Tag Archives: Culinary

Thyme

By | |
Leave a comment
Thyme, Plant, Herb, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts, Green, Australia, Food, Culinary

Thyme will spice up your dishes in no time.

  • Thyme is an edible, perennial herb commonly used in cooking and there are approximately 60 varieties of the plant.
  • Thyme comes from the genus Thymus, that is from the family Lamiaceae, the family of mint, and the commonly used species for cooking purposes is Thymus vulgaris, also known as ‘common’, ‘garden’, and ‘German’.
  • In ancient history, thyme was used for purification purposes and was believed to provide courage or be symbolic of bravery.
  • The typical purpose of thyme is to flavour foods, such as meat, soups, bread, cheese, tea beverages and condiments, among others.
  • Thyme can be bought as a packaged dried herb from supermarkets, and it is also available in fresh bunches, and both leaves and stalks can be used.

Thyme, Plant, Herb, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts, Green, Australia, Food, Culinary

  • The extracted oil of thyme, contains large quantities of thymol, that has antiseptic qualities, that is included in some medical and health products, and the herb can be used to treat bronchitis.
  • For food use, it is preferable to use fresh thyme, which has tiny green leaves approximately 4 mm (0.16 inches) long, while dried versions are generally crushed into even smaller particles that are coloured a combination of grey, green and brown.
  • Dried thyme is very high in vitamin K and high in manganese and iron, while the fresh version contains significant quantities of vitamin C and A, iron and manganese.
  • Thyme plants generally grow from 15 to 40 cm (6 to 16 inches) tall and have white, purple or yellow flowers depending on the species.
  • The flavour of thyme varies, depending on the variety or species, although the most common is said to have a peppery, pine-like flavour, while the lemon species has a more citrus-like flavour.
Bibliography:
Thyme, 2015, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=77
Thyme, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyme

Amazon:        

Desiccated Coconut

By | |
Leave a comment
Desiccated Coconut

Delicious desiccated coconut.

  • Desiccated coconut is generally grated coconut meat, that lacks much liquid content, if any, due to it being dried.
  • A variant of desiccated coconut, ‘dried coconut’, can be purchased, although it contains more moisture than desiccated.
  • Desiccated coconut often comes in the form of a coarse powder, flakes or shreds, that vary in size and generally contain no more than three percent moisture.
  • Desiccated coconut that has had sugar added to it during the production process, is known as a ‘sweetened’ version, and it is often used in sweet dishes.
  • On contact, moisture is absorbed into desiccated coconut, causing it to swell and grow in size.

Desiccated Coconut, Shredded, Assorted, Culinary, Food, White, Yellow, Fine, Large, Small, Ten Random Facts

  • The typical colour of desiccated coconut is white or a creamy white, similar to fresh coconut meat.
  • Desiccated coconut is best stored in a dry location, away from light and in cool conditions.
  • In cooking, desiccated coconut is used to add texture, taste or visual appeal to a dish, most commonly in sweets, ranging from desserts to baked goods, and it is often used as an outer coating on sweet, rolled balls of food, and the product can also be blended to make coconut butter.
  • Lower quality desiccated coconut features discoloured spots or dark brown flecks; the latter caused by the accidental inclusion of coconut skin.
  • Desiccated coconut is very high in manganese and fat, and it is high in fibre, copper, magnesium and phosphorus.
Bibliography:
What is Desiccated Coconut?, 2013, P.T. Harvard Cocopro, http://www.harvardcocopro.com/Desiccated_Coconut.html
What is Desiccated Coconut?, 2015, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-desiccated-coconut.htm

Amazon:      —

Parsley

By | |
Leave a comment
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

Amazon:     

Spoon

By | |
Leave a comment
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

Amazon:       

Hot Cross Bun

By | |
Leave a comment
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

Amazon:        

Cracker

By | |
Leave a comment
Cracker

Don’t cracker up after this pun!

  • Crackers are dough-based food products and are typically thin or wafer like biscuits that generally range in size up to 8 centimetres (3 inches).
  •  The main ingredient of crackers is generally a grain, like wheat or rice ground into flour, and water, and they are often flavoured with seeds, herbs, spices, salt, stocks or other flavours.
  • Crackers are typically shaped circular or square, although they can also be found in a range of other shapes, such as rectangles, stars and triangles.
  • Crackers are generally plain or savoury flavoured and are commonly eaten as snacks, with dips, spreads, sliced meat, cheese, and sliced vegetables.
  • Most commonly, crackers feature holes named ‘docking holes’, that serve the purpose of preventing air bubbles in the pastry and allowing moisture to escape during the cooking process.

Cracker, Wheat, Rice, White, Brown, Holes, Square, Circle, Assortment, Ten Random Facts, Food, Biscuit, Australia

  • The wheat-produced pita, lavish and matzo flatbreads, among others, were the predecessors of the cracker.
  • Crackers can be home-made, or available for purchase in packages from supermarkets, and sales of the biscuit in the United States alone reaches more than ten billion dollars annually.
  • It is believed that crackers were invented in 1792 by John Pearson, in Massachusetts’s Newburyport, in the United States, as a sailor biscuit replacement.
  • Crackers are typically made commercially in large sheets, with docker pins pressing holes into the food, before they are baked in an oven.
  • The word ‘cracker’ is said to have originated from the crackling sound created by the accidental burning of the biscuit.
Bibliography
Cracker (Food), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(food)
Hiskey D, Why Crackers Have Holes, 2012, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/why-crackers-have-holes/

Amazon:      

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...