Hello! How's it going? Here's some stuff I've found around the internet.
The World’s 9 Deadliest Delicacies
Foods fit for adventurous eaters and adrenaline junkies
Humans are one of the few creatures on this planet who have the capability of ignoring our basic survival instinct. We jump out of perfectly good airplanes — something that still sets off alarms in the most veteran skydivers — and we push ourselves to the edge of death and back with physical demands on our bodies that defy reason with activities like ultra-marathons in the desert, living in microgravity, and setting the world record for holding one’s breath under water. Yet as contradictory as it sounds, testing these limits is probably what makes us feel the most human or the most attuned to nature and our own potential — particularly when it comes to soaring above the skies, jumping eight feet in the air… and eating the most bizarre, even dangerous, dishes set in front of us on the dinner table.
What are some of the deadliest foods the world has ever seen? Poisonous or harmful by design, not accident, and something that has us questioning our sanity when we choose to take a bite?
Fugu — Shimonoseki, Japan
Fugu, also known as pufferfish, is a fish whose liver and internal organs contain deadly amounts of the poison tetrodotoxin, for which there is no known antidote. It might surprise many to know, however, that any fugu chef worth his weight in Japan will attempt to leave just the right amount of poison for a tingling sensation to pass through the diner’s tongue, leaving him satisfied with the taste and experience.
If you are in the mood to “risk your life,” be sure to travel to the city of Shimonoseki in western Japan where no fugu-related deaths have ever been reported. In addition, you have the choice of raw fugu sashimi, fried fugu (tastes like chicken), boiled fugu, fugu with miso, and fugu sake.
Ackee — Jamaica
Turning our attention to the Caribbean, we find the delicious but dangerous ackee fruit. Although rich in vitamins and protein, if the fruit is eaten before it is fully ripe, it prevents glucose from being released from the liver, quickly lowering one’s blood sugar and ensuring violent illness or death. Many have called the symptoms following ingestion of the unripe fruit "Jamaican Vomiting Sickness.”
Bullfrog — Namibia
Why settle for mere legs in France when you can have the whole frog? The Giant Namibian Bullfrog is a delicacy in this African nation, but when you consume them, timing is everything. People are generally advised to dine “after the third rain” or when the frogs start croaking and breeding. Failure to do so will usually result in kidney failure, what the locals call Oshiketakata.
San Nak Ji — Korea
There’s not a great deal of preparation required to serve san nak ji (raw baby octopus) to food enthusiasts: the octopus is dismembered, seasoned with sesame oil, and immediately presented on a plate. As such, many of the tentacles will still be moving around (remember, each “leg” of an octopus has its own brain), and won’t hesitate to use their suckers on you if you try to swallow them. Take care to chew thoroughly before you risk letting something alive and potentially dangerous down your throat. Despite the “thrill,” many foreigners trying the dish have reported a relatively bland taste, more chewy than delicious.
Apricot Seeds — Turkey
We’re so accustomed to hearing things like “you should eat healthy, natural foods, like apricots” that we forget all the preparation required to eliminate poisons and toxins harmful to humans. Seeds of cherries, plums, peaches, almonds, apricots, and even apples contain cyanogenetic glycosides, which upon ingestion release hydrogen cyanide. Don’t panic if you’re eating an apple while reading this fascinating article; it would take a massive number of seeds for any harmful effects to occur.
Unfortunately in Turkey, known for its large population of apricot trees, a few have died after “seed binges”. Roasting the seeds will make them safe for consumption if you’re determined to eat a bowl with milk for breakfast everyday.
Cassava — Africa, South America
The leaves and roots of cassava are surprisingly rich in cyanide. By this point, we may as well wish cyanide were the most delicious, sumptuous substance on the planet if we had to die to enjoy a bite… there is not much in the way of flavor, though. Cassava is a tropical vegetable originally from South America, but has gained popularity in Africa, particularly for its juice, which can be fermented to produce a drink called piwarry.
Casu Marzu — Italy
Casu marzu is technically outlawed throughout much of Italy, and many would consider it more like garbage than food. Nevertheless, its preparation is as meticulous as a fine dessert: cheese from sheep’s milk is left outside to ferment and in the process is introduced to a certain species of fly, which is allowed to lay its eggs on the cheese. The eggs hatch and dinner begins… for the maggots, that is — not you; the best is yet to come.
Eventually, the maggots soften the cheese enough for consumption, but they must be eaten alive along with the cheese to prevent extra toxicity. If you don’t want to eat live maggots (what? you don’t?), you can starve their oxygen supply by placing the cheese in a sealed paper or plastic bag; the larvae will eventually jump out of the cheese in search of air and, finding none, die.
