pbs-food: February 28th is National Chili Day! Chili Recipes...

pbs-food:

February 28th is National Chili Day!
 
Chili Recipes | PBS Food

Let’s make some chilli! Happy Chilli Day!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/44241781072

Food, FoodDay, Chilli, Recipe

mindofachef: Behind the Scenes: Pig This kills me haha! I...

Harvard Microbiologist, Ben Wolfe, puts David Chang's pork katsuobushi to the test!


Gastronomika Conference in San Sebastian, Spain.


Harvard Microbiologist, Ben Wolfe, puts David Chang's pork katsuobushi to the test!


The finished pork katsuobushi.

mindofachef:

Behind the Scenes: Pig

This kills me haha! I don’t mean to be a lab safety nazi, but safety in the workplace is extremely important if you don’t want to get hurt and save yourself and your employer lots of medical bills! Now if you’d rather make payments to your doc, then, by all means, do not read further.
Disclaimer: I just happen upon this post and do not know much about the blog, blogger(s), or show so I could very well be speaking out of context. But my next comments are solely based on the first thing I noticed in these images. And no, it’s not the pork, as much of a foodie as I am! ;-)
I don’t know about you, but I value my eyeballs and the ability to see. So where are your safety glasses, mister??!!
Secondly, liquid nitrogen has a “fun” factor, but man it burns!! I happen to like my skin smooth and smoother with the help of Jergens, thankyouverymuch. Where are your cryogloves? But I guess he would rather burn nitrile into his lovely hands!
And lastly, but not least, I know he is working with food and all but the lab looks like a garage! I see chemicals stored dangerously! I also see chemical spills, OSHA, and hazmat in his near future!
We teach kids “safety first”, but how come we get away with it ourselves? Ok, that’s all for now! Back to enjoying your chemically-treated pork! Yum!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/44132400392

Science, Food, Safety

pbsthisdayinhistory: Feb. 26, 1852: Happy Birthday to the...

pbsthisdayinhistory:

Feb. 26, 1852: Happy Birthday to the Inventor of Corn Flakes!
On this day in 1852, John H. Kellogg, the inventor of corn flakes, was born in Battle Creek, Michigan.
As a physician in a Seventh Day Adventist sanitarium, John Kellogg worked with his brother Will Keith Kellogg to develop cereal products for his patients. With these innovative products, the brothers co-founded a business to get their products on the market. Unfortunately, the brothers broke business ties due to management and personal disputes.
Learn more about the history of cereal with PBS Food.
Image: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg between ca. 1910 and ca. 1915 (Library of Congress)

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/44128984629

ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?

ROBOTS OR DINOSAURS?

tumblrbot

Good question… Being the scientist, I’d say both! I think extinct dinos still rock!! However, living in a fast growing technology-centric world, especially in the Bay Area, I'd say robots!

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adialogue: Richard Feynman, ‘Ode to a Flower.” Just over a...

http://vimeo.com/55874553

adialogue:

Richard Feynman, ‘Ode to a Flower.”
Just over a minute to consider the deeper beauty of a flower.

Exactly!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43860881256

Science, Botany, Art

agentbartowski: laughing-fit: wastetheday: “ICEBERG ,...

agentbartowski:

laughing-fit:

wastetheday:

“ICEBERG , ICEBERG!”

i’m so done

lettuce have a moment of silence in remembrance of the titanic

Hilarious! Food funnies.

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43860594606

Food, Joke

Happy National Margarita Day!

Happy National Margarita Day!
Today, is also George Washington’s birthday (February, 22, 1732) but he never got to enjoy a Margarita. The Margarita was created by an American named Margaret “Margarita” Sames while on vacation in Acapulco, Mexico over Christmas in 1948. The original was made with Cointreau, not Triple Sec. So the next time you have a Margarita, request for Cointreau!
Let’s toast to our first President of the US and Margarita Day by having one of these!

Original Margarita Recipe:
3 - parts good tequila
2 - parts Cointreau
1 - part lime juice
Ice
Kosher salt
Lime wedge
1. Mix the ingredients over ice by shaking or stirring.
2. Pour into a rock glass rimmed with kosher salt (rub lime wedge on glass rim).
3. Garnish with a lime wedge.
4. Enjoy!

