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Shrimp

Everything you’ve wanted to know about shrimp and more!

The ThrashBox™

The goal of the exercise was to create rounded-corner boxes with visual flare and the absolute minimal amount of semantically correct markup. Oh yeah, and to make sure they could resize while keeping their backgrounds intact.

Mutliple wine search

Your rapid one stop shop for the best of the web’s tasting notes.

How to Make California Rolls!

I learned to make what Americans call “California rolls” during my university student days when time to cook was scarce and I wanted a quick and relatively nourishing meal. California rolls are basically modified (read: Americanized) Japanese temaki sushi in which crab sticks are used instead of raw fish.

Bob & Angie

Currently, 103 Japanese recipes in English are registered out of 4341 recipes in Japanese.

Tea

One or two Americans have asked me why it is that the English like tea so much, which never seems to them to be a very good drink. To understand, you have to know how to make it properly…

The Americans are all mystified about why the English make such a big thing out of tea because most Americans have never had a good cup of tea. That’s why they don’t understand. In fact the truth of the matter is that most English people don’t know how to make tea any more either, and most people drink cheap instant coffee instead, which is a pity, and gives Americans the impression that the English are just generally clueless about hot stimulants.

French Menu Terms ~ à la meunière

La meunière (lah / muh nyer) is French for miller’s wife, so dishes designated as à la meunière (ah / lah / muh nyer) are lightly dusted in flour and then fried in butter.

Delicious & beautiful blueberry tart

Crust:

• 1¼ cups All Purpose Flour
• 3 tablespoons (packed) Powdered Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) Chilled Unsalted Butter cut in cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F. In food processor, blend flour, sugar, and salt for a few seconds. Add the butter while pulsing the machine on/off. Do this until the mix clumps up into a dough. Press the dough into a 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork — make sure you really get it all over. Bake until golden — the recipe here says 25 minutes, but in my stove about 19 minutes does the trick. Check often because this puppy can burn in no-time — ask me how I know. Set it on a rack to cool completely

Filling:

• ¾ cup Sugar
• 3 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 tablespoons Cold Water
• 2 tablespoons of Fresh Lemon Juice
• Grated zest of 1 Medium Lemon
• 6 cups Fresh Blueberries (3½ pints)

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium-large saucepan to blend. Gradually add the cold water and lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Add the butter and lemon zest and blend. Add 2 cups of berries and mash coarsely with a potato masher or mini-sledge. Cook the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and boils while stirring occasionally. This only takes a minute or two. Remove it from heat when thickened up, and fold in the rest of the berries. Transfer the filling to the crust, and chill it until cold, at least 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings and tastes great with whipped cream on top, but of course. Recipe says it can be prepared a day ahead and to cover loosely with foil in the fridge. This recipe came from a magazine, but was cut out, and I cannot find out where to give proper credit, so I’ll give credit to my Mom’s neighbor Maggie who shared it.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

• 40 grams Brown Sugar
• 200 grams Flour
• 1 bag of Baking Powder (1½ teaspoons)
• 115 grams Butter, at room temperature
• 200 grams White Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup Fromage Blanc or Plain Yogurt or Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 to 4 cups Fresh Blueberries

Preheat your oven to 360°F. Grease a 9 inch cake pan, preferably nonstick with a removable bottom.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a food processor, mix together the white sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each. Add the yogurts and the vanilla extract, mix again. Add the flour mixture, mix again.

Pour half of the cake batter in the cake pan. Pour half the blueberries over the surface. Cover with the rest of the batter, top with the remaining blueberries, and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar.

Bake for an hour, until the top is golden and a knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out on a rack to cool completely. It’s even better the next day.

Cucumbers in Dilled Sour Cream

Makes About 2 Cups

Total Time: About 30 Minutes

• 1 Large Cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, sliced into ¼”-thick half-moons
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Sour Cream
• 3 tablespoons Red Onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Dill

Scoop seeds from halved cucumbers with a spoon.

Place cucumber slices in a colander; sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, vinegar, sugar, and dill in a mixing bowl. Add cucumber slices and toss to coat. Let salad stand for at least 5 minutes before serving, or chill for up to one day.

Food Marketing Is the Big Fat Lie

Carbohydrates don’t make you fat. Even fat doesn’t make you fat.

Food marketing makes you fat. Ultra-profitable processed foods make you fat. SnackWells make you fat. Jenny Craig makes you fat. All-protein, all-carbo, all-anything diets make you fat.

