The Story of Sugared Almonds
Posted on 13. Oct, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink
Ever wonder why sugared almonds always pop up as favours at weddings? It’s not just because they look pretty, or make good totems for anxious brides. JP Le Roux of Nicoletta let us in on the old wives tale around these nutty treats: “The bitter almond and the sweet sugar symbolize the bitter-sweetness of marriage [...]
A History of Hershey’s
Posted on 12. Oct, 2010 by Marina in Yuppiechef Diary
Hershey’s – the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America – was founded in 1894 by a plucky chap called Milton Snavely Hershey and was originally called the Lancaster Caramel Company (definitely not as catchy, good call Milton). In South Africa, Hershey’s products are a little hard to come by, but can be found at some [...]
The Truth about Spoon Measurements
Posted on 20. Sep, 2010 by Marina in Yuppiechef Diary
When you bake, are you the kind of person who measures by the mil? When called upon to add cocoa to cupcake mix or chilli powder to chowder, do you go by the book? Or, do you employ culinary license and grab the nearest spoon for a there-and-thereabouts heaping? We’ve been thinking about spoons. Last [...]
How to be Wheat and Gluten free
Posted on 17. Aug, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink
There is a lot of talk about the various intolerances humans have to foodstuffs. Like milk (shame). Today’s tremendous trivia post gives one such intolerance-activating substance the limelight. Hello, Gluten. Gluten is the elastic protein present in wheat, rye and barley (and oats, to a lesser degree). It binds the dough in bread and other [...]
Saving avo’s, one half at a time.
Posted on 04. Aug, 2010 by Marina in Kitchen Gear
Do you eat avocados? If you don’t, maybe you should. A little bit of trivia. Avocados only grow in subtropical or tropical climates. They have a higher fat content that most other fruit, contain more potassium than bananas and are rich in vitamin B and E. In Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam they are often used for [...]
Raviolishing – how to make ravioli at home
Posted on 05. Jul, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink, Kitchen Gear
Prepare to open your readymade pasta mind up to a new possibility in today’s tremendous trivia post on ravioli making. Ravioli is rumoured to have been invented by sailors in Northern Italy: seeking ways to use every precious scrap of food they would grind up leftovers and stuff them into squares of raw pasta dough, [...]
Wonderful Wasabi
Posted on 22. Jun, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink
Some love it, some hate it. Some mistake it for avo and then really hate it. Todays tremendous trivia topic is wasabi. Wasabi is part of the cruciferous plant family which includes cabbages, horseradish and mustard. Lots of people think wasabi is the same as horseradish, but it isn’t. The very first experimentations with wasabi [...]
Seasonal eating
Posted on 08. Jun, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink
Do you like to do your bit to look after and love the earth? Good for you. But, do you eat grapes all year round? Today’s tremendous trivia post is on seasonal produce. Gone are the days of walking into a supermarket and getting excited to see strawberries on the shelves again – it’s now [...]
Latte Art lovin’
Posted on 28. May, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink
Have you ever looked down at a steaming coffee and wondered if the barista has a crush on you? Or a secret passion for ferns? Or just way too much time? Welcome to the world of Latte Art. We are fascinated by this impressive art form. If you think it’s easy, think again. There are [...]
A Guide to Ice Cream
Posted on 14. May, 2010 by Marina in Food & Drink
Ice-cream is great. So many types, so little time. Today’s trivia piece is a shout out to this frozen friend. In 500 BC the ancient Greeks used to sell snow mixed with honey and fruit in the markets of Athens. It seems that’s where it all began for ice-cream. The Persians were the first to [...]