Cheers!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43748541089

FoodDay, Food, Drink, Recipe, Alcohol, Margarita, Birthday

chefthisup: Cucumber Feta Rolls Get this recipe »...

chefthisup:

Cucumber Feta Rolls

Get this recipe » http://bit.ly/12MpELY

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43706549514

food, appetizer, recipe

FRANK ABOUT FOOD: Coleslaw with Asian Dressing

FRANK ABOUT FOOD: Coleslaw with Asian Dressing: frankaboutfood: I’ve posted a few versions of...
Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43706468554

food, vegetarian, vegan, recipe

Happy 540th Birthday Nicolaus Copernicus!

Happy 540th Birthday Copernicus!


Happy 540th Birthday Copernicus! - Google Doodle

Happy 540th Birthday Nicolaus Copernicus!
From Google Doodles

A Polish astronomer and mathematician, Nicolaus Copernicus is a shining star of the Renaissance. His major contribution to science is his heliocentric theory, which asserts that the sun is the center of our solar system. As the Earth was popularly assumed the center of the universe, his heliocentric theory rocked convention. Though the mechanics of this theory has mathematical underpinnings, its radical nature still gave Copernicus some pause. It was, therefore, not until his final year that he published his findings in De Revolutionibus orbium coelestium.
We wanted to celebrate Copernicus and his contributions to the world with a subtly animated doodle. Though revolutionary at the time, the heliocentric model is beautiful in its simplicity. The resulting doodle is zen-like and unassuming. Its actions need not scream for attention, much like the slow publication of De Revolutionibus orbium coelestium. The orbits of the solar system are steady and true.
February 19, 2013

You probably saw the second image on Google’s main page as Google was also recognizing Copernicus’ birthday today with a Google Doodle. :)

Image Sources: (1- Cheezburger) (2- Google)

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43553547823

Science, Astronomy, Mathematics, Birthday

Engineering for the Love of Food (& Drinks)! From Bon...

Engineering for the Love of Food (& Drinks)!
From Bon Appetit Magazine’s Twitter (@bonappetit)

On President’s Day—a.k.a. our national day of auto deals—we look at the history of the cup holder: bonap.it/XY4EOc

(@bonappetit) February 18, 2013

Image Source (US Patent 2628054)

Ever since George Washington crossed the Delaware to go sign the lease on his new pickup truck (with 0 percent APR!), President’s Day has been associated with getting a good deal on a car. And while some people buy cars based on gas mileage or sporty looks, we all know that the most important parts of a vehicle are its cup holders.

They need to be plentiful, sturdy, and capable of holding any beverage ever created by man, preferably with those little spring-loaded gripper arms to keep your coffee or Big Gulp safe from pothole jostles. Cup holders aren’t just essential for our constant hydration, they’re also the source of our psychological well-being on the road: Clotaire Rapaille, a cultural anthropologist, has theorized that having warm liquid close by in the car brings our subconscious back to the safety of early childhood, and the food-love of our mother’s milk.

But cars weren’t always such happy places. In the dark days of early automotion, designers presumed that drivers would actually stop driving to eat or drink something, so cup holders had no place in interiors. From the get-go, though, aftermarket innovators sought to connect mobile Americans with food. If you were a Model T owner back in the ’20s, you were expected to modify your jalopy with as many doodads as you could afford to order from the Sears catalog, whose Ford gadget section, as E.B. White described it, “was larger than men’s clothing, almost as large as household furnishings.” You could add a flower vase to your dashboard, transform your car from a convertible to a hardtop, fiddle infinitely with the inner workings of your engine—and strap an entire kitchenette to the running boards, complete with a fold-out table and labeled compartments for flour meal, eggs, and ice water.

The “snack tray for car.” (Credit: Modern Mechanix)

Real demand for the cup holder didn’t pick up until the 1950s, when drive-ins and drive-thru windows became mainstays of American eating. The very earliest evidence of complete cup-holding comes from a 1950 newspaper clipping that describes a “snack tray for car” that “hangs from dashboard.” The cups were held by metal discs hanging on chains from the tray, and seem to actually be fairly secure.

The Automobile Seat Article Holder (Credit: US Patent 2640595)

A few other ideas were floating around, too. Some were bad, like the Automobile Seat Article Holder, patented in 1953, which trusted a hinged plate wedged between the seat cushions to keep your drinks from sloshing around, but one Clyde W. Morgan of Dallas patented a precursor of the modern slide-out cup holder, the Refreshment Tray for Automobile Instrument Panel, which included two wells for beverages.

