Tag Archives: Culinary

Radish

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Radish

These radish facts are radical.

  • A radish is a savoury vegetable and the root of the plant Raphanus sativus, and there are many cultivated varieties of the vegetable.
  • Radishes are from the family Brassicaceae, the family of mustard and cabbages, and they generally have a sweet, peppery flavour, and are crunchy when raw.
  • Radishes grow quickly and some varieties can be harvested after as little as three weeks, although other varieties can take some months to grow.
  • Although there is no historical record of the origin of radishes, it is believed that they are native to Southeast Asia due to the plant growing in the wild there.
  • Radishes are coloured red, white, green, pink, purple, yellow or black depending on the variety, and they generally have white coloured flesh.

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  • Radishes are typically spherical or cylindrical in shape, and range from 2.5 to 60 centimetres (1 to 23.6 inches) in length, with leaves ranging from 10 to 60 centimetres (4 to 24 inches) in height.
  • Radishes are often eaten raw, as a side vegetable or in salads, and they can be made into juice or condiments like pickles, while the leaves can also be eaten, and are often used in soup.
  • Radish seeds can be used for sprouting purposes, and the seeds can also be made into oil.
  • In 2007, 6.35 million tonnes (7 million tons) of radishes were produced around the world.
  • Radishes are high in vitamin C and are good sources of folate and potassium.
Bibliography:
Radish, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radish
Radish, n.d, Good Food, http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/radish

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Cranberry Sauce

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Cranberry Sauce

Always have cranberry sauce with your turkey.

  • Cranberry sauce is a culinary condiment or sauce used to flavour other food dishes.
  • ‘Cranberry sauce’ is also known as ‘cranberry jelly’, and it is bought in cans or jars from supermarkets, or made at home.
  • The primary ingredients of cranberry sauce are sugar, cranberries and water, and sometimes other ingredients and flavourings are added.
  • Cranberry sauce is typically made by mixing together and boiling the ingredients, as in jam making, causing the elements to combine and thicken and the cranberries to burst.
  • Cranberry sauce can be a semi-liquid or a jelly-solid, and it is usually served scooped out of a jar with a spoon, or sliced.

Cranberry Sauce, Red, Traditional, Liquid, Plate, Ten Random Facts, Condiment

  • Cranberry sauce is traditionally eaten on either Thanksgiving or Christmas, often accompanying a turkey dish, and it is also sometimes served with other meats.
  • The general taste of cranberry sauce varies from country to country; American versions are generally sweet, while European versions tend to be a bit sour.
  • The earliest known recorded mention of cranberry sauce was in 1663, in a cookbook; more than 40 years after the first Thanksgiving dinner in the United States.
  • Commercialised cranberry sauce became available in cans in 1912 and were popularised in the 1930s with the introduction of Ocean Spray’s version.
  • Cranberry sauce is high in vitamin E, fibre and manganese, and it also contains significant quantities of sugar.
Bibliography:
Cranberry Sauce, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry_sauce
Hallowell B, The History Behind 5 Thanksgiving Traditions Americans Love, 2013, The Blaze, http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/28/5-thanksgiving-traditions-americans-love-a-brief-history-of-turkey-wishbones-football-and-more/
Why Canned Cranberry Jelly Became a Thanksgiving Icon, 2014, The Kitchen, http://www.thekitchn.com/why-canned-cranberry-jelly-became-a-thanksgiving-icon-food-history-213299

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Meringue

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Meringue

Light and airy meringues.

  • Meringues are a light weight and traditionally white food made by whipping ingredients, and they are often eaten as a sweet dessert.
  • Meringues are made primarily of sugar and egg whites that have been whipped together, and sometimes binders, such as cornstarch; acids, such as cream of tartar; and flavouring, such as vanilla, are included.
  • Meringues are typically sweet flavoured and have a crisp outer surface, with either a light chewy or crisp textured interior, and food colouring can be added for decorative effects.
  • The earliest known record of the word ‘meringue’, is found in the 1692 cookbook written by the chef François Massialot of France, in Europe, although it is believed that the food has its origins in the 1500s.
  • One of the first documented meringue recipes was from an early 1600s recipe book written by Lady Elinor Fettiplace, from England’s now Oxfordshire in Europe, and the recipe was named ‘white biskit bread’.

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  • The shape of meringues is generally achieved by using spoons or a piping bag, and once formed to the desired shape, they are generally cooked in an oven on a low temperature.
  • The primary reason for beating the whites of eggs is to break certain bonds, which causes the mixture to stiffen, and if the sugar is not well incorporated into the mixture by significant beating, it will cause small droplets of moisture to appear on the exterior once cooked, which is known as ‘sweating’.
  • There are three main types of meringue: Italian; Swiss; and French; each made using different procedures, and the latter is the most common.
  • Meringues can be used as an ingredient in many other desserts, notably tarts, pavlovas, puddings and cakes.
  • Meringue never contains fat, as its inclusion would cause the mixture to cave in, although it does contain a significant portion of sugar and protein.

 

Bibliography:
Meringue, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meringue
Muster D, The Origins and History of the Meringue, n.d., In Mamas Kitchen, http://www.inmamaskitchen.com/FOOD_IS_ART/meringue2.html

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Pizza

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Pizza

Would you like a slice of pizza facts?