You know what doesn’t? Making your own dinner. Using fresh vegetables. Eating reasonable amounts of every food group. Who said, “moderation in all things?” I hate to kiss up to the Protestant work ethic, but it applies here.

The Cheapest Calories Make You the Fattest

Why are Americans so fat? According to Michael Pollan, it’s not just supersized portions and sedentary lifestyles that make obesity the second-highest cause of preventable death in the United States. It’s corn.

When exploring the causes of the obesity epidemic, Pollan, a contributing editor to the New York Times Magazine and proponent of “food-chain journalism,” focused on the subsidized overproduction of corn. One result is a surfeit of high-fructose corn syrup, which accounts for 20 percent of the daily calories of many children.

All of the Plants of the Bible

This is a list of all the plants in the Bible arranged alphabetically by common name. For accuracy, the scientific name is also included.

Artificial Sushi, Sashimi and Saki!

We offer an assortment of artificial sushi, sashimi and saki for your take-out or eat in displays. These fun fake foods are molded and hand painted resin (some may have a yellowish tinge). Fun fake food that’s great for display! All items are handmade. Sizes and weight may vary.

The Food Timeline

The Food Timeline was created in response to students, parents and teachers who frequently asked our librarians for help locating food history and period recipes. Information is checked against standard reference tools for accuracy… As with most historical topics, there are some conflicting stories in the field of food history. We do our best to select and present the information with the most documented support.

Tomato Ketchup Recipe

• 1 gallon Cooked Tomatoes — about 1 peck
• ½ cup Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dry Mustard
• 1 tablespoon Ground Allspice
• 1 pint Cider Vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Salt
• 1 tablespoon Black Pepper
• ½ tablespoon Ground Cloves

Select good, ripe tomatoes. Scald and strain through a coarse sieve to remove seed and skin. When the tomatoes become cold add the remaining ingredients. Let simmer slowly for 3 hours. Pour in bottles or jars.

Amish Tomato Ketchup Recipe

• 6 Celery Ribs, trimmed — cut in ¼ thick
• 2 Medium Onions (about 2 cups) — peeled and diced
• ¼ cup Water
• 3 pounds Tomatoes, quartered
• 5 tablespoons Vinegar
• 1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
• ½ tablespoon Allspice Berries
• ½ tablespoon Whole Cloves
• ½ tablespoon Celery Seeds
• 1 teaspoon Ground Mace
• ½ teaspoon Salt

Place the celery, onions and water in a medium-size saucepan over
medium high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the vegetables are nearly soft, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook tomatoes in a large heavy nonreactive saucepan over
medium heat, partially covered, until they are very soft and almost a
puree, about 25 minutes. Add the cooked celery and onions; continue
cooking until the vegetables are completely softened, about 15
minutes.

Strain tomato mixture in small batches through a sieve into another
nonreactive saucepan, pressing down firmly to extract all of the
liquid. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar and spices. Place the pan
over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling,
stirring often to be sure that the ketchup isn’t sticking to the
bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens somewhat, 15 to 20
minutes. Allow ketchup to cool, then ladle into jars. Cover and
refrigerate for up to 2 months. Or ladle the boiling-hot ketchup into
hot sterilized canning jars. Seal according to the lid manufacturer’s
instructions.

Yield: 1½ pints.

Loomis writes: “This sweet ketchup comes from Mary Linebach, who
owns and runs a produce auction with her [Mennonite] husband, Paul,
in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.” [Mary describes the ketchup by
saying]: ‘The children love it on pancakes… It’s sweeter than
store-bought and not as tangy…’

“The ketchup is good on morning hotcakes (an Amish custom) as it is on
Cheddar cheese sandwiches, as a dip for fresh vegetables or freshly
baked bread, and as a condiment with roast or fried meat or poultry.
And it has one distinct advantage over the most popular store-bought
brand: You won’t have any trouble getting it out of the bottle,
because it’s not thick.”

From Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis. New York: Workman
Publishing Company, Inc., 1991. Pp. 334-336. ISBN 0-89480-772-2.

A brief history of ketchup

In the 1600s Dutch and British seamen brought back a salty pickled fish sauce called ‘ketsiap’ from China. In this version, it was more related to soy or oyster sauce than the sweet, vinegary substance we call ketchup today. Variations in both the name and the ingredients quickly developed. British alternatives included mushrooms (the favorite), anchovies, oysters, and walnuts. In 1690 the word ‘catchup’ appeared in print in reference to this sauce, and in 1711 ‘ketchup’.