While inventors tried to fill the cup holder void, manufacturers started including proto-cup holders on the back of glove compartment doors (the earliest documented model with these is a 1955 Chevy). They weren’t anything more than little indentations in the plastic, unsafe for sipping at any speed, but they were a step in the right direction.

The magnetic glove compartment of the ‘57 Eldorado Brougham (Credit: The Car Connection)

The best beverage security system of the era, though, belonged to the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. Plenty of ultra-luxurious limousines had had built-in bars, but the Brougham was the first to come with a magnetized glove compartment door and a set of four metal tumblers, perfect for keeping your cognac stable while you’re passing the jitney on the way to the Hamptons.
In the ’60s, trays that would hook into the window well of the door became available, and were fairly commonplace as aftermarket accessories by the ’70s. Patents from the time exist for a more advanced version of Clyde W. Morgan’s pull-out tray, but customers looking for a car with a built-in cup holder were still stuck in the wilderness, or more likely in traffic, trying to turn left and shift into second while balancing their hot mugs of Sanka.

The 1984 Chrysler minivan, replete with cup holders (Credit: Autoblog)

But that all changed in 1983, when Chrysler invented the minivan. The Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager (which were the same car, for the most part) not only saved the company while creating a whole new category of car in the American market, they rolled off the assembly line with two serious cup holders in sunk into the plastic of the dashboard. In the next few years, more and more cars started including cup holders in their interior design—but it would take at least another decade for them to become ubiquitous.

In 1989, US News and World Report was still calling “crannies for drinking cups” an unnecessary “future frill,” but the life-or-death necessity of the cup holder was proven in the infamous 1994 lawsuit, Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants. If you’re too young to remember the hot coffee case (or happened to spend that year renting a nice cave in the Poconos), Stella Liebeck, a 79-year-old woman, sued McDonald’s for damages after spilling 180-degree coffee on her lap in a stationary car. She got third-degree burns from the spill, and was awarded $2.7 million (reduced to $640,000 on appeal) by the jury. The case became fodder for endless Leno monologues and a national argument about tort reform, but it was also a strong argument for industry-wide adoption of the cup holder—if the car she’d been sitting in, her grandson’s Ford Probe, had had even one single cup holder, the whole ordeal might have been avoided.

February 18, 2013

Hope you all had a great President’s day, and some of us might have scored a Auto deal this past weekend!  Do share if you did!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43553168236

Science, Engineering, History, Drink, Cupholder, BonApetit

Pandanus tectorius (Wikipedia) (Fruit of the Hala aka Puhala...

Pandanus tectorius (Wikipedia) (Fruit of the Hala aka Puhala Tree Seed Pod [aka Pandan Tree])

Pandanus tectorius is a species of Pandanus (screwpine) that is native to Malesia, eastern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. Common names include Thatch Screwpine, Hala (Hawaiian), Bacua (Spanish), and Vacquois (French).  P. tectorius [Pandan] is a tree that to grows to 4–14 m (13–46 ft) tall.

Fruit
The Thatch Screwpine’s fruit is either ovoid, ellipsoid, subglobose or globose with a diameter of 4–20 cm (1.6–7.9 in) and a length of 8–30 cm (3.1–12 in). The fruit is made up of 38–200 wedge-like phalanges, which have an outer fibrous husk. Phalanges contain two seeds on average, with a maximum of eight reported. The phalanges are buoyant, and the seeds within them can remain viable for many months while being transported by ocean currents.

Uses
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and is a major source of food in Micronesia, especially in the atolls. The fibrous nature of the fruit also serves as a natural dental floss. The tree’s leaves are often used as flavoring for sweet dishes such as kaya jam [coconut jam], and are also said to have medicinal properties. It is also used in Sri Lankan cookery, where the leaves are used to flavour a variety of curries. Leaves were used by the Polynesians to make baskets, mats, outrigger canoe sails, thatch roofs, and grass skirts.

