WHAT IS CHAOURCE? This soft ripened cow’s milk cheese is creamy and a little bit crumbly when young. It is similar to brie but much younger and saltier. This fromage’s flavor has a hint of mushroom. Unlike many other bloomy rind cheeses, Chaource’s heart doesn’t tend to mature due to its acidity. Despite being aged […]
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ARCHAEOLOGY OF MUSHROOMS – Champignon
WHAT IS A CHAMPIGNON? Also called a white button mushroom, their popularity in retail stores is due to a combination of affordability and having a mild, non-threatening flavor. They are native primarily to North America and Europe. But champignon are grown commercially elsewhere. They come in both white and brown colors. These fungi are a […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Coulommiers
WHAT IS COULOMMIERS? It is a soft ripened, cow’s milk cheese that takes a little over a month to ripen. An ancient ancestor of brie’s, it has a fat content of 40% (much lower than a double crème 60% brie). While Coulommiers might sound like a low-fat version of brie, it raw milk form still tastes […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Passionfruit
WHAT IS PASSIONFRUIT? In the last few years this tiny tropical fruit has rapidly grown in popularity. It comes in three types, purple, yellow or giant. The purple variety is native to Central and South America, while the yellow varietal favors a more tropical climate. Also known as liliko’i, maracuya or granadilla this fruit of the Passiflora vine […]
Why I Work in Food
My father was a wise man in the way that a predator is wise (when weighing its hunger vs. your size). Damir Drezga (my Dad) played soccer for the Yugoslavian national team in the 1960’s. He was a strikingly handsome man, already grey by his 20’s. Damir stood 6’2” tall, and was very quick for […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Mahi Mahi (Dolphin Fish)
WHAT IS A MAHI MAHI? Also known as the dolphinfish or dorado, the name mahi mahi comes from the Polynesian language and means “strong strong.” This warm water fish doesn’t look anything like its namesake the dolphin. But they both make high-pitched underwater noises to communicate. And both creatures enjoy swimming ahead of ships traveling […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Cabrales
WHAT IS CABRALES? Cabrales is a cave-aged Spanish blue cheese. It is a blend of raw cow with sheep and or goat’s milk (the percentages varying depending how much of each milk the small farmer has on hand). This queso is exclusively made in the mountains of Picos de Europa. Traditionally cabrales is then wrapped […]
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ – Greek Reply to E. U. Demand for Payment**
It’s All Greek to Me Definition of GREEK Ελληνικά / ɡriːk / adjective relating to an unihibited, cultural timelessness referring to a proto Indo European mentality that before history changes the Greeks, the Greeks will change history. noun the Americans of the Hellenic world 2,000 years ago. the D.N.A. of modern European culture and […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Cantaloupe
WHAT IS A CANTALOUPE? This superfood is in the same family as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash. While the cantaloupe is technically a vegetable, it’s eaten as a fruit for all intents and purposes. Famous for its’ sweet and juicy flavor, like most “fruits” once you pluck it off the vine they stop ripening. WHY […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Ubriaco
WHAT IS UBRIACO? This aged cow’s milk cheese is traditionally soaked in the grape remnants of wine making. The name “Ubriaco” translates as drunk in Italian. Apparently inWorld War I, Italian farmers started hiding their cheeses in wine barrels. This style of cheese can be found in various versions from the Spanish “Drunken Goat” to […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Kelp
WHAT IS KELP? In Western culture kelp has a bad reputation as a food source. This seaweed has long been thought to be more appropriate for fish then human beings. Shallow ocean beds that are rich in nutrients are necessary for it to survive. However once it starts, this algae can grow underwater to be […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Casarecce
WHAT IS CASARECCE? Casarecce are short cut pastas that have a cool “S” twist. This makes them look like an ink stamp for Superman. The name itself means “homemade”. While dies are used today, the shape was originally made with a busiate. This was a thin rod that the pasta dough was wrapped around, giving […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Raclette
WHAT IS RACLETTE? This natural rind, semi-hard, cow’s milk cheese is made in the Alps bordering Switzerland and France. Of the two types, Swiss raclette is more often made from unpasteurized milk. The flesh of the cheese doesn’t tend to separate when melted leading to its’ popularity in fondues. To buy this cheese click here! […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Mackerel
WHAT IS A MACKEREL? It is a type of pelagic fish which thrives in deep ocean or coastal water (avoiding the sea floor or coastline). Most mackerel species look similar with forked tails and vertical striping. When swimming in large schools (up to 20 miles / 32 km. in length), each fish uses this striping […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MUSHROOMS – Hen of the woods
WHAT IS HEN OF THE WOODS? Hen of the Woods is also known as ram’s head, sheep’s head or by the Japanese name maitake. These mushrooms look a bit like a clumped up mess. But they are delicious! Their caps grow in multiple, overlapping layers unlike most other mushrooms. Hen of the Woods has an […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Neufchatel
WHAT IS NEUFCHATEL? A soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese from Normandy, Neufchatel is a fun cheese that is over 1,000 years old. But honestly, cheese has taken great leaps since the early middle ages. Neufchatel doesn’t rank up there with the top 10 “Great” fromages. Ironically Philadelphia cream cheese was invented as a failed attempt to make […]
Dubai – Traffic Makes the Real Voyage of Discovery Stationary
Dubai دبي, in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is a city of the living book—the Koran. It is surrounded by a desert where nothing is alive.
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Black Radish
WHAT IS A BLACK RADISH? This delicious member of the root family has a tough, black outer skin and a crisp, snow white interior. Larger then your traditional red radish, it goes by many names including Black Mooli and Gros Noir. Slightly bitter, this hardy and nutritious vegetable is a great food on it’s own. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Bleu d’Auvergne
WHAT IS BLEU D’AUVERGNE? Bleu d’Auvergne is a pasteurized or raw cow’s milk blue cheese. Unlike many other blues it has a close to non-existent rind. The flesh is a pale white to yellow paste with cyan veining. These days though you tend to see this cheese a lot more in foodservice. Usually restaurants choose […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Jacksmelt (Silverside)
WHAT IS A JACKSMELT? Also known as jack silverside or a horse, blue or California smelt, they’re native to the Pacific Coast. Ranging from Oregon down to California, they have a grey coloration with a tint of blue and green and grow to over a foot in length. While a popular fish among anglers, the […]