A blog about food, history, data visualization, and more
(Disclosure: I received a discount on the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC) registration fee in exchange for writing three posts about my experiences at the conference. All opinions are my own.) This is part 1 of a 2-part series on a visit to an olive grove and olive oil processing facility in Yolo County, California. The second […]
Let’s face it: a cup of tea can taste great and be a relaxing ritual, but the caffeine might be the biggest attraction. And if you want to get the most (or least) in your cup, scientific articles can be a valuable resource. In particular, some of the papers by a group from the University […]
(Updated 10/15/16: fixed broken links, removed two photos. 12/10/16: update on candy cap cheesecake) Some time ago I heard about a mushroom that smells like maple syrup, and given my interest in fenugreek’s maple aroma (Fenugreek’s Flavors, When Fenugreek Leads to a False Diagnosis), I had to find out more. A quick search in […]
It’s a busy night in the maternity ward, babies being delivered left and right. While changing the diaper of a newborn, one of the nurses smells maple syrup, an unusual occurrence. And after a few seconds of memory searching, mental alarm bells go off: “It must be Maple Syrup Urine Disease! This is a big […]
(Updated 10/26/16: new maple leaf image) Now and then, fresh fenugreek leaves appear at the farmers markets that I frequent (usually at the Vang Farms stand at Berkeley’s Saturday market). When this happens, I buy a bunch and then get some potatoes from another stand to make my version of a recipe in Julie Sahni’s […]
A few weeks ago, I reviewed an academic paper on tea brewing — how brewing technique and tea brand affect caffeine and dissolved solids levels. In that paper, the authors demonstrated that the highest level of dissolved solids (which correlates with flavor and possibly anti-oxidants) come from loose leaves or a well-agitated tea bag, and […]
(Updated 10/23/16: new image, fixed broken links) Sometimes, when afternoon fatigue weighs me down at the office or on groggy weekend mornings, my mind drifts to thoughts of tea and caffeine. How could I brew the most potent cup of tea to break out of the doldrums? What are the flavor trade-offs? Among the many […]
Inspired in part by Shuna of Eggbeater, I have been cooking okra since it started appearing at the Farmers’ Market in Berkeley Okra’s Oozing – Why Okra Makes Slime Okra is one of those “binary foods” where people seem to hate it or love it (also in this family are mushrooms, seaweed, and tofu). The […]