FOOD HOLIDAY: National Absinthe Day

March 5th is National Absinthe Day, celebrating a green-colored spirit made from the flowers and leaves of the wormwood herb (Artemisia absinthium). Green anise and fennel seed give absinthe its distinctive flavor. Absinthe has an anise-like flavor and a controversial past. Hey, isn’t absinthe the stuff that made Parisian writers and artists go mad in…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Know Your Saturated Fat Foods

So good to taste, so bad for your heart (photo Paul Johnson | IST). Last year, a media blitz let America know that trans fat was bad for us. Some cities legislated that it could not be used in restaurants. Manufacturers reformulated their products and declared “No Trans Fats!” on the packaging. Trans fats are…
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TRENDS: Alcohol Consumption By Country

With Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day upon us—two holidays known for celebration with alcohol—we found this comparative drink consumption chart. America isn’t even in the Top 10. That’s no reason to celebrate (or to over-indulge). The better focus would be to move our students up the Top 10 list in math and science. In…
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FOOD HOLIDAY: National Fruit Compote Day

It’s National Fruit Compote Day—although a compote is de facto made of fruit, so a simple National Compote Day would suffice. Compote de fruits, or fruit compote, is mixed, sweetened fruit cooked on the stovetop. Compote de pommes or compote d’abricots is a single stewed fruit (here, apples and apricots, respectively). Compote can be made…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Mandoline Slicer

[1] A mandoline makes beautiful, ultra-thin, even slices (photo courtesy Microplane). [2] Slicing perfectly even julienne carrot strips (photo courtesy Kitchen Expert).   If you don’t have a mandoline slicer, it’s time to think seriously about getting one. A mandoline (man-doe-LEEN) is a kitchen utensil that makes thin, even slices, from juliennes to crinkle-cuts and…
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