MSG: More Than a Flavor Enhancer

History of MSG

For thousands of years, people in Japan used seaweed to enhance the flavours of their foods. Scientists began wondering what was it in seaweed that enhanced the food. Eventually, Kikunae Ikeda discovered what it was. His discovery was soon manufactured on a large scale. In 1908 the industrial giant Ajinomoto began manufacturing the chemical compound known as free glutamic acid, otherwise known as “MSG”. The substance was patented in 1909 by a company in Japan. During the second world war, American soldiers noticed that Japanese army rations were tasty. Army quartermasters discovered that the reason for this was MSG.

Subsequent to this discovery, use of the substance spread to the United States. Use of MSG in food became widespread in the United States in the 1950’s through restaurants and home use. The main product used in spreading this influence was labeled as Accent. The product was pure MSG. When the standards for food additives took effect in 1958, the additive MSG was ‘grandfathered” in without any testing since its use was so widespread. Technically it is classified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as “generally regarded as safe” without any testing of the substance. Continue reading “MSG: More Than a Flavor Enhancer”

Must-Try Pasta Recipes: 3 Creative Spins to the Classic Spaghetti

Spaghetti is a dish that is well-loved all over the world. It could be as simple with just tomato sauce or as fancy with giant meatballs. Both the pasta and the dish, both called spaghetti, is truly a classic. Why not add a unique spin to it and surprise your guests or family?

Here are delicious, creative spins to the classic spaghetti:

Creamy Bacon and Beer Pasta

What you need:

1/2 kilogram spaghetti, cooked to al dente
3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
1 sweet onion, chopped
6-8 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups sweet grape tomatoes
1 cup dark beer
1 cup Parmesan cheese

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The Flood of ’96

The phone rang just a few minutes after Eleven PM. My wife, Marie, answered it. She yelled “it’s Bob, turn on Channel 28”. I turned on the T V and tuned to WBRE-TV 28. A reporter was interviewing the EMA Director, Jim Siracuse who was stating they expected the river to reach 36 feet. The dikes are between 37 feet and 39 feet and he stated it was going to be too close to call. The Emergency Management Agency of Luzerne County was ordering a precautionary valley wide evacuation. By seven AM it was mandatory.

De Ja Vu. We live a few block from the Susquehanna River in Forty Fort Pennsylvania. On June 22, 1972 the river topped the dikes and flooded the entire valley to a level of almost 40.6 feet. At that time we had two Giant Schnauzers, Ch. Camoli’s Gem of the East and Ch. von Russ Brinny Brite, a mother-daughter pair. We had very short notice that time. I had Marie drop me off at my office a few blocks away to move some files to the second floor and pick up the State Car that was parked there. I returned to my home and was putting the dogs things in my personal car when the sirens started to sound. Until you experience the sound of wailing sirens and know that it means that the river had topped the dike or that the dikes have broken and the river coming through you cannot realize what a terrifying sound it is. When I was leaving the house with Gemma, the water was coming down the street. Marie had left a few minutes earlier and had taken Pazazz with her in the other car. We were to meet at a friends house out of the flood plain. We had taken some clothes and enough food and water for the dogs for a few days. Little did we know that we would have almost fourteen feet of water in our home and that we would be out of our home for weeks. Continue reading “The Flood of ’96”

The Fish We Cook, Swaii And Barramundi

SWAII The swaii is a form of catfish that is imported from fish farms mainly in Vietnam. Its popularity has increased greatly in the United States since the trade embargo was lifted in 1994. The swaii is a river fish that can grow up to 4 feet long but the farmed fish are usually sold in the 2-4 pound range. The adult fish is almost uniformly gray. Often swaii is sold under the name of pangasius or basa. The basa is a similar fish that is actually a little better in quality so you need to check labels. The basa fish is much more expensive because it takes up to 4 times longer to raise. The swaii is a very important fish commercially and is sold all over the globe. It is similar to the American catfish but usually has a cheaper price which has caused the United States government to be very specific with labeling. The basa is a mild fish with white meat and a texture similar to the American catfish. The swaii is also a mild fish but the meat is a little darker in color and the fillets are thinner than the basa fillets. The best way to cook swaii is to bake, pan fry, deep fry or broil. Continue reading “The Fish We Cook, Swaii And Barramundi”

Some Interesting Facts About Tortoise Shells

Tortoises are defined by, protected by, described by and hunted for their shells. We are going to look into some interesting facts about tortoise shells as we look into the biology of tortoises including their evolution and how they have come to hold so much of our curiosity with their slow moving yet long lived lifestyle. Many people looking for a tortoise for sale would be surprised to know how unique they really are.

