Smoke & Bog…Part 1: The Smoke A Bit of History Historians believe that humans have been smoking foods, especially meats, since the Old Stone Age or paleolithic era. Exposing foods to smoke from burning wood, imparts exceptional flavor and serves as a cooking or preservation technique. Early humans definitely had the right idea! I absolutely…
For the Birds… A Bit of History: Upon hearing about my latest culinary adventure, a friend asked, “Isn’t millet bird seed?” I conceded that birds do eat millet, however they consume millet with husks. Humans, on the other hand, eat hulled millet (that has to meet safety and hygiene standards) cooked into tasty concoctions like…
Smooth Sailing… A Bit of History China boasts the first cultivation of persimmons over 2000 years ago and today is responsible for approximately 75% of the world’s persimmons. This deliciously sweet and tangy fruit symbolizes many things in Chinese culture. Due to its smooth skin and Chinese pronunciation shi (a homophone for the word things),…
Spaghetti Bread…A new twist on an American Classic A Bit of History: Did you ever wonder why American cooks bake zucchini into bread? It seems strange to cook an apple cinnamon squash quick bread recipe. Nevertheless, in the Middle Ages cooks routinely baked root vegetables like zucchini, sweet potatoes, and carrots into a pudding-like dessert….
Life is Gourd… A Bit of History The phrase “Life is Good” might just sound like “Life is Gourd” with a mouthful of these delicious Pumpkin Nut Breakfast Cookies. I look forward to the influx of pumpkin and fall foods in the grocery stores and autumn vegetables and fruits in my CSA box. I have…
The Iceman Cometh for Breakfast… A Bit of History: The popular play, The Iceman Cometh, debuted on Broadway in 1946. Even though this play was published long ago, the Iceman I am referring to is much older! Scientists discovered remains belonging to Otzi (3100-3400 BC), known as the Iceman, in the Alps between Austria and…
The 4,000 Year Old Breakfast… A Bit of History: People have been using turmeric for over 4,000 years, most likely originating in the Vedic culture of India. Throughout its long use, Turmeric played an important role in cooking, religious ceremonies, and Ayurvedic medicine. Historians discovered traces of garlic, ginger, and turmeric in ancient Indian cooking…
Gorp and Scroggin…For Breakfast? A Bit of History: Chances are you have eaten Gorp and Scroggin even if you don’t recognize the names as trail mix. In New Zealand trail mix is called Scroggin. Gorp is an acronym (good old peanuts and raisins or granola, oats, raisin, and peanuts) often used by hikers in North…
Oodles of Oublies… A Bit of History: Historians believe that waffles likely originated in ancient Greece. Early waffles, named obelios and shaped like flat cakes, were cooked between two heated metal plates. This tradition and recipe slowly made its way to Europe. People in the 9th century developed iron plates with extended handles, known as…
A Recipe for Fluffy Oven Baked Black & White Pancakes Whenever we venture into a bakery to peruse the cookie selections we almost always leave with chocolate chip, a lemon variety, and black and white cookies. Black and white cookies with their beautiful symmetry not only look amazing, but their soft cake-like texture tastes fabulous…