Foodie Friday: Childhood Memories: COTTON CANDY!

Cotton candy is a treat that I only used to eat whenever carnivals came to town. I found this article and it provoked some nostalgic thoughts. It also shared some food history.

CottonCandy: a traditional sugary treat gets a new spin - Glutto Digest

~ Cotton candy originated in Italy in the 1400s.

~ In the mid 18th century, spun sugar was used in the U.S. and Europe but cotton candy was only available to wealthy people.

~ In the late 19th century, confectioners John C. Wharton and William Morrison created a special machine that would quickly melt sugar and generate a centrifugal force to shoot it through a screen.

~ In the 1920s, this sugary snack was officially known in the US as “cotton candy.”

~ In the USA, two national food days are dedicated to cotton candy: July 31 and December 2.

I can't remember the last time I had cotton candy. It's been so long. Carnivals don't come to town like they used to. When was the last time you had cotton candy?

Foodie Friday : Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)

I don't have a recipe to share for Foodie Friday. Just a link to an interesting article about a food history topic that sheds light on the raw milk cheese that apparently Americans are apparently missing out on enjoying.

EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT CHEESE IS A LIE

Americans have never had access to the cheese they deserve.

Basically the article says that most Americans don't know what real cheese taste like because they've never had any. There is some truth to the article. That's IF you define cheese that is only made from pasteurized milk as “bogus cheese”. ☺

According to the article, “real cheese” or rather “really good tasting cheese” is made from unpasteurized milk and that Americans are regulating cheese imports based on a law enacted because a health scare 80 years ago.  You won't hear any Europeans complaining because "Hey!  More good cheese for them!"  I wonder, since the Chinese have started consuming more diary products, if they are also enjoying this good real cheese.


Per Mark Hay, the article writer:

“In 1944, the federal government, ... concerned by the number of outbreaks, recommended that all cheese be made from pasteurized milk or that raw milk cheeses be aged sufficiently to let nasty germs in it die off.”

“Regardless of the merits of the rule at the time, no one bothered to review it until the late 1980s.”

“Meanwhile, Europe has developed rules that accommodate all manner of raw milk cheese but still keep people relatively safe, broadly working with existing traditions to find steps at which hygiene can be monitored and ensured.”

“In 1985, America suffered one of its greatest modern foodborne illness outbreaks, which killed over two-dozen people, ten of them infants. It was traced to a cheese plant using raw milk. … But after the 1985 incident, calls emerged to ban all raw milk cheese.”

Other significant cheese incidents occurred after 1985. Check the article for additional details.

Pretty much the article concludes:

Americans! You don't know what you're missing!
YUM! YUM!

Using Mr. Hay's exact words:
“It’s just shocking to realize how much of America’s food ecosystem, and ultimately of our palates as Americans, were locked into place decades ago by chance forces and best-guess science. But that’s how one winds up in a nation where it is, and likely will for some time be, easier to get an assault rifle than a wheel of OG French Camembert.”

Ouch!  That part about the assault rifle really hurt.  I am heart broken. I always considered myself a cheese lover. Only to find out that all this time I haven't been eating real cheese.  😢😢


The article writer has convinced me that perhaps America does need to revisit and maybe revise the raw milk cheese importing regulations. After all, there are people in other countries around the world enjoying these cheeses made from unpasteurized milk and they aren't dropping like flies. 

I'm definitely curious now as to what I've been missing all my life. Are you?

Related articles

• We'll go somewhere there's cheese, Gromit!(telegraph.co.uk)

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• Manitoba's last Trappist cheese-making monk finds a pupil for his 300-year-old secret recipe(nationalpost.com)

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Foodie Friday : Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle

The world will always love, honor, and remember Momofuku Ando (1910 - 2007). He's the man who invented the Ramen instant noodle.

Fascinating food history:

Instant noodles were first marketed in 1958.

Cup of noodles didn't come along until 1971.

My not so fascinating life history facts:

♦ I was born in 1955. Can't remember when I started eating the instant noodles, but it must have been after the year 2000 and it must have been because one of my daughters who love all things Asian was eating them. I know I didn't eat them during my childhood, during my years at the University of Miami (the 70s), during the first 25 years of my marriage (2001 is when my last child was born). I did the grocery shopping most of the time and my husband shopped every now and then. So it had to be one of my kids that introduced this food into our home. Can't recall. Just know that instant noodles got added to our grocery list one day and we've been eating them ever since.

Said all that to say this.

♦ When it comes to the selection of Ramen noodles at the local grocery stores, there isn't really a vast range of products to choose from. Pretty much it's the popular name brand of the instant ones in the cup or the ones in the little package. That particular food is so cheap you don't need to buy the “generic brand” to save money. That was the inventor's purposeful good intention. He wanted a food that was super cheap that could feed the masses. (Gleaned that food fact from a documentary I watched on TV, several years back.)

