WHAT IS LANCASHIRE? This cow’s milk classic is produced in 3 types, Creamy, Crumbly and Tasty. Long ago local farmers sometimes didn’t have enough milk for a full wheel of cheese. So they would let the milk curdle day after day until they’d save up enough. The saved up curds were different ages, but were […]
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TOP 10 “FARGO” PANCAKE RECIPES
10. Wisconsin Potato Pancakes For a cold, winter morning when a lot of starch is needed, check out the Midwest’s Journal Sentinel’s recipe for a classic Wisconsin take on pancakes. 9. Missouri – Mamma Hughe’s Swedish Pancakes Coming from Branson, Missouri’s website is a tribute to all the people that immigrated from cold Scandinavia […]
FOOD FIGHT!! PASTA WHEAT – Canada vs. Italy
Welcome ladies and gentleman to the main event of the week! In the category of Culinary Boxing here at Chef’s Mandala, we have weighing in at 17.6 oz from the Repubblica Italiana, please welcome the Italian stallion of pasta – Il Grano (wheat)! His opponent, also weighing in at exactly 17.6 oz from Saskatchewan, please welcome Canadian wheat! […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Heirloom Tomato
WHAT IS AN HEIRLOOM TOMATO? Unfortunately use of the term “heirloom”, much like the word “gourmet”, has been abused to the point of false advertising. Heirloom was originally a term coined by a professor at the University of New Hampshire in the 1940s. It referred to seeds that had been passed down from farmer to […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Emmenthal (a.k.a. Emmental)
WHAT IS EMMENTHAL? So remember those movies long ago where a giant Godzilla rolls through Tokyo, dwarfing the tiny buildings in his path? Well, the Swiss version of Godzilla is the 200 lb. wheels of Emmental they roll into other countries sporting tiny 10 or 20 lb. cheeses. Contrary to the lives of shepherds in […]
TOP 5 “VEEP” PRESIDENTIAL MEALS (TO GO)
5. Flaky Broccoli Cheddar Soup Mini Pies While the fictional character Selena Myer was only in the Oval Office for a very, very short time, it was long enough to grab a flaky soup pie to go! Think of this recipe as a mix between a croissant and a Chinese soup dumpling. And no, […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Bay Leaves
WHAT ARE BAY LEAVES? Originally from modern day Turkey, these dried out green leaves are a popular addition to many Asian and Mediterranean recipes. There are a handful of different plants from which “bay” leaves are commercially harvested. In general the leaves are cooked in a recipe whole and then removed from the dish before […]
BOOK REVIEW: Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour
What Is Persian Cuisine? Even in this era of sophisticated palates, Persian (Iranian) food remains a mystery to many an adventurous eater. Foodies’ first instinct is to categorize Persian cuisine with the great food traditions of the rest of the middle east—Lebanese, Syria, Israel—but it is vastly different. In her book Persiana, British chef Sabrina […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Honeycrisp Apple
WHAT IS A HONEYCRISP APPLE? This hybrid of a Macoun and a Honeygold apple was created by the University of Minnesota in the 1960s. Their breeding program successfully created an apple that was able to stand both the cold harshness of mid-Western weather and depressed sport’s fans; but still be of high quality. Smaller in […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Munster d’Alsace
WHAT IS MUNSTER D’ALSACE? This is not the Munster that you grew up with (unless as a child the whole cafeteria cleared out when you opened your sandwich). Authentic Munster is a French washed rind made from cow’s milk. Steve Jenkins, former Fairway retail legend, called this cheese “A triumph of cheese making, even when […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Arrowroot
WHAT IS ARROWROOT? This starch is harvested from the tubers of the plant of the same name. It’s been a hometown favorite in the Caribbean for over 7,000 years. The term comes from its use in treating poison arrow wounds. Apparently it was also a popular homeopathic remedy for scorpion stings and gangrene as well. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Crab
WHAT IS A CRAB? With their sideways skitter and thick exoskeleton, these crustaceans are mobile tanks with an appetite . Born with 8 legs and 2 pincers, they’re smart enough to use tools or even communicate by drumming. While most aquatic life cannot live out of the water, crabs are a remarkable exception. Unlike fish, […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Blacksticks Blue
WHAT IS BLACKSTICKS BLUE? The British mistress to England’s love affair with Stilton, this northern cow’s milk blue is made just north of Manchester. While its orange coloration is similar to English Shropshire, Blacksticks has a smaller wheel size. Made in the same area as Tasty Lancashire cheese, Blacksticks has a soft paste and beautiful […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Macaroni (a.k.a. Maccheroni or Gomiti)
WHAT IS MACARONI? This cut has been popular in the States ever since Thomas Jefferson introduced it. It is also called “elbow” pasta due to the slight bend in its’ middle. In the U.S.A. it is almost always served to children with a very suspicious cheese “product”. If you follow the letter of the law, […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Limburger
WHAT IS LIMBURGER? It is a semi-soft, washed-rind, cow’s milk cheese originally from the Dutchy of Limburg and today well known in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It has an orange-yellowish color to it depending on who makes it. This cheese is famous for its’ strong smell which experts praise and novices think you’re playing […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – neck (chicken)
WHAT IS A CHICKEN NECK? These long necks are designed to allow the bird to lean over and peck to their heart’s content. Covered in smaller downward pointing feathers known as hackles, the neck muscles are also one of nature’s most impressive steady-cam stabilizers! Having 3 times the number of neck vertebrae as humans is […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Shrimp
WHAT IS A SHRIMP? It is one of the smaller members of the crustacean family. They’re thought to be the Neanderthal precursors of most of today’s larger arthopod pylum (invertebrate creatures with chitinous exoskeletons like spiders). Shrimp are marine garbage men who live on the bottom of the sea. As babies floating on water they […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Salmon
WHAT IS SALMON? One of the most popular oily fish to eat, this name actually covers several different species that are all members of the same family Salmonidae. They are relatives of the trout and whitefish, but hatch in fresh water, migrate to the sea (salt water), and then return to their fresh water birthplace […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Ciabatta
WHAT IS CIABATTA BREAD? This Italian classic is not as old as you might think. It’s the Italian version of a French baguette whose name means “slipper.” Despite the name, ciabatta is a long, flat rectangular bread filled with irregularly shaped holes. This Italian loaf is made from a mix of white and rye flour. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – breast (chicken)
WHAT IS A CHICKEN BREAST? Retail chicken breasts are just one half of the pectoral muscle with the central bone removed. Also known as white meat, the fibers that make up this muscle are fast-twitch (when your survival depends on a burst of speed). Glycogen is the fuel of choice here whereas in slow twitch […]