Chicken Butt for the Soul

This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.
(500) Days of Summer

It's done. I have used nearly all of my coping mechanisms.

• 
  
  Cry - Check


• 
  
  Sing - Check


• 
  
  Nap - Check


• 
  
  Watch (500)Days of Summer or Annie Hall - Check


• 
  
  Cook - Check
  

The last point is crucial. I love food. If food tastes good, I do a little dance in my seat. Food soothes my soul and during times when I am in need of soul soothing, there are two dishes that I make - roast chicken or armies of cupcakes.

I have never told anyone why these two things hold such magical powers, but, my dear readers (all 2 of you), I will dispense the rationale here:

Chicken - The first time my ex-husband left me, I experienced the five stages of grief within the first hour. I was an emotional wreck. I was in the anger phase while I was preparing my dinner - a whole chicken. I dressed the chicken with a concoction of herbs, lemon rind and olive oil and out of anger, I stuffed the lemon up that poor chicken's ass.... but somehow I felt instantly better. Since then, whenever I have not been feeling myself, I go out and buy the necessary ingredients to recreate this recipe. (Sometimes, my former roommate could sense my impending mood and, bless her little cotton socks, would bring home a chicken and a lemon!)

Cupcakes - Now, you know that things are really bad when I bake armies of cupcakes... the honeyed infantry is usually deployed when the chicken doesn't do it's duty. Cupcakes are always a long process, where I get an opportunity to work things out in my head. Even if I turn a problem over and over and end up in the same place that I started, I take comfort that mixing flour with butter, eggs, sugar, milk, bicarbonate of soda and an assortment of flavourings will always produce pleasant results.

Last night, there was chicken to be had. As I am only one person, the leftover chicken usually gets turned into sandwiches, pastas and soup. I have read that, in addition to soothing the soul, chicken soup can help to minimize the effects of a cold. Today's question is: are there medicinal properties to chicken soup?

A: In 2000, Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska, studied the medicinal properties of chicken soup. Using his wife's homemade recipe and numerous store bought brands, lab tests indicated that the soup inhibited the movement of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell that defends against infection. Dr. Rennard theorizes that by inhibiting the migration of these infection-fighting cells in the body, chicken soup essentially helps reduce upper respiratory cold symptoms.

There are no plans to further the study of chicken soup, which led many scientists to conclude that chicken soup is "folk medicine". However Dr. Rennard says that we cannot discount the "TLC" (tender, loving care) factor. "If you know somebody prepared soup for you by hand, that might have an effect."

None of the chicken soup research is conclusive, and it’s not known whether the changes measured in the laboratory really have a meaningful effect on people with cold symptoms. However, at the very least, chicken soup with vegetables contains lots of healthy nutrients and increases hydration.

I wonder what science has to say about the medicinal properties of stuffing a lemon up a chicken's butt?

Sources:

CNN.com - Health: Chicken Soup is Medicine, US Scientists Confirm

New York Times: The Science of Chicken Soup

Wikipedia: Chicken Soup

Jerky Boys

Success is being knocked down nine times and getting up ten.

-Jon Bon Jovi

It is quite evident that my blogging has fallen off again, however I tend to become motivated by adversity. This blog was started by a heartache- you will find that my very first entry questioned whether someone could die from a broken heart . Well, yet another year has started brokenheartedly and I now feel motivated to set some goals and begin writing again. Each year, a man will come along and dazzle me with words. They marinate my foolish heart with wonderful dreams and empty promises only to slowly disengage with little or no explanation. This has left my heart chewy and salty, not unlike a dry, cracked piece of leather - or perhaps beef jerky. Today's question is: What is the process of making beef jerky?

Visual representation of my heart

A: Beef jerky is strips of marinated, dried meat that can be kept without refrigeration. Generally jerky is made with a lean cut of beef, such as sirloin, top round or round eye, as fat left on the final product will cause it to spoil more quickly. The meat is cut into strips approximately 1/2" thick against the grain. The strips of beef are then marinated for approximately 24 hours in a simple mixture of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion salt, garlic powder and pepper (although many variations exist). The meat is then dehydrated either in a dehydrator or in a low temperature oven - if using the oven method, it is advised that the oven door be left slightly ajar for the moisture to evaporate. Interestingly, beef jerky is selected by astronauts on space flights because it is light weight and high in nutrition. I wonder if I can interest them in taking my heart on a space mission with them...

Sources:

How to Make Beef Jerky: 7 steps (with pictures)

How to Make Beef Jerky in the Oven

Wikipedia - Jerky (food)

One a penny, two a penny...

Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns! One a' penny, two a' penny, hot cross buns! If you have no daughters, give them to your sons. One a' penny, two a' penny, hot cross buns!

