Pearl at the terrific blog Humanyms pointed out the extremely challenging quiz Be a Chocolate Detective:

Any Cultural Detective requires an open mind and critical thinking. A good detective should also be able to carry on an interesting conversation and enjoy life a bit. The following quiz will help you develop these abilities.

Chocolate has its roots in traditional rainforest village life—from Brazil to Ghana and Indonesia. Chocolate has influenced traditions spanning most of the globe for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years.

You may want to open a second browser window to do some research as you answer the quiz. Particularly helpful will be the International Cocoa Association website, http://www.icco.org/

I decided to do this quiz purely on my own and was quickly humbled to find that, out of a potential score of 10, 500 points, I received 1200 (and some of those were lucky guesses).

Humph. I’m off to take solace in a chocolate bar.

Posted by Amy as Food, Fluffy Stuff at 1:38 AM EDT

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I’ve always wondered how long certain foods are good for, and now I’ve found a webpage that helps: Surprising Expiration Dates.

Here are a few of the bits of information on the page:

• Brown sugar: Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.
• dried pasta: 12 months
• ketchup: Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.); Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)

This is one site I’ll bookmark and go back to as necessary.

Via A Sweet, Familiar Dissonance.

Posted by Amy as Food, Health & Safety at 9:09 AM EDT

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Have I found the blog for you! It’s called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World and you have to go see it. Really. Check out the cupcake video (who knew there were cupcake videos?).

It helps to be a hard-core cupcake fan for this blog; there are discussions of dreams about people marrying cupcakes.

This blog is a promotional effort for Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule (a cookbook that is going on my wish list right now).

I just wish that my cupcakes (and everything else that I make) could look as good as these.

Posted by Amy as Food at 1:33 AM EDT

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Kate at Kate In The Kitchen has posted a list of little known facts about bananas.

Here are three of her tips:

• Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
• PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
• want a quick shine on [y]our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe…polish with dry cloth.

I had no idea bananas were so helpful.

Posted by Amy as Food at 6:35 AM EST

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Cooking By Numbers is an intriguing concept.

It lists a variety of foods; you click on the ones that you have in the house and then it gives you a list of possible recipes that include those ingredients. Click on the recipe name and you get the recipe itself.

There are also various tips here; if you go to the “Skills By Numbers” sections you’ll learn how to peel a tomato, how to line a cake pan, how to cook couscous, how to brule, and much more.

It’s certainly worth taking a look at this site on those days when you’re stuck and just can’t think of what you could make.

Posted by Amy as Food at 11:47 AM EST

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If you have fond memories of a scene from the movies that involves food, you’ll enjoy Cinema and Company: Recipes From Your Favorite Films.

The site lists recipes that are featured in many well known movies. Here are a few of them:

• Caviar On Toast (Titanic)
• Knickerbocker Glory (Tea with Mussolini)
• Shrimp Cocktail (The Blues Brothers)
• Tuna Cream (Casablanca)
• Tara Muffins (Gone With The Wind)

I’d always wondered what a Knickerbocker Glory was; now I know.

Via Information Junk.

Posted by Amy as Food, Television & Movies at 2:27 AM EST

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Today is World Vegetarian Day and the beginning of World Vegetarian Month.

The North American Vegetarian Society was the group that started this initiative; here’s what they have to say about it:

For those new to vegetarianism, it serves as an enticement to give meatless fare a try (even for a day) and learn about its many benefits. And, of course, it’s the perfect occasion for vegetarians and those already moving towards plant-based diets to celebrate their healthy, compassionate food choices.

There are lots of resources here for learning about vegetarianism. There are also T-shirts, tote bags, and various cookbooks to order.

They even have suggestions for what non-vegetarians can do to mark the day.

Here’s a list of my favourite vegetarian/vegan cookbooks and links–and don’t forget to check out the blogs in the right sidebar devoted to vegan/vegetarian cooking.

Via Kaji’s Mom.

Posted by Amy as Food, Special Days/Weeks, Vegan & Vegetarian at 9:14 AM EDT

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As anyone who has ever been to Starbucks knows, a coffee is no longer just a coffee.

