Here’s a few more tidbits:

• In China a typical greeting, instead of “How are you?” is “Have you had your rice today?” A greeting to which one is expected to always reply, “Yes”.
• Rice is the first food a new Indian bride offers her husband, perhaps instead of wedding cake; it is also the first food offered to a newborn.
• Honda means “main rice field.” Toyota means “bountiful rice field.”
• Arkansas is the largest rice producing state in the US
• Louis Armstrong signed his autograph “Red Beans and Ricely Yours…”
• In India, it is said that grains of rice should be like two brothers: close but not stuck together.
• In Thailand when you call your family to a meal you say, “Eat Rice.”
• The Japanese word for ‘cooked rice’ is the same as the word for ‘meal’.

SOURCE: RiceInfo.com

• Ice cream is Chinese food.
• Blueberry juice boosts memory.
• Coca Cola was originally green. Read the true story here: snopes.com
• The world’s oldest known recipe is for beer.
• It takes food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

SOURCE: www.funfactz.com

IMAGE SOURCE: thegreenwashingblog.com

Fig Newtons were created in 1891 by Kennedy Biscuit Works in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts. The company had named many of their other cookies after nearby towns and almost called this one the “Fig Shrewsbury” before Newton won out.

Lollipops were first made in New Haven, Connecticut in 1908 by George Smith. They were named after a racehorse of the day, Lolly Pop.

Did you know that one ounce of broccoli has as much calcium as one ounce of milk?!

SOURCE: learnsomethingnewtoday.us

The Fact:

The popular English sauce, is made from dissolved anchovies. The anchovies are soaked in vinegar until they have completely melted. The sauce contains the bones and all.

The Fact: The Popsicle was invented by an 11 year who kept it secret for 18 years.

The inventor was Frank Epperson who, in 1905, left a mixture of powdered soda and water out on the porch, which contained a stir stick. That night, temperatures in San Francisco reached a record low. When he woke the next morning, he discovered that it had frozen to the stir stick, creating a fruit flavored ice treat that he named the “epsicle”. Eighteen years later he patented it and called it a Popsicle.

The Fact: The most expensive coffee in the world comes from civet poop

Kopi Luwak are coffee beans that come from Civet (a cat sized mammal) feces. The animals gorge on only the finest ripe berries, and excrete the partially-digested beans, which are then harvested for sale. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, and is sold mainly in Japan and the United States, but it is increasingly becoming available elsewhere. Our question is: who discovered that it tasted good?

SOURCE: listverse.com IMAGE SOURCES: bonappetit.com, 21food.com

The Fact:

The camel is stuffed with a sheep’s carcass, which is stuffed with chickens, which are stuffed with fish, which are stuffed with eggs. This feast is sometimes featured in Bedouin weddings.

The Fact: The first soup was made of hippopotamus

The earliest archeological evidence for the consumption of soup dates back to 6000 BC, and it was hippopotamus soup!

The Fact: Refried beans are only fried once

The reason for this misconception is a translation error. The originals are frijoles refritos which actually means “well fried beans” – not re-fried.

SOURCE: http://listverse.com/2007/12/17/top-10-incredible-food-facts/

The technique of stir frying dates back as far as the Han dynasty (206 B.C. – A.D. 220). During this time, chronic fuel shortages (not the kind at the gas station) meant that people needed to find a new way to cook food without using too much oil (in other words, develop a way to speed up the cooking process…and when the kids are hungry…wouldn’t we all like to do that?) Today, stir frying has become China’s most well known cooking technique.

Although the term “stir fry” was introduced into the English language during World War II by Buwei Yang Chao, in her book How to Cook and Eat in Chinese, history credits Cantonese immigrants who worked on the American railroads in the mid-1800s with introducing North Americans to Chinese cuisine.

Meet Kurt von Kahle, chef & appliance specialist.