Q.
Each Easter, my family celebrates with a traditional Guatemalan Easter feast. It consists of fried salt fish, rice and delicious salad of pickled beetroot, cauliflower and fresh peas; it's a simple meal, but I look forward to it every year. Each year, my family looks to me to bake dessert, so this past Easter, I decided to attempt the traditional hot cross buns. As my home filled with the sweet, yeasty fragrance of the bread rising, I began thinking, why are these little buns seen mainly around Easter? So, today's question is: What is the symbolism of hot cross buns?

Yep. I made these!

A.

Of course the Christians took this one over! According to the Church of England, the hot cross bun has a number of meanings that are tied to Easter, which include the bread symbolizing the communion host, the spices are meant to mirror the spices that Jesus was wrapped in when laid in the tomb, and the cross to show the crucifixion... but how do they explain the fruit?

Upon further exploration, crossed buns can be traced back to pagan times, where the spring festival commemorating the goddess Eostre, included ceremonial cakes marked with a cross. The Egyptians also offered small round cakes marked with a representation of a pair of ox horns to their moon goddess. Additionally, the ancient Greeks produced little buns called "boun"offered to the gods, where the cross is speculated to represent the four quarters of the moon.

Hot cross buns as an Easter tradition began in Elizabethan times. At that time, hot cross buns were made from same dough as communion wafers, the Protestant monarchs viewed this as a Catholic hold on Britons and enforced a law that limited the sale and consumption of them to Christmas, Easter and funerals. In the time of James I, this law seemed nearly impossible to enforce and bakers were allowed to produce spiced bread throughout the year.

In modern times, hot cross buns come in all varieties such as apple and cinnamon, orange and cranberry, and toffee... but give me the traditional ones any day!

Sources:

BBC News - How did hot cross buns become two a penny, April 1, 2010

Food Timeline - Easter foods history & symbolism

The New York Times - Who were the first to cry "hot cross buns?" March 31, 1912

Wikipedia - Hot cross bun

As-pear-oo-gahhh

March 15, 2010

Hm, I suppose I didn’t keep detailed enough notes on what I did – or perhaps it was an uneventful day. So, I suppose I will have to just write about something random that does not relate to my day. So, today’s question is: why does asparagus make your pee smell?

A:
Asparagus contains a sulphur compound called mercaptan. It is also found in onions, garlic, rotten eggs, and in the secretions of skunks. The signature smell occurs when this substance is broken down in the digestive system. It is still disputed that not all people have the gene for the enzyme that breaks down mercaptan, so some can eat asparagus without stinking up the place. One study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that only 46 percent of British people tested produced the odour while 100 percent of French people tested did. Insert your favourite French joke here: _______________. However, in the 1980s three separate studies concluded that most people do produce the odorous compounds after eating asparagus, but only 22% of the population has the autosomal genes required to smell them.

Sources
MSNBC
Wikipedia: Asparagus

Anus?

February 23, 2010

My roommate and I subscribe to an organic fruit and vegetable delivery service. The company, called Mama Earth, delivers seasonal, organically grown produce to our home. This week, we had a fennel bulb delivered and my roommate asked me if it was an anus.

Now, let me provide some background… Both her and I worked in family-run grocery stores when we were younger. Both of the stores stocked fennel but labelled it as anise. My roommate always thought that it was pronounced anus.

But back to our organic fennel, I didn’t know how to answer her. So, today’s question is: is there a difference between fennel and anise?

A: There seems to be a common misconception that fennel and anise are the same things. Some cooking websites use the two words interchangeably, as both plants have a subtle liquorice flavour. However, it seems that anise and fennel are actually a different plant. The botanical name of anise is Pimpinella anisum while the botanical name of fennel is Foeniculum vulgare. Both anise and fennel belong to the Apiaceae family.

The whole plant (bulb, stalks, and fronds) of fennel can be consumed, while it is usually just the seeds from the anise plant that are eaten. Star anise or Chinese anise, which is often used as a spice, is not part of the Apiaceae family, which means it is not even related to anise or fennel. Huh.

So, the likelihood is that if you go to the grocery story and you see a plant-like vegetable labelled anise, it’s a good chance that is fennel – and not anus.

Sources:
Jamie Oliver Forum
Yahoo! Answers

Masa

February 22, 2010


This afternoon I got the chance to catch up with an old colleauge and friend. We went to a local sushi place called Masa, which offers an all you can eat lunch special for $10.99. I always enjoy eating here as the selection is quite extensive and the quality is great. I think my favourite roll is the spicy salmon skin roll - I know, it sounds a little off putting, but this definitely gets Mirelle's stamp of approval - it is delicious! Today's question is: what is the difference between sushi and sashimi?