Image Source (mlkshk)

Is it a lovely fruit?  I was not familiar with the fruit of the Pandan Tree (as I’ve known it), but I have been very familiar with the Pandan flavor!  I’ve had it as a flavoring for Vietnamese sweet sticky (glutinous) rice or kaya Jam [See next posts :)]


Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43444702564

Food, Fruit, Hala, PuhalaTree, Pandan, StickyRice, GlutinousRice, Kaya, Asian

Happy Birthday Michael Jordan!

the Chef’s Lab is also a sports fan, so here’s to wishing a Happy milestone Birthday to Michael Jordan (February 17, 1963)!
This is AARP’s Gift to MJ’s 50th: (from Yahoo Sport’s Twitter)

So, if you hadn’t heard, MJ turned 50 today. The AARP gave him the perfect gift. What would you give His Airness? pic.twitter.com/YX1kMh3P
— Yahoo! Sports (@YahooSports) February 17, 2013

Here’s an update on what MJ’s been up to since his last retirement (Source: Huffington Post)
Happy Birthday Jordan!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43372607039

Birthday, NBA, MichaelJordan, AirJordan, IWannaBeLikeMike, AARP, YahooSport

sciencephotolibrary: Human tongue surface, coloured scanning...

sciencephotolibrary:

Human tongue surface, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The tongue is covered in many backward facing projections called filiform papillae, which sense pressure. The papillae have a scaly appearance because they are constantly shedding their top layer of skin.

Credit: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The things that help us say “Yum”!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43266925541

SEM, Photo, Science, Eats

Happy belated birthday Galileo!!

Happy belated birthday Galileo!! (February 15, 1564)
Galileo Galilei was dubbed the “father of modern observational astronomy”, the “father of modern physics”, the “father of science”, and “the Father of Modern Science” (wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei)

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43265789864

Birthday, Science, Physics, Math, Astronomy, Philisophy, Italian

V-Day Tip on Wooing a Scientist

Cartoon Caricature of a "Scientist"

A friend sent me this link: “Valentine’s Tips: How to Woo A Scientist” because of my profession.

Being a scientist, myself, and that it is Valentine’s day, I would like to share it with you all in case you would like to “woo” me, or any scientist for that matter :-P

Valentine’s Day is typically a hard time for many, namely those who object to the commercialised nature and emphasis on public displays of affection, those who are presently single but would rather not be and find the whole ethos of the day offensive, or some combination of the two. But there is a simple solution to both of these problems: date a scientist.

Scientists are highly educated people with decent career prospects, but are also rarely associated with a fondness for romance and passion (or any other emotional state) so are likely to be apathetic towards Valentine’s Day. Ergo, scientists are the ideal partners.

But how does one go about finding, courting and eventually establishing a solid relationship with an elusive and complex scientist? It’s not easy; they are not like other, more simple humans. But what follows is a brief guide for those wishing to make the attempt to woo a scientist.

Locating a scientist

Scientists can be hard to locate. They rarely frequent sporting events, popular music concerts, fairgrounds, organised cockfights or wherever it is non-scientists choose to congregate. A typical scientist is usually found in the laboratory. Gaining access to a laboratory can be very difficult due to the various levels of security in place due to the presence of hazardous materials,tightly regulated conditions and general safety concerns. Access is regulated in both directions, as there is also the ever-present danger of a scientist sneaking out materials to construct a doomsday device.

Gaining access to a laboratory (how you achieve this is up to you) is usually sufficient to impress any scientists you find in there. Once you have gained entry, simply approach the scientist of your choice. However, please be sure to wear a lab coat. Scientists are highly trained, and their minds have usually developed to the point where they are unable to perceive someone without a lab coat as an actual person, so will ignore anything such an individual says, much as one would ignore a pigeon cooing at a window.

There are instances where you will encounter a scientist outside of the laboratory environment. They may be giving a lecture, or possibly standing in an exotic location looking wistful. In both of these instances, engaging in conversation is impractical, given the context.

If you’re lucky, you may encounter one in a pub or similar establishment. A scientist in a social context like this will rarely reveal their occupation, but they can be spotted if you look carefully. For example, if you see someone who is clearly under the influence of alcohol but still using words of 5 syllables or more, then they’re likely to be a scientist. Scientists are also trained to use the metric system, so look for anyone asking for litres instead of pints.

Scientists are also typically stood alone in a social environment, looking quite fearful. It’s OK to approach them, but do so slowly and calmly, and if possible hold your hands out, palms open and facing upwards, to emphasise that you pose no threat.

Talking to a scientist

It is important to remember that scientists do not converse in a manner similar to non-scientists. When attempting to talk to a scientist, be sure you don’t say anything that might be interpreted as a claim unless you are certain it has been peer-reviewed or subjected to rigorous statistical assessment.

