The history of essential oils goes back to many, many moons ago and actually starts with the history of plants used for therapeutic purposes. As such, history tells us that people started using plants and herbal remedies to treat and heal conditions since 18,000 before Common Era. We don’t know exactly when essential oils became […]
The fiddlehead – a most curly vegetable
Fiddleheads, fiddlehead ferns or fiddlehead greens are wild edibles that come out early spring. The plant is also commercially harvested and has various culinary uses. It has been consumed since the Medieval Age in Northern France and has been a part of Native Americans’ diet for centuries. Fiddleheads are mainly cooked using either the boiling […]
Popular in Mediterranean cuisine, but what exactly is Calamari?
A lot of people are more familiar with the word squid than with calamari, although calamari and squid refer to the same food. Calamari is the Italian name for squid, which is a sea animal with tentacles. It’s these tentacles that make the popular Mediterranean dish named fried calamari. Squid, however, can be prepared in […]
To Shop Well: Small Trips Turn Big, but You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About It
About shopping: it’s not the same for everyone. And sometimes it doesn’t go as planned. Here are some theoretical scenarios. Shopper number one goes out to shop for groceries, and comes back with groceries. Shopper number two goes out to shop for groceries, and comes back with groceries, eyeliner, mascara, two new lipsticks and a […]
Jimmy McCurry and Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri is a tasty sauce that only takes a few pantry essentials to make. You don’t cook the sauce either. It’s made just by processing the ingredients and blending. It’s that easy! The traditional recipe calls for parsley, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and lots of chili, so this is a hot sauce, to say […]
Sugar-apples or anon fruit nutrition and benefits
The sugar apple is a tropical fruit that originates in South America and is known by various names including anón, anona blanca, noi-na, fruta do conde and achta, each according to the country where it’s found. Sugar-apples are extremely sweet fruits with a distinct aroma of ripened pineapple and pear. They are usually sold in […]
Ice cream: speculating on what makes best brands
Store bought ice cream can be disappointing, no doubt about it. Even homemade ice cream disappoints sometimes, but that’s because you either nail a recipe or fail at it, which is something that can be improved with practice. But you can’t improve store bought ice cream yourself. That job is up to someone else to […]
Coffee history and how coffee shaped the world. Part III
Come the 1700s and coffee not only spreads successfully in other parts of the world but continues to shape the face of history and influence cultures on a deep level. The next major discovery to coffee making after the discovery of coffee itself came from the French who developed a new way of making coffee. […]
Coffee history and how coffee shaped the world. Part II
At the same time that Pope Clement VIII was enjoying his coffee in Venice, merchants in Arabia and Africa were enjoying a monopoly on coffee production, but all that was about to change, and it started with Baba Budan, an Asian Indian who cleverly brought fertile coffee beans to India despite export being strictly forbidden. […]
Coffee and how coffee shaped our world. A dotted history in three parts
Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia a long time ago, and from Ethiopia, it spread all around the world, particularly after people found out what a great beverage roasted beans made. The more popular coffee became, the more businessmen realized its potential for commerce, and the more coffee started to have a greater impact on the […]