*

Who would have thought that someone could publish a blog with nothing but reviews of Ramen noodles?

The blog is called … what else? The Ramen Rater.

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When I first saw it, I thought:

Oh come on!! How many packaged instant noodles can there possibly be for you to rate them?

Uuuhhh … try 2000+.

Seriously. His Tumblr blogs posts go back to 2012 but the guy's reviews go back to date back to 2002!! TheRamenRater.com

(Maybe that was also the year I started eating them. (O.o) (???))

NOTE:  This content was updated and published at Read.Cash.

* * Additional Fun Links:

What are some of your favorite ways of serving Ramen style noodles?

Momofuku Ando : From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

♦ ♦ ♦
Fun Foodie Links:
The Evolution of Tea
29 Asian Noodle Recipes You'll Want to Slurp Up Immediately

Previous #FoodieFriday posts? YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)  Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

The Joys of Making Dishes and Drinks with Edible Flowers

The first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared in February 1966. Since then, the magazine has only grown in its popularity and not just for the people who live in the South (Southern United States). The magazine has published wonderful articles about the home, travel and food for over 50 years. I found this wonderful article in Southern Living Magazine. It starts off with the statement “Cooking with edible flowers is back.”

I thought to myself: “What do you mean back? I have never cooked with edible flowers!”

When I was a kid growing up in Miami, Florida, we had hibiscus flowers in our front yard. We would pick them, rip them apart and I enjoyed sucking the nectar from stem. I never ate the petals because I didn't know they were edible. They are not just edible you can brew a tea with them and dirnk it!

In the SL article hibiscus in on the list of the 10 Best Edible Flowers.

What have I missed? LOL.

For me, the things is ... flowers are so pretty you don't really want to eat them. Do you?

But it's good that you can. It's one of those things you need to know if you ever get stranded on a desert island and you're not that good at catching fish or hunting for your food (like me).

It's just a personal thing; but I think edible flowers should only be used for weddings.

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FUN FOOD TRIVIA AND FACT:

Image is a photo of a marigold calendula. Calendula is known as the “poor man’s saffron” and it can be used in the recipe for deviled eggs. Who knew?

* * *

Related Links:

10 Best Edible Flowers | Southern Living

10 Edible Flower Salads That Are Way Too Pretty to Eat | Spoon University

Recipe Box: Edible Flower Popsicles - Lauren Conrad

The Ten Best Edible Flowers to Grow in Your Garden

30 Edible Flowers You Can Eat Right Out Of Your Garden

Garden Guides | The History of Edible Flowers

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Have you ever prepared a dish or a drink with edible flowers?

Original Source

What Are the 3 Obvious Reasons Why People Love Herbs and Spices?

Several years back I started looking for ways to earn income working from home. Affiliate marketing was suggested and since eating is one of my favorite things, I decided to kill two birds with one stone Watching a lot of cooking shows on television inspired me and I wanted to learn how to use different herbs and spices in my cooking. I signed up to become an affiliate marketer for various companies that sell cooking ingredients. In order to market the products, I learned about them: how to use the ingredients in various recipes, the medicinal benefits, etc. There are three awesome things about herbs and spices that I already knew but my knowledge and understanding have been reinforced. They are the 3 obvious reasons why people love herbs and spices.

• Number One: Spices and herbs can turn everyday meals into a sumptuous fare and make dining with family and friends a very enjoyable and memorable event. Not that sitting down at the table with friends or family and partaking of a bland meal doesn’t have its positives. I mean … you can have great fun with relatives and friends at the table – telling jokes, talking about sports, the weather, etc. Everything but the food! Oh, there won’t be any insults. But there won’t be any compliments dished up either. They probably won’t look forward to coming over for another meal and will likely make polite excuses about why they can’t attend the next time they’re invited.

• Number Two: Spices and herbs help you to develop a healthy respect and appreciation not just for various cuisines but for different cultures. One of my favorite TV cooking shows is “East Meets West” because the aim of the program is to blend the cooking techniques and ingredients of eastern and western dishes to make a fusion cuisine. My interest in learning more about herbs and spices started was because I wanted to use more than just salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, to season my food; and also wanted to make dietary changes for health reasons without having to eat tasteless food. Mind you, there was no excuse for me limiting myself to what one well known American chef referred to as “house seasoning” (salt, black pepper, and garlic powder). In the house I grew up in, my mother used oregano, bay leaf, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, Italian herb blend, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, etc. There were all kinds of herbs and spices in our kitchen cabinet. All used – whenever my mom was doing the cooking. When you have to do your own cooking; you look for easy street. Now that I’m older and wiser and there are lots of cooking shows on television all the time – there’s no lack of inspiration.

