“Secret’s In the Sauce…” A Bit of History: Every time I hear the words green tomato, my mind immediately recalls the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes with Kathy Bates. Set in Alabama, the main characters operate a small cafe near a railroad, where they specialize in serving fried green tomatoes. While this movie contains many…
Don’t Flip Out… About the Recipe Why spend time flipping pancakes over the hot griddle when you make them all at once in this easy recipe? Even better, Sheet Pan Pear Pancakes, store well in the freezer providing a quick toast and go breakfast for the rest of the week. Breakfast meal prep done and…
The Ultimate Finger Food… A Bit of History The date palm tree, Palma dactylifera, takes its name from the Greek word daktylos. Daktylos translates to finger and describes the shape of the cultivated date palm fruit. Historians postulate that date cultivation began in approximately 4000 BCE. Not to be outdone, scientists discovered date palm fossil…
Not Just for the Fish… A Bit of History Traditional Romesco sauce hails from the Catalonia region of Spain, known as Tarragona. Originally, fisherman concocted this sauce to accompany their daily catch. Using a mortar and pestle, the locals ground stale bread, almonds or hazelnuts, roasted tomatoes, garlic, and Nyroa red peppers with olive oil….
Circling Back… A Bit of History Gyro, a popular street food, in Greek, Turkish, and Arab cultures takes its name from the Greek word gyro meaning to circle or turn. Aptly named, traditional gyros contain meats such as beef, lamb and pork cooked on a vertical, oscillating rotisserie. Inspired by the wonderful spices and flavors…
Supernova Citrus Bowl… A Bit of History A supernova of flavor explodes in this healthy, easy Citrus Breakfast Bowl! If you are like me, salient points of my earlier education have slipped from my memory, especially geometry and calculus equations. However, I tend to remember interesting facts from history or science. I actually did recall…
101 and Counting… A Bit of History Last year, the city of Paris, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Bloody Mary cocktail at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. The earliest claim for the invention of the Bloody Mary cocktail dates to 1921 by bartender Fernand Petiot. According to bartending history, the original mixture consisted…
From Ancient Minoans to the Modern Mill… A Bit of History Evidence abounds from many ancient societies regarding the use of poppy seeds. During the Bronze Age (around 2500 BC), Minoans concocted a milk from poppy seeds for sedative purposes. In addition, documents from ancient Egypt and Sumeria demonstrate similar uses. Today, poppy seeds appear…
Not Quite but More than Enough… A Bit of History Back in my Beantown days, I had the pleasure of eating at the Union Oyster House. This Bostonian landmark boasts a unique historical distinction as the oldest restaurant in the USA serving patrons since 1826. On a cold winter’s day in February, just before another…
Top Ten Lists… A Bit of History The BLT, (classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato), consistently ranks in the top 10 list for popular sandwiches in the USA. In addition, BLT sandwiches celebrate their own national month in April. In 2019, BLT sandwiches claimed the second spot just behind the grilled cheese. However, since then, BLTs…