This doesn’t apply when discussing fictional constructs, where such review/assessment is impossible. If you are speaking to scientist, it is guaranteed that they will be a fan of Star Wars, Star Trek or Doctor Who. However, they will only be a fan of one of these, mentioning the wrong one will result in the conversation being immediately terminated. Try to discern beforehand which one they are a fan of; there are some distinct signs to look for. For example, wearing a scarf= Doctor Who fan, carrying a Lightsaber= Star Wars fan, speaking Klingon = Star Trek fan.

If you do manage to strike up an initial dialogue with a scientist, it’s important to keep things going. Should the conversation falter or hit a lull, try asking the question “How is your grant application going?” This is likely to result in a very long rant about the problems, frustrations and possible illegitimate birth origins of those involved with the grant approval process. You won’t really be needed to keep your end of the discussion going, so feel free to answer your text messages, order more drinks or fill in your tax return while it is happening.

At no point should you mention that you have read any of Dan Brown’s novels.

Wooing a scientist

Once a connection has been established, this is the point where an attempt to woo the scientist should be made. It is important to tailor your romantic advances to suit the interests and mind-set of a scientist.

If you usually opt for chat-up lines, consider using the following.

“I am the result of millions of years of evolutionary refinement. If you reject me, you’re essentially a creationist”

“You may want to find your ideal romantic partner, but this is statistically unlikely to happen, so you should embrace regression to the mean. And I can be mean”.

“Laws of entropy mean that you’re undergoing irreversible decay, so you should go out with me while you are still alive and have your looks”.

You may rather opt for the traditional giving of romantic gifts, cards or gestures instead. This is fine, but do remember that scientists desire accuracy above all. For example, if you wish to give them a card adorned with hearts, make sure they’re realistic hearts; atriums, ventricles, papillary muscles, all that. If illustrating your intentions with cherubic figures, make sure their wingspan is sufficient to allow a being of that size to achieve flight.

If you succeed

Please be aware that all of the above advice is satirical and definitely should not be followed. If any of the above tips work and you successfully woo your chosen individual, please be very careful; the individual you have engaged with is not a scientist but seemingly a collection of ridiculous stereotypes and antisocial behaviours in apparent human form. If that’s the sort of thing that you prefer in a romantic partner then that’s fine, but proceed at your own risk.

The comments are actually quite hilarious and I found this Tumblr site on what a Scientist [we] looks like. :)

Enjoy & Happy Valentine’s Day!

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43135732653

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

 

Be Mine!

Happy Valentine’s Day!! (Sorry for the “love bite”..My tummy got ahead of myself!)

Source: http://thechefslab.tumblr.com/post/43076977180

Cooking Caveman with Jeff Nimoy: SamePlate.com, the first dating site that matches people by the food they eat (or don't eat).

Cooking Caveman with Jeff Nimoy: SamePlate.com, the first dating site that matches people by the food they eat (or don't eat).

PLEASE RE-BLOG and help spread the word!

Hi, I’m Jeff Nimoy, founder of SamePlate.com, and I’m on a very specific diet with a ton of restrictions (you can read all about it at CookingCaveman.com). I cook almost every meal at home, knowing it’s impossible to find my kind of food in most restaurants. I also happen to be single. One day I realized, if I ever wanted to date again, I’d have to go off my diet just to meet for meals, unless I cooked for this potential stranger. And what if she hated this food? Kind of a deal breaker. Or what if we met, fell in love, got married, and she still won’t eat like this? I’m gonna have to either go off this diet a lot, or cook two meals every single night! Or we’d cook separate meals, and that’s not going to work either in a long-term relationship. So my only choice is to meet a girl who’s also on the same diet! Where am I going to find her, taking an ad out in “Weird Dieters Monthly?” But now I’ve created a dating site that can find me that girl, SamePlate.com, where I can search exclusively for partners on my particular diet.

This works for any kind of diet people might be on. Couples can be on Weight Watchers together while dating, speaking the same diet language, talking about the same shared experiences, and eating the same food. Let’s say you’re a vegan and you meet someone great… but they’re a meat eater!? Probably won’t work in the long run. Or if you’re both extremely picky eaters and are tired of driving your dating partners crazy with your special orders. Or two people with wheat allergies can meet, fall in love, and live gluten-free, happily ever after. Any food need or preference can be applied. Even if you’re just looking for someone who shares a love of the best cheeseburger your city has to offer! The one thing ALL single people have in common is, they all EAT! There’s no need for pick-up lines here, and we have none of the pressures of dating. Just start a conversation about food, and take it from there! Because even if things don’t work out romantically, you still gotta EAT! Good luck to all of you in finding that perfect eating partner, here at SamePlate.com!