Tortoises are found on most of the continents including North and South America, Africa, Asia and Europe as well as parts of Indonesia, Madagascar and the Galapagos. They have evolved to live in sparse rocky islands in the middle of the ocean, lush jungles in the Amazon, deserts in Africa and the cold steppes of Russia. All of this while carrying large and heavy domed shells made of bone on their backs. Some tortoises feed on vegetation and grasses while others feed on fruits and carrion. Some tortoises will even chase down small insects and snails as part of their varied diet. Continue reading “Some Interesting Facts About Tortoise Shells”

Restaurant Equipment Parts – PartsBBQ Trusted Online Store In US

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Explore The History of Tortoises

We see giant tortoises at the zoo and we know that many people keep tortoises as pets, even the larger breeds. When we hear about the history or tortoises, we seem to understand that these are extremely ancient animals that have been around long before the humans that keep them captive and will probably be here long after we are gone. This detail alone makes the tortoise such a fascinating animal to study and observe. Today, we know that they feel at home both on land and in water, for the most part. We know what they look like: stubby legs, slow-moving, hard shell, etc. But what have tortoises really been through in their millions of years in existence? That’s what we’re here to find out.

Let’s start at the beginning. During the times of evolution, tortoises were among the species that partially made their way out of the water and went back and forth between land and sea throughout their evolution. Exclusively marine tortoises went extinct about 200 million years ago but the traces of turtles as we know it remain. During the Triassic Period, we see the body of the tortoise take its familiar form. From here on out, the body remains largely unchanged. Continue reading “Explore The History of Tortoises”

Who’s Tough Enough to Eat a Sea Spider?

Rather than “Who’s Tough Enough to Eat a Sea Spider?” you need to know what a sea spider is.

They have been around for millions of years, but live in an environment not often in contact with humans. Volcanic ash near Herefordshire, UK, reveals spider fossils from 425 million years ago. They’ve been here a long time. More recently, scientific expeditions to the Antarctic area have discovered some amazing current examples.

Just off the Ross Sea Shelf in Southern Antarctica live gigantic specimens of many forms of sea creatures. In addition to giant worms and crustaceans these expeditions brought back sea spiders larger than a dinner plate. Many had the normal eight legs, but some have more, even up to twelve legs. Very large size sea life is nothing unusual in the Antarctic area. Scientists speculate this is because of cold temperatures, high oxygen levels, adequate food, and a general lack of predators in the area.

Sea spiders exist in total darkness about four miles deep. They crawl around feeding on soft bodied creatures like sponges and sea slugs using their proboscis to suck the life out of their prey. In fact, they are VAMPIRES! So, such ogres exist now in the deepest Antarctic Ocean just as they did in Romania in the days of Count Dracula. Continue reading “Who’s Tough Enough to Eat a Sea Spider?”

A Non-GMO Shopping Guide – The Risks of Genetically Modified Foods and the Role of Agribusiness

Have you noticed the size of green peppers these days? As a matter of fact, when you walk through the produce aisle you may be impressed with how the fruits and vegetables appear shiny, colorful and larger than life. But did you know that unless you specifically purchase food labeled organic most of the food in the produce aisle (and other aisles as well) has been genetically modified?

Also called recombinant DNA technology, this practice changes the core genetic make-up of the organism. This genetic manipulation gives scientists the ability to create any trait they desire — natural of unnatural. Food marketers have decided tomatoes should be sweeter, peppers larger, and fruit blemish-free. And scientists have met their specifications. If it’s not perfect, food marketers assume, or more precisely, dictate, that we don’t (or shouldn’t) want it. But GM food is far from perfect. Continue reading “A Non-GMO Shopping Guide – The Risks of Genetically Modified Foods and the Role of Agribusiness”

Healthy Food for Children to Consume

Children that are lacking well balanced meals are vulnerable to health problems such as poor eyesight, exhaustion as well as reduced concentration. This may hinder their development, which may be very depressing as being a parent. Unhealthy weight is rising among children on account of extravagance in high fat foods such as hamburgers and pizza. Alternatively, healthy food for the children boost psychological health and maintain how much they weigh and general health who is fit. Understanding sensible food list will give parents a concept in what might be a part of healthy foods for children.

Fundamentally, healthy food is lacking in fats and for that reason also can play a huge role to lose weight naturally in kids. Eating well balanced meals guarantees adequate development and overall growth of youngsters. A few of the healthy food you can eat are shown below:

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