Fun Food Facts

Here is a small random sampling of Facts:

In cooking, what does the term “scalded milk” mean?

Scalding milk involves heating the milk at 198ºF (92ºC) for 1 minute or 185ºF (85ºC) for 7 minutes. The easiest way to scald milk is to slowly heat the milk in a sauce pan over low heat. Do not allow the milk to boil! When the milk has a distinct surface “skin” over most of the area, it is scalded. Remove immediately from the heat and allow to cool.

Is there a connection between cottage cheese and cottages?

Cottage cheese does not require fermenting in special rooms or caves so it could be made wherever the milk supply is collected. Cottage cheese was so named because it was principally made at farmhouse cottages. It is made from the buttermilk leftover from churning butter. The cottage cheese is separated from the buttermilk using either rennet or lactic acid. Once the curds are firm enough, the liquid whey is drained off.

Are Brussel Sprouts related to cabbage?

Brussel Sprouts are actually the buds that grow off the sides of the cabbage stem. The cabbage is the main bud at the top of the stem.

Why does fish flesh cook so much faster than animal flesh?

Fish do not need a lot of connective tissue or fat because they 1) do not have to fight gravity and 2) are cold blooded. Thus, with less connective tissue and little fat, fish flesh cooks quicker and can be more easily overcooked.

How can I lessen the onion tears?

Refrigerate the onion for an hour or so before cutting. The cold onion will release less puruvate (term for a chemical that produces tears) into the air.

What do barley and gladiators have in common?

Barley was the preferred grain of northern countries because of the shorter growing season. In Athens, perhaps as a testament to their hardy nature, Gladiators were called “hordearii” which means “barley-eaters”.

Why do some dishes just not taste the same without alcohol?

Certainly the flavor of wine, for example, adds to the flavor of the dish, but there’s a secret to this: some flavors are drawn out not by water but by alcohol. Adding a little wine to some stewing tomatoes adds to the flavor by drawing out flavors that water could not.

What’s this I hear about making a Meringue in a copper bowl?

It is a culinary tradition to use a copper pot and copper utensils when making meringue. The centuries old claim is that the meringue will be harder to ruin when made in copper bowls. Today, evidence supports this claim having found that a reaction between the copper ions and the egg whites makes it hard to overbeat the meringue. On the other hand, it does turn the meringue from snowy white to slightly yellow. If you do not have copper bowls and utensils on hand, try using a little bit of cream of tartar.

How far do the bees have to fly to make 1 lb of honey?

As they fly back and forth to the hive, the bees cover the equivalent of 3 orbits about the earth to make 1 lb of honey. In case you are wondering, a bee gets about 7,000,000 miles to a gallon of honey.