A: Sushi and sashimi are both Japanese dishes consisting of raw fish. Sushi consists of vinegared rice with an overlay of raw fish or is rolled in seaweed with fish and/or vegetables. Sushi does not mean “raw fish,” but “vinegar rice.” While much of the fish used to make sushi is raw, some of the items are blanched, boiled, broiled, marinated or sautéed. Sashimi consists of different species of fish dipped in a mixture of wasabi and soy sauce that are sliced into thin pieces and then served raw.

Interestingly, sushi was originally developed as a snack food to serve at gambling parlours so the gamblers could take quick bites without stopping the action.

Sources:
Difference Between
Food Info Net
The Nibble

Bit o' Bread

February 18, 2010

Today, I got to put my procurement skills to use. I'm helping to plan a bunch of focus groups and I need to order the all important food. And since I order food, indirectly, with tax payer dollars, it is important for me to schlep around getting quotes on how much food will cost. After nearly a week of calling around, visiting lunch spots and researching online, I went with the Croissant Tree. Mmmmm... croissants.

I like to think of myself as an intermediate level cook, however the only croissants I have ever attempted were these:

I know that it takes a long time and lots of patience to make croissants from scratch - and to be honest, I would rather just buy them from the store. Today's question is: what is the origin of the croissant?

A: The answer for this one fascinated me. Apparently, there is a long standing myth about where the croissant came from. In the 1938 book, Larousse Gastronomique by Alfred Gottschalk, it was detailed that the croissant was created in 1686 in Budapest, Hungary by a courageous and watchful baker, at a time when the city was being attacked by the Turks. Working late one night, he heard odd rumbling noises and alerted the city's military leaders. They found that the Turks were trying to get into the city by tunnelling under the city's walls. The tunnel was destroyed and the baker became a hero. However, the baker asked no reward other than the exclusive right to bake crescent-shaped pastries commemorating the incident, the crescent being the symbol of Islam.

This story has been reproduced and become the accepted history of this delicious, flaky and buttery bread. Unfortunately, it just a myth that has been accepted as truth. The real history of the croissant is less dramatic. The croissant originated in France in the 1830s. It was an adaptation by the Austrian baker, August Zang, of the Austrian bread called the kipfel. The first croissant recipe was published in 1891, but it wasn't the same kind of croissant we are familiar with today, the flakier version was subsequently published in 1905 in France.

Sources:

Food Time

O-Chef

Chocolate and Froot

February 10, 2010

Today, I awoke and felt horrible. I was exhausted and achy and just all 'round ill. As my day was uneventful and filled with bad daytime telly, I don't have a question based on the events of my activities. However, I did have my regular read of the Beeb and it gave me an answer to a question that has plagued me for decades yet have not ventured to ask. Today's question is: side-by-side, what are the difference in various aspects, of a banana and a Kit Kat bar?

A: This post is another cop-out as the answer, although interesting, was re-printed (without permission) by the BBC. Regardless, here it is:

THE GREAT SNACK STAND-OFF

POPULARITY
The United Kingdom's best-selling fruit by far: 231 bananas eaten every second on average.

The UK's best-selling confectionery brand: 47 KitKats are eaten every second on average.

CALORIES
There are 105 in a medium banana (CalorieKing)

There are 230 in a traditional four-finger bar (Nestle)

FAT
The banana contains 0.4g fat (1% daily recommended intake)/0.1g sat fat (1% daily recommended intake)

The Kit Kat contains 12g fat (18% daily recommended intake)/7g sat fat (36% daily recommended intake)


HEALTH BENEFITS
Rich source of potassium, essential for good blood pressure and heart function, and fibre. A medium banana has roughly 400mg of potassium, 11% of your daily recommended intake and 3.1g of fibre, 12% of your daily recommended intake. Also helps regulate blood sugar levels and slowly release energy.

Not brimming with vitamins and minerals, but has some calcium - good for bones and teeth - and iron, good for blood and transporting oxygen around the body. One four-finger bar provides 6% of recommended daily calcium intake and 8% of recommended daily iron intake. Also has 1g of fibre.

DOWNSIDES
Unripe bananas can cause constipation. High fibre content means eating too many can cause bloating and wind.

Gives a sugar rush but not very filling. Even has 0.1g of trans fat, the food nasty that is bad for the heart.

SATISFACTION
Limited satisfaction - it's simply fuel for most people. The banana experience can be spiced up if thrown in a fruit smoothie, or baked in a tasty muffin, but the latter is not so healthy.

