Tag Archives: Invention

Spork

By | |
Leave a comment
Spork

Do you love or hate the spork?

  • A spork is a combination of a spoon and a fork, featuring a bowl shape end like a spoon, that has spokes or tines like a fork.
  • ‘Sporks’ are also known by the uncommon term ‘foon’, and similar utensils were used in the 1800s and were known as ice-cream or terrapin forks.
  • The term ‘spork’ is said to have originated as early as 1909, and is a blend of the words ‘spoon’ and ‘fork’.
  • Travellers, campers, the military, schools, fast food outlets, and prisons all appreciate the spork invention, as it saves space and money due to its dual use.
  • One of the earliest known patents for a spork-like utensil, was granted in 1874 by Samuel W Francis, from Rhode Island in the United States, and this invention also included a knife edge on the side of the spoon.
Spork, Metal, Aluminium, Spoon, Fork, Ten Random Facts, Invention
Spork
Image courtesy of goblinbox/Flickr
  • Sporks are typically made of plastic and are often disposable, or from metal, such as aluminium or stainless steel.
  • A dislike for sporks has evolved around the argument of its inability to hold substantial quantities of soup and its failure to easily jab and hold food, due to the short fork tines.
  • Many of the early inventions of sporks were aesthetically unattractive, and not always practical to use.
  • Sporks can come in a variety of colours, from bright playful colours to traditional greys, and antique metal ones can feature intricately shaped handles that appeal to collectors.
  • Although many sporks feature the fork-spoon combination at the same end, some sporks feature the knife and spoon sections on opposite ends.
Bibliography:
Durso C, A Brief History of Sporks, 2011, foodiggity, http://www.foodiggity.com/a-brief-history-of-the-spork/
Gross J, Who Made That Spork?, 2013, New York Times Magazine, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/01/magazine/who-made-that-spork.html
Spork, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spork

Amazon:       

Crème Caramel

By | |
Leave a comment
Crème Caramel

Crème caramel? Bon appétit!

  • Crème caramel is a European dessert known worldwide, and is made primarily of custard and caramel.
  • ‘Crème caramel’ is also known as ‘crema caramella’, ‘flan’, ‘crème renversée’, and ‘caramel pudding’.
  • Typically, to make crème caramel, sugar syrup is made and poured into a ramekin or other container, which is topped with an egg and milk-based custard, and then cooked in an oven in a water bath.
  • ‘Crème caramel’, when translated from French, literally means ‘caramel cream’, and the dessert is often prepared with cream, in addition to the milk.
  • Although very similar to crème brûlée, crème caramel is not the same, with the primary difference being the latter’s caramel’s softness compared to the former’s hard layer of caramel.

Original Vanilla Crème Caramel, Dessert, Food, Culinary, Custard, Sauce, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Crème Caramel
Image courtesy of L.A. Foodie/Flickr
  • Crème caramel is best presented cold, so it is usually refrigerated once cooked and cooled, and then flipped out of the container and presented on a plate with the caramel syrup sitting on top.
  • Fruit, mint, chocolate, or other sauces can be used to garnish crème caramel desserts, and vanilla is often used to flavour the custard mixture during preparation.
  • Crème caramel was popularised by restaurants in the late 1900s due to its relative ease to make and store.
  • While crème caramel is thought by many to be a French dessert, the country of its origin is disputable, and Spain and England also suggest that the dessert originated in their own country.
  • Crème caramel is especially popular after a hot main meal; and variations of the dessert are made in different countries.
Bibliography:
All Time Classic Crème Caramel, n.d, Culinary Flavors, http://culinaryflavors.gr/2014/10/all-time-classic-creme-caramel/
Crème Caramel, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A8me_caramel
What is Crème Caramel?, 2015, wiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-crme-caramel.htm

Amazon:        

Eraser

By | |
Leave a comment
Eraser

Do erasers ever rub you the wrong way?

