
How America’s Food System Could Change Under Biden
New school meal standards? Help for small farmers? Maybe, but first the new administration has to deal with hunger, food safety and a diminished U.S.D.A.
“It’s like, we know you want us to jump from serving meat to going vegan,” Mr. Nischan said. “But man, we got to get the stove fixed first.”
By Kim Severson
IN THE GARDEN The Year-Round Garden
As one intrepid gardener in Nova Scotia discovered, you can extend the growing season more than you may think — if you have the right tools.
By MARGARET ROACH
The chef joins the museum’s director, Adam D. Weinberg, for two discussions about the intersection of food and culture.
Food, Culture and What’s Next talk, 6 p.m., Feb. 9, whitney.org.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
FRONT BURNER Message in a Chocolate Box
Truffolie’s Valentine’s Day chocolates carry a customizable secret message, revealed once all the pieces are eaten.
Truffolie chocolates, 12 for $40, 24 for $75, truffolie.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
FRONT BURNER A Food Course for Home-Schooling
Spoons Across America has created a nine-class Food Exploration Project, suitable for students ages 8 to 11.
Feigang Fei’s Montreal restaurant, Cuisine AuntDai, got a welcome lift this month after a tweet about his bluntly honest online menu went viral.
By Dan Bilefsky
Bright pickled shallots and crisp scallions balance the richness of suon kho, northern Vietnamese pork ribs that are grilled then braised in a savory caramel sauce.
‘Christina Nguyen, 36, the chef of Hai Hai in Minneapolis, went rogue during Tet even as a child. When she was young — and picky — she avoided the requisite sticky rice cakes at big family feasts and ate only her favorites, like fried cha gio spring rolls and tender steamed banh beo rice cakes. At those gatherings, Ms. Nguyen gambled away her li xi, small red envelopes containing crisp new bills, in a popular dice game called bau cua tom ca. That childhood food and rebellious fun now inspire her restaurant’s Tet menu, which last year included fried spring rolls filled with venison, a nod to the stag that appears on the dice and mat in the game.’
As a child, Nguyen Phan Que Mai celebrated Tet in southern Vietnam, where the golden flowers of Mai trees bloom around Lunar New Year.
Family elders hand out li xi, envelopes filled with money in the form of fresh new bills or coins, to children who offer them New Year’s wishes.
Bau cua tom ca, which means “gourd crab shrimp fish,” is a Vietnamese game where players bet on which dice images will match the pictures on the board.
Four generations of the Tran family celebrate Tet in Oregon, including Lisa Tran, right; her paternal grandmother, Chau Thi Nguyen, center; and her mother, Mai Nguyen.
For southern Vietnamese thit heo kho trung, boiled eggs simmered with the braised pork, are served whole to diners who then split them in their bowls of rice.
Chile crisp, a spicy-crunchy condiment originally from China’s Guizhou Province, seasons the tofu-and-vegetable filling in these dumplings and the accompanying dipping sauce.
By GENEVIEVE KO
You don’t have to add the pickled jalapeños, but they really take the soup over the top.
By MELISSA CLARK
CULINARY ARTS The Story of John Young, the Original King of Buffalo Wings
His restaurants closed and his glory faded, but a historical reclamation effort is bringing new attention to the secret sauce he perfected.
Text by Rachel Wharton
Illustrations by Koren Shadmi
EAT Saying Goodbye With Beans
In her final column for the magazine, Samin Nosrat makes the case for cooking beans the old-fashioned way.
Chris Montana of Du Nord Spirits, in Minneapolis, said the pandemic poses an existential threat to craft distilleries across the United States. Some have survived by producing high-alcohol hand sanitizer.
By JULIA MOSKIN
20 Wines Under $20: Postcards From Around the World
In a pandemic era, when traveling is largely out of the question, these wines, good values all, can take you on a trip around the globe.
Artomaña Arabako Txakolina Xarmant 2019 $19.99 Alkoomi Frankland River “Black Label” Riesling 2018 $19.96 Maître de Chai Clements Hills Red Table Wine 2018 $19.99 Odoardi Calabria Vino Rosso 1480 L’Inizio 2015 $14.99 Cacique Maravilla Pipeño País 2019 1 liter $18.99 Feudo Montoni Sicilia Catarratto Masso 2018 $19.99 Patrick Jasmin Collines Rhodaniennes La Chevalière 2016 $19.99 Argatia Macedonia Haroula 2017 $18.99 Ver Sacrum Valle de Uco G.S.M. 2018 $19.96 Weszeli Kamptal Langenlois Grüner Veltliner 2019 $19.99 Domaine Tatsis Macedonia Limnio 2018 $19.99 Château de Villeneuve Saumur Champigny 2018 $19.99 Fattoria San Lorenzo Marche Bianco di Gino 2019 $17.99 Haarmeyer Clarksburg St. Rey Chenin Blanc Sutter Ranch Vineyard 2019 $18.96 Grosjean Vallée d’Aoste Torrette 2019 $19.96 Cascina Fontana Dolcetto d’Alba 2019 $19.99 Elizabeth Spencer Mendocino Sauvignon Blanc Special Cuvée 2019 $16.99 Von Winning Pfalz Riesling Winnings 2018 $18.96 Casa de Saima Bairrada Baga Tonel 10 2018 $19.96 Toro Albalá Montilla-Moriles Eléctrico Fino del Lagar Saca de Primavera NV 500 milliliters $18.99
By Eric Asimov
Saint Maud
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama, Horror, Mystery | Directed by Rose Glass
A disturbed young nurse becomes obsessed with a dying artist in this exceptional horror movie debut from the director Rose Glass.
