Food & Nutrition

Ganesh Nair knows cashews. His grandfather started a business processing cashews in Kerala in the 1930s, and it’s the largest cashew exporter in India today. Nair grew up in the family business, but he left India for graduate school in the United States, eventually working in diabetic health care in the Bay Area and in Europe. He returned to India in 2010—his father was getting older, and his brother wanted help transitioning the business from a commodity to a value-added product. Years earlier, the Nair family had developed a proprietary technique of air-roasting cashews with their natural skins on, loosely encasing the nuts with wrinkly brown skins that crackled like dried leaves. It was a novelty that added crisp texture to the buttery cashews,...

“If You Have a Lemon, Make a Lemonade”- Dale Carnegie Lemons are a citrus fruit known for their distinctive tart and acidic taste. They are a common ingredient in cooking used for their health benefits and as a natural cleaning agent. Lemons are typically small, oval-shaped fruits with bright yellow skin and a juicy, pulpy interior. Lemons are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and were introduced to the Mediterranean region by the Arabs in the 10th century. Today, they are grown in many parts of the world, including the United States, Italy, Spain, and South Africa. One of the most notable characteristics of lemons is their high vitamin C content. One medium-sized lemon contains about 30-40% of the recommended daily vitamin C intake, making it an excellent sourc...

In 1989, Applebee’s opened their 100th restaurant. By 1998, they’d opened their 1,000th. I was born in 1992, near the start of this novelty boozy, sometimes-cold-in-the-middle, Tiffany-lamp-adorned explosion in the American restaurant scene. It was during this period that I ate a lot of chicken fingers. As a family, we tested the waters of the full casual dining spectrum—Applebee’s, Bennigan’s, Ruby Tuesday, TGI Fridays, Friendly’s, Perkins… They all had fingers. I rarely had to look at the menu to point a finger.  Sometimes crunchy, sometimes crumbly, and always served with a sugar-buzzed sauce that could almost double as dessert, chicken fingers were the lifeblood of my Pennsylvania youth. They went by many names, but they were always “fin...

All About Bay Leaves Bay leaves, scientifically known as Laurus nobilis, are aromatic leaves from the bay laurel tree, a small evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean region. These leaves have been used for centuries in cooking, herbal medicine, and religious ceremonies. In addition, they are a popular ingredient in many cuisines worldwide, known for their unique flavor and aroma. Bay leaves are typically dried before use, and their flavor is most potent when fresh. They have a subtle, slightly bitter taste and a strong, pungent aroma. They are often used to add flavor to soups, stews, and sauces, and they are also commonly used in meat dishes, such as pot roasts and braises. Bay leaves are a key ingredient in classic French and Mediterranean cuisine and are also used in ...

Coconut Miso Salmon Curry: A Flavorful Fusion Delight My daughter found this salmon curry with coconut miso recipe on the N.Y. Times website and enjoyed it so much that she made a video on how she prepares it for me. She makes it for us whenever she visits. Let's look at some of the ingredients. Miso Miso is a traditional Japanese ingredient that has gained popularity worldwide for its unique and complex flavors. It is a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans and other grains, like rice or barley, with a koji starter culture and salt. This fermentation process can take weeks, months, or even years, resulting in different types and intensities of miso. Miso offers a savory umami taste, known as the fifth basic taste, which adds depth and richness to dishes. It has a dis...

Frikadeller - A Danish Meatball That Looks Like a Tiny Hamburger As a kid, frikadeller was one of my favorite Danish meals my mom made for us. Although Danes might say they are flattened meatballs, my mom's reminded me of small, fancy hamburgers.   My mom was from Denmark, and when we were young, most of our meals were of Danish cuisine. My brother, sister, and I loved some of it, but some meals we struggled with. Another favorite is pan-fried flounder with new potatoes. What Is Frikadeller? These delectable meatballs hold a special place in Danish culture and are a beloved comfort food cherished for generations. Their unique flavor and versatility have made them a staple in Danish households and a favorite among locals and visitors. Frikadeller, pronounced "free-kuh-...

There was a recent post on the Spain message board of the website Reddit whose subject line read, “My favorite menu item at McDonald’s in Spain,” that included a photo of a McDonald’s hamburger with a slice of jamón Ibérico sitting atop the patty. The slice of cured ham glistened in the light, adding some verve to a lifeless, dull burger. The top comment was, “Why would you destroy a perfectly good piece of ham like that?” The post was clearly meant to be a joke, but my first thought was the opposite: that this person was taking a mediocre hamburger and making it better by adding a vastly superior ingredient to the mix. But slapping a slice of jamón Ibérico onto a McDonald’s patty is just the beginning.  Case in point: this summer, some of the...

I'm strong to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach.  We enjoy a lot of spinach in our house. It is so versatile, you can add it to an omelet in the morning, have a spinach salad in the afternoon and sauté it as a side dish in the evening. Ok, that's a lot of spinach. Spinach, scientifically known as Spinacia oleracea, is a leafy green vegetable that belongs to the Amaranthaceae family. It is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is a versatile vegetable that can be consumed raw or cooked and is commonly used in various cuisines worldwide. This article will explore spinach’s health benefits, nutritional value, and culinary uses. History Spinach is believed to have originated in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) and was ...

I love popsicles. This fact should perhaps be gotten out of the way up front—this edition of Rabbit Hole will be no evenhanded journalistic exercise of restraint and neutrality, published here at the very apex of popsicle season in America, a time when the thoughts of the nation, young and old, turn to all things freezable. They taste incredibly good, popsicles, but moreover, they are both an optical illusion and a Rorschach test—personal and meaningful and much bigger than they appear in the mirror.  The entirety of the farmers’ market can be turned into a popsicle. The wildest idea in your most intimidating cookbook, the sweet of your dreams, those Proustian flavors of childhood waiting to be recaptured: all of these can be poured into a mold,...

Why did the chicken cross the road? To see if it could fly to the other side? How far can a chicken fly? Growing up, we had chickens, and I remember them flying up into the surrounding trees if they got out of their coop or pen. So yes, chickens can fly, but let's look at their capabilities more carefully. While chickens are not known for their long-distance flights, they can cover short distances through brief bursts of flight. On average, a chicken's flight capabilities typically extend to a maximum distance of about 50 meters (164 feet). However, it's important to note that individual chickens may vary in their flying abilities due to breed, size, and overall health. Short, low flights generally characterize the flight of a chicken. They use their wings to generate thru...