• Number Three: Spices have a fascinating history. At one time they were considered such a highly valued commodity that nations fought wars over them. Indonesia was proclaimed a republic in 1945, and the islands which were formerly known as the Spice Islands are known today as the Moluccas Islands. Discovering these islands was quite an adventure for the explorers. As a result of their efforts and sacrifice, we can experience the joys of many flavorful and exotic herbs and spices every day because they can be easily purchased online or at our local grocery store. Even though obtaining them is now very convenient, their availability, not just for cooking but for medicinal purposes, should never be taken for granted.

Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals

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Source: Virily.com

* Follow my posts about Herbs and Spices on Noise.Cash.

Spices and Herbs - Harvesting and Storing Spices and Herbs in the Freezer

(Noise.Cash) 

Foodie Friday : Falafel - Traditional Recipe for Chickpea Falafel (Reblog)

** Food trivia:  "Falafel was originally made with fava beans and continues to be made that way in Egypt and other Arab countries, but Israeli falafel is made from chickpeas."  


Personally, I am sort of glad the recipe was modified.  Ever since the character Hannibal Lecter - played by Sir Anthony Hopkins - made that comment about fava beans in the movie "Silence of The Lambs", the beans just don't look the same on my plate.

* * *

Falafel restaurant in Nazareth (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

"A falafel sandwich is truly an exceptional taste experience!”

Falafel - Traditional Recipe for Chickpea Falafel | toriavey.com

Falafel - Traditional Recipe for Chickpea Falafel

Falafel is a traditionally Arab food. The word falafel may descend from the Arabic word falāfil, a plural of the word filfil, meaning "pepper." These fried vegetarian fritters are often served along with hummus, and tahini sauce (known as a "falafel plate.") They're also great served with toum, a Middle Eastern garlic sauce.

"Why is it we... David Sipress Allposters.com

Related articles

• Lentil and Rice-Stuffed Baby Eggplants
• Leek and Chanterelle Flatbread (vegan recipe)

♦ ♦ ♦

More #FoodieFriday Posts Food Blog Spotlight : Cook, Mix, Mingle  Falooda, An Indian Dessert  Improve Boxed Mac-n-Cheese. Is that possible?  Little Things Shares Delightful Recipes and Cooking Tips  Raw Milk Cheese (Americans are Missing Out!)  Happy Holidays! Who Wants Egg Nog?  YACR ( Yet Another Chili Recipe )  Purple is the Color of Royalty and of Glorious Vegetables  Sampling Fast Food World Cuisine is a Fun Do!  Name Your Favorite Instant Noodle  YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)  Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds

Foodie Friday : World Cuisine : Cooking : The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers

Enjoy Everyday Exotic Spices Every Day!

If you are a spicy food lover then more than likely Cajun food is on your list of most awesome world cuisines ever! Right? But you don’t know just the right blend of spices needed get that authentic spicy Cajun flavor. Also right. Huh?

Image credit: © Photographer: Ppy2010ha | Agency: Dreamstime.com
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Ever tried Slap Ya Mama seasonings?

Interesting name huh?. The way Walker & Sons advertise their food products is:

"Taste so good. Make you wanna slap ya mama!"

Say what??!! There is nothing in my entire life that I've eaten that ever made me want to slay my momma. But guess what? These are award-winning spice blends.

"Real Cajun Seasoning for Real Cajun Cooking."

How did I find out about these products? The Internet and Facebook, in particular, is a beautiful thing. This person saw my foodie website, Everyday Exotic Spices, which is advertised on Facebook via my business page, contacted me, and asked if they could send me samples. Of course, my response was “Yes!”
Received various products in a box delivered straight to my door. Tried them in different recipes and here's my reaction. Did I want to slap my momma? No. But I was ready go mano-y-mano with my spouse!
He wanted to keep it all to himself. I'm like: “Oh no! That ain't happening!!”

View the entire selection of Slap Ya Mama products.

Below are my favorites.

Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Seasoning

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning White Pepper Blend

Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning Hot Blend

Slap Ya Mama Etouffee Sauce

"Étouffée or etouffee (pronounced: [e.tu.fe] ay-TOO-fay) is a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine typically served with shellfish over rice." (Source: Wikipedia)

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Links of Interest:
Cajun Food History and Louisiana Creole Cuisine History
Cajun vs. Creole: What’s The Difference?

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Image credit: © Photographer: Moneca1 | Agency: Dreamstime.com

Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Food and Drink History Lesson : English Tea (Guest Post)

Tea in England

Author: AnutaVasil


The English primarily drank coffee and wine as their staple drink, and tea was unknown in England till as late as 1662. In 1662 Charles II married Catherine of Braganza of Portugal, and it was his new bride who brought with her a preference of tea. She served tea instead of wine, ale and spirit. Tea soon acquired the status of royal drink and a social nicety for the rich.

