Whaddya Think, Doctor Fink?

    George Washington knew what he was doing. Natalie Colarossi wrote in Business Insider that “he spent his entire campaign budget – a whopping 50 pounds – on 160 gallons of liquor in order to sway voters on election day.” Clearly, it worked. Munching for votes is a tradition, although it doesn’t always work the way it was intended. Some stump foods tell a different story. For example, President Gerald Ford committed an unforgivable gaff in 1976, dubbed “The

    *Roots are the energy-storage part of the plant. *Sweet cassava has low levels of cyanide that’s removed in cooking. Most of the poison is in the outer bark-like peel which is easily removed.   *Happy International Carrot Day is celebrated every year on April 4. *WebMD reports that root vegetables are “dense in essential nutrients and come with a number of health benefits.” *In 19th century Victorian England, women used beet juice to give their hair a red

  *Indiana turkeys, Peanut Butter & Jelly, were chosen because of their “temperament, appearance, and I suspect their vaccination status,” President Biden joked in 2021 during the pandemic. “Instead of getting basted, they’re getting boosted.” *Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird. He lost out to the bald eagle. *Turkey eggs are tan with brown specks and larger than chicken eggs. *A baby turkey is called a poult and is tan and brown. *The Presidential Flock is

  *According to Real Simple, spaghetti squash is loaded with vitamin C – an “antioxidant, which means it boosts your immune system and protects your memory as you age.” *A spaghetti squash can vary in color from ivory to yellow to orange. Orange has the highest amount of carotene. *Cooking turns the solid inside flesh (when raw) into strands that can be easily removed with a fork. *Spaghetti squash has many different names, including spaghetti di zucca (Italy), somen nankin

  *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.

  *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

  *The world’s most eaten food is rice – a staple for more than half of the global population. *There are thousands of different types of rice like brown, white, black, wild, arborio, and basmati. *Some of the most unpopular foods include cilantro, celery, and tofu. *Pound cake doesn’t actually weigh a pound.     *Raspberries, cherries, and strawberries are members of the rose family. *The Caesar Salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico in the 1920s – not Rome, Italy.

  It’s a special kind of magic. Slide squishy dough into the oven and it comes out as dinner rolls. Air-fry frozen potato balls and you end up with crispy Tator Tots. Barbecue slimy-looking raw chicken on the grill and the result is sweet, sizzling drumsticks. Yum. These days we don’t think a lot about cooking. It’s always been there. Cooking makes food delicious, creative, and fun. It’s part of families, friends, and celebrations. We’re rewarded with roast beef, creamy

  *Cream-cheese frosting on carrot cake didn’t become popular until the 1960s. *National Carrot Cake Day is February 3. *If the baking soda has a strange reaction it can turn carrots green or blue in the cake. It’s still safe to eat. *Carrots not only sweeten the cake but they also make it denser and moister. *In the 1970s and 80s carrot cake was considered a health food because of its vegetable main ingredient. *Carrot cake was a top food

  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