Morfydd Clark, mesmerizing as the title character in “Saint Maud.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
Beginning
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Drama | Directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili
Dea Kulumbegashvili’s debut feature ensnares its heroine in circles of religious and patriarchal persecution.
Ia Sukhitashvili in “Beginning.”
By DEVIKA GIRISH
Supernova
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama, Romance | Directed by Harry Macqueen
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci play a longtime couple facing unpleasant facts in this spectacularly moving film from Harry Macqueen.
Colin Firth, left, and Stanley Tucci in “Supernova.”
By GLENN KENNY
— Of Possible Interest —
Finding ‘Ohana
PG | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family | Directed by Jude Weng
The adventure narrative in this Hawaii-set Netflix film distracts from a deeper story about cultural heritage and family dynamics.
From left, Lindsay Watson, Kea Peahu, Owen Vaccaro and Alex Aiono in “Finding Ohana.”
By KYLE TURNER
L’état sauvage
Drama, Western | Directed by David Perrault
French settlers flee the American Civil War in this heavily allegorical, yet strangely compelling drama.
Alice Isaaz and Kevin Janssen in “Savage State.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
The Dig
PG-13 | Biography, Drama, History | Directed by Simon Stone
A small team makes a groundbreaking discovery in this fictionalized account of an actual archaeological expedition close to home.
Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes in “The Dig.”
By GLENN KENNY
Palmer
R | Drama | Directed by Fisher Stevens
Justin Timberlake stars as an ex-convict who interrogates his gender biases after he comes to care for a young boy in this prosaic melodrama.
Justin Timberlake and Ryder Allen in “Palmer.”
By NATALIA WINKELMAN
How America’s Food System Could Change Under Biden
New school meal standards? Help for small farmers? Maybe, but first the new administration has to deal with hunger, food safety and a diminished U.S.D.A.
By KIM SEVERSON
FRONT BURNER A Taste of Carnival in New Orleans
The parades are canceled and visitors discouraged, but celebrate the season with a king cake shipped to your door.
FRONT BURNER The Impermanence of Beauty
A new cookbook from the restaurant Kajitsu in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan highlights the intricacies of a vegan-style of Japanese cooking.
“Kajitsu: A Shojin Restaurant’s Season in the City” (FUKA Honten, $90), kitchenartsandletters.com.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
Anita LoCredit…
Lunar New Year Dumpling Class, Feb. 12, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., $49.99 per device, 100pleats.com/group.
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
Savor Soup Made From Scratch
With this foundation of vegetables and water, delicious, homemade soup doesn’t have to be complicated. Adding personality is up to you.
Derek DelGaudio’s in & of Itself
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Frank Oz
A film of Derek DelGaudio’s idiosyncratic show captures its surreal vibe and unconventional approach.
The star of “Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself.”
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI
Atlantis
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama, Sci-Fi | Directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych
Ukraine’s official Oscar entry, the movie depicts an all-too-convincing dystopia, with no fancy gadgets or cars.
Andriy Rymaruk in “Atlantis,” directed by Valentyn Vasyanovych.
By GLENN KENNY
Notturno
NYT Critic’s Pick | Documentary | Directed by Gianfranco Rosi
Gianfranco Rosi’s latest, beautifully shot documentary movingly observes people and places across Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Kurdistan in the aftermath of war.
A scene from Gianfranco Rosi’s documentary “Notturno.”
By NICOLAS RAPOLD
Identifying Features
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama | Directed by Fernanda Valadez
In this confident drama, a mother searches for her son who went missing while trying to migrate from Mexico to the United States.
Juan Jesús Varela in “Identifying Features.”
By TEO BUGBEE
You Will Die at 20
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama | Directed by Amjad Abu Alala
In his debut feature, Amjad Abu Alala deepens a fable-like premise into a lyrical confrontation with the certitudes of faith and the life-giving powers of doubt.
Islam Mubarak in “You Will Die at Twenty.”
By DEVIKA GIRISH
Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama, Romance | Directed by Lili Horvát
A neurosurgeon pursues the man of her dreams in this simmering portrait of obsession by the Hungarian filmmaker Lili Horvat.
Natasa Stork in “Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time.”
By BEATRICE LOAYZA
The Salt of Tears
NYT Critic’s Pick | Drama | Directed by Philippe Garrel
In Philippe Garrel’s film, a young Frenchman juggles three women, hoping to be destroyed by love. He gets his wish, but not in a way he imagined.
Souheila Yacoub and Logann Antuofermo in “The Salt of Tears.”
By GLENN KENNY
Vegan Restaurant Gets Michelin Star in France, a First
“We want to show you can eat differently,” said Claire Vallée, whose restaurant won the star. A growing number of chefs are eschewing France’s traditional, meat-focused cuisine.
Claire Vallée, the chef at ONA, which opened five years ago in southwest France.
By AURELIEN BREEDEN
The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Restaurant Owamni Eyes Spring Opening
The Sioux Chef team will introduce Twin Citians to Native American food without using Euro-centric ingredients. Owamni comes to the Minneapolis riverfront this spring, and it’s 300 years in the making.
Oozlefinch Beers & Blending in Fort Monroe, Va., evokes desserts in beers like the Das Yummy sour ale, which is inspired by Key lime pie.
By Joshua M. Bernstein
THOSE WE’VE LOST Debra Ivory, Smiling Owner of a Barbecue Haven, Dies at 62
In her mid-50s, she cashed out some retirement savings to buy an Oklahoma City eatery, revamping the menu with family recipes. She died of complications of Covid-19.