The first ketchup recipe was printed in 1727 in Elizabeth Smith’s The Compleat Housewife, and called for anchovies, shallots, vinegar, white wine, sweet spices (cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg), pepper, and lemon peel. Eighty-five years later the first tomato ketchup recipe was published in Nova Scotia by American ex-pat James Mease, which he often refers to as ‘love apple’ ketchup-he attempts to give it more cachet by stating that this variation is influenced by French cooking, although there is no proof of it.

Recipes continued to appear periodically, featuring mushrooms in Britain and tomatoes in the United States. A New England Farmer offered it for sale in 1830 in bottles, and priced from 33 to 50 cents. In 1837, Americans selling ketchup in Britain were encouraged to rename it ‘tomato chutney’ in order to draw attention to the differences between their product and the mushroom ketchup popular in Britain. In addition to the difference in ingredients, the British version also differed in texture, being nearly transparent and very thin in consistency.

Ketchup was sold nationwide in the US by 1837 thanks to the hard work of Jonas Yerkes, who sold the product in quart and pint bottles. He used the refuse of tomato canning-skins, cores, green tomatoes, and lots of sugar and vinegar. Lots of other small companies followed suit-by 1900 there were 100 manufacturers of ketchup. The big success came in 1872 when HJ Heinz added ketchup to his line of pickled products and introduced it at the Philadelphia fair. The Heinz formula has not changed since, and has become the standard by which other ketchups are rated.

In 1848 some ketchup manufacturers came under fire for their unsanitary practices-coal tar was frequently used to heighten the red color. Others made the condiment from concentrated tomato pulp in the off-season, which they stored in questionable circumstances. This debate continued until the 1900s, when the Pure Food Act put strict limits on food manufacturers. (Today’s FDA has very strict guidelines on what even constitutes ketchup, specifying the spices that must be used, as well as the thickness of the end result.)

Requirements for Specific Standardized Canned Vegetables: Catsup

Title 21 — Food and Drugs

Chapter I — Food and Drug Administration

Department of Health and Human Services

Subchapter B — Food for Human Consumption

Part 155 — Canned Vegetables

Subpart B — Requirements for Specific Standardized Canned Vegetables

Sec. 155.194 Catsup.

(a) Identity — (1) Definition. Catsup, ketchup, or catchup is the food prepared from one or any combination of two or more of the following optional tomato ingredients:

(i) Tomato concentrate as defined in § 155.191(a)(1), except that lemon juice, concentrated lemon juice, or safe and suitable organic acids may be used in quantities no greater than necessary to adjust the pH, and in compliance with § 155.191(b).

(ii) The liquid derived from mature tomatoes of the red or reddish varieties Lycopersicum esculentum P. Mill.

(iii) The liquid obtained from the residue from preparing such tomatoes for canning, consisting of peelings and cores with or without such tomatoes or pieces thereof.

(iv) The liquid obtained from the residue from partial extraction of juice from such tomatoes.

Such liquid is strained so as to exclude skins, seeds, and other coarse or hard substances in accordance with current good manufacturing practice. Prior to straining, food-grade hydrochloric acid may be added to the tomato material in an amount to obtain a pH no lower than 2.0. Such acid is then neutralized with food-grade sodium hydroxide so that the treated tomato material is restored to a pH of 4.2±0.2. The final composition of the food may be adjusted by concentration and/or by the addition of water. The food may contain salt (sodium chloride formed during acid neutralization shall be considered added salt) and is seasoned with ingredients as specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section. The food is preserved by heat sterilization (canning), refrigeration, or freezing. When sealed in a container to be held at ambient temperatures, it is so processed by heat, before or after sealing, as to prevent spoilage.

(2) Ingredients. One or any combination of two or more of the following safe and suitable ingredients in each of the following categories is added to the tomato ingredients specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section:

(i) Vinegars.

(ii) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Such sweeteners if defined in part 168 of this chapter shall be as defined therein.

(iii) Spices, flavoring, onions, or garlic.

(3) Labeling. (i) The name of the food is “Catsup,” “Ketchup,” or “Catchup.”

(ii) The following shall be included as part of the name or in close proximity to the name of the food:

(a) The statement “Made from” or “Made in part from,” as the case may be, “residual tomato material from canning” if the optional tomato ingredient specified in paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section or tomato concentrate containing the ingredient specified in § 155.191(a)(1)(ii) is present.