SamePlate: Same Food, Same Love, Same Life.

By the way, I’m on here too (my profile name is CookingCaveman), so give me a shout out and let me know how SamePlate is working for you!
We’re brand spanking new, so please create a profile and help us beta test it before going BIG! Thanks!

frankfuipadsketch: Chinese people are supposed to stay up the...

frankfuipadsketch:

Chinese people are supposed to stay up the whole night on the 30th day of the 12th month in Lunar Calendar. However, there is no 30th day for this year. So Chinese people will take tonight ( 29th day) as the New Year Eve. The folk saying goes like: 三十儿晚上熬一宿. In ancient times, there was a monster called 年 (nian, or year) that would harm people. Later, people found out that the monster routinely came out on New Year’s Eve, so people began to get together on this day, staying up and chatting, hoping for peaceful passage of the time. The custom of staying up symbolises the warding off of all diseases and disasters, wishing for good luck in the New Year. Nowadays, Chinese people will rush back home and have reunion dinner with family members on this day.

Made with Paper

Out With The Dragon, In With The Snake

Candy, Nuts, and candied Fruit!

The start of the 2013 lunar calendar year is Sunday, Feb 10th. Mainly Chinese and Vietnamese follow the lunar calendar to observe and celebrate their new year, and a number of the countries' holidays, Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike.

Asia has many traditions leading up to their new year holiday. For the lunar new year, aka "Chinese New Year" or "Tet" in Vietnamese (heavily influenced by Chinese), it is a huge endeavor in preparations for days if not weeks of celebrations.

A new year is a time to look forward to good or better luck and the Chinese are all about symbolism.  Something is deemed "lucky" due to the appearance or the way the Chinese character for it sounds.

Here are some running overall symbols:

• Cleaning is a preparation ritual done beforehand so no cleaning is done on the new year day(s).  The idea is not to "sweep away" your new luck as well as a clean house to welcome guests.
• Red is the color of brightness and prosperity.  Red envelopes contain monetary gifts to little children to wish them growth, wisdom, and good health for the upcoming year.
• Family and friends gather to pay respects to the elders and wish them a lucky and wealthy new year! Of course lots of healthy days as well!
• Foods are made as offerings to gods and ancestors to pray for the upcoming year.

For the specific food dishes and it's symbolism, here is an article that describes the lucky dishes for the Chinese New Year:

The Chinese word for fish, yu, for instance, sounds like the word for riches and abundance.
Koi fish in particular represents good fortune, wealth and prosperity. As a result, many shops and restaurants serve items shaped like koi -- from nian gao (a glutinous rice cake more popularly known in the Philippines as tikoy, which is also considered lucky by the Chinese) to pudding and cupcakes.
"Koi, or anything that looks like koi, will bring good luck," Hong Kong-based feng shui master Joseph Chau Kam Ching told ABS-CBNNews.com.
The prosperity toss (or yusheng in Mandarin, lo hei in Cantonese) is a salad containing strips of raw fish, shredded vegetables, and a variety of sauces and condiments. Because of the way the Chinese word for it sounds, the prosperity toss is considered a symbol of prosperity and abundance.
After the dish is prepared, all diners at the table stand up, toss the ingredients and say their wishes.
The ubiquitous Chinese noodles, which are also served during birthdays and other special occasions, are believed to represent long life. It is said that bad luck will come to those who cut the noodles, so eating them may be a little messy.
Fresh fruits such as tangerines and oranges are also popular, as well as trays containing candy, peanuts, pistachios and chocolate coins. All these represent wealth because of their shapes and bright colors.
Chicken symbolizes togetherness when served whole (including the head and the feet), while dumplings with minced meat and vegetables are said to attract more money because they look like silver ingots.
Spring rolls and egg rolls resemble gold bullion and are said to bring more wealth. The same goes for lettuce since sang choi, the Cantonese word for it, sounds like the word for rising fortune.
"Lettuce with root is lucky. Chinese celery and spring onion represent intelligence and hard work, and red carrot symbolizes prosperity. Lotus root is for good relationships," Chau explained.
Rice, meanwhile, is said to bring "permanent prosperity." Chau said a container must be full of rice and accompanied by an ampao, or a red money envelope.
Some of these "lucky" dishes and more will be served in Chinese restaurants across the country, including Mandarin Oriental Manila's Tin Hau.
The "New Year's Five Happiness Combination Platter," for one, contains barbecue suckling pig, roasted pork asado, marinated jellyfish, golden fried shrimp mousse and black moss rolls, and crispy fried anchovies. Tin Hau claims that the platter is a symbol of bountiful harvest and family togetherness.
Other Chinese New Year dishes in the restaurant include deep-fried treats -- from crab meat to scallops and shrimp -- which represent wealth and abundance, according to the Chinese. The all-too-familiar suckling pig, abalone, fried rice and tikoy will also be served.
"An event is not just an event. It's an experience," Chico Angeles, food and beverage director of Mandarin Oriental Manila, said about their annual Chinese New Year celebration.--taken directly from Lucky dishes for the Chinese New Year by Karen Flores