However, tea's acceptance by British masses was quite slow. It was in late 1700 that tea's popularity picked up. As tea came from British colonies, it came to be viewed as a national drink, with patriotic sentiments attached to it. Another reason which contributed to its popularity was the ease of its preparation technique. While coffee grounds could be brewed only once, and reusing the same ground yielded a much inferior flavour, tea leaves could be brewed several times without any significant drop in the quality of liquor. As tea was a high class drink and hence expensive, the British masses bought second hand, brewed leaves and brewed them longer to compensate. Tea was thus gradually finding place in British everyday life.

Soon, tea began to be sold in London coffee houses. Tea was heavily advertised as a medicinal drink which helped maintain health and beauty. The coffee house owners charged heavily for a cup of tea, as much as 6-10 pounds per cup. The government soon imposed various taxes, regulations and restrictions on sale of tea, with a view to cash in on the growing tea trend. This even led to tea being smuggled into England. Finally the taxes were waived off to stop this illegal smuggling.

Tea, meanwhile, continued to grow in popularity. Around 1800, there developed an "Afternoon tea" culture, wherein rich ladies invited their friends for a cup of tea in the afternoon. They also served pastries, sandwiches or some snack along with it. It was accompanied by social graces, refined conversation, sweet gossip and polished etiquette. Yet another popular tea trend was serving tea in tea gardens. Pleasure gardens like Vauxhall or Ranelagh Gardens provided lush lawns for public to stroll and enjoy a hot cup of tea. The working class, however, took a break from work in the evening, and relaxed with tea.

The most well liked and sought after teas were English breakfast tea and Earl Grey. English breakfast tea, as its name, was consumed mostly in the morning as its strong caffeine helped shake off sleepiness and start the morning energetically. It blended sumptuously with milk and sugar, and could be enjoyed anytime of the day. The Earl Grey provided a classic blend of fine black tea with bergamot essence. It was considered more sophisticated a tea.

In 1875, Thomas Lipton aggressively advertised tea. He replaced the coffee gardens in Ceylon with tea plantations, and opened his first tea shop. By the end of 19th century, he had almost set up his Tea Empire and laid the foundations of modern tea trade. The Indian and Ceylon blends, Brooke Bond and Lipton found a firm place in British everyday life. Tea had finally "arrived" in England.

About the Content Provider
History of Tea and Tea Shops

Article made available for republication via: articlesbase.com

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BLOG PUBLISHER'S COMMENTS:   Hope you enjoyed this article.  Do you also enjoy tea?  Before you leave this please click the link to visit.

TEA LOVER'S PARADISE

http://shantiriiessence-blog.tumblr.com/post/12471507737

Food History: Naples: The Birthplace of the Modern Pizza

"Pizza...who doesn't love it?  ... Italians take their food (and wine) seriously ... Pizza is no exception. ..."  Learn about the history of pizza and why it is associated with Naples. 

Naples: The Birthplace of the Modern Pizza

I guess this article title is more accurate since it uses the phrase “Modern Pizza”. I've read some food history that wants to give the credit for inventing pizza to the Persians (see video below). Although I would be more than happy to give Naples for inventing pizza: be it ancient or modern. Nevertheless, whoever invented pizza I'm glad.  Pizza and cheesecake make the world a better place. 😋

Related Tweets

Naples: The Birthplace of the Modern Pizza https://t.co/QgrpB063Zt via @flipboard @EverydaySpices #pizzalovers #foodies #foodlovers #foodhistory

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) (@cmoneyspinner) February 1, 2020

Naan Pizza #Recipes: 9 Easy Ways to Make Pizza at Home https://t.co/ZVtmEhccOw via @flipboard @EverydaySpices #pizzalovers #foodies #foodlovers #naan

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) (@cmoneyspinner) February 1, 2020

What is the Pizza Capital of the US? https://t.co/kAtZXDQiFO via @flipboard @EverydaySpices #pizzalovers #foodies #foodlovers

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) (@cmoneyspinner) February 1, 2020

New Home for "PIZZA Craving" on Flipboard

The Google Plus social network will be shutting down on April 2019.  That means all content for my profile and pages will disappear.  For my G+ foodie page, which was created as a social media page for my website, Everyday Exotic Spices, I had created several collections.  One of my most popular collection was "PIZZA Craving".  It had over 40,000 followers.  I have decided to create a new magazine on Flipboard as a replacement.  Just because G+ closes down, doesn't mean people still don't love pizza!  Right?

Here is the link to my Flipboard magazine:
PIZZA Craving.

New Home for "PIZZA Craving" on Flipboard https://t.co/tzJxT2K3su via @flipboard

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) February 12, 2019

Do you know the history of pizza?

Check out this great video.

[ https://youtu.be/5CzkdgCiBMo?t=48 ]