Tag Archives: Europe

Gaiola Island

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Gaiola Island

Do you believe in curses like those of Gaiola Island?

  • Gaiola Island is a pair of adjacent islets, found off the coast of Italy’s Naples, in Europe, and the island is surrounded by and sits above underwater ancient Roman ruins.
  • Gaiola Island is situated in a picturesque area, approximately 27 metres (90 feet) from the Italian coast, and is accessible by swimming.
  • ‘Gaiola Island’ is also known as ‘Isola della Gaiola’ in Italian and was known as ‘Euplea’ in Ancient Roman times.
  • A bridge made of stone was built across the two Gaiola Island islets, giving the connection a natural appearance.
  • A temple to the Roman goddess of love, Venus, was erected on Gaiola Island during the Roman period, but has since fell into ruin.

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Gaiola Island
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • It is thought that a curse has been inflicted upon Gaiola Island, as all of the island’s most recent owners and their families are said to have experienced unfortunate events, including a suicide, kidnapping, fatal illness, murder and financial ruin.
  • Gaiola Island is renowned for once being home to a hermit in the 1800s, who was considered a practitioner of magical arts and is said to have cursed the island.
  • The now abandoned villa of Gaiola Island is thought to have been built from the late 1800s or early 1900s, although it is likely that it was constructed upon an ancient pre-existing structure.
  • While the word ‘gaiola’ literally means ‘cage’ or specifically ‘bird cage’, the meaning of the word in reference to Gaiola Island is believed to be derived from the Latin words ‘cavea’ and ‘caveola’, translated as ‘little cave’.
  • Gaiola Island is in a strict nature reserve area as part of the Parco Sommerso di Gaiola (Underwater Park of Gaiola) and is, by default, now owned by the Italian region of Campania.
Bibliography:
Beautiful But Cursed Island Of Gaiola, n.d, Travelogue of An Armchair Traveller, http://armchairtravelogue.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/beautiful-but-cursed-island-of-gaiola.html
The Cursed Island of Gaiola, 2016, Amusing Planet, http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/09/the-cursed-island-of-gaiola.html
Gaiola Island, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaiola_Island
Strutner S, Isola La Gaiola Is Freakishly Cursed, But Freakishly Beautiful, 2014, The Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/isola-la-gaiola_n_5729552.html?section=australia

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Garlic Bread

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Garlic Bread

There’s no garlic bread on the menu? Okay, that’s an issue.

  • Garlic bread is a bread-based food item typically flavoured with garlic and butter, margarine or oil.
  • Crusty bread, such as a baguette, is commonly used to create garlic bread, and the already cooked bread is spread with a combination of butter and garlic, or soaked or drizzled in oil and rubbed in garlic, and occasionally cheeses and herbs are also added.
  • Garlic bread is popularly served as an entree or accompaniment to a main meal, especially with Italian food.
  • Garlic bread is generally heated in an oven or a frypan, or grilled, typically until toasted lightly.
  • Preparation of garlic bread can be undergone in two main ways – firstly, cutting the bread in slices and then adding flavours to each slice, or partially cutting the bread and drizzling the cut area with oils and herbs.
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Garlic Bread
Image courtesy of Marco Arment/Flickr
  • Garlic bread is derived from the Italian bruschetta, a thickly sliced bread-based dish rubbed with olive oil and garlic gloves, which was originally considered peasant food, and most likely a tradition passed down from the Ancient Romans.
  • It is common to find ready-made garlic bread, frozen or refrigerated, sold at supermarkets, so that it is only required to be heated at home.
  • Garlic bread was likely brought to America by Italian immigrants, originally as bruschetta, but due to the lack of olive oil and other ingredients, butter was substituted and later adapted to make a different dish.
  • The texture of garlic bread can be either crisp or soft, which generally depends on the preparation type, but also length of cooking, and to obtain a soft texture, the prepared bread is generally wrapped in aluminium foil and placed in the oven.
  • During preparation, garlic bread can be cut a number of ways – on a diagonal down the length of the baguette; straight across; length-ways from end to end; sliced in half length-ways and then sliced diagonally or straight across; or partially sliced through, straight across or diagonally.
Bibliography:
Bread, 2015, Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodbreads.html#garlicbread
Garlic Bread, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_bread
Garlic Bread, n.d, ifood.tv, http://ifood.tv/bread/garlic-bread/about
There is No Such Thing as “Garlic Bread”, 2011, The View from my Italian Kitchen, http://ronjamesitaliankitchen.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/theres-no-such-thing-as-garlic-bread.html

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Macaroon

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Macaroon

Don’t get macaroons confused with macarons!