Here's to a Happy Lunar New Year with lots of great eats!

Super Bowl XLVII

Niner's Cucpakes: Strawberry flavor with Butter Cream frosting, decorated with SF tags, Footballs, and Red & Gold sprinkles

It's the Super Bowl!! Well, this year is dubbed the "Harbowl" with the Harbough brothers coaching the NFC and AFC championship team.

What are your traditions for this event? Do you host or attend? Do you only care for the halftime shows? How about commercials? What foods do you eat?

OR do you go snowboarding instead?

For those who participate in the Super Bowl activities, here's some interesting facts about how much food is consumed--this is America's second biggest food fest, after Thanksgiving!


Chicken Wings
There may be concerns of a chicken wing shortage, but expect more than 1.23 billion wing portions to be consumed during Super Bowl weekend.  If those chicken wings were laid end to end, they would stretch between the San Francisco 49ers Candlestick Park and the Baltimore Ravens M&T Bank Stadium 27 times.

Ranch Dressing
Move over bleu cheese.  Almost 57 percent of Americans who eat chicken wings say they like to dip their wings ranch dressing, according to a new National Chicken Council poll.  Only about 35 percent go for the bleu cheese dressing –unless you live in Northeast, where it’s nearly 50 percent.

Pizza
Super Bowl Sunday is the busiest day of the year for pizza restaurants, according to the National Restaurant Association.  In fact, chains Papa John’s, Pizza Hut and Domino’s will sell twice as many pies as they do on any other day.

Potato Chips
Wings and pizza are the two most popular Super Bowl snacks, but potato chips are close behind. Some 11 million pounds of chips are expected to be consumed on Sunday, as well as an estimated 4 million pounds of pretzels and 2.5 million pounds of nuts.

Avocado
Luckily avocado is a Super Food, because 69.6 million pounds of avocados are consumed on Super Bowl, according to the Hass Avocado Board.  Now, if you could avoid eating all those chips --but they go sooo good together.

Popcorn
Get popping.  Americans will eat about 3.8 million pounds of popcorn while watching the big game, according to the Calorie Control Council. If you skip the butter, it could be one of the day's healthiest snacks.

Hamburgers
The Super Bowl is second-biggest grilling weekend of the year --the 4th of July is first.  Some 14 billion hamburgers will be served up at parties across the country.

Source: Shocking Super Bowl Food Facts
 
Happy eating! And Go Niners!!

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In Puxsutawney...

Groundhog via Rick LaClaire

Because tomorrow, Feb 2nd, is Groundhog's Day, I would like to share this site. Being a scientist and all, I've always wondered... truly how scientific is it to have a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, predict our Winter season by whether he sees his shadow or not. Do groundhogs even see or care to see their shadow?

So, scientifically questioning, how accurate is Punxsutawney Phil? "According to Stormfax.com, Punxsutawney Phil has only been correct approximately 39% of the time." With that percentage, we are better off guessing the opposite! Which brings me to this point: Why does seeing a shadow provide a prediction of a longer (six weeks to be exact) winter? Shadows tell me that there is light, since groundhogs' natural habitat is outside, the light must come from the sun. I generally correlate sun to heat, and warm weather. Warm weather doesn't mean winter to me.

Either way, "weather" you love Winter or Spring, I think we are all just excited to see the groundhog rather than his "forecast" of the next six weeks because my weatherman can tell me that, and still be wrong!

Happy Friday and Groundhog's Day!!

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