Author Archives: Cris

Parsley

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Parsley

Prepare your pasta to appear profound with a piece of parsley.

  • Parsley is a herb that grows as a biennial plant, and is native to some Mediterranean areas.
  • The scientific name of parsley is Petroselinum crispum, and it is one of two species in the Petroselinum genus, that is from the family Apiaceae, the family of carrots and celery.
  • Parsley is commonly added to dishes to flavour food, used as an ingredient in some condiments, and placed on plates or dishes as a garnish to increase the aesthetics of the food.
  • ‘Parsley’ comes from the Old English and French words ‘petersilie’ and ‘peresil’, which both originate from the original Greek word for the herb, ‘petroselinon’.
  • Myristicin, a volatile oil, is evident in parsley, which can negate potentially damaging molecules, like those found in smoke from cigarettes.

Parsley, Green, Herb, Leafy, Spice, Food, Culinary, Ten Random Facts

  • Parsley has been grown in its native area since ancient times, and it has been used for medicinal purposes; while the Greeks viewed the herb as sacred, and used it to for ornamental purposes in tombs and to decorate champions of competitions.
  • ‘Turnip root’ or ‘Hamburg root’ parsley is a variety of the herb that produces a root, similar in appearance to a parsnip, that can be eaten like a vegetable.
  • Fresh parsley should be washed before consumption to remove dirt and other impurities, and while it is best consumed fresh, it can also be purchased as a dried herb in supermarkets.
  • There are at least 30 varieties of parsley, and while they have different features, they are generally a vivid green colour and typically have a leafy appearance.
  • Vitamin K levels are extremely high in parsley, and the herb has significant quantities of vitamin C and vitamin A.

 

Bibliography:
Parsley, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=100
Parsley, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley

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Spoon

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Spoon

Would you like a spoon of facts?

  • Spoons are tools or utensils that are cutlery items used primarily to eat or prepare food.
  • Spoons feature a shallow, curved receptacle, that is attached to a longer handle.
  • Stainless steel is one of the most common materials used to make spoons, while wood, plastic, ceramic, or other metals are not uncommon, though some cutlery is made of a combination of two or more substances.
  • Spoons are most often used to eat, mix, distribute and measure food.
  • Ancient civilisations made spoons from a variety of materials like wood, bone, rock, gold, silver and ivory, depending on the utensil’s purpose and availability of materials.

Spoon, Metal, Plastic, Assortment, Invention, Cutlery, Ten Random Facts

  • Spoons have been adapted as souvenirs making them collected items, while both antiques and limited editions are popular among collectors.
  • The modern manufacturing process of metal spoons starts with a flat metal sheet, that is cut and shaped using dies.
  • Spoons have been used in past societies, including Egyptian and British, to symbolise status and power.
  • The modern appearance of spoons was only adopted in the 1700s, and soon after they became a prominent household item.
  • A spoon is most commonly used for eating when the food is liquid-based or small, such as rice, cereal, ice-cream and soup.
Bibliography:
Jones T, The History of Spoons, Forks and Knives, 2013, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/10/history-spoons-forks-knives/
Spoon, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon

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Hidden Beach, Marieta Islands

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Hidden Beach, Marieta Islands

Hidden Beach is perfect isolation.

  • Hidden Beach is a beach totally surrounded by a rock wall, found on one of the Marieta Islands of Mexico, in North America.
  • ‘Hidden Beach’ is also known as ‘Playa del Amor’, which translates directly from Spanish as ‘beach of love’.
  • The Mexican government used the uninhabited Marieta Islands as a military test base early in the 20th century, and a number of bomb tests occurred, one of which is the possible cause of the Hidden Beach open cave area.
  • Hidden Beach was declared a National Park area in 2005, as part of the Parque Nacional Islas Marietas (Marieta Islands National Park), while Frenchman, Jacques Cousteau, a scientist, originally initiated the protection of the area in the 1960s.
  • Kayaking, swimming and sunbathing are said to be the only practices that are legal in the Hidden Beach area, although other activities in the area include whale watching, fishing and birdwatching.

Hidden Beach, Marieta Islands, Ten Random Facts, Water, Hole, Mexico,

Hidden Beach
Image courtesy of Christian Bernal/Flickr
  • Visitors are usually transported to the Hidden Beach area by boat, and enter the small channel opening via a small watercraft or swimming, although access via helicopter is also an option.
  • The upper ground level (or roof) of Hidden Beach sits approximately 7 metres above the water, while the small opening in the wall that allows access to the beach is around 1.8 metres (6 feet) in height.
  • Hidden Beach has become a popular tourist area in recent times due to social media on the internet, however, the site can be viewed from above, only from the air, due to it remoteness, natural barricade and protection laws.
  • The Marieta Islands were likely created by volcanic activity, and the Hidden Beach area is generally warm all year round.
  • The Hidden Beach area is the home to much wildlife, including birds, plants and marine animals such as dolphins, rays, whales and turtles.
Bibliography:
Hidden Beach, 2014, Atlas Obscura, http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hidden-beach-2
Hidden Beach in Marieta Islands, Mexico, 2014, When on Earth, http://whenonearth.net/hidden-beach-puerto-vallarta/
Marieta Islands, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marieta_Islands

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Binturong

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Binturong

Binturongs are mysterious hide-a-way animals.

