Tag Archives: Culinary

Pomegranate

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Pomegranate

“Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.” Song of Solomon 4:3

  • Pomegranates are fruit that grow on small trees or shrubs that reach approximately 5 to 8 metres (16 to 26 feet) in height, and are native to the Middle East’s Iran.
  • Pomegranates have the scientific name Punica granatum, that are from the family Lythraceae, the family of flowering herbs, although they were originally classified as part of the Punicaceae family.
  • Pomegranates are large, red coloured, roughly spherical berries with diameters of around 5 to 12 centimetres (1.9 to 4.7 inches).
  • Pomegranates contain white membranes and edible red arils (commonly called seeds), that contain a sweet to sour juicy flesh and a seed; with approximately 200 to 1400 seeds in a single berry.
  • ‘Pomegranate’ comes from the words ‘pōmum grānātum’ in Medieval Latin, that mean ‘apple with many seeds’.

Pomegranate, Red, Open, Plant, Two, Arils, Ten Random Facts, Fruit

  • Pomegranate arils are easily accessed by scoring the fruit with a knife, breaking it open, and banging the fruit or placing the fruit in water, where the arils will separate from the membranes.
  • Pomegranates can be eaten raw, and are used in Middle Eastern cuisine as well as Greek dishes, and are made into beverages including alcohol or juice, or used as a flavouring.
  • Pomegranates are sometimes recognised as a symbol of fertility, prosperity and ambition, or in Greek mythology, death.
  • Pomegranates have been used in traditional medicine to treat digestive problems, as well as internal parasites.
  • Pomegranates are very high in vitamin K, vitamin C and fibre, and are high in folate, potassium, copper and manganese.
Bibliography:
The Fruit, 2008, Pomegranates 101, http://www.pomegranates.tv/information.html
Pomegranate, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate

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Coconut Cream

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Coconut Cream

Coconut milk, coconut cream and cream of coconut – so many coconut extracts!

  • Coconut cream is an extract from coconut that is thick and creamy.
  • Coconut cream is commonly purchased as a thick liquid, however, if it is stored in a fridge, the cream will separate from the liquid, resulting in a more paste-like consistency, although it will become less solid if left at room temperature.
  • Coconut cream can be sweetened for use as a dessert or drink ingredient, and when sweetened it is known as ‘cream of coconut’.
  • Coconut cream is used in cooking, typically in Asian cuisine in main dishes like curry, in baked goods or to make ice cream, and is often used as a dairy substitute.
  • Coconut cream has a slightly sweet taste with the flavour of cream and coconut.

Coconut Cream, Thick, Container, Clear, White, Spread, Ten Random Facts, Food

  • Coconut cream is generally made from shredded coconut and water, although it sometimes contains thickeners and other additives.
  • Coconut cream is white in colour and can be whipped like dairy cream.
  • Coconut cream is typically bought in cartons or cans from supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.
  • Homemade coconut cream can be made by simmering a ratio of 1:4, of water to shredded coconut and then strained through a cloth.
  • Coconut cream is extremely high in manganese and fat, and is high in copper, phosphorus and iron.
Bibliography:
Coconut Cream, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_cream
Coconut Cream, 2014, Bon Appétit, http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/coconut-cream

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Barbecue Grill

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Barbecue Grill

“Throw another shrimp on the barbie” – Paul Hogan

  • Barbecue grills are generally large appliances used for cooking food outdoors, with direct or indirect heat, depending on its design.
  • Barbecue grills’ are also known as ‘barbeques’, ‘barbeque grills’, ‘barbecues’, ‘BBQs’ and ‘barbies’.
  • Barbecue grills have a heating source generally derived from gas, electricity, charcoal or wood.
  • The word ‘barbecue’ is believed to be derived from the Caribbean Taíno word ‘barbacòa’ or ‘barbakoa’, meaning ‘framework of sticks’.
  • Barbecue grills can cook almost anything, but are generally used to cook vegetables and meat, and are common in America and are particularly popular in Australia.

Barbeque Grill, Barbecue, BBQ, Rectangle, Gas, Black, Grey, Bench, Ten Random Facts, Cook, Food,

  • One of the first modern barbecue grills was invented by American George Stephan, a welder, in 1952, that used half a steel buoy attached to legs as the base, with a dome shaped lid, that famously became known as the ‘Weber’, or ‘Weber kettle’.
  • Barbecue grills typically have the shape of a rectangular prism, hemisphere or semicylinder, although they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
  • Gas barbecue grills were invented in the late 1950s or early 1960s, and usually use bottled gas, and have now become one of the commonly available barbecues.
  • Barbecue grills typically consist of a heat source and a cooking grill or plate and depending on the type of barbecue and its design, it may also have a heat shield, temperature controls, hood or cover, rotisserie, racks, thermometer, trolley, wheels, cabinet, and so on.
  • The largest barbeque grill made, was for the Discovery Channel in 2004, measuring 4.7 metres (15.3 feet) in height, 6.2 metres (20.2 feet) in length and 2.4 metres (8 feet) in depth.

 

Bibliography:
Barbecue Grill, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue_grill
Green A, A Brief History of the BBQ Grill, 2014, Popular Mechanics, http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/news/a-brief-history-of-the-bbq-grill-11000790

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Oregano

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Oregano

Oregano can flavour your food or restore your health.

  • Oregano is a herb, or the leaves, of a typically perennial plant that grows to be 20 to 80 centimetres (8 to 31.5 inches) in height.
  • Oregano has the scientific name of Origanum vulgare and is from the family Lamiaceae, the family of mint, that also includes many other common herbs.
  • ‘Oregano’ is also known as ‘wild marjoram’, although is not true marjoram, and it is native to the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.
  • Oregano is typically used as a fresh or dried herb, although its flavour can be quite overpowering when used fresh, so it is recommended that it be removed from the food after cooking, or use dried oregano instead.
  • Oregano has a fragrant flavour of warmness and slight bitterness.

Oregano, Herb, Dried, leaves, lots, pile, black, Ten Random Facts, Food

  • Due to World War II, oregano became more popular in the United States, due to the soldiers returning, having experienced the flavour in Italy.
  • Oregano is typically eaten as a seasoning on meat, vegetables, pizza and other dishes, or included in sauces, tea or oils.
  • Oregano is a great source of vitamin K, a good source of iron, fibre, manganese and calcium, and very high in antioxidants.
  • Oregano is a leafy herb, and is green when used fresh, and when dried, the leaves are crushed and are a brown-green colour.
  • Oregano can be used to treat respiratory, nervous and digestive problems, often in the form of ointment or tea, and was historically used as an antiseptic.

 

Bibliography:
Oregano, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=73
Oregano, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregano

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Malabar Spinach

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Malabar Spinach

Malabar spinach is not spinach at all.

  • Malabar spinach is eaten like a leafy vegetable, and is a perennial vine, although it is often grown as an annual in cooler climates as frost affects the plant.
  • ‘Malabar spinach’ is also known as ‘creeping spinach’,  ‘climbing spinach’, ‘Indian spinach’, ‘Chinese spinach’, ‘vine spinach’, ‘Vietnamese spinach’ and ‘Ceylon spinach’.
  • Malabar spinach has the scientific name of Basella alba, a white flowering, green stem variety, or Basella rubra, a plant that has red stems.
  • Malabar spinach is from the family Basellaceae, the family of some flowering plants including a number of other vines, with edible leaves and roots.
  • In a tropical environment, a Malabar spinach vine can grow up to a height of 10 metres (33 feet).

Malabar Spinach, Green, Glossy, Plant, Compost, Leaf, Vegetable, Food, Ten Random Facts

  • Malabar spinach has thick, green glossy leaves that can grow quite large, and berries that contain a red liquid that can be used as dye.
  • Malabar spinach leaves are commonly used in Asian cuisine, either cooked or raw, and they are said to have pepper and citrus flavours when raw, as well as being high in iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, fibre and other vitamins and minerals.
  • Malabar spinach, although named ‘spinach’, is not from the spinach family at all, although it tends to resemble spinach when it is cooked.
  • Malabar spinach is a great thickener for soup and other dishes, due to the mucilage (glutinous carbohydrate) content in the plant, that tends to cause the leaves to become slimy if they are cooked for more than a short time.
  • Malabar spinach grows best in a sunny area and warm climate, and is a great summer vegetable.
Bibliography:
Basella Alba, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba
Malabar Spinach, 2013, Survival Food Plants, http://www.survivalfoodplants.com/malabar-indian-spinach-basella-alba/
Stunning (Malabar) Spinach, 2013, A Farm of Your Home, http://www.afarmofyourhome.com/stunning-malabar-spinach/

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Quinoa

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Quinoa

Quinoa is the superfood.

  • Quinoa is an edible grain that is native to parts of the central and northern areas of the Andes, in South America.
  • The word ‘quinoa’, pronounced ‘KEEN-wah’, in the South American Quechua language is ‘kinwa’, while the English word comes from the Spanish word ‘quinua’, and it has also been dubbed as a ‘super grain’ and a ‘super food’.
  • Quinoa is the small edible seed of an annual plant with the same name, that grows to 1 to 2 metres (3.3 to 6.6 feet) in height, of which there are different varieties that produce seeds coloured red, black or white.
  • Quinoa has the scientific plant name Chenopodium quinoa, and is a species of goosefoot, from the Amaranthaceae family, the family of amaranths.
  • Quinoa is, when raw, covered with a layer of bitter saponin, which is disliked by birds, and is the reason the grain needs washing before cooking.

Quinoa, White, Brown, Curls, Cooked, seeds, grain, uncooked, Ten Random Facts, Food, Gluten Free

  • Quinoa was the staple grain of the Ancient South and Central Americans, the Incans, Mayans and Aztecs.
  • Quinoa is typically not mechanically picked, and instead, picked by hand as the plant ripens individually, although consistent ripening varieties are being established for harvesting by machine.
  • In 2011, South America’s Peru was the greatest producer of quinoa, producing 41,200 tonnes (45,400 tons), over half of the total worldwide production, and Bolivia ranked as a close second.
  • Quinoa has a nut-like flavour and a texture similar to rice, is gluten free, and high in protein, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, fibre, iron, copper, zinc and folate, and contains a significant source of other vitamins and minerals.
  • Quinoa can be purchased as an uncooked grain, like rice; as a ground flour; and as flakes used like rolled oats; and can be cooked to make a porridge; used instead of rice or couscous; added to salads; and in used as an ingredient in baked goods.
Bibliography:
Quinoa, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142
Quinoa, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

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