Elderberries — Europe
Just like ackee, it’s not exactly to the food connoisseur’s advantage to consume unripe elderberries. This is probably the least dangerous food on the list, however, as the ripe fruit is eaten around the world safely and deaths are extremely rare. Take care to keep the plant away from small children and animals, and remember never to eat the stems or leaves of the sambucus (elderberry).
Blood Clams — Shanghai, China
You don’t have to sleep with someone suspicious to get hepatitis if you choose to eat blood clams in Shanghai. Although blood clams are considered one of the more delicious Chinese delicacies, the style of preparation in Shanghai involves quick-boiling them, leaving many viruses and bacteria present, including hepatitis A, E, typhoid, and dysentery.
Next up for today here’s.
5 Foods to Help You Beat the Heat (and let me tell you there is one particularly interesting thing listed here
Mandy Major, Woman's Day
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Chill out by using ingredients that stimulate your body’s natural cooling system
A big scoop of ice cream may sound appealing when you’re battling summer’s scorching temperatures, but—surprise!—it’s only a fleeting fix that’ll leave you hotter than before. Once your body starts digesting and storing those calories, your temperature will rise. However, there are eats out there that can actually help you beat the heat by triggering cool-off nerves, causing you to sweat, providing essential fluids and more. From juicy fruits that hydrate to spicy dishes that kickstart your body’s natural cooling system, discover five foods that’ll (almost) render your A/C optional.
Mint
By triggering the cold-sensitive nerves in your mouth, mint works wonders to cool you off—especially when it’s eaten fresh, and it doubles as a digestive aid. Tucked into a chilled salmon salad with snap peas and orange, or paired with ribbons of cucumber and peanut-crusted chicken, it’ll soothe your senses with each and every bite.
Chile Peppers
In hot-climate countries such as India and Thailand, spicy foods are a mainstay. Why? Because one of the chemicals found in them, capsaicin, triggers a reaction in your body that makes you sweat, a process that helps your body regulate its temperature. See for yourself by trying a spicy noodle dish that includes cooling mint to counteract the serrano chiles, or a taco filled with chipotle-flavored shrimp.
Vegetables
It’s a well-known fact that veggies are good for you, but in the dog days of summer, certain types are even better than others. Water-rich vegetables like cucumbers, radishes and leafy greens, are a sneaky source of hydration, a crucial thing for your body since you can't cool off by sweating unless you are properly hydrated. Layered onto a creamy white bean sandwich or tossed with cold sesame noodles, they’ll also add flavor, crunch and color to your meal.
Fruits
Naturally sweet and refreshing, fruit is a welcome—and easy—swap for sugar-laden frozen treats when temps run high. The key to cooling off is choosing juicy fruits that have a high water content (for hydration), such as apples, melon and watermelon. And don’t just stop at snacking on them—make sure to get your fill by incorporating them into meals, with a salty-sweet watermelon and feta salad and chicken with crisp apple-celery salad.
Chickpeas
You might be tempted to be at the beck and call of the grill during the summer months, but beware: Meat takes a lot of work to digest. Consuming it stokes the fires of your stomach and, as a result, your body heats up. If you want to keep your cool, opt for a protein that’s less taxing on your system, such as chickpeas. These legumes are also chock-full of fiber and vitamins—and couldn’t be more delicious than when tossed into a salad with oranges, olives and tomatoes or one with celery, feta and lime juice.
Next for today heres:
12 Edible Flowers You Can Grow at Home (And How to Actually Use Them!)
Posted by jaime morrison curtis on July 15th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2011/07/15/12-edible-flowers-you-can-grow-at-home-and-how-to-use-them/
Lavender
The purple blooms make a stunning garnish for cakes and champagne, and add a sweet floral flavor to sauces.
Marigolds
The taste of the petals is similar to saffron and they add a sunny yellow hue to soups, pastas, and rice or just sprinkled on a salad.
Chrysanthemums
Pull the petals off and blanch them to add a tangy, peppery flavor to salads and stir frys.
Dandelions
Pick them when they are young, before they get bitter (low to the ground and the size of a marble), then sprinkle on salads or rice (raw or steamed) to add a sweet honey flavor.
Cornflower
The stunning blue of these flowers is a natural food dye and they add a slight clove-like flavor, though they are most often used as a lovely garnish.
Carnations
The base is bitter, but the petals are sweet, ideal for decorating cakes and petit-fours.
Squash Blossoms
The big yellow blooms from zucchini, pumpkin, and other squash plants are abundant this time of year. They look funky-sweet stuffed in a small bubble vase or served up on a platter. They taste mildly of the veggies they come from and are wonderful when washed, cleaned of their stamens, stuffed with cheese, and fried.
Rosemary
The flowers of this herb have a milder taste than the leaves and add a pretty touch to seafood, chicken, or even ice cream.