“I love the flexibility while cooking on the open burner Culinarian range from Capital. Every burner pumps out 23,000 BTU/hr and can simmer when needed. The flame is distributed by three rings of ports that distribute the heat evenly from the center to outer edge of your pan. This is an ideal burner for a Wok pan… and wok cooking is exactly what I did!”

Kurt von Kahle is an appliance consultant for individual clients and manufactures. He provides consultant services helping clients determine the best choice for their personal culinary needs. He runs creative cooking classes for individuals and businesses. He’ll even teach you how to use your current equipment to its fullest potential, but most interesting to us, Kurt performs product testing and live demonstrations. Kurt can be reached at 774.264.0643 or email him for further information. kurtskitchen.com

Kurt’s Recipe for a Simple Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 small medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 2 large carrots, peeled and slice thin 1/4″ on the bias
• 1 cuban pepper, seeded and slice 1/2″ strips
• 4 ounces mushrooms, wiped clean, sliced
• Fist size bunch of broccoli, separated, cut uniform flowerettes
• 4 ounces pea pods, rinsed
• 4 ounces bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon saracha
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (rice wine or water will do)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
• Salt & white pepper to taste

Directions

1. Have all ingredients prepped and near. Heat wok on high heat, cover pan for the first minute.
2. As the pan begins to smoke, remove it from the heat and add the oil. Carefully turn the pan to coat.
3. Return to heat and add onions and carrots. Continue stirring or flipping so they do not stick.
4. After a minute add the pepper and mushroom. Continue stirring and cook until vegetables begin to brown. (If you had pre-seared a protein, add it now.)
5. Stir in the ginger and saracha. Add the remaining vegetables and liquid then cover the pan to steam the greens and sprouts.
6. After a minute, add remaining ingredients and continue stirring for 30 seconds, until liquid begins to thicken. Season with salt & pepper.
7. Remove from heat and enjoy!

HISTORY SOURCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Chinese_cuisine & http://www.netplaces.com/stir-fry/

One of the most famous Culinary Artists is Julia Child, whose 1961 cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” brought her US acclaim, also spawned a radio program across the nation. Then in 1963, her famous television show “The French Chef “ was born. Her techniques and recipes are still seen as revolutionary today.

Fannie Merrit Farmer, a student of the Boston Cooking School, published the first cookbook in 1896, fittingly titled the Boston Cooking School Cookbook. The book is still in print and used as a reference cookbook today.

White chocolate really isn’t chocolate. It’s made from cocoa butter, the substance you get by pressing cocoa beans. Cocoa butter is absent of the cocoa solids used to make chocolate.

Chocolate does contain chemical elements that really can boost your mood and produce a euphoric feeling. Eating chocolate can give one the same feeling as falling in love (however fleeting it may be). This is probably why Valentine’s Day and chocolate go hand in hand.

Eating chocolate can also reduce the symptoms of stress.

SOURCE: http://escoffier.com/index.php/culinary-reference/667-fun-facts-about-chocolate

A hard-boiled egg spins but a soft cooked or raw egg does not.

Riviana reports that it takes 300 gallons of water to grow one pound of rice.

Did you know that an ear of corn never has an odd number of rows?

SOURCE: More fun facts: http://www.mbctv.com/cheftell/fun.html

Kurt will be focusing on the Culinarian’s open burner offering: The ability to blast 23,000 BTU/hr of power or provide a delicate simmer on each and every burner – now that’s flexibility!

Specifically, he will be focusing on:

• Searing: Using a cast iron skillet (preparing dry rub sirloin rib tips)
• Stir Fry: Both a healthy option and quick meal (perfect with this open-burner system)
• Simmer: Both low and slow for keeping food warm (pulled pork is on the menu)

Learn how to use your Culinarian to it’s fullest potential or take the opportunity to get to know this restaurant-style range, perfect for the home chef. Chef Kurt von Kahle has over 25 years of experience in food service and appliance industries… so he knows a thing or two about good appliances.

Please visit YaleAppliance.com for location information. Hope to see you there!