  • Binturongs are mammals of medium stature found in the southern and southeastern forest habitats of Asia.
  • Binturongs are also known as ‘Asian civets’, ‘Malay civet cats’, ‘Asian bearcats’, and ‘bearcats’, however, they are unrelated to both cats or bears.
  • The word ‘binturong’ comes from a language no longer used, and as a result its original meaning has been lost; while the scientific name of the animal is Arctictus binturong, from the family Viverridae, the family of viverrids that includes civets and genets.
  • Binturongs have fur that is mostly black, with touches of grey, brown and white, and their long tail is prehensile or ‘able to grasp’.
  • Binturongs range from 60 to 96 centimetres (24 to 38 inches) in length, with their tail almost as long, and they weigh 10 to 22 kilograms (22 to 49 pounds).
Binturong, Animal, Zoo, Black, Sleeping, Ten Random Facts, Mammal
Binturong
Image courtesy of Trisha Shears/Flickr
  • Binturongs generally live in trees, and commonly climb up and down them, as they have poor jumping skills.
  • The diet of binturongs consists primarily of fish, birds, insects, worms, fruit, and the occasional small mammal.
  • Binturongs generally have litters of one to three cubs, that live up to 25 years, and the mammal is preyed on by leopards, snakes and tigers.
  • Binturongs are listed as a vulnerable threatened species, due to poaching, hunting for food purposes, and habitat losses.
  • Binturongs or not commonly seen in their natural habitats, and are often only recorded by photography traps.
Bibliography:
Binturong, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/binturong/
Binturong, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong
Binturong, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong

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Hot Cross Bun

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Hot Cross Bun

Do you like a nice hot cross bun on Good Friday?

  • Hot cross buns are food items, that are sweet dough based bread, that are generally spiced with mixed spice, a mixture that typically includes cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, among others.
  • Flour, milk, sugar, butter, yeast, sultanas or raisins, currants and mixed spice are the traditional primary ingredients in making hot cross buns.
  • Hot cross buns are typically eaten on Good Friday of the Easter period, although they are often sold all year round, peaking from January to April.
  • It is thought that hot cross buns originated at a pagan Saxon festival, as a praise towards Eostre, a goddess, and the cross is said to have originally represented the seasons and the moon.
  • A cross shape is found on the top of hot cross buns, and it is made of icing, pastry, or a water and flour paste, although it is said that originally the cross was most likely cut into the dough with a knife.

Hot Cross Buns, Easter, Good Friday, Half a Dozen, Brown, White, Traditional, Ten Random Facts, Food

  • Hot cross buns now come in an increasing variety of flavours, like chocolate, apple, orange, toffee or coffee, and they can also be fruitless.
  • The commonly accepted symbolic meaning of hot cross buns today, originates from the Christian worldview, representing the cross and crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday.
  • Hot cross buns are often glazed with a heated sugar and water mixture, that is brushed on the top of the cooked buns while they are still hot.
  • Typically, hot cross buns are served heated as a snack, and are commonly accompanied by a spread, such as butter.
  • Hot cross buns are surrounded by many myths, such as the bun’s supposed protection against fire and its year-long resistance to mould if baked on the correct day.
Bibliography:
Hot Cross Bun, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_cross_bun
Ysewijn R, Hot Cross Buns through Paganism, Christianity and Superstition, 2013, Miss Foodwise, http://www.missfoodwise.com/2013/03/hot-cross-buns-through-paganism.html

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Chair

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Chair

I do hope you do not fall off your chair!

  • Chairs are furniture items that are elevated platforms, used primarily for people to sit on.
  • Most commonly, chairs feature a backrest and four legs for maximum stability, although three and five-legged versions are available.
  • Chairs come in a wide variety of shapes and designs, some featuring no backrest, others featuring armrests, while others have the ability to fold compactly, and yet others are permanently placed.
  • Chairs are usually only used by one person at a time; and versions for multiple people are generally known as ‘couches’ or ‘benches’.
  • There is evidence of chair usage in Ancient Egypt, although until the 1500s, they were rarely used in general households; instead benches, stools and chests were utilised.

Chair, Black, Wood, Swivel, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Brown

  • Wood, plastic, fabric, leather, cane, metal, and other materials are used to make chairs, and these pieces of furniture are found in many places including offices, houses, and other indoor settings, as well as outdoors and in vehicles.
  • Chairs that are used commercially must abide by specific design criteria in some countries, such as the ability to hold a weight of 68 kilograms (150 pounds) on the backrest without breakage.
  • For both decorative and protective purposes, chairs may be accessorised with cushions, covers and floor mats.
  • Chairs are popularly depicted by artists, and a notable wooden sculpture by Daniel Berset of Switzerland is the Broken Chair, that reaches 12 metres (39 feet) in height.
  • The opportunity for a person to sit in a chair, up until the 1500s, indicated that such a person had a position of power and authority, and it is still used as a symbol today – councils generally have a ‘chair of the board’.

 

Bibliography:
Chair, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chair
Have a seat: The history of chairs, 2013, HeraldNet, http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130509/LIVING03/705099995

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