If, like me, you don’t know the differences between their offerings, check out Starbucks Coffee Product Information.

Here you can find the difference between Espresso Con Pana and regular Espresso, and you can find out what distinguishes a Caffe Latte from a Cappuccino.

I also learned that the person who takes my money and gives me my coffee is called a Barista. I did not learn why a pretentious title is necessary.

Via Knotted Knickers.

Posted by Amy as Food at 8:33 AM EDT

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Melissa Kronenthal at The Traveler’s Lunchbox has an interesting project going.

She’s collecting lists from people itemising the five things they think everyone should eat before they die. So far she’s received enough entries that she’s up to 1,220. You can read the list of “Things To Eat Before You Die” here.

Some of the items are particular dishes in specific restaurants; others are very general (“a vegetable you have grown yourself”).

I agree that everyone should eat vegetables fresh from the garden before they die, but that’s a little too general for me.

I came up with my own suggestions, but it was tough keeping it down to five. Here they are:

• mangoes
• basmati rice
• channa masala (curried chick peas)
• falafel served in a pita with a garlic sauce
• peach pie

Via Yahoo! Picks.

Posted by Amy as Food, Memes at 1:51 AM EDT

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I’ve always been interested in what people eat, especially the unusual foods.

I did a survey one time of friends and family and these were some of the unusual items that they ate or that they had watched others eat:

• chocolate syrup on sauerkraut
• pina coladas made with Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup
• baloney spread with marmalade, rolled up, and fried
• sandwiches made with white bread and raw hamburger

Now I’ve discovered a web site devoted to this topic: Utterly Outrageous Recipes. It lists such culinary wonders as the following:

• hot pepper milk shake: made with hot peppers, lemon juice, hot sauce, vanilla ice cream, and milk
• cheddar cheese in coffee
• ketchup in coffee
• mustard on ice cream

This is an utterly fascinating, if sometimes creepy, browse.

Via Weblog V2.

Posted by Amy as Food at 6:30 PM EDT

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Here’s an interesting site: Energy Fiend.

Energy Fiend is a blog that discusses all things caffeinated. There are regular updates regarding news about caffeine (including a recent note on a new study that shows caffeine may protect against cirrhosis of the liver).

There’s also information on what ingredients are often found in energy drinks and a nifty caffeine database that lists how much caffeine there is per ounce of caffeinated drink.

There’s also an section that allows you to calculate how much of your favourite form of caffeine would be fatal. You enter in your weight and the type of caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drink) to get the result.

I learned that I would have to drink 357.90 cans of Dr. Pepper or 386.15 cans of Pepsi.

I don’t think I’m going to worry.

Via Yahoo! Picks.

Posted by Amy as Food, Health & Safety, Fluffy Stuff at 4:45 AM EDT

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Until recently, I had never heard of stevia. Then I started to see references to it in some whole foods material I was reading.

Now I’ve learned of a website dedicated to information abut stevia.

According to this site, stevia is the “world’s only all-natural sweetener with zero calories, zero carbohydrates and a zero glycemic index.”

There’s lots of information on stevia here and the most recent research. You can compare stevia to other sweeteners, and you can also browse through recipes (such as vegan cornmeal-apple muffins, lemon cookies, or baba ganouj).

Via How To Save The World.

Posted by Amy as Food at 4:31 AM EDT

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If you’re interested in any aspect of food or cooking, make sure you check out the links on Kiplog’s Foodblog.

There are a dazzling number of links here to other food blogs, sorted alphabetically.

Some links include The Adventures of Pie Queen, Algerian Cuisine, Eli’s Cheesecake Blog, Gluten-Free Girl, Hot Sauce Blog, and many, many more.

This site is definitely worth visiting numerous times.

Posted by Amy as Food, Blogs and Bloggers at 12:08 AM EDT

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I’ve just discovered a wonderful food blog called One Whole Clove. It’s sub-titled “Sweet and Savoury Experiments Through Quebec’s Kitchens.”