(b) The statement “Made from” or “Made in part from,” as the case may be, “residual tomato material from partial extraction of juice” if the optional tomato ingredient specified in paragraph (a)(1)(iv) of this section or tomato concentrate containing the ingredient specified in § 155.191(a)(1)(iii) is present.

(iii) Label declaration. Each of the ingredients used in the food shall be declared on the label as required by the applicable sections of parts 101 and 130 of this chapter; except that the name “tomato concentrate” may be used in lieu of the names “tomato puree,” “tomato pulp,” or “tomato paste” and when tomato concentrates are used, the labeling requirements of § 155.191(a)(3)(ii)(a) and (a)(3)(ii)(b) do not apply.

(b) Quality. (1) The standard of quality for catsup is as follows: The consistency of the finished food is such that its flow is not more than 14 centimeters in 30 seconds at 20 °C when tested in a Bostwick Consistometer in the following manner: Check temperature of mixture and adjust to 20±1 °C. The trough must also be at a temperature close to 20 °C. Adjust end-to-end level of Bostwick Consistometer by means of the spirit level placed in trough of instrument. Side-to-side level may be adjusted by means of the built-in spirit level. Transfer sample to the dry sample chamber of the Bostwick Consistometer. Fill the chamber slightly more than level full, avoiding air bubbles as far as possible. Pass a straight edge across top of chamber starting from the gate end to remove excess product. Release gate of instrument by gradual pressure on lever, holding the instrument down at the same time to prevent its movement as the gate is released. Immediately start the stop watch or interval timer, and after 30 seconds read the maximum distance of flow to the nearest 0.1 centimeter. Clean and dry the instrument and repeat the reading on another portion of sample. Do not wash instrument with hot water if it is to be used immediately for the next determination, as this may result in an increase in temperature of the sample. For highest accuracy, the instrument should be maintained at a temperature of 20±1 °C. If readings vary more than 0.2 centimeter, repeat a third time or until satisfactory agreement is obtained. Report the average of two or more readings, excluding any that appear to be abnormal.

(2) Determine compliance as specified in § 155.3(b).

(3) If the quality of catsup falls below the standard prescribed in paragraphs (b) (1) and (2) of this section, the label shall bear the general statement of substandard quality specified in § 130.14(a) of this chapter, in the manner and form therein specified, but in lieu of such general statement of substandard quality when the quality of the catsup falls below the standard, the label may bear the alternative statement, “Below Standard in Quality — Low Consistency.”

(c) Fill of container. (1) The standard of fill of container for catsup, as determined by the general method for fill of container prescribed in § 130.12(b) of this chapter, is not less than 90 percent of the total capacity except:

(i) When the food is frozen, or

(ii) When the food is packaged in individual serving-size packages containing 56.7 grams (2 ounces) or less.

(2) Determine compliance as specified in § 155.3(b).

(3) If the catsup falls below the standard of fill prescribed in paragraphs (c) (1) and (2) of this section, the label shall bear the general statement of substandard fill as specified in § 130.14(b) of this chapter, in the manner and form therein specified.

[48 FR 3956, Jan. 28, 1983, as amended at 49 FR 15073, Apr. 17, 1984; 58 FR 2883, Jan. 6, 1993]

The Omega Principle

They occur naturally in fish, flaxseed, canola oil, nuts and avocados. They’re also extracted, packaged and sold in dozens of dietary supplements. Increasingly, they even show up on grocery shelves as the latest fortification in such popular fare as bread, eggs, dairy products, margarine, baby food and cereal.

Omega-3 fatty acids are already prized by cardiologists for protecting the heart against the inflammation that can lead to blocked arteries and for thwarting an irregular, often fatal, heartbeat. There’s growing evidence that these polyunsaturated fats may also be helpful in preventing complications of diabetes and in soothing the inflamed joints of arthritis.

Now psychiatrists are also taking a closer look. Omega-3s, dubbed the “happy” fats in some quarters, are under investigation for treating depression, bipolar disease, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease and even the so-called baby blues, or postpartum depression. Earlier this year, the American Psychiatric Association formed a committee to review the findings to make treatment recommendations for the use of omega 3s.

Omega-3 Foods Can Put Benefits on Label, FDA Says

The Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that fish and other foods and dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids can claim on their labels that they help reduce the risk of heart disease, even though the supporting scientific evidence is still unfolding.

In recent years, a growing number of studies have prompted many cardiologists to prize omega-3 fatty acids for their apparent ability to protect the heart against inflammation that can lead to blocked arteries and to reduce the risk of often-fatal heartbeat irregularities.