  • Erasers are inventions used to clear markings from an object, which is most often paper, and before they were invented, wax, bread, a mixture of oat bran and milk, pumice or sandstone were used to remove markings from a writing surface.
  • An ‘eraser’, once called a ‘lead-eater’, is also known as a ‘rubber’, which was the original term for the object due to the rubbing motion required to use it, while the natural material caoutchouc also became known as ‘rubber’ due to its use as an erasing tool.
  • The type of markings commonly removed by a rubber are those made with a pencil, generally graphite, although, ink, chalk and whiteboard pen marks are also able to removed with an appropriate eraser.
  • The base material of erasers is generally synthetic or natural rubber, plastic, vinyl or gum, although felt and other fibres are used for those that have the purpose of clearing whiteboard markers and chalk.
  • The discovery of caoutchouc or rubber as a useful tool for erasing, was made in the mid 1700s, and in 1770, Englishman Joseph Priestly, a scientist and theologian is said to have named the ‘eraser’, which was a later American term for the tool, a ‘rubber’.

Eraser, rubber, Invention, Stationary, Ten Random Facts, Utensil, Collection, Assortment, Traditional, Shaped,

  • Erasers vary in colour, and are commonly white, but can range from pink to grey, and are typically found in a bar shape or as a cylinder on the end of a pencil, while some come in a kneadable or electric form.
  • Most rubber erasers undergo the process of vulcanisation, which was discovered in 1839 by American chemist Charles Goodyear, which significantly increases the rubber’s usability and long lasting nature.
  • The modern eraser, although unvulcanised at the time, is believed to have been primarily commercialised by Englishman Edward Nairne, an optician, in 1770, when he was selling cubes of rubber for the purpose of erasing.
  • Erasers generally remove markings, such as graphite, by collecting the marking’s particles in the rubber’s compound, as the rubber has greater adhesive properties than the erased surface.
  • Erasers can come in a wide variety of different shapes, sizes and colours that are commonly collected, although these more collectible orientated rubbers generally erase poorly.
Bibliography:
Eraser, 2015, How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Eraser.html
Eraser, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eraser
Garber M, 10 Things You Probably Did Not Know About Eraser Technology, 2013, The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/10-things-you-probably-did-not-know-about-eraser-technology/279028/

Amazon:        

French Fries

By | |
Leave a comment
French Fries

French fries have been influenced by the Americans, Belgians, French, British… and the list goes on.

  • French fries are sticks of potato that have been cooked, most often fried in oil, and are popularly eaten across the globe, while those living in Belgium are said to be some of the biggest consumers of the food in the world.
  • ‘French fries’ are also known as ‘chips’, ‘fries’, ‘finger chips’, ‘French fried potatoes’, ‘shoestrings’, ‘frites’ and ‘pommes frites’.
  • French fries are most commonly eaten as a side with a main meal, or as a snack food, and they are very frequently found in fast food outlets, and often accompany burgers or cooked fish.
  • Flavourings, including salt, vinegar, cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup and barbecue sauce, among other sauces, are commonly eaten with French fries.
  • French fries are traditionally coloured a light yellow to a golden colour, and normally are soft internally and crisply shelled.

French Fries, Food, Potato Chips, Crinkle Cut, Homemade, Cooked, Ten Random Facts

  • The country that invented French fries is highly debated, while both France and Belgium in Europe claim the creation is theirs, but whatever the case, there is evidence of their existence as early as 1775.
  • The McDonald’s Corporation has contributed significantly to French fries becoming one of the most popular fast foods in the world, and their original fries originated as simple hand-cut potatoes until the late 1960s, when a transition to factory produced frozen fries occurred.
  • French fries generally range from 0.3 to 1 centimetre (0.12 to 0.4 inches) in thickness, while the length generally varies according to the length of the potato, and they can be curved, straight or wavy in shape.
  • French fries are typically served hot, and they can be purchased ready to eat from fast food outlets, or from supermarkets where they are sold frozen in packets and are ready to be cooked or heated at home.
  • French fries are very high in carbohydrates, fat, and vitamin B6, and they are high in vitamin C, potassium and fibre, as well as acrylamides, a potentially harmful substance that may have negative effects on health.
Bibliography:
French Fries, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries
Hiskey D, The History of French Fries, 2010, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/09/the-history-of-french-fries/
Sloam N, Things you didn’t know about French fries, 2014, Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/07/17/things-didnt-know-about-french-fries/

Amazon:        

Cotton Swab

By | |
Leave a comment
Cotton Swab

Cotton swabs are not limited to ear cleaning.

