Easy Smoked Pineapple Salsa A Bit of History Nothing pleases me more than a tasty new recipe and some interesting food facts. Today’s post nailed both criteria for me. While researching information for my Easy Smoked Pineapple Salsa post, I discovered pineapples boast a secret superpower: regeneration. Soak the the top portion of the pineapple…
Taco Tuesdays…a Complicated History A Bit of History: Every week when Tuesday comes up I remember the alliterative phrase “Taco Tuesday” and contemplate what we will be eating that week. My family loves veggie tacos, especially accompanied with salsa and guacamole. Fortunately, I love making a variety of salsas, and this Smoky & Spicy Tomato…
For Courage & Valor… A Bit of History: Dill appears throughout history as a remedy, in culinary uses, to ward off witchcraft, and even given to Roman gladiators to evoke courage and valor. According to the Herb Society of America, Egyptians documented the use of dill in medicine nearly 5,000 years ago. In addition, archeologists…
Top Ten Lists… A Bit of History The BLT, (classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato), consistently ranks in the top 10 list for popular sandwiches in the USA. In addition, BLT sandwiches celebrate their own national month in April. In 2019, BLT sandwiches claimed the second spot just behind the grilled cheese. However, since then, BLTs…
All You Can Beet… A Bit of History The Guinness world record for the largest serving of hummus, held by Chef Ramzi Choueiri and the students of Al-Kafaat University in Beirut, is 10,452 kg (23,042 lbs. 12 oz). That is definitely enough hummus to stock an all you can eat mezze platter! Hopefully, you won’t…
The House of Orange… A Bit of History Wild carrots sport colors of white or yellow, did you ever wonder why we typically consume orange ones? Over thousands of years of domestication, carrots evolved from a bitter, pale, root into a sweeter, orange version with more beta-carotene compared to their wild cousins. This turned out…
The Mad Apple… A Bit of History: Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist in the kitchen. Mixing seemingly random ingredients, running the blender until it smokes, dropping things in the oven and then pondering where the burning smell is emanating from. While conducting a bit of research for my version of Grilled Eggplant Dip,…
Inverted Bruschetta… A Bit of History: Once again, an ancient fruit stars in my recipe for Smoked Fig Jam Bruschetta. Scientists and historians discovered evidence of fig cultivation dating back over 11,000 years ago in Jericho on the West Bank. Figs are really a fascinating fruit with a long and significant history! Since figs predated the domestication and cultivation…
For Courtney… A Wonderful Neighbor… About the Recipe: Rosemary Thyme Fig Jam A few weeks ago my very kind friend who also happens to be my neighbor invited me to pick some delightful figs from her backyard tree. I was so excited as the timing was perfect! Rob was making pizza/flatbread dough and I had…
A Fruit Fit for a King… A Bit of History: Olive trees symbolize endurance, eternity, and peace. However, you won’t need an endurance effort to craft this easy, 5-minute Sun-Dried Tomato Olive Tapenade. Olives have an incredible ability to adapt to a multitude of environments; including temperature fluctuations, soil changes, and salt water. In fact,…