I particularly like it that many of the recipes are vegan or vegetarian. There’s an interesting recipe for vegan tourtière that I may try.

The blog is well organised and attractive with categories such as the following:

· Savoury Recipes Inspired By Quebec Kitchens
· Sweet Recipes Inspired By Quebec Kitchens
· Original Recipes
· Quebec Food Products: Reviewed
· Quebec: The Mini-Series

There are also some great food memes (stay tuned, some of them will be showing up here).

This blog author and I share a lot of interests—I think I’d like every one of the books on her Amazon wish list.

I love the name of this blog, and I’m particularly impressed with the blog’s official mascot.

This is definitely going on my list of regular reads, and I’ll be checking out her intriguing list of links to other blogs and food sites.

Posted by Amy as Food, Blogs and Bloggers at 5:32 AM EDT

2 Comments »

Here’s a lovely online cookbook: Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook and Art Gallery.

As the title suggests, it’s more than just a cookbook—there are beautiful illustrations and some very good background information to Sufism.

The background info covers such topics as Sufism itself, prayers suitable to meals, serving food as an expression of love, food in the time of Rumi, and Sufism and vegetarianism.

The recipes include breads, grain dishes, soups, curries, beverages (such as almond milk), desserts (including several different recipes for halvah), and much more.

The art gallery has some fascinating pictures, such as this photo of the Whirling Dervishes of Constantinople (at rest, not whirling).

This is a wonderful site to browse, and I’m sure I’ll be experimenting with the recipes.

Via Weblog V2.

Posted by Amy as Food, Religion & Spirituality at 5:10 AM EDT

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Calling all cupcake fans! Here’s a fun link: All Cupcakes, All The Time.

This blog features photos of cupcakes, recipes, articles about cupcakes, and more.

You can find such nifty cupcakes as Red Velvet Cupcakes With Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, Oreo Cupcakes, Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, and, topically, World Cup Cupcakes.

I’ll put up my hand for the Red Velvet cupcakes!

Posted by Amy as Food, Blogs and Bloggers at 5:15 AM EDT

2 Comments »

Gode Cookery is a great site that features medieval food.

The site says, “Medieval cooking was not, as has been so easily assumed, a dubious practice that produced inedible dishes filled with strange spices and dangerous ingredients. Medieval cooks used many of the same type of foodstuffs that are in use today, in addition to forms of food preparation familiar to any of us.”

We can find all sorts of information here about medieval cooking, especially recipes (all recipes are presented in the original language and then in modern English).

Here are a few of the recipes listed:

· a late 15th century recipe called capons in dorre (toasted bread in almond milk)
· a 14th century recipe called crispels (”round pastries basted in honey”)
· a 14th century recipe for fried spinach
· a 15th century recipe called Hattes (”small meat-filled pastries that resemble medieval hats”)

There are also illusion foods (foods meant to resemble something else, either in the way it looked or the way it tasted).

An example of an illusion food would be stuffed omelettes made into flowers or the above-mentioned hattes.

There is also a glossary of medieval cooking terms, lots of great links, and much more.

This is definitely a site I’ll be revisiting.

Via Incoming Signals.

Posted by Amy as Food, History at 3:43 AM EDT

2 Comments »

It’s barbecue time here in Canada, and that also means that it’s a good time for us to review our knowledge of safe outdoor cooking.

There’s a good USDA fact sheet on this that provides all the information necessary to prevent food poisoning or other potential problems associated with barbecuing.

There are tips for the safest way to defrost meat, work with marinades, reheat, and much more.

Via El Dorado County Library: What’s Hot On The Internet This Week.

Posted by Amy as Food, Health & Safety at 8:36 AM EDT

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I know some of you are wondering why anyone would want to celebrate the rutabaga. Some of you may even be wondering what the rutabaga is.

To answer the last question first, the rutabaga is the vegetable that everyone I knew referred to as a turnip when I was growing up.

You can see a photo of the vegetable at the Advanced Rutabaga Studies Institute, which has declared May to be National Rutabaga Month.

Dave Barry has responded by suggesting that we take the rest of May off.