Mmmm. Good mouth-feel. And snapping off a finger can be a very satisfying sound, particularly if it is the sound of friends sharing the snack. Rare all-chocolate finger is bliss.

VARIETY
Comes in three sizes - small, medium or large. Colour, texture and taste varies as the banana ripens from woody and green to mushy and nearly black. Dried banana chips add an extra frisson to the selection.

Four fingers or two. Chunky. Dark chocolate. White chocolate. Mint. Orange. Caramel. Cappuccino. Apple (Japan). Hazelnut (Germany). Even banana flavoured in Canada. The list goes on and on...

FOLKLORE
Fishermen associate bananas with bad luck. One popular theory suggests this is because venomous spiders hitched rides in banana crates - and once onboard would bite and kill crew.

Parents in Japan swear by KitKats when their youngsters are taking exams. The phrase "Kitto Katsu" apparently translates as "you will surely win". The bars are often given as a good-luck gift.

DANGERS
A slip on a banana skin is painful and very embarrassing.

Dunkers run the risk of burning their actual fingers on hot beverages.

CULTURAL IMPACT
The banana-skin slip has been a comedy classic for generations and across cultures. It's made the world laugh.

It's a global chocolate bar, that cuts through cultural differences. The world shares the UK's love of KitKats.

PORTABILITY
Easily battered about and squashed. Can look obscene in a trouser pocket.

Flat and slips very neatly into pockets or bags, but easily melts and snaps.

HISTORY
Mentioned in Buddhist texts in 600 BC. Alexander the Great discovered the fruit in India in 327 BC. Organised banana plantations could be found in China back in 200 AD.

Launched in 1935 and was originally called Chocolate Crisp. From 1945-47, sported a blue wrapper when plain chocolate was used due to milk shortages after the war.

ETHICAL CREDENTIALS
One in every four bananas sold in UK supermarkets is now Fairtrade, with sales topping £150m. But there has been a long-running international trade dispute, with tariffs on some countries that produce the fruit for European markets.

The four-finger KitKat was certified as Fairtrade in the UK and Ireland in January 2010. Although parent company Nestle does have a chequered reputation for ethics, with consumer boycotts over the years because of its promotion of baby milk formula in Africa.

THE GOD FACTOR
Christian activist Ray Comfort says bananas are proof of God's existence - they are so perfectly suited to our hands, God must have created them expressly for our benefit.

A Dutch website reported last April that a man had claimed to have seen the face of Jesus in the centre of a KitKat Chunky he had just taken a bite out of.

Source:
BBC News - Snack stand-off: Banana v KitKat

Kale Eatery

January 22, 2010

This evening, I met up with a friend I used to work with. I had initially asked if she would like to meet for the usual beer and wings, but she informed me that she was trying to get healthy in the new year. Instead she suggested that we try a new vegan place at Yonge and Eglinton called Kale Eatery. As I live with a vegetarian and love food, I was intrigued to try it - however I'm always left wondering what a vegan would eat. I feared brown rice and seaweed with seitan and tofu balls for dessert. I was pleasantly surprised and dined on delicious nutritional food and absolutely loved the herbal teas that they had on offer. Today's question is: what is a vegan?

A: Veganism is a lifestyle and diet that does not include any animal products. The vegan diet excludes anything that is derived from animals, such as meat, dairy products and even honey. Additionally, they avoid purchasing leather, silk or fur.

Vegan diets include fruits, vegetables, grains, beans/legumes, nuts and seeds.

Sources:
About.com: Vegetarian Food
Vegetarian Resource Group: Veganism in a nutshell

Shedding a tear

January 15, 2010

Today was quite exciting. I was able to learn the basic techniques of pole dancing. It made me feel free and liberated - and was a spectacular workout. I thought about writing about the history of the pole or why women are likened to felines - as we were instructed to slink back to standing positions like a cat - but I can draw my own conclusions as to why felines and feminity go hand-in-hand. When I got in, I was required to eat (as per the rules of the game) so I began with the basics - olive oil and onions. As I peeled and chopped the onion I began to cry... and it wasn't from missing old life, which usually sparks a little bit of a cry fest... it was the onions. Today's question is: why do onions make you cry?

A: It is not the odor of an onion that makes you cry, it a gas that is released while cutting it. When slicing through an onion, the knife ruptures the cells causing an enzyme (allinase) to mix with the sulphur in the oinon. This produces sulfenic acid, which then gets converted by the LF-synthase enzyme into a gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, which is also known as the Lachrymatory Factor (‘crying factor'). Once this gas reaches our eyes, it causes an irritation which causes the body to produce tears to wash the irritant away.

Sources:
Food-Info.net: Why do onions make you cry?
Mental_floss Blog: Why do onions make you cry?