  • A cotton swab is a small invention that has fibre wrapped around the tips of a small rod, and it is often purchased in a bulk pack from supermarkets.
  • ‘Cotton swabs’ are also known as ‘cotton buds’, and by the prominent brand name of ‘Q-tips’, which stands for ‘quality tips’.
  • Cotton swabs are typically used for various cleaning purposes, from ear wax to lasers in compact disc players and the like; or to assist in a medical environment for tasks like collecting specimens, for testing and diagnosis purposes; as well as applying or removing substances such as paint or makeup.
  • One or both ends of cotton swabs can have fibre attached, depending on the purpose, and they can range in length from 7.5 to 25 centimetres (3 to 10 inches) and the size is generally relevant to its function.
  • The rods of cotton swabs are normally made of plastic, paper or wood, and they vary widely in colour, from white, blue, red, green and yellow among others; while the fibre is generally white and made of cotton or a synthetic material.

Cotton Bud, Bundle, Assortment, Clean, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Hygiene,

  • Cotton swabs were invented by Polish born Leo Gerstenzang, in the United States of America, designed in 1923, and were inspired by his wife’s potentially dangerous innovation that made use of cotton on the end of wooden toothpicks for cleaning ears.
  • The original target audience for cotton swabs marketed by Leo Gerstenzang were babies, on which his wife commonly used the invention, while the name that was initially used for his product was ‘Baby Gays’.
  • Cotton swabs are not recommended for cleaning inside ears, as careless usage can damage ear organs or cause blockage of earwax, both of which are a result of pushing the swab into one’s ear canal, although they are commonly used for this purpose.
  • To make a cotton swab, fibre is generally fed onto the end of a spinning rod that has glue applied, which is then compressed and made smooth, and then packaged into packets or containers.
  • Some cotton swabs, especially those for medical purposes, are singly wrapped to ensure they are sterile, and come with a slim container that is used to hold the swab and its specimen for later examination.
Bibliography:
Cotton Swab, 2015, How Products are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Cotton-Swab.html
Cotton Swab, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_swab
The History and Evolution of the Swab, 2014, Puritan, http://blog.puritanmedproducts.com/bid/357796/The-History-and-Evolution-of-the-Swab

Amazon:     

Cookie Cutter

By | |
Leave a comment
Cookie Cutter

Cookie cutters are sweet additions to your kitchen.

  • Cookie cutters are somewhat sharp objects used in food preparation to easily cut an edible item into a specific shape.
  • Most often cookie cutters are used to cut cookie dough, although they can be used to shape bread, cake, vegetables, fruit and fondant icing, although this can depend on the material the cutter is made from.
  • ‘Cookie cutters’ are also known as ‘biscuit cutters’; while moulds, rather than cutters, were used from 2000 BC for shaping dough, and these were used by Ancient Egyptians.
  • Cookie cutters are most often used to make batches of shaped cookies that are to be consistent in shape and size, and are commonly utilised for special occasions or seasons, such as parties or Christmas celebrations.
  • Materials typically used to make cookie cutters include plastic, or a metal such as tin, stainless steel, aluminium or copper.

Cookie Cutter, Invention, Food, Print, Cut, Culinary, Shapes, Christmas, Theme, colourful, Assortment

  • Cookie cutters are generally used by pressing the cutter into a food, which typically cuts, but may also imprint, designs.
  • Before use, cookie cutters are often coated thinly with flour or oil to prevent them sticking to the food to be cut.
  • Cookie cutters are said to have originated as early as the 15th century, although as a result of the rise of shaped gingerbread cookies in the 17th century in Europe, there was an increase in demand for an easy way to shape the biscuit or cookie, making cutters more popular.
  • Cookie cutters come in numerous shapes and sizes, ranging from basic shapes like circles, to popular shapes like gingerbread men, and more intricate shapes like detailed snowflake designs.
  • Cookie cutters are popularly collected and clubs exist for enthusiasts, while some museums are dedicated to historical cutter collections.
Bibliography:
Audet M, Collecting Antique and Vintage Cookie Cutters, 2013, HubPages, http://hubpages.com/hub/Collecting-Vintage-Cookie-Cutters
Cookie Cutter, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookie_cutter
Cookie Cutter History, n.d, Karen’s Cookies, http://www.karenscookies.net/Cookie-Cutter-History_ep_136-1.html

Amazon:        

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...