Despite the apparent lack of popularity of rutabagas, I’m very fond of them (even though I’m still training myself not to call them turnips).

Via Rebecca’s Pocket.

Posted by Amy as Food at 3:50 AM EDT

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Here’s a great site for those of us who are interested in the spices in our food: Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages.

This site provides information on over 100 spices, from ajwain to zedoary. Many of them (like zedoary or perilla or rocket) are ones I’ve never heard of.

For each spice there is a wealth of information:

· translations of the name of the spice into many different languages
· a photo of the plant with a description of which part of it is used in cooking
· the sensory quality (e.g. lemon-scented? astringent?)
· a description of the plant’s properties
· its origin
· the etymology of the plant’s name
· some links to other sites about the plant

There are no recipes here, but everything else you could possibly want to know about the spices is available.

There’s also a list of spice mixtures (e.g. bouquet garni, garam masala) along with a description of what’s contained in each.

Posted by Amy as Food at 1:57 AM EDT

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18thC Cuisine is a blog that manages to combine two of my interests: history and food. Even when I know I don’t like the food (e.g. anything licorice-flavoured), I love reading about it.

This blog invites readers to “Explore with me 18thC French cuisine as a habitante in Nouvelle France may have cooked.”

She works her way through 18th century recipes and techniques (e.g. sugaring off) and provides the old recipes first in the original French and then in translation.

This blog has wonderful links to other food blogs (as well as sites with instructions on how to write food blogs). There are also links to sites on 18th century history, cooking tools, kitchen gardens, and blogs/sites in French.

As background to the time she’s interested in, here’s a link to a very good site on Nouvelle France (also known as New France or Quebec).

Via The Old Foodie through Epicurious.com.

Posted by Amy as Food, History, Blogs and Bloggers at 4:19 AM EDT

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Yesterday I blogged about the carrot museum.

Today I can tell you that there is also an online museum about chocolate.

If you can stand to read about chocolate without wanting to immediately rush out and buy some, indulge yourself in a visit to this site.

There is information here on growing chocolate, the history of chocolate, eating chocolate (what, we need tips on this?), making chocolate, a chocolate challenge, chocolate in books and films, and a children’s section.

I can feel some dark chocolate calling me . . . .

Via Neat New Stuff On The Web.

Posted by Amy as Food, Museums at 1:18 AM EST

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I have just discovered that there is a World Carrot Museum site.

There are many different things to look at here: A to Z of Varieties; Carrots in Fine Art; Jokes; and Carrot Trivia, to name a few.

According to the Carrot Trivia page, “Carrots produce more distilled spirit than potatoes.” I did not know that.

I also did not know that Queen Anne’s Lace (such a beautiful name!) refers to a wild carrot.

There is more information here about carrots than I thought existed.

Via onepotmeal.

Posted by Amy as Food, Museums at 4:20 AM EST

3 Comments »

I read in the Leader-Post this weekend that Laureen Teskey, Stephen Harper’s wife, ate ketchup sandwiches as a girl.

This is not something that I would care to eat, but I think it’s fascinating to hear about other people’s food preferences. I once asked everyone I could think of to let me know if they had heard of (or eaten) food or food combinations that might be considered unusual.

Ketchup showed up in a variety of ways. Others told me about ketchup sandwiches, so I know it’s not just Laureen Teskey who eats them. I’ve also heard about peanut butter and ketchup sandwiches.

Another person told me about someone who loves ketchup on toast—but not just any old way. The toast has to be burnt black, with the butter added after the toast is so cold that the butter won’t melt at all, but will just sit there. Then a thick layer of ketchup is added and left to dry out enough that a light crust forms on the ketchup. Only then is it ready for eating.

Another person loves to have a breakfast of eggs sunny side up, hash browns, and bacon or sausage or ham. First he puts mustard on his eggs; then he covers them with peanut butter. After that he puts ketchup all over everything.

I’m guessing there are lots more ketchup and something combinations out there. Maybe someday someone who loves ketchup will gather the ideas together and we’ll see The Ketchup Cookbook.

Posted by Amy as Food at 2:50 AM EST

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