  • Macaroons are usually wheatless sweet snacks that are quite similar to cookies, and they are generally suitable for those requiring a gluten-free diet.
  • Macaroons are primarily made of  sugar, whipped whites of eggs, and coconut and/or almond flour, and they are usually baked in an oven.
  • Macaroons can be dipped in chocolate, or contain or be decorated with glacé cherries, jam or nuts.
  • The term ‘macaroon’ it said to come directly from the word ‘maccarone’ or ‘maccherone’, Italian for food with a ‘paste-like appearance’, in reference to almond paste, which was the traditional base ingredient.
  • Macaroons are often confused with the popular macaron, and although they have similar ingredients, the two sweets are vastly different in appearance, though some people use the terms interchangeably.

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  • The texture of macaroons can be rough and uneven, especially if they are made with coconut, and they are generally raised in the centre; while macarons usually have a smooth and even appearance, and are sandwiched together with a creamy filling.
  • Macaroons became popular and favoured by Jews due to the snack’s unleavened nature, meaning it can be enjoyed throughout the Passover period.
  • It is thought that macaroons originated from Italy, perhaps as early as the 700s to 800s, and the food likely spread to France by the 1500s.
  • Coconut varieties of macaroons are typically high in fat, carbohydrates and manganese.
  • Macaroons have also been known as ‘mackaroons’ and ‘maccaroons’; and different countries have their own particular variations of the food.
Bibliography:
Erdos J, Macaroon vs. Macaron: Two Very Different Cookies With a Linked Past, 2013, Food Network, http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2013/05/macaroon-vs-macaron-history-and-recipes/
Macaroon, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaroon
Pister J, A Brief History of Macaroons, 2016, Kashruth Council of Canada, http://www.cor.ca/view/442/a_brief_history_of_macaroons.html

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Geiranger Fjord

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Geiranger Fjord

Geiranger Fjord may be twisty, but the sightseeing is still superb.

  • Geiranger Fjord is a fjord, or sea inlet surrounded by cliffs, located in the county of Møre og Romsdal in Norway, Europe, that was created by a glacier.
  • ‘Geiranger Fjord’ is also known as ‘Geirangerfjord’, and is called ‘Geirangerfjorden’ in Norwegian.
  • In 2005, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention listed Geiranger Fjord as a World Heritage Site, along with Nærøyfjord, as part of the West Norwegian Fjords listing.
  • Geiranger Fjord is part of the western sector of Norway’s Storfjorden, which features some of the largest and longest fjords on earth.
  • The Geiranger Fjord has a length of 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) and has a rough width of 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles).
Geiranger Fjord, Facts, Trivia, Random Ten, River, Place, Norway, Water, Carve
Part of Geiranger Fjord
Image courtesy of Tobias Van Der Elst/Flickr
  • Of all Norwegian sites, Geiranger Fjord is one of the most popularly visited, commonly by cruise ships, and there is also opportunity for cycling, hiking, kayaking, rafting and fishing in the area.
  • Two main waterfalls sit opposite each other in Geiranger Fjord, while another of the falls forms the illusion of a veil.
  • Åkerneset, a neighbouring mountain of Geiranger Fjord, has the potential to devastate the area by causing an inland tsunami, due to significant cracks in the mountain rock, that may cause a landslide.
  • From around May to October each year, visitors to Geiranger Fjord can use the scenic Trollstigen road to view the impressive scenery, and there are designated lookout areas for people to stop at and enjoy the view.
  • Geiranger Fjord’s banks contain a few farms, most of which have been deserted, although some have since been restored.
Bibliography:
The Geirangerfjord, 2016, Travel Norway, http://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/fjord-norway/the-geirangerfjord/
Geirangerfjord, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geirangerfjord
West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, 2016, UNESCO World Heritage Convention, http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1195

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Suet

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Suet

Suet is not always easily obtainable, and is not interchangeable.

