Findings
(With apologies to Harper's.)
By using a simulated model of the mammalian gastro-intestinal tract, researchers in Ohio were able to show that tannins degrade in your intestine, not in your stomach. Ultrasound makes potatoes more nutritious. Organic grapefruits are more nutritious than conventional ones, but they taste bad. In Florida, tasters were unable to distinguish between the 'Festival' and 'Radiance' strawberry varieties once the level of ripeness was controlled for. Deer antler extract may improve memory.
Workers at the Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research fed humans cranberry juice and then attempted to grow E. Coli in their urine. Scientists in Germany harvested bacteria from the colons of freshly slaughtered pigs and then combined them with fruit and vegetable extracts. Researchers in Illinois claimed to have identified the molecules responsible for the "lemon-lime" flavor in carbonated beverages.
Both too much and too little selenium can cause diabetes. It was suggested that the "meltiness" of cheese be characterized by measuring the activation energy of flow. Currants kill cancer cells. Caffeine makes you skinny. Milk makes you full.
Taken from abstracts of papers presented at the 240th American Chemical Society National Meeting, Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; references available upon request.
Posted at 12:01 on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 in category food | Comments (3)
Pass the Peas
Summertime and the recipes are easy...
(Hey Bobby, why do you like soul food?)
Posted at 00:32 on Fri, 25 Jun 2010 in category food | Comments (4)
Tomato 2010
Posted at 23:40 on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 in category food | Comments (3)
Green Sound
An amazing summer evening in the Marin headlands courtesy of the good folks at Project Soundwave/ME'DI.ATE.
The venue was Battery Townsley, an abandoned military installation now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The duo of Jacob Felix Heule (drums) and Kanoko Nishi (koto) started things out with a focused, deliberate "pre-show" performance. From their instruments, they coaxed gentle, primal resonances in dialogue with the wind and the sun. Meanwhile, Gregg Kowalsky had been setting up a cache of tape recorders and mysterious analog devices in the gunwell. Now, in this dark, cavernous space, he built up, slowly, but surely, a mass of dense, echoing, resonant noise.
After a short break, Heule and Nishi returned, this time getting into a tense cacophony their earlier set had only hinted at. At this point, the sun was starting to go down, the fog was rolling in, and it was getting downright chilly. Enter Danny Paul Grody, deploying guitar, voice, and an array of battery-powered delay pedals to deliver a warm, soothing, gently propulsive set that served as a perfect coda. It appeared that the birds enjoyed it as well.
Last, but not least, hot chocolate!
Kanoko Nishi
Jacob Felix Heule
Pedals in the golden light
Danny Paul Grody
Links:
Posted at 23:29 on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 in category music | Comments (0)
Brassica
Mon petit chou-fleur...
...je t'aime...
...je veux te couper.
And, a recipe:
- Cut one head of cauliflower into florets. Boil in salted water until slightly underdone.
- Start three strips of bacon in a cold, cast-iron pan.
- Cook one-half pound of pasta in the same water as the cauliflower. Something big and chunky works best: fusilli, rotini, gemelli...
- Once the bacon has crisped itself, remove from the pan and drain.
- Add red pepper flakes and one smashed clove of garlic. Remove garlic after 30 seconds.
- Add cauliflower, pasta, and one half cup of the cooking water to pan. Break up large pieces of cauliflower with your wooden spoon. Toss vigorously and allow to cook.
- Chop bacon and return to pan. Finish with parmesan. Adjust salt and pepper.
Posted at 21:09 on Tue, 11 May 2010 in category food | Comments (3)
Short Stack
I couldn't have done it without you, Dr. Maillard.
(The usual base, enhanced with cinnamon, nutmeg, dried sour cherries, chocolate chips, and a splash of buttermilk.)
Posted at 18:00 on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 in category food | Comments (5)