Nasturtium
These sweet and spicy blossoms come in a rainbow of colors and are ideal to toss in just about any cold dish or to stuff with dips or mousse
Pansies
These stunning flowers have a grassy flavor so use them sparingly as a garnish, especially beautiful on cakes or in fruit salads.
Tuberous Begonias
Eat the citrusy-sour leaves, flowers, and even stems, which can be used in place of rhubarb. I've never had a begonia pie but I would love to try it!
Day Lilies
So lovely in a garden, and lovely on a plate. You can stuff the flowers like squash blossoms or sprinkle the petals in a salad. The flavor of day lilies ranges from asparagus-like to zucchini-ish, with more sweetness. Just make sure they are day lilies, many lily varieties are not edible.
Now last thing for today is
French Macaron Recipe
A little background, I’m one of the people in charge of the anthropology club this year here and my job was to find info on making macaroons for a potential club fundraiser we were thinking of having, and I found this interesting article by AmberLee, from Giverslog
Another interesting fact about macarons is its spelled m-a-c-a-r-o-n-s instead of the version with 2 o’s which is actually something completely different.
Much like the author of this blog post I’ve had a hankering to make macarons for some time. I love basic recipes for simple foods that are all about getting the technique right. Plus macarons are such estimable little desserts, and they freeze so well, that they are great to make in advance for a party or for friends who will appreciate them.
The process of making macarons is delicate, but doable. It is a thrill to get a batch come out of the oven with a pretty dome and that perfect foot, it feels like sinking a perfect putt or hitting a perfect shot. And once you have macarons down, you will be a whiz at turning out a beautiful souffle. It uses all the same tricks.
French Macarons
The author got this from ( MarthaStewart.com
posted here with annotations)
The author got this from ( MarthaStewart.com
posted here with annotations)
Before you begin:
Choose a nice, cool, dry day to make these. Humidity is not your friend. Because whipped whites are mostly air, if the air is too moist it can flatten your macarons. A hot kitchen can also deflate whites.
Seperate your eggs in advance. Eggs are easier to separate when they’re cold, so separate them at least an hour and up to a day before, then cover with plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the egg, and just leave the whites on the counter.
Mis en place. Have everything you need in place so you don’t have anything to slow you down once your eggs are whipped.
Choose a nice, cool, dry day to make these. Humidity is not your friend. Because whipped whites are mostly air, if the air is too moist it can flatten your macarons. A hot kitchen can also deflate whites.
Seperate your eggs in advance. Eggs are easier to separate when they’re cold, so separate them at least an hour and up to a day before, then cover with plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the egg, and just leave the whites on the counter.
Mis en place. Have everything you need in place so you don’t have anything to slow you down once your eggs are whipped.
Ingredients
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 4.5 oz
3/4 cup almond flour, 2.5 oz. (I’ve made my own by processing almond slivers, but just buying it is simpler)
2 large egg whites, room temperature (no farm fresh eggs! older eggs hold air better, and take them from the fridge the day before or the morning of and let them sit there happily on the counter and warm to room temp)
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar, 1.5 oz. (also called baker’s sugar, I’ve read you can make your own by processing granulated sugar, but have never tried it)
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, for filling
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 4.5 oz
3/4 cup almond flour, 2.5 oz. (I’ve made my own by processing almond slivers, but just buying it is simpler)
2 large egg whites, room temperature (no farm fresh eggs! older eggs hold air better, and take them from the fridge the day before or the morning of and let them sit there happily on the counter and warm to room temp)
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar, 1.5 oz. (also called baker’s sugar, I’ve read you can make your own by processing granulated sugar, but have never tried it)
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, for filling
Look online and you will find a lot of different variations for flavors and fillings
Method
1. Pulse confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times. (I found sifting with my usual flour sifter near impossible. The almond flour caked under the sifting hand and balled up over it. Instead I sifted with a simple bowl-shaped sieve.)
1. Pulse confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times. (I found sifting with my usual flour sifter near impossible. The almond flour caked under the sifting hand and balled up over it. Instead I sifted with a simple bowl-shaped sieve.)
2. Whisk whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form (the recipe suggests 8 minutes, for me it took only 3 to 4 minutes, take care not to over-whip). If you’re going to add color, I added food coloring towards the end of whipping my whites. I found I could use standard, water-based food coloring. Several of the recipes I saw recommended paste food coloring, but I didn’t have any at the time, so I went out on a limb! The water-based stuff worked just fine.
3. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny. I found the amount of folding to be crucial. Fold too little, and your macaron shells will have peaks instead of nice rounded caps. Fold too much, and your meringue will drip into a mess of wafer-thin blobs. Tartlette recommends about 50 folds, until your batter has a magma-like flow. For me about 65 folds was just right. I find the batter has a little of a soft-toffee like sheen when it is ready. You can test a daub on a plate, and if a small beak remains, turn the batter a couple times more. If the batter forms a round cap but doesn’t run, it is just right. When I spooned my batter into the pastry bag, the perfect batter started to just ooze out of the tip once the bag was full. If it stayed stiff inside the bag it was too stiff, if it dripped out too fast the batter was too runny. I found that doubling the recipe made this step very difficult for me, I found I would over fold to incorporate the flour mixture and I would end up with a runny batter.
4. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip.
5. Pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. I put the tip right in the middle of where I wanted each macaron and let the batter billow up around it, then I drug the tip to the side of the round. (You can pipe 1-inch to 2-inch rounds, but you will need to add cooking time). Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Different recipes recommend anywhere from no rest time to 2 hours rest time. See which one works for you is my advice.) While they’re resting, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees. Every oven is different, so you may need to play with your oven temperature. The tops of the macaron shells should not brown.
7. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons
8. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon jam. Serve immediately, or stack between layers of parchment, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 3 months. It takes only 30 minutes out of the freezer for macarons to be ready to serve.
TROUBLESHOOTING: If you’re wringing your hands in frustration because you can’t get these little desserts to come out right, either they are hollow inside or have no feet or they crack, you are in good company. Me included. Here are a few things you can try to get that first perfect batch that will get you addicted to making macarons.
1. Use an oven thermometer: Chances are, your oven is different than mine, which is different from many other friends and bloggers who have attempted macarons. Put down the few dollars it costs for a decent oven thermometer and you can know for certain that your oven temp is right.
2. Use a good baking sheet: If your baking sheet is too thin, the macarons won’t bake evenly or correctly. You can even try doubling up two thin baking sheets if that’s all you have.
3. Use old eggs: I know this may sound wrong in our world of refrigerating everything, but it makes a difference. Use eggs that are not too fresh and leave them on the counter at room temp for a day or two.
4. Make sure you have prime egg-whipping conditions. Trust me, a humid day or one streak of grease in your bowl can make what could have been a beautiful batch of macarons into a big disappointment.
5. Increase cooking time for bigger macarons: I’ve undercooked my macarons before and had them come out hollow. Pretty still but very disspointing in texture. Make sure that if your macarons are bigger circles, you bake longer.
6. Keep an eye on your macarons to avoid browning them or letting them crack: I love this note from Beth: “I bake mine with the light on in the oven so I can monitor what’s going on in there. If it seems a little hot, crack the door and stick a wooden spoon in to hold it slightly ajar. I believe the cracking happens when the oven it too hot–this is not based on anything scientific–just my observations.”
7. If you macarons won’t unstick, try water. Here’s a great tip from a reader whose macaron shells stuck to the paper. (Thank you, Jennifer!!) “The steam did not work for me, I think because my paper is fairly thick. So I rested the paper (with the Macarons stuck to it) on a thin layer of water. I counted to 15 which is just enough to soften the paper without getting the Macarons wet. They pulled off flawlessly! You may have to adjust how long you let it sit depending on the type of paper you use, so as not to wet your Macarons!”
2. Use a good baking sheet: If your baking sheet is too thin, the macarons won’t bake evenly or correctly. You can even try doubling up two thin baking sheets if that’s all you have.
3. Use old eggs: I know this may sound wrong in our world of refrigerating everything, but it makes a difference. Use eggs that are not too fresh and leave them on the counter at room temp for a day or two.
4. Make sure you have prime egg-whipping conditions. Trust me, a humid day or one streak of grease in your bowl can make what could have been a beautiful batch of macarons into a big disappointment.
5. Increase cooking time for bigger macarons: I’ve undercooked my macarons before and had them come out hollow. Pretty still but very disspointing in texture. Make sure that if your macarons are bigger circles, you bake longer.
6. Keep an eye on your macarons to avoid browning them or letting them crack: I love this note from Beth: “I bake mine with the light on in the oven so I can monitor what’s going on in there. If it seems a little hot, crack the door and stick a wooden spoon in to hold it slightly ajar. I believe the cracking happens when the oven it too hot–this is not based on anything scientific–just my observations.”
7. If you macarons won’t unstick, try water. Here’s a great tip from a reader whose macaron shells stuck to the paper. (Thank you, Jennifer!!) “The steam did not work for me, I think because my paper is fairly thick. So I rested the paper (with the Macarons stuck to it) on a thin layer of water. I counted to 15 which is just enough to soften the paper without getting the Macarons wet. They pulled off flawlessly! You may have to adjust how long you let it sit depending on the type of paper you use, so as not to wet your Macarons!”
