The principle behind canning – putting food in a watertight container and boiling it – was invented by a Frenchman (Nicolas Appert) around 1795. Napoleon was at war (with Britain this time) and had offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could come up with a better method for preserving food for his army. Appert, who
I admit to resorting to canned beans, unflavoured (they always come with salt and sugar though), as a starting point for most recipes that call for them. The need to soak the dried beans ‘overnight’ before cooking is the stumbling block for me. But, it turns out that the soaking step can be separated from the
A four-legged table inevitably wobbles when positioned on an uneven surface such as in a beer garden or an al fresco dining area. Three of the legs will sit on the ground, but the 4th will be above ground and cause the wobble. The usual solution is to stuff something, such as a beer mat
One in 4 people eat chilli daily; but are they eating chilli, chile or chili? And, why peppers? The word is regional and historical. The plants are native to South/Central America, and the word ‘chilli’ was the Latin translation from the Aztec Nahuatl language (an oral language). It has become standard spelling in the UK and Australia.
My posts have always included original content and not just a link to other content. However, I enjoyed this video and so I am being modern and ‘sharing’. It is a promotional video for a 3-Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid (DiverXO; chef David Muñoz). The Spaniards seem to remain in the vanguard, in this case again blurring food