Whaddya Think, Doctor Fink?

  Take a big, sweet bite. Savor the moist, spicy cake with rich cream-cheese frosting. Close your eyes and relish a dessert that’s been around for centuries. Carrot cake. No one knows for sure when and where it originated. There are a lot of legends, stories, and happy tummies. Whether you eat it in a thatched peasant hut, elegant castle, or your favorite local restaurant, carrot cake is a culinary jewel. Carrot cake has a lot of nicknames. There’s Mama’s

  BITE INTO HISTORY: THE SWEET, SAVORY, AND SOMETIMES STRANGE STORY OF FOOD By Whaddya Think, Doctor Jeri Fink? Here are some fun, facts, and trivia! Read each question and choose your answer. You can check if you’re right at the very end and get your foodie fun rank or click on the blog link below that tells the whole story. Enjoy!   Who invented cotton candy? An 8-year old kid A carnival clown A dentist A mother with a

  *According to National Graphic, “a real quiche is only ever filled with three things: bacon, eggs, and crème fraiche [a dairy product similar to sour cream].” *The first use of the term quiche Lorraine was in 1925. *Quiche can be served warm, cold, or at room temperature. *Modern-style quiche was a favorite of people fleeing the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 – 71. *In 1982, Bruce Feirstein published the book, Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche. For a while it negatively

  Take a bite. Savor the flaky, buttery crust filled with cream, eggs, cheese, and an assortment of ingredients conjured by a creative chef. Over the years, the recipe evolved. There are many twists and turns in this yummy slice of history. Let’s go to France and . . . wait. Did quiche come from France? According to The Kitchen Project, there was an ancient Roman dish called patina – a tart made from eggs and cheese. Autumn Swiers speculated

  *According to Cozymeal America’s most popular dessert is ice cream. *In the sixteenth century, sugar sculptures by famous confectioners could cost as much as a person’s average annual wage. *The modern concept of dessert applies to many sweets, including fruit, cheese, custard, pudding, cookies, pastries, pies, tarts, cakes, and ice creams. *In many cultures dessert may be served first or as part of the meal. *The word dessert comes from the French desservir meaning to “clean the table.” *Crème

  What’s your pleasure? A hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and a bright red cherry or a warm apple pie with a scoop of ice cream? Crème brêulée, strawberry shortcake, red velvet, or cheesecake? The choices are endless, with more “invented” every day. We’re wired to love sweet. Scientists found that taste buds develop in the eighth week of pregnancy. Unborn babies “smile” when exposed to sweet tastes in the womb; they “frown” at bitter tastes. See www.jerifink.com/born-to-be-sweet From

*Mousse means foam or froth in French. *The Palace of Versailles, in the early 1700s, often served savory salmon or goat cheese mousse at the royal banquets. *Many foodies believe that Henri Toulouse Lautrec, the famous post-impressionist painter, invented chocolate mousse in the late nineteenth century. He called his version mayonnaise de chocolat. Great story but it was around long before that time.     *Italian semifreddo is basically frozen chocolate mousse. *Mousse doesn’t have to be chocolate. Some people

  Legends can be as yummy as the food they describe. Take mousse. It’s a savory or sweet dish that uses air bubbles to give it a light texture. The word “mousse” means foam in French. Some foodies believe that the famous post-impressionist artist, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, invented chocolate mousse. Let’s check it out. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was born into aristocracy in 1864. His parents were first cousins during a time when no one knew the dangers of inbreeding. It probably accounted

  *Avocados are single-seed berries (fruit) not vegetables. *You can ripen an avocado quickly by putting it in a bag with bananas. *Avocados provide “healthy fat” that reduces bad cholesterol. *Hass Avocado, the most popular variety in the world, was patented by Rudolph Gustav Hass in 1935.     *In Ethiopia, avocados are made into juice and mixed with sugar, milk, or water. *Avocados are very healthy – they have essential vitamins and minerals, high fiber, and healthy fat. *Avocado

  Avocados. They’re quite a mouthful with different names, colors, and shapes. Fortunately, under the peel they’re basically the same. Think it’s a vegetable? Wrong. An avocado is a single-seed berry (fruit); more like a mango than a celery stalk. The botanic name is persea americana. It’s a tropical tree native to Mexico, Central and South America. Today this green berry is grown around the world in subtropical climates. Avocados don’t like the cold. Ask Oprah. In an interview with