  • A pizza is a cooked bread based meal, that is often topped with a tomato paste or sauce, cheese and other items such as meat or vegetables.
  • An early style of pizza was eaten by both Greeks and Romans in ancient times, and it was primarily topped with herbs, cheese and oil.
  • The more modern pizza probably originated from Italy’s Naples, in Europe, from the 1700s to 1800s, that were topped with herbs, garlic and cheese, and eventually tomato.
  • According to legend, pizzas were cooked for Queen Margherita of the Kingdom of Italy, who was visiting Italy’s Palace of Capodimonte in Naples, and she took a liking to the one topped with mozzarella, tomato and basil, and this combination became famously known as a ‘Magherita’.
  • Pizzas were introduced to the United States by immigrants from Italy in the late 1800s, and while 1905 marked the opening of the first pizzeria in the US, they became popular after World War II, and now during October the food is particularly celebrated in parts of America.

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  • Studies in 2010 suggest that pizza is eaten by approximately 13% of the United States population every day, and they can be bought frozen or ready to cook from supermarkets, or straight out of the oven at retail outlets including prominent pizzerias like Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Papa John’s.
  • The traditional way of cooking pizza is on a flat stone surface in a brick oven near an open flame, known as ‘wood-fired’, although they are often cooked in contemporary style ovens, in trays or pans.
  • Pizzas typically come in a circular shape, although other shapes are sometimes produced, while the crust is either thin, medium or thick,
  • The most expensive commercially available pizza listed in the Guinness World Records, was available in England’s London, that could be bought for £100 or 156 USD, although more expensive ones have been available from time to time, and as of 2014, South Africa had produced the largest, spreading 37.4 metres (122.7 feet) in length, in 1990.
  • Pizzas are high in selenium, riboflavin, folate and protein, and can contain many other vitamins and minerals, however they are known to have unhealthy amounts of salt and fat.
Bibliography:
Pizza, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza
Turim G, A Slice of History: Pizza throughout the Ages, 2012, History, http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-slice-of-history-pizza-through-the-ages

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Quiche

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Quiche

Feel exquisite whenever you eat quiche.

  • Quiche is a pastry food dish like a lid-less pie, that is usually cooked in an oven, and is commonly eaten as a savoury food.
  • Quiche fillings are made primarily of cream or milk and eggs, and meat like bacon, vegetables, cheese and seafood are common additions,
  • A wheat-based pastry usually covers the base and sides of a quiche, however other grains can be used, and some have no pastry at all.
  • Quiches, originally known as ‘tarts’, were being made in the medieval period in Europe, and the recipes that became popular are said to have come from Germany, in Europe, as early as the 1500s, and these were adapted by the French, especially in the region of Lorraine.
  • The term ‘quiche’ comes from the German word ‘kuchen’, meaning ‘cake’, and it was altered by the French to the common word used today.

Quiche, Food, Pastry, Culinary, French, Ten Random Facts, Dish, Bacon

  • Quiches can be eaten at warm, cold or room temperatures, and they are commonly eaten for brunch or a lunch meal, and small individual ones are often eaten as finger food at parties and other occasions.
  • In the 1950s, quiches became more widely known in England, and they became popular in America in the 1970s.
  • Among the hardest techniques to master in the art of making quiches, is preventing any of the liquids from leaking outside the pastry, which is one of the reasons for partially baking the pastry before filling it.
  • During the 1900s, quiche was often considered to be a food avoided by ‘real’ men, as it often contained only small quantities of meat.
  • Quiches vary in the quantities of vitamins and minerals they contain, depending on their ingredients, but they are high in calcium, protein, riboflavin and selenium due to the milk and egg content.

 

Bibliography:
Quiche, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiche
What is Quiche?, 2014, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-quiche.htm
FAQs: pie & pastry, 2000, Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpies.html

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Wheat Tortilla

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Wheat Tortilla

Did you know that wheat tortillas are really popular?

  • Wheat tortillas are wheat based bread items that are generally thin and soft in texture.
  • ‘Wheat tortillas’ are also known as ‘flour tortillas’, or simply as ‘tortillas’, although this is used as a general term.
  • Wheat tortillas have their origins in the similar corn versions of Ancient North and Central American societies, after wheat was introduced to the area.
  • Wheat tortillas are typically circular in shape and range from 6 to 30 centimetres (2.4 to 12 inches) in diameter, and are able to be rolled out to larger diameters than those made from corn.
  • Food that often accompanies wheat tortillas includes cheese, meat, potato and/or salad.

Wheat Tortilla, White, Homebrand, Food, Bread, Culinary, Australia, Ten Random Facts, Circular

  • Wheat tortillas are generally made using a unique machine, which, every hour, can create 60,000 of them.
  • The typical process of making wheat tortillas involves making the unleavened bread mix, and then pressing and cooking it.
  • Wheat tortillas are very popular in Central and North America, and have become a prominent food item especially in northern Mexican cuisine; while tortillas have become the second most common bread item on the continent.
  • Wheat tortillas are commonly used in outer space trips originating from America, as the food creates limited mess, unlike common bread, which helps to prevent machinery malfunctions from small particles.
  • Wheat tortillas are high in fibre, sodium, carbohydrates, and protein, and packaged tortillas often contain preservatives to prolong shelf life.
Bibliography:
Tortilla, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla
Tortilla Talk, n.d, TIA, http://www.tortilla-info.com/default.asp?contentID=6

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