“This new qualified health claim for omega-3 fatty acids should help consumers as they work to improve their health by identifying foods that contain these important compounds,” said acting FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, noting that an estimated 500,000 Americans die each year from heart disease.

Food Freshness Tips

Keeping Pesto Green

When adding pesto to pasta it can turn from bright green to a drab, mucky color. The basil is reacting with a compound in the pasta. There’s a simple way to remedy this, add a little lemon juice to the pasta water before adding the pasta or add lemon juice to the pesto. This will stop the chemical reaction and keep the pesto looking brighter and fresher.

Storing Fresh Basil

For short-term storage, store basil in resealable plastic bags. Air is the enemy here, so squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag. This should keep the basil good for up to 1 week. Jan, a listener in Greece, reminded us of one time-honored method from Sicily. Find a large glass or pottery jar and layer the fresh basil leaves (remove the stems but DO NOT wash them) alternately with coarse salt. Keep the jar sealed against moisture. This will preserve the basil well into the winter months. When you are ready to use the basil, wash the salt off and use it as you would fresh.

Fitness Over Thinness for Hearts

Being fit appears to be far more important than being thin for decreasing the risk of heart disease, while the opposite seems to be the case for diabetes, according to two new studies in women…

The new studies, published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association, rekindled an intense debate over the relative risks and benefits of being overweight vs. thin, fit vs. unfit.

“The public is going to throw up its hands in exasperation and say: ‘I can’t get a straight story from you scientists. You’re telling me to lose weight. You’re telling me to exercise. You’re telling me that it doesn’t make any difference if I exercise. You’re saying it doesn’t make any difference to lose weight,’” said Arthur Frank, an obesity expert at George Washington University. “But no one is really saying that. The real answer is: ‘You should do both.’”

The seemingly conflicting findings may be the result of the different diseases and populations of women that were studied, with weight perhaps playing a greater role in diabetes and fitness possibly more important for heart disease, Frank and others said.

“Although closely linked, they are different diseases, and it may be the relative importance of different risk factors will vary between them,” said Lawrence J. Cheskin, director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center. “The bottom line still is it would be wisest to assume that both body weight and body fat distribution and fitness are risk factors for both diabetes and heart disease.”

I’m Cooking as Fast as I Can

It is worth stating at the outset that there is good fast food and bad fast food, and speed has nothing to do with the difference between the two. Canned onion rings over canned green beans, a casserole dish I recall from childhood, may be the bad fast dish par excellence. At the opposite end of the scale I might place veal chops in sage-butter sauce spiked with a little vermouth, a simple Italian entree I have made many times. Both dishes take about 10 minutes to prepare. One is satisfying and delicious. The other is a crime against nature. No one should ever dine at a quality level lower than veal in sage-butter sauce. At least not at my house…

Having roasted hundreds of bell peppers in my time, trying to char the skins for removal, I was stupefied to learn that I was wasting a huge amount of time and effort turning the things and trying to balance them. Just cut the peppers in quarters and lay them flat. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have someone point out the obvious.

An Inheritance of Flavors and Colors

Quite often you cook something the way your mother did before you. I remember once hearing a radio program about how recipes are passed on from one generation to the next, in this case, from grandmother to mother to daughter.

The daughter was talking about the pot roast she always made, beginning with the instructions: “Cut the ends off your piece of meat.” Asked why she did this, she said, “Because my mother always did.” The next interview was with her mother, who explained why she followed this seemingly important initial step: it was how she had seen her mother do it.

When the radio host asked the grandmother why it was necessary to cut the ends off the joint of meat before making a pot roast, she said, “Oh, it was because I didn’t have a pot big enough.”

So we credit recipes with much more authority than they necessarily deserve. It might be better to regard them really as more of an account of a way of cooking a dish rather than a do-this-or-die barrage of instructions.

Blueberries Bust Bad Cholesterol

Eating blueberries could help lower your cholesterol as effectively as commercial drugs, with fewer side-effects.

A compound in blueberries called pterostilbene has been found to have potential for being developed into a nutraceutical for lowering cholesterol, say researchers from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Pterostilbene is an antioxidant that is similar to resveratrol, another antioxidant identified in grapes and red wine that is also believed to lower cholesterol.

Researchers have previously found pterostilbene in grapes, but this is the first time that it has been found in blueberries, adding to a growing list of health benefits attributed to the little antioxidant-rich berry, including protection against heart disease, cancer and memory impairment.