  • Suet is a food item derived from the fat of animals such as sheep and cattle, and when fresh it is a white colour.
  • Suet is typically the hard fat from around the animal’s kidneys, and is unlike other fat found on the animal, so other animal fat alternatives should not be used.
  • Suet can be an ingredient in pastries and deep-fried dishes, an ingredient in traditional Christmas puddings and others, as well as fruit mince, and it is often found in traditional British recipes of this kind.
  • Suet is used to create a light and spongy texture in food, due to its higher melting temperature that helps to build structure and creates pockets of air in the partially cooked mixture, and as such, it is best if it is not substituted with any other fat.
  • If temperatures exceed 45° to 50° Celsius (113° to 122° Fahrenheit), suet beings to melt, a temperature higher than most other fats, and it starts to solidify at temperatures between 37° and 40° Celsius (98.6° and 104° Fahrenheit).

Suet, Meat, Leg, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Meat, Fat, Christmas Pudding

  • As suet is an animal product, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator, or frozen if long storage times are required, and for cooking purposes, it is usually grated or minced before adding to a recipe.
  • Suet can be made into bird feed, often in the form of tallow, and has been made into soap, leather cleaners and lamp fuel in the past.
  • Suet is very high in cholesterol, fat and calories, which has led to its use in the diets of some explorers in history, to contribute to the large energy intake needed in freezing weather conditions.
  • Among the first mentions of suet as an ingredient, was a recipe of a pudding cooked for the members of Cambridge University in 1617.
  • Vegetable shortening and frozen butter can be used as a somewhat passable alternative for suet; however the flavour will differ, and the texture is likely to be more dense and oily.
Bibliography:
Akis E, How To Replace Suet in Christmas Pudding, 2012, Times Colonist, http://www.timescolonist.com/life/how-to-replace-suet-in-christmas-pudding-1.10199
Carter K, Suet, Part two: What it is, What it isn’t, and What to Look For., 2013, Savoring The Past, http://savoringthepast.net/2013/01/21/suet-part-two-what-it-is-what-it-isnt-and-what-to-look-for/
The Secrets of Suet, Shredded and Otherwise, 2010, Pacdon Park, http://www.pacdon.com.au/2011/01/03/the-secrets-of-suet-shredded-and-otherwise/
Suet, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suet

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Common Nightingale

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Common Nightingale

Common nightingales are musical wonders of nature.

  • Common nightingales are a small bird native to Europe and Asia, and they migrate to Africa where they spend winter.
  • ‘Common nightingales’ are also called ‘rufous nightingales’ or plain ‘nightingales’.
  • The scientific name of common nightingales is Luscinia megarhynchos and it is from the family Muscicapidae, the family of Old World flycatchers.
  • Common nightingales grow to be around 14 to 17 centimetres (5.5 to 6.7 inches) in length and their wings span 20 to 24 centimetres (7.9 to 9.5 inches).
  • The weight of common nightingales is roughly 18 to 23 grams (0.6 to 0.8 ounces), and they have a typical lifespan of one to five years.
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Common Nightingales
Image courtesy of Francesco Veronesi/Flickr
  • The common nightingale feathers spread from browns to light tans, and they have a light coloured underside, while the tail feathers are a reddish-brown, and the eyes are surrounded by a white ring.
  • Common nightingales are well known for their ability to sing beautiful notes during both day and night, that are highly pleasant and inspirational, though the males generally sing more than the females, and do so to attract their mate.
  • The term ‘nightingale’ originates from the word in Old English ‘nihtegale’, or similar, which literally means ‘to sing at night’.
  • The diet of common nightingales consists primarily of insects, though fruit, seeds and nuts, are also consumed at times.
  • Nests of common nightingales are typically concealed and made of twigs and leaf litter, with females laying four to five eggs each breeding season.
Bibliography:
Common Nightingale, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_nightingale
Nightingale, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/nightingale/
Song H, Luscinia Megarhynchos, 2008, Animal Diversity, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Luscinia_megarhynchos/

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