Welcome back from the weekend, reader. In today's edition:

• A controversy in medicine: New research could upend our understanding of medicine — only if the medical industry is willing to listen.
• A new whisky brand: It uses unique techniques learned from making shochu.
• Smoked tomato sauce: You want to try it, and we've got the recipe.

Who’s Afraid of the Placebo Effect?

Jeremy Howick admits that there was a time when he thought that it was all “gobbledygook.” A professor of empathic healthcare at the University of Leicester, Howick used to be a competitive rower, but suffered debilitating bouts of anxiety before every race. A coach suggested he try yoga as a means of calming his mind. Despite his skepticism, he felt immediately better at the end of just one session. “That got my academic mind whirring,” he says. “I needed to investigate just how the mind and body are not so separate.”

Over the subsequent years, Howick became, despite all the raised eyebrows, a leading researcher into the placebo effect — that’s when a substance leads to positive health results even if it’s devoid of any pharmaceutical content. It works to make you better when, scientifically speaking, it shouldn’t.

Placebos are a powerful and strange phenomenon that can work even when you know, categorically, that there’s no active drug in your treatment. This is not to suggest that the placebo effect is some underappreciated mystical force that's capable of healing anything, but there are ways it can be better deployed throughout the medical field.

Last week, we asked you how you feel about hazy IPAs. About 21% of you aren't big beer drinkers, 25% of you are over them and 54% of you still love them.

Review: Kanosuke Is Reimagining the Possibilities of Japanese Whisky

What we’re drinking: Three core Japanese whisky expressions from Kanosuke Distillery

Where it’s from: The Kanosuke Distillery was founded in 2017 and named after Kanosuke Komasa, the second-generation leader of its parent company, Komasa Jyozo (which started in 1883). The distillery is located on a 2.2-acre tract of land along Fukiagehama, a beach on the west coast of Kagoshima Prefecture. According to Kanosuke Distillery founder, CEO and Master Blender Yoshitsugu Komasa, a fourth-generation spirits maker, the area offers a “unique microclimate that creates mellow whiskies that are rich and complex.”

Why we’re drinking these: As Japan’s whisky-making rules become more codified and demand for product soars, we’re happy to try newer brands that fall outside the big two producers.

IN THE NEWS

Scientists just solved a longstanding art mystery.

Blood tests are showing impressive accuracy in detecting Alzheimer’s disease.

What can animals tell us about how we age? Deer and sheep have a lot to say, it turns out.

How one man became the Hamptons’ go-to defense attorney.

The Most Impressive Homemade Tomato Sauce Is Smoked

Whether you’re growing tomatoes at home or buying from your local farmers market, here’s how to get the most of tomato season, courtesy of Natoora:

• What to look for when shopping: Ripe, almost bursting tomatoes, which ensures they’ve developed full flavors on the vine. Thin, delicate skins that are easily split and scarred is a telltale sign of dense flesh within and a marker of tomatoes grown for flavor as opposed to yield or uniformity.

• How to store for maximum freshness: Store outside of the refrigerator, preferably in a cool location. Handle minimally and with care.
• How to use: Enjoy fresh.

The Recipe: Charred Okra With Smoked Tomato Sauce

While you could simply slice and dress your tomatoes for a perfect summer salad, you can also get more creative. At Knossos restaurant at InterContinental Crete, chef consultant Nikos Roussos smokes fresh, ripe tomatoes for a bold sauce that perfectly complements another summer favorite: okra.