Whaddya Think, Doctor Fink?

  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

*The traditional (basic) recipe for churros has 3 ingredients: flour, salt, and water. *Mexicans eat shorter, thicker churros coated in cinnamon, sugar, and often dipped in chocolate sauce. *One theory claims that churros originated in China with the “Chinese cruller” or you tiao (below). Portuguese explorers brought them back to the Iberian Peninsula in the early sixteenth century.   *Churros are found around the world with local variations.     *Some chefs have even tried savory versions filling churros with

Churros. Who was first to savor these yummy treats? It’s a long, messy history with lots of versions. While many of us believe churros came from Mexico, its colorful story reaches way back in time. Churros are deep-fried dough. Food historians report that evidence of fried dough can be traced back to the ancient world, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Israelites in Canaan. Many of their recipes evolved into some of today’s favorite fried doughs, like fritters, funnel cake, doughnuts,

*Gelato is the common word in Italian for all types of ice cream. *One of the first gelato desserts was called fior di latte and served at the court of Catherine de Medici in the early 1500s. *Café Procopio was opened in 1686 by Procopio dei Coltelli, an Italian chef, and the man credited with inventing modern gelato. Many prominent people have dined there, including Voltaire, Robespierre, Napoleon, and Benjamin Franklin. It is still open today. *King Louis XIV (see

Close your eyes. Savor creamy frozen sweetness. It’s heavenly. Gelato. There are hundreds of flavors, gelaterias, and even prepackaged pints around the world. Think American with chocolate brownie or Italian with pistachio. Check out Israel’s salted caramel. Go classic with stracciatella (vanilla) laced with dark chocolate strands. Of course, there’s always the luscious basics – chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. There’s no limit to the joys of gelato. Gelato is made from milk, cream, sugar, fruit or other flavors mixed together

  *The word crêpe comes from the old French crespe which means crispy or wavy. *Sweet crepes often include chocolate, preserves, powdered or granulated sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, fruit spreads, sliced fruit, or ice cream. *Common savory crepe fillings are cheese, ham and eggs, vegetables, mushrooms, and thinly-sliced meats. *Crepes can be made into cakes by stacking plain crepes and adding layers of fillings like fruits, frosting, chocolate, marshmallow, and jam. *A crepe cake uses 15-30 plain crepes.  

Crepes. The world loves these elegant “pancakes” that can be sweet or savory, street food, gourmet dining, or simply home-made. According to Pamela Vachon in Salon, “nearly every culture on Earth lays claim to some kind of pancake made from a liquid batter on a hot, flat surface.” The basic ingredients are flour, eggs, milk, salt, and butter. The batter is thin; the result is a more delicate pancake. The world developed many creative uses for crepes like French crêpes

*The name “sour dough” refers to its leavening properties not taste. It’s only sour if you want it to be baked that way. *Sourdough can be used for a lot more than bread like bagels, pancakes, rolls, cookies, muffins, cakes, cobblers, and fritters. *The Israelites used sourdough to make leavened bread. *Sourdough “mother” or starter can be dehydrated – it becomes a powder that lasts indefinitely. *Sourdough isn’t gluten free but is lower than regular gluten